Science Outreach on Campus
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UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater – November 2, 2020

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UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater

2 November 2020

Hi Everyone,

Two months done in the academic year, and only two months left in 2020, the Year of Ideal Visual Acuity.  It’s all been a blur so far.

The Badgers couldn’t play football this past Saturday, and at 22 covid positives by this past Friday one wonders how they’ll field a team this coming weekend.  While the football team has been sidelined, from the academic enterprise a key fact is that by the end of the month all classes will be online.  On the political frontline, we have that election thing tomorrow.

The virus has crystallized that this election will have a diametric effect on science and science policy unmatched by any other vote in my experience.  By midweek, or at least by the weekend, we may have a clearer view of where we stand and where we’ll be heading over the coming four years.  In any event, the period between the election tomorrow and the swearing in of the new Congress on January 3 and then on to the inauguration on January 20 is an enigma: much can be imagined, nothing yet ascertained.

In contrast, now in our ninth month of covid time, we are able to imagine more, plan more, and ascertain more in our science outreach programming, working within the limits of the pandemic while innovating with the powers of online platforms that have become our technological co-workers in connecting with people across Wisconsin.

Good luck over this extraordinary week!

-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 today, November 2. 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 November 2 at 10am includes:

-Welcome
-Updates from colleagues and their science outreach programs
-UW Science Expeditions & Engineering Expo 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:

4.   UW Students speak out about Climate Change
Give a listen to these 12 “elevator speeches” from summer 2020. https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/education/AOS102/

5.  From the Wisconsin Energy Institute:

November 17 at 4:15 pm CST: Energy and Climate Justice Forward in Energy Forum

The negative economic and environmental impacts of our fossil fuel based energy system have concentrated effects on communities of color. Centuries of racial segregation, redlining, and unequal pay have left these marginalized groups on land where they face disproportionately high levels of pollution and are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Communities of color also face systemic disadvantages in energy costs, higher energy burdens, and limited access to renewable energy benefits. Join us on November 17 from 4:15–5:45pm for a panel discussion on these issues and how we can address energy and climate justice with introductory remarks from Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes. Learn more and Register Here.