2026 U of AZ Science lecture series begins on Feb. 4

College of Science Lecture Series

Today’s Science, Tomorrow’s World | 2026 Lecture Series

“This year’s series, Today’s Science, Tomorrow’s World: Building a Better Future, showcases the groundbreaking research at the University of Arizona that is driving innovation and shaping the future we aspire to create.

From pioneering efforts to slow the biological roots of aging, to the surprising ways tiny insects reveal big insights into brain health, to the quest for clean and limitless fusion energy, and the essential role of human understanding in an age of artificial intelligence — each lecture explores how today’s scientific discoveries are laying the foundation for a healthier, smarter, and more sustainable future.

All lectures are free and open to the public.

Tickets are required for entrance at Centennial Hall. Click here to reserve your spot now for free via Ticketmaster. Tickets for each lecture will be emailed to you to scan at Centennial Hall.

Lecture Dates:
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Tuesday, February 17, 2026*
Wednesday, February 25, 2026

*Please note: due to an on-campus event, this lecture will be hosted Tuesday evening.

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Centennial Hall (1020 E. University Blvd)

Scroll down to learn more about our four featured speakers and their lectures. We look forward to seeing you at Centennial Hall in February!

Livestream: Watch the livestreams and recordings on YouTube.

February 4, 2026 | Dr. George Sutphin

Aging Science: Preventing Disease at Its Source

Seven of the top ten causes of death — Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, cancer — share a single risk factor: age. Our current “sick care” system waits for disease to strike, then tries to fix it. Aging science offers a different approach.

In this talk, Dr. George Sutphin will explain how researchers are targeting the biological processes that drive aging, aiming to prevent many of our most common diseases simultaneously while extending healthspan—the healthy, functional years of life. This shift from reactive treatment to prevention, from addressing diseases individually to targeting their shared root cause, represents a coming revolution in healthcare. Discover how understanding aging can transform medicine. Get your free tickets here.

February 11, 2026 | Dr. Martha Bhattacharya

From Fruit Flies to Future Cures: How Tiny Insects are Driving Big Discoveries in Brain Science

Insects outnumber humans by billions and predated us on earth. While we diverged early in the evolutionary tree, we still share a vast majority of our genetic sequences, making studies of the insect nervous system insightful for understanding the building blocks of learning, memory, motion, aggression, and development of complex organs like the brain.

In this talk, Dr. Martha Bhattacharya will explain how scientists use fruit flies to uncover fundamental tenets of how the brain responds to injury, disease, and stress. In the process, she will describe how her work in flies has identified new genetic pathways involved in dermatitis, epilepsy, and cancer. In the future, insect studies could also provide information on how to survive in a warming world. Get your free tickets here.

February 17, 2026 | Dr. Lise-Marie Imbert-Gérard

Harnessing the Power of Stars: Shaping the Future of Energy with Fusion Science

Nuclear fusion, the reaction that powers the Sun, offers the promise of a clean, safe, and abundant energy source capable of meeting the ever-growing global demand. Today, the stellarator — one of the earliest types of toroidal devices developed to confine fusion fuel with magnetic fields and control the reaction — is at the forefront of research and innovation across both science and engineering. 

Stellarator design involves strategic choices about the device’s geometry to enhance performance while reducing construction costs. In this lecture, the speaker will focus on mathematical modeling and computational methods for stellarator optimization, highlighting some key challenges, recent progress, and future goals in this field. Get your free tickets here.

February 25, 2026 | Dr. Laura Condon

Earth’s Story: The Importance of Human Understanding in the Age of AI

Human curiosity, for millennia, has driven us to explore the mysteries of our blue planet and its place in the cosmos. The story of the Earth, as we tell it, is really a synthesis of Earth science. Today, we have access to more data and computation than at any other point in human history. Artificial intelligence shows great promise for simulating Earth systems and uncovering new patterns. Will this render human investigation obsolete?

In this talk, Dr. Laura Condon will explain how these advances are transforming our ability to study the planet, while also highlighting why human insight remains essential. Now, more than ever, we need human reason and ingenuity to ask the right questions and build new understanding that can drive us forward. Get your free tickets here“

https://science.arizona.edu/community-engagement/public/arizona-science-lecture-series

Carolyn’s note: This annual lecture series is free and well -attended at Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. I’ve also watched it via zoom.

Recently dropped by a Christian church and the pastor was advocating writing to state Senate & House members to urge “optional vaccines.” I guess he’s been listening to RFK Jr., the US Health and Human Services guru. There seems to be a growing dispute between science and religion. Hence, the need for lecture series like this one at U of Arizona.