Steve Ackerman
Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Director of the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies Steve Ackerman has produced new methodologies for interpreting satellite observations of clouds, enhancing Wisconsin’s reputation as the birthplace of satellite meteorology. He is a tireless advocate of collaboration and sharing of information to foster advances in weather prediction that save lives worldwide.
He is one of the “Weather Guys” on air at Wisconsin Public Radio and in the pages of the Wisconsin State Journal. His Wisconsin Weather Stories project for K-12 students, developed to generate interest in the science and folklore of weather, earned him the 2005 Dorothy Howard Prize for Folklore and Education. Among numerous other awards and honors, Ackerman received NASA’s Exceptional Public Service Medal in 2010, the American Meteorological Society’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2009 and, in 2007, he was recognized for his contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was awarded the Nobel Prize that same year.
Is Extreme the New Normal?
Satellites over Wisconsin
Julie Mead
Professor Julie Mead is chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in the School of Education. She researches and writes about topics related to the legal aspects of education. Her research centers on special education and legal issues raised by various forms of school choice. Professor Mead is a former teacher and administrator who teaches graduate courses to help students understand the legal bounderies of educational practice. Her most recent book is “Charter Schools and the Law: Establishing New Legal Relationships.”
Courting Education: The Supreme Court’s Influence on Public Education
Student Speech, Technology and Bullying: What Happens When Bullies go Viral?
John Witte
Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs, Witte is a former director of the LaFollette School of Public Affairs. He also is a faculty member in the School of Education, Department of Education Leadership and Policy Analysis. He researches and teaches in the area of the policymaking process, federal tax and budget policy and education policy. He is currently the co-principal investigator of a five-year evaluation of the Milwaukee voucher program and the state evaluator of charter schools in Wisconsin. In addition to his research on K-12 education, he has studied admission and graduation data for UW-Madison. He is the author of eight books and more than 70 journal articles. His most recent book is “The Market Approach to Education,” which examines educational vouchers.
