Biochemist Har Gobind Khorana, whose UW work earned the Nobel Prize, dies

UW News Biochemist Har Gobind Khorana, who received the Nobel Prize for research he conducted while at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, died Wednesday, Nov. 9 in Concord, Mass. at age 89. “He revolutionized biotechnology with his pioneering work in DNA chemistry,” says Aseem Ansari, UW–Madison professor of biochemistry. “The work that he did in Wisconsin …

WPR Airing Peace Corps Stories, Documentary

Wisconsin Public Radio is recognizing 50 years of the U.S. Peace Corps with a special series of broadcasts, November 5-11. Since 1961, Wisconsinites have responded to President John F. Kennedy’s call for international service in record numbers. More than 2,942 UW–Madison alumni have served in the program, second only to the University of California-Berkeley on …

New documentary highlights Mildred Fish-Harnack

A new one-hour documentary on Mildred Fish-Harnack—Milwaukee native, University of Wisconsin alumna, and the only American woman executed on direct orders from Adolf Hitler—is scheduled to premiere Monday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. on Wisconsin Public Television (WPT). Also, a free preview screening of Wisconsin’s Nazi Resistance: The Mildred Fish-Harnack Story is scheduled Thursday, Nov. …

In Vietnam, Mopeds Help Teach Economics

Grow Magazine — Fall 2011 When Corbett Grainger wanted to teach Vietnamese students the basics of environmental economics, he had no problem getting them motivated. He just talked about the motor scooters jamming the roads of Hanoi. The bikes make for great local color, he says—it’s not unusual to see one carrying an entire family …

Global Health Institute awards seed grants, celebrates merger

UW News — October 25, 2011 Eight research projects ranging from human and animal disease to agriculture to economic growth will move forward with start-up funding as part of the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s focus on global health. The grantees will be recognized Oct. 27 at an event launching the Global Health Institute, a merger of …

UW-Madison hosts Iraqi economic development delegation

UW News — October 19, 2011 The University of Wisconsin–Madison is one of two American universities to host a delegation of representatives selected by Iraq’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Innovation, Research, and Development (ICIRD) on universities and technology-based economic development. The 12-member delegation, visiting Oct. 17-20, consists mainly of Iraqi university professors and government officials from …

Patz discusses environmental health with Dalai Lama

Nelson Institute — October 17, 2011 For professor Jonathan Patz, who directs the UW–Madison Global Health Institute and holds an appointment in the Nelson Institute, conversations around environmental ethics are an everyday occurrence. It’s not every day, however, that he can discuss these issues with the Dalai Lama. This week, Patz has the special opportunity …

1979 Delegations to China have Enduring Impact

Among the hundreds of new graduate students who arrived on campus for the start of the fall 2011 semester, Zhao Jingzhou of Shanghai could claim a unique connection to a  special moment in UW-China relations. Mr. Zhao’s grandfather arrived in Madison 32 years ago as a member of the first group of visiting scholars to …

Study Abroad Alum Returning to Troubled Country

Jenny Browne is excited about traveling to Sierra Leone this month to teach creative writing, but admits feeling a tinge of anxiety. This isn’t her first trip to Africa. In June, Browne, an assistant professor of English at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, went to Kenya, where she taught Somali children in a refugee …

World Bank Chief Economist to Speak on Campus Oct. 14

Justin Yifu Lin, the chief economist at the World Bank, will give a public lecture Friday, October 14, as part of the annual meeting of the Wisconsin China Initiative advisory board. Dr. Lin will be speaking about his forthcoming book, “Demystifying the Chinese Economy.” The talk will be held in the Wisconsin School of Business’ …