Science Outreach on Campus
Sharing Science With Wisconsin

UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater – September 28, 2020

Posted on
UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater
 
September 28, 2020
 
Hi Everyone,
 
This Year of Living Languorously continues to slide and sidle into fall and soon into October.  The colors hum and vibe.  In science outreach, many of us are also hitting our stride and glide as we move ahead with new programs and resume some old favorites.  
 
In the fields of science & policy it has become The Year of Living Rancorously. In courtrooms across the country, covid may be the first US epidemic that has been litigated to deadly;  if only the virus could be litigated to death.  
 
Notable here at home, yesterday Wisconsin hit new peaks.  Yesterday Wisconsin Public Radio tweeted “On Sunday, Wisconsin saw records in its COVID-19 test positivity rate, the seven-day average for percentage of positive tests, and seven-day average for daily cases, according to @DHSWI.” 
That’s a trifecta that can wreck ya.  The stress alone can tax the hardiest soul, and that’s a tax we nearly all are paying. 
 
But it’s hardest on the families of the now 1 million people worldwide killed by covid, of whom at least 204,033  are Americans. 
 
With numbers like these, a vaccine that’s effective, widely available and widely used can’t come too soon; yet it probably can’t arrive til months into 2021.  Furthermore, and particularly for those who work with school-age children, another setback came last week with the news that a covid vaccine approved for kids may arrive several months behind  any ones approved for adults, and possibly not til Fall 2021. 
 
And so we move forward into another brandname year:  The Year of Living Resolutely, knowing that the work we do in sharing science with Wisconsin is vital to our common good and to our individual well-being.   
 
Plus, the Brewers made the playoffs.  Wonders never cease, although they do seem to take long breaks.
 
Thanks again!
 
Tom Zinnen
 
 
Note: please visit https://science.wisc.edu/science–alliance/ for the updater archive.
 
Notable This Week
 
1.  Science Alliance meets weekly by Webex at 10:00 am Mondays, including September 28. Email Liz Jesse at ejesse2@wisc.edu or Tom Zinnen at zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu to receive the link. The meeting notes are archived on https://science.wisc.edu/science–alliance/.
 
The draft agenda for September 28 at 10am includes:
 
  • Welcome
  • Updates from colleagues and their science outreach programs
  • Status of public visitors on campus in person
  • Wisconsin Science Festival
  • UW Science Expeditions in April:  suggestions for parallel planning for online, hybrid, and in person
  • Other announcements or topics  
 
2.  Please add your upcoming online programs or resources with learners of any ages to the list at http://science.wisc.edu/ and be sure to include program events in the calendar at http://today.wisc.edu and tag them with “Science” and any other appropriate tag.
 
3.  Programming Events coming this week and soon:
 
  • “PLATO Frontiers in Life Sciences” public seminar, by Zoom.  Wednesdays at 1 pm CT.  September 30 through December 9 (except Nov 25). 
 
  • “Wednesday Nite @ The Lab” public science seminar, by Zoom.  Wednesdays at 7 pm CT.  Every Wednesday night, 50 times a year.   
 
 
  • The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center at UW–Madison, along with the other National Primate Research Centers, are hosting a virtual booth at SciFest All Access.  New Dates!  September 26-October 3 (formerly Sept. 16-23). More info at https://usasciencefestival.org/scifest/
 
 
 
4.  The PLATO Frontiers in Life Sciences Seminar will be firing up again this fall for online presentations to a group of 20-25 active retires.  a.  We’ll be gathering by Zoom.  Email Paul Brandl at pbrandl90@gmail.com to join PLATO Frontiers in Life Sciences and then register for the Zooms at https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUvcOmqqDMiEtDdb9mSYczXmivRVETlkeUp
 
b.  If you’re a researcher or outreacher looking for a venue to hone your skills in sharing your science with an appreciative, affirmative audience, please contact Tom Zinnen at zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu and let’s find a Wednesday at 1 pm that’ll work well for you.
 
5.  Wednesday Nite @ The Lab returns by Zoom on Wednesdays at 7 pm CT with a test-drive session September 30 by Tom Zinnen.  
a.  Register at
   
b. If you or one of your colleagues would like to present at WN@TL, please contact Tom Zinnen at zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu
 
6.  Upcoming Events from the UW-Madison Arboretum


Virtual Lecture Series – “Land, Culture, Identity: Roots of Resilience”
Tuesdays in October, 7–8:30 p.m.  More at https://arboretum.wisc.edu/learn/adult-education/public-talks/
Free. Advance registration required.  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffX5C9FD4UhjYp5k0cl_lHKsR9rOiCMyc55p7CMcdBJPhXEQ/viewform

– October 6. Decolonization and Indigenization of Agriculture: The Foundation of Building a Resilient Regenerative System. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin is the owner-founder of Regeneration Farms LLC, and founder and president of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance.
– October 13. Preserving the Wisdom of the Land and Traditional Food Systems through Education. Elena Terry is the founder and executive chef of Wild Bearies, and the food and culinary program coordinator for the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance.
– October 20. Honor the Guardians, Respect the Land. Pao Vue, PhD, is a wetland biologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
– October 27. The African American Land Ethic. Lillian “Ebonie” Alexander is the executive director of the Black Family Land Trust.

Arboretum Observation Stations
Saturdays and Sundays, 1–3 p.m., through October 25.   This fall Arboretum naturalists will be available outdoors to share knowledge and stories of the land. The station is located behind the Visitor Center in the Native Plant Garden. Participants are required to wear masks and maintain physical distance. Drop-in, no registration needed. Weather dependent, may be cancelled without notice.

 

 

Five Powerful Routes to Promote Your Events: The Updater newsletter (750 subscribers), the science.wisc.edu portal, the @sciencewiscedu Twitter feed (3.2K followers), the @UWMadisonScienceOutreach Facebook page, and the today.wisc.edu calendar.
 
*  Add your news, requests and programming announcements to the Updater by emailing them to ejesse2@wisc.edu
 
*  Check out www.science.wisc.edu for more science activities! We’re delighted to help you promote your upcoming science outreach events.  Send a note to Liz Jesse at ejesse2@wisc.edu.
  
* Or post your events to the @sciencewiscedu Twitter feed and to the @UWMadisonScienceOutreach Facebook page.