Nine Ways to Rev Up Your Career Whether you’ve landed your dream job or find yourself repeatedly pushing the snooze button each morning dreading the workday, a liberal arts education may help you forge a better career path and create an environment for innovation and productivity. If you’re like most employed Americans, you will spend […]
College of Liberal Arts
Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders
At a recent meeting of our college Advisory Council, an alumnus participating in a discussion on communications suggested that our college has one simple message to convey: “A liberal arts education is the best education for anyone aspiring to be a leader.” He was paraphrasing our global affairs expert Jeremi Suri, who at a previous […]
UT Global Initiative Receives International Award
The Global Initiative for Education and Leadership of The University of Texas at Austin (UTGI) has received an award from the 2013 Gulf Education Conference and Exhibition (GECE) in London. The award recognizes UTGI’s work in promoting education globally and, especially, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. “We formed The University of […]
UT Austin Psychologist Helps to Map Countries’ Entrepreneurial Spirit
Founders of successful companies tend to exhibit personality traits that make them more socially engaging, creative and able to handle stress than nonentrepreneurs, according to new research from the University of Jena in Germany and The University of Texas at Austin. Jena researchers Martin Obschonka, Eva Schmitt-Rodermund and Rainer K. Silbereisen, along with UT Austin […]
Liberal Arts Introduces 10-Month Master of Economics
A new 10-month master’s degree program offered by the Department of Economics will provide a rigorous curriculum and quantitative training to those seeking more economic expertise in a variety of fields. The first cohort will be admitted for the 2013-14 academic year, with classes beginning in July 2013. An undergraduate degree in economics is not […]
It’s Just the Beginning
For three years Life & Letters magazine has marked our progress toward the dream of a new College of Liberal Arts Building, and with this issue we celebrate the realization of that dream and the hard work and dedication of those who made it possible. Although the construction phase is for the most part complete, […]
Getting to Topsight in your Organization
Organizations almost never work the way they’re supposed to. And that’s often a good thing. Let me explain. As a professor of rhetoric and writing, I research how people circulate information in workplaces. That involves going into an organization, watching people work, interviewing them about their jobs, and looking at the tools and texts that […]
A Space to Call Home
Take a walk through the new College of Liberal Arts Building, and the building feels as fresh and modern as it feels warm and lived-in—an impressive feat for a place that just opened in January. “This is our shot at greatness,” says Randy Diehl, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “This building ensures that […]
Dedman Distinguished Scholars Endowment Increases to $20 Million to Support Scholarships
The College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin now has a unique recruiting advantage — full scholarships covering tuition, books, room and board, study abroad and internship opportunities. “The Dedman Distinguished Scholarship is the premier scholarship in the College of Liberal Arts and one of the most generous in the nation,” […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Moving Forward in the Face of Challenge
Higher education has seen its share of challenges over the past half-decade. The global financial crisis that began in 2007 sent tremors across every campus in the country, causing us not only to tighten our belts but to rethink fundamental models of teaching, research and service that have guided our mission for more than a […]
In Memoriam: Fall 2012
James “Jim” R. Soukup, former professor of government, died May 26 at age 83. Soukup began his teaching career at the university in 1956, where he was a threetime Fulbright scholar to Japan for the study of labor politics and later served on the Fulbright National Selection Committee. He was instrumental in the development of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Inextricable Link Between Teaching and Research
During my 36 years as a psychology professor at The University of Texas at Austin, I’ve had the privilege of teaching thousands of students, exposing them to important ideas about human thought, behavior and motivation. I’ve also had the opportunity to conduct research that helps us better understand how people perceive speech. It has been […]
Research Briefs: Spring 2011
Being Poor Can Suppress Children’s Genetic Potentials Growing up poor can suppress a child’s genetic potential to excel cognitively even before the age of 2. A study of 750 sets of twins by Assistant Professor Elliot Tucker-Drob does not suggest that children from wealthier families are genetically superior or smarter. They simply have more opportuni- […]
Conversation Stoppers
Professors examine how we don’t — but should — talk openly about race in the United States First came the fiery attacks last summer as the NAACP approved a resolution condemning perceived racist elements within the Tea Party movement. A few days later, United States Department of Agriculture official Shirley Sherrod was forced to resign […]
Meeting Today’s Budget Realities While Building for the Future
As you read this issue of Life & Letters, state lawmakers here in Austin continue to debate how to close an estimated $27 billion budget gap. The final spending plan they send to Gov. Rick Perry in the coming weeks will include cuts to almost every area of stategovernment, including higher education and TheUniversity of Texas at Austin. These are obviously difficult […]
Adventures in Internships
Graduating seniors test the waters in internships around the world The word “internship” often conjures images of frantic coffee runs, mind-numbing busywork and countless hours in front of the copy machines. But for many liberal arts students at The University of Texas at Austin, it evokes memories of globetrotting adventures, new friends and transformative experiences. […]
A New Professor Answers an Old Question About a Great University
Each morning as I head to my office in the Gebauer building, I walk past the classical letters that adorn the outside walls of the Tower. Those letters — in Phoenician, Hebrew, Greek and Latin — and the accompanying hieroglyphic symbols are a reminder of the intellectual pursuits that are at the heart of The University […]
Awards & Honors: Spring 2010
The Silver Spurs, the student service organization that cares for Bevo, gave out its 21st annual Endowed Teaching Fellowship awards to four liberal arts professors, who each receive a $6,000 prize. The group surprises each recipient with an unannounced presentation. They are: Kirsten Belgum (Germanic Studies) Robert Moser (Government) Elizabeth Engelhardt (American Studies) Lisa Moore […]
Student News: Spring 2010
The 2010 Dean’s Distinguished Graduates are: Ethan Alexander (Ancient History and Classical Civilization) Kaitlin Andryauskas (Sociology) Aaron Barr (Asian Studies) Casey Dorff (Government) Grace Eckhoff (Plan II Honors/Biology) Daniel Friedman (Plan II Honors/English) Angela Giordani (Arabic Language and Literature) James Hammond (Psychology) Joseph Kolker (Plan II Honors/History) Nicole Kreisberg (Latin American Studies) John Meyer (English/Government) […]