The 2024 UK Curiosity Fair is an annual event open to students, staff, faculty and members of the Lexington community interested in learning about various initiatives taking place on the University of Kentucky’s campus. The event will be 4-6 p.m. Nov. 6 in the Gatton Student Center Grand Ballroom.

From juggling and brains to meteorites and axolotls, the Curiosity Fair consists of “curiosity stations” created by students, faculty and staff that showcase concepts they are passionate about in their classes, fields, research or organizations. The purpose of this event is to promote the role of curiosity in higher education, by inviting participants to engage in interactive demos designed to highlight an area of interest or research that sparks curiosity about learning about something new.

“The Curiosity Fair is unique in that it brings together so many different people — from middle school students in the Lexington community to Ph.D.s in neuroscience — all interested in finding out more about the cool things being studied on campus,” said Stacy Smith, UK College of Pharmacy Academic Advisor and former Curiosity Fair co-chair. “It is a relaxed, fun, interactive environment that is conducive to networking and learning.”

In addition to building connections, hosting a curiosity station gives presenters a chance to explain their topic of interest in a way that makes the information more accessible to a general audience. Past presentations at the Curiosity Fair ranged from holding a human heart, growing mushrooms and trying aerial silks to extracting DNA from food. View previous Curiosity Stations here.

Students, staff and faculty are invited to submit their curiosity station proposals through the fair’s presenter signup.

The event is open to students, faculty, staff and members of the Lexington community. For more information about the fair and what to expect, click here.