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, […]
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Budding Philanthropists Give $100,000 to Five Charities
This holiday season, students from The University of Texas at Austin are giving back in a big way. Freshman enrolled in the “Philanthropy: The Power of Giving” signature course capped off their semester by giving away $100,000 to five charitable organizations at a check presentation ceremony on Monday, Dec. 14. The recipients include A Glimmer […]
Supernatural Explanations More Accepted as We Age
Reliance on supernatural explanations for major life events, such as death and illness, often increases rather than declines with age, according to a new psychology study from The University of Texas at Austin and published in the June issue of Child Development. “As children assimilate cultural concepts into their intuitive belief systems — from God […]
UTeach-Liberal Arts Goes Global
Applying top teacher-training principles into different cultural frameworks Inspiring. Knowledgeable. Passionate. These descriptions often tumble forth when people are asked to recall their favorite teacher. Good teachers help students pass tests, but great teachers spark critical thinking, bring subjects to life and encourage students to pursue their passions. Since 2001, The University of Texas at […]
Teenage Alcohol Abuse May Be Cause, Rather than Effect, of Isolation and Poor Grades
Rather than gaining “liquid courage” to let loose with friends, teenage drinkers are more likely to feel like social outcasts, according to a new sociology study from The University of Texas at Austin. The study — conducted by Robert Crosnoe, professor of sociology, and Aprile Benner, assistant professor of human development and family sciences — […]
Hope for Peace in the Middle East
Jason Brownlee, associate professor in the Departments of Government and Middle Eastern Studies, has received a $109,484 grant to examine peace-building efforts in Egypt. The funding, provided by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), will enable Brownlee to determine whether the rise in Egypt’s anti-Coptic violence comes from underlying social tensions or from lack […]
Sweet Success for Liberal Arts Entrepreneurs
It’s not unusual to hear a liberal arts student say, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could make money doing what I love?” But the logistics of launching a business — from starting a portfolio to developing a marketing plan — can make the very notion of embarking on a new venture seem downright intimidating. […]
What Big Eyes You Have
Maximum running speed is the most important variable influencing mammalian eye size other than body size, according to new research from anthropology associate professor Chris Kirk and physical anthropology doctoral student Amber Heard-Booth. “If you can think of mammals that are fast like a cheetah or horse, you can almost guarantee they’ve got really big […]
UT Historian Leads Major Tejano Curriculum Project
UT History Professor Emilio Zamora is playing a key role in an innovative new public-private partnership to bring Tejano history into Texas public schools and public spaces. Zamora is collaborating with Professors Cynthia Salinas and María Fránquiz from the College of Education. The Tejano History Curriculum Project — sponsored by the Tejano Monument, Inc., a […]
Media Highlights: Fall 2012
September H.W. Brands’ (History) new biography on Ulysses Grant, “The Man Who Saved the Union,” was featured in several media outlets, including the Boston Globe and the Wall Street Journal. Kate Brooks (Liberal Arts Career Services) shared some tips on how to mine job references in the Atlantic. She was also quoted in a Chicago […]
Media Highlights: Summer 2012
June Kate Brooks (Career Services) shared some tips on how to make the most out of a crummy summer job in Forbes on June 6. Dan Hamermesh’s (Economics) “Beauty Pays” research was featured in a June 16 story in the Globe & Mail. Jim Henson (Government) was quoted in a June 1 New York Times […]
Spring/Summer 2012 Faculty & Staff Awards
OCTOBER Two psychology professors, Kim Fromme and Paige Harden, have received a $2.3 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to study genetic influences on drinking and other risky behaviors. Go to this website for more details. SEPTEMBER Madeline Hsu, director of Asian American studies and associate professor of history, […]
Spring/Summer 2012 Student Awards
SEPTEMBER The College of Liberal Arts has honored two students with a Larry Temple Scholarship. The 2012-13 Larry Temple Scholarship winners are: William Hoenig, a Plan II Honors sophomore majoring in electrical engineering and economics; and Nicole Kruijs, a Plan II Honors sophomore majoring in public health. Go to this website for more details. The Asian […]
Media Highlights: Spring 2011
Historian David Oshinsky’s partnership with Bill Gates’ anti-polio efforts was featured in USA Today and Forbes. Linguistics professor Ian Hancock discussed the growing number of Gypsies who are rising into the ranks of an educated middle class in the Boston Globe, the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Yahoo News. Presidential historian H.W. Brands published an op-ed […]
Media Highlights: Fall 2011
H.W. Brands, professor of history, discussed “The Past, Present and Future of the Dollar” at a Longhorn Network Game Changers taping on Oct. 18. Jason Brownlee, associate professor of government, discussed Tunisia’s chance at democracy in the Wall Street Journal. Robert Dull, professor of geography and the environment, was quoted in a USA Today story […]
And the 2012 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Awards Go To…
Eight faculty members from the College of Liberal Arts received the 2012 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, the UT System Board of Regents’ highest teaching honor, which recognizes extraordinary educators from system institutions. The University of Texas at Austin instructors, who represent a diverse set of disciplines and expertise, each received monetary awards of $25,000. The […]
Lebermann Foundation Announces $2.5 Million Gift to Nationally Ranked Plan II Honors Program
The Lebermann Foundation, established by former University of Texas System Regent and Plan II student Lowell H. Lebermann Jr., is donating $2.5 million to The University of Texas at Austin to help recruit top students for the Plan II Honors Program. Recently ranked among the top honors experiences in the country, Plan II is a […]
TOWER Transforms Classrooms
Large-format courses can provide students with rapid feedback and personalization for the ultimate learning experience A new education platform developed at The University of Texas at Austin is helping answer two critical questions about classrooms of the future: What’s the best way to use online technology in higher education? And how can we increase student […]
Bridge to Tomorrow
Students, faculty and visitors will soon cross this sky bridge from the Student Activity Center to the new Liberal Arts Building, where workers are putting finishing touches on labs, classrooms and other gathering spaces that maximize student/faculty collaboration while minimizing environmental impacts. Located on the East Mall near San Jacinto Street, the building is designed […]
Climbing Kilimanjaro
Alexander D’Jamoos, a Liberal Arts Honors/International Relations and Global Studies sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts, spent his summer climbing Africa’s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Born in Penza, Russia, he grew up in an orphanage for children with disabilities. At age 16, he was adopted by an American family and moved from Russia to […]
Memories for the Future
When humans learn, their brains relate new information with past experiences to derive new knowledge, according to psychology research from The University of Texas at Austin. The study, led by Alison Preston, assistant professor of psychology and neurobiology and research affiliate in the Center for Learning and Memory, shows this memory-binding process allows people to […]
Third Time’s the Charm for Keene Prize Recipient
Fiona McFarlane, a James A. Michener Center for Writers (MCW) graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, has won the $50,000 Keene Prize for Literature for her short story, “A Fortunate Man.” A finalist in 2010 and again in 2011, McFarlane finally took the grand prize this year when her story was chosen […]
Pennebaker Honored by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology
James Pennebaker, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, is the recipient of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology’s (SPSP) Distinguished Scholar Award — the society’s highest honor. Pennebaker showed that writing about personal trauma and other negative life experiences can positively affect physical health and psychological well being in the long term. […]
South Asia Institute Initiates Partnership with Women’s University in Pakistan
The South Asia Institute (SAI) at The University of Texas at Austin has initiated a three-year partnership with Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU ) in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, which is made possible by a $999,600 grant from the United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. The partnership will concentrate on the professional development of FJWU faculty members, […]
The Pleasure Principle
New neuroscience research shows cocaine abuse hijacks the brain’s reward system Imagine biting down on a juicy cheeseburger after a long day of yard work, or taking a swig of ice-cold water on a hot summer’s day. That immediate rush of euphoric bliss is the body’s way of saying, “Yes, please!” Like a well-oiled machine, […]