The year is 2008. You walk into your third-grade classroom and your body fills with excitement. The television is sitting on the cart, plugged into the outlet, ready to go. Your teacher puts a DVD into the DVD player and the movie plays. The very first sound you hear is: “Bill Nye the Science Guy” and the opening credits of his critically acclaimed children’s television show “Bill Nye the Science Guy” flash across the screen.

Like many of your peers, Bill Nye was probably an integral role in learning about science. His fun, interactive way of teaching grabbed and kept the attention of many young students, thus making the job easier on teachers.

Nye will soon visit UK, allowing UK students to relive a piece of their childhood.

“I would love to go see him,” said Jade Johnson, a sophomore at UK. “It would be so cool.”

Nye is a science communicator, television presenter and mechanical engineer. His hit TV show “Bill Nye the Science Guy” ran from 1993-1998. During its five-year tenure on PBS, it captured the hearts of many young aspiring scientists and propelled Nye into international stardom. With its quirky humor and rapid-fire MTV-style pacing, the show won critical acclaim and was nominated for 23 Emmy Awards, winning 19.

Nye graduated from Cornell University in 1977 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. He worked as an engineer at Boeing Corporation then pursued a standup comedy career before pitching “Bill Nye the Science Guy” to KCTS-TV, a public television station in Seattle.

“The blessing and the curse— the blurse— of Bill Nye is: What you see is what you get. I really am passionate about science and I really am a regular person,” Bill Nye said in a 2017 interview with Smithsonian Magazine. “I can’t be ‘on’ like the way the guy in the Science Guy show is ‘on’ all the time. You can’t project that energy all day.”

Nye is looking to project that energy on Nov. 19 when he comes and speaks at the Singletary Center as part of the Speak Blue Distinguished Speaker Series put on by UK’s Student Activities Board. The student organization is known to bring some big names through Lexington, and it is once again delivering.

“UK SAB does a great job putting on events. I’ve been here for four years and all the events they have had are always amazing. Once I graduate in May, this is one of the bigger things I’ll miss about UK,” said Josh Green, a senior neuroscience major.

Nye is a legend within the educational TV world. He taught science in a fun, humorous manner that made every kid want to imitate everything he was doing on his show. This event will be a true blast from the past, and a nostalgic one at that.

Tickets are on sale now at the Singletary Center for the Arts box office and website. Tickets are free for UK faculty and staff with a valid UK ID and $15 for the general public. Follow @UKSAB on all social media platforms for more information.