Actress and New York Times best-selling author Danica McKellar, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with highest honors from UCLA, will be recognized with the university’s 2018 Science and Education Pioneer award at the campus’ Exploring Your Universe science festival on Nov. 4.
The free festival will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at UCLA’s Court of Sciences, with additional activities planned from 5 to 8 p.m., weather permitting.
Learn about nanotechnology, meteorites and dinosaurs, among other science topics. Activities will include hands-on workshops; planetarium shows; short science fiction films showing at 2 p.m. in the Math Sciences Building, Room 5200; math games; scientific talks; and physics and chemistry demonstrations.
McKellar, best known for her role in the TV series, “The Wonder Years,” is an education advocate and mathematics writer. Three of her books, “Math Doesn’t Suck,” “Kiss My Math” and “Hot X: Algebra Exposed,” are New York Times bestsellers. McKellar will receive the award at 1 p.m. Four of her books will be available for purchase, and she will stay to sign them.
“We have something for everyone at UCLA’s Exploring Your Universe,” said Miguel García-Garibay, dean of the division of physical sciences in the UCLA College.
Exploring Your Universe, in its tenth year, is one of the country’s largest and most popular science festivals, and is open to the public.
Parking on campus costs $12 and is available in Lots 2 and 9. (Directions and parking information)
Exploring Your Universe is supported by UCLA’s division of physical sciences; the Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics; the department of Earth, planetary and space sciences; the department of physics and astronomy; the department of mathematics; and the department of molecular, cell and developmental biology.
