Interviews 791-800

Each Guide entry contains information about an interview, including biographical data about the interviewee (name, vital dates, dates at the UW-Madison, and principal positions held as of the interview date), information about the interview (interviewer, year conducted, length, and series, transcript, and restriction information if applicable), and a list of key topics discussed in the interview. For more detailed information about an interview, or to obtain a copy of an interview contact the Oral History Program.

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Early life and primary school education in Pennsylvania; Double major in art and biology at William and Mary; Transfer to Penn State as biology major; Travel and experience in Africa with Peace Corps; Graduate education in Plant Pathology at Cornell University; postdoc at USDA lab in New Orleans; Research as assistant professor at Texas A&M; Tenure process; Recruitment by University of Wisconsin Department of Plant Pathology; Reputation of research programs in science; Teaching and mentoring graduate students; Obtaining funding for research; Work on faculty committees and professional organizations; Climate for women on UW campus; Motherhood and personal life.

Family background; Early education; Undergraduate work at University College in Dublin; graduate work; Political activism in Ireland; PhD work and traveling to the United States to research; Arrival in Madison; Early years with UW; School of Veterinary Medicine; Research; Collaborations; Teaching; Committee work; Climate for women in science; Leisure activities and family.

Childhood and education in Montreal; Family life; Undergraduate education at Middlebury College; Working at a Summer Theater Program in Montreal; Graduate training in sociology at McGill University; Teaching in Sociology Department at the University of Western Ontario; Faculty position in Management at McGill University; Application of business management techniques to science; Position as Director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Research at UW.

NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW IS RESTRICTED UNTIL 2010 AND CAN ONLY BE USED WITH THE EXPRESSED, WRITTEN CONSENT OF FRANCES R. WESTLEY.

#794. COPPERSMITH, Susan (1957 - )
Professor, Department of Physics
At UW: 2001-

Childhood and family life; The environment for women scientists at MIT in the 1970s; The role played by Bell Labs in fostering the development of groups under-represented in science; The difficult environment for women scientists at Cornell in the late 70s/early 80s; Research in condensed matter; Marriage and child-rearing as a women scientist; employment at the University of Chicago; Personal/professional life tradeoffs; Faculty appointment at UW-Madison; The Sterling Hall Bombing and its effects in the physics department; Experiences as chair of the physics department; Faculty hiring and recruitment; Working with graduate students; The environment for women at UW-Madison; Women In Science & Engineering Leadership Institute; UW-Madison’s Spousal Hire Program; The role of honors in one’s academic career; non-academic activities.

Childhood and early years in Milwaukee; Education in Milwaukee schools; Family and religious influences; Undergraduate studies at UW; Travel experiences; Career as a writer, director, and producer; Hollywood and the film industry; His son’s illness and recovery; The Charlie Foundation and epilepsy research and treatment; The Center for Jewish Studies at UW.

#796. WEISS, Mareda (1941 - )
Associate Dean of the Graduate School
At UW: 1963-2002

Interviewed: 2006	Length: 1.5 hours
Interviewer: Sandy Pfahler

Early years and education; Undergraduate study at UW; Graduate study; University administration and UW Graduate School; Accounting systems; Budget; Academic staff rules; Admissions; Federal agencies; Campus climate for women; WHA-TV; Professional organizations; Honors and awards; University Insurance Association Board; Retirement; Sterling Hall bombing.

Childhood and early education in Waukesha, Wisc.; undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin; academic and social life on campus; accounting work for the Department of Gifts and Grants/Research Administration; Institute for Environmental Studies; Serving as Associate Dean of the School of Education; recreational activities and retirement.

#798. WARD, Sandra (1950 - )
Professor, School of Nursing; Researcher, Comprehensive Cancer Center, UW School of Medicine and Public Health
At UW: 1975-

Childhood and education in Milwaukee; undergraduate degree in Nursing at UW-Milwaukee; early work experience in nursing; graduate training at UW-Madison; faculty position in the UW School of Nursing; research in cancer pain management; grant funding; teaching and mentoring; family life and recreational activities.

#799. ALLEN, Caitlyn (1957 - )
Professor of Plant Pathology in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences; affiliate appointment in the Women’s Studies Program
At UW: 1991-

Early life and education in Germany and New York; undergraduate studies at the University of Maine; Ph.D. studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute; post-doctoral work in Lyon, France; research on bacterial wilt; Dual appointment at UW in Women’s Studies and Plant Pathology; teaching and research; campus climate for women in science; campus committees and professional organizations; family and personal life.

Childhood and education in Virginia and Indonesia; family life; Undergraduate studies at Mary Washington College; civil rights activities; Master’s degree at University of Tennessee and East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma; Teaching; politics and culture in Ada; Ph.D. studies at Texas Women’s University; Library work; Dissertation research; Faculty position at the UW School of Library and Information Studies; tenure process; experience as director of SLIS; hobbies and family activities.

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