UA Research and Museums to be Showcased During Inaugural 'Discovery Days'
A staff member at work at the Micro/Nano Fabrication Center, one of many core facilities on the UA campus.
"Adventures in the Painted Desert: A Murder Mystery" by Roland Reiss, 1975-1976, mixed media, UA Museum of Art purchase with funds provided by the Edward J. Gallagher Jr. Memorial Fund. On view at the UA Museum of Art.
The University of Arizona will recognize and showcase the broad spectrum of research across campus with the inaugural Discovery Days, a weeklong celebration that gets kicked off Friday.
Organized by the office of Research, Discovery & Innovation, Discovery Days will include public lectures, stargazing, family activities, a student scavenger hunt, research presentations, museum events and more.
"We are doing something new this year to visibly call out the scientific breakthroughs and scholarly and creative achievements that are the hallmark of the UA's engaged, land-grant mission, and that characterize our status as a world-class research institution," said Kimberly Andrews Espy, senior vice president for research. "We invite the community to join us for these diverse, fun and informative events."
Among the larger events is the Feb. 20 Core Facilities Fair, which highlights specialized UA facilities that are available for use by faculty and students, as well as scientists in government and industry. These shared research resources provide users with access to the latest instrumentation as well as access to experienced staff with expertise in designing and conducting experiments and analyzing data.
"The facilities contribute to research across a range of fields, including human and animal health, optics and materials sciences. They are designed for service delivery and are central to our mission as a preeminent research university," said Neal Armstrong, associate vice president for research. "We’re happy to be part of a larger celebration that showcases the research capabilities of our campus."
A museum day is scheduled for Feb. 22, giving the public the opportunity to explore the world-class collections at the UA's museums free of charge. The collections include paintings by Jackson Pollock and Georgia O'Keeffe (University of Arizona Museum of Art), photos by Ansel Adams (Center for Creative Photography) and more than 600 examples of Mexican folk masks and 400 folk costumes (Arizona State Museum).
Among the Discovery Day events:
Friday, Feb. 16 – UA astronomy and physics professor Feryal Özel will lead a public talk titled "Exploring Black Holes: A Worldwide Effort" at the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium. Tickets are free through Eventbrite.
Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16-17 – Steward Observatory will celebrate its 100th year as a University department with a public talk, stargazing, children's activities, panel discussions, and tours of the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab.
Saturday, Feb. 17 – The Center for Creative Photography will host a celebration honoring the birthday of legendary photographer and center co-founder Ansel Adams. Activities include the opening of "Ansel Adams: Performing the Print," hands-on family activities and a presentation by David Hume Kennerly, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and friend of Adams.
Monday, Feb. 19 – A three-day scavenger hunt organized by the Institute of the Environment and ASUA Students for Sustainability begins at 8 a.m.
Monday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m. – Jane Bambauer, professor of law at the James E. Rogers College of Law, will present "Machine Influencers and Decision Makers" as part of the UA College of Science Lecture Series at Centennial Hall.
Monday, Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. – Chuck Claver, systems scientist with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, will present "LSST: Mapping the Universe" as part of the Steward Observatory public evening lecture series.
Tuesday, Feb. 20 – The Core Facilities Fair will be held in the Keating building from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m. – The Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry hosts its Show & Tell Grad Night at the Playground Bar & Lounge, 278 E. Congress St.
Wednesday, Feb. 21 – The Student Showcase will be held on the UA Mall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m. – "Rekindling the 7th Fire," a special lecture with Greg Cajete, Santa Clara Pueblo scholar and chair of Native American studies at the University of New Mexico, will be held in the Thomas W. Keating Bioresearch Building.
Thursday, Feb. 22 – Museum Day. Visitors enjoy free admission from noon to 5 p.m. at Arizona State Museum, the Center for Creative Photography and the UA Museum of Art. There will be a Spring Exhibitions Opening Reception from 5-8 p.m. at the UA Museum of Art.
Thursday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m. – The Institute for LGBT Studies presents the 2018 Miranda Joseph Endowed Lecture, "Flight, Fantasy & Freedom on the Frontiers of U.S. Empire" by Ronak K. Kapadia, assistant professor of gender and women's studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, at the Center for Creative Photography.
Click here for more information on Discovery Days events and locations.