October 9th, Allison Hutt
Flora of the Living Dead: Resurrection Plants of Central Texas
Can plants rise from the dead like zombies? Letās get into the spirit of Halloween season with a talk about some of the creepiest plants aroundā resurrection plants! Resurrection plants use a special ability called desiccation tolerance to survive extreme drought conditions that would easily kill most other creatures. This talk will highlight the ecology, evolution, and diversity of resurrection plants native to Texas, and explain what we know (and donāt know!) about how they manage to cheat death. Join Allison Hutt on October 9th to learn about resurrection plants!
Allison Hutt is a Plant Biology PhD student at UT Austin researching the ecology, physiology, and genetics of Texas native resurrection grass Tripogonella spicata (American five minute grass). Resurrection plants have the amazing ability to systematically dry themselves out during drought, allowing them to protect desiccated tissue in a state of dormancy. They can then rehydrate and resume normal function in a matter of hours after rainfall. Allisonās research focuses on the genetic and phenotypic variation in the Texas population of T. spicata, the physiological and genetic response to repeated bouts of desiccation and rehydration, and the ecology of resurrection plant communities in Central Texas.
Lecture Schedule
- 7:00 pm: Kidās activities and natural history displays
- 7:15 pm ā 7:45 pm: Guided tour of the Brackenridge Field Laboratory (sturdy shoes and water recommended!)
- 8:00 pm: The talk begins!
- 8:45 pm: Q&A with the speaker
š Location: Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703
š” No RSVP is required ā just show up and enjoy!
š
æļø Free parking is available at BFL for all lecture events!
š¦ļø While we aim to host all events outdoors, sometimes weather conditions or volunteer capacity may require that we move the event inside the laboratory building.
Follow us on our Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or email us to stay updated on event-specific details. We look forward to seeing you at our events! āØ
September 11th, Rossana MaguiƱa-Conde
The Life of A Flower
Flowers are more than just beautiful structuresāthey are essential organs for plant reproduction. Nearly 90% of flowering plant species rely on animal pollinators to transfer pollen and ensure successful reproduction. In this talk, weāll delve into the fascinating world of floral biology, exploring the diverse traits flowers have evolved to attract their pollinators. From color and scent to shape and timing, each characteristic tells a story of coevolution and ecological partnership. Join Rossana MaguiƱa-Conde on September 11th to learn about the life of a flower!
Rossana MaguiƱa-Conde is an evolutionary ecologist studying plant-pollinator interactions and plant reproductive systems. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Stengl Lost Pines Biological Station surveying insects, plants, and soil after a wildfire.Ā Dr. MaguiƱa-Conde received her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California Santa Cruz, where she studied studied plant evolution and the role of pollinators on this process, focusing on how flowers evolved from a bee syndrome to a bird syndrome in the Neotropical spiral gingers in Costa Rica and Peru. She received her MS in Biology from the University of Missouri at St. Louis, where she studied the feeding ecology of nectar bats and their associated plants in cloud forests of Ecuador.
Lecture Schedule
- 7:00 pm: Kidās activities and natural history displays
- 7:15 pm ā 7:45 pm: Guided tour of the Brackenridge Field Laboratory (sturdy shoes and water recommended!)
- 8:00 pm: The talk begins!
- 8:45 pm: Q&A with the speaker
š Location: Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703
š” No RSVP is required ā just show up and enjoy!
š
æļø Free parking is available at BFL for all lecture events!
š¦ļø While we aim to host all events outdoors, sometimes weather conditions or volunteer capacity may require that we move the event inside the laboratory building.
Follow us on our Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or email us to stay updated on event-specific details. We look forward to seeing you at our events! āØ
Fall 2025 Schedule
Welcome back for a new semester! We are excited to announce Science Under The Starsā fall 2025 schedule. SUTS is our free, student-run public outreach lecture series! Mark your calendars for our monthly events covering topics on science and nature by biologists at UT:
September 11: Rossana MaguiƱa-Conde ā The life of a flower
October 9: Allison Hutt ā Flora of the living dead: Resurrection plants of Central Texas
November 13: Savvy Cornett ā Genital Schmenital! The complexities of biological sex
December 11: Sunishka Thakur ā There are many ways to find a mate
Lecture Schedule
- 7:00 pm: Kidās activities and natural history displays
- 7:15 pm ā 7:45 pm: Guided tour of the Brackenridge Field Laboratory (sturdy shoes and water recommended!)
- 8:00 pm: The talk begins!
- 8:45 pm: Q&A with the speaker
Details
- Location: Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703
- No RSVP is required ā just show up and enjoy!
- While we aim to host all events outdoors, sometimes weather conditions or volunteer capacity may require that we move the event inside the laboratory building.
- Free parking is available at BFL for all lecture events!
Follow us on our Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or email us to stay updated on event-specific details. We look forward to seeing you this spring under the stars!
April 10th, Yanan Bai
Illuminating Growth: The Story of Light and Plants
Is light just a source of energy for plants, or does it play a more intricate role in plant development? Curious about how light regulate every aspect of plant growth? Join Yanan Bai, graduate student in Plant Biology, on April 10th to discover the hidden secrets of how light shapes the life of plants.
Lecture Schedule
- 7:00 pm: Kidās activities and natural history displays
- 7:15 pm ā 7:45 pm: Guided tour of the Brackenridge Field Laboratory (sturdy shoes and water recommended!)
- 8:00 pm: The talk begins!
- 8:45 pm: Q&A with the speaker
š Location: Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703
š” No RSVP is required ā just show up and enjoy!
š
æļø Free parking is available at BFL for all lecture events!
š¦ļø While we aim to host all events outdoors, sometimes weather conditions or volunteer capacity may require that we move the event inside the laboratory building.
Important Note About Parking
At our last SUTS event, a few of our visitors received parking tickets from UT PTS. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and ask that those who received tickets dispute them with PTS. We ask that visitors please park east of the entrance to BFL. For more information and assistance please contact Brackenridge Field Laboratory Manager Jason Lawson.
Jason Lawson
832-722-9447
Jlawson3413@utexas.edu
Follow us on our Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, or email us to stay updated on event-specific details. We look forward to seeing you at our events! āØ
March 13th, Fiona MacNeill
Picking Your Poison: How Plant Chemical Traits Defend Against Herbivores, Attract Pollinators, and Influence Toxic Butterflies
Have you ever wondered why coffee plants make caffeine? Or why peppers evolved to be spicy? š¶ļø Join us on March 13th as PhD candidate Fiona MacNeill explores plant chemistry, the relationships between plants and their partnersālike pollinators and insect herbivoresāand how plant chemicals manipulate interactions with other species. Plus, why this matters for people too! š¼š
Lecture Schedule
- 7:00 pm: Kidās activities and natural history displays
- 7:15 pm ā 7:45 pm: Guided tour of the Brackenridge Field Laboratory (sturdy shoes and water recommended!)
- 8:00 pm: The talk begins!
- 8:45 pm: Q&A with the speaker
š Location: Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703
š” No RSVP is required ā just show up and enjoy!
š
æļø Free parking is available at BFL for all lecture events!
š¦ļø While we aim to host all events outdoors, sometimes weather conditions or volunteer capacity may require that we move the event inside the laboratory building.
Follow us on ourĀ Instagram,Ā Twitter,Ā YouTube,Ā Facebook, orĀ emailĀ us to stay updated on event-specific details. We look forward to seeing you at our events!Ā āØ
Science Under The Stars 