1984 Special Edition
Just under 2,000 students graduated from UT Austin’s College of Liberal Arts in May 1984. Students came from across Texas and around the globe; they studied economics and literature, languages and philosophy; they went to UT football games, Liberty Lunch, Raul’s, and Eeyore’s Birthday Party; they worked odd summer jobs and lived in dorms and co-ops and West Campus houses. Many went on to have incredible careers, and some even stayed in Austin and at UT. Over the past months we’ve heard from dozens of those alumni about their time on the Forty Acres some forty years ago. Below are links to mini-profiles of seven of those alumni, along with a collection of advice from the broader class of 1984.
Linda Neavel Dickens, BA English, 1984
Barbara Ganson, MA Latin American Studies, 1984
Duff Stewart, BA Economics, 1984
Karen Kaplan, Ph.D. Linguistics, 1984
Terasa Cooley, BA English, 1984
John Adamo, BA Government, 1984
William “Bill” Shute, BA English, 1984
2010 – Present
Christopher Andrew Bailey, BA Rhetoric and Writing, 2011: Since graduating from the University in 2011, I earned my law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 2017. With helping the under-served community in Beaumont, TX (my home town) in mind, I, along with my law partner, Julliana Reyes (also a UT alum, 2012) started the Bailey Reyes Law Firm. Within months of opening the Firm, we filed a Class Action lawsuit in federal court on behalf of approximately 20,000 students who were defrauded by one of the largest for-profit schools in the nation with 72 locations nationwide, including one in Beaumont.
Denisa Gandara, BA Philosophy and Spanish, 2011: I’m back at UT! I’m an assistant professor in the College of Education.
Halie Pratt, BA History, 2011: Currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at Rutgers University.
Carlos Andres Rincones, BA Government 2011: After graduating with a degree in Government, I worked in a variety of finance roles. Having never set foot in business school, my career path in finance was unconventional. However, I did prove to be competent in developing a broad business acumen. I started at AT&T as a Senior Strategic Pricing Manager, and today I manage a sales territory that spans the Southeast and Midwest United States. My Liberal Arts degree taught me how to read and write, which effectively, taught me how to think. With those tools, there’s nothing a person can’t learn.
Katie Wolters Mayo, BA English, 2012: Katie Wolters Mayo has joined Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) in Austin as Senior Corporate Counsel supporting the company’s rapidly growing Datacenter GPU and Accelerated Processing business unit. Katie was awarded a Master of Laws in Litigation Management during the February 2021 commencement ceremonies at Baylor University School of Law
Angelica Flores, BA Government 2013: After eight years of working as a teacher in public education, I have moved to the corporate world as a learning and development analyst for AIG. The research and critical thinking skills learned at the University of Texas at Austin have allowed me to develop a continuous learning cycle. At AIG, I help people develop the skills needed to be successful and get to be part of a team implementing long-term best practices for employees.
Paulina Price, BA Psychology, 2013: Decided not to continue doing anything relating to psychology. Instead I became an SAP HCM Consultant. Currently I work in Mexico for one of SAP’s global AMS partners. I was able to get a job at my this company because my UT degree opened that door for me, since they had very high hiring standards.
Julia Yelle, MA Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, 2014: My book Cutting-Edge Arts, Fine Sciences: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Innovations, which explores the surprising ways in which the arts and the sciences are mutually reinforcing partners, was published by New Degree Press in 2021.
Elizabeth Keeler, BA English, UTeach, dance minor, 2015: After six years of teaching high school English in Seattle, Washington and Boise, Idaho, I made the difficult decision to leave teaching to seek new opportunities to use and grow my skills. I am now the Impact Manager at Cariloop, a company whose mission is to relieve the stress and anxiety of caregivers; we ensure that no one goes through caregiving alone. I’m grateful for my mentors at the University of Texas for supporting and encouraging me in all of my goals, even if those goals weren’t on a premeditated trajectory.
Clayton Carter, BA, 2017: Clayton Carter has joined Hallett & Perrin in the firm’s construction and litigation practice groups.
Natalie Shanel Lewis, BA Sociology, 2017: Attended law school at Texas Tech University School of Law and passed the July 2021 Bar Exam. Started practicing law at Whitworth Cigarroa, PLLC, in Laredo, Texas, in October of 2021.
Elizabeth O’Brien, Ph.D. History, 2019: Won Fulbright Scholar Award from Fulbright-COMEXUS; won Nursing Clio Award for best article; received book contract from University North Carolina Press.
O’Brien’s first monograph, Surgery and Salvation: The Roots of Reproductive Injustice in Mexico, 1770-1940, is out now from The University of North Carolina Press, and early reviews call it “a historical masterpiece.“
Francesca (Reece) Lockhart, BA Plan II Honors and Government, 2019: I’m back at UT leading the Applied Cybersecurity Community Clinic at the Strauss Center for International Security and Law! This experiential, two-course program teaches UT undergraduate and graduate students from all majors and degree programs cybersecurity skills they then use to provide free cyber services to under-resourced NGOs, small businesses, and municipalities throughout Texas. Reach out to me if you’re interested in being a clinic student or client organization!
Shahzur Jafferali, BA International Relations and Global Studies, 2020: After graduating in 2020, I joined Texas Instruments for a 15-month rotation program for Digital Marketing and Communications. Currently, I’ve deployed from the rotation program into my full time role as the Corporate Responsibility Program Manager. In addition, I’ve been managing my food blog (started my senior year) and growing the Instagram following to 3000 followers. Make sure to check out @TheHungryTriooo on IG to stay updated on all my food adventures. Since graduating, I have planned trips to Cancun, Europe, Colorado, California, and internally in Texas – I can’t wait for more!
Deevika Sharma, BA Psychology, 2021: I am excited to share that upon graduation, I was offered a unique opportunity to participate in a career experience with Apple’s Original Content Legal team. I served as the first and only intern where I was able to gain a high level overview on each aspect of Entertainment Law from some of the most respected figures in the field. This opportunity allowed me to make the most of my gap year before law school by giving me relevant experience in the field.
T. Anansi Wilson, Ph.D. African & African Diaspora Studies, 2021: During my first year as a law professor, I was promoted to associate professor. More importantly though, I founded the Center for the Study of Black Life and the Law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. This is the nation’s first research center at a law school focused specifically on the nexus between Black and BlaQueer (LGBTQ) life and the law. I also have selected to be inducted in the MLK Jr. Consortium of Scholars at Morehouse.
2000 – 2009
Amber Russell, BA Psychology, 2002: I founded LOAR PLLC (Law Office of Amber Russell), and we have recovered millions for our clients. Since LOAR has taken off, we started our non-profit, SOAR Texas, and have committed $250,000 to its annual scholarship program. This program provides scholarships to outstanding female students who are the future leaders of their schools, communities, and businesses, with a focus on those who are the first in their family to pursue higher education. The SOAR Scholars will have access to continuing education, professional development, and mentoring.
The applications are currently open for this year’s SOAR Scholars. UT is one of 5 universities included in the program. I am thrilled to be able to help others have the same opportunities at UT Austin that I did. Our success will be watching these women go on to change the world.
Gabrielle Snyder, MA English, 2002: Gabi Snyder’s second picture book, LISTEN, was recently selected as an Oregon Book Award finalist.
Jonathan Muzacz, BA Sociology, 2006: Publishing a massive 700-page book this summer called ATX Urban Art, which promises to be the one and only encyclopedia of graffiti, street art, murals, and mosaics of Austin spanning the last 70 years.
Tony Gaston, BA Psychology, 2009: 1. Returned to Texas two months ago to start a career in Cyber Security for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. 2. Won a Movers & Shakers Award in 2021 for my contributions to DE&I and community service to Cleveland for the past 8 years. 3. Earned my MBA in Information Systems from the University of Toledo in 2014. 4. Taught English abroad in Thailand and Spain for two years. 5. Graduated from UT-Austin in May 2009 as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar, Texas IP fellow, and Bridging Disciplines Program Ethics Certificate holder that enriched my psychology BA degree.
1990 – 1999
Ginger Susman, BA Government, 1990: I founded Providio MediSolutions, LLC in 2011 in Englewood, CO (provider of lien resolution and escrow services for mass tort settlements). I sold the company to Houston-based ARCHER Systems, LLC in 2019 and am now Co-Executive Chair of same. ARCHER is ARCHER is the leading provider of innovative and comprehensive pre- and post- settlement services for mass tort and class action cases. We currently manage over $8 billion in settlement funds primarily in cases involving defective medical devices, environmental pollution (e.g., forever chemicals), and injuries arising from pharmaceutical use. I live in Denver, CO with my husband Jeff and two kids Carter (12) and Sloane (10). I love traveling back/forth to the ARCHER offices in Austin and Houston to see many of my college friends and remain connected to TX. In my free time I travel extensively overseas, love to cook/entertain, ski, hike and play pickleball.
Cris Gibson, BA Philosophy, 1995: After receiving my philosophy degree, I wasn’t sure what I would do. I left Austin for San Francisco and got a job at a print shop estimating print jobs. When I came back to Austin a few years later, I wound up at a semiconductor design company. Eventually I landed in Operations/Supply Chain as a product planner. Funny enough, my philosophy background comes in very handy. Engineers are very logical, and if you can keep your facts/numbers in order, there’s a lot of room for non-technical individuals. I’m currently involved in new product planning.
Sharon Cohan, BA Plan II Honors, 1996: Founded a pandemic response equity nonprofit, TogetherAustin, in April 2021. Our first major project, VaxTogetherAustin, has helped deliver vaccine education and outreach, distribute thousands of free home covid test kits, and put around 20,000 shots in arms. While we will be continuing vaccine equity/pandemic response work with the funding of several grants through April 2023, are now working on our next big project for TogetherAustin, which will focus on rebuild and restore efforts and addressing systemic equity issues. On a personal note, excited to have our son Alex graduating Plan II Honors this spring and daughter Katie will be an incoming dual major Plan II Honors/ College of Natural Sciences Human Development and Family Sciences freshman in the fall.
Karl Gerard Brandt, BA History, 1997: I wrote a book about the rise of modern partisanship in the United States, “Rise of the Partisan House of Representatives”. This book argues that a Congressional Reform Movement in the 1960s and 1970s overturned the bipartisan system in the House and facilitated the rise of a partisan system that currently dominates the House and the nation’s politics. This book was published in 2021. This book is my second book. My first book, “Ronald Reagan and the House Democrats”, was published in 2009.
Jennifer Chandler, BA Government, 1997: In addition to president for Dallas, I was promoted to head of philanthropic solutions at Bank of America.
Catherine Ross, PhD English, 1998: I teach English at another UT—UT Tyler—where I am an Associate Professor. I won one of the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Awards (2011).
I was President of the UT Tyler Faculty Senate (2015-16). I have served as Chair of the University of Texas System Faculty Advisory Council (2016-2017; this is the council of all faculty senate presidents from the academic and medical campuses). In 2013, I was chosen as one of the twelve Founding Fellows of the University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers; as far as we know, there is no other group such as ours in the US.
From 2019-2021 I was the President of the Academy (during which time we put on the first UT System-wide teaching conference).
1980 – 1989
Janine May Hand, BA Government, 1988: After UT, I graduated with a MHA from SWTSU and spent 25 yrs as a healthcare executive. In 2012, I retired from healthcare and with my husband, Cliff, we started Recherche Furnishings, Inc. We manufacture custom rustic home decor using TX reclaimed wood. We won the 2015 Business of the Year for Keep Texas Beautiful for our recycling efforts. We moved our company to our longhorn ranch in NE TX in 2016. Currently we have customers in 49 states and 5 countries. I continue to be active with UT through football season tickets (almost 30 yrs) and still run the APO TX Flag during 1 home game annually.
Paul Szurek, BA Government, 1981: I recently completed a five-plus year term as CEO (and eleven-plus year term as a director) of CoreSite Realty Corporation, which was sold to American Tower Corporation in December 2021. When I graduated from Texas in 1981 and went off to law school, I never expected that my career would be almost entirely spent in managing largish businesses, including stints as CFO of publicly-traded Security Capital Group (NYSE), managing director of publicly-traded Security Capital U.S. Realty (Luxembourg/Amsterdam/NYSE) and CFO of Biltmore Farms, LLC, a large private developer in North Carolina. Current COLA students and recent graduates may be surprised at the diversity of paths in which the critical thinking and reasoning skills, especially the ability to be evidence-based, can be deployed after graduation.
1970 – 1979
Steven Kendrick, BA 1972: I went to UT to become a lawyer; Perry Mason was my hero. About 6 semesters in towards my Govt BA, I was advised to take some electives. My advisor said, “Take some computer science. It will be good for your logic skills.” I did. I liked CS. I made good grades in CS. I graduated with 15 hours of CS and went to work in CS instead of moving on to Law School. About 10 to 15 years after graduating, I realized what my advisor did. He was looking at my transcript and saying to himself, “This kid needs a different career path. He will never get into Law School with these grades!”
LuAnn Wilkerson, MA English, 1972: After leaving UT, I completed an EdD from the University of Massachusetts and have enjoyed a career as a faculty member and senior administrator in academic medicine. After time at Harvard Medical School, The University of California at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, I returned to Austin as a Professor of Medical Education and Associate Dean for Evaluation and Faculty Development at Dell Medical School. As a Texas Ex, it has been great to return home. https://dellmed.utexas.edu/directory/luann-wilkerson
Jay Silberberg, BA Plan II, 1974: After 39 years with Mountain Bell, which became US West which was bought by Qwest which was bought by CenturyLink which acquired Level3 and changed its name to Lumen Technologies, I am retiring on August 8. I’m looking forward to spending more time with our five grandchildren, all of whom are in Denver where I live with my wife. We’ve been married 45 years! We hope to travel more, and I will play more duplicate bridge, which I learned living at Castilian as a freshman.
Larry Stybel, MA Psychology, 1974: Psychology Today publishes Larry Stybel’s perspectives on leadership and career management each month. His articles on these topics have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, California Management Review, Directorship, Harvard Business Review, and MIT Sloan Management Review. He is co-founder of the retained search Stybel Peabody Associates, Inc.
John Schwartz, BA Plan II, 1979: After four decades in journalism, most recently as a climate change reporter at The New York Times, I’ve returned to Austin as a professor of journalism at UT. I’m also associate director of the Global Sustainability Leadership Initiative, a collaboration between the Moody College of Communications and the McCombs School of Business. One of my best moments in last semester’s Reporting on the Environment class: Two of my students who are Plan II/journalism double majors said my class felt like a Plan II seminar.
Before 1970
Lorence L. Bravenec BA 1957, LLB Texas Law 1960, LLM New York Law 1970: Taught at Texas A&M College of Business 1980–2010, Mayor College Station, 1986–1990.
Ellen Clarke Temple, BA English and History, 1964: COLA Dean’s executive Council for past 20 years, including building campaign and current capital campaigned. Established Ellen Clarke Temple chair in Women’s History in the History Department. Producer of “Citizens at Last”, PBS Documentary Film.
George E. Hopkins, Ph.D. History: George E. Hopkins, 86, died on September 28, 2023, in Macomb, IL, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was a well known and loved professor of history at Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL, and an author and expert on the history of aviation and airline pilots. His book Flying the Line is now a free podcast on several platforms. For more about George, read his full obituary here.
Jose Angel Hernandez, BA English: Jose passed away unexpectedly at the age of 57. Read the full obituary here: https://www.greencremationtexas.com/obit/jose-angel-hernandez/