The Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies More than 400,000 Jews reside in Latin America, comprising the fifth largest community of Jews after the United States, Israel, the former Soviet Union, and France. Their stories and experiences are a major focus of research and teaching at the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies, which encompasses the history, […]
Fall 2008
In Memoriam: Fall 2008
Charles Bonjean, emeritus professor of sociology, died Feb. 20 at the age of 72. The former executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health taught at the university for 40 years. Bonjean served as chair of the sociology department from 1972 to 1974 when he was appointed Hogg Professor of Sociology, a position he […]
Retired Faculty: Fall 2008
Arnold Buss: Leading the Field and Inspiring Psychology’s Thought-Leaders For more than six decades, Arnold Buss, recently retired psychology professor, has been a nationally recognized researcher in the field of social behavior and personality. Throughout his career at The University of Texas at Austin, Buss examined shame and guilt; an epigenetic theory of personality (emphasizing […]
Event Spotlights: Fall 2008
Crisis in Darfur: Nigerian Nobelist Wole Soyinka Urges International Community to Remember the ‘Tree of Forgetfulness’ When Tola Mosadomi, assistant professor of Middle Eastern Studies and affiliate of the Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, was an undergraduate student at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, she sometimes saw poet Wole Soyinka walking […]
Research Briefs: Fall 2008
Why Pregnant Women Waddle The human spine evolved differently in males and females in order to alleviate back pressure from the weight of carrying a baby, according to anthropologist Liza Shapiro whose findings were first documented in Nature. The researcher believes the adaptation first appeared at least two million years ago, in the early human […]
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. […]
Pop Goes Philosophy
Professor draws upon popular culture to illutrate today’s moral issues In a popular episode of “The Simpsons,” Homer secures an illegal, free cable television hookup. Lisa is appalled by her father’s crime and faces an ethical crisis. She announces her moral objection to stealing and refuses to watch the stolen cable TV programming. Homer later […]
The Bard and the Human Condition
Shakespeare soothes the soul and sharpens the mind For decades, David B. Cohen pored over the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare. He repeatedly read and enjoyed live and recorded performances of the great writer’s works. The professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin recognized themes and insights in Shakespeare’s writing he […]
Behind the Lens
Keith Maitland has a blind ambition. The filmmaker and liberal arts alumnus (B.A. Creative Writing, ’98) wants you to keep an eye out (or an ear) for his forthcoming film, “Keep Your Ear on the Ball.” The ensemble documentary offers an intimate look at the lives of four blind teens and will premiere on PBS […]
Psychology as Commodity
Why it’s time for scientists to market for the masses Psychology is part of everything we do. But, despite our daily use of memory, attention, language and social interaction, most of us do not know much about the field and its innovative researchers. This is unfortunate, because many of the most pressing problems in business […]
The Aging of America
Sociologists examine population’s challenges In 2011, the first Baby Boomers will reach age 65, and the population aged 65 and older will grow rapidly during the next two decades. How the country responds to this new demographic reality will shape the fabric of American life and culture for years to come, says Robert Hummer, chair […]
‘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 […]
The Language of Love
From diaries to online chats, writing about your romantic relationship may help it last Millions of lovelorn people turn to selfhelp books, searching for the magic words that might save a relationship. But their own writing may provide the key to everlasting love, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. In a […]
Bringing Up Baby
Researchers delve into the psychological world of children Most parents will attest to the routine of a baby’s life: sleep, eat, diaper change. Precious though they may be, infants are not generally considered the most complex individuals. Humorist Dave Barry offered a cynic’s take on child psychology when he quipped that a baby’s head is […]
Science of the Senses
Psychologists examine how our perceptual systems make sense of the world Your alarm rouses you, and you open your eyes to shadows stretching across the ceiling. The coffee pot gurgles in the kitchen, birds chirp outside the window, and the dog runs circles around your feet. You open the cabinet and scan for your favorite […]
The Real Indiana Jones
Anthropologist separates fact from fiction From the moment Indiana Jones performed his first death-defying stunt on the big screen in 1981, moviegoers and archaeologists alike have been enthralled by the globetrotting, whip-cracking action hero. From recovering ancient biblical artifacts to rescuing damsels-in-distress, the fictional archaeologist stops at nothing to save the world from political […]
Deep Roots?
New DNA tests may reveal your ancestry, but researchers urge caution when interpreting results From 1892 to 1954, More than 12 million immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island in New York Harbor. They left behind a huge repository of records that for many years has been the first stop for Americans researching their […]
Tuberculosis: Anthropologist Discovers Oldest Case
500,000-year-old fossil points to modern health concerns As Turkish workers cut into a block of travertine stone destined for the international tile market, they uncovered a 500,000-year-old fossil, which anthropologist John Kappelman is using to expand scientists’ understanding of tuberculosis–and how the infectious disease may affect people who migrate. “Tuberculosis has re-emerged as a global […]