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 […]
Features
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 […]
Family Foundation Supports Jewish Communities
Lynn Schusterman is determined to make the world a better place—not by herself, but with the help of a multitude of people and organizations she supports in Israel, Europe and the United States. Heeding the Jewish imperative tikkun olam, to “repair the world,” Schusterman and her husband Charles (now deceased) have been dedicated philanthropists for […]
A Scholar’s Call to Service
As Judith Langlois walks through the state-of-the-art children’s research lab in the Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay building, she recalls the three-room schoolhouse in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where she found her passion for science. During an era when many parents and teachers believed women lacked the mental capacity to excel in math and science, […]
Stepping Off the Beaten Path
There was a time when high-profile houston lawyer Julius Glickman was young and naïve, and he’s not ashamed to admit it. Glickman grew up in the West Texas town of Big Spring, and had scarcely traveled beyond the county line by the time he contemplated college. Several of his friends were headed to Southern Methodist […]
Unbound: Reading Rough Drafts to History
Some writers look at it as baggage. Others, as garbage. And some feel it is so close to them, it is part of their soul. Thomas Staley is talking about first drafts, an essential component of many literary archives he has acquired as director of the Harry Ransom Center. For Staley, it is the false […]
Q&A: Unemployment and the U.S. Economy
This Labor Day, while the country is still dealing with tough economic times, we sat down with University of Texas economist Daniel Hamermesh, to get his take on unemployment and if and when to expect an economic recovery. Who or what determines when the economy has recovered? The National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge […]
At the Forefront of the Relentless March of Medical Technology
Today, as Cooley, a 1941 zoology graduate from The University of Texas at Austin, walks through the state-of-the-art operating suites at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, he can recall a time when surgeons propped open operating room windows to allow in the “sterile” breezes. He has seen it all. As a doctor and an […]
Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Brings National Perspective to the Classroom
As a child, David Oshinsky explored the wonders of America in an un-airconditioned, stick-shift Chevy, packed to the roof with traveling gear for his family of four. The son of two schoolteachers remembers spending every summer the same way: criss-crossing states as they visited national parks, historic landmarks, presidential libraries and state fairs. You name […]
A Life Full of Joy — and Philosophy
After Enron, Arthur Andersen and Tyco collapsed a few years ago, U.S. federal investigators tried to identify who was responsible for the corporate mismanagement and misdeeds that shook the economy and the American public’s trust in business leaders. As prosecutors charged C.E.O.s and top executives with tampering with evidence to cover their tracks, Robert C. […]
‘Til Death Do Us Part?
Researchers diagnose health consequences of marriage, divorce So, why aren’t you married? It’s an age-old question dreaded by singletons. The underlying assumption of the awkward inquiry: there is something wrong with being single and one’s life is somehow incomplete without a partner. But does marriage mean you will live happily, and healthfully, ever after? Research […]