UW, museum host ‘Whys & Wows’

Milwaukee Public Museum and the university will team up Monday, Feb. 19, for the third annual “Whys and Wows!,” a day of exhibits and hands-on learning at the museum.

This year’s partnership will feature about a dozen interactive talks and workshops by UW–Madison faculty and staff that are geared to children of all ages. Presentations will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. throughout the museum.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Milwaukee Public Museum,” says Jeff Wendorf, director of outreach for the Wisconsin Alumni Association. “Whys and Wows has proven to be a creative and entertaining way to share UW–Madison’s work with the community.”

This year’s event will feature a mix of old and new exhibits, including:

• “Digging Dinosaurs,” a look at the university’s dinosaur-fossil expeditions in the South Dakota Badlands, including bones from the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex.
• “Doing DNA: Decode of Life,” a hands-on experiment to extract DNA from a plant that provides an up-close look at the world of genetics.
• “Breaking Bread, Bridging Cultures,” a look at the connections between food and culture from Wisconsin’s ethnic heritage.
• “Asian-American Dance,” a half-hour dance demonstration that will showcase authentic Javanese and Cambodian dances, and feature a 19-member Khmer dance troupe.

The program is part of UW–Madison On The Road, an annual series of visits to Wisconsin’s major cities that build on the tradition of the Wisconsin Idea. Throughout the week of Feb. 19, UW–Madison will host a variety of programs for schools, alumni and civic groups and the business community. For more information about the events, contact the Wisconsin Alumni Association, (608) 262-2551.

Other events in Milwaukee include a Founders Day reception Monday, Feb. 19, 6-9 p.m. at the Wisconsin Club, featuring a talk by new UW–Madison Chancellor John Wiley. Also on Feb. 19, the university will sponsor a free reception, 5-7 p.m. at the Museum’s Garden Gallery, for prospective students and their parents.

On Thursday, March 1, a discussion about Wisconsin manufacturing in the global economy will be held from 7:30-9 a.m. at the GE Medical Systems Education Center in Waukesha.

Admission to the museum is free every Monday for Milwaukee County residents with identification. Regular admission is $6.50 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for children.