CarMax founder supports Plan II study abroad and recalls his own experience One spring day in 1973, while wandering the streets of Lima, University of Texas student Austin Ligon got swept up in an Easter procession. There he was, a Protestant from West Texas, marching for hours with hundreds of thousands of Peruvian Catholics behind […]
Features
Q&A: Premarital Sex in America
Sociologists explore changing sexual landscape among college students While young women’s educational and career opportunities have skyrocketed over the past two decades, their opportunities for stable, long-term relationships have declined, according to the new book “Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate and Think About Marrying,” by University of Texas at Austin sociologists […]
No Pain No Gain
Training professors to write grant proposals, win research dollars Like many young faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin, psychologist Paige Harden has big, cutting-edge research ideas. Also like many young faculty, Harden needs federal grants to get started. But she realizes that the average age of scholars who receive certain National Institutes […]
Meet the Parents
Evolutionary psychologists reveal why parents want their children’s mates to have certain traits Psychologist Carin Perilloux is looking into a crazy little thing called love—and finding out why it’s so complicated when that special someone meets the parents. Good looks, personality, religion and earning potential may all come into play when choosing a serious sweetheart. […]
Conversation Stoppers
Professors examine how we don’t — but should — talk openly about race in the United States First came the fiery attacks last summer as the NAACP approved a resolution condemning perceived racist elements within the Tea Party movement. A few days later, United States Department of Agriculture official Shirley Sherrod was forced to resign […]
The Burden of the Bullied
High school’s over, but the effects may be long term High school is long past for Kelly, now 38, but she still recalls when her family relocated to a small West Texas town at the beginning of her freshman year. The bullying started from day one with a new rumor circulating about her every Monday […]
Q&A: Beauty Shop Politics
Historian Sees Beauty Shops as Birthplace of Activism “While there is a very vibrant scholarship in African American history and African American women’s history, the issue of entrepreneurship is something that has sometimes been ignored,” says Tiffany Gill, while sitting down with us to discuss her book, “Beauty Shop Politics: African American Women’s Activism in […]
Getting Ahead While Giving Back
Liberal Arts students committed to helping others and researchers explain why After Sly Majid graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in government in 2004, he landed a secure job at an insurance company with a comfortable office and handsome salary. But day after day, Majid continued to feel empty and restless. […]
A Towering Mystery Solved
Why ancient alphabets adorn a university icon When then-Harvard University Professor John Huehnergard and his wife and colleague Jo Ann Hackett first visited The University of Texas at Austin last year, they couldn’t help but notice the ancient Phoenician and Hebrew letters that adorn the Tower. After all, Hackett, a Hebrew scholar, and Huehnergard, who […]
Digging Up The Past, Close To Home
Artifacts, descendants tell story of freed slaves in Texas Recovering a forgotten history of African American life was motivation enough for anthropology graduate student Nedra Lee and her peers to brave the Texas summer heat while excavating an old farmstead in southern Travis County. “Working outdoors always brought a few surprises. There were always toads […]
A Veteran’s Dedication
Frank Denius’ commitment helps students understand World War II Each spring, Frank Denius meets with a group of about 20 University of Texas at Austin students who are about to leave for Europe as part of the Normandy Scholar Program. And each fall, Denius — the noted philanthropist, businessman and decorated World War II veteran — meets […]
The Son of Texas
W. Parker Frisbie inspires colleagues and students Twenty-five years ago, W. Parker Frisbie stumbled into the field of mortality research by accident. The young sociology professor’s interest in mortality, the study of death in a population, was piqued when a graduate student asked him to chair her dissertation committee. “At that time, we had no […]
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
Ellen Temple known for commitment to loved ones “Once upon a time, a very special 18-year-old girl came into my life, and she has been there ever since,” Frances Vick said about her friend and 2010 Pro Bene Meritis recipient Ellen Temple during the April 22 awards reception. “My experiences here have shaped my life […]
My Dearest
Scholars reveal the stories behind some of the world’s most inspired love letters A little over a year ago, Janine Barchas witnessed a marriage proposal in a crowded hotel ballroom. The young man left nothing to chance, relying on the words of a Jane Austen love letter—almost crafting his entire proposal from it. “The young […]
After the Dust Settles
Liberal Arts professors and students explore the next steps for Haiti The images of mass devastation, suffering, loss and chaos will forever remain with Suzanne Edwards after her trip to Haiti. On Jan. 12, less than an hour before the 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the nation, Edwards, a University of Texas at Austin senior majoring […]
Vanishing Voices
Linguists work with remaining speakers of dying languages to preserve cultural memories In a hill country home amid the scenic vistas of New Braunfels, Hans Boas, associate professor of Germanic Studies, conducts hours of interviews with the last remaining speakers of one of the Lone Star State’s oldest dialects, Texas German. During an interview, Alton […]
Contemplating Justice
Pulitzer Prize-winning History Professor David Oshinsky looks at the Supreme Court case that reshaped the death penalty in America In 1972, the United States Supreme Court delivered the longest and one of the most bitterly divided rulings in history. In a 5-4 decision in Furman v. Georgia, the justices ruled that the death penalty violated […]
Q&A: Roy Germano
When Roy Germano, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Government, ventured into Mexico’s rural farmlands and villages in 2007 to gather research for his dissertation on Mexican immigrants and politics, he couldn’t shake his frustration with the tone and substance of the heated immigration debate in the United States. He knew he had to […]
“Provincial Texan” tells the stories of her state
Frances Vick was a prospective college freshman applying to The University of Texas at Austin in 1954, when her father dropped her off on “the Drag,” pointed her toward the Tower and said, “Go up there. They can tell you how to register.” That was the beginning of her time in the College of Liberal […]
Plan II gave philanthropist an exceptional start
Leslie Blanton gets excited every time she makes the drive from her adopted hometown of Houston into Austin. After all, it’s where she met her husband, Jack Blanton, Jr., and began her studies in the Plan II Honors program. “I knew I was getting into something that was exceptional,” Blanton, a 1976 Plan II Honors […]
English alum supports teaching, writing scholarships
Anticipating the future needs of a university the size of The University of Texas at Austin is no easy task, but Maureen Decherd is forging ahead, helping to shape that future. “While this may seem simplistic, I have a very deep belief in the university and its purposes,” says Decherd, a 1973 English graduate and […]
Former POW taught generations of students
When Sidney Monas was taken in as a German prisoner of war during World War II, he remembers being huddled in boxcars — cold, hungry and dehydrated — as he was transported all over the German railroad network to Nuremberg. During the 10-day long train ride, Monas was exposed to strafing attacks from U.S. aircrafts. […]
Cultural Memories of Rome
Professor uses prize money to explore ancient civilization Staring down the challenge of a research project that spans 12 centuries of Roman civilization, Karl Galinsky’s expression is that of a confident gladiator. And who better to lead the charge than Galinsky, who admits he’s “not afraid to rattle some cages and have some fun” while […]
Taking on the Space Crunch
New Liberal Arts building will bring together students and faculty When College of Liberal Arts senior Mykel Estes needs a place to hang out and study between classes, he often heads to the atrium in the Red McCombs School of Business. It’s not that Estes isn’t committed to the liberal arts or his school. The […]
Barbecue State of Mind
Stories of Texas barbecue with heaping servings of places, people and tall tales In Texas, barbecue is serious business. Be it ribs, brisket, sausage or something more exotic, barbecue to Texans is not just food — it’s a frame of mind. So what is it about barbecue that Texans hold so near and dear to […]