Uncategorized
-
Defending Artistic Expression
Should artistic expression receive the same degree of legal protection as other types of speech, such as political, religious, commercial, or educational speech? Should it enjoy less freedom, or more? Michael Adams, a Plan II Honors junior majoring in Asian Cultures and Languages and Biology, penned this first-prize winning response during the Spring 2014 Freedom of Speech Essay Contest. In…
-
Investing in Global Leadership
UT Welcomes African Entrepreneurs to Campus Austin is no longer simply the Silicon Valley of the Southwest—it’s an international hub of entrepreneurial know-how. At its center: The University of Texas at Austin. And, true to its mission to change the world, the university is playing a key role in sharing that knowledge with Sub-Saharan Africa’s…
-
Inside the Baroque
“Façade of the Seven Princes,” entryway to the chapel of the Virgin in the Church of the Carmen, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The “seven princes” refer to the seven archangels, who are represented as protectors of the Virgin Mary. Created in 1788, this splendid altarpiece-façade, decorated with intricately carved stucco, is a stunning example of…
-
It’s Plainer to an Explainer
Asking children to come up with explanations — even to themselves — enhances their cause-and-effect learning abilities, according to new research by Cristine Legare, associate professor of psychology. The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, shows that young children who come up with explanations while learning are able to connect new ideas…
-
Regents Honor Outstanding Teaching
Four liberal arts professors received the 2014 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Awards. They were among the 27 faculty award winners of the UT System Board of Regents’ highest teaching honor, which recognizes extraordinary educators from system institutions. The awards program is one of the nation’s largest monetary teaching recognition programs in higher education, honoring outstanding performance in the…
-
Early Poverty Linked to Obesity in Women
Adolescent girls who grow up in poor households are more likely than their male counterparts to become overweight or obese, according to a new study by Tetyana Pudrovska, assistant professor of sociology. The study, published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, shows long-lasting consequences of economic hardship in childhood for the risk of…
-
Normandy Scholars Celebrate 25th Anniversary
Each year, 20 UT Austin students of different backgrounds and majors are selected to study the causes, conduct, consequences and contemporary representations of World War II. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Frank Denius Normandy Scholar Program (NSP), which was established in 1989. To date, more than 500 undergraduates have benefited from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Normandy Scholars receive…
-
What I Did Last Summer
Famed Polish Economist Invites UT Student to Think Tank In November 2013, famed Polish economist Leszek Balcerowicz spoke on the UT Austin campus as part of International Education Week, which celebrates the enriching benefits of international education and exchange. Those “enriching benefits” were not lost on one audience member, economics senior Hector Cantu from Monterrey,…
-
Gordon Receives Presidential Citation
Edmund T. Gordon, chair of the African and African Diaspora Studies Department (AADS) in the College of Liberal Arts, was recognized on April 17 with a Presidential Citation from UT Austin President Bill Powers. As one of the university’s highest honors, this prestigious award was established to recognize the extraordinary contributions of individuals who personify…
-
NYT Magazine Covers Yeager Research
A May 2014 New York Times Magazine cover story, “Who Gets to Graduate?” examined UT Austin’s efforts to increase student success and graduation and prominently featured the work of David Yeager, a UT assistant professor of psychology who is emerging as one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of education. Yeager’s research and…
-
New Department Focuses on Latino, Mexican American Experience
Building Upon a 44-Year History of Mexican American Studies at UT A new academic department that takes a comprehensive look at the lives, cultures and histories of Mexican American and Latino populations has been established at The University of Texas at Austin. The Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies (MALS) will ultimately offer undergraduate…
-
Ancient Girl Shares Genetic Lineage of Modern Native Americans
The ancient remains of a teenage girl found in an underwater Mexican cave establish a definitive link between the earliest Americans and modern Native Americans, according to a new study released in the journal Science. The study was conducted by an international team of researchers from 13 institutions, including Deborah Bolnick, assistant professor of anthropology…
-
Sociology Celebrates 100 Years
This year, the Department of Sociology celebrated its 100-year anniversary. Looking back at the department’s many achievements within the past century, this is a milestone worthy of a big celebration. In addition to its top national rankings, the department is home to an impressive number of eminent social scientists—from C. Wright Mills, whose seminal works…
-
Nothing Backward About Walking on All Fours
Anthropologist Liza Shapiro may finally have an answer for why members of a Turkish family walk exclusively on their hands and feet. Contradicting earlier claims of “backward evolution,” Shapiro and her team of researchers found the group of siblings made famous by a 2006 BBC documentary, “The Family That Walks on All Fours,” have simply…
-
Plan II, NROTC Student Receives British Marshall Scholarship
Mark Jbeily, a Plan II Honors and Naval ROTC senior at The University of Texas at Austin, has been named a 2015 British Marshall Scholar. The Marshall Scholarship will fund Jbeily’s pursuit of a Master of Philosophy in International Relations at the University of Oxford in England. The scholarship, which is awarded to no more…
-
Army ROTC Program Named Battalion of the Year, Advances in Brigade Ranger Challenge
The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at The University of Texas at Austin has been named Best ROTC Program in the region. UT Austin is a member of the 5th ROTC Brigade, which is made up of 36 programs at universities in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico and Arkansas. Col. Ricardo…
-
For Women, Job Authority Adds to Depression Symptoms
Job authority increases symptoms of depression among women, but decreases them among men, according to a new study from University of Texas at Austin sociologist Tetyana Pudrovska. “Women with job authority — the ability to hire, fire and influence pay — have significantly more symptoms of depression than women without this power,” said Pudrovska, the…
-
Riveted: LaToya Ruby Frazier Exhibition Challenges Representational and Environmental Racism
LaToya Ruby Frazier, Huxtables, Mom and Me, 2009, from The Notion of Family. Courtesy of the artist and Michel Rein, Paris/Brussels Award-winning artist LaToya Ruby Frazier’s exhibition, “Riveted,” will be on view from Nov. 7 through Dec. 6 at the Visual Arts Center at UT Austin. Frazier’s work documents the effects of economic and environmental…
-
UT Anthropologist Helps Team Unlock Ancient Mammal Mystery
A UT anthropologist and a team of international researchers have announced the discovery of a new, relatively massive fossil mammal that lived among the dinosaurs more than 66 million years ago. Chris Kirk, associate professor of anthropology and an expert in the evolution of primate sensory systems, said Stony Brook University paleontologist David Krause led…
-
Bar-Adon Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award
The Council for Hebrew Language and Culture in North America honored Professor Aaron Bar-Adon with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its second annual conference on Nov. 3, 2014, in Newark, New Jersey. Bar-Adon, a professor emeritus at The University of Texas at Austin, was recognized for his invaluable contribution to the study, advancement and dissemination…
-
Liberal Arts Welcomes Families to Campus
This weekend, students are getting a chance to answer the age-old question, “So, what’s going on at school?” in an illustrative way. The College of Liberal Arts is hosting a breakfast, open house and mini-class sessions for students and their families as a part of UT Austin’s Family Weekend 2014. The event runs from 8:30…
-
Mental Rest and Reflection Boost Learning, Study Suggests
A new study, which may have implications for approaches to education, finds that brain mechanisms engaged when people allow their minds to rest and reflect on things they’ve learned before may boost later learning. Scientists have already established that resting the mind, as in daydreaming, helps strengthen memories of events and retention of information. In…
-
Freshmen Learn the Basics in LA 101
Starting college is an overwhelming experience, but liberal arts students are getting an extended orientation with a specially designed course. LA 101: Liberal Arts Planning and Pathways is a one-hour online and discussion class that introduces incoming freshmen to the College of Liberal Arts and UT Austin and provides them with insight and information they…
-
Polish Economic Architect Hosts UT Austin Student in Warsaw
Studying abroad exposes liberal arts students to a variety of peoples and cultures, and in the case of Hector Cantu, it landed him 3 months as a research assistant at a Polish think tank led by a legendary economist. Cantu, a UT Austin economics senior from Monterrey, Mexico, spent his summer in Warsaw meeting with…
-
Media Highlights: Fall/Winter 2014
Jeremi Suri (History) published an op-ed titled “How America Helped ISIS” in the New York Times. Terri Givens (Government) shared insight into immigrant integration in Europe in a Washington Post op-ed titled “A Left-Right Divide in European Attitudes toward Immigrants.” Findings from Jim Henson’s and Daron Shaw’s (Government) Texas Politics Project/Texas Tribune poll were cited…
