Science Outreach on Campus
Sharing Science With Wisconsin

UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater – February 8, 2021

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UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater
8 February 2021  
 
Hi Everyone,
 
Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were both born on February 12, 1809.  In Illinois public school children get a day off for Lincoln’s birthday, but in Wisconsin we get a celebration at UW-Madison to mark Darwin’s arrival upon this mortal coil.  
 
This year UW Darwin Days features two talks on the evolution of viruses.  What a timely confluence in science outreach:  Evolution is a perennial controversy in the US, and right now a more contagious variant of the Covid virus is speedily stalking the land.  
 
The good news on the Covid front is our national 7-day moving average is at 1.2 million doses of Covid vaccines administered a day.  The bad news is the American death toll from Covid rose by 2,820 today for a total of 460,582.  Back on May 24, the Sunday before Memorial Day, the NY Times described the deaths of the first 100,000 US victims of Covid as “an incalculable loss.”  Eight months later, we are now at a loss for words.
 
So it seems that getting a grip on evolution, while also getting a grasp on the variants & their vulnerabilities to immune responses triggered by the original set of Covid vaccines, are now more vital than ever to the savvy use of science in making personal choices and in forming public policies.  
 
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 February 8. 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 Monday, February 8 at 10am includes:
  • Welcome
  • Updates
  • Science Expeditions Campus-wide Open House  April 9-11:  
    • Online Events  
    • Outdoor Activities on Campus & Other UW-Madison Sites   
    • Communications & Promotions
    • Engineering Expo update
  • 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:
 
 
 
  • The UW Now Livestream.  Tuesday February 9 at 7pm CST.  Michael Grebe, regent vice president of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, and Katharine Lyall, former president of the UW System 
 
  • UW Darwin Days & the Evolution Seminar Thursday February 11, 12:30-1:30pm,  “Under the Viruverse: Insights and Approaches in Marine Phage Research” by Alexa Garin-Fernandez, Alfred-Wegener-Institute
    Zoom link: https://go.wisc.edu/8fo7ls
    YouTube link: https://youtu.be/1v4mQ55CN0g
 
 
 
 

4.  Upcoming Lineup for Wednesday Nite @ The Lab online by zoom starting at 7pm Central.  
Schedule and descriptions at https://science.wisc.edu/wednesday-nite-at-the-lab/ 

Feb 10 Moriah Szpara, Pennsylvania State University, “Viruses as Unique and Long-lived as Their Human Hosts.”  Special speaker for UW-Madison Darwin Days.  Special registration for Feb 10: https://go.wisc.edu/35kil3
 
Feb 15  Special Monday Night Edition:  Screening of “The Serengeti Rules” with filmmaker Sean B. Carroll.  Part of UW-Madison Darwin Days.  Special registration for Feb 15:  https://go.wisc.edu/tgpp7j.  More information here.
 
Feb 17  A Panel of Three Invited Speakers on “The Co-evolution of Mammals and Microbes” for UW-Madison Darwin Days.  
Jemma Geoghegan, University of Otago
Aspen Reese, University of California, San Diego
Paul Turner, Yale University
Moderators: Caitlin Pepperell and Tony Goldberg of UW-Madison
Special zoom registration for Feb 17:  https://go.wisc.edu/77qbzd
Feb 24  Rebecca Hutcheson, McArdle Laboratory of Cancer Research.  “Making the Virus Causing COVID-19 Safe for Research.”  
 
5.  The Arboretum Lectures and Symposium

 

WINTER ENRICHMENT VIRTUAL LECTURE SERIES
The 2021 lectures will be virtual on Thursday mornings, February 4 through April 8, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Lectures are $10 each and advance registration is required. 7 or more lectures for $70. Talks will begin promptly at 10 a.m. (CST).
 
Note: the Winter Enrichment lectures are free to students and that link is also on the website.  We’d love students to participate! 

 

 

February 11. Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Biodiversity Conservation. Robin Kimmerer, Distinguished Teaching Professor, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York. Register by February 7. NOTE: This lecture will not be recorded.

 

February 25. How Microbes Shape Our Lives, Transform the Environment, and Influence Climate Change. Charlotte Francoeur, Ph.D. Student, Department of Bacteriology, UW–Madison. Register by February 21.

 

March 4. Holy Ground: Working with Faith and Indigenous Leaders to Build Resilience. Dekila Chungyalpa, Director, Loka Initiative, Center for Healthy Minds, UW–Madison. Register by February 28.

 

March 11. Beyond the Clinical Walls: Environmental Determinants of Health. Jamie Ferschinger, Director, and Stephanie Mercado, Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator, Department of Environmental Health, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers. Register by March 7.

 

March 18. Climate Change and Wisconsin’s Forests: What We Know, What We Expect, and How to Adapt. Stephen Handler, Climate Change Specialist, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science. Register by March 14.

 

March 25. Treaty Rights, Culturally Important Beings, and Indigenous-led Climate Adaptation in the Ojibwe Ceded Territories. Robert Croll, Policy Analyst and Climate Change Program Coordinator, and Hannah Panci, Climate Change Scientist, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Register by March 21.

 

April 1. Using Markets to Achieve Conservation: Examples from the Field. Dominic Parker, Associate Professor, Agricultural and Applied Economics, UW–Madison. Register by March 28.

 

April 8. Climate Change, Reality versus Development: Global South and Worldwide Perspective. Marie-Josée Paula Houénou, specialist in climate change and environmental law and strategies, and city advisor, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow at UW–Madison. Register by April 4.

 

ARBORETUM RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
February 18. Arboretum Research Symposium. Students, faculty, and other researchers will present findings from projects on Arboretum lands and in the Lake Wingra watershed. Free. Register in advance. About the Arboretum Research Symposium»

 

ARBORETUM VIRTUAL CLASSES
Fridays, February 5 and 12, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. 
Nature Poetry, session 1
These classes offer a sampling of modern nature poetry. Session is two classes, February 5 and 12. Instructor: Troy Hess. Fee: $15 for session. Space is limited. Registration required by January 31.

 

Fridays, February 19 and 26, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
Nature Poetry, session 2 
These classes offer a sampling of modern nature poetry. Session is two classes, February 19 and 26. Instructor: Troy Hess. Fee: $15 for session. Space is limited. Registration required by February 14. 

 

Tuesdays, March 2 and 9, 6:30–8 p.m.
Writing Your “Marshland Elegy” 
In this two-part class, we will interpret Aldo Leopold’s “Marshland Elegy” through the contemporary lens of unprecedented loss of species and ecological diversity. Session is two classes, March 2 and 9. Instructor: Troy Hess. Fee: $15 for session. Space is limited. Registration required by February 25.
 
 
6.  Madison Makes! A Virtual Showcase of Local Makers presented by Monona Terrace


Have you taken on a new creative project during this pandemic, or reignited your passion for an existing hobby?  If you’ve found enrichment in making and creating during these challenging times, we’d like to hear from you!

Madison Makes is a new virtual event occurring on March 6, which will showcase videos of Madison area people who love to create and want to share it with others. 

 
 
7.  The Wisconsin Energy Institute’s Virtual 2021 KidWind Challenge is March 6.
 
 
8. School of Pharmacy Outreach Events

 

FEBRUARY 27, 2021 |  9:30 AM – 12:00 PM CST

Learn about the many career paths for pharmacists and the exciting field of pharmacy during the UW–Madison Pharmacy Career Exploration Day. This virtual event is designed for those who are interested in exploring the pharmacy field and what you can do with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The event will feature a pharmacists panel, sessions with current PharmD students, and an overview on clinical training opportunities. Registration is required.
1. Pharmacist Career Overview — Learn about the wide variety of exciting career options within the field of pharmacy.
2. Pharmacist Panel — Get the perspectives of practicing pharmacists about their day to day, and ask your questions during the Q&A.
3. The UW–Madison Advantage — Learn about the unique aspects of the UW–Madison PharmD curriculum that prepares graduates to excel in their desired career path after graduation.
4. Student Breakouts — What is it like to be a pharmacy student at UW–Madison? Learn more during these session led by current PharmD students.

 

MARCH 13, 2021 |  9:30 AM – 11:45 AM CST

APRIL 10, 2021 | 9:30 AM  – 11:45 AM CST

Please join us online for our UW–Madison School of Pharmacy PharmD Spring Open House virtual event, designed for those who are interested in exploring the Doctor of Pharmacy program at UW–Madison. These events will feature an Admissions Q&A, PharmD student panel, and overview of the curriculum and co-curricular opportunities. Registration is required.
1. Curriculum and Experiential Learning — Find out how our curriculum and experiential learning opportunities help differentiate our students through specialization.
2. Opportunities for Co-Curricular Learning — Learn about student orgs and co-curricular activities that can enhance PharmD students’ development and preparation for career success.
3. Admissions Overview — Join this session to learn more about the PharmD admissions process, application timeline, prerequisites, and the selection criteria.  
4. Student Panel — What is it like to be a pharmacy student at UW–Madison? Learn more during this Q&A with current students.
 
 
9.  Wonders of Physics Goes Online for 2021
After 37 years of physics presentations to the public, The University of Wisconsin – Madison is this year sponsoring a physics video competition for teachers and students.

We invite you to submit a 2-minute video demonstrating a physics concept. Awards will be given for the best videos, and winners will be posted on our website and edited into a longer video to be shown on public television.

We encourage submissions from students and teams, but for legal reasons, anyone under the age of 18 must work under the supervision of a parent, guardian, or teacher who will submit the video on their behalf. This could be a fun educational project for families or for physics classes during this period of social distancing.

The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2021. You can find more information at https://wonders.physics.wisc.edu/contest/.

 
 
10.  Microscopes for Schools
ZEISS has launched a granting program to give away microscopes throughout the school year of 2021 to K-12 schools in districts who are interested in incorporating digital microscopy into their lesson plans in the coming year. With your local outreach leadership, I thought you may be interested in case there are people you think could benefit and would want to apply.
 
Anyone interested can find out more information and apply here: https://www.zeiss.com/microscopy/us/local/scopes-grant.html?vaURL=www.zeiss.com/scopesgrant
 
Additionally, please let me know if there are any upcoming activities that ZEISS can support. We’ve been participating in science outreach online events by either providing demo digital microscopy equipment for events or presentations from our team.
 
Best regards,
 
Kimberly Toops PhD
Account Manager
ZEISS Research Microscopy Solutions
 
11.  Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers is sponsoring the “Wisconsin Water Week Essay Contest” with levels at grades PK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12.  Entries are due on April 1.
 
12.  The Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies is excited to invite you and your STS colleagues to four virtual events that we are co-hosting this spring – “Science and Technology in the Hispanic World” – a special seminar series prepared in collaboration between the Holtz Center and Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program. The first event is scheduled for Tuesday, February 2 at noon CST.


How does global science and technology affect Hispanic societies and ecosystems? How does cultural inheritance of hispanic societies inform citizens’ attitudes towards science driven technological projects? How do science and technology from the North mobilize indigenous science to resist undesired transformations? What are the culturally specific debates and conflicts that emerge in various local contexts where science and technology bring changes? This series features renown scholars and activists to introduce us to science and technology driven social debates in Spain, Mexico, Paraguay and Nicaragua.

More information and access details will be provided as each event approaches.

Tuesday, February 23, 12-1 pm, via Zoom

Mexico:   Robin Canul: “Perspectives of development in Yucatán Península”.
Event details

Tuesday, March 23, 12-1 pm, via Zoom

Paraguay:   Kregg Hetherington: “Agribiopolitics: Plants and humans in the age of monocrops in Paraguay”
Event details


Tuesday, April 20, 12-1 pm, via Zoom

Nicaragua:   Birgit Muller “Facing the Environmental Mission: Small Farmers in Nicaragua and the Agro-Ecological Challenges of the Neoliberal Food Regime”

Jamie Adcock
Communications Specialist
University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Holtz Center for Science & Technology Studies
sts.wisc.edu | @HoltzCenter | Facebook