Wisconsin Idea Undergraduate Fellowships Projects: 2001-02

The following eleven projects were awarded for 2001-2002.

The Beaded Prayers Project
Stephenie Goodwin, Professor Sonya Clark, Beth Israel Center Synagogue
This project will research on the meanings and uses of amulets found among Jewish traditions. The research will be the foundation for a series of projects starting in the fall. The first will be a series of slide show lectures covering the significance of blessings and amulet traditions within the Jewish culture. Participants will create two beaded packets in a hands-on workshop: one to keep and the other for a traveling exhibit. The beaded packets will be displayed in a traveling exhibit along with quotations, stories, and pictures from past and present participants of the project.

Bodies of Knowledge: A Collaborative Project to learn from the Minds, Create Respect for the Bodies, and Strengthen the Souls of a New Generation of Girls
Stephanie Hauge, Professor Elisabeth Hayes, Girl Scouts of Black Hawk Council, Inc.
The goal of this collaborative project is to promote awareness and activism of body image and eating issues among junior high school aged members and to prevent the serious consequences that can result from disordered eating habits and poor self-image. I intend to create and present workshops to individual Girl Scout Troops that belong to the Black Hawk Council, tailoring the sessions to the age, interests and needs of the girls.

Dane County Minority Cancer Needs Assessment: How Can We Help?
Stacy Sawtelle, Professor Narra Smith Cox, American Cancer Society
I will working in the Hispanic and Hmong communities in southwestern Wisconsin in order to understand community cancer concerns and needs such that the American Cancer Society (ACS) and other healthcare providers can better implement culturally competent programs to benefit these underserved populations.

Evaluation and Improvement of Information Distributed to Parents Regarding Newborn Screening in Wisconsin
Krising Meyers, professor Raymond Kessel, Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care
This project involves a combination of research and education of parents in Wisconsin regarding parental education on newborn screening (NBS). Research will be conducted in the form of surveys and discussions in focus groups. I will evaluate the current booklet with aid from health literacy professionals and propose a new booklet which will address issues to improve the current situation.

Increasing Organ Donation Among Minorities Through Awareness and Education
Maggie Chin, Professor Anthony D'Alessandro and Hill Ellefson, Meriter Hospital
I propose to address the continuing problem of low organ donation rates among minority groups. I propose to conduct a study of local minority groups to learn the reasoning behind their reluctance to donate organs. The information collected from this study will then be used to produce educational materials designed to increase awareness of organ donation among minorities and take a step towards creating a supply of organs to meet the current demand.

Jane Goodall Institute - South Africa Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Steven Solomon, Professor Karen Strier, Jane Goodall Institute
The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is now extinct in 25 countries they once inhabited in Africa. While abroad in South Africa, I will volunteer with the Jane Goodall Institute's newly established David Greybeard Chimpanzee Sanctuary. I will assist with projects of the sanctuary ranging from animal care, building/maintenance, administration, educational outreach and fundraising. The existence of this facility with its educational programs will spread the importance of preservation of the natural world in South Africa.

Job Services Network Training Program
Shannon Kilcoyne, Professor Gary Sandefur, Urban League of Greater Madison, Inc.
The goal of this project is to provide complete, readiness job training to unemployed adults through intensive, 4-6 week courses. The program will consist of computer training as well as a "soft skill" course. This will include interviewing proficiency, resume building, time management and much more.

Making Effective Cancer Pain Relief a Reality in Wisconsin and Beyond
Alison Helland, Professor June Dahl, American Alliance of Cancer Pain Initiatives.
The American Alliance of Cancer Pain Initiatives (AACPI) is a national organization which provides leadership and support to the efforts of Sate Cancer Pain Initiatives (CPI's) across the country. The first phase of the project will be the compilation and publication of the 2000 Survey of the AACPT, which will provide a needs assessment for the movement. Based on these results, a series of 12 articles (focused on the areas of fundraising, Initiate revitalization/start-up, volunteerism, administrative activities, media outreach, collaborative activities, and diversity in pain treatment) will be developed during fall semester, posted onthe AACPI's website, and compiled into an organizational development manual specifically targeted to the needs of Initiative participants.

The Milti-Dimenstional Assessment of Health Needs and Treatment-Seeing Behaviors Among Hispanic Farmworkers in Southeast Idaho: A Community Based Cross Cultural Health Project
Heather Schaper, Professor Frederick Buttel, Health West
I will participate in a research project conceptualized and carried out by faculty in the Anthropology Department of Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. The research team and I will assess the health needs of a local population of Hispanic farm workers through ethnographic interviews and biomedical testing, while identifying the ways in which this population deals with illness and disease. The research will be conducted in the farmworkers' sending community, Guanajuato, Mexico, and in three communities in Idaho where the population lives and works the remainder of the year.

A Strategic Communication Campaign to Raise Funds for Transitional Housing, Inc
Florian W. Martens, Professor Michelle Nelson, Transitional Housing, Inc.
The purpose of our project is to use THI's newly formed donor/volunteer database as a basis for creating a well thought-out strategic communications program for an annual fundraising campaign that will allow the organization to raise the $200,000 it needs to stay operational.

Women and War: Stories of Change and Domesticity
Rayna Rokicki, Professor Katherine Bowie, State Historical Museum
I propose to compile a collection of life stories and experiences of Madison women during World War II. Their experiences will be collected along with photographs and audio media to be put on a temporary display at the State Historical Museum and then transferred to a permanent location in the local history archives. A small book will also be published compiling the life stories and photographs which will be donated to local libraries and museums.