January 21, 2016

The Art of Science

A campuswide competition challenges researchers to visually communicate the beauty inherent in their scientific investigations

Julie Cohen

The third annual Art of Science contest recognizes the creative and experimental nature of science. Sponsored by UC Santa Barbara’s Schuller Lab and the campus’s Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships at the California Nanosystems Institute, the initiative invites students and postdocs to share the beauty and meaning of science through illustrative photographs and images from their research.

“This contest really highlights the creative nature of science,” said Jonathan Schuller, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “Being a good scientist requires much more than technical skills and knowledge; it requires a passion and enthusiasm for dreaming up new ideas and for looking at the world with a fresh perspective.”

Any aspect of research captured visually is eligible, whether it be striking spectroscopic images of a new material, data from a series of simulations or interesting photos of a device or instrument.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Jan. 29. First place winner will receive a $250 Amazon gift card. Smaller prizes will be awarded to those who place second and third as well as to community-vote winners.

Finalists’ artwork will be displayed online for two weeks beginning Friday, Feb. 5 to allow for community voting. The winning images will be announced at a reception on Friday, March 4. Winning artwork will exhibited at the Library during spring quarter.

More information, including competition guidelines, can be found at http://art-csep.cnsi.ucsb.edu/.

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