Badgers vs. the Pandemic - COVID-19. Meet UW heroes in the fight against - On Wisconsin Magazine
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F O R U N I V E R S I T Y O F W I S C O N S I N – M A D I S O N A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S FA L L 2 0 2 0
Badgers vs. the
Pandemic
Meet UW heroes
in the fight against
COVID-19.
Page 22
Vision Protesters kneel near Memorial Library, showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Following the killing of George Floyd by Minneap- olis police on Memorial Day weekend, demonstra- tions began in cities around the country, including Madison, where they centered on the capitol and State Street. Photo by Jeff Miller
On Wisconsin 3
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Contents Volume 121, Number 3
Shakuntala
Makhijani
examines Lab
mix Beau at the
Dane County
Humane Society.
See page 46.
BRYCE RICHTER
DEPARTMENTS
2 Vision
7 Communications
9 First Person
OnCampus
11 News
13 Bygone Remote Learning
14 Calculation Pandemic
Financial Fallout
17 Conversation LaVar
Charleston
18 Exhibition Online Art
20 Contender Tamara Moore
OnAlumni
FEATURES
52 News
53 Tradition Multicultural 22 Heroes of the Pandemic
Student Center From treating COVID-19 patients at the height of New
54 Class Notes York’s crisis to 3D-printing face shields, everyday Badger
60 Diversions heroes are helping where they can.
63 Conversation Jim Lovell
66 Destination Ian’s Pizza 30 Journalism’s Last Best Hope
BRYCE RICHTER
Thanks to resourceful young reporters, local news makes a
comeback. By Jenny Price ’96
36 Can We Trust the Polls?
The UW’s Elections Research Center has an innovative plan
for analyzing the presidential race. By Preston Schmitt ’14
Living legend
42 “Ratso” Gets His Due
Writer Larry “Ratso” Sloman MS’72 has worked closely with
Jim Lovell.
celebrities ranging from Howard Stern and Mike Tyson to Bob
See page 63.
Dylan — and now he’s chasing his own rock-star dream.
By Hugh Hart Black Lives Matter
on State Street.
46 It’s About the Animals — and See page 12.
Humans, Too
Sandra Newbury DVM’03 heads UW–Madison’s Shelter
Medicine Program, which helps animal shelters save more
Cover
pets’ lives — and improve staff welfare at the same time.
NASA
Illustration by
By Stephanie Haws ’15 Joe McKendry
On Wisconsin 5
6 On Wisconsin FA L L 2 02 0
Communications
Sterling Hall Memories campus alphabetically, but it was SOCIAL SOLIDARITY
[In regard to “The Blast That of no strategic importance vis-à- In the aftermath of George
Changed Everything,” Summer vis the Vietnam War. Moreover, Floyd’s death, UW–Madison
2020 On Wisconsin]: I’m a phar- no right-minded individual would
campus leaders, student
macy graduate, and on the night want to impede the improvement
organizations, and alumni
of the bombing, I was working as of beer!
the night pharmacist at the old David Pomeranz ’77 took to social media to call for
UW Hospital, right across Char- Brookline, Massachusetts justice and amplify the Black
ter Street from Sterling Hall. Yes, Lives Matter movement.
I was actually a firsthand witness Two years ago, we attended Below is a sampling of tweets.
and most likely the first person the Madison “Sixties Reunion.”
on the scene immediately after Imagine our surprise to discover Student Affairs
the explosion. As with the other a plaque [on Bascom Hill near the @UW_StudentLife
alumni quoted in your article, the Sifting and Winnowing plaque] We know that the events of the
impact of that era and bombing called Reform and Revolt. [It] past week have been painful,
had a profound impact on my life states that our protests mobilized and many of you are hurting.
and remains a vivid memory. “thousands for and against the We are here for you. We are
Steven Schmidt ’68 war.” We do not remember a here to provide support and
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin single demonstration for the war, resources, and we are here to
only against. This [is] a distortion build community.
The pressure wave from the of history. In addition, the plaque
bomb cracked my bedroom states that the bombing of the
window and left me on the floor, Army Math Research Center put UW–Madison Diversity
short of breath. Cold War–era “a tragic conclusion on a period @uw_diversity
conditioned response led me to of protest.” Undeniably tragic as We’ve put together a list of
wonder “was this it?” Once the that was, it did not put a conclu- resources for our White com-
newspaper articles were written sion on a period of protest. We munity members who want to
and the tragedy fully realized, continued to demonstrate and educate themselves about sys-
further protest felt pointless, and protest until our activism helped tems of racial oppression and
our collective prospects both in to end the war in 1975. how they can change behaviors
and outside the university felt Bette Gordon and 28 others; and become more effective
very dark indeed. There was still for their names, visit the com- antiracist allies. diversity.wisc.
some joy to be found in music, ments section for First Person at edu/resources-for-white-allies
yes — but beyond that, we draft- onwisconsin.uwalumni.com.
age male students in particular
felt, having survived strontium Escape Artist Black Cultural Center
isotopes in our milk, the polio As a Gallistel granddaughter, I @UWMadisonBCC
pandemic of our childhood, and grew up spending time at Camp The BCC is in solidarity with
the 1957 flu epidemic (from which Gallistella [“Paradise on Men- those in the fight for Black
I had almost passed) … what was dota,” Summer 2020]. I loved liberation sparked recently by
to be our hope? For me it was every bit of it, especially singing the murder of George Floyd.
immersion in environmental around the campfire. I was less We acknowledge the lives of
studies — thank you, UW, for enthusiastic about the firm rules Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade,
that opportunity. Hang on, stu- Grandma maintained, which Ahmaud Arbery and the many
dents, to what you have! required me to leave through the others. Remain connected as
John Laumer window one memorable evening. we gather resources & organize
Returning the same way later spaces of support.
My father, Y. Pomeranz, was on, I appeared to escape notice.
hired in July 1970 as director of Lucie Seward
the U.S. Barley and Malt Labora- Russell Wilson
tory. Upon hearing of the bomb- Wrestling Hero @DangeRussWilson
ing of the Army Math Research The documentary Wrestled BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Center, our mother was sure that Away [mentioned in “A Story #BlackOutTuesday
“they” would go after the Barley of Almosts,” Summer 2020] is
and Malt Lab next. It took all of terrific. I highly recommend it
my brother’s and my best efforts and am thankful for the story of Rose Lavelle
to convince her that “they” were wrestler Lee Kemp. He is one of @roselavelle
not going to do that. Yes, the my heroes. #BlackLivesMatter
lab was the next U.S. facility on Kevin Phillips #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd
On Wisconsin 7
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8 On Wisconsin FA L L 2 02 0
First Person
Dear fellow Badgers,
Fall 2020 As we begin a new fall semester, we are facing challenges few of us
could have imagined one year ago. I know the pandemic has impacted
COEDITORS
Niki Denison, Wisconsin Foundation and the lives of everyone in our Badger community, bringing disruption to
Alumni Association (WFAA) all and tragedy to some.
Dean Robbins, University Communications Here at the UW, COVID-19 has forced us to rethink and rework all
PUBLISHER of our operations, from classrooms to dorms to research labs.
Wisconsin Foundation and When we’re immersed in the day-to-day demands of a crisis, we all
Alumni Association need to pause occasionally and remember why our work is important.
1848 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53726-4090 For those of us at UW–Madison, the students often provide the reminder
608-263-4545 we need.
Email: onwisconsin@uwalumni.com So I was delighted when Alan Chen ’15, MD’20 got in touch in mid-July.
Web: onwisconsin.uwalumni.com
Alan first wrote to me as an undergraduate, to say he was having a
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER wonderful time here and learning a lot.
John Allen, WFAA
Alan and his family are Chinese immigrants. He arrived here in the
WRITER second grade, speaking no English, and grew up in Minocqua, where his
Preston Schmitt ’14, University Marketing parents saved up to open a small restaurant. They took one vacation day
CLASS NOTES/DIVERSIONS EDITOR every year. One of their dreams was to see Alan become the first in the
Stephanie Haws ’15, WFAA family to earn a college degree.
ART DIRECTOR Alan earned his undergraduate degree here at the UW, and this May,
Danielle Lawry, University Marketing he received his medical degree from our School of Medicine and Public
DESIGNERS Health. He is now caring for patients in a busy emergency room in Chi-
Christine Knorr ’97 and Danielle Lamberson cago and hopes to return to Wisconsin to practice emergency medicine
Philipp, University Marketing
with a focus on public health.
PRODUCTION EDITOR COVID-19 has temporarily changed much of what we love about
Eileen Fitzgerald ’79, University Marketing UW–Madison. I don’t know when we’ll be able to cheer for the Badgers
PHOTOGRAPHERS at Camp Randall Stadium or greet one another with a hug.
Jeff Miller and Bryce Richter, University But there are a few things I am sure about.
Communications
First, UW–Madison will continue to provide an outstanding educa-
DESIGN, LAYOUT, AND PRODUCTION tion that is one of the best values in the country. Remote learning can’t
Kent Hamele ’78, Kate Price ’09: University
Marketing; Nicole Heiman, Megan Provost
replace the classroom (and out-of-classroom) experiences that the UW
’20; Chelsea Schlecht ’13, Erin Sprague ’94: is known for, but our Smart Restart campus-reopening program worked
WFAA with faculty and staff over the summer to design thousands of classes
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES that will be engaging and rigorous.
Madison Magazine: 608-270-3600 Second, we will continue to be a center for leading-edge research.
ADDRESS CHANGES AND As I write this, we have 293 COVID-19-related research projects
DEATH NOTICES underway or proposed — including several clinical trials and a vaccine
888-947-2586 in development.
Email: alumnichanges@uwalumni.com
Third, our commitment to the Wisconsin Idea will remain strong,
Quarterly production of On Wisconsin is as we share discoveries and innovations with the state, the nation, and
supported by financial gifts from alumni
and friends. To make a gift to UW–Madison,
the world.
please visit supportuw.org. Finally, we will invest in creating a campus that is welcoming,
diverse, inclusive, and antiracist. The nationwide protests demand-
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association
(WFAA) is open to all alumni, students, and friends of the
ing that the U.S. make good on promises of justice and equality have
university. WFAA encourages diversity, inclusivity, and created an opportunity for all of us to listen, read, reflect, and work
participation by all of these groups in its activities and
does not discriminate on any basis.
toward change.
In this moment of uncertainty, I take comfort — as I hope you will —
Printed on recycled paper.
Please recycle this magazine. Please read it first.
in the values that have guided us for 172 years, allowing us to open the
doors to opportunity for deserving students like Alan Chen. Those values
will help us find the best way forward and continue to change lives.
Be well and keep in touch.
My best,
C H A N C E LLO R R E B E C CA B L A N K
On Wisconsin 9
WHEN
DOCTORS
NEED
FACE
SHIELDS,
BADGERS
ENGINEER A DESIGN?
PUBLISH IT ONLINE?
DELIVER.
PARTNER WITH FORD?
AND JOHN DEERE?
MILLIONS AND COUNTING.
YOU’RE ON,
WISCONSIN.
wisc.eduOnCampus News from UW–Madison
A Smart Restart
VIRTUALUW.NET
The UW plans to welcome students, faculty, and staff
back to campus — with safety measures in place.
As an unprecedented spring semester came to a close, many Badgers
couldn’t help but wonder what the COVID-19 crisis would mean for fall.
Would students be able to return to UW–Madison?
The question didn’t have an easy answer. As spring turned to summer, 6,000 UW–MINECRAFT
UW System and campus leaders remained agile, gauging feedback from viral tests per When UW students were sent
students, families, and employees and consulting with public-health week, at mini- home from campus in March,
experts, campus stakeholders, and peer universities to determine next mum: the UW’s Ryan Wenzel x’21 didn’t want to
Smart Restart
steps. On June 17, UW–Madison announced “Smart Restart,” a plan for say goodbye. He didn’t want to
plan calls for
the fall semester that aimed to facilitate in-person learning opportunities a capacity to
leave Memorial Union or Science
while also prioritizing the health of everyone on campus. process at least Hall or even Chadbourne.
The plan proposed a full curriculum, composed of in-person and this many tests So he decided to build all his
virtual courses, from the first day of instruction on September 2 to to track spread of favorite campus spots at home,
Thanksgiving recess. After the break, courses and final exams would the disease on his computer. His tool of
only take place remotely. For students unable to return for in-person choice was Minecraft, the multi-
instruction — such as some international students and those who pre- player online game.
ferred not to — the university would offer alternatives. “I used to play [Minecraft] a
After Smart Restart was announced, campus leaders held virtual lot in middle and high school, so I
Q & A sessions with students and families. An informational website, was eager to start playing again.
smartrestart.wisc.edu, also provided details and publicly communicated I also thought it was the perfect
updates. Throughout the summer, hundreds of faculty and staff con- way to connect with the campus
tinued their involvement with the plan, following guidance from local, community as everyone was
state, and campus health and safety experts, according to John Lucas, physically separated.”
assistant vice chancellor of University Communications. With friends Chris Bravata,
“Nothing is more important to us than providing a safe, healthy, Matt Ciolkosz ’18, and Dylan
and welcoming environment for teaching and learning,” he says. “We Nysted x’21, he put together a
are fortunate to have so many students, faculty, and staff who care so series of challenges based on
deeply about UW–Madison. It’s been an all-hands-on-deck effort, with UW buildings. Hosting the game
every unit across campus pitching in.” at virtualuw.net, they invited
At press time, the plan was still to begin in-person instruction in other Badgers to join in the fun,
September. Smart Restart calls for a three-part testing protocol, with and by midsummer, more than
free testing available for all students, staff, and faculty; required testing 40 had registered. Wenzel played
for those living and working in residence halls; and routine surveillance for around 200 hours over the
testing. Additionally, the plan requires masks in all indoor public spaces, course of the spring and early
expects physical distancing in classrooms, uses new cleaning/hygiene summer and has constructed
procedures, urges self-monitoring for symptoms, and employs contact several campus icons.
tracing for those who test positive. “I wanted to start with the
Some classes with fewer than 50 students are to be held in person buildings in the Bascom Hill
and in large classrooms to allow for physical distancing. Classes of more area, such as Science Hall and
than 100 students are to be available only through remote channels, as Memorial Union, because I felt
are many classes between 50 and 100 students. Residence and dining that those are the most iconic
halls are open to residents and housing staff only. And for at-risk faculty and historic UW buildings,” he
and staff, Lucas says, the Office of Human Resources has implemented says. “I personally wanted to
an accommodations and flexibilities process. start with building Chadbourne
A national spike in COVID-19 cases in summer forced UW leaders to Hall, which has a special place
continually examine the plan. For updates on the fall semester since On in my heart after living/working
Wisconsin was printed, visit news.wisc.edu/covid-19-campus-response. there for two years.”
ST E P H A N I E H AW S ’15 J O H N A LL E N
On Wisconsin 11OnCampus
BRYCE RICHTER
THE ROCK ON ROCKS
During his last in-person lecture in
March, Professor Stephen Meyers
asked his Geoscience 100 students
to dream big about the class’s
future with the pandemic threaten-
ing to force them apart. They made
a whimsical request: an interaction
with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
about rocks.
Meyers, who draws analogies to
the actor in his class, reached out to
The Rock on Twitter. Such an inquiry
to an A-list celebrity is almost certain
to get lost in a black hole of millions
(and millions) of mentions. But a few
days later, The Rock responded with
a string of charming tweets.
His favorite geological place?
Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii, where
he spent much of his childhood. His
favorite geoscience topics? Seismol- Painting for Peace
ogy, paleontology, and oceanogra- The boarded-up storefronts displayed boldly painted messages: Love, Unity,
phy. “Mother Nature rules,” he wrote. Change.
And his favorite rock? “Well, All along State Street, local artists transformed a scene of despair and
from the three scientific classes of destruction into a blocks-long exhibit of hope and remembrance. In late May,
rocks — sedimentary, metamor- peaceful protests during the day devolved into unrest overnight, with many
phic, and igneous. I would have downtown buildings experiencing broken windows. At dawn, volunteers filled
to go with the big, brown, bald, the streets to clean up debris while store owners covered window openings with
tattooed Rock,” he joked. “And if all plywood. By mid-June, the City of Madison had commissioned 140 local artists,
your 428 students want a big fat A in many of them people of color, to create 112 vibrant murals covering the blight.
this class, then that better be their Like others across the country, the city has experienced sustained — and
favorite Rock, too.” largely peaceful — protests since the police killing of George Floyd in Minne-
Meyers featured The Rock’s apolis. The message is clear: Black Lives Matter, and it’s time for reform to end
tweets in his final remote lecture in systemic racism.
May. The recorded talk, titled “Liv- UW–Madison students Daniel Ledin x’22, Molly Pistono x’22, and
ing in an Uncertain World,” looked Courtney Gorum x’23 (pictured above, left to right) painted a tribute to vic-
something like a short film. Meyers tims of police violence and racial injustice, encircling a colorful solidarity fist
climbed to the top of his house, with their names. “With the whole movement going on, we wanted to do some-
transforming his flat rooftop into a thing and contribute to our community,” Gorum told WISC-TV in front of the
giant chalkboard to map out Earth’s mural at the downtown Community Pharmacy.
systems and filming the dramatic Several campus properties were also damaged during the protests, including
scene with a drone. His video con- the Chazen Museum of Art, Memorial Union, Ogg Hall, and Alumni Park.
cluded with a poem for his stu- As businesses began to repair their windows, the City of Madison worked
dents. “When I look at you,” Meyers to collect the murals and plan an exhibit. For weeks, State Street was unrecog-
wrote, “I see billions of years and a nizable. But for the artists, it was a massive, collective canvas for change.
world of possibilities.” “We will always remain in awe of the strength and courage it took for them
Truly, after a geoscience lecture by to transform broken glass and broken hearts into something powerful and beau-
The Rock, anything seems possible. tiful,” said Karin Wolf ’97, MS'06, arts administrator for the City of Madison.
P R E STO N S C H M I T T ’14 P R E STO N S C H M I T T ’ 1 4
12 On Wisconsin FA L L 2 02 0Bygone Remote Learning
UW ARCHIVES S 05820
In the spring of 2020, Badgers program ran until 1899 and was UW professors The broadcast reached 70,000 stu-
took their courses to go as a pan- reinvigorated in 1905 under the Harold Engel, Lee dents by 1938 and offered programs
demic sent students away from direction of university president de Forest, and such as Journey in Musicland, Let’s
the campus they love. Although Charles Van Hise 1879, 1880, H. B. McCarty Draw, and Afield with Ranger Mac.
MA’30, seen
these drastic measures were cer- MS1882, PhD1892. The pro- In 1931, WHA also premiered
here in the
tainly unprecedented, the notion gram lives on today as Independent 1930s, used
the Wisconsin College of the Air,
of rendering courses mobile and Learning and reaches students of all radio to broad- which featured educational pro-
adapting them outside the tradi- ages and regions. cast university- gramming geared toward adults.
tional classroom space is no novel The Wisconsin Idea inspired caliber lectures Its first course instructed listen-
concept at UW–Madison. the university’s initial attempts at into homes ers in touch typing. Some of its
Professor Richard Ely — the distance learning via technology. around the state. original programs ran for nearly
same Ely whose contested work Physics professor Earle Terry 35 years, and while they now may
led the Board of Regents to estab- MA1904, PhD1910 built the be relics of radio’s past, the UW’s
lish the university’s commitment to university’s first radio transmitter, educational programming is still
“continual and fearless sifting and possibly as early as 1902. Eventu- alive and well as University of the
winnowing” — directed the UW’s ally dubbed 9XM-WHA, the sta- Air on Wisconsin Public Radio’s
first correspondence-study pro- tion broadcast news and weather, Ideas Network.
gram upon his arrival at the univer- and in the 1930s, it became a Remote education at UW–
sity in 1892. By 1895, the program medium for education. Madison has come a long way
offered 63 courses in subjects rang- In 1931, WHA debuted its from snail-mail correspondence to
ing from botany and bacteriology groundbreaking School of the Air, pandemic-induced online courses.
to foreign language and literature. which drew on the UW School However sophisticated and wide-
For one 16-lesson course, students of Education in collaboration spread distance learning may
paid four dollars, plus the postage with teachers at Madison public look today, it all started with pen,
for mailing coursework. schools to develop programs for paper, and the twist of a dial.
The correspondence-study elementary-age children. M E G A N P R OVO ST ’ 20
On Wisconsin 13Calculation Pandemic Financial Fallout
ILLUSTRATION BY DANIELLE LAWRY
The Cost of a Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic has in- most areas show either a drop in serious,” says Vice Chancellor for
flicted unprecedented budget short- revenue or a rise in costs. The red Finance and Administration Lau-
falls on universities everywhere, and bars indicate the financial deficit rent Heller, “is the unprecedented
UW–Madison is no exception. of each category, compared to the degree of uncertainty we’re facing
In an email to faculty and staff, UW's previous budget. among all of our activities simulta-
Chancellor Rebecca Blank noted For the last several months, uni- neously. Our campus is like a small
that the costs to the UW are sub- versity financial analysts have been city, with highly diversified sources
stantial, and she outlined a series considering a multitude of factors, of revenue. This is usually a real
of cost-reduction measures, includ- including whether students would strength, but in the current envi-
ing a hiring and salary freeze (with return to campus in the fall, and if ronment it means we’re facing many
limited exceptions) and employee so, what type of instruction would risks and unknowns all at once.”
furloughs. be offered; what the costs of sig- Still, Heller noted that the cam-
The figures below represent an nificant preparation and mitigation pus was in a strong financial position
attempt, current as of press time, efforts would be; and whether the before the crisis, and he expects a
to gauge the financial fallout for the athletics season would be cancelled. quick rebound once a reliable treat-
campus for the fiscal year 2020–21. Since the pandemic situation is ment or vaccine is found. “We’ve
While the university expects more ever-changing, projections shifted been here for more than 170 years
funding in some areas — summer from week to week. “What has and we’re planning on being here for
term tuition and federal funding — made this crisis different and so at least another 170 more,” he says.
SUMMER TUITION 4,000,000
Pandemic Expense Impact**
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS* 11,000,000 Testing 11,950,000
Mask Distribution 3,127,000
AUXILIARIES 52,000,000 Other PPE 18,794,000
Online Classes 7,000,000
ATHLETICS 56,000,000 Total 40,871,000
FALL/SPRING TUITION 83,000,000
Enrollment Contraction (fall/spring)
PANDEMIC EXPENSES** 41,000,000 WI/MN -5% -5%
Domestic 20% 15%
GIFTS 36,000,000 International 30% 20%
RESEARCH 76,000,000
Spring 2021 Retention
95.11%
STATE APPROPRIATIONS 86,000,000
GENERAL OPERATIONS 14,000,000
(fall students who return for spring
semester)
FEDERAL RELIEF 14,000,000
Total $437,000,000
20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 440
GAIN LOSS
*for nontraditional and international 2tudents
14 On Wisconsin FA L L 2 02 0OnCampus
Scientists Zero
HEALTHY MINDS INNOVATIONS
in on COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn the attention of UW–Madison sci-
entists in all corners of campus: geographers mapping the movement of
people, mathematicians modeling the spread of the virus, and commu-
nications researchers testing ways to deliver public health messages. It
even stretched to the South Pole, where IceCube Neutrino Observatory CALM IS A CLICK AWAY
scientists donated the computing power they use for astrophysics cal- Stressed out during the pandemic?
culations to study proteins in novel coronavirus infections. How about trying a guided meditation
Prominent virology labs got an early start. Working toward a vaccine on YouTube?
with Madison-based FluGen, UW professor of pathobiological sciences Last March, Healthy Minds Innovations
Yoshihiro Kawaoka has been studying how SARS-CoV-2 is trans- created a video meditation series in a col-
mitted and causes COVID-19. A study of hamsters showed the animals laboration with the UW’s Center for Healthy
develop infections deep in their lungs with severe damage similar to Minds. The project advances the center’s
human patients. Importantly, infected hamsters developed antibodies mission: to cultivate well-being through a
protecting them against future infection and responded well to treatment scientific understanding of the mind.
with antibodies from the blood of other hamsters that had been infected. “During this challenging time, we feel a
“This shows us that convalescent sera, still experimental in moral obligation to disseminate the insights
human patients, may be part of an effective treatment for COVID-19,” and practical wisdom we’ve gleaned over the
Kawaoka says. years to help people cope more effectively,”
UW Health and the School of Medicine and Public Health have been says Professor Richard Davidson, who
studying that very treatment, joining dozens of research sites testing directs the Center for Healthy Minds and
whether newly infected patients improve with transfusions of anti- leads some of the meditations himself (pic-
body-rich blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors. Infectious disease tured above). “Research shows that medita-
specialist David Andes has also led a UW–Madison group in a trial tion can help us become more resilient and
of a drug, ruxolitinib, meant to quell the “cytokine storm,” a danger- decrease our distress.”
ous overreaction of the immune system sparked by the virus in many The Center for Healthy Minds conducts
patients. Lisa Arkin, assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics, studies on qualities of mind that affect
is studying “COVID toes,” trying to understand why the disease causes well-being. Drawing on this research,
bruise-like blisters and bumps on the toes of children. Healthy Minds Innovations develops tools
From the outset of the pandemic in Wisconsin, David O’Connor to create a kinder, wiser, more compassion-
and Thomas Friedrich ’97, PhD’03 of UW–Madison’s AIDS Vac- ate world.
cine Research Laboratory began parsing the genetic sequences of virus As the pandemic spread, the nonprofit
samples from patients. They found that limiting travel was working in saw a dramatic increase in demand for its
Wisconsin, as Madison and Milwaukee outbreaks were unrelated. Most services. The YouTube meditations have
of Madison’s infections involved versions of the virus introduced from drawn viewers from around the world who
Europe, and Milwaukee’s largely grew from versions of SARS-CoV-2 are anxious about the future.
introduced from Asia. How do they feel at the end of a session?
O’Connor, Friedrich, and medical school professor David Beebe To quote their chatbox comments: “Peace-
’87, MS’90, PhD’94 are now working on a saliva test for the virus. ful.” “Hopeful.” “Inspired.”
C H R I S B A R N CA R D DEAN ROBBINS
news feed
Tommy Thompson ’63, JD’66 can The UW has been After 25 years as a UW astronomy
now add “interim UW System ranked 20th professor, associate dean, and
president” to an already formidable nationally and interim dean, Eric Wilcots couldn’t
résumé. “The University of Wis- 26th worldwide be better prepared for his new job
consin System is the state’s most by the Center for as dean of the College of Letters &
BRYCE RICHTER (2)
valuable asset,” said the former World University Science. Wilcots extols the liberal
Wisconsin governor and U.S. secre- Rankings. Yet arts as a means of “preparing our
tary of Health and Human Services, more proof that students to succeed in the world
“and I will be its biggest advocate Badgers rule the after graduation and as an approach
and its toughest evaluator.” planet. to creating new knowledge.”
On Wisconsin 15OnCampus
BRYCE RICHTER
C OR ONA-NOM IC S
If you’re having a hard time picturing the economic
impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Noah Williams
can help you out.
Williams, a professor of economics and director
of the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Econ-
omy (CROWE), has been tracking the state’s economy
closely since the pandemic reached the university.
And CROWE graphs the data out and posts those
charts online, giving snapshots of Wisconsin’s recov-
ery week by week.
“We’ve always been tracking the official data,”
Williams says, “but we’ve tried to do really high-fre-
quency updates beginning in the middle of March.
There was a lot of damage happening, and if we didn’t
post frequently, we were afraid we’d miss a lot of what
was going on.”
Going Out in Style How to salute graduates during Throughout the pandemic, CROWE has been
a pandemic? It takes creativity, and the Wisconsin School of collecting data not only on unemployment and retail
Business rose to the challenge with a May 9 light show called sales, but also on employee working hours, foot traffic
“Business Badgers Light the Way Forward.” From 9 p.m. to in Wisconsin’s bars and restaurants, spending at
midnight, the east façade of Grainger Hall glowed red with online and brick-and-mortar stores, and more. The
a four-story display featuring graduates’ names, exploding center estimates that the state’s unemployment rate
fireworks imagery, UW iconography, and congratulatory peaked at 21.5 percent in May, and Williams believes
messages. There was no mistaking the symbolism: these that reopening has been uneven.
graduates have a bright future. After the state’s Safer at Home order was lifted
shortly before Memorial Day, economic indicators
began trending upward again, Williams notes. But for
What’s the idea behind the new crest some industries, the dip was so low that it may take a
logo that will begin appearing on all long while to fully recover.
“Things went down so fast in March and April,” he
UW Athletics uniforms? In a word, says. “It was much worse than we were expecting and
inclusion. The black W, which is much worse than initial reports. But in the following
typically in white, was proposed by months, I suppose we were due for some upside
student-athletes to show solidarity surprises.”
CROWE’s reports and data are available online at
with Black and other underrepre- crowe.wisc.edu.
sented communities at UW–Madison. J O H N A LL E N
news feed
What’s the key to futuris- To ease the pain of physical UW–Madison is striving to increase student
tic “flexible electronics” distancing, the Wisconsin Union voter participation through the nonpartisan
like foldable phones and is offering some of its favor- ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. The
roll-up tablets? Believe it ite recipes for you to make at university hopes for another
or not, it might be wood. home; see union.wisc.edu/dine/ impressive turnout
New UW–Madison research union-dining-at-home. Turns this fall after recently
shows how a wood product out the Rathskeller’s legendary receiving a platinum
— cellulose nanofibril paper tater tot seasoning is almost as seal for a 2018 student
— can create a functional good without the Lake Mendota voting rate above 50
microwave amplifier circuit. view. Almost. percent.
16 On Wisconsin FA L L 2 02 0Conversation LaVar Charleston
Outrage. Pain. Exhaustion. Charleston is Even with a PhD, I’m looked at which is that education should
LaVar Charleston MS’07, inspired by as a criminal, and it has to be influence people’s lives beyond
PhD’10 went through an emo- the Black Lives because of my color. This is a the boundaries of the class-
Matter protests
tional wringer in May when he that arose after
constant reminder that system- room, we should be leading the
learned of George Floyd’s death George Floyd’s ic racism does indeed exist. way with an inspiring and per-
under a Minneapolis police death. See meating vision for antiracism,
officer’s knee. For an African onwisconsin. How do you define the Black for social justice, for equality,
American man, the scenario felt uwalumni.com Lives Matter movement? for diversity, for inclusion. And
chillingly familiar. “If you’re in for an extended It’s a response, an objec- we’re working toward that, so
Q & A.
the Black community, you know tion, and a refusal to accept I’m encouraged.
someone this has happened state-sanctioned violence and
to: discrimination, abuse, and anti-Black racism, which has What is the UW doing?
violence at the hands of police,” permeated society for as long as I’m seeing the campus commit
says Charleston, associate we can remember. The move- to hiring more folks of color.
dean for equity, diversity, and ment connects Black people and I’m seeing the chancellor tell
inclusion and clinical professor others around the world with a folks of color that they matter,
of educational leadership and shared desire for justice, free- which is a strong statement that
policy analysis at the UW–Mad- dom, and human rights. must be backed up by action
ison School of Education. “You and accountability. The office of
envision yourself, your father, What is UW–Madison’s role admissions has a whole team of
your nephews, your kids, your at a time like this? recruiters, led by a new assis-
grandparents in that space.” It’s important that the univer- tant director, that is focused on
Charleston is inspired by sity affirm Black lives among diversifying the campus. And
the Black Lives Matter protests our students, faculty, and staff. schools and colleges are imple-
that arose after Floyd’s death. Because of the Wisconsin Idea, menting diversity leaders like
In the midst of tragedy, he sees myself, as well as programs and
hope — and believes UW–Mad- initiatives that help equip folks
ison is uniquely positioned to with tools to be antiracist.
lead at this crucial moment.
Why is change essential
How did George Floyd’s right now?
death affect you personally? The liberties for one in this
It recalled a time when I got country must be the liberties
pulled over for speeding. A gun for all. So until everyone is
was pointed at my head, and free, none of us are free. And
the officer’s hand was shaking. that’s what the Black Lives Mat-
Whenever a policeman drives ter movement is about.
by me or pulls me over, still,
my heart begins to race a bit. Interview by Dean Robbins
Photo by Bryce RichterExhibition Online Art
TOP LEFT: NISHA IYER. BOT TOM LEFT: CHAZEN. RIGHT: HELEN LOUISE ALLEN TEXTILE COLLECTION
While we’re all practicing physical distancing, online Top left: Crested textiles to support her teaching and research.
resources from the University of Wisconsin–Madison gecko from the A pioneer in her field, Allen was an early adopter
can make you feel a little closer to campus and appre- Cool Science of historical and anthropological perspectives in
Image Contest.
ciate art from afar. So get ready to make a virtual visit. the study of the textile arts. Her original vision to
Bottom left:
Start out at the Chazen Museum of Art by vis- “The Umbrellas”
advance understanding of cultures and their history
iting go.wisc.edu/virtualchazen. There are more than by Christo and via the textile arts remains at the heart of HLATC’s
23,000 works of art in the museum’s collections, rep- Jeanne-Claude. mission and continues to inspire artists and design-
resenting the entire spectrum of art history. Maybe Right: Kumiseva ers. The teaching collection spans 16 centuries and
you’re looking for something specific — go ahead and pattern by Katsuji 108 countries.
search the collection or browse by geographic region, Wakisaka. While museums are a natural place to look for
object type, and century. Follow @ChazenArtUW on art, the UW’s 2020 Cool Science Image Contest
Twitter for suggested reading and viewing. recognizes the beauty found in science. Eyeball-lick-
Next up, the Helen Louise Allen Textile Col- ing geckos, wiggling brain cells, and a whole plan-
lection (HLATC) at the School of Human Ecology. et’s worth of weather are among the winners of the
Visit go.wisc.edu/virtualtextile to explore more than 10th-anniversary contest. You can view a gallery of
9,000 objects in the 13,000-piece collection. Allen images and videos at go.wisc.edu/csic2020.
was a home economics professor who taught weav- There’s a lot to see online, so don’t be afraid to
ing, textile history, and the history of interiors from make multiple visits. You won’t find any lines. And
1927 until her death in 1968. During her career, she the hours? Always open.
traveled widely and amassed approximately 4,000 K Ä R I K N U TS O N
18 On Wisconsin FA L L 2 02 0OnCampus
BRYCE RICHTER
Wish You Were Here
If you want to experience the beauty and vibrancy of the UW–Madison cam-
pus, you can now do so anywhere there’s an internet connection. Campus
“This is a tough
tours have gone virtual.
The tours launched in March, after the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in
time to be com-
Wisconsin, though the desire for virtual tours existed long before.
“I began thinking about this two and a half or three years ago,” says
ing out of school,
Greer Davis, the associate director of undergraduate communications
and marketing in the UW’s Office of Admissions and Recruitment. “We but I know your
realized that a lot of people wanted to come to the university but never
visited here.” These audiences include international students, those with
disabilities, and those without the means to travel to Madison. “We wanted
education will
to showcase campus for them,” Davis says.
The arrival of coronavirus accelerated the effort. Beginning March 11 —
last you a life-
two days before campus closed for spring break, and as it turned out, the rest
of spring semester and summer term — the admissions office teamed with
time. And re-
the Office of Campus and Visitor Relations to put together a series of video
tours, shooting 20 in just a few days. Potential students can now see much of member: we’re
the campus area, from State Street in the east to the medical campus in the
west, and from the ancient Red Gym to the still-under-construction Chemis- Badgers. We
try Building. All the tours are available at apps.admissions.wisc.edu/map.
Although the fall application cycle had closed by the time the pandemic
arrived, Davis and her colleagues wanted the tours to be ready, as prospec-
never give up.
tive students tour campus year-round.
“We didn’t plan to do this because of COVID,” says Davis. “But it cer-
On, Wisconsin!”
tainly became a huge priority, knowing how much of an impact campus — CBS News correspondent Rita Braver ’70,
tours make.” in one of the many video shout-outs to
J O H N A LL E N spring 2020 graduates from celebrity alumni
news feed
Ohio State University profes- UW engineers To ensure safety during the USA Hockey has named
sor Daniel Tokaji has been have developed pandemic, Big Ten teams will Abby Roque ’20 the
UW MAKERSPACE; JEFF MILLER
named dean of the University a medical face play only each other this fall. Women’s Player
of Wisconsin Law School. shield that pro- If the season proceeds as of the Year. Mean-
Tokaji admires the law school’s vides a clear view planned (fingers crossed!), while, Badger
scholarly excellence and of the wearer’s the conference guidelines women’s hockey
devotion to public service, face while filtering will affect UW football, set a record for
and he plans to strengthen virus particles volleyball, field hockey, and crowd size in
its commitment to diversity, through surgical men’s and women’s cross 2019–20.
equity, and inclusion. fabric. country and soccer. Coincidence?Contender Tamara Moore
If Tamara Moore ’14 has her Moore is the only Anyone who watched Moore COVID-19 pandemic restrict-
way, there won’t be any barriers active female play at the newly minted Kohl ing in-person contact and the
left to break. coach of a men’s Center from 1998 to 2002 will police killing of George Floyd
The former UW star has college basket- recognize her coaching philoso- leading to unrest in Minneapo-
ball team and
competed with men throughout phy: high-pressure defense and lis, where she still lives.
the first African
her trailblazing time in basket- fast-paced offense. Recruited “[Being a trailblazer] means
American woman
ball. In the 1990s, she became to hold that as a nearly six-foot forward, a lot to me, especially in the
the first high school girl to play position. Moore transitioned to point times we’re in right now, with
in the Minneapolis inner-city guard in college due to the a lot of the injustices going on
all-star game for boys. Ear- team’s lack of depth. She made in the world,” Moore says. “It’s
lier this year, she was named it look easy, still holding the been a real whirlwind of emo-
the head coach of the men’s UW’s all-time career records for tion. But being able to not only
basketball program at Mes- assists and steals and ranking take women to the next level
abi Range College in northern seventh in points. She returned but to take minorities to the
Minnesota, becoming the only to Madison and finished her next level is an honor.”
active female coach of a men’s degree in Afro-American stud- Moore stays in touch with a
college basketball team and the ies in 2014 and was inducted in number of past teammates and
first African American woman to the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in rivals who have made their own
hold that position. 2017. marks on the men’s basketball
In between, Moore compiled As a player, her smooth ver- world: San Antonio Spurs assis-
hall-of-fame numbers and a satility and lockdown defense tant coach Becky Hammon;
National Invitation Tourna- earned her a first-round selec- New Orleans Pelicans vice pres-
ment championship at the UW; tion in the 2002 WNBA Draft. ident of basketball operations
competed for nearly a decade “I like being able to think the Swin Cash and development
professionally in the WNBA and game faster than somebody coach Teresa Weatherspoon;
overseas; played for, coached, plays the game,” says Moore, and University of Maine men’s
and owned men’s semipro who speaks with the same pace assistant coach Edniesha Curry.
teams; and founded a men’s and energy she exhibited on the Moore is the second woman to
semipro league, the Official court. “I have a really good pho- lead a men’s college basketball
Basketball Association. tographic memory. If you run a program, following Kerri-Ann
“My résumé speaks for play once, it’s like, ‘Okay, I see McTiernan’s career at Kingsbor-
itself,” Moore told ESPN in April. you.’ You run it twice? Now I get ough Community College in the
And that singular journey is why it. The third time? Now I’m going 1990s.
she’s hardly intimidated by the to steal it.” Without a single campus
deep-rooted skepticism about Moore counts among her visit, Moore has managed to
women coaching men. mentors Faith Johnson Pat- recruit 15 players to Mesabi
“I’ve been able to earn terson x’85, a Minneapolis high Range and has conducted team
[my players’] respect with my school coaching legend who workouts via Zoom videoconfer-
knowledge of the game. And played for the UW in the 1980s, encing. Her short-term goal is to
I’m not just a talker — I’m a and Jane Albright, who led the turn the team, which stumbled
doer,” Moore says. “So I’ll get UW’s program to its heights to a 6–19 record last season,
out there. I’ll practice with the from 1994 to 2003. Like them, into a junior-college power-
team. Has there been some she’s hoping to build a program house. Long term, her sights are
resistance every now and then? in which players treat each set on the NCAA Division I and
Yes. But I don’t take it as it’s other as family, not just as NBA levels, where a woman has
because I’m a woman. That’s teammates. yet to rise to head coach.
just the coach–player relation- “Jane taught me the impor- “I think my ultimate goal will
ship.” tance of three positives to one be to come back and possibly
critique, especially as a point coach at the University of Wis-
guard,” Moore says. “I was consin,” Moore says.
actually talking to my players And who would bet against
about this today: ‘You guys have her?
to realize that it’s more impact- P R E STO N S C H M I T T ’ 1 4
ful when a teammate hears P H OTO BY K U R T ST E P N I T Z
something positive before they
hear anything of a critique.’ ”
Moore entered an unprec-
edented coaching job at an
unprecedented time, with theHEROES
OFTHE
Badgers
are battling
coronavirus on
multiple fronts.
PANDEMIC
ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOE MCKENDRY
On Wisconsin 23Louis Pasteur pioneered the rabies vaccine, and Jonas Salk the polio vaccine.
By contrast, conquering coronavirus has been a team effort. UW–Madison faculty, staff,
and alumni are playing a part, and not just in the laboratory. Badgers have joined the fight
across a range of professions, whether treating patients on the front lines or delivering
food to grocery stores. Here are eight heroes who’ve stepped up during the pandemic,
determined to put the Wisconsin Idea into action. Hats off to them and countless others
who will — with courage and creativity — help us through this crisis.
The Doctor
JES SE CHARLES ’08, MD’14
“The patients came in like all the others: feverish,
coughing, and short of breath — each one of them
afraid, each one of them alone,” says Jesse Charles
’08, MD’14. “I evaluated them, made sure they had
water and blankets — anything that could provide
them some measure of comfort. Sleep, that most
essential of medicines, was completely inaccessible.”
Jesse has seen the worst effects of the COVID-19
pandemic firsthand. A physician in tiny Winthrop,
Washington, he left home in early April and flew to
New York, where the pandemic’s effects were worst.
When New York governor Andrew Cuomo issued a
public call for help, Jesse volunteered to serve at one
of the state’s hard-hit medical facilities.
When he arrived, the Brooklyn Health Center,
where he was assigned, had already grieved the
death of five staff members caused by the virus. In
the three weeks that he was there, Jesse cared for
his patients’ health and worked to connect them with
their loved ones. Although his willingness to go the
extra mile couldn’t change the trajectory of the virus,
it at least gave them the opportunity to say goodbye.
Jesse and his identical twin, Joel ’08, MPH’12, to be helpful to our neighbors, visible and invisible,
MD’14, are dedicated doctors and advocates for both near and far.”
marginalized communities. Having grown up in a Despite the challenges he faced and the deaths
low-income neighborhood in Green Bay, Wisconsin, he witnessed in New York, Jesse found solace in
they became aware, at an early age, of the ways that the continued care he was able to provide for two
injustice pervades public policy, leaving some popu- patients he originally saw in the ER. One patient in
lations more vulnerable than others. particular, a reticent man with whom Jesse strug-
“This virus has laid bare what we already know gled to connect, took him by surprise.
to be true,” Jesse says, “that health and well-being “On the morning that he walked out of the hos-
is a luxury in this country, that sickness is a burden pital, he broke down in tears and hugged me,” Jesse
we do not share equally, that even without this virus, says. “He’s the only person I’d hugged, other than my
each year 245,000 people die because of poverty — partner, in over a month. We agreed that someday,
175,000 because of racial inequity.” when the world is right again, I will come back to
Joel admits to complex feelings regarding his New York, and we’ll get coffee. Then we will be able
twin’s decision. He found the idea of Jesse volun- to have a real conversation, one where neither of our
tarily caring for patients at the epicenter of our faces is hidden.”
nation’s pandemic to be both frightening and pro- NICOLE HEIMAN
foundly moving.
“His decision to put himself at risk for the good The Vaccinator
of the community inspired me,” Joel says. “In these KRISHNA ELL A PhD’93
times, there is a great need for all of us who have
been given the privilege of security and the power of Growing up in Tamil Nadu, India, Krishna Ella
leadership to reflect on what sacrifices we can make wanted to be a farmer. That dream shifted when
24 On Wisconsin FA L L 2 02 0route of infection by coronavirus and influenza.
Intranasal delivery is more effective at inducing mul-
tiple types of immune responses. “We believe that an
intranasal vaccine … will bring about a superior form
of immunity in the form of mucosal immunity,” says
Ella. “Mucosal immunity has the ability to generate
a memory response to pathogens.”
Bharat Biotech, which can produce almost 300
million doses per year, has commercialized 16 vac-
cines, including one for the H1N1 flu that caused the
2009 pandemic.
“It would be immensely gratifying to have
CoroFlu become a successful, safe, and effective
vaccine that could be administered to the world,”
Ella says.
NIKI DENISON
Rosie the 3-D Printer
APRIL WEIR MS’07, MBA’13
Rosie the Riveter is an American icon. Grease-
stained and muscular, she symbolized the effort to
remake U.S. industry during World War II, a new
he won a scholarship to study in the United States collection of laborers who entered the workforce
and discovered a passion for science. Ella eventually to help the country set aside consumer goods and
made it his mission to provide vaccines at afford- provide frontline soldiers with tanks and planes and
able prices to some 5.8 billion people in develop- machine guns.
ing nations. His company, Bharat Biotech, was the If the effort to stop COVID-19 is a war, then April
initial tenant in India’s first biotech park. It paved Weir may be its Rosie. When she learned that front-
the way for what is now known as Genome Valley line health care workers lacked personal protective
in Hyderabad and became so successful that it equipment (PPE), she began producing it from her
prompted a UW–Madison Distinguished Alumni own home, relying on her 3-D printer. In time, she
Award in 2011, along with more than 100 other united 40 other 3-D-printing enthusiasts to churn
awards over the years. out thousands of face shields.
Now Ella is primed to meet another urgent, “The quarantine started on March 13, and on
worldwide need: a COVID-19 vaccine. Fulfilling a March 14, I saw an article about someone [print-
dream to collaborate with his alma mater, he’s team- ing shields],” she says. Intrigued, she used her 3-D
ing up with UW–Madison faculty and alumni to fast- printer to create a shield from an open-source design,
track CoroFlu, which could undergo human clinical working at her home in Waunakee, Wisconsin.
trials as soon as this fall. “Through a friend, I got connected to GHC [Group
Bharat Biotech will manufacture the vac- Health Cooperative, a Wisconsin health services
cine, conduct clinical trials, and produce CoroFlu provider], and they said they needed 500 to 1,000
for global distribution. The company is working a week. So within days I got the idea, we did a test
with Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a UW professor in the print, changed the design, got a commitment from
Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the School GHC, and assembled a team of printers in the area.”
of Veterinary Medicine, and Gabriele Neumann, a Weir’s career connects a wide variety of disci-
senior virologist at the school. The two are among plines. She came to the UW to study biochemistry,
three cofounders of the vaccine company FluGen. but after earning her master’s, she left to work in
Ella says that his company was already collaborat- the pharmaceutical industry. She came back to the
ing with FluGen on a flu vaccine, known as M2SR, UW for an MBA, and currently she works for InClin,
when the pandemic struck, and they realized that a a company that manages human clinical trials for
COVID-19 vaccine could be integrated with it. pharmaceutical companies (including ones that are
Kawaoka’s lab will insert gene sequences from searching for COVID-19 therapeutics).
SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the On Christmas 2019, Weir gave her husband,
disease COVID-19, into M2SR so that the new vaccine David Hauptman, a 3-D printer. Hauptman wanted
will also induce immunity against the coronavirus. to learn to play violin, and so he and Weir created a
CoroFlu, like M2SR, will be delivered intrana- system to print violins based off a design from the
sally rather than through the intramuscular shots famed Stradivarius. After taking the design through
that deliver most flu vaccines, mimicking the natural 200 iterations, each with its own small change, that
On Wisconsin 25You can also read
