Speaker Lineup

From award-winning scientists to science-inspired film directors, performers and artists, here are some of the confirmed presenters for the 2025 Texas Science Festival.

Leo Angulo

Student Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator

UT Austin

John Antonelli

Owner

Antonellis Cheese

Jared Benge

Associate Professor of Neurology

UT Austin

David Bernat

Violinist

The Juilliard School 

Mark Bernat

Double Bassist

UT Austin

Rodney Brooks

CTO and Co-Founder

Robust AI

Audrey Brumback

Assistant Professor of Neurology and Pediatric Neuroscience

UT Austin

Kimberly Budil

Director

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Justin Camp

Hydrogeologist Technician

Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District

Rosemary Candelario

Associate Professor of Theater and Dance

UT Austin

Audrey Chen

Cellist

CUNY Graduate Center 

Ian Cheney

Director

Wicked Delicate Films

Isabelle Clark

Anthropology Ph.D. Student

UT Austin

Laura Colgin

Professor of Neuroscience

Center for Learning & Memory, UT Austin

Katie Dawson

Associate Professor of Theater

UT Austin

JR DeShazo

Dean

LBJ School of Public Affairs, UT Austin

Todd Ditmire

Professor of Physics

UT Austin

Juan Dominguez

Neuroscientist, Educator & Academic Leader
UT Austin

Michael Drew

Professor of Neuroscience & Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education

UT Austin

Sandy Eapen

Founder

Eapen Impact

Toni Feder

Senior Editor

Physics Today

Anna Finger

GRACE Program Co-Director

UT Austin 

Karen Fingerman

Professor and Director, Texas Aging & Longevity Consortium

Department of Human Development & Family Sciences, UT Austin

Kenneth Fleischmann

Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies

School of Information, UT Austin

Phyllis Friello

Exploration Medical Integrated Product Team Project Manager

NASA Johnson Space Center

Karl Gebhardt

Department Chair and Professor of Astronomy

UT Austin

Marci Gleason

Associate Professor, Associate Chair

UT Austin

Ansh Gupta

Astronomy Ph.D. Student 

UT Austin

Lindsay Hamm Havekost

Assistant Director for Collections

UT Landmarks

David Hillis

Professor of Integrative Biology & Director of Biodiversity Center

UT Austin

Lynne Hoare

Community-Based Arts Practitioner

Center for Imagining and Performing Justice

Megan Kimble

Journalist, Editor & Author

Adam Kraus

Professor of Astronomy

UT Austin

Gabrielle Lewis

Lecturer

Department of Theatre and Dance, UT Austin

Jarrod Lewis-Peacock

Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology

Center for Learning & Memory, UT Austin

Jiarong Li

Pianist

Manhattan School of Music

Elaine Li

Professor of Physics

UT Austin

Yuchen Lu

Violist

Mannes School of Music 

Brian Mulligan

Adjunct Professor of Astronomy & Physics

Austin Community College & St. Edward’s University

Meaghan Perry

Founder and Owner

Momentum Art Conservation

Alison Preston

Professor of Neuroscience and Vice Provost for Faculty Development

Center for Learning & Memory, UT Austin

Laura Rice

Managing Producer

The Texas Standard, KUT Radio

Leeah Richardson

Ecology, Evolution & Behavior Ph.D. Student

Department of Integrative Biology, UT Austin

 

Saul Rivera

Public Programs Specialist

McDonald Observatory

Aaron Sandel

Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director

Primate Ethology & Endocrinology Lab, UT Austin

Peter Stone

Professor, Director & Chief Scientist

UT Austin and Sony AI

Donna Strickland

Physicist and Nobel Laureate

University of Waterloo

Nancy Turner

Ethnobotanist & Distinguished Professor Emerita

University of Victoria

Alexandra van den Berg

Professor of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences

UT Health

Vauhini Vara

Journalist, Editor & Author

 

Ed Viesturs

Mountaineer, Author & Public Speaker

S. Craig Watkins

Professor and Executive Director

IC² Institute, UT Austin