CU ǸԹ experts attend AAAS annual conference

From Feb. 15 to 17, scientists, students, journalists and communicators will gather in Denver for the the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting.CU ǸԹ experts will explore this year's theme—Toward Science Without Walls—throughlectures, sessions and workshopsabouthot topics, including RNA medicine, climate change and AI.

To arrange an interview,contact CU ǸԹ media relationsatcunews@colorado.edu.

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William Taylor

William Taylor, curator of archaeology at the CU Museum of Natural History, is an archaeozoologist who studies the evolving relationship between humans and animals, including the history of horses in North America, Mongolia and beyond. He and his colleagues will receive this year’s AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize for their paper “Early dispersal of domestic horses into the Great Plains and northern Rockies.”

(ticket required)
Friday, Feb. 16, 8-10 a.m.
Capitol 1-4 (Fourth Floor, Hyatt Regency Denver At Colorado Convention Center)

Albert Kim

Albert Kim, associate professor in the Institute of Cognitive Science, studies the cognitive and neural mechanisms of human language comprehension. He will bring together a panel of computer scientists, psychologists and linguists for a conversation on how large language models like ChatGPT are shaped and limited by the data they are trained on, and how they differ from humans.


Friday, Feb. 16, 10-11 a.m.
Mile High 2A (Ballroom Level, Colorado Convention Center)

James Martin

James Martin is a computer science professor at the College of Engineering and Applied Science, who researcheshow languages convey meaning, both to humans and computers. His talk will touch on what human brains have in common with large language models, or the AI tools that drive platforms like ChatGPT–and where the two diverge.


Friday, Feb. 16, 10-10:30 a.m.
Mile High 2A (Ballroom Level)

David Malaspina

David Malaspina,assistant professor in the Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), studies space plasmas, including in the solar wind, or the waves of charged particles the sun emits on a constant basis. He’ll discuss how the most interesting science emerges when researchers collaborate across borders, sharing their wonder for the universe.


Friday, Feb. 16, 10:30-11 a.m.
Mile High 3B (Ballroom Level)

Edward Chuong

Edward Chuong is anassistant professor ofmolecular, cellular and developmental biology studying how regulatory networks are established in evolution and disease. He’ll participate in a panel discussion on the benefits of philanthropic funding for research.


Friday, Feb. 16, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Union Station (Expo Level, Colorado Convention Center)

Jennifer Reich,professor of sociology and director of the University Honors and Leadership Program at CU Denver, examines how families and individuals strategize their interactions with the state around healthcare and welfare. She'll discusshow cultural definitions of good parenting may inadvertently fuel vaccine hesitancy or refusal.


Friday, Feb. 16, 12-12:30 p.m.
Mile High 4EF (Ballroom Level)

Elizabeth Payton is an associate scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at CU ǸԹ. She isanexpert on climate change impacts on hydrology and water allocation in the Colorado River basin. She will join the water management table at the Trending Topics Press Lunch with Experts at AAAS.


Friday, Feb. 16, 12-1 p.m.
Cripple Creek (Second Floor, Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Downtown Convention Center)

Thomas Cech

Thomas Cech, professor of biochemistry, won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1989 and is the author of the upcoming book “The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life’s Deepest Secrets.” In his lecture, Cech will talk about the science of RNA, the little molecule that rose into the spotlight in 2020 because of its use in COVID-19 vaccines. He’ll touch on how RNA powers the gene-editing tool CRISPR, and why this molecule could help to reveal how living things first emerged on our planet.


Friday, Feb. 16, 1- 2 p.m.
Mile High 1B (Ballroom Level)

Leaf Van Boven

Leaf Van Boven is a professor at the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. He studiesthe interrelation between emotion, judgment, decision makingand identity among ordinary people in everyday life.Hewill lead a symposium where panelists discusshow social, contextualand cultural factors influence environmental action to address climate change.


Friday, Feb. 16, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Mile High 4CD(Ballroom Level)

Anja Lange

Anja Lange is director of the Herbst Program for Engineering, Ethics and Society with a background in comparative literature. The Herbst program engages engineering students with the essential questions of human existence, and links those issues with the ethical practices of science and engineering. She uses interdisciplinary approaches so students become better engineers by helping them engage in self-learning and interactive problem-solving.


Friday, Feb. 16, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Mile High 3C (Ballroom Level, Colorado Convention Center)

Hisham Ali

Hisham Ali, assistant professor of aerospace engineering sciences at the College of Engineering and Applied Science, explores the extreme conditions that occur when vehicles travel at hypersonic speeds, or nearly 4,000 miles per hour and faster. In this lightning talk, he’ll discuss the science of hypersonics and the implications for national defense and exploring planets beyond Earth.


Friday, Feb.16, 2024,4:15-4:30 p.m.
Mile High 2B (Ballroom Level)

Beth Osnes

Beth Osnes, a professor at the Department of Theatre & Dance and the Department of Environmental Studies, is active in applied performance and creative climate communication. She will introduce an ongoing project that looks at the equity issues implicated with fast fashion at AAAS. The project, , encourages students to create dynamic sustainably sourced fashion and share it within their community and beyond.


Friday, Feb.16, 5-5:30 p.m.
Mile High 2C (Ballroom Level)

Alexis Templeton

Alexis Templeton, a professor at the Department of Geological Sciences, has helped to show that the environments far below Earth’s surface aren’t empty but teeming with life. She’ll talk about a newly launched project to explore whether scientists can coax rocks deep underground to produce large supplies of hydrogen, a potential ingredient for green energy.


Saturday, Feb.17, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Mile High 4AB (Ballroom Level)

Roger Pielke, Jr. is a professor in the College of Arts & Sciences at CU ǸԹ where he explores a diverse range of policy and governance issues related to science, technology, environment, energy, climate, innovation and sports. He’ll discuss how scientific evidence is used and misused for foreign policy purposes and the role science diplomacy can play in restoring science to its rightful, trusted place.


Saturday, Feb. 17, 12:30-1 p.m.
Mile High 1EF (Ballroom Level, Colorado Convention Center)

Vivek Krishnamurthy, associate professor of law and director of the Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law and Policy Clinic (TLPC), studies the regulatory and human rights issues that arise from new technologies. He’ll speak to the challenges of enacting laws to combat disinformation around elections and more.


Saturday, Feb.17, 5-5:30 p.m.
Mile High 1AB (Ballroom Level)