ICYMI: Five Key Takeaways from the 2024 Planet Texas 2050 Symposium

Extreme heat poses significant challenges to communities across Texas, impacting public health, infrastructure, and ecosystems. On February 28, the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin hosted a panel discussion as part of the ongoing Planet Texas 2050 initiative, exploring interdisciplinary approaches to address the complexities of extreme heat in the state.

The University of Texas at Austin is welcomed visitors to campus for the solar eclipse on April 8. In addition to the distribution of free eclipse glasses, live music and events around campus, a unique comprehensive visual installation at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences was on display.

A new study by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin provides the most reliable validation to date of the connection between physical activity, sleep quality and psychological health.

An interview with Whole Communities–Whole Health showcase keynote speaker Adam Grabell, whose SEED Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studies how young children learn to understand and control their feelings

Pooja Tilvawala, the closing keynote speaker at this year’s Planet Texas 2050 Symposium, has emerged as a formidable leader and voice for young people around the world who are passionate about taking meaningful climate action. As the founder and director of Youth Climate Collaborative (YCC), she steers a global hub that offers tools and programs designed to empower young individuals and communities to find solutions rather than simply identifying the problems.

The launch celebration for the opening of a new exhibition, "Looking to the Future: Youth Perspectives on the Environment" is scheduled for Wednesday, November 15th, at 6 p.m. at the Pharr Memorial Library in Pharr, Texas. The thought-provoking photovoice exhibit is presented by the Coalition for Youth, Health, and the Environment, in collaboration with Texas Children in Nature (TCiNN) and The University of Texas at Austin's Planet Texas 2050 (PT2050) grand challenge.

A Q&A with new Whole Communities–Whole Health chair Mike Mackert

The winners of the inaugural Planet Texas 2050 + Humanities Institute Faculty Learning Community awards have been announced. Despite planning to select only five awardees for the inaugural cohort, the organizers received dozens of impressive applications, compelling program leaders to select six recipients for the full award as well as funding ten additional microgrants. The awards are the result of a recent open call that Planet Texas 2050 issued in partnership with the Humanities Institute to seed new collaborations with researchers from arts, design, and humanities. 

The collaboration between the City of Austin and Planet Texas 2050 has been crucial to ensuring the city’s leaders are basing their climate resilience action on research informed by the needs of Austin’s most vulnerable communities.