Text reading Wonder in Austin

WONDER UNITES US
IN AUSTIN

Thank you SXSW® 2023, and thank you Austin! Together, we can create a resilient and sustainable future. If you missed us at the Wonder House, see our talks below.

Wonder House was at Café Blue downtown Austin, March 11-14, 2023, and we can't thank them enough for being an incredible host.

SPEAKERS & INNOVATORS

Join University of Arizona visionaries as they coalesce to discuss tech, culture, film, music, and more at one of the largest conferences in the world.

INNOVATORS EXPERIENCES

Stay in the know for future University of Arizona extraordinary experiences.

KEEP ME IN THE LOOP

* We're adding new experiences and speakers. Come back to see what's new at the WONDER HOUSE.

TIME* LOCATION EXPERIENCE*
12 p.m. ALL Doors Open
Various Bar/Lounge &
Patio		 Tastes of the Sonoran Desert. Chef demonstrations and tastings throughout the day and night.
Noon – 8 p.m.
 		 Surround Stage Surrounded by WONDER

Between speakers, overwhelm your senses through a series of immersive short films.
Noon – midnight Arts Corridor Tucson Monsoon and Desiccation/ The river below

illustrator Alex! Jimenez creates frame by frame animations of storm vignettes passing through the Tucson cityscape, and illustrating the desiccation of clay as it succumbs to the sun. 
Noon – midnight Surroundscape,
Slot Canyon		 100 Partially Obscured Views/100 Vistas Parcialmente Oscurecidas

Animator/Filmmaker Nicole Antebi seamlessly blends vintage postcards from the late 19th century through the early 1970s with her reactions in media of all types to reflect the borderlands.
Noon – midnight Slot Canyon Dive into frozen oceans and animated worlds. Step into the canyon to see parts of the world humans never tread. Contemplate constructed narrative with Public Domain Review Animated Interventions, and Aztec Nahua
cosmology and ceremonial practices around the growth of corn/cintli/maize/elote. Come play inside the virtual city and test your skills: can you keep it cyber safe?
Noon – 8 p.m. VR Bar AR/VR Virtual Harlem Project

Step inside iconic venues like the Apollo Theater and the Cotton Club while you walk among the inhabitants and soak up the history of the iconic Harlem Renaissance.
Noon – 8 p.m. VR Bar PhytoOracle 2 VR

Transport yourself into the shoes of farmers and scientists fighting climate change and drought to develop resilient and sustainable agriculture practices.
Noon – 5 p.m. Patio Friday Night Movie Podcast Walk-up! Be part of the show with the Kormans around the dinner table as they argue about the latest movies and TV shows. Walk-up visitors can promote their work, sound-off on their favorite films and shows, play the pod’s signature games, and walk away with official swag. 
8 p.m. – midnight Surroundscape,
Arts Corridor

Autoimmune
Marcos Serafim's provocative work brings a non-human entity in that complicates the common understandings of queerness and HIV, distorting images from archives and making them speak. 

* We're adding new experiences and speakers. Come back to see what's new at the WONDER HOUSE.

TIME* LOCATION EXPERIENCE*
Noon The Wonder House Doors Open
1 p.m.  Surround Stage Harnessing the Power of Food as Medicine. Shad Marvasti, MD, MPH
The US diet is SAD, and it's making us sick. But it's not too late to change our systems of medicine, food production, even fast food delivery for a healthier country to combat the diseases of our time.​
2 p.m. Patio Stage Food as Medicine Tasting & Demo
Join Dr Shad Marvasti and Chef Michael Omo to learn how to make a delicious and healthy dish Sonoran style. Taste samples while they last.
4 p.m. Surround Stage Cannabis is here. So let's understand it. Todd Vanderah, PhD
With the increasing legalization and use of marijuana throughout the country, we have a duty to ourselves and our society to understand its potential benefits and harms. Learn about the ups and downs of cannabis as found in the research that is happening now, and what the future could hold.
5-7 p.m. Patio Cannabis Networking Event

Join us to connect with cannabis producers, researchers and advocates in the heart of the festival.
5:30 p.m. Surround Stage A Guide to Inventing the Future. Erika Hamden, PhD
Progress isn’t driven by lone geniuses toiling away in a lab. It is driven by new technology and by the imperfect, slow, and laborious work that goes into technology development. True disruption is very different than what you might think.
8 p.m. – Midnight Patio The Santa Cruz Sound Experience
DJ DirtyVerbs seamlessly blends cumbia as a lengua franca to sonically travel across Las Américas and beyond, mixing in sounds of the Sonoran Desert to sick beats. While your ears are delighted, your eyes can feast on Alex! Jimenez deliciously stark hand-drawn animations of storms across the Tucson sky. You won't go hungry with Chef Omo's fiesta food of walking tacos, elote, Sonoran hot dogs and sweet churros for a beautiful Saturday night under the SXSW stars. 

* We're adding new experiences and speakers. Come back to see what's new at the WONDER HOUSE.

TIME* LOCATION EXPERIENCE*
Noon The Wonder House Doors Open
1 p.m.  Surround Stage Myth Busting: Women, Competitiveness, and Equity with Mary Rigdon, PhD
Despite what you think or have heard, there is no gender competitiveness gap. It's a myth that women are not as competitive as men. Rigdon's research makes a business and ethical case for greater inclusion, equity, and opportunity to place more women on boards and in C-­Suites.
2 p.m. Patio Stage Taste of Tucson Demo & Sampling
Join Chef Michael Omo in making Tucson finger foods and aquas frescas for a refreshing taste in the middle of a busy day.
2:30 p.m. Surround Stage Political Common Sense in Four Easy Steps with Keith Allred, Exec Director, National Institute for Civil Discourse
Americans are growing more polarized by virtually every measure, except on the issues themselves. It may look like an unbreakable deadlock, but the more than 50,000 members of the Commonsense American program have dramatically improved bipartisan congressional problem solving. Find out how!
4 p.m. Surround Stage

Voices Unheard in Environmental Justice, Panel Discussion and documentary sneak preview with Researcher Denise Ramírez and Landmark Stories producers Sandra Westdahl and Elena Lopez
In the early 1980s, high levels of TCE were found in the groundwater in south Tucson. For decades, community members have fought to get it cleaned up. Dig into a discussion on the responsibility filmmakers and scientists have to work collaboratively with communities to amplify and empower unheard voices in science.
5:30 p.m. Surround Stage

Gaming the Past: History as Time Travel with Alison Futrell, PhD, and Paul Milliman, PhD
UArizona History’s pathbreaking collaboration with Age of Empires IV opens new possibilities for creative and meaningful virtual time travel. Dive into immersive gaming and rich history with the professors behind the Age of Empires IV Illuminated History Experience. 
5:30 – 10 p.m.  Patio 14th Annual Entrepreneurs Lounge at SXSW 2023 (by invitation only)
The University of Arizona, Visit Tucson, Tech Launch Arizona, and Tech Parks Arizona are excited to host the 14th Annual Entrepreneurs Lounge at SXSW! Network with fellow startup founders and innovative UArizona entrepreneur-inventors, c-level executives, and investors who will be in town for SXSW and/or call Austin home.

* We're adding new experiences and speakers. Come back to see what's new at the WONDER HOUSE.

TIME* LOCATION EXPERIENCE*
Noon The Wonder House Doors Open
1 p.m. Surround Stage Conflict in Cyber, with Dean Gary Packard, Jr, and Jason Denno, Executive Director of the Cyber Convergence Center (C3)
Everyone lives, works, and plays in cyber space. However, unseen dangers lurk in the cloud that connect you, your device, and your information with the rest of the world, and professionals need to up-level. Fast.
2 p.m. Patio Stage Cooking with Manja, Demo & Sampling
Join Chef Manja Blackwood and Chef Michael Omo as they whip up sweet culinary confections. Taste samples while they last.
2:30 p.m. Surround Stage PANEL DISCUSSION, The Cyber Team of Teams with Chris Hadnagy, Tim Roemer, Nancy Rainosek, Colonel Joshua H. Rockhill, and Jason Denno; Moderated by Dean Gary Packard, Jr
Building in and navigating through the world of AI, big data, IoT, and the metaverse requires a team of teams working together to create the tools we all need to be safe and secure in our digital lives. This panel of experts from government, academia, and industry will share their insights on thriving in the cyber world.
4 p.m. Surround Stage Latino/a/x Cultures and Media: Going Global with Jessica Retis, PhD, Director of the UArizona School of Journalism
The US is becoming the 2nd largest Spanish speaking country in the world, yet media companies still look at the Latinx market as a block, leading to missed opportunities in coverage, editorial and market share.
5:30 p.m. Surround Stage Unlearning from Meow Wolf with Ryan Meeks, AIA, Founder of Bosk
What a unique design experience says about the future of architecture.
7 p.m. Surround Stage Immerse Yourself: How VR Can Revolutionize Learning with Bryan Carter, PhD, Director of the Center for Digital Humanities and students Cat Elliott, Nettie Gastelum and Daniel Shevelev
What does it mean to ‘be there’, and how can it affect learning and retention? Instead of flying across the globe to understand the nuances of history or a new surgical technique, educators and businesses of all sizes are investing in VR to connect and learn in real time. 
5:30 – 10 p.m.  Patio 14th Annual Entrepreneurs Lounge at SXSW 2023 (by invitation only)
The University of Arizona, Visit Tucson, Tech Launch Arizona, and Tech Parks Arizona are excited to host the 14th Annual Entrepreneurs Lounge at SXSW! Network with fellow startup founders and innovative UArizona entrepreneur-inventors, c-level executives, and investors who will be in town for SXSW and/or call Austin home.
 

* We're adding new experiences and speakers. Come back to see what's new at the WONDER HOUSE.

TIME* LOCATION EXPERIENCE*
Noon The Wonder House Doors Open

1 p.m.

 Surround Stage

Net Zero Urban Water Future: Reinventing Self-Sustaining Cities in the Southwest with Courtney Crosson, Director of the Drachman Institute
Innovation and resilience in urban water systems is needed in the face of climate change, economic development, and aged infrastructure. Learn a new approach to managing scarce resources.
2 p.m. Patio Stage Climate Cocktail Demo & Sampling
Join Chef Michael Omo as he creates climate-inspired drinks and dishes to suit the theme of the day. Taste samples while they last.
2:30 p.m. Surround Stage Insights from Biosphere 2 about Biosphere 1 – and Beyond with John Adams and Joost Van Haren
From a million-gallon ocean to study coral reef decline and restoration to a half-acre rainforest with which to test drought conditions, this beautiful desert gem has much to teach us about our little blue marble.
4 p.m. Surround Stage Climate Data is Power - to the People with Joellen Russell, PhD, and Beth Tellman, PhD
As climate scientists - and moms - we know that future generations depend on us making good decisions today about where and how to develop our human society and protect our planet. When we harness the power of big climate data, we can all make better decisions for our cities, our countries and our homes.
5:30 p.m. Surround Stage I Know What Your Watershed Did Last Summer with Laura Condon, PhD
Understanding and predicting watershed behaviors in a changing climate is a big challenge, especially when you add in the changes we are making to move water for human habitation and agriculture. Big data with simple front-end tools can help city planners and water managers be smart about decisions which have lasting ramifications.
8 p.m. – midnight Patio Stage MOVIE NIGHT at the Wonder House
Join us for a full night of short films from current and past School of Theatre, Film & Television (TFTV) directors, some of whom you know as major motion picture producers and directors today. Curated by the University of Arizona TFTV and punctuated by conversations with filmmakers Roxanna Denise Stevens Ibarra, Zach Lovvorn and Sasha Reist, moderated by Friday Night Movie sibling podcast hosts Becky Korman and Shai Korman.

* The University of Arizona isn't just at the WONDER HOUSE! Learn from these excellent speakers throughout SXSW: 

DATE TIME LOCATION EXPERIENCE*
March 11 4 p.m. JW Marriott
Salon AB		 NASA’s Bet for Life Beyond Earth is Underwater
UArizona Alumna Britney Schmidt, currently Associate Professor in the departments of Astronomy and Earth & Atmospheric Science at Cornell University, is on a panel with NASA, Scripps and CNN experts about what we can learn from the oceans of Jupiter and Saturn's moons.
March 11 10 a.m. Austin Marriott Downtown
Waterloo Ballroom 1-2		 Tackling Food Insecurity with NASA Satellite Data
UArizona Alumnus Carlee (Carl) McClellan, Senior Hydrologist at Navajo Nation Water Management Branch, speaks on a panel with NASA program experts to balance water usage with conservation needs to sustainably nourish communities.
 

RELIVE THE EXPERIENCE
Wonder House 2022 Recap
2022 Full Talks and Highlights
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