Evidence showed that the Maya faced environmental pressures and responded to by converting forests to wetland field complexes and digging canals to manage water quality and quantity.
Fall 2019
It’s More Than a Movie
There is so much to be learned from film studies — about ourselves and the world around us — if we view it through a liberal arts lens.
Attitude Adjustment
Boosting academic success does not have to derive from new teachers or curriculum; it can also come from changing students’ attitudes about their abilities, according to the latest findings from the National Study of Learning Mindsets published in Nature. The experimental study involved more than 12,000 ninth graders from 65 public high schools across the […]
The Taco Truck: Author Takes His Research to the Streets
Robert Lemon examines the evolution of taco trucks and how it transforms U.S. cities.
Moral Fuel: Energizing a New Internship Program
Students explore work and social justice through Jewish teachings.
Truman #22
Government and humanities senior Alyssa Ashcraft received one of the country’s premier graduate awards, which she will use to pursue a dual degree in law and public policy. As a 2019 Truman scholar, Ashcraft received $30,000 toward graduate school and the opportunity to participate in professional development programming to help prepare for a career in […]
A Matter of Life and Death
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in August, sociologists Mark Hayward of UT Austin and Isaac Sasson of Tel Aviv University examined the intersection of education, cause of death and life expectancy across gender and race. Overall, life expectancy declined by an average of two months from 2010 to […]
Let’s Talk About the Liberal Arts
Dean Ann Huff Stevens discusses the strengths and benefits that come with a degree in Liberal Arts.
Getting Ahead with World Languages
From Akkadian and Arabic to Yiddish and Yoruba: The University of Texas at Austin offers courses in dozens of world languages. But why does language learning matter? In today’s world of industry, science and politics, can’t people get by with knowing just English? The answer is simple: If all you want to do is get […]
Solving the World’s Most Pressing Issues
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, […]
History Not on Repeat
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 […]
Building for the People
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. […]
The Protection of Being Known
Anthropology Ph.D. candidate Allison McNamara studies lesser known primate species that face risks of extinction.
Three Questions to Ask When You’re Stressed Out
From big class presentations and midterms to navigating the social scene and balancing a large workload, the school year — and life in general — brings on stress, but asking yourself three questions can help fight anxiety with curiosity rather than panic. Jasper Smits, a psychology professor and director of the Anxiety & Stress Clinic […]
The Color Complex: Student Research Abroad in Ghana
This summer, an International Relations and Global Studies senior was awarded the experience of a lifetime when her student research team received the UT President’s Award for Global Learning. Christina Cho and a team of three other undergraduates traveled to Accra, Ghana, for 10 weeks to research colorism and how to mitigate its effect on […]
Drawing Inspiration
Edward Carey’s office is filled with fanciful artwork, including several large drawings of the gloomy-eyed characters who inhabit his books.
Foreword Found: Newly Discovered Langston Hughes Essay on Race in America
Historical research can be exhausting work. Hours spent sifting through archives in search of elusive details from the past may yield nothing, but it may lead to an extraordinary discovery. “It can be mind-numbing,” says Steven Hoelscher. “And, of course, you don’t always find what you’re looking for and sometimes you don’t even know what […]