Join us on November 13th as Dr. Gary Casper presents: Bioacoustic Monitoring of Birds, Bats and Frogs

For over a decade, digital acoustic recorders have been set out to record natural sounds throughout the western Great Lakes Region to listen for birds, bats and frogs. Set in both remote wilderness areas and noisy urban cities, these electronic ears have revealed a world of sounds and now provide an excellent tool for monitoring wildlife. Did you know turtles make sounds? This talk will demonstrate how these systems work, how wildlife make themselves heard, and the methods developed to analyze terabytes of data annually that track how these critters fare in our noisy world.           

Dr. Gary Casper is Director of Biodiversity Programs at the Mequon Nature Center and has been studying bioacoustics for nearly 20 years. He led a Milwaukee area study using this technology and continues to run acoustic monitoring programs throughout the western Great Lakes region. 

Date: 11/13/23

Location: Back room of The Sugar Maple Bar, 441 E. Lincoln Ave, Bayview, WI

Time: 7-9pm

Cost: FREE!!!

Join us on October 9th at Sarah Villanova Borges and Shashwat Sardesai from UWM's Coffeeshop Astrophysics group present: Ancient Astronomy

What did ancient humans know about the cosmos and the celestial bodies? The sky above us has brought awe for all and has been used for navigation and time tracking since pre-historical times. In this talk, we'll look at the story of astronomy, the oldest science, and talk about the incredible measurements, observations and theories that early civilizations did, from tracking the motion of planets and stars, to creating the first calendars.

Sarah Villanova Borges grew up observing the night sky of Brazil. This fascination for the universe led her to pursue her graduate studies in computational astrophysics. Currently, she is a third-year physics graduate student at UWM.

 

Shashwat Sardesai is a fifth-year graduate student working with the NANOGrav collaboration. He has been with Coffeshop Astrophysics for 4 years.

Hope to see everyone there!!!

Join us on July 10th as Dr. B, local science teacher, guides us on an interactive EGG DROP CHALLENGE!!!

Greetings and salutations!!! For the first time in USS history, we will be doing a fully interactive competition in place of a talk!! Please come join us as Dr. B explains the ins and outs of the classic Egg Drop Challenge, and then build your own "drop suit" to (hopefully) help your egg land safely and intact on the ground!! This is intended to be BYOE (Bring Your Own Egg), though we will have some spares in case people cannot or forget. We will also have a selection of building supplies, but participants are encouraged to bring along whatever they have at home. Recyclable or reusable supplies are prioritized and could lead to higher scoring towards the fun little prizes we have in store *wink wink*. This is not exclusively age 21+, but any underaged participants must be accompanied by a responsible adult. This will also take place outside on the Sugar Maple Patio, rather than our usual back room location. Hope to see you there!!

(photo credit: 4-H egg drop challenge)

Date: 7/10/23

Location: Sugar Maple Bar, 441 E. Lincoln Ave, Bayview, WI

Time: 7-9pm 

Cost: FREE!!!!

Join us on May 8th as Micki Klappa-Sullivan and Kevin Jankowski present: Wastewater-to-Energy: MMSD Anaerobic Digestion

Join presenters from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to learn about how the wastewater treatment process is used to produce renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This presentation will provide an overview of the MMSD, convey how wastewater flows to the treatment plants, and describe the treatment process with a specific emphasis on anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion is a biological process that is used to transform waste to digester gas, a renewable fuel with qualities similar to natural gas. To supplement what is received from the sewers, the MMSD facilitates a high strength waste program which brings in qualified industrial wastes and transforms it into energy. This process is a key component to the MMSD's renewable energy portfolio, providing 70% of the total energy needed at the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility in 2022.

Micki Klappa-Sullivan is the Manager of Engineering Planning at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, responsible for the planning for the water reclamation, conveyance, watercourse facilities, asset management, and coordination with our 28 municipal partners. She has a civil engineering degree from Marquette University and has over 30 years of experience, nine with the District. Micki is a licsensed Professional Engineer in the State of Wisconsin and an Envision Sustainability Professional.

Kevin Jankowski is the Plants Program Manager at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, assists Micki with planning for the water reclamation facilities and provides technical support to the high strength waste program. He has a B.S. in environmental engineering degree from Michigan Technological University, a M.S. in civil engineering from Marquette University, and over 15 yers of experience. Kevin is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Wisconsin. 

To learn more about the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, check out their website here: MMSD

Talk will be Monday, May 8th at 7pm, lasting approximately 1 hour, followed by Q&A. Located in the Sugar Maple back room. Hope to see you there!!

Join us on April 10th, as FTC team #10829, Bay Robotics presents: FIRST Robotics

All across the world, students in grades k-12 are joining FIRST, an international non-profit that utilizes cooperative competitions to teach youth hands-on STEM skills. Moving from programmable legos to highly mobile metal robots, students gain experience in not only hardware and programming, but also the outreach, writing, and design skills needed to run a team like a small tech company. 

Our presenters are known as FTC team #10829, Bay Robotics. Starting out of their coach's basement 8 years ago, they have become a staple at Whitefish Bay High School, reaching state every year and even qualifying for the Worlds competition in 2020. With members taking on interests ranging from robot construction and programming, to writing and even board game design, there's a little something for everyone in FIRST!

Mark your calendars and come on down to meet these talented kids, learn about their super cool STEM program and even see a live demonstration of some of their robots!! For more information about this group, check out their website here: Bay Robotics. Hope to see you there!! 

Talk will be Monday, April 10th at 7pm, lasting approximately 1 hour, followed by Q&A. Located in the Sugar Maple FRONT ROOM (to give space for the robot demonstrations). You can't miss us! :D

Join us on March 13th as Howard Aprill presents: Why I love bees and you should too

Discover the history of bees and beekeeping, bee adaptations, and why, if you like to eat, you gotta love bees! Our modern agricultural system could not function without bees. However, both honeybees and native pollinators are under threat. Learn why bees are important in our lives and what you can do to keep our buzzy friends flying.

Photo Caption: Honeybee (Apis mellifera) Queen being tended by worker bees. Photo by Howard Aprill, a naturalist at the Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, WI. Find out more about Wehr at Friends of Wehr

Talk will take place in the back room of the Sugar Maple bar in Bayview. 7-8pm followed by Q&A. FREE!

Join us on February 13th, as Dr. Leonardo Fernandino presents: The Brain Science of Concepts and Language Meaning

This talk will introduce the audience to the neuroscience of conceptual thinking and discuss how recent findings are beginning to reveal the brain basis of language meaning. Come check it out! It just might blow your mind!! 

Leo Fernandino is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is a cognitive neuroscientist studying the neural mechanisms of semantic memory, concept representation and language comprehension. His research combines computational modeling, functional neuroimaging, brain stimulation, and assessment of neurological patients. 

Join us on January 9th, as Dr. Kyle Kleinbeck presents: Emerging Technology for Addressing Unmet Global Needs in HIV Prevention and Contraception

HIV remains a severe global pandemic, but some regions such as Subsaharan Africa continue to experience particularly concentrated risk especially for women and girls. The unmet need for HIV prevention and care in this region coincides with significant unmet need for modern contraception. While numerous improvements have been made in recent decades around the accessibility of quality sexual and reproductive healthcare for women, girls, and people living with HIV, these unmet needs persist. Why? In this session, we will discuss a number of factors that contribute to these unmet needs including stigma, weak access to resources, and pharmaceutical pricing controversies. We will also dive into several unique and promising products and programs in development to continue to break down these barriers to sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Photo credit: Population Council/Hallie Easley

Dr. Kyle Kleinbeck is a pharmaceutical development scientist focused on sexual and reproductive health with over 10 years of experience in the industry, nearly all of which has been spent developing drugs and medical devices with non-profit, mission-based organizations. Kyle received his BS in Pharmacology & Toxicology and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from UW-Madison. He began his career in contract manufacturing for Patheon Pharmaceuticals and quickly transitioned to a Formulation and Manufacturing Scientist role with the Population Council in New York in 2012. Since 2012, Kyle has specialized in formulation chemistry and manufacturing of HIV prevention and contraception products. He is authored on over 25 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 2 patents, and has been a leading scientist in the introduction of 5 different products into Phase 1 clinical trials.