Showcase Series Luncheons

A Global View: Today’s Choices, Tomorrow’s Health

Featuring: Jonathan Patz, Director of the Global Health Institute
Date: July 10, 2012
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Arboretum Visitor Center

When Jonathan Patz considers global health, he sees a tapestry interwoven with cultural mores, society’s choices, environmental science and economics. He sees a spraying program successfully control malaria in Boreo but leading to a major typhus epidemic and the collapse of thatched roofs that depended on an insect to protect them. continue reading »
Access for All

Featuring: Cathy Trueba, Director of the McBurney Disability Resource Center, Assistant Dean, Division of Student Life
Date: June 12, 2012
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Arboretum Visitor Center

Cathy Trueba has spent 25 years in post-secondary services, serves on a national panel of disability experts for the Educational Testing Services, In., and speaks nationally on best practices for university disability services. continue reading »
Basic Science at the Bedside

Featuring: Senior Associate Dean Richard L. Moss, PhD
Date: March 20, 2012
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m
Location: Fluno Center, 601 University Avenue

Moss will share the ideas behind what is now called translational research and tell us why his Cardiovascular Research Center is leading the effort. continue reading »
What Happened to the Books?

Featuring: Director of the General Library Sytem Ken Frazier
Date: February 21, 2012
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m
Location: Fluno Center, 601 University Avenue, Madison WI

Frazier will share what happened to the books in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries and why students continue to flock to UW Libraries. continue reading »
A Bright Winter Note

Featuring: the Pro Arte Quartet
Date: December 6, 2011
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m
Location: Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St

We celebrated the beginning of the UW-Madison Year of the Arts with a visit from Professor of Directing Norma Saldivar in November 2010. Today, we bring the Year of the Arts to a close with a beloved group that has been celebrating its 100th birthday this year, the Pro Arte Quartet. continue reading »
The Historic Restoration of Memorial Union

Featuring: Mark Guthier, Director of the Wisconsin Union
Date: November 8, 2011
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m
Location: Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St

Mark Guthier, Director of the Wisconsin Union, welcomes us to the new Union South, which opened six months ago to rave reviews from students, Union members and community groups. Spending no time basking in the glow of this successful project, Guthier has turned his attention to the monumental task of renovating and restoring the Memorial Union. continue reading »
News from Main Street

Featuring: Professor Katherine Cramer Walsh
Date: July 26, 2011
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m
Location: University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum

Professor Katherine Cramer Walsh will discuss how her studies in “outstate Wisconsin,” meaning outside of Madison or Milwaukee, as part of her research are yielding interesting results and helping us understand how people make sense of politics. continue reading »
Could it Happen Here?

Featuring: Professor Michael L. Corradini
Date: June 28, 2011
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m
Location: University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum

Professor Michael L. Corradini examines the questions raised by recent events in Japan and updates us on current thinking in the field of nuclear engineering. continue reading »
Mohawks in Normandy

Featuring: John W. Hall
Date: March 22, 2011
Time: 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Dining Room, Fluno Center

Professor John W. Hall will focus on the imagery of the American Indian in World War II and contrast that with actual service. From the fame of the “Filthy Thirteen,” to Ira Hayes and code-talkers, it is sure to be an interesting discussion. continue reading »
The Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.

Featuring: Brenda Gayle Plummer
Date: February 22, 2011
Time: 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Dining Room, Fluno Center

Professor Brenda Gayle Plummer will offer a unique perspective on the Cold War, how it both helped and hurt the civil rights movement in the United States. continue reading »
Music to Warm a Winter Day

Featuring: Beverly Taylor
Date: December 14, 2010
Location: Tripp Commons, Memorial Union

In keeping with its holiday tradition, the Bascom Hill Society Luncheon Series once again welcomes the University’s Concert Choir and Beverly Taylor, director of choral activities and professor of music, to entertain and delight with their a cappella repertoire. continue reading »
Celebrate Year of the Arts with an American Classic

Featuring: Norma Saldivar
Date: November 16, 2010
Location: Tripp Commons, Memorial Union

Illuminate: Year of the Arts spotlights the breadth, depth, power and purpose of artistic exploration and expression at UW-Madison. Professor Saldivar will talk about the many activities and the importance of art as a learning resource. Student actors will perform a scene from “The Grapes of Wrath,” the powerful drama of despair and hope. continue reading »
From the Garden to the Store: The Commercialization of Herbal Medicines

Featuring: Jeanette C. Roberts
Date: July 27, 2010
Location: UW Arboretum

Jeanette Roberts, dean of the School of Pharmacy, earned a PhD in medicinal chemistry and lectures in the course “Herbals, Homeopathy and Nutritional Supplements,” in the Pharmacy Practice Division of the School. At the Bascom Hill Society luncheon, Dean Roberts reviewed the conceptual framework around dietary supplements and herbal medicines, and outlined the regulatory environment and how it differs from over-the-counter and prescription drugs. continue reading »
A Brisk Tempo

Featuring: John Wm. Schaffer
Date: June 29, 2010
Location: UW Arboretum

Director and Professor John Schaffer shared his excitement about the plans for a new music facility that will be an even greater asset to music lovers on campus and in the community. continue reading »
Does All Art Challenge

Featuring: Caroline Levine
Date: March 23, 2010
Location: Skyview Room, Fluno Center

The 2009-10 academic year at the UW-Madison was the Year of Humanities, designed to raise the profile of the humanities, both on campus and among the general public, by presenting what the humanities are and how they enrich our lives through teaching, scholarship and community engagement. Professor Levine challenges traditional ideas about the role and requirement of art and artists in a democratic society with her book “Provoking Democracy: Why We Need the Arts.” continue reading »
Partnerships in Discovery

Featuring: Patricia Brennan
Date: February 23, 2010
Location: Skyview Room, Fluno Center

Patricia Brennan, chair of the College of Engineering Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Professor of Nursing, will share her vision for the new Living Environments Laboratory, which will focus on technologies that enable people with health problems to avoid institutionalization by caring for themselves at home. continue reading »
Why Are We So Touchy?

Featuring: Joann Peck
Date: November 10, 2009
Location: Tripp Commons, Memorial Union

Professor Joann Peck whose research specialty is how we literally handle our purchases. Peck has distinguished herself in the field of haptics, or the study of touch, and is a valued advisor to retailers and savvy consumers everywhere. continue reading »
The Amazing Plastic Brain and How It Grew a Business

Featuring: Kurt Kaczmarek, Mitchell Tyler and Yuri Danilov
Date: July 28, 2009
Location: UW Arboretum

TCNL scientists talk about the trials and triumphs of bringing a new technology and new company to life as well as exciting possibilities for the future. What our brains currently do for us is amazing. Can we dare to imagine what they are capable of doing if we give them the tools? continue reading »
American English Dialects are Alive and Well

Featuring: Joan Houston Hall
Date: June 23, 2009
Location: UW Arboretum

If you are nebby about words and language, you’ll have a larruping good time as Joan Houston Hall talks about the colorful language that unites and sometimes confuses Americans. Despite dire predictions that media and mobility are “homogenizing” American English, there is plenty of evidence that our language retains its regional richness. continue reading »
House Prices, the Credit Crunch and the Macroeconomy

Featuring: Morris Davis
Date: March 17, 2009
Location: Monona Terrace

Morris Davis discusses “overvalued” housing, the decline in house prices and how it led to the collapse of some of this country’s largest financial intermediaries, as well as the impact this has all had on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). continue reading »
Forgiveness: The Missing Piece of the Peace Puzzle

Featuring: Robert Enright
Date: February 24, 2009
Location: Monona Terrace

Professor Enright is one of the world’s authorities on forgiveness. He has studied forgiveness for 24 years and examined how cultivating foregiveness, even in environments steeped in violence, poverty, depression and anger, can be a healing, strengthening force. continue reading »
After the Contests are Over: Post-Election Analysis and Discussion

Featuring: John Coleman & Barry Burden
Date: November 18, 2008
Location: Memorial Union

Professors Barry Burden and John Coleman of the University’s Department of Political Science analyze the November election and offer their perspectives on the 2008 election cycle. continue reading »
The Art of Cell Division

Featuring: Ahna Skop
Date: July 22, 2008
Location: UW Arboretum

Ahna Skop is known for her innovative research into the molecular mechanisms involved in cell division and for identifying links between the ways in which animal and plant cells divide. She encourages people to see the beauty in biology and has prepared a display of enlarged scientific images for the entry of her building on campus. continue reading »
2020: A Vision for Personalized Cardiovascular Medicine

Featuring: Amish N. Raval, MD and Matthew Wolff, MD
Date: June 17, 2008
Location: UW Arboretum

Professors Raval and Wolff discuss the individual nature of cardiovascular diseases and focus on new strategies that are being developed at the UW to optimize and personalize the prevention and treatment of disease. continue reading »
Beyond the Embryo—Wisconsin and Stem Cell Research

Featuring: R. Alta Charo
Date: March 11, 2008
Location: Pyle Center

Scientific research into human stem cells may yield cures and therapies for humanity’s most intractable diseases. Clinical outcomes of stem cell therapy, called regenerative medicine, are touted as the future of biomedicine. But new science often provokes a redefinition of ethical, societal and legal standards. continue reading »
Superpower China

Featuring: Edward Friedman
Date: February 12, 2008
Location: Pyle Center

Friedman answers questions about one of the most dynamic and contested regions of the world. How will the rise of China change the world? How do the Chinese people imagine the answer? How do international analysts see it? How do neighboring governments see the impact of China’s rise on the world stage? continue reading »
Henry Kissinger and the American Century

Featuring: Jeremi Suri
Date: November 6, 2007
Location: Memorial Union

What made Henry Kissinger the kind of diplomat he was? What experiences and influences shaped his worldview and provided the framework for his approach to international relations? Professor Suri offers a thought-provoking, interpretive study of one of the most influential and controversial political figures of the 20th century. continue reading »
Vitamin D: The Wonder Drug of Tomorrow

Featuring: Hector Deluca
Date: August 14, 2007
Location: UW Arboretum

Learn from Hector DeLuca how vitamin D may reduce the risk of getting various cancers, the flu, diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune diseases. continue reading »
The Educational Power of Computer Games

Featuring: David Williamson Shaffer
Date: July 10, 2007
Location: UW Arboretum

Don’t take away your child’s or grandchild’s video or computer games just yet. They are actually learning how to be successful in tomorrow’s work force, says Professor David Shaffer. continue reading »
Preventing Eye Disease Through Research

Featuring: Dr. Daniel M. Albert
Date: April 17, 2007
Location: Fluno Center

Dr. Daniel Albert discusses common vision problems in the context of known science and future treatment possibilities. His research focuses on ocular tumors, specifically melanoma and retinoblastoma. Dr. Albert’s work with retinoblastoma utilizes transgenic mouse models of the tumor to investigate the molecular biology of the disease and whether vitamin D analogs produce tumor regression in these animal models. continue reading »
Building a Staff, Building a Team, Building a Season

Featuring: Bret Bielema
Date: March 20, 2007
Location: Fluno Center

Bret Bielema is the third rookie head football coach in NCAA Division I history to guide his team to 12 wins. He holds the record for most wins by a first-year coach at Wisconsin. Hear how Coach Bielema built his staff and led the Badgers to a Capital One Bowl win. continue reading »
Election Wrap-Up- 2006

Featuring: David Canon and Virginia Sapiro
Date: November 14, 2006
Location: Memorial Union

Political science Professor David Canon and Professor Virginia Sapiro discuss the 10 most interesting things about the 2006 election, then answer the audience’s political questions. continue reading »
Transforming the Mind by Changing Your Brain

Featuring: Richard Davidson
Date: August 22, 2006
Location: UW Arboretum

World-renowned UW psychology professor Richard Davidson is searching for the source of happiness, and he has used Buddhist monks in his lab as a model group. Learn what he has discovered about the secrets and brain science of happiness. continue reading »