UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater
For 21 February 2022
Hi Everyone,
Back on Friday morning February 11, I had the pleasure of leading a group of 11 STEM-teachers-in-training on a walk-about tour of central campus. They’re all pursuing their master’s degree in teaching here at UW-Madison after earning bachelors degrees in a range of science & math majors at various universities.
My hope for the tour was to let them know that they and their classes will always be welcome visitors at the Biotech Center in specific and at UW-Madison in general.
It was my first walk-about tour with teachers in two years, and the Serendipity was strong in this one.
It happened that one of the teachers had worked seven years ago as an undergrad in the second-floor lab of Mike Sussman, who at the time was director of the Biotech Center. The teacher volunteered to show the group her old haunts. In the intervening years, however, Mike’s lab had moved to new spaces and the Gene Expression Center now occupied the room. Luckily, my colleague Sandra Splinter BonDurant, director of the GEC, happened to be in her office next door, and when I stuck my head in the door to let her know we had a group of teachers at hand, she gladly came out to chat with the visitors–for 15 minutes.
It had been two years since Sandra had a chance to share her work with visiting teachers, and there were lots of new technical angles to her talking points. But even more so than the technology, I think they tuned in to the appreciation and gratitude that Sandra expressed for the talents, commitments and sweat these teachers, and all teachers, put into their work with their students.
From Biotech we trekked through the Discovery Building, hiked through Union South, and then crossed over to the Geology Museum. We didn’t have an appointment, but I called Dave Lovelace to see if he might be able to say hello. Again, Serendipity: he was actually on his way to the Museum when I called; he’d be there in about 45 seconds. And, he was. Dave took the group into the Fossil Preparation Lab and showed the teachers the technique and strategy for freeing from stone a 3-foot-long fossil femur that Dave and colleagues had collected from Wyoming. He contrasted the femur to the mouse-sized fossils of burrowing amphibians found among the big dinosaur bones.
As with Sandra at Biotech, the science was astonishing and splendid. As with Sandra, the hospitality was the overarching message: Dave let the teachers know they and their classes are always welcome to come to the Museum to see’em. Dave could also do the math: 11 teachers, each with the potential of 10, or 20, or maybe 30 years in the classroom; each teaching 50 or 100 or 200 students a year (some will be teaching 5th grade, some 12th). Paleontologists grasp the power of impacts, year after year after year.
It’s great to have visitors back on campus. It’s good that the visitors get to connect with the people, places & programs of their public land-grant research & extension university. But as I pointed out to the teachers, their presence as visitors on campus, now and in the future, is also fundamentally good for the university.
Visitors contribute to the vitality and the vibrancy of the university, bringing fresh eyes, probing questions, and appreciative learning. Visitors also help us share our science and spread our hospitality. It has been a Godsend to be able to provide outreach programs by Zoom, but after two years apart, it is now like manna from heaven to be all together again in the same room.
Thanks!
Tom Zinnen
Looking forward to 10:22 pm on Twosday, February 22: The ol’ chronometer will read 2022.02.22:22:22:22. Deuces wild…
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Coming Up This Week and This Month
1. During the spring semester, Science Alliance meets at 10:00 am Mondays, including today, Monday February 21. Please Note: We will be
meeting by Zoom on February 21 and for the coming few weeks.
• Science Expeditions 2022 Planning
Publicity
Communications
Venues
Presenters in Person
Virtual/Hybrid Options
• Other Business
• Next Meeting: February 28 at 10:00 am.
As with the #Updater, the meeting notes are also archived on
https://science.wisc.edu/science-alliance/.
2. Recurring Programming Events coming this week and soon.
• UW Science Expeditions April 8-10. I hope you’ll join us again this year for the 20th Annual UW-Madison Science Expeditions on April 8-10. Please mark your calendars, and consider presenting an Exploration Station on your research or outreach, or hosting an Open House or Tour at your facility, or organizing a public presentation. You’ll be able to find out more in the coming weeks at
science.wisc.edu/science-expeditions.
• Weekly Reminder: Please Post your science outreach events and Check for Other Science Events presented online and available to all at http://today.wisc.edu/events/tag/science
Tuesday February 22, 3pm. “Supporting the Growth of Wisconsin’s Maple Syrup Industry” with Jeremy Solin, Maple Syrup Project Manager for the Division of Extension
• Saturday March 5 Rocket Build with Dane County 4-H hosted by UW Space Place, 2300 S. Park Street. Please register at
danecounty4H.org.
• Wednesday Nite @ The Lab Public Science Series every Wednesday night, 50 times a year, at 7pm CT by zoom (
go.wisc.edu/240r59) or in person in Room 1111 Genetics Biotech Center, 425 Henry Mall, Madison WI. This week Marianne Fairbanks of the School of Human Ecology shares insights into the artistry, ingenuity & entrepreneurship that led her to the invent the “Hello! Loom” and to launch her company by the same name.
• “PLATO Frontiers in Life Sciences” Launches the Spring Semester on February 23 at 1pm at UW Space Place in the Lower Level of The Atrium of The Village on Park, 2300 S. Park Street. In person, or Zoom at go.wisc.edu/27448v
February 23: “Cartilage Regeneration” with Wan-ju Li, Orthopedics & Rehabilitation, and Biomedical Engineering
March 2: “The Legacies of UW-Madison as a Land-grant University” with David Drake, Forest & Wildlife Ecology, and Division of Extension
March 9: “COVID19 Vaccines: Updates of a Work In Progress” with James Conway of the School of Medicine & Public Health
3. Madison Public Library’s “Healing Labs” Features “Finding Your Roots” on February 22 by Zoom 6:30-8:00pmIn Session Two of
the Healing Labs, we’ll delve further into family and identity using tools like genealogical research. Presenter Marcus Simmons will provide a short guide on how to get started with genealogy research, introduce teens to best practices and tools, and talk through common ethical concerns for black and brown folx. Pros and cons for genetic testing will be provided, along with a short exploration of library resources that can help facilitate this research.
This session centers youth (grades 8-12), caregivers and parents from the communities of the African Diaspora, but all members of the public are welcome. Please register through the library calendar to receive the Zoom link to attend this virtual program. The presentation portion of this program will be recorded.
About the presenter: Marcus Simmons has worked as an intercultural communications educator and researcher for 10+ years and is currently based in Atlanta. With a background in performance, conflict transformation and higher education, he views his work as amplifying stories that reconcile estrangement and build community. His current research looks at popular media and society, and he is in love with music and Double-Stuff Oreos.
Abigail Ryan, Community Engagement Librarian
Sequoya Library (4340 Tokay Blvd)
4. Two New Outreach Programs from the Department of Physics: “TeachQuantum” and “QauntTime”
a. TeachQuantum, a professional development opportunity for high school teachers, is coming to UW-Madison! The Department of Physics is excited to start accepting applications for our first cohort of TeachQuantum teachers. A virtual information session will be hosted on March 8, 2022, at 6pm, and applications are due on April 8, 2022. Please share this information far and wide with your high school teacher connections! Questions about the program or applying can be directed to mallory.conlon@wisc.edu.
b. Interested in adding quantum science to your curricula but not sure where to begin? Participate in QuanTime— a program designed to offer teachers free classroom activities that they can do without any pre-requisite quantum knowledge. QuanTime is scheduled to coincide with World Quantum Day on April 14, 2022, and we hope to have thousands of students doing something quantum throughout April and May. Activities are available for grades 6-12, though they can be adapted for older and younger groups. Please register if you are interested and share amongst your middle and high school connections!
Mallory Conlon
Quantum Science Outreach Program Coordinator
UW-Madison Department of Physics
5. Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) Offers an NSF-funded “Research Experience for Teachers (RET)” This Summer
Dear Science Alliance Outreachers,
I am hoping you can help spread the word about the MSREC Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program that will be in-person and on the UW-Madison campus this summer.
6. ROSE Community STEM Fellows at Edgewood College
Hi Everyone!
My name is Sarah Stoehr and I coordinate the Resources & Opportunities in Science Education (ROSE) Project for the Office of Science Outreach at Edgewood College. We are looking for science experts for two of our
ROSE Community STEM Fellows sessions this semester. We had a virtual session for January and will have a virtual session in February, due to Covid. However, we are hoping (and planning) to have in-person sessions in March, April, and May. If you are interested in being a science expert for the March or May session, please email Sarah @
sstoehr@edgewood.edu with the date and any activity ideas you have. Science experts are paid a $100 honorarium for their instruction and planning time. The available dates are:
Thurs, March 17th from 6-8 p.m. in Sonderegger Science Building (1st hour: adult activity & 2nd hour: children activity (can be similar activities))
Thurs, May 19th from 6~7:30 p.m. in Sonderegger Science Building (1st hour: adults & 2nd hour: children (can be similar activities) then CAKE!! for our end of year celebration)
Thank you in advance for your consideration, and please let me know if you have any questions!
Sarah Stoehr, ROSE Project Coordinator
(608) 663-4150
7. Share Your Science at the Family Science Night Wednesday March 16 at CH Bird Elementary School in Sun Prairie 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Hello UW Science Alliance,
I am a parent at Sun Prairie CH Bird Elementary School PTO group. We are organizing our annual Family Science Night on March 16 from 5:30-
7pm. Researchers & outreachers, please email me a note at adreakwong@gmail.com to register your Exploration Station geared for Elementary students and their families. Please include a title and a short description of the activity.
Also, please share this invitation with your colleagues and across your networks. We’re looking forward to welcoming many of you to Bird Elementary for an evening of sharing and exploring science!
Thank you,
Andrea Kwong
CH Bird Elementary School PTO
8. Data Science Research Bazaar Wraps Up on February 23.
UW–Madison’s Data Science Hub is hosting its third annual
Data Science Research Bazaar, focused on the theme of
Data and Communities: Sharing and Protecting Data. This event will be held virtually throughout February.
The Research Bazaar will include lightning talks and interactive discussions on a variety of topics relating to how communities use and are impacted by data, and workshops focused on tools and resources including RStudio Connect, Jupyter Notebooks, and the Hathi Trust Digital Library. In addition, it will feature a career panel and an exhibit of art relating to science and technology.
The Data Science Research Bazaar is an inclusive, community-building event at UW–Madison for researchers, data scientists, entrepreneurs, and community members, including students. While there is no cost to attend, pre-registration is required. View the full
schedule and
register here.
UW-Madison’s Data Science Research Bazaar is modeled off the international Research Bazaar, a worldwide festival that promotes digital literacy in research and aims to equip researchers with digital skills and tools to do their work more efficiently.
For more information:
9. Explore Pharmacy Careers at UW-Madison School of Pharmacy
The Doctor of Pharmacy program is hosting several events that will help attendees learn more about pharmacy careers and the renowned PharmD program at UW–Madison. Many of these are virtual, allowing greater access to interested students around the world. However, there’s nothing like an in-person experience. If you’d like a face-to-face conversation, we’d love to have you visit us at the School of Pharmacy.
March 5:
Pharmacist Career Exploration Day (in-person) — This session is in-person event is a great opportunity to hear directly from practicing pharmacists, faculty, and students about the wide variety of exciting pharmacy career paths.
REGISTERIf you have any questions about the above events please contact Lindsey DeCarlo,
lindsey.decarlo@wisc.edu Lindsey DeCarlo
Pronouns: she, her, hers
PharmD Recruitment and Event Coordinator | Student & Academic Affairs
School of Pharmacy | University of Wisconsin – Madison
2220 Rennebohm Hall | 777 Highland Avenue | Madison, WI 53705
P: (608) 263-4860 | F: (608) 262-3943 |
www.pharmacy.wisc.edu
10. A Mid-Winter’s Day Garden Series Completes its Six-Week Run on February 26
Allen Centennial Garden, in partnership with the Friends of Allen Centennial Gardens, offers an annual Saturday-morning winter program series during January and February on garden-related topics for ACG Friends and volunteers as well as the general public. Last year’s programs were virtual, and we will be using that format again in early 2022. There is a $10/session fee, but they are free for the Friends and volunteers. To register go to allencentenialgarden.wisc.edu.
Jane Cramer
Friends of Allen Centennial Gardens
11. UniverCity Alliance (UCA) is partnering with the American Geophysical Union through its “Thriving Earth Exchange” program to launch in April 2022 the next cohort of community science projects in Wisconsin.
#1: Help us find projects in Wisconsin communities. We need local or regional governments, tribal governments, community-based organizations, grassroots organizations and other advocacy or non-profit groups to let us know what geotechnical projects keep them up at night. We will share these projects with local and national experts who can help formulate solutions with your community. Encourage your community to apply by March 1 to join the April 2022 community science project cohort!
#2: Help us find people who can manage the projects: We need volunteer Community Science Fellows to be the glue that holds the project team together by serving as project managers, facilitators and connectors. They represent cohort of people from all backgrounds and career stages interested in growing their practice of community science while guiding project from idea to impact. Apply by March 1 to be a Community Science Fellow!
In addition to projects from Wisconsin communities, we’re looking for people who may be interested in volunteering to manage the projects. These Community Science Fellows don’t necessarily have to have a background in science and could be folks with great project management, facilitator and connector skills.
There’s more information on our website
here, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. If you’re able to share this with anyone who might be interested, that would be great!
Thanks!
Best,
Abby Becker
It’s official! The Wonders of Physics shows will be performed during Science Expeditions this year. The risks are just too high right now (when we need to be rehearsing) to be able to put on the show in February. We will be sending out an email to our list of 6500+ subscribers this week announcing the change as well as highlighting Science Expeditions taking place on the same weekend. Another email will be sent to the same list in late February or early March alerting people that tickets sales are open.
We will do four shows inside Chamberlin, in room 2103, but also hope to livestream them as well. The shows will be 1pm and 4pm on 4/9 & 4/10. The Physics Fair is moving to 4/9 from 11am-4pm as well.
Thanks!
Haddie
Haddie McLean (she/her)
Outreach Specialist-Wonders of Physics
UW-Madison Physics Department
608-262-2927
Free tickets for the Wonders of Physics are recommended and are available after January 1st using the
On-Line Ticket Form.
Come to 2103 Chamberlin Hall, 1150 University Avenue, Madison, WI.
The Wonders of Physics Shows last a bit over an hour and are suitable for all ages.
The Physics Fair is an annual Department of Physics open house that includes laboratory tours, hands-on demonstrations, activities for kids and families, and informal conversations with scientists. It is presented alongside the Wonders of Physics annual show, and is held in Chamberlin Hall. No tickets or RSVP is required for the Physics Fair.
The 2022 Physics Fair is now re-scheduled from February 12 to Saturday, April 9 from 11am – 4pm in Chamberlin Hall as part of UW Science Expeditions.
13. Share Your Science with Necedah’s “Cardinal After School” by Zoom on Tuesdays throughout the coming spring semester. Starting on Tuesday February 1 and weekly thereafter,
choose a Tuesday to share your science by zoom from 4:00-4:30pm for grades for middle school and high school; 4:30 to 5:00 for grades 3-5. 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) for questions or suggestions. Sign up at the spreadsheet
here.
14. The 2022 WI KidWind Challenge Comes to UW-Madison This Saturday, February 26!The KidWind Challenge is a hands-on wind turbine design competition that engages middle and high school students from across Wisconsin in STEM through the lens of wind energy. Student teams bring small-scale wind turbines to the challenge, test them in a wind tunnel, meet with a panel of expert judges to present their design process, tackle instant challenge activities, and explore green careers.
The 2022 WI KidWind Challenge is co-organized by the Wisconsin Energy Institute and will take place this
Saturday, February 26 at the Discovery Building at the University of Wisconsin – Madison campus. Learn more
here.
Allison Bender
Outreach Coordinator
Wisconsin Energy Institute | Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
608.890.0946
agbender@wisc.edu1552 University Ave, Madison WI, Room 2160University of Wisconsin–Madison
Saturday, February 26. Ecological Restoration Work Party: Core Area and Curtis Prairie.
Meet at the Visitor Center. 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Sunday, February 27. Garden Stroll. 1 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
16. Science Immersion Day Held February 15, from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm at the Biotech Center and the Discovery Building. Thanks to Liz Jesse, Maxine Yu, Anne Lynn Gillian-Daniel, John Yin and Julia Nepper for leading hands-on explorations in biology, chemistry, and engineering with 70 5th/6th grade students and 17 accompanying teachers from 17 school districts that are part of the Southern Lakes Advanced Learners Network. Tom Browne of CALS welcomed the group in the morning and fielded questions at the end of the event. We’re looking forward to Science Immersion Day becoming a regular part of our biennial (perhaps perennial) cycle of outreach events.
17. Events from Madison Friends of Urban Nature
Specifics: “Architecture of Trees” Sat Feb 26, 10am at Edna Taylor/Aldo Leopold Nature Center with Master Naturalist JoAnn Riecke
“Pheasant Branch Ecosystems” Sat Feb 26, 1:30pm at Pheasant Branch Prairie with Master Naturalist Eva Roos
“Winter Birds” Sun Feb 27, 1:30pm at UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve with Enthused Birder Chuck Henrikson
18. More from Madison FUN Friends of Urban Nature
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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 and tag them with #updater.
* 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.
