WHAT: The University of Texas at Austin welcomes families and teachers from across the state to campus for Explore UT, a day of experiments, hands-on demonstrations, workshops, tours and other inspiring and exciting activities happening at Texas’ flagship public research institution.
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 2
WHERE: Various locations across The University of Texas at Austin campus.
WHO MAY ATTEND: The event is free and open to the public.
PARKING: Click here for the latest parking information.
BACKGROUND: Held annually, Explore UT brings more than 50,000 visitors to campus including future Longhorns, parents and siblings of college-bound students, UT Austin faculty members, staff members and students, and alumni from across the state. The daylong event provides Texans and others an immersive experience highlighting the research and scholarship of the university.
NEW THIS YEAR:
East Mall Stage
A stage will be at the center of activity on the East Mall to showcase musical performances by faculty members and students. You can experience popular music from around the world and enjoy a classical performance by world-class faculty and student artists on the East Mall Stage.
Ukrainian Pop Music: A Performance Featuring SpivOberta
11 – 11:40 a.m.; 1 p.m.
The young Ukrainian band, SpivOberta, has been performing together since early childhood in Eastern Ukraine, creating original music and interpreting Ukrainian folk songs. Join us for a performance to share in their music, stories and creative energy.
Global Voices: Songs and Tales from Around the World
Noon – 12:40 p.m.
Listen as faculty and students from several language programs at UT present authentic songs, folktales and poems from around the world with texts in their native language. An English translation of the texts will be provided.
Strings of the Butler School: Arensky String Quartet for Violin, Viola and Cello
3 – 3:40 p.m.
See Butler School of Music faculty Bion Tsang and Sandy Yamamoto perform this beautiful work with students Nick Hammel and Hyugrai Kim. You might not be able to see world-class musicians perform every day, but you can during Explore UT.
*Activities will be relocated to the SAC – Student Activity Center Auditorium in the event of inclement weather.
Moon Landing Celebration
2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing and Neil Armstrong’s historic first steps on the moon. In celebration of the astronauts who dared to explore borders beyond our world, and in recognition of the universe of opportunity that came as a result of the “giant leap” they made for mankind, the 2019 Explore UT lineup showcases numerous programs and exhibits presented by faculty members, staff members and students about “space.”
Highlights:
Air Systems Laboratory Tour
11 – 11:40 a.m. Program repeats at noon, 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. | ASE – Aerospace Engineering Building 2.108 and 2.112
Audience: All Ages | Cockrell School of Engineering
Development of unmanned aerial vehicles is one of the fastest growing fields in the technology industry. Visit the Air Systems Laboratory to learn about drone electronics and autopilot software, and to pilot our in-lab flight simulators. Seating is limited.
Build a Longhorn Rocket
11 – 11:40 a.m. Program repeats at noon, 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. |ASE – Aerospace Engineering Building, 2.134
Audience: All Ages | Cockrell School of Engineering
Join members of the Longhorn Rocketry Association (LRA) to learn about rocket science and engineering. Build and launch small-scale rockets and learn how rockets operate. You can also see a display of the LRA’s full-scale competition rockets.
Look at Venus, Look at the SunS
11 a.m. – 3:40 p.m. | RLM – Robert Lee Moore Hall, Rooftop
Audience: All Ages | College of Natural Sciences
Join astronomy staff members and students to view Venus using a 16-inch telescope, or to safely look directly at the sun using smaller telescopes (weather permitting). Additional demonstrations will take place throughout the day.
UTonomy: Drones That Fly Themselves
11 – 11:40 a.m. Program repeats at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. |ASE – Aerospace Engineering Building, 4.118
Audience: All Ages | Cockrell School of Engineering
Join members of the aerospace engineering research labs to see quadcopter drones in action. Learn about the basics of flight, autonomy and the world-changing applications of aerial robotics. Seating is limited
Other Program Highlights:
1 – 1:40 p.m., 3 – 3:40 p.m. | HMA – Hogg Memorial Auditorium
Audience: All Ages | College of Natural Sciences
Enjoy Exciting Explosions and Help Break a World Record
Get a bang out of this fun, exciting, loud and interactive demonstration of chemistry experiments performed by Kate Biberdorf and her students. Biberdorf has performed her crowd-pleasing demonstrations for national television audiences, and now she is celebrating 150 years of the Periodic Table of Elements.
Step Inside a Giant Colon
11 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. | HDB – Health Discovery Building, Plaza
Audience: All Ages | Dell Medical School
Walk through a larger-than-life digestive organ to learn about colorectal cancer (CRC). LIVESTRONG Cancer Institute oncologist Anna Capasso will give an up-close look at healthy and cancerous colon tissue, the stages of CRC, treatment and prevention.
The Microbial War Within Us: How to Win the War and Stay Well
11 – 11:40 a.m. | WEL – Robert A. Welch Hall, 2.122
Audience: Adults | College of Natural Sciences
Join Dr. Leanne Field for a discussion of the ancient conflict between infectious microorganisms and the human immune system. She’ll provide an overview of respiratory tract diseases and provide common sense tips on how to win the war with microbes.
Perform Robotic Surgery
11 a.m. – 3:40 p.m. | HTB – Health Transformation Building, Lobby
Audience: All Ages | Dell Medical School
Learn how complex surgery can be done using assisted robotic surgery. The DaVinci Robot is the latest in surgical technology with magnified 3D, high-definition vision and tiny instruments that bend and rotate with greater precision than the human hand.
Texas Longhorn Beetles and Bugs
11 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. | NHB – Norman Hackerman Building, 1st Floor Hallway
Audience: Children Under 12 | College of Natural Sciences
View a live insect zoo including a UT favorite, the Texas longhorn beetle. Explore numerous natural history specimens from UT’s research holdings and meet the people behind the science.
Steamroller Madness: Making Texas-Size Prints with a Steamroller
11 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. | ART – Art Building and Museum, North Courtyard (Rain plan location: ART – Art Building and Museum) Audience: All Ages | College of Fine Arts
Watch art being made by using an industrial-size steamroller as a press to imprint Texas-size art patterns onto canvas. Presenters include faculty members and students from UT, Austin Community College, St. Edward’s University and Texas State University.
Scenes from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”
2 – 2:40 p.m. | CAL – Calhoun Hall, 100
Audience: All Ages | College of Liberal Arts
Join student members of the Spirit of Shakespeare players for a presentation of scenes from William Shakespeare’s famous comedy, “Twelfth Night.” Don’t miss this classic story of mistaken identities and unrequited love.
Sand Painting with Triple Helix
11 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. | WEL – Robert A. Welch Hall, 24th Street Sidewalk (Rain plan location: NHB – Norman Hackerman Building)
Audience: Early Learners (4-7 years old) | College of Natural Sciences
Explore graphic images published in the journal Triple Helix that were made by undergraduates to illustrate important topics in science, ethics and society. Re-create the images using special glue and multicolored sand to take home with you.
Exploring the Human Body
11 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. | WEL – Robert A. Welch Hall, 24th Street Sidewalk (Rain plan location: UNB – Union Building)
Audience: All Ages | College of Natural Sciences
Join Health Science Scholars to explore the human body. Touch, hold and feel real preserved organs. See the damaging effects of smoking on real inflatable lungs and take advantage of easy blood pressure tests for both children and adults.
This is Your Brain on Music
11 – 11:40 a.m., noon – 12:40 p.m. | CMB – Jesse H. Jones Communication Center – Building B, 4.118, Studio 4B
Audience: All Ages | Moody College of Communication
Music is a universal feature of the human experience. Join auditory neuroscientist Spencer Smith and his “house band” for an interactive lecture on how music shapes the brain and how harnessing its power can improve brain function.
March with the Longhorn Band
4 – 4:40 p.m. | STD – Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Gate 1
Audience: All Ages | College of Fine Arts
Experience the thrill of marching with the Longhorn Band. Following a rehearsal on the Joe Jamail Field in the DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, participants will march to the Tower for the Explore UT class photo. Enter through Gate 1 on the south side of the stadium.
