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Wisconsin Alumni Association || Onwisconsin Summer 2012 For University of Wisconsin-Madison Alumni and Friends toad-strangler goose-drownder ™ Home. It’s about belonging. If there’s one thing UW-Madison pour-down alumni take with them after leaving campus (besides an excellent education, of course), gully-washer it’s great stories. And that’s exactly what you’ll find inside the pages of Badger Insider Magazine — if you’re a member of the Wisconsin Alumni stump-mover fence-lifter Association (WAA), that is. Only members get a free subscription to the magazine devoted to the Badger lifestyle. Plus, it’s a great way for your own Badger stories to be continued. Become a WAA member and: • Champion alumni initiatives • Support student scholarships chunk-floater SUMMER 2012 • Enjoy Home Field Advantage • Access UW Libraries online It’s Raining Words database, and more ... A unique dictionary reaches Z. Your Bendable Brain Steady practice can change emotions. File Not Found Memorial Library retires the card catalog. trash mover Barns, Cheese, and Breweries Join WAA today at uwalumni.com/membership or call (888) 947-2586. Jerry Apps has written the book on rural life. I Love This Place. Let’s work together to make it better than ever. For four decades, I have As you are likely aware, In the coming months, enjoyed the rhythms of life at today the university is we will ask you to think about the University of Wisconsin- confronted by an ongoing how you, too, can play a part Madison. Although the cam- resource crisis that threat- in keeping this university pus and its people change ens our core mission and great through all seasons and Our emotional attachment to rapidly, there is comfort in principles. We are doing against all challenges. how each year resembles the our best to be nimble and As resources have become this place — its 936 acres, last — from the first hint of creative, launching several scarce, units on campus have the people who make it come color on the Muir Knoll trees efforts aimed at making UW- become more proactive in as students make their way to Madison run more efficiently. their efforts to engage alumni alive, and the important fall classes, to the cool palette We are identifying ways to in our mission. Rather than work here is one that of ice on a wintry Lake stretch our dollars further continuing to send a variety — Mendota, to open-air spring than we already are, and of solicitations throughout the pushes all of us to strive to classes meeting on Bascom we are asking everyone on year, however, we are moving Hill, to heated discussions on campus to think about new, toward a concentrated annual make it better than ever. humid summer nights at the innovative ways to expand giving campaign effort — dur- Memorial Union Terrace. our capacity and improve the ing the months of September One of the reasons I re- educational experience. and October — to encourage turned as interim chancellor is Going forward, that spirit a larger number of alumni to that I simply love it here, and of creativity and innovation actively support the university. I know many of you share will lead to significant changes We look forward to that sentiment. Our emotion- in the way we will contact working with our alumni al attachment to this place — you, in how we ask for your and friends to ensure that its 936 acres, the people who help in supporting the UW’s the University of Wisconsin make it come alive, and the mission, and in the way we remains one of the very best important work here — is one intend to expand the margin universities in the world. that pushes all of us to strive of excellence that is so critical David Ward to make it better than ever. to our university. Interim Chancellor ATIONS C NI U UNIVERSITY COMM SUMMER 2012 contents VOLUME 113, NUMBER 2 Features 22 A Labor of Love (for Words) By Jenny Price ’96 Zowie! Wrapping up an unrelenting quest that began in 1965, the Dictionary of American Regional English achieves a milestone. 28 Can You Nurture Your Nature? By Jill Sakai PhD’06 In a new book, renowned UW researcher Richard Davidson says each person has an emotional style that can evolve via mental practices. 30 Farewell Cards By John Allen 22 After twenty-five years, Memorial Library has finally translated (almost) all the data from its card catalog into its online catalog. 36 Robert’s Rules By Jenny Price ’96 His trainees in the pro basketball world say he’s tough, but that’s why they value this former UW track star. 38 There’s an Apps for That By Erika Janik MA’04, MA’06 The books of prolific author Jerry Apps ’55, MS’57, PhD’67 go beyond chronicling rural life — they point the way to lessons from the past. 42 Separation Surgeon By Melissa Peyton 30 Gary Hartman ’70, MD’74 has likely logged more surgeries on conjoined twins than any other physician in the world. Departments 5 Inside Story 8 Letters 10 Scene 38 12 News & Notes 18 Q & A 19 Classroom 20 Sports Cover Just a rainstorm? Far from it: A recently completed 46 Traditions dictionary of regional English catalogs the entertaining 49 Badger Connections variety of words that Americans use. 66 Flashback Design by Earl Madden. Image by Ben Sanders/Getty. SUMMER 2012 3 Year of the Wisconsin Idea This academic year, we proudly celebrate the Wisconsin Idea. Through events, information, and reflection, we are observing one of our longest-held traditions: that UW teaching, research, outreach, and public service should improve the lives of people everywhere. Our alumni contribute to the legacy of the Wisconsin Idea every day through their work beyond the boundaries of campus to benefit the state, nation, and world. But we only hear some of these inspiring stories, so we invite you to share yours at www.wisconsinidea.wisc.edu 4 ON WISCONSIN Wis Idea AD, ON WIS.indd 1 1/31/12 9:14 AM insidestory JEFF MILLER Anthony Shadid ’90 could On Wisconsin have been a bitter man. SUMMER 2012 After all, he had seen the worst of what human beings can inflict upon one Publisher Wisconsin Alumni Association another. Yet Shadid, who studied jour- 650 North Lake Street, Madison, WI 53706 nalism at UW-Madison in the 1980s and Voice: (608) 262-2551 • Toll-free: went on to win two Pulitzer Prizes for (888) WIS-ALUM • Fax: (608) 265-8771 Email: [email protected] his reporting for the Washington Post, Website: onwisconsin.uwalumni.com always chose to dig deeper. Co-Editors As he traveled to the Middle East Niki Denison, Wisconsin Alumni Association Cindy Foss, University Communications and began lifting the layers to discover what ultimately leads to conflict, he Senior Editor John Allen, Wisconsin Alumni Association knew that speaking the same language Senior Writer mattered. Using the Arabic he learned at Jenny Price ’96, University Communications the UW, he interviewed people on their Art Director own terms. He then switched effort- Earl J. Madden MFA’82, lessly to report in English, explaining to University Communications readers what was taking place thou- Production Editor sands of miles away — and why. Eileen Fitzgerald ’79, Anthony Shadid, while on campus in 2002 to University Communications Shadid demonstrated that truthful receive an award from the journalism school, Editorial Associate stories, whether sad or joyful, could spoke to students about the dangers and the Paula Apfelbach ’83, Wisconsin Alumni plant seeds of optimism. He was in rewards of covering the Middle East. Association; Editorial Intern: Lydia Statz ’12 Syria working on his next story for the Design, Layout, and Production New York Times this February when he died from a severe asthma attack. The univer- Barry Carlsen MFA’83; Toni Good ’76, MA’89; Kent Hamele ’78, University Communications sity has established a scholarship in his name. Campus Advisers We at On Wisconsin reached out to him several times over the years, and he Paula Bonner MS’78, President and CEO, always responded, saying that he felt gratitude to the university that taught him “the and Mary DeNiro MBA’11, Executive Vice skills, tools, and background that made journalism enjoyable.” President and COO, Wisconsin Alumni Association • Amy E. Toburen ’80, Director, He answered our questions in 2002, not long after he had been shot in the University Communications • Lynne Johnson, shoulder while reporting from Ramallah in the West Bank. In 2008, he joined other Senior Director of Communications, University of Wisconsin Foundation well-known alumni in a story about favorite places in Madison. (His choice? The Black Advertising Representatives Bear Lounge, where he gathered with fellow student journalists for “conversations Madison Magazine: (608) 270-3600 about everything.”) Big Ten Alumni Alliance During his last visit to campus in 2010, he allowed us to sit in as he spoke to a National Accounts Manager class of journalism students and talked about his work. Susan Tauster: (630) 858-1558 “People want to bear witness, and they want to tell you the story,” he said. How Alumni Name, Address, Phone, fortunate we are that he listened. and EMail Changes • Death Notices Madison area: (608) 262-9648 Cindy Foss Toll-free: (888) 947-2586 Co-Editor Email: [email protected] Quarterly production of On Wisconsin is supported by financial gifts from alumni and friends. To make a gift to UW-Madison, please visit supportuw.org. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle This magazine was printed this magazine. by Arandell Corporation, a SUMMER 2012 5 Wisconsin Green Tier participant. warf.org 6 ON WISCONSIN SUMMER 2012 7 letters For University of Wisconsin-Madison Alumni and Friends siasm described by those young engineers.
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