December 4
the wisconsin idea in the northwoods: redefining uw-madison for the future

We have something different planned for our December Science on Tap. The speaker will be Dr. Kate VandenBosch. Kate is the Dean of UW-Madison’s College of Ag & Life Sciences and her topic will be the Wisconsin Idea at Work in the Northwoods. Kate will describe how the resources of the university are being used to solve some of our most pressing challenges regarding the environment, the economy and human health.

But the focus of the evening will be on the future. Specifically, how do we redefine UW-Madison for the future. And she wants to hear from you. This is your chance to share your ideas about what research the university could be doing, and what research the university should be doing in the Northwoods. It should be an interesting evening and we hope you will be part of the conversation.

Kathryn VandenBosch became dean of the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in March 2012. Until then VandenBosch was a professor of plant biology at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. She had headed the plant biology department there since 2001, with a brief hiatus in 2006 to serve as interim dean of the newly formed College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. She also served as a member and former chair of the executive committees of both the Faculty Senate and the University Senate. VandenBosch's research has focused on the genetics of plant-microbe interactions and nitrogen fixation in legumes, a family that includes several agriculturally important species. In 2009 VandenBosch was named a fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists.

January 8 (note 2nd Wednesday due to New Years)
Carnivores in the northwoods

Join Dave MacFarland  for a conversation about carnivores in the Northwoods and how they interact
Dave MacFarland is a Wolf, Bear and Furbearer Ecologist with the Wisconsin DNR.

Dave's areas of interest include wildlife population dynamics, population estimation and monitoring, management of harvested populations, and habitat selection. Dave's current research topics include black bear foraging ecology and population estimates, marten translocation into north central Wisconsin, population density and habitat use of bobcats, and the influence of policy change on illegal take of wolves.

February 5
Lifestyle and aging

Join us as Dr. Binkley shares his insights about the relationship between lifestyle choices and aging.
Neil Binkley, MD is the associate director of the Institute on Aging University of Wisconsin Madison.

 Dr. Neil C. Binkley earned his degree from the University of Wisconsin Medical School and subsequently received his training in Internal Medicine at the Marshfield Clinic. After several years in private practice, he returned to the University of Wisconsin in 1990 and completed a geriatric fellowship. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. In 1994 he was instrumental in establishing the UW Osteoporosis Clinical Center and the Osteoporosis Clinical Research Program, offering treatment options unavailable in standard clinical practice. Dr. Binkley's primary research focuses are osteoporosis and nutrition.