The University of Texas (UT) is set to host five panels during the "South by Southwest (SXSW)" event on March 8 and 9. The panels will delve into a variety of topics including technology, health, science, sports, and lifestyle. UT President Jay Hartzell has expressed that these discussions will not only showcase the university but also provide insights into how digital innovations are poised to influence the economy.
"Here at UT, we know that what starts here changes the world, and that is especially true in health care, AI, robotics and life sciences," said Hartzell. "The rapid emergence of life-changing applications in medicine and sports is improving the way we diagnose and treat illnesses and enhancing our own physical performance. Other advances are changing our day-to-day lives at home or creating new opportunities for digital entrepreneurs. And all of these have a dramatic impact on our economy."
As per a press release from UT, these panels will be held at the Hook ’Em House at Antone’s in Austin, located at 305 E. Fifth St. This two-day event is slated to feature an array of activities such as nightly musical performances, engaging installations, academic and entrepreneurial panel discussions, watch parties for men’s and women’s basketball games, live music shows, food stalls, an International Women’s Day breakfast event and a parade through downtown Austin. Musical guests lined up for this event include Ghostland Observatory, Dayglow, West 22nd and Ella Castaldo while KUTX 98.9 DJs will keep the atmosphere lively with their tunes.
The panel discussions will see participation from notable speakers such as Jeremy Hills - CEO of Kollective; Remi Bader - popular content creator; Andrea Thomaz - CEO of Diligent Robotics; Jackie Snow - journalist from Wall Street Journal; David Paydarfar - professor and chair of neurology at Dell Medical School; Andre Esteva - founder and CEO of ArteraAI; along with Hartzell who will engage in conversation with Dr. Thomas J. Cahill III - founder and managing partner of Newpath Partners LP. Hartzell further stated that UT is "one of the few universities in the country that can assemble exceptional talent in each of these areas."
The Hook 'Em House sessions aim to shed light on future trends in sports performance, health wellness, artificial intelligence, the creator economy, among other related topics. The discussions will span from the transformation of healthcare through brain-computer interfaces to the shift of the creator economy from digital to mainstream. The panels during the official "SXSW Panel Picker" events will prioritize attendees with an SXSW badge for access.
According to information on the UT website, Hartzell is an alumnus of UT and assumed the role of university president in 2020. Prior to this, he served as dean of the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin.