2017 40 Hours for the Forty Acres

Natural Sciences Council

Natural Sciences Council helps direct feedback of programs in the college and work to resolve the problems students face in their daily academic and social communities. We constantly seek feedback from CNS students regarding functions and programs in the college and focus on how we can improve in order to better enhance the CNS student experience. As a member organization of the Senate of College Councils, we vote on Senate legislation as the voice of CNS students and also write legislation in-house for issues relevant to students within the College of Natural Sciences.

NSC includes eight standing committees that work both independently and together to improve existing relationships and initiatives to improve student experiences. Through our events and programs, we connect students to the resources they need to succeed here and beyond, including campus entities, students of similar interests, faculty members, and organizations around UT and Austin.

Fundraising Initiatives

Young Scientists and Kids Who Code

In addition to our work for the college, we also have long-standing relationships with Austin community organizations to better the city around us. We partner with three underserved Austin elementary and middle schools to bring our weekly recurring events, Young Scientists and Kids Who Code. We raise money to buy materials for hands-on science and computer science experiments that correspond with the students’ curriculum with the goal of enriching their learning experience. These two programs allow for direct mentorship and communication with underprivileged youth in Austin. We inspire children to explore their curiosity and interests in the science while creating a connection with real college students. This may inspire them to one day go on to college themselves, continuing to follow the curiosity and excitement we hope to foster through our programs.

Big Bang

Natural Sciences Week represents the celebration of all things CNS. The week begins with Big Bang, a kickoff celebration where departmental organizations perform exciting demonstrations related to their field for attendees. Students have the opportunity to explore the diverse facets of the college, visiting tables and talking to departmental organization representatives while enjoying free food and having the opportunity to win a Natural Sciences Week shirt. The sheer volume and diversity of students interacting at this event exemplifies the type of social cohesion that is often lacking in a college of our size. This year, we partnered with organizations in Astronomy, Physics, Nutrition, Math, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Public Health, Chemistry, and others. We also brought departments and offices to the table, including Career Services, Communications, External Relations, Dean’s Office, and Student Life.

CNS Got Talent

With a turnout of >500 students over 2 talent shows (March 2016 and November 2016), this event has one of the highest engagement rates from our student body. An exciting event that seeks to showcase the diversity of talent in CNS students, CNS Got Talent brings together hundreds of students for a night of entertainment and science trivia. CNS faculty judge the talent show portion, eagerly providing comedic commentary and expressing their pride for the college. This setting allows students to see a more friendly and relatable side of their professors. This past year has seen two iterations of CNS Got Talent, both generating enormous student interest and attendance. In an effort to ensure sustainability and engage a larger percentage of CNS students, we collaborated with other student organizations that share our vision of a united college - performers affiliated with organizations helped drive enormous turnout and generate enthusiasm before and during the event.