Globe-trotting liberal arts students share their summer experiences Classes are officially back in session and another summer has come to an end. Liberal arts students made their time away from Austin count by taking on amazing adventures that enriched their academic, personal and professional lives. From an anthropological dig in Belize to a prestigious public […]
Features
When Will My Computer Understand Me?
For more than 50 years, linguists and computer scientists have tried to get computers to understand human language by programming semantics as software. Driven by efforts to translate Russian texts during the Cold War (and more recently by the value of information retrieval and data analysis tools), these efforts have met with mixed success. IBM’s […]
Meteorologist Troy Kimmel Talks Tornadoes and Climate Change
Troy Kimmel is a senior lecturer of Studies in Weather and Climate in the Department of Geography and the Environment. He is a committee member/instant meteorologist for University of Texas Campus Safety and Security, as well as committee chief meteorologist, KOKE FM Radio, Austin. A monster EF-5 tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb of […]
Liberal Arts EdX Courses Open for Registration
This fall, students around the globe will have the opportunity to enroll in massive open online courses taught by two top professors in the College of Liberal Arts. Offered through EdX, a major player in the massive open online course (MOOC) movement, the courses are free and open to the public. No longer bound by […]
K-12 Teachers Enhance History Curriculum, Gather New Research at Gilder Lehrman Seminar
This summer, 25 primary and secondary teachers from across the country came to The University of Texas at Austin to hone their skills and gather new research at a weeklong seminar sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History – one of the leading educational foundations in the country. Held June 23 through 29, […]
Neuroscientist Takes the Quantified Self, and Own Brain, to the Next Level
Early this Tuesday morning, and every Tuesday morning through November 2013, neuroscientist Russell Poldrack will wake up, take off his headband-like sleep monitor, and tell it to wirelessly send data about his night’s sleep to a database. Then he’ll log in to a survey app on his computer, and provide a subjective report on how […]
Virtual Gallery Reconstructs Art Exhibit Attended by Novelist Jane Austen
The Department of English at The University of Texas at Austin has launched an online reconstruction of a famous art exhibit visited by novelist Jane Austen on May 24, 1813 – exactly 200 years ago to the day. In a letter to her sister, Austen joked that she would be searching for a portrait of […]
The Appendix: Experimental Journal Showcases History of the Arcane
While sifting through the musty collections of ancient pages at the Smithsonian, Christopher Heaney stumbled upon some fascinating materials on an apocalyptic prophecy by “Benjamin, the Anti Christ,” a San Francisco prophet who foresaw earthquakes, international war and brain paralysis. Unfortunately it didn’t fit into his research topic on Peruvian mummies, so he had to […]
Graduating Senior Paulina Sosa Aims to End Extreme Poverty
Everything changed for Paulina Sosa, a philosophy and psychology double major, when she journeyed to a landfill community in Mexico on a church mission trip. At age 13, she was overwhelmed by a young boy’s desperation for basic needs when she presented him with a couple of trinkets. “I remember thinking that a piece of […]
Q&A: Doctoral Student Explores History of Science in Southeast Borderlands
Cameron Strang, a doctoral student in the Department of History, has been generating a great deal of interest among fellow historians with his research on skull collecting and scalping in the early American borderlands. He argues that science of the nascent United States was not exclusively from institutions in the Northeast, but that it incorporated […]
Q&A: Professor and Poet Kurt Heinzelman on Adelaide Writer’s Week
Kurt Heinzelman, English professor, founding co-editor of The Poetry Miscellany and advisor and editor-at-large for Bat City Review, has been publishing poetry for 30 years in such journals as Poetry, Poetry Northwest, Massachusetts Review and Southwest Review. Recently, Heinzelman was invited as a featured author to Adelaide Writers’ Week, an important part of the larger […]
Humanities Research
What is the value of humanities research? Why is it a practical component of an undergraduate’s education? The answer is simple. Explorations into literature, philosophy, art, music and poetry teach us how to make sense out of a complex and interdependent world. Whether they’re deciphering ancient manuscripts, unraveling medieval mysteries, or reciting a Shakespeare play, […]
End of Austin
Will rapid growth destroy the city’s weird and charming vibe? Walk by a magazine rack and take a look at the headlines. Chances are, you’ll find Austin gracing a “best city” list. Among its many accolades, the Texas state capital has been named the “best city to start a small business,” “best city for retirees,” […]
Long Live the Jane Austen Frenzy!
As “Pride and Prejudice,” first published in 1813, celebrates its 200th anniversary, Jane Austen is repackaged to appeal to a new generation of readers On the highbrow end, organizations and libraries around the world are busy hosting academic conferences and readings to celebrate the bicentenary. On the pop culture side, Hollywood is about to release […]
A Space to Call Home
Take a walk through the new College of Liberal Arts Building, and the building feels as fresh and modern as it feels warm and lived-in—an impressive feat for a place that just opened in January. “This is our shot at greatness,” says Randy Diehl, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “This building ensures that […]
Life Lessons from the Great Books
Students explore themes that have shaped modern civilization For any of life’s challenges, there is a Great Book to offer valuable insight. From Homer’s “Odyssey” to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” to George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” the world’s greatest tomes have touched on themes that are as relevant today as when they were written. Tracing the ideas, stories […]
A New World Pope
2013 marks a historic year for the Catholic Church. In an unexpected move, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, becoming the first pontiff to step down in nearly 600 years. Now–for the first time ever–a Jesuit from Latin America will lead more than one billion Catholics worldwide. In light of these monumental changes, we caught […]
Undergraduate Writing Center Celebrates 20 Years of Service
In 1993 the Undergraduate Writing Center opened its doors to students of all majors in need of help on various writing-intensive projects—from research papers to résumés to scholarship application statements. To celebrate its 20-year anniversary, the writing center hosted its first large-scale symposium titled “The Future of Writing Centers” on Feb. 22-24. The event featured […]
Home Sweet Home?
Take a look at your bedroom. Is it scattered with laundry? Adorned with photos? Are you only leaving a sliver of space in the closet for your partner’s clothes? These seemingly mundane domestic scenarios may reveal a surprising amount of information about a couple’s relationship, according to a forthcoming study led by Lindsay Graham, a […]
2013 Pro Bene Meritis Award Recipients
The College of Liberal Arts is proud to announce the 2013 Pro Bene Meritis Award recipients. The Honorable Ben Barnes, Toyin Falola, Jeanne and Michael Klein, and Marion Mark were chosen for their outstanding service to the college. The Honorable Ben Barnes is a graduate of The University of Texas Law School and was elected […]
A New Building for a New Era
Just in time for the spring semester, the new College of Liberal Arts Building will make its debut. The 200,000 square-foot, glass and limestone structure will give more than 10,000 liberal arts students a place to call home for the first time in decades. Not only is the building the newest landmark for the campus, […]
Q&A: Is the Texas Twang Dying Out?
Go to any small Texas town and you’re likely to get an earful of “y’alls,” “might-coulds” and “fixin tos.” But in big cities like Austin, Dallas and Houston, Texans are sounding a lot less like cowpokes and more like other Americans. With a surge of newcomers, rapid urbanization and new technology, the Lone Star State’s […]
Do You Speak Texan?
Despite drastic changes to the iconic accent, most Texans will continue to use their twang in the right situation Since this story was featured in Life & Letters last spring, English Professor Lars Hinrichs’ research on the evolution of the iconic Texas twang has been featured in several national media outlets, including TIME, NPR and […]
Q&A: Beauty and Social Justice
A staunch defender of beauty, Harvard University professor and award-winning author Elaine Scarry shows how appreciating aesthetic pleasures can press us toward a greater concern for social justice in her book “On Beauty and Being Just.” Drawing inspiration from writers and philosophers – as well as her own personal experiences – Scarry shares some provocative […]
Fate of the Book
Public forum series examines the uncertain future of the book The Harry Ransom Center’s Gutenberg Bible is among the world’s most valuable books. Printed more than 550 years ago, it is one of only 21 complete copies known to exist. To discover an intact copy today would be a rare find, but not as rare […]