Calendar briefs

Geology museum holds open house
A dinosaur drawing demonstration, an interactive program about the life of early miners in Michigan’s Copper Country and free rock samples for kids will be among the special features at the Geology Museum open house to be held Sunday, April 30.

An annual tradition, the Geology Museum open house is a family-oriented program intended to showcase the treasures of one of the country’s finest small geology museums. The free event, 1-5 p.m. in Weeks Hall, is an opportunity to see the museum’s exhibits of rocks, minerals, meteorites and fossils, including the skeletons of dinosaurs, a mosasaur, a mastodon and the flying reptile pteranodan.

This year’s program includes, “Way Back When – When Copper Was King,” an interactive program by Gary “Captain” Richards about the life and times of the early miners in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Meanwhile, Sue and Earl Steininger will demonstrate how to draw dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. At 2:30 and 4 p.m., children can dig into the free rock pile and take home specimens for their own rock collections. At 2:45 p.m., learn about the museum’s rarest specimens in “The Museum Quiz,” presented by museum director Klaus Westphal.

Ward to speak on Madison Initiative
Chancellor David Ward will speak about “The Madison Initiative: Sustaining Success” at the Roundtable luncheon for faculty and staff Tuesday, May 2.

The lunch is scheduled in Tripp Commons, Memorial Union, 11:45 a.m.- 1 p.m. For reservations, contact: roundtable@union.wisc.edu; 265-2447; or sign up at: http://www.wisc.edu/union/info/conf/roundtable.

The Madison Initiative, the chancellor’s proposal to leverage state support with increased private giving, will allow the university to hire professors in key academic areas, bolster educational resources, repair aging buildings and increase financial aid for students in need.

MASA schedules meeting
Madison Academic Staff Association members will hear about “Keeping Bucky in the Black” Thursday, April 20, at a brown bag lunch in Union South from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. The featured speaker is Jamie Pollard, chief financial officer and director of business services for UW Athletics.

Eat on Easter
Lakefront Cafe in Memorial Union will serve its annual Easter Sunday breakfast April 23, from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Information: 265-3057; jdrajski@facstaff.wisc.edu.