UW-Madison Science Alliance Updater
For 28 February 2022
Hi Everyone,
It has been a week to remember, when war & invasion have rocked our world and our worldview. In such wrenching times, we may look for signs of the great and the good to inspire us, to reassure us, to move us ahead.
Last week I received an unusual email, a generous request from one of our best, Evelyn Malkus, our long-time science outreach colleague with IceCube, now retired. She asked if a mention could be made in the #Updater of the passing of two leaders in science and science communication at UW-Madison, Bernice Durand and Sharon Dunwoody.
I am both delighted and grateful to include Evelyn’s missive below in appreciation of Bernice Durand. Next week we will follow with one for Sharon Dunwoody.
In a dark week to remember, its is good to recall such lives so worth remembering for their warmth, their light, and their insight.
Thanks!Tom Zinnen
In Appreciation of Bernice Durand, by Evelyn Malkus
Bernice Durand, UW-Madison Professor of Physics, Emerita, died on Feb. 7 in Aspen, Colorado at the age of 80. I don’t remember exactly when I met Bernice. It was likely in the 90s at an outreach function on campus. We chatted a bit about our careers, coming along as we did when the door was opening just a bit for women in physics. Sometime later when her three years of service as a judge for the Junior Science, Engineering and Humanities Symposium was expiring, she suggested that I become a judge. Judges were asked to find their replacement when their term expired. She was perceptive to know that I would love the experience and opportunity to encourage the interest of high school students in STEM. Bernice was an enthusiastic proponent of “stem”—years before before it became STEM.
Bernice graduated from Radcliffe College in 1970 with a degree in physics. Subsequently she returned to Iowa, where she was born, to obtain her master’s and PhD at the University of Iowa. She came to UW as a postdoc and then became a regular faculty member. Along with her physics research and teaching responsibilities she devoted considerable effort to outreach, focussing on women at first. She often gave talks to student organizations in the various sciences and engineering and contributed to many outreach activities.
She was instrumental in establishing WISELI in 2001 and served on the Leadership Team for several years. Bernice presented courses on Wisconsin Public TV that she helped develop for non-physics majors, like the ever popular “Physics for Poets.” Even in retirement she continued her outreach by serving on the board of Aspen Public Radio and supporting their science-focused programs.
In 1993 Bernice received the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Teaching. Nine years later she received the Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Campus Diversity. She capped her career by serving as the first Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Climate at UW. In 2002 she established Bernice Durand Undergraduate Research Scholarship for an undergraduate woman or minority student in Physics or Astronomy.
When my daughter, Annie, was in high school she wrote to Professor Durand asking about summer opportunities in the Dept. of Physics. Bernice thoughtfully gave her two names, whom she must have known would be receptive to encouraging a young woman in science. After checking out the opportunities, Annie spent the summer measuring background radiation in glass for the AMANDA project. Annie majored in physics in college and came back to UW for her PhD. She fondly remembers Bernice giving generously of her time to students, whether helping them study for the qualifying exam or listening if they just needed to talk.
Bernice was an effective science promoter as well as generous and gracious mentor. Her early efforts have been validated in many ways.
You can read more about her at these links:
https://pages.hep.wisc.edu/~bdurand/
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/madison/name/bernice-durand-obituary?id=33181552
Evelyn Malkus
===Coming Up This Week and This Month1. During the spring semester, Science Alliance meets at 10:00 am Mondays, including today, Monday February 28. Please Note: We will be meeting by Zoom on February 28 and for the coming few weeks.
The Zoom link for the spring meetings of Science Alliance will continue to be: https://zoom.us/my/glbrc.weieducation.vmr?pwd=L2Q0L0g0S3lEd2gyazNscjA1d2JYZz09 The draft agenda for February 28 at 10am includes:• Welcome• Updates
• Science Expeditions 2022 Planning
Publicity
Communications
Venues
Presenters in Person
Virtual/Hybrid Options
• Other Business
• Next Meeting: March 7 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. Register to participate this year for the 20th Annual UW-Madison Science Expeditions on April 8-10. You can present an Exploration Station on your research or outreach, or host an Open House or Tour at your facility, or organize a public presentation. Please register by the deadline of March 18.
• 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
• Badger Talks Live: – https://www.facebook.com/UWConnects/live & https://badgertalks.wisc.edu/events/
Tuesday, March 1, noon, “The Center for Financial Security” with Cliff Robb, Director of Consumer Finance and Personal Planning Programs, School of Human Ecology
Tuesday, March 22, noon, “Covering Wisconsin” with Allison Espeseth, Development & Operations Manager, Covering Wisconsin, School of Human Ecology
• Saturday Science Workshops at UW Space Place. Every Saturday at 10am at UW Space Place, in the lower level of The Atrium at The Village on Park, 2300 S. Park Street, Madison, WI
• 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 Cary Forest of the Department of Physics speaks on “Fusion Energy, Solar Flares, and Black Holes in the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Lab.”
• “PLATO Frontiers in Life Sciences” every Wednesday through April 27 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
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
March 16: “Insect Armageddon” with Dan Young of the Wisconsin Insect Research Collection, Dept of Entomology
3. “Wisconsin Hemp By Hand” Lecture & Workshop Series Starts March 3, 4-6pm CST
https://alternativecrops.horticulture.wisc.edu/wisconsin-hemp-by-hand/
There are many eager hemp stakeholders in Wisconsin that hope hemp will provide profitability while creating more environmentally sustainable products. This panel discussion will bring together hemp industry leaders across a diverse set of disciplines including hemp processing, paper production, hemp textiles, and hemp building materials to discuss their successes and lessons learned. We hope the knowledge gained will provide timely insights for industry stakeholders regarding the feasibility of various hemp-derived products in Wisconsin and beyond.
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.
The application for the 2022 RET program (due March 13) is at https://education.mrsec.wisc.edu/ret-experience/ Thanks,Anne Lynn__________________________Anne Lynn Gillian-Daniel, Ph.D.DirectorIntegrated Education Group (IEG)Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)University of Wisconsin-Madison3122 Engineering Centers Building1550 Engineering Drive Madison, WI 53706(608) 890-2268agillian@wisc.eduwww.education.mrsec.wisc.edumy pronouns are: she, her, hers
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. 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. REGISTER
If 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 AffairsSchool of Pharmacy | University of Wisconsin – Madison2220 Rennebohm Hall | 777 Highland Avenue | Madison, WI 53705P: (608) 263-4860 | F: (608) 262-3943 | www.pharmacy.wisc.edu
9. 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
10a. The Wonders of Physics Science Spectacular Moves from February to April 9 & April 10 at 1pm and at 4pm as Part of UW Science Expeditions!
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.
Alternately, you may call (608) 262-2927 or e-mail wonders@physics.wisc.edu.
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.
10b. The Physics Fair Beams Back To Campus on April 9 from 11 am to 4 pm
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.
11. 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.
12. UW Arboretum Winter EventsSaturday work parties, Sunday walks, and night walksSaturday restoration work parties, 9 a.m.–12 p.m.: https://arboretum.wisc.edu/get-involved/volunteer/work-parties/See the full list of Sunday walks (nature hikes, family walks, and garden strolls), plus monthly night walks, on the Arboretum events calendar:https://arboretum.wisc.edu/visit/events/
13. Events from Madison Friends of Urban Nature
More from Madison FUN Friends of Urban Nature
