Badger Talks Podcast Badger Talks

This time on The Badger Talks Podcast, Buzz talks about....a BIG buzz! Wisconsin's 17-year cicada emergence, with his guest, Director of UW Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab, aka Wisconsin's Bug Guy: PJ Liesch.

Buzz explores how Wisconsin's Earth Day celebration evolved into a week-long Earthfest, with his guests Nathan Jandl and Emily Reynolds.

In a continuation of exploring The Odyssey Project, Buzz Kemper talks with director Emily Auerbach, and Odyssey Project alums Hezouwe Walada and Rene Robinson about their stories of courage. The UW-Odyssey Project offers University of Wisconsin-Madison humanities classes for adult students facing economic barriers to college. The majority of students that participate in the Odyssey Course are from racial and ethnic minority groups (~90%) and are often overcoming the obstacles of single parenthood, homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, incarceration, depression, and domestic abuse. Odyssey students report transformative outcomes, and some have even moved from homelessness to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Students also say that they read more to their children, feel that they are better parents and advocates for their children in school, have more hope about their own futures, and are more likely to vote and become involved in their communities.

UW-Madison's Odyssey Project offers humanities classes for adult students facing economic barriers to college. The majority of students who participate in Odyssey are from racial and ethnic minority groups, and are often overcoming the obstacles of single parenthood, homelessness, addiction, incarceration, depression, and domestic abuse. Participants say they read more to their children, feel they are better parents, and have more hope about their own future. In this program, we're exploring how Odyssey has helped students find their voice and be heard. Buzz speaks with Director of UW Odyssey Project Emily Auerbach, and Odyssey Projects alums Keena Atkinson and Corey Saffold about their Odyssey experience.

Buzz speaks with Village of Waunakee Executive Assistant Kylie West and UniverCity Managing Director Gavin Luter about how cities, towns, and villages form alliances with UW-Madison to accomplish their goals; in this case, working with the Ho Chunk Nation to create a traveling museum about the Ho Chunk people.

What is research? We have images of labs, computer models, surveys, ivory towers, etc. but some researchers are taking research to the people: to communities and neighborhoods. We find out more with our guests, Community-Engaged Scholarship Specialist Cory Sprinkel of the Morgridge Center for Public Service and Kat Phelps, with the Wisconsin Network for Research Support.