Happening in March

University Communications
Feb. 25, 2020
Science City at the Tucson Festival of Books.

Science City at the Tucson Festival of Books.

World-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman’s performance is March 1 at 6:30 p.m. in Centennial Hall.

World-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman’s performance is March 1 at 6:30 p.m. in Centennial Hall.

The March 2 discussion between University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins and former New York University President John Sexton is free and will begin at 7 p.m. at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.

The March 2 discussion between University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins and former New York University President John Sexton is free and will begin at 7 p.m. at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.

During his March 3 lecture, Mars Inc. Chief Agricultural Officer Howard-Yana Shapiro will talk about the challenge of feeding and preventing diseases in a growing global population.

During his March 3 lecture, Mars Inc. Chief Agricultural Officer Howard-Yana Shapiro will talk about the challenge of feeding and preventing diseases in a growing global population.

Spring is coming, and the warming temperatures mean plenty of outdoor events in March. They include the Tucson Festival of Books – including Science City – and an open house at the Arizona State Museum.

Later in March, spend some more time outside learning about sustainable water use and landscaping at the Sustainable Landscapes Expo. For those who want to stay indoors, March offers UA Presents performances, a discussion with former New York University President John Sexton and the last talk in the Arizona Science Lecture Series.

To see what else is going on at the University in March, check out the Master Calendar, which is open to submissions from employees and students who want to promote University-sponsored events or events happening on campus or in University facilities. Add your event using the calendar's submission form.

Tucson Festival of Books | March 14-15

Returning for its 12th year, the Tucson Festival of Books offers two days of author presentations, food trucks and activities for all ages. In addition to dozens of talks and panel discussions, the festival includes several University events.

Science City, presented by the College of Science and the BIO5 Institute, returns with more than 100 hands-on activities, talks, demonstrations and more. Tents on the Mall will let visitors explore the science of art, food, the natural world, everyday life and more. Science City also includes open houses and tours of the University of Arizona Insect Collection, the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research and more. Science City tents can be found on the west end of the Mall, and the event runs from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. both days of the festival.

The Arizona State Museum will hold an open house on March 14 to celebrate Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month. The tour will take visitors behind the scenes to meet museum curators, visit laboratories and explore the collections of the Southwest's oldest and largest anthropological research museum. Also on March 14, sales of books and Native American art will support the museum. The sales begin at 10 a.m. and the open house begins at 11a.m. The museum just east of the Main Gate on Park Avenue.

Kick off the second day of the festival with snacks, reading and crafts with Paddington Bear and R.W. Alley, an illustrator who worked on the book "Paddington: Storybook Favorites." The event is open to children ages 2-6 and their parents, offering a chance to meet Alley and have books signed. Tickets cost $22 for adults and children; children's tickets comes with a copy of "Paddington: Storybook Favorites." The event begins at 8:30 a.m. in the South Ballroom of the Student Union Memorial Center.

The Tucson Festival of Books is primarily located on the University of Arizona Mall, with events throughout the union and in nearby buildings. Though the festival is free, some talks are ticketed due to limited space. Visit the festival's website for more information.

UA Presents Performances | March 1 and 22

UA Presents brings two very different performances in March that will please classical music lovers and indulge the imaginations of your inner child.

Itzhak Perlman, one of the world's most renowned and recognized classical violinists, will give a performance on March 1. Perlman's previous honors include being invited to perform during former President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration and a 2007 performance at a state dinner for the queen of England. He was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003.

The performance begins at 6:30 p.m. in Centennial Hall. Ticket prices vary; visit the UA Presents website for more information.

On March 22, bring the kids to the "The Underwater Bubble Show," a musical production that promises an adventure in the underwater world of Bubblelandia. The show will feature bubbly tornadoes, flying foam, optical illusions, soap bubbles and lasers, as well as performances such as miming, puppetry, juggling and contortionism. "The Underwater Bubble Show" begins at 3 p.m. in Centennial Hall. Visit the UA Presents website for ticket prices and more information.

Talk and Q&A – Visiting Author Dr. John Sexton | March 2

John Sexton, the former president of New York University, will participate in a discussion and Q&A with President Robert C. Robbins and Brent White, vice provost for global affairs.

Sexton's latest book, "Standing for Reason: The University in a Dogmatic Age," argues that "secular dogmatism" has come to dominate political discourse in America and explores the role university leadership can play. During his time as president of NYU, Sexton recognized that the world was becoming increasingly interconnected, and opened campuses in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Shanghai.

The talk is free and will begin at 7 p.m. at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.

Arizona Science Lecture Series 2020 – 'Our World is Changing Faster Than We Are' | March 3

The College of Science's annual lecture series, this year themed "Catalysts of Change," will close on March 3 with a talk by Howard-Yana Shapiro, chief agricultural officer for food company Mars Inc. Shapiro, who is also a senior fellow of plant sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis, will look at the future challenges society will face, such as feeding future populations and healing them from known and unknown diseases, and the scientific tools that can create resilient solutions to these problems.

The free lecture in Centennial Hall begins at 7 p.m.

Sustainable Landscapes Expo | March 21

Drop by the Pima County Cooperative Extension office to learn about sustainable water use and landscaping in Southern Arizona.

With more than 30 exhibits, the event will include food trucks and hands-on activities for all ages, including making your own musical instrument. Exhibitors include Biosphere 2, the Campus Arboretum, the Tucson Audubon Society and Tucson Botanical Gardens. The expo also includes a raffle for items and services, and the chance to win a tree from Civano Nursery.

The expo is presented by Pima Smartscape, Tucson Water and University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. The free event runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Pima County Cooperative Extension office, 4210 N. Campbell Ave. Enter on Roger Road, east of Campbell.

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