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Q&As

Investing in the Future

December 16, 2020 by Tori Miller

Jason Lamin, a 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipient, shares what he values in this moment and where he finds inspiration.

Stuart Stedman at Faith Ranch.

Stepping into the Wild

December 10, 2020 by Tori Miller

Stuart Stedman, a 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipient, uses his liberal arts education to gain perspective.

A portrait of Turan Vural smiling slightly and standing in front of a beige backdrop.

Liberal Arts Alumnus Receives Prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship

December 8, 2020 by Emily Nielsen

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.

Mary and Randy Diehl with Yellowstone Park in background.

Teaching, Learning and Living

November 30, 2020 by Alex Reshanov

Randy and Mary Diehl, 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipients, share a dedication for championing education and a joy for lifelong learning.

Michael Stoff sits at desk with an open book.

Understanding Your Past

October 29, 2020 by Alex Reshanov

Michael Stoff, a 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipient, teaches his students to approach history with respect, empathy and context.

Jacqueline Jones with Garrison Hall in background.

Giving Voice to History

October 23, 2020 by Alex Reshanov

Jacqueline Jones, a 2020 Pro Bene Meritis award recipient, discusses why it’s essential to learn the history behind today’s headlines.

Margaret Siu sits in a chair while holding a microphone up to her mouth. She is laughing happily at what is clearly a public speaking event.

No Stopping Her

February 13, 2020 by Emily Nielsen

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.

Portrait of J. Thomas “Tom” Ward.

Solving the World’s Most Pressing Issues

November 18, 2019 by Alex Reshanov

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, […]

Portrait of Brian P. Levack.

History Not on Repeat

November 18, 2019 by Alex Reshanov

Brian P. Levack Photography by Brian Birzer  Education: B.A. History ’65, Fordham University; and Ph.D. History ’70, Yale University  Hometown: New York, New York  Brian P. Levack is the John E. Green Regents Professor Emeritus in History at UT Austin, where he has taught for nearly 50 years while earning distinguished teaching awards. During his […]

Portrait of Sara C. Bronin.

Building for the People

November 18, 2019 by Alex Reshanov

The Pro Bene Meritis award is the highest honor bestowed by the College of Liberal Arts. Since 1984, the annual award has been given to alumni, faculty members and friends of the college who are committed to the liberal arts, have made outstanding contributions in professional or philanthropic pursuits or have participated in service related to the college. […]

Man casting his vote in blue box located on folding chair with sheer lavender curtains as background.

Why the most popular candidate in a close election will probably lose

September 19, 2019 by Rachel White

The Presidential elections of 2000 and 2016 were controversial, in part, because it seemed like the wrong person won. In 2000, Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore by 5 electoral votes after losing the popular vote by about 540,000. And in 2016, Republican Donald Trump garnered 27 more electoral votes than Democrat Hillary […]

Megan Abrameit in white jacket.

Fighting for Change: A Q&A with the 2019 Randy Diehl Prize Recipient

July 11, 2019 by Emily Nielsen

Megan Abrameit, a psychology and humanities double major from Tyler, Texas, has received the 2019 Randy Diehl Prize in Liberal Arts. Now in its fourth year, the $17,000 award was established by donors to support a graduating liberal arts senior who is committing the year after graduation to service for the greater good, be that […]

illustration of brain in pink, red and blue.

Grading Brain Health: How Educational Experiences Impact Cognitive Functioning Later in Life

May 13, 2019 by Rachel White

High school experiences follow you long after you’ve graduated, shaping your professional success and even your health. Now, researchers are investigating how it could contribute to your future brain health and maybe even impact your likelihood of getting Alzheimer’s Disease. University of Texas at Austin sociologist Chandra Muller researches how educational experiences shape life course […]

Portrait of Dr. Richard Harper.

Healing With Humanity

April 4, 2019 by Rachel White

The Pro Bene Meritis award is the highest honor bestowed by the College of Liberal Arts. Since 1984, the annual award has been given to alumni, faculty members and friends of the college who are committed to the liberal arts, have made outstanding contributions in professional or philanthropic pursuits or have participated in service related to the college. […]

Portrait of Jeremi Suri.

Telling History

April 4, 2019 by Caroline Murray

The Pro Bene Meritis award is the highest honor bestowed by the College of Liberal Arts. Since 1984, the annual award has been given to alumni, faculty members and friends of the college who are committed to the liberal arts, have made outstanding contributions in professional or philanthropic pursuits or have participated in service related to the college. […]

Portrait of Bianna Golodryga.

Getting it Right

April 2, 2019 by Caroline Murray

The Pro Bene Meritis award is the highest honor bestowed by the College of Liberal Arts. Since 1984, the annual award has been given to alumni, faculty members and friends of the college who are committed to the liberal arts, have made outstanding contributions in professional or philanthropic pursuits or have participated in service related to the college. […]

Dean Ann Huff Stevens sitting at a table.

Meet Ann Huff Stevens: Our Next College of Liberal Arts Dean

January 30, 2019 by David Ochsner

Ann Huff Stevens will begin as dean of the College of Liberal Arts on July 15, 2019. Stevens comes from the University of California, Davis, and is a Texas native with roots in Corpus Christi. She is a professor of economics who has served in a variety of leadership roles, including chair of the Department […]

man in the dark illuminated by computer light

Trolling the U.S.: Q&A on Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election

January 9, 2019 by Rachel White

It’s been more than two years since the 2016 presidential election, and the United States is still piecing together Russia’s propaganda-filled interference in U.S. political conversations on social media. According to a February 2018 poll by The University of Texas at Austin and The Texas Tribune, 40 percent of Texans believe Russian interference played a […]

red fireworks in a dark sky

New Year, Same You: Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail

December 12, 2018 by Rachel White

After we’ve spent all our money on gifts and stuffed ourselves to the brim with endless holiday treats, it’s no wonder many of us see the new year as an opportunity to become a little less broke and little more fit. But come next December, most of us will find ourselves back in the same […]

A street in Baltimore, MD

America’s Ongoing Housing Crisis: Q&A with “Owned” Film Maker Giorgio Angelini

December 6, 2018 by Rachel White

Fifty years after the passing of the Fair Housing Act, people across the United States continue to face an uphill battle to homeownership. “Owned, a Tale of Two Americas,” directed by University of Texas at Austin history alumnus Giorgio Angelini attempts to get at the root of the U.S. housing crisis, which erupted in an […]

A younger woman with longer blond hair looking at the camera and leaning her head against a wall

Hope, Love and Charity: Q&A with Miss Austin 2019 Jacqueline Petescia

November 29, 2018 by Tori Miller

Jacqueline Petescia, a freshman health and society major at the University of Texas at Austin, recently won the title of Miss Austin 2019. Jacqueline runs a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Friends Don’t Count Chromosomes, is a part of the Omega chapter of the Alpha Phi sorority, and is a classically trained opera singer and yodeler. Learn more […]

A younger woman with longer blond hair looking at the camera and leaning her head against a wall

Hope, Love and Charity: Q&A with Miss Austin 2019 Jacqueline Petescia

November 29, 2018 by Tori Miller

Jacqueline Petescia, a freshman health and society major at the University of Texas at Austin, recently won the title of Miss Austin 2019. Jacqueline runs a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Friends Don’t Count Chromosomes, is a part of the Omega chapter of the Alpha Phi sorority, and is a classically trained opera singer and yodeler. Learn more […]

Jorge Canizares-Esguerra

The Best Teachers are the Best Researchers: A Q&A with Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra

October 30, 2018 by Tori Miller

For the recognition of his work in mentoring graduate students, University of Texas at Austin history professor Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra has been presented with The Nancy Lyman Roelker Mentorship Award. This award commemorates educators that train, teach, and inspire students in a deeply meaningful and impactful way. Cañizares-Esguerra is the first to receive this award at […]

cover of The Emperor of Shoes

A Shoemaker’s Dilemma: Q&A with English Alum and Author Spencer Wise

August 14, 2018 by Katie Lazarowicz

Set in contemporary South China, The Emperor of Shoes is about a young Jewish Bostonian preparing to take over his family’s shoe business. But he ends up falling in love with a factory worker who may or may not be using him as a pawn to start a pro-democratic revolution in the factory. For author […]

Portrait of Dr. Travis Cosban.

Be Your Authentic Self 

July 2, 2018 by Emily Nielsen

Dr. Travis Cosban is a Dedman scholar alumnus from New Orleans by way of Katy, Texas. He graduated from UT Austin with a Plan II Honors degree in 2009 before becoming a part of the inaugural class at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center’s Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. Cosban is an emergency […]

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