News releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/4/08

UW-MADISON EVENTS FORECAST: WEEK OF MARCH 9-15

MADISON - Science and religion (or the lack thereof) collide in the work of evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, who speaks at the Wisconsin Union Theater on Tuesday, March 11, as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dawkins' lecture and other events listed below are just a few of the campus highlights during the week of March 9-15.

The events listed are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

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Rondini: Family Magic and Fun

WHEN AND WHERE: Sunday, March 9, 1 p.m., Auditorium, Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave.

DETAILS: Children and adults will be amazed, amused, confused and delighted with special surprises and exciting magic. Enjoy masterful illusions and audience participation.

RELATED LINK: http://www.waisman.wisc.edu

COST: $2 adult, $1 children

CONTACT: (608) 263-5837, palumbo@waisman.wisc.edu

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Arboretum Walk: Springing Forward

WHEN AND WHERE: Sunday, March 9, 1-2:30 p.m., Arboretum Visitor Center, 1207 Seminole Highway

DETAILS: Plants and animals don't know about daylight saving time, but they do react to changes in sunlight. Discover changes that are occurring in nature as sunlight increases.

RELATED LINK: http://uwarboretum.org

CONTACT: (608) 263-7888, info@uwarboretum.org

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Lectures by Charika Marasinghe

WHEN AND WHERE: Monday, March 10, noon and 7 p.m., Law School (975 Bascom Mall) and Memorial Union (800 Langdon St.)

DETAILS: Marasinghe is the founder of Child Rights Law International in Sri Lanka and author of the most comprehensive book ever on children's rights to privacy in international law.

At noon, she will speak at the Lubar Commons (Room 7200) of the Law School about her book "A Child's Right to Privacy in International Law." At 7 p.m. she will address an entirely different topic, psycho-spiritual healing after trauma, in the Class of '24 Room on the fourth floor of the Memorial Union. Marasinghe co-founded a cross-cultural counseling program with a group of American therapists after the 2004 tsunami disaster.

CONTACT: (608) 265-4077, rbrooks@dcs.wisc.edu

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The Global Public University: Global Reach, Local Impact

WHEN AND WHERE: Tuesday, March 11, 8 a.m., 4151 Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave.

DETAILS: Join two experts on the internationalization of higher education for a candid discussion about how local communities and regions benefit from the global efforts of their public universities. Topics will include knowledge hubs and economic development, strategic university-community partnerships and institutional cooperation, among others. Co-sponsored by the Division of International Studies, the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education and the Worldwide Universities Network.

RELATED LINK: http://www.wiscape.wisc.edu/calendar/details.asp?id=566

CONTACT: kcoulter@international.wisc.edu

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Chaos and Complex Systems Seminar: Technological Change and the Global Energy System

WHEN AND WHERE: Tuesday, March 11, noon-1 p.m., 4274 Chamberlin Hall, 1150 University Ave.

DETAILS: Greg Nemet, of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, discusses recent efforts to model the process of technological change in low-carbon energy technologies.

RELATED LINK: http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/Chaos-Complexity

CONTACT: chapman@waisman.wisc.edu

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Havens Center Lectures

WHEN AND WHERE: Tuesday, March 11, 4 p.m., 206 Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive

DETAILS: Cynthia Mildred Duncan, director of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, presents two lectures. On March 11, she will discuss "Worlds Apart: The Role of Politics, Class and Culture in Shaping Opportunity in Poor Rural Communities." On Wednesday, March 12, she presents "Place Matters: A Review of Poverty and Development Challenges in Amenity Rich Areas, Declining Resource Dependent Areas."

RELATED LINK: http://www.havenscenter.org

CONTACT: (608) 262-1420, info@havenscenter.org

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UW Space Place Guest Presentation: The WIYN High Resolution Infrared Camera

WHEN AND WHERE: Tuesday, March 11, 7-8 p.m., 2300 S. Park St.

DETAILS: Matthew Povich of the astronomy department will explain how scientists will use this camera to study dusty interstellar environments in distant galaxies.

RELATED LINK: http://spaceplace.wisc.edu

CONTACT: (608) 272-4779, kay@sal.wisc.edu

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Distinguished Lecture Series: Richard Dawkins

WHEN AND WHERE: Tuesday, March 11, 7:30 p.m., Wisconsin Union Theater, Memorial Union

DETAILS: The evolutionary biologist from Oxford University comes to campus to discuss his atheist views in a lecture based on his book "The God Delusion."

RELATED LINK: http://www.union.wisc.edu/dls

COST: Free tickets available to students, staff and faculty at the Union Box Office on March 4.

CONTACT: (608) 262-2216, mckean@wisc.edu

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Focus on the Humanities Presents David Loewenstein: 'Heresy, Persecution and Fear in Early Modern English Literature and Culture'

WHEN AND WHERE: Wednesday, March 12, 5 p.m., Auditorium, Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State St.

DETAILS: How did perceptions and fears of heresy and heretics fuel bitter cultural conflicts, religious persecution and anxieties during the early modern period? This talk will focus on religious fear and the literary imagination, and the ways they intersected in 16th and 17th century England. It will use the example of the English martyrologist John Foxe (1516-87) to explore issues of religious demonization, hatred, fear and polarization, as well as the violent consequences of religious extremism.

RELATED LINK: http://www.humanities.wisc.edu/

CONTACT: (608) 263-3412, info@humanities.wisc.edu

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Arboretum Naturalists' Enrichment Lecture: Operation Rubythroat - The Hummingbird Project

WHEN AND WHERE: Thursday, March 13, 9-11:30 a.m., Arboretum Visitor Center

DETAILS: Bill Hilton Jr., award-winning educator-naturalist, author, photographer and executive director of the Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History.