Wisconsin at the Crossroads: Outreach and Private Support

Mark Lefebvre will discuss the importance of collaboratively crafting the university's story and engaging in outreach to secure and increase private support. He will also address the historic opportunities for communication and outreach to the public that exist today. This presentation is a part of ?The New Constellation? seminar series, sponsored by The Center for Biology Education, the Science Alliance at UW-Madison, and WISCAPE. The title of the series refers to the forthcoming ?bright spots? on campus for science outreach: the Microbial Sciences building (opens fall 2007), the WID/MIR building (opens 2010), the new Union South (opens 2011), and the renovation of Old Biochemistry. These four locations will provide new places for UW-Madison to welcome visitors to campus for experiencing and learning about science. The new venues will also enable science outreach programs to retool and refuel the Wisconsin Idea. Some science outreach programs will be relocated into these buildings but all programs will be affected by these new spaces and opportunities to connect to learners of all ages throughout Wisconsin. The ?New Constellation? series will explore questions of how the university can organize, fund, facilitate, staff, and evaluate science outreach programs in relation to these new locations. The series also aims to investigate how learners can gain greater access to the researchers and resources of this university. The series is part of a new research and program theme for WISCAPE entitled ?The Wisconsin Idea and the Public Good.