April Community Chats: The university-community connection with Mary Rouse

Mary Rouse, the former dean of students at UW–Madison and former director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service, is the featured guest for this month’s Community Chats. In the episode, Earlise Ward, faculty director at the Morgridge Center for Public Service, speaks with Rouse about the connection between the university and surrounding community and what the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed about the important work taking place in Madison and across the country.  She also discusses the legacy of LaMarr Billups at UW–Madison.

“I can’t think of anyone that hasn’t been affected by this virus, so the work that we do in social and economic justice, in public health, and working to reduce racism has been made even more important and more urgent,” Rouse says of the impact of COVID-19 in this Community Chats episode.

Community Chats is a monthly discussion series that explores the many ways members of the Madison community and UW–Madison are coming together to address pressing public issues.

Developed in the spirit of the LaMarr Billups Community–University Engagement Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to campus community partnerships, Community Chats features leaders at the forefront of social change. Each month, they discuss how their work is directly connecting and uplifting people in Madison and the surrounding region.

Learn more about Community Chats and watch the full interview with Rouse here.