AAAS Annual Meeting Coming to Austin Feb. 15-19

The American Association for the Advancement of Science—the organization that publishes the journal Science and holds the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific conference—is coming to Austin. The 2018 AAAS Annual Meeting offers many ways for the Texas Science community to get involved.

​The event will bring leading scientists, educators, policymakers, journalists and science enthusiasts together to discuss cutting-edge developments in science, technology and policy. This year's theme, Advancing Science: Discovery to Application, highlights the critical roles of academia, government, and industry in moving ideas into innovations. Registrants will have access to a wide variety of plenary and topical lectures, scientific sessions, seminars, flash talks, and more, and several events are open to the public.

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. The annual meeting also offers opportunities for visitors to tour the university's world-class learning facilities during field trips to campus, meet and greet our scientists and attend special science-engagement events. Student volunteers on site will help with sessions as they experience the excitement firsthand.

In the exhibit hall, registrants will get to connect with members of the University community, both at the UT Austin booth and in the Austin Science Lounge, where you can meet local scientific leaders, programs and communicators.

Some of the fun is open even to those who are not registered for the meeting. These activities for the public include Family Science Days, a free, two-day regional science festival especially for Central Texans, and The Dionysium, which brings popular science to the masses in a format that includes live music, intelligent discourse and wine.

Here are a few highlights you can begin planning for now.

UT Austin Faculty Scientific Sessions

Friday, February 16, 2018

Oil and Water Do Mix: The Fate of Dispersed Oil Droplets in the Sea

Organized by Edward Buskey, Professor, Department of Marine Science, College of Natural Sciences

Prospects for Long-Term Information Security in the Face of Quantum Computing

Organized by Scott Aaronson, Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Natural Sciences

Technological Applications of Chemistry: Stages of Development and Societal Impacts

Organized by Jonathan Sessler, Professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences

Speaker: George Georgiou, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering; Professor, Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences; Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering

Visual, Attentional, and Gestural Foundations of Signed Languages

Organized by Richard P. Meier, Department Chair, Department of Linguistics; Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Finding Water Management Solutions with Artificial Intelligence

Organized by Suzanne A. Pierce, Research Scientist, Texas Advanced Computing Center

Imperial Science: Victorian Cable Telegraphy and the Making of 'Maxwell's Equations'

Speaker: Bruce J. Hunt, Associate Professor, Department of History, College of Liberal Arts

Revolutionizing Ultrasound Applications for Treating Disease

Organized by Mark Hamilton, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering

Sunday, February 18, 2017

Applying Mass Spectrometry to Understanding Complex Cellular Processes

Organized by Livia Eberlin, Assistant Professor, & Jennifer Brodbelt, Professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences

Evaluation and Best Practices for Training in Science Communication

Organized by Anthony Dudo, Associate Professor, Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations, Moody College of Communication

Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Cancer Therapy: New Insights and Opportunities, and Prospects for Cures

Speaker: James P. Allison (B.A. '69, Ph.D. '73), professor and chair of Immunology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and University of Texas at Austin alumnus 

Weekend Events for the Public

Family Science Days

Explore interactive science exhibits, learn about cool science jobs, and have your questions answered by scientists! Family Science Days, set to take place Saturday, Feb. 17, and Sunday, Feb. 18, are FREE and open to all- featuring hands-on demos, shows, talks by scientists, and other activities for youth and their families. Family Science Days offer a diverse range of scientists engaging the public in current science topics. To learn more, click here.

The Dionysium

Texas alumni are encouraged to attend The Dionysium and from hear from UT Austin astrophysicists, biologists and others on the evening of Sunday, Feb. 18. The Dionysium offers a unique, innovative program of debate, lecture, declamation, theatrical presentation and music in a salon-like atmosphere.

Local Science Field Trips for Meeting Registrants

Monday, February 19, 2018

Interacting with Tomorrow's Technology

Organized by the Department of Computer Science and the Texas Advanced Computing Center

Inner Space Caverns: An Insider's Look at An Active and Climate Sensitive Aquifer

Organized by the University of Texas Environmental Science Institute

To learn more or register for the meeting, visit http://meetings.aaas.org/

Registration discount codes are available for members of the UT Austin community. To access these, enter your UTEID and password here.