鈥淔usion: A STEAM Gallery鈥� is the name of the new gallery space on the science center鈥檚 third-floor mezzanine that will be filled with artwork from the university. The STEAM name combines the STEM acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with the 鈥淎鈥� to represent Art.

鈥淚t is so important that our students do not separate the sciences and arts in their learning experience,鈥� said art professor Carla Poindexter and curator of the exhibits. 鈥淪cience and the arts have always been interwoven. Our students in the SVAD gain so much when they know more about science, and the reverse is true聽with the STEM students.鈥�

Yulia Tikhonova, 麻豆原创 Art Gallery director, worked with the science center to develop the idea of hosting paintings, sculptures, animations, graphic designs and other 麻豆原创 artworks among the center鈥檚 dinosaur bones, telescopic views of the stars and hands-on exhibits.

There will be four planned exhibits a year to engage visitors with visual interpretations of scientific concepts, Poindexter said. Artists also will show how STEM has influenced their work and showcase the similarities between art and science.

鈥淚magination and creativity are at the heart of both art and science,鈥� said Jeff Stanford, vice president of marketing at the science center. 鈥淚t is very important to use art to provide a new perspective on science. Artists and scientists use several of the same skills in pursuit of their goals, including critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration, flexibility and adaptability, and social and cross-cultural skills. These skill sets are essential for success in both fields.鈥�

Both institutions hope that exhibit visitors leave with a better understanding of the synergy between art and science. More than half of the 535,000 who visited the center in 2015 were under 17 years old, Tikhonova said.

鈥淏oth 麻豆原创 and OSC play key roles in creating the next generation of STEM professionals鈥斅槎乖� in higher education and OSC through youth engagement in hands-on science, technology and engineering activities,鈥� she said.

Stanford added: 鈥淲e hope the gallery ignites the scientific curiosity in art lovers and stimulates a newfound respect for art in the science-minded. For the science center, it鈥檚 a very exciting opportunity to work with artists on exhibitions that display how science and technology have influenced their work while bringing to light the similarities between these two disciplines.鈥�

The artists whose works will be featured through June 24 are Clayton Dunklin, a bachelor鈥檚 of fine art major, and Forrest DeBloi, who is working on his master鈥檚 of fine art. Both contributed art on the themes of animals and Earth Day. Some of DeBlois鈥� work can be seen on public and private buildings in Florida showing endangered and extinct animals.

Fusion: A STEAM Gallery is included with admission to the Orlando Science Center, 777 E. Princeton St.

Otronicon engages all ages with the growing digital-media industry, including video gaming, simulation, robots, virtual reality and other fields.

In addition to 麻豆原创, visitors to the show Thursday through Monday can learn about STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers and interact with technology created by local companies Lockheed Martin, EA Sports, Disney and others. Gamers will be able to create their own games and an art gallery also will combine technology and art.

鈥淭he experience has the opportunity to inspire interest in science and tech careers,鈥� said Jennine Miller, public relations specialist at the science center. 鈥淕et a preview of tomorrow鈥檚 technology through interaction with some of our community鈥檚 up-and-coming start-ups and established players.鈥�

麻豆原创 exhibitors will be the E2i Creative Studio, School of Visual Arts & Design, Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy and the College of Psychology.

Here are the 麻豆原创 activities at Otronicon:

The Orlando Science Center is at 777 E. Princeton St. For a complete schedule of Otronicon events, activities and admission costs, click here.

He has published many books, narrated PBS specials, appeared on a variety of shows including The Colbert Report, Late Night with David Letterman and even had a guest spot on the TV comedy The Big Bang Theory.

That鈥檚 why Greene was a perfect fit for the conference, which focuses on science technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in everyday life and the importance of sharing that knowledge to motivate more young people to pursue careers in these fields.

鈥淯nderstanding physics, math, engineering and science is critical because you may not be a scientist, but you certainly enjoy the technological advances they are creating,鈥� said Michael Georgiopoulos, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. The college is home to the iCubed project, which is sponsoring the conference. 鈥淟ikewise, you may not be an artist, but you can appreciate the beauty of what the artist creates. It takes the collaboration of people from different disciplines to move our society forward.鈥�

That is the mission of iCubed, a National Science Foundation-funded project that partners with several colleges within the university, including the College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Arts and Humanities, College of Education, and College of Sciences. The project goal is to ensure broader impact of NSF-funded projects through coordination and integration of the education and research activities by increasing participation in STEM fields.

To bring the point home, University of Oregon professor Richard Taylor will be joining Greene at the conference.

Taylor is a physicist and accomplished artist, which give him a unique way of seeing the world. Blending both backgrounds into his work led him to search for fractal patterns that are everywhere, from microbes to Jackson Pollock鈥檚 abstract paintings. Fractal patterns are mathematical structures that nature appears to use for many of the phenomena we observe. Taylor will talk about how science and art are more connected than most people recognize.

Leonardo da Vinci, for example, 聽is famous for his paintings, but he also developed early sketches for a helicopter, tank, robot and scuba gear among other things.

The conference concludes with a book signing and the STEAM artwork showcase.

STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) is a university project, and one of the iCubed activities that brings together science and art students and encourages them to work together to produce art pieces that are inspired by science or engineering.

鈥淲e have found that students initially face difficulties to work together, but they eventually find their own unique ways to communicate with each other to complete the project,鈥� Georgiopoulos said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an important skill to have, to be able to communicate your scientific or artistic work to multiple audiences.鈥�

Other STEM conference sponsors are the College of Sciences, the Office of Research and Commercialization, the School of Visual Arts and Design, the Steve Goldman Foundation and the 麻豆原创 Student Government Association.

The STEM conference will run from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cape Florida room in the Student Union on the main campus. Greene鈥檚 presentation will be 9 to 10:15 a.m. Taylor鈥檚 talk will begin at 10:30 a.m., and the book signing and artists showcase will begin at 1 p.m. Early arrival is advised as seating is limited.

For more information contact Costas Efthimiou at 407-823-0179 or costas@physics.ucf.edu

The event runs now through Monday, Jan. 21.聽 The artworks are all inspired by cutting-edge, STEM-related research of leading 麻豆原创 faculty and students. The exhibition includes futuristic visualizations and illustrations of some of the newest advancements in science and engineering.

The STEAM Exhibition supports the movement that 鈥淎鈥� (for Arts) should be added to STEM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to create STEAM.

Otronicon offers larger-than-life video game experiences, real-world simulators, demonstrations and hands-on workshops for the whole family.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.聽Sunday and Monday.

The shows, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., will feature Master of Fine Arts candidates hosting their semi-annual open studio tour, and art students involved in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) exhibition of Searching for Ultimate Truth in Science and Art.

Original works by 19 MFA candidates will be on display and available for purchase at the center, 500 W. Livingston St. The candidates鈥� works feature various themes addressing contemporary issues.

The show is in conjunction with the Downtown Arts District鈥檚 Third Thursday. The MFA Studio will be the Art Walk kickoff location.

The STEAM exhibit of paintings, sculptures, posters and illustrations will be in Gallery 500 at the Center for Emerging Media.

The works were created by fine arts students in visual response to presentations by 麻豆原创 scientists and their students. The show includes futuristic visualizations, illustrations of cutting-edge research and compelling artworks that both celebrate and question the social, cultural and political opportunities and ramifications of technological advancements in science and engineering.
A reception will be held Thursday but the exhibit will be on display through Friday by appointment.

Free parking is across the street from the center in the old Amway Arena parking lot.

Someday she may save your life.

Koury, a second-year master鈥檚 student in Industrial Organizational Psychology, is taking a new approach to improve driving safety: researching the distractions caused by passengers in a vehicle 鈥� not the driver鈥檚 own lapses, such as drinking, texting or talking on the phone.

鈥淚 am hoping that this research will help improve driving behavior not only with the driver but also the people in the vehicle, too,鈥� Koury said. 鈥淭heir life is not only in the hands of the driver but with them as well.鈥�

Koury鈥檚 research will be among about 500 projects on display during 麻豆原创鈥檚 Student Research Week on April 2-5. Student work on everything from 鈥淩enewable Energy from the Florida Current鈥� to 鈥淭eaching Children with Speech Impairments to Ask Questions Using an iPad鈥� to 鈥溌槎乖粹�檚 First Exoplanet Discovery鈥� will be showcased.

About 190 graduate researchers and 380 undergraduate researchers are participating.

鈥淲e anticipate an immensely busy week, with more students than we have ever had,鈥� said Elliot Vittes, interim vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies.

The event kicks off with a seminar about combating the world鈥檚 most deadly infectious diseases, and the week will include professional-development workshops, student presentations, and an art exhibit based on research projects.

The opening-day seminar will be led by Professor Henry Daniell, who will discuss what 麻豆原创鈥檚 Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences is doing to combat cholera, malaria, anthrax and other infectious diseases that kill about 15 million people worldwide each year.

In the presentation, Daniell will talk about the 鈥済reen vaccine鈥� concept of low-cost medications and distribution developed at 麻豆原创. The concept created by using funding from the National Institutes of Health and USDA is being advanced further by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others. The seminar will be at 2 p.m. April 2 in the Cape Florida Ballroom AB of the Student Union.

Students in the Graduate Research Forum will present and discuss their projects from noon to 4 p.m. April 3, and students in the Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence will present their projects from 1:30 to 5 p.m. April 5. Both sessions will be held in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union.

Various workshops on topics such as finding student funding and organizing research literature will be offered each day of the event at various venues on campus.

To conclude the week鈥檚 activities, a reception and art exhibition created by the university鈥檚 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) initiative will be held 6-8 p.m. April 5 in the 麻豆原创 Art Gallery.

The program, part of a five-year grant funded by the National Science Foundation, brings together faculty and students from the different disciplines to create new synergies. Researchers met with visual arts and design students to explain genetic coding, astrophysics, scientific breakthroughs and other complex topics. The student artists then created paintings, sculptures, drawings and posters to illustrate the concepts.

The STEAM Exhibition will remain in the gallery through April 7.

For a complete schedule of activities for Student Research Week, which are free and open to everyone, click 聽.