Akash Thakkar is an economics and Plan II honors senior from Austin, Texas. He was named a 2021 Dean’s Distinguished Graduate, one of only 12 liberal arts students honored each year. In this Q&A, read more about how his passion for economics research came to be and how he’s implementing it in the real world […]
Features
Engaging with Opportunities
Donatus Nnani is a religious studies and psychology senior from Detroit, Michigan. He spent more than 5 years in the United States Army prior to his studies, serving as a crew chief and squad leader. After arriving at UT Austin, he became a Mellon Engaged Scholar Initiative Fellow. This spring he was named a 2021 […]
Helping Others Learn
Estefania Rodriguez is a Mellon Engaged Scholar Initiative Fellow from Houston, Texas, who is triple-majoring in journalism, Latin American studies, and international relations and global studies. She was named a 2021 Dean’s Distinguished Graduate, one of only 12 liberal arts students honored each year. In this Q&A, read more about her research into environmental justice […]
Speaking to the World
Celeste Oon is an Asian studies and linguistics senior from San Antonio, Texas. She was named a 2021 Dean’s Distinguished Graduate, one of only 12 liberal arts students honored each year. In this Q&A, read more about her thesis on Asian transnational fandoms, her advice to other first-generation students and what it was like co-founding […]
2021 Carnegie Fellow to Study Long-Term Consequences of Epidemics
Kevin Thomas is one of 26 new fellows in the nation to receive $200,000 to fund significant research and writing in the social sciences and humanities.
Kind, Curious and Fearless
A Q&A with Anna Cash, a psychology senior from Austin who is passionate about law and justice.
Investing in the Future
Jason Lamin, a 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipient, shares what he values in this moment and where he finds inspiration.
Celebrating a Lifetime of Achievement
The American Sociological Association honors Jennifer Glass, Debra Umberson and Gloria González-López for their contributions to the field.
Stepping into the Wild
Stuart Stedman, a 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipient, uses his liberal arts education to gain perspective.
Liberal Arts Alumnus Receives Prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship
Turan Vural, a 2019 German and electrical and computer engineering alumnus from The University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded a Schwarzman scholarship to study in Beijing.
A Psychologist’s Award-Winning Word Play
Before his research helped discover the healing powers of writing and the Secret Life of Pronouns, Jamie Pennebaker’s curiosity killed the crab.
Landscapes: Latino Studies’ Journey to 50th Anniversary
Celebrating this milestone may look and feel different this year, but it is in the act of remembering that we preserve our future.
Teaching, Learning and Living
Randy and Mary Diehl, 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipients, share a dedication for championing education and a joy for lifelong learning.
2020 Vision: Examining Some of the Country’s Big Issues
Experts from UT Austin’s College of Liberal Arts weigh in on some of the major issues facing our country and the president-elect over the next four years.
Understanding Your Past
Michael Stoff, a 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipient, teaches his students to approach history with respect, empathy and context.
Giving Voice to History
Jacqueline Jones, a 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipient, discusses why it’s essential to learn the history behind today’s headlines.
Rebooting Our Lives After COVID-19
The world’s new reality amid the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing us to confront issues and critically think about how to revive communities slowly, safely and sustainably.
Ukraine’s Social Media Presidency
UT Austin student researchers delve into the state of democracy in Ukraine, and the role of youth political engagement and social media.
No Stopping Her
Margaret Siu, a Plan II honors senior from Dallas, is the recipient of a 2020 British Marshall Scholarship. The scholarship will fund her graduate education at the University of Oxford.
Gault Site Reveals Ancient Origins of Texas
More than 90 years ago the first anthropologist at the University of Texas, J.E. Pearce, began digging at a site near Florence, Texas, in effect turning the first pages on a story many millennia in the making.
It’s More Than a Movie
There is so much to be learned from film studies — about ourselves and the world around us — if we view it through a liberal arts lens.
The Taco Truck: Author Takes His Research to the Streets
Robert Lemon examines the evolution of taco trucks and how it transforms U.S. cities.
Moral Fuel: Energizing a New Internship Program
Students explore work and social justice through Jewish teachings.
Truman #22
Government and humanities senior Alyssa Ashcraft received one of the country’s premier graduate awards, which she will use to pursue a dual degree in law and public policy. As a 2019 Truman scholar, Ashcraft received $30,000 toward graduate school and the opportunity to participate in professional development programming to help prepare for a career in […]
Solving the World’s Most Pressing Issues
J. Thomas “Tom” Ward Photography by Brian Birzer Education: B.A. Government ’54, The University of Texas at Austin; and M.S. Educational Administration, University of Southern California Hometown: Austin, Texas Tom Ward is a retired foreign service officer formerly with the U.S. Agency for International Development, based in Washington, D.C. After serving in the U.S. Army, […]