Don’t miss your opportunity to obtain free tickets to Grant Imahara, an electronics and robots expert from Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters, who will headline this year’s Nebraska Science Festival on April 5.
Tickets for general admission seating to "An Evening with Grant Imahara" will be released online at Eventbrite (up to four per person) at noon on March 2 on a first-come, first-served basis; please check nescifest.com for more information. Although the April 5 presentation is free, tickets are required for admittance when doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the Joslyn Museum’s Witherspoon Concert Hall in Omaha. The presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for past keynote speakers have went quickly. If you are unable to obtain tickets online, you may come to the venue and any open seats at 7:25 p.m. will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The seventh annual Nebraska Science Festival – scheduled for April 5-28 – will feature science- and technology-related activities in communities across the state with the goal of making science accessible, interactive, relevant and fun for all ages. Check nescifest.com for a full list of activities and participating communities.
As this year’s keynote speaker, Imahara will share his experiences in science, which includes a current consulting role for Walt Disney Imagineering, where he works on next-generation robots to go into Disney’s theme parks. He also has worked on some of the most famous movie and TV robots of all time including R2-D2 and the Energizer Bunny.
"As an electrical engineer and expert in robotics and animatronics, Grant Imahara has worked in some of Hollywood’s biggest films from Star Wars to Jurassic Park: Lost World," said SciFest coordinator Kacie Baum. "We are thrilled to have him kick off the Nebraska Science Festival with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)."
On Mythbusters, using a blend of science and fun, Imahara and his colleagues put urban legends to the test, sometimes with explosive results. He also brought his unique skills to the White Rabbit Project on Netflix. He has hosted Punkin Chunkin and Killer Robots for Science Channel, and has appeared on Junkyard Wars and Comedy Central’s BattleBots. He also played Lt. Sulu in the critically acclaimed webseries Star Trek Continues.
Before his career in front of the camera, Imahara spent nine years working behind the scenes in special effects as an animatronics engineer and modelmaker for George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. He worked on numerous blockbusters including The Matrix sequels, A.I., Galaxy Quest, Terminator 3, Van Helsing and Star Wars: Episodes 1-3. He’s worked on some of the most famous movie and TV robots of all time, putting the lights in R2-D2's dome for the Star Wars prequels and giving the Energizer Bunny his beat. He created the irreverent robot skeleton sidekick Geoff Peterson for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Imahara has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California and is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He has been on the cover of ROBOT Magazine, IEEE Spectrum and MAKE Magazine. Over the years, he has garnered numerous official commendations from various organizations, including the City of Los Angeles, the City of San Francisco and The White House.
Imahara joins a growing roster of SciFest speakers including scientist Bill Nye; "Animal Planet" host and conservationist Jeff Corwin; meteorologist and extreme storm chaser Reed Timmer; actor LeVar Burton, who discussed merging technology, storytelling and science fiction; Kari Byron, host of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters and Netflix’s The White Rabbit Project; and ABC News’ chief meteorologist Ginger Zee.
Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Nebraska Science Festival is a collaboration of organizations and individuals interested in the advancement of science literacy. In addition to UNMC, other sponsors, to date, are Metro Credit Union, the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, and media sponsors KETV and the Omaha World-Herald.
To volunteer as an individual, community site or a science expo booth, go to: www.nescifest.com. In addition to NeSciFest.com, you will find SciFest updates and information on Twitter (@NESciFest) and Facebook (NE SciFest).
Link to Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-grant-imahara-tickets-56576151793
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