The annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) — the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific conference — is in Austin Feb. 15-18, and UT Austin is proud to have a strong presence.
UT Austin President Gregory L. Fenves will address the meeting on its opening night, and a host of distinguished faculty and alumni will be among the presenters. Visitors from around the world will tour the university’s world-class learning and research facilities during field trips to campus, meet and greet our scientists and attend special science-engagement events.
Here’s a lineup of UT events at AAAS 2018.
Press Events
Reporters can find more info on press events here. Press briefings will be added as AAAS announces them.
Thursday, Feb. 15
10 a.m. Sensing Technology Peels Back the Secrets of Ancient Tropical Forests
Tim & Sheryl Beach, College of Liberal Arts
11 a.m. Press Briefing: Scientists Examine Dispersants as Oil Spill Remedy
Edward Buskey, Marine Science Institute/College of Natural Sciences
3 p.m. Press Briefing: Decoding the Subtleties of Signed Language
Richard P. Meier, College of Liberal Arts
4:00-5:30 p.m. University of Texas Wine & Cheese Reception for Journalists with UT Experts & LIGO Executive Director David Reitze
Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything!)
Friday, Feb. 16, 11:30 a.m. Preventing Population-Related Disasters AMA
UT experts who represent a campus-wide research team working to make our region more resilient and prepared in the face of rapid population growth will be available to answer any questions from the public as part of a Reddit AMA (Ask me anything!).
The AMA will be available here.
UT Experts
You can find experts on everything from business and politics to world cultures and science on the UT Experts Guide at experts.utexas.edu.
If you need help locating an expert, contact one of our public affairs representatives from each of the colleges and schools across the university. For help with colleges, schools or academic units not listed here, contact University Communications at 512-471-3151.
UT Research
You can find the latest science research stories on the UT News website at news.utexas.edu/science-and-technology.
Schedule
Following are events and presentations in which UT staff and faculty members are involved.
Thursday, Feb. 15
10 a.m. EVENT: Local Science Tour: Finding Opportunities in the Imperceptible
11 a.m. TALK: Using Multimedia and Interactive Tools to Enhance Energy Literacy and STEM Education
Michael Webber, Energy Institute/Cockrell School of Engineering
3:30 p.m. EVENT: Structured Networking for Scientists, Journalists, and Other Humans
4:00-5:30 p.m. University of Texas Wine & Cheese Reception for Journalists with UT Experts & LIGO Executive Director David Reitze
6 p.m. ADDRESS: President Fenves Addresses Conference
Friday, Feb. 16
10 a.m. SESSION: Visual, Attentional, and Gestural Foundations of Signed Languages
Richard P. Meier, College of Liberal Arts
11 a.m. PRESENTATION: Two Days of LiDAR and Two Decades of Multiproxy Geoarchaeology in Northwestern Belize
Timothy Beach, Department of Geography and the Environment, College of Liberal Arts
11:30 a.m. REDDIT AMA: Preventing Population-Related Disasters
11:30 a.m. Austin Lounge: Using Scientific Research to Help Design Synthetic Urban Ecosystems
1:00 p.m. Live Podcast Taping: Fighting Cancer with Targeted Therapies
Where: Austin Convention Center Exhibit Hall, Sci-Mic Stage
Description: Host Marc Airhart will interview UT chemist Jonathan Sessler about his development of new cancer therapies, his own personal experiences with cancer and the importance of basic research.
1:30 p.m. PRESENTATION: Global Evaluation of GRACE Terrestrial Water Storage Variations
Bridget Scanlon, Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences
3:30 p.m. TALK: Exploring Universal and Industrial Quantum Computing
Scott Aaronson, College of Natural Sciences
3:30 p.m. SESSION: Technological Applications of Chemistry: Stages of Development and Societal Impacts
Jonathan Sessler, College of Natural Sciences
4.p.m. TALK: Molecular Analysis of the Serum Antibody Repertoire
George Georgiou, Cockrell School of Engineering/College of Natural Sciences
4:30 p.m. PRESENTATION: Cancer Evolvability Genes Discovered in Bacteria
Kyle Miller, College of Natural Sciences
Saturday, Feb. 17
10 a.m.: SESSION: Migration: A Case for Science Diplomacy
Denise Gilman, School of Law
10 a.m. SESSION: Finding Water Management Solutions With Artificial Intelligence
Suzanne A. Pierce, Texas Advanced Computing Center
12 p.m. Sarton Memorial Lecture in the History and Philosophy of Science: Imperial Science: Victorian Cable Telegraphy and the Making of ‘Maxwell’s Equations’
Bruce Hunt, College of Liberal Arts
1 p.m. Austin Lounge: Start-Up Science in the Heart of Texas
1:30 p.m. SESSION: Evaluation and Best Practices for Training in Science Communication
Anthony Dudo, Moody College of Communications
2:30 p.m. Austin Lounge: Planet Texas 2050: A UT Austin Grand Challenge Pop-Up Talk
3:30 p.m. PRESENTATION: 2D Materials Inside and Out
Allan MacDonald, College of Natural Sciences
3:30 p.m. SESSION: Implications of Evidence About Drug Use Hot Spots, Gerrymandering, and Gang Violence
Sarah Brayne, College of Liberal Arts
4 p.m. Austin Lounge: Floods, Fires and Hurricanes: Science Communities Unite in Recovery
Edward Buskey, College of Natural Sciences/Marine Science Institute
Sunday, Feb. 18
8 a.m. SESSION: Applying Mass Spectrometry to Understanding Complex Cellular Processes
Livia Eberlin, College of Natural Sciences
10 a.m. EVENT: Austin Lounge: ATX-Expat Reconnect: Trivia, Breakfast Tacos, and Memory Lane
10 a.m. PRESENTATION: Development of the Potential of Synthetic Biology
Andrew Ellington, Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences/Applied
10:15 a.m. TALK: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Autonomous Robots
Peter Stone, Department of Computer Science, College of Natural Sciences
10:30 a.m. PRESENTATION: Human Trafficking: The Initial Benchmark of Prevalence and Economic Impact for Texas
Matt Kammer-Kerwick, Bureau of Business Research, IC2 Institute
4:30 p.m. PRESENTATION: Resilient and Sustainable Coasts: How Mathematics and Simulation Play a Role
Clint Dawson, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Cockrell
2:30 p.m. TALK: Science and Technology for Human Rights: Opportunities to Make an Impact
Ariel Dulitzsky, School of Law
8 p.m. The Dionysium Winter Show: Science
Karl Gebhardt, Shalene Jha and Can Kilic, College of Natural Sciences
Monday, Feb. 19
8:30 a.m. EVENT: Local Science Tour: Interacting With Tomorrow’s Technology