Catching up with the news

This front page story in Saturday's Journal Sentinel had a familiar ring to it:

Researcher, grants leaving UW for lack of partner benefits

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is facing a hit to its pocketbook and brainpower after a researcher announced that he is leaving because of the state's refusal to provide domestic partner benefits.

Robert Carpick, an associate engineering physics professor and nanotechnology researcher who has generated $3.4 million in external grants since joining UW-Madison in 2000, informed his boss and colleagues of his decision earlier this summer. He told them the absence of the benefits and the Legislature's push to ban gay marriage were behind his decision to take a job at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn offers same-sex benefits, as do all of the Big 10 universities except Wisconsin.

It seemed like just a week ago that I read about another researcher leaving UW for the same reason.

Turns out it was a week ago, reported on Aug. 25 in The Xoff Files, and on Aug. 24 by the Associated Press

:UW researcher leaves over partner benefits

BY RYAN J. FOLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADISON - A promising University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher who has won millions of dollars in grants says he is leaving the school, citing its lack of health insurance benefits for his domestic partner.

Rob Carpick, associate professor of engineering, said he will depart for the University of Pennsylvania, which offers domestic partner benefits, at the end of the year. He's taking with him a research portfolio that has won $3.4 million in grants from the National Science Foundation, branches of the U.S. military and private companies since 2000.

Hey, what a coincidence. The guy even has the same name.

The Journal Sentinel, of course, is a member of AP and gets its wire stories. Why wait a week to report it yourself?