Science Outreach on Campus
Sharing Science With Wisconsin

UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater – September 20, 2021

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UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater
 
For 20 September 2021  
 
Hi Everyone,
 
As I led with last week, I am fond of noting that in our work in science outreach, “Hospitality Counts, and Venue Matters.”  
 
The phrase is especially apt this week for me and my colleagues at the Biotech Center because today, for the first time since early March 2020,  I together with Jordana Lenon of the Primate Center will be welcoming a group of K12 students to the Outreach Teaching Labs at the Genetics Biotech Center for hands-on explorations of stem cells and of DNA.  
 
It’s been a long time coming, this kilometerstone of welcoming groups of young people back to their land-grant research university.  Youth have been welcome for months at venues such as the Terrace and the Unions, at the Chazen and at Camp Randall, but the prohibition on programs on campus, indoors or out, for groups of young people ended just 12 days ago.  It will be a great and good thing to have young folks back at Biotech.
From time to time you may hear people note how the return of undergrad students every Fall invigorates the entire university, fueling the vibe and infusing the vibrancy of the whole campus.  For many researchers, it’s the ebb & flow of undergrads as they come & go that injects an extra vitality to working at a university, in comparison to working at an institution dedicated solely to research.
 
Among both researchers and outreachers, many of us also are grateful for the energy and enthusiasm brought to campus by visiting adults including retirees, such as those who last week resumed coming weekly to Wednesday Nite @ The Lab at the Biotech Center.  
 
But nothing surpasses the electric verve and incandescent excitement that are the special gifts brought by middle school students who are in many cases setting foot for their very first time on these Fields of Discovery that comprise the campus of their public land-grant research & extension university.   
 
Tom Zinnen
 
 Note: please visit https://science.wisc.edu/science-alliance/ for the Updater archive.
 
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Coming Up This Week and This Month
 
1.  During the fall, Science Alliance meets every at 10:00 am Mondays, including today, Monday September 20.
 
Please note our New Location:
Room 1120 Wisconsin Energy Institute, 1552 University Avenue
 
Please note our new link by Zoom:  
 
The draft agenda includes:
 
  • Welcome by Allison Bender of Wisconsin Energy Institute
  • Updates
  • Presentation by Reba Luiken of Allen Centennial Garden on the work of and plans for the Garden
  • Other announcements or topics
  • Next Meeting:  Sept 27 at 10am;  Rachel Ancheta, the Girls Inc STEM Coordinator at the Goodman Community Center, will be the featured presenter
 
As with the #Updater, the meeting notes are also archived on https://science.wisc.edu/science-alliance/.   
2.  Are you looking for a way to use your interest in and knowledge of science to make a positive impact in the Madison community?

If so, this is the opportunity for you!

The ROSE STEM Fellows Program is coordinated by Edgewood College and involves several schools and community centers in Madison.  I have volunteered as a Science Advocate with the program for the past 4 years.  I work with one community center and collaborate with them to empower their staff as well as parents to become science leaders.  My role is helping them to feel comfortable with science topics and to connect them with science resources.  This past year, we focused on COVID, viruses and vaccines and helped families to understand the science so that they could make informed decisions.  I would be glad to communicate with anyone interested to provide more details about the program.  Please see attached.  

 
Dolly Ledin

3.  Opportunities to Share Your Science with Necedah’s “Cardinal After School” by Zoom on Tuesdays throughout the fall.  4:00-4:30pm for grades 3-5.  4:30 to 5:00 for middle school and high school.  It’s a good way to share existing activities, as well as to invite the students to help you prototype & hone new activities you’re developing.  Contact Liz Jesse (ejesse2@wisc.edu) or Tom Zinnen (zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu) for questions or suggestions.  Sign up at the spreadsheet here.
4.  “Badger Talks” In-Person Presentations Are Back!

Badger Talks is pleased to announce the opening of the in-person speaker request system! Thank you for your virtual requests over the past several months. We will continue to also offer this opportunity for Wisconsin businesses and organizations who prefer to host speakers virtually at their upcoming event. 

It is our goal to bring the University of Wisconsin – Madison to you to help spark ideas and conversations on topics important to your community. Whether you want to hear about the history of the Amish, improve communication in your workplace, or learn about the latest ground-breaking health care research, Badger Talks boasts a roster of 400 UW experts ready to give talks around Wisconsin.

The process is simple: explore our list of categories, or search for speakers/topics using keywords via the search bar; then submit an online talk request. Wisconsin businesses, clubs and organizations are welcome to request up to two talks per calendar year. Please contact us if you would like assistance with identifying a speaker who matches your organization’s interests.

Services are provided at little to no cost for organizations and businesses in Wisconsin in support of The Wisconsin Idea and as part of the UW Connects program housed in the Office of State Relations. 

Questions?  Feel free to connect with us at badgertalks@uwmad.wisc.edu

5.  Programming Events coming this week and soon:
  • Global Health Tuesday, September 28, 4:30-5:30 online, “White Saviorism and Decolonizing Global Health” featuring Anna Kalbarczyk of Johns Hopkins University.  Register here.  More information at the website of the Global Health Institute and at the website of the Global Health Innovation Club.
Remember to Post your science outreach events and to Check for other events presented online and available to all at http://today.wisc.edu/events/tag/science
 
 

6.  Upcoming Lineup for Wednesday Nite @ The Lab online by zoom starting at 7pm Central.  WN@TL runs every Wednesday night, 50 times a year.  

We have resumed live presentations in Room 1111 Genetics Biotech Center.  

You can also tune in by zoom.  Register at go.wisc.edu/240r59    

See the Schedule in pdf format (attached) and read the descriptions at https://science.wisc.edu/wednesday-nite-at-the-lab.  

Lineup of WN@TL speakers Sept 15 to Oct 6 2021
WN@TL Lineup
 
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7.  Events from the Wisconsin Energy Institute
 

For General Public:   

Power from Plants: How Bioenergy Benefits the World
Bioenergy done right can be a climate-friendly way to power the world. Scientists at the Department of Energy-funded Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center are finding ways to develop clean energy systems that benefit society and the environment, from diverse ecosystems to healthy waterways, soil, and air. Join us on Tuesday, September 21, at 6pm Central Time to hear from the researchers who are making bioenergy’s promises a reality. Register for the event!
 
Infrastructure, Transportation and Justice
The way we get from place to place touches every aspect of our lives, from the burdens of commuting to the access we have to basic services like health care and food. And it’s inextricably linked to the climate crisis, as transportation makes up more than a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Join us virtually on Tuesday, September 28th from 4:30–6:00 p.m. to learn about initiatives in Wisconsin and around the world that are focused on making transportation equitable, clean, and safe. REGISTER HERE
 
For Educators:
KidWind Educator Workshops
The Wisconsin Energy Institute and Wisconsin’s K-12 Energy Education Program are excited to bring the KidWind Educator Workshop to formal and non-formal educators in communities
across Wisconsin. Join us at one of the scheduled workshops and learn how to
explore the power of wind and solar with your students! You’ll take home a kit of ready-to-use materials and curriculum.
Register here:
Thursday, October 21st, 8 am – 11 am, Pablo Center at the Confluence, Eau Claire, WI
 
KidWind Coaches’ Happy Hours
Preparing for the 2022 KidWind Challenge or looking to learn more? Join us for a happy hour to chat with other coaches and share ideas. KidWind advisors and organizers will be on hand to answer your questions – from engineering and design tips and tricks, to FAQ about the registration process and what to expect on Challenge Day. Come for the whole hour or just a portion and BYO beverage of choice.

November 18, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 pm Central.  REGISTER HERE
January 13, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 pm Central. REGISTER HERE

 
Climate Action Simulation Game for Educators
November 4th, 4:00 – 5:30 pm Central
As global leaders gather in Glasgow to reinvigorate their climate pledges during the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, you too can get a taste of the policy and diplomacy decisions involved in limiting global warming to no more than 1.5° C. Join us on November 4th for a highly interactive, role-playing game. You will negotiate a climate deal to address one of the greatest human and environmental challenges of this century, and you’ll walk away with the resources to bring this experience back to your own classroom.
 
For more information:
Allison Bender 
Outreach Coordinator
Wisconsin Energy Institute | Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
608.890.0946  
agbender@wisc.edu
1552 University Ave, Madison WI, Room 2160
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Pronouns: she, her, hers

 
 
8.  Come and Observe the Cosmos with Edgewood’s Astronomy Outreach Team at Ernest Hüpeden’s Painted Forest in Valton, WI. We will have guest speakers, activities for kids, and observe the night sky through the 20” Dobsonian Telescope. (Observing will be weather permitting.) To keep up to date with any changes due to weather conditions, and get reminders for the star parties, visit and like our Facebook Page @edgewoodastro  
 
Star Party Dates: Talks start @ 7PM, come earlier for family activities
 
Saturday, October 16, 2021
 
Link to  a map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Painted+Forest/@43.5740255,-90.2738505,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x10782e9febe78b0c!8m2!3d43.5740255!4d-90.2738505
Note that you should turn left at the Painted Forest building (looks like a little white church) and proceed up the hill. The telescope will be on the right at the top of the hill.
 
Edgewood College follows State of Wisconsin current recommendations regarding masking and social distancing in response to COVID-19.
 
9.  Schedule of Events for Madison FUN Partners