Mark your calendars: FSU to hold second annual Discovery Days

Mark your calendars for the week of Oct. 7 as Florida State University hosts the second annual FSU Discovery Days, a weeklong celebration of research, creativity and discovery.

Discovery Days has something for everyone — from “Shark Tank” style business pitch competitions to kid friendly physics and art projects to a public lecture on the research tackling childhood rare diseases.

“Florida State University has incredible faculty, students and staff engaged in innovation, creativity and discovery,” said Vice President for Research Stacey S. Patterson. “This is a celebration of this work while also giving the public a behind the scenes glimpse at university research and creative activity.”

The week kicks off with a symposium on childhood rare diseases, hosted by the FSU Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases and the FSU Office of Research. Dr. Terence Flotte, executive deputy chancellor and provost at UMass Chan Medical School, will serve as the keynote speaker and will be joined by researchers from the National Institutes of Health, Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Miami and University of Florida. 

Throughout the week, there will be more than 25 events showcasing the variety of work done across the university.

On Oct. 8, public tours will be available at the university’s new Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building in Innovation Park. On Oct. 9, the university will host an open house for IGNITE Tallahassee, a new business incubator located in Innovation Park and start up companies will face off for cash prizes totaling up to $100,000. 

On Oct. 9, researchers will host “Ask a Scientist Gaming” at the Imax Theater in the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee. And on Oct. 10, the university will host a special Women in Science and Leadership event, honoring women scientists at FSU. 

To conclude the week on Oct. 11, the Departments of Physics and Art Education will join forces to host a special edition of Saturday Morning Physics, where they will use art to demonstrate the concept of spin in physics. 

For the full schedule, check out discoverydays.fsu.edu.