Developed by Florida Atlantic University, the exhibit documents the state’s surfing history through vintage photographs and interpretive graphics as well as videos and oral histories from well-known Florida surfers. The Florida Museum will broaden the exhibit’s scope with surf memorabilia and specimens to explore animals in the surf and on the beach.

“The exhibit is packed with Florida surfing history and memorabilia, but we wanted to add objects from our collections and interesting natural history stories,” said Darcie MacMahon, Florida Museum assistant director for exhibits. “There are actually quite a few animals that surf, even a snail! We also wanted to explore some of the animals that use the beach, since many are familiar to beachcombers.”

The exhibit’s science content will include the museum’s famed “International Shark Attack File” and shark research programs, fish and marine invertebrate collections as well as other areas of study.

The museum will display the exhibit through Jan. 20, 2014.

“Surfing Florida: A Photographic History” was organized by the University Galleries, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, with support from the Florida Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Florida Museum of Natural History inspires people to value the biological richness and cultural heritage of our diverse world and make a positive difference in its future. The museum is located at 3215 Hull Road just east of Southwest 34th Street in the University of Florida Cultural Plaza in Gainesville. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The museum’s current temporary exhibit, “Titanoboa: Monster Snake,” details Florida Museum scientists’ recent discovery in Colombia of the world’s largest snake – 48 feet long and 2,500 pounds – and features a full-size model of the massive reptile.

For more information, including directions, parking and ticket prices, visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu or call 352-846-2000.

This free event from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. is hosted by the Northeast Chapter of BioFlorida and will feature more than 70 scientific and other vendors, an expanded bus tour of Progress Corporate Park and a brief program to celebrate the successes of the local biotechnology industry over the past year. The 204-acre park is home to 30 biotechnology companies.

Florida has seen a 60 percent growth of the biotechnology industry over the past five years. Furthermore, University of Florida’s Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator, located in the park, was recently awarded the Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year for overall excellence, topping incubators more than twice its size, such as the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. These accomplishments and more will be highlighted during this year’s celebration.

“There is a lot to celebrate at this year’s event,” said Patti Breedlove, associate director of Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator and a member of BioFlorida’s board of directors. “We are excited to share the successes of our local biotechnology companies and research institutions with life sciences stakeholders and the general public.”

Since the release of the second edition of Florida’s BioPulse, the biotechnology industry in Florida has experienced additional growth with Nanotherapeutics — a privately held biopharmaceutical company located in Progress Corporate Park and graduate of the Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator — being awarded a $135 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop manufacturing processes for drugs to treat bioterrorism and radiological threats. The company is expanding to land adjacent to Progress Corporate Park. Moreover, RTI Biologics is expanding its presence in Progress Corporate Park, by building a 41,165-square-foot Logistics and Technology Center that is expected to open in early 2014.

Jim Talton, CEO of Nanotherapeutics, will be at the celebration to discuss the Department of Defense contract that is expected to provide 150 new employees with an average salary of $90,000. Guests can take a narrated bus tour around Progress Corporate Park and surrounding areas, exploring the Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator, RTI Biologics’ Logistics and Technology Center and Santa Fe College’s Charles R. and Nancy V. Perry Center for Emerging Technologies, and the site of Nanotherapeutic’s new manufacturing facility.

For those interested in continuing education and training programs, Santa Fe College will highlight the school’s biomedical and biotechnology programs that educate and train the talent needed for the growing life sciences industry in the Gainesville area, and Florida.

Lunch will be for sale and provided by Gator Dominos, KB Kakes and Govinda’s from the Hare Krishna Temple. Guests will also have the chance to win door prizes.

BioFlorida has more than 20 events planned for the remainder of 2013. The next big event following the Celebration of Biotechnology is the 16th Annual Conference in Tampa in September. To view a complete list of the 2013 events, click here, or visit bioflorida.com.

“Around the World with Disney” performed by the Gainesville Orchestra will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. This performance will include a musical journey to far off places visited through Disney-animated films such as “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Mary Poppins,” “Aladdin,” “Hercules” and “Tarzan.” Musical scores from these films and others will be performed with animated images displayed behind the performers. Tickets are $35 for general admission, $25 for seniors 65 and older, and $15 for UF students and children under 12. Tickets may be purchased at www.performingarts.ufl.edu.

Prior to the performance will be an illustrator demonstration and activity at the Harn Museum of Art from 5 to 7 p.m. Watch characters come to life under the pens of the Sequential Artists Workshop illustrators, a Gainesville nonprofit organization dedicated to the prosperity and promotion of comic art and artists. These nationally known artists and instructors will also lead children in the development and drawing of their own characters. This event at the Harn Museum is free and open to the public.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to dine in the Camellia Court Café, located in the Harn Museum of Art, from 5 to 7 p.m. on this evening. The café offers salads, sandwiches and soups, as well as kid-friendly options. Reservations are recommended and are available at 352-392-3463.

The competition will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in several venues on the UF campus and will give high school students the opportunity to compete against their peers throughout the state in an individual one-hour written test and a group quiz bowl.

Prizes will be awarded to individuals and teams. Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided as well as tours of the research labs. The event is sponsored by the UF chemistry department, its undergraduate Chemistry Club and the Florida Section of the American Chemical Society.

Students and teachers and Florida public and private schools are invited to send up to three teams of four students each. Students will be registered based on the level of chemistry they have taken. Students dual enrolled in a college chemistry class are not allowed to compete.

For more information visit http://www.chem.ufl.edu/dept/chemathon.shtml

“Midnight Fun Run has become an exciting tradition on the UF campus,” said Darcie Burde, event coordinator and assistant director of fitness for UF RecSports. “It is great to see students getting excited about healthy living and making sound stress management decisions as they prepare to master their final exams.”

The event will start at 11:59 p.m. at Gate 2 of the O’Connell Center and consists of a 5K run or a 1.5 mile walk through the UF campus.

An active Gatorlink account is required for preregistration and can include one guest. Cardholders pay $12, and guests pay $20. Onsite registration, open from 10 to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, will be available for people not affiliated with UF as well as last-minute student, faculty and staff registrants. They will pay $10.

Preregistrants will receive an event T-shirt, and all registrants will receive a “to-go” breakfast from Gator Corner Dining Center after the race.

For more information or to register online, go to http://recsports.ufl.edu./special-events/midnight-fun-run-2013/

The Midnight Fun Run is presented by UF RecSports.

In addition, the museum and Gainesville Garden Clubs is offering an adult foliage arrangement class in the morning from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For Family Day, participants will take a guided tour of the Rembrandt exhibit. Following the tour, children will learn about the art of printmaking, a process by which an artist can create multiple copies of his or her work. Activities include creating drawings and prints of foliage arrangements that were created by adults in a morning class. A donation of $2 per child or $5 per family is requested if participating in the Family Day art-making activity. Admission to the Harn is free.

Adults may participate in “Learn to Make Arrangements from Foliage in your Yard,” a class offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will learn techniques and design their own foliage arrangement to take home. There is limited seating and registration is required. Class fee is $18 per person and includes a container and greenery. To register or for more information call 392-9826, ext. 2112.

The artists represented in two current exhibits that celebrate Florida’s natural springs will participate in a panel discussion at 11 a.m. moderated by journalist and author Cynthia Barnett.

John Moran, Lesley Gamble and Rick Kilby will explore past history, document current threats and discuss Floridians’ role in the springs’ preservation.

Families are welcome. Children and adults alike will have the opportunity to question the artists and find out what they can do to help protect Florida’s springs.

The “Springs Eternal: Florida’s Fragile Fountains of Youth” exhibit is a 30-year retrospective of Florida nature photographer Moran’s love affair with the springs of Florida. Mixing beauty and joy with heartbreak and shame, the exhibit is a visual celebration of the springs.

Based on the forthcoming book by Kilby, the “Finding the Fountain of Youth” exhibit examines how the legend of Ponce de Leon’s quest for restorative waters shaped the state’s image as a land of fantasy, rejuvenation and magical spring-fed waters. Rich in images, this exhibition shows how the myths surrounding the discovery of “La Florida” influenced perceptions of the state that still echo today.

The “Springs Eternal Project” exhibit is part of the larger project reaching beyond the museum walls. Gamble’s Urban Aquifer bus project and SpringsEternalProject.org website will soon lend additional public engagement including two Regional Transit System buses to bring stunning visions of Florida’s springs to the streets of Gainesville.

During the panel discussion, the artists will display some of their favorite images, talk about the role of art in saving natural places and engage the audience in a lively discussion about the springs.

The exhibits run through Dec. 15.

The Florida Museum of Natural History is located at 3215 Hull Road in the University of Florida Cultural Plaza.

The Springs Eternal Project is a project of Alachua Conservation Trust. To view a sampling of photos from the Springs Eternal exhibit, visit http://www.johnmoranphoto.com.

Unfortunately, some of these pet owners turn their critters loose in the wild – that’s one reason Florida has more invasive reptile and amphibian species than any other place on Earth. In fact, the Sunshine State is now home to so many Burmese pythons that earlier this year officials held a competition to capture and remove the huge constrictors, which are blamed for decimating native wildlife.

To discourage future releases of unwanted pets, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to present the area’s first Exotic Pet Amnesty Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16.

The event is free and open to the public. Animals will be accepted with no questions asked at the Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center, 2142 Shealy Drive, just off S.W. 16th Ave. near the UF College of Veterinary Medicine.

Simultaneously, there will be an educational display on the J. Wayne Reitz Student Union colonnade.

Organizer Steve Johnson, an associate professor in the wildlife ecology and conservation department, said he hopes to educate local residents on the perils of releasing pets in places where they shouldn’t.

“It’s not good for the welfare of the animal and it’s certainly not good for the Florida ecosystem,” Johnson said.

Jenny Novak, an FWC wildlife biologist who coordinates Exotic Pet Amnesty Day events around the state, said she predicts Gainesville residents will bring in reptiles, fish and possibly invertebrates such as tarantulas and scorpions.

“I expect we’ll see mainly see animals that students could keep quietly in a dorm room or an apartment,” she said.

Donors are asked to have their animals caged or otherwise confined, Novak said.

Pet owners who are unable to attend the event can donate pets by calling FWC’s adoption hotline, 888-IVE-GOT1.

Donated pets are examined by veterinarians, she said. After being certified healthy they are offered to previously screened, knowledgeable adopters.

FWC officials encourage other agencies, universities and conservation groups to consider hosting Exotic Pet Amnesty Day events. Those interested are asked to contact the Exotic Pet Amnesty Program coordinator at 850-617-9554.

Silverman is a comedian and actress best known for her Comedy Central series “The Sarah Silverman Program,” for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Best Actress. She recently starred in Disney’s Oscar-nominated hit film “Wreck-It Ralph” and in the Sarah Polley drama “Take This Waltz.” She will soon begin production on Seth McFarlane’s comedy feature “A Million Ways to Die in the West.” She is also the author of the New York Times best-selling book “The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee.”

The program starts at 8 p.m. at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and will begin with an opening act by comedian Kyle Dunnigan.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and admission is free and open to the public. Photography and recording will not be allowed during the program, including for the press.

Students may pick up tickets with a Gator 1 card (1 ticket per person) at the Phillips Center Box Office beginning at noon on April 19. If there are any tickets remaining, they will be distributed to the general public beginning at 7 p.m. April 22, prior to the performance (1 per person).

Tickets will likely be unavailable for the general public, and students should arrive as early as possible on April 19 to secure a ticket. Please regularly check ACCENT’s Facebook page and Twitter feed for updates regarding ticket availability.

The concert, “A German Requiem” by Johannes Brahms, will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2005, Pallesen gained recognition as a rising young talent in the opera scene and received the UF Alumni Association’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2007.

Pallesen repeatedly performs with the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. Last season, he covered the title role in the L.A. Opera’s “Eugene Onegin,” and he made his debut with the Baltimore Concert Opera in the role of Enrico in “Lucia di Lammermoor.”

In December 2012, Pallesen made his debut performance at Carnegie Hall singing Filippo in Bellini’s “Beatrice di Tenda” with the Collegiate Chorale. This season, Pallesen’s performance engagements include leading roles with the Fort Worth and Cincinnati Operas.

This year, the program features pieces from Brahms’ most world-renowned work, Ein deutsches Requiem. The UF Symphony Orchestra will begin the performance with Tragic Overture followed by the performances with the UF Concert Choir and the Gainesville Civic Chorus Master Chorale.

Will Kesling, distinguished conductor and UF School of Music professor, Will Kesling, will conduct the evening’s performances. Special guest conductor, Ingo Sautter, will conduct a Brahms’ folksong, “Erlaube mir fiens Madchen” and his “Ave Maria” for women’s voices and orchestra.

Pallesen will perform the leading baritone solo and Amy Maples will perform the leading soprano solo in “Ein Deutsches Requiem.” Maples is a concert soloist and opera soprano performer with a notable resume that includes performances with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra Kentucky and the Opera Colorado.

Concert tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors and free for UF students. They may be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or at the Phillips Center Box Office on UF campus.

For additional information about tickets or the performance, visit http://performingarts.ufl.edu.

Scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Marston Science Library, Room L107, the day will be devoted to discussing ways to continue and increase awareness about Fulbright programs across campus, learning about the program’s application process, and listening to the experiences of past Fulbright scholars and students.

Walter Jackson and Dylan Gipson, Institute of International Education Fulbright representatives, will participate in the discussions and workshops.

Here are the workshops:

9 to 10 a.m. — information session for undergraduate advisers and graduate coordinators
10:15 to 11:30 a.m. — faculty workshop
1:55 to 3 p.m. — students workshop

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is not necessary, but RSVPs are encouraged by contacting Mabel Cardec at mcardec@ufic.ufl.edu.

A fair from 10 a.m. to noon at the Reitz Student Union will include speakers, several interactive activities and safety booths, including fittings for bicycle helmets, free safety gear and other information.

The tour, presented by the Dori Slosberg Foundation, is stopping at other state universities in Florida.

Speakers include Tara Kirschner, executive director, Dori Slosberg Foundation; Maj. Jim Russell & Members of the “Survive the Drive” Team; Chief Linda Stump, University of Florida Police Department; Robert Morrow, GEICO; Curtis Reynolds, UF vice president of business affairs; Andrea Atran, Florida Department of Transportation; Tracy Hisler-Pace, Florida Highway Patrol; Donna York, Shands Medical Center; and Cristian Arango, Student Government Nightlife Navigators.

For more information visit www.dorislosberg.org.

To commemorate another year of Tobacco Free Florida, tables with tobacco education and tips on quitting, carbon monoxide monitoring and prizes will be across campus Tuesday.

Students and employees are encouraged to wear blue shirts and join in the celebration. To win one of the various prizes, participants must sport their blue, visit www.tobaccofree.ufl.edu and take note of the last word in the last video, and be one of the first 50 people to stop by a table at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. These tables can be found at Gator Corner Dining Facility, UF & Shands Atrium and the Plaza of the Americas.

Student groups will also be traveling and sharing knowledge on the free cessation services available to those who want to quit, as well as handing out reminders that UF is tobacco-free everywhere.

For more information go to www.tobaccofree.ufl.edu

Both choirs are directed by Mihoko Tsutsumi and will perform works ranging from opera, traditional choir, pop and world music.

Russell Robinson, UF School of Music faculty member, will premiere a composition that he dedicated to Tsutsumi and the Women’s Chorale. He will also guest conduct another piece with the Women’s Chorale.

Visiting koto player Satoko Someya will perform a traditional Japanese piece with the Men’s Glee Club. UF School of Music faculty members Steven Thomas and Leslie Odom will also perform as soloists with the combined choirs.

The concert will conclude with an opera chorus from Pietro Mascagni’s “Cavelleria Rusticana” performed with the University of Florida Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tsutsumi. The chorus will feature soprano soloist Elizabeth Graham, voice professor from the UF School of Music.

This will be Tsutsumi’s final semester at UF and her farewell concert with the Men’s Glee Club and Women’s Chorale.

This concert is free and open to the public.

Slaughter will speak in Ustler Hall Atrium (the old women’s gymnasium). A reception will follow.

Major state budget cuts in Florida are forcing universities to streamline programs and increase student costs. One significant effect of this is a rising emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and professional fields. This has led to many disparities between these disciplines and the humanities in research universities, in terms of research funding, infrastructure, course loads and student numbers.

Organized by the UF Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere, the lecture will describe the unanticipated and negative effects that these policies have had on the quality of teaching and innovation in research universities. In raising these issues, Slaughter will suggest ways in which these damaging trends may be challenged to enhance the fundamental objectives of higher education for all students and scholars.

Slaughter is the first occupant of the McBee Professorship of Higher Education at the University of Georgia’s Institute of Higher Education. Her current research examines the relationship between knowledge and power as it plays out in higher education policy at the state, federal and global levels.

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act’s creation of land-grant universities, the lecture is the final event in the “humanizing conversations” series in spring 2013 that address the historical and contemporary context of student, faculty, and public life at the University of Florida.