![\"hesseljohns2\"](\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2015\/07\/hesseljohns2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nDr. Ron Johns and Torvald Hessel have launched the Texas Museum of Science and Technology, which currently features the acclaimed touring exhibit “Body Worlds & the Cycle of Life.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
While Austin may be known as a highly educated city and high-tech hub, the city has lacked one particular feature that most of its peer communities have: a dedicated science museum.<\/p>\n
Two Austin Community College faculty members are changing that. As founders of the Texas Museum of Science and Technology<\/a>, or TXMOST, Torvald Hessel, adjunct professor of astronomy, and Dr. Ron Johns, professor of geology and assistant dean of assessment, are using their passion for science and education to create a new avenue of learning for adults and students of all ages.<\/p>\n Since opening in March in its temporary Cedar Park location, the museum has received almost 30,000 visitors to view \u201cBody Worlds & the Cycle of Life,\u201d the acclaimed touring exhibition that uses preserved bodies to teach anatomy, physiology, and health.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of a sudden we have proven ourselves to some extent,\u201d says Hessel, the museum\u2019s executive director. Adds Johns, \u201cIt\u2019s not just pie-in-the-sky \u2013 it\u2019s concrete.\u201d<\/p>\n The two have been pursuing their vision since 2003, when Hessel, a native of the Netherlands, connected with Larry Forrest, the late Glass Mountain Optics founder who wanted to bring a planetarium to the city.<\/p>\n Hessel, who worked at the Artis Planetarium of Amsterdam while earning a master\u2019s degree in astrophysics, shared his interest and offered valuable expertise and experience. Johns came on board, and the three incorporated as the Austin Planetarium in 2003.<\/p>\n They ultimately decided to broaden their plans and create a full-spectrum interactive science museum with exhibits in astronomy, geology, physics, biology, and cutting-edge technology under one roof.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t happen often like this,\u201d says Hessel. \u201cUsually it\u2019s a government body or educational institution that tries to build a museum. We\u2019re a grassroots organization.\u201d<\/p>\n But while visitors now are lining up at the door, the work is far from complete. The professors and fellow museum board members still plan to install a planetarium by the end of the year. More than 100,000 students have visited their mobile planetarium<\/a>.<\/p>\n They continue to look for permanent home and new exhibits, a process that has them walking a line between offering a great experience and compelling people to see the potential for more.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the feedback they get from the continuous flow of schoolchildren and other visitors through the museum makes their efforts worthwhile.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is still the most touching,\u201d Hessel says. \u201cWe have people thanking us, saying, \u2018We\u2019re so happy that you have spent the time to bring it this far.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Visit the <\/em>TXMOST<\/em><\/a> website to learn more about the museum. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While Austin may be known as a highly educated city and high-tech hub, the city has lacked one particular feature that most of its peer communities have: a dedicated science museum. Two Austin Community College … Continue reading