Despite drastic changes to the iconic accent, most Texans will continue to use their twang in the right situation Since this story was featured in Life & Letters last spring, English Professor Lars Hinrichs’ research on the evolution of the iconic Texas twang has been featured in several national media outlets, including TIME, NPR and […]
Spring 2012
Fate of the Book
Public forum series examines the uncertain future of the book The Harry Ransom Center’s Gutenberg Bible is among the world’s most valuable books. Printed more than 550 years ago, it is one of only 21 complete copies known to exist. To discover an intact copy today would be a rare find, but not as rare […]
Silver Tsunami
Psychology researchers target vascular disease to prevent the coming flood of Alzheimer’s patients It’s called the “Silver Tsunami” – the swelling number of baby boomers surpassing age 65. As medical advancements extend their lives, they’re expected to live well into their 80s and 90s – outlasting any generation in American history. But among Americans over […]
Humanities and the Military
Sgt. Jeremy Couch and two fellow Texas Army National Guard soldiers enter the home of an Afghan family looking for information about escaped prisoners. In one corner, they see a Quran and a prayer rug. In another, a pair of rifles. Almost as soon as the soldiers sit down, they are besieged by demands for […]
The Skinny on Memory Loss
Psychology researcher Andreana Haley examines the link between dementia and obesity and aims to improve your brain’s health through diet and exercise Step off the scale and let’s have a talk. You’re 30 pounds overweight and at risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, certain types of cancer and coronary heart disease. More than 30 […]
History Cracked Open
Unearthed Time Capsule Fills Gaps in ROTC History After World War II A glimpse of life at The University of Texas at Austin’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) during the 1940s and ’50s was sealed within the building blocks of the former ROTC building for more than half a century. Last fall, a crew of […]
A Place to Remember
New Officer’s Room Honors A Hero When the new Liberal Arts building opens in January 2013, thousands of students, faculty and staff will flood its pristine new hallways, and marvel at the architecture and amenities. But a building of this undertaking is much more than bricks and mortar. For the family and friends of Captain John […]
Friend and Champion of Education
Bernard Rapoport, Economics Alumnus, Dies at 94 Bernard Rapoport, a Waco businessman who was active in higher education, politics, human rights and philanthropy, died Thursday, April 5. “The University of Texas and our state have lost a great friend who was relentless in his support of education, democracy, the arts and creating opportunity for the […]
Books: Winter, Spring and Summer 2012
Winter, Spring and Summer 2012 titles from our college community.
A Changing Landscape
Eva Longoria addresses the power of “Latinidad” at the 2012 Lozano Long Conference Actor, activist and philanthropist Eva Longoria delivered the keynote address at the 2012 Teresa Lozano Long Conference “Central Americans and the Latino/a Landscape: New Configurations of Latino/a America,” on February 25. The conference, organized by the Lozano Long Institute for Latin American […]
How Long Will You Live? Chances Are…
How long will you live? And how does that compare to your fellow longhorns based on your race and gender? Graduate researchers are striving to eliminate health barriers and extend life expectancy for one and all. Life expectancy in the United States is on the rise – but not for everyone. Although many older Americans […]
Early Earners
Economist looks at the long-term effects of school starting age and family background “Redshirting” is a popular term among parents of the pre-K set, and it has a lot of parents asking a familiar question: Is my child ready to start kindergarten, or would she or he benefit from delaying this debut into the world […]
Q&A: Whether Spoken or Signed, Our Word Choices Matter
As Both a Student and Teacher, Miss Deaf America Works to Dispel Stereotypes Rachel Mazique, 2010-2012 Miss Deaf America Ambassador, is passionate about disrupting stereotypical beliefs about what Deaf people can achieve. The UT alumna and doctoral student travels the country to promote the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and its youth programs. She […]
Professor Aaron Bar-Adon created Hebrew linguistics field
Jerusalem, Israel — “Beresheet bara elohim et hashamayim veet haaretz (In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth),” reads aloud Professor Aaron Bar-Adon in his rich, careful Hebrew, reminding the audience of possibly the most famous text from Genesis in the Old Testament. “This is the drama of the creation of the world,” […]
The Gospels in Rewrite
University of Texas at Austin Classics and Religious Studies Professor L. Michael White is equally at home reading ancient texts as he is directing the archaeological dig of the oldest known Jewish synagogue in Europe and teaching large undergraduate classes and graduate seminars. He brings teaching and research together in writing journal articles and books. […]
On Campus: "Colour Blind"
A winner of the Student Activity Center’s Through Our Eyes Photography Contest, Jared Hattingh shot his entry “Colour Blind” last spring during the annual University of Texas at Austin celebration of Holi. Celebrating both the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil on the day of the full moon, Holi is a […]
Research Briefs: Spring 2012
College of Liberal Arts: Not Even Past Brings History to the Public The Web has many sites devoted to history, but only one brings together such a diverse group of historians with expertise in every major field and time period. For the past year, Not Even Past has drawn on the expertise of faculty and […]
Building the Model
The University of Texas at Austin is known for its landmark buildings — The Tower, The Texas Union, Battle Hall. Soon to join these campus icons: the new College of Liberal Arts building, nearing completion on the East Mall. Not only is the building the newest landmark for the campus, it is also a landmark […]
Shaping the Future of African-American Policy in Texas
Davis Appointed Founding Director of Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis In connection with the African and African Diaspora Studies Department, The University of Texas at Austin has appointed King Davis founding director of the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis. Davis, professor and Robert Lee Sutherland Chair in Mental Health and Social […]
Retiring Faculty 2012
Harry Cleaver Economics Cleaver, associate professor of economics, taught at the university for 35 years. A specialist in Marxist theory, he taught a popular introductory course on Marxist economics for more than 20 years. Cleaver’s recent work has focused on social struggles, particularly in rural Mexico. He has published several articles on the Zapatista uprising […]
America’s Church
Religious studies scholar offers uniquely broad perspective on Catholic presence in nation’s capital In 1913, Bishop Thomas J. Shahan received the pope’s blessing to pursue his vision for a church in Washington, D.C. — a national shrine that would honor the Virgin Mary, serve as a destination for pilgrims and stake a Catholic claim in […]
A Bold Statement on the East Mall
The month of April, according to the Bard, “Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing.” Texas is a far cry from the English countryside, but following last year’s record drought, abundant rains have restored a bit of youthful green to our campus. It is a fitting backdrop for the new College of Liberal […]
What Makes People Give?
Researchers investigate the science of generosity AMERICANS DONATED NEARLY $300 billion in 2011, surpassing the gross domestic product of all but 33 countries in the world, according to a 2010 report by the Giving USA Foundation. And in 2010, 62.8 million people volunteered almost 8.1 billion hours in the United States, according to the Corporation […]