WAA’s Cabinet 99 symposium showcases technology

How often does a person have a chance to extract DNA in the lab? On Nov. 3, women from around the country will have a chance to participate in this and other hands-on demonstrations at the university.

Cabinet 99, the Wisconsin Alumni Association women’s initiative, will host a national symposium, “Women in Technology: High Tech + Bio Tech = Women Tech.”

Attendees will conduct hands-on experiments, including extracting DNA from wheat germ, manipulating computer generated genetic models and learning about transgenic plants and animals. Participants will work and interact with leading women researchers in the Genetics and Biotechnology Center, a state-of-the-art facility.

Other highlights of the daylong program include networking and a luncheon with keynote speaker Joan Edelman Spero, who heads the $1.3 billion Doris Duke charitable foundation.

Cabinet 99 also will present its $10,000 Faculty and Staff Recognition Award to Robin Douthitt, interim dean of the School of Human Ecology and a professor of consumer science.

All alumnae and friends of UW–Madison are invited. To register, contact Heidi Zoerb, 265-8768; HeidiZoerb@uwalumni.com, or register online.

Cabinet 99 was founded in 1993 to develop a UW–Madison alumnae network devoted to leadership, advocacy, and mentoring. It includes a dynamic network of some 3,300 women across the United States.

WAA has been serving UW–Madison and its graduates since 1861. WAA provides an array of services, including On Wisconsin, a quarterly alumni magazine; a national council to foster multicultural diversity; a career database program; and an extensive student relations program.
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