Demonstrations, Talks, and Tours
The UW-Whitewater Science Departments
and Science Outreach partner provides demonstrations, talks, and tours to the
campus community, area schools, and the public.
See below for an overview of what is currently provided.
Science
Outreach also provides hands-on activities and demonstrations for your K-12
classroom! Premade and tested activities
are available. Activities can also be
designed and specialized around your curriculum.
Human
Anatomy and Physiology, Evolutionary Biology, Cadaver Investigations
Drs. Peter Mesner and Anneke Lisberg
provide explorations of anatomy and physiology through the use of scientific
investigations and talks. Additionally,
Dr. Lisberg discusses her research on chemical communication in domestic dogs
in which she collects behavioral and endocrine (hormonal) data to try to
determine how dogs use chemical signals (especially urine marks, but others
too) to find out information about one another and to establish new
relationships, and also to consider larger questions about how and why chemical
signaling systems have evolved in social mammals.
Dr. Mesner also assists in the
exploration of more advanced anatomy and physiology topics, such as disease
biology (especially cancer) and the public understanding of science (especially
as it relates to the understanding of evolutionary biology).
Astronomy Talks
Milky
Way Galaxy, Stars, Solar System, Universe
Dr. Robert Benjamin, who specializes
in determining the structure of our Milky Way Galaxy, provides discussions of
the starts, the solar system, telescopes, the Galaxy, and the Universe.
Carnivorous Plants
Talks
Biology,
Plant Diversity, Plant Adaptations
Plants that capture, kill, and digest
animal prey? Sounds like science fiction
but there are actually fourteen different species of these carnivorous plants
in Wisconsin alone! Teresa Golembiewski shares
her knowledge of carnivorous plants’ unique adaptations, their distribution and
occurrence in the wild, and their peculiarities in cultivation. See, touch, and smell these amazing plants!
Chemistry
Demonstrations
Chemical
Behaviors, Chemical Properties, Chemical Reactions
Dr. John Ejnik leads demonstrations
that show off dramatic chemical changes with the intent to impress the audience
with the “magic” of chemistry. This is a
chance to allow students to exclaim “Oh, Wow!” while observing and learning
about the chemistry in the world we live.
Audiences will take away an appreciation of descriptive properties of
chemistry.
Geology and Ecology
Talks and Activities
Wolves,
Yellowstone
Dr. George Clokey discusses and runs
activities on wolves, tracking, skull adaptations, and the Yellowstone super
volcano.
Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) Center Demonstrations and Talks
Geographic
Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
Using GIS, a powerful suite of tools
that are becoming more accessible and userfriendly all the time, Dr. Eric
Compas demonstrates how geographic patterns can be explored and
understood. Specific discussion topics include
using GIS to assess environmental change, to do basic mapping, to locate new
businesses, and to understand elections and politics.
Greenhouse Tours
Biology,
Plant Taxonomy, The Plant Kingdom, Plant Diversity
The UW-Whitewater Greenhouse, managed
by Dr. Nicholas Tippery, houses over 100 living plants native to a variety of
habitats worldwide. These plants include
familiar and economically important food plants (e.g. coffee, chocolate) and
spice plants (e.g. bay leaf, lemongrass).
The greenhouse also boasts many botanical curiosities such as
carnivorous and aquatic plants and plants whose flowers attract flies by
resembling animal flesh.
General Physics Talks
Materials,
Properties of Light, Electromagnetic Spectrum
Dr. Jalal Nawash discusses how
materials interact with temperature, light, pressure, magnetic fields, and
electric fields and how these materials are produced and used in everyday life.
Dr. Robert Benjamin provides talks on
the properties of light, the different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum,
and other physics topics. See also: Astronomy Talks.