Wisconsin vs Cornell

The University of Wisconsin and Cornell University were sharing a number of headlines last week, as the Badgers and the Big Red met in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

But in my mind, at least since I started as a graduate student in the UW College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the two campuses have been linked. Cornell, unique among the Ivy League, is a land grant institution that like the UW has a deep commitment to using research to better the lives of its supporting community.

As at the UW, a great deal of groundbreaking work has been done in ag and life sciences at Cornell. As Dwight Shrute learned on "The Office," modern cabbage wouldn't exist without the work done at Cornell. Cole slaw lovers take note.

That accomplishment may not surpass the Babcock butter test or Vitamin D research, but then again, Cornell did win the basketball game.