UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater
17 May 2021
Hi Everyone,
Thursday’s announcement by the CDC removing its mask-wearing expectation for fully-vaccinated people in most conditions indoors and out has been hailed in at least two senses of the word: some praise the decision, others pellet it. The decision is going to be another chapter in the long, long book of case studies that will come out of covid. The scientific bases seem sound enough to nearly all commentars, but both the timing of the policy and the communication of the announcement have been peppered with criticism from several quarters.
For UW-Madison, masks continue to be required for indoor events and encouraged for outdoors when safe distancing of 6 feet can’t be maintained.
Meanwhile, UW System campuses continue to adjust to the media release two Thursdays ago (May 6) stating that “University of Wisconsin System universities are preparing for the return of precollege and youth programs to campuses this summer.”
That media release was discussed at the Precollege Council meeting on May 12; the minutes of that meeting are here: Precollege Council 2021-05-12 – NOTES
At the Science Alliance meeting today at 10am we’ll be discussing, among other things, the ways we might be able to welcome groups of young people back to campus this summer, be they field-trip groups in the custody of a teacher or a summer camp in which UW staff take custody of the youth.
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 May 17. 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, May 17 at 10am includes:
- Welcome
- Updates
- Impacts of CDC guidance from May 13 on masks
- Outlook for public programs for adults and for youth in Summer 2021
- A taxonomy of youth programs based on who has custodial care
- Review of current public programs open to the public on campus
- Science Expeditions Campus-wide Open House: Any Updates
- Other announcements or topics
- Family Gardening Day Online continues throughout May at https://science.wisc.edu/family-gardening-day/
2. Now in Archive: Please invite your colleagues in research & outreach to check out the YouTube archives of presentations from 2021 UW Science Expeditions Open House on April 9, 10 and 11.
3. Programming Events coming this week and soon:
- The UW Now Livestream. May 18 at 7 pm. “Transitioning to Post-Pandemic Life” featuring:
Shilagh Mirgain — senior psychologist and clinical assistant professor at the UW’s School of Medicine and Public Health, public speaker and outreach educator on mind-body skills and health
Christine Whelan — clinical professor of consumer science and director of the Money, Relationships and Equality initiative in the School of Human Ecology
- Badger Talks Live: – https://www.facebook.com/UWConnects/live & https://badgertalks.wisc.edu/events/ Tuesday, May, 25, Noon CT. “19th Century Women’s Undergarments” with Leslie Bellais, Former WHS Curator, Historian and PhD Candidate
- Virtual Saturday Science Workshop with UW Space Place. Most Saturdays at 10:00am. Check at http://www.spaceplace.wisc.edu/#satworkshops.
- Family Gardening Days continue online throughout the month of May: https://science.wisc.edu/family-gardening-day/
- Check for other events presented online and available to all at http://today.wisc.edu/events/tag/science
4. Upcoming Lineup for Wednesday Nite @ The Lab online by zoom starting at 7pm Central.
Register at go.wisc.edu/240r59 Schedule and descriptions at https://science.wisc.edu/wednesday-nite-at-the-lab
May 19 “How to Reduce the Risk of Wildfire Ignition from Power Grids” Line Roald, Electrical & Computer Engineering
May 26 “Life in the Late Triassic in Wyoming: A Timely Story of Puzzle Pieces” Dave Lovelace, Geology Museum & Department of Geoscience
June 2 “Ways Glaciers Move” Luke Zoet, Department of Geoscience
June 9 “Rural Medical Training: The Stats, The Need, The Future” Laura McDowell, Obstetrics & Gynecology
5. Josh Knackert is helping spread the word about a new survey underway of science communicators and outreachers by Parmvir Bahia (https://www.linkedin.com/in/parmvir-k-bahia/). Here’s the survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JFDKL7R
Why are we doing this?
• The STEM Engagement field and profession (specialists including but definitely not limited to: full-time, part-time or any-time science communicator; officer for outreach organization; events producer; STEM festival coordinator; science education toolbox creator; science librarian; or anyone else who helps connect non-experts with scientific topics and expertise) is continuing to evolve. We want to do our part to help the world better understand this work.
• This survey is being conducted by the members of the LiveSci Collective, a growing community of practice for STEM engagement professionals. We want to better understand 1) who is out there, as best as possible, in the STEM engagement professional landscape; 2) your professional and personal goals, in the context of being a part of a community of practice; and to this end, 3) collect data that will be shared back (anonymously) to the STEM engagement professional community regarding current compensation rates for this work.
6. 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/.
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/.
7. Coming up later this month on University Place of PBS Wisconsin (and also online at pbswisconsin.org/uplace):
5/24 at 9 pm Violence And Warfare In Humanity’s Past
(and 8:00 am) Nam Kim, Department of Anthropology, UW-Madison
These programs may also be viewed on or before the broadcast date at pbswisconsin.org/uplace .
8. Schedule of Events for Madison FUN Partners: 2021 FUN Partners Calendar
9. The annual International Forum on Consciousness hosted by the BTC Institute and Promega Corporation will be held virtually May 20-21st. More information and registration can be found at: https://www.btci.org/events-symposia-2021/international-forum-on-consciousness/
10. Aerospace Jam: A Drone-based & Sensor Competition for Wisconsin High Schools for Spring 2022
Aerospace Jam is a competition for high school students across Wisconsin to use drones on a NASA-inspired simulated moon mission. The program is a partnership between the NASA Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium and the Milwaukee Bucks. Our goal is to recruit students from diverse backgrounds and cultivate a welcoming and inclusive event that will foster meaningful interactions among teammates and teams. See the flyer attached for more information.
Applications to compete in the Aerospace Jam event will be open in late May 2021. The event is open to all public and private high schools in Wisconsin. To learn more, visit: https://www.carrollu.edu/aerospacejam and http://wsst.wildapricot.org/resources/AerospaceJam_SaveTheDate.pdf