Expanding digital access to the campus has always been a goal of The University of Texas at Austin, and given current circumstances, it is now more crucial than ever to engage the curious public and to connect communities.
UT Austin is proud to announce the new Texas Science Festival. From Feb. 16 to March 26, this online festival will feature a series of events designed to open your mind and expand perspectives about how science is working to change the world.
“Those of us who have the good fortune of teaching and exploring ideas of great beauty and impact have a brand new opportunity this year,” said Paul Goldbart, dean of the College of Natural Sciences. “We have the chance to connect what we do — our exciting science, mathematics and computing — to the lives and imaginations of the people ultimately served by the university’s innovations and discoveries.”
From science enthusiasts to people who know nothing about science but are eager to learn more, one and all are invited. Attendees get to log in to phenomenal talks from top Texas researchers and students and to participate in interactive science demos and events. The six-week series also overlaps with and works to amplify STEM engagement experiences for schoolchildren and their families, which are happening in February and March in conjunction with Girl Day at UT Austin and Explore UT.
In the Science Sparks series, featuring “big ideas for busy people,” two scientists each have 10 minutes to explain their research and answer questions over lunch or just before the dinner hour. The lineup covers topics from the mysteries of dark matter to the effects of climate change on life in marine ecosystems. At the kick-off event Tuesday (now rescheduled for Feb. 23 due to inclement weather campus closure), Goldbart will moderate a session with two scientists who have done leading work on COVID-19 vaccines and modeling, molecular bioscientist Jason McLellan and epidemiologist Lauren Ancel Meyers. Here are just a few of the many diverse science topics and their distinguished presenters:
