News
Researchers Create Largest Ever Map of Plant Proteins and Their Assemblies
In a paper published this month in Cell, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin offer the largest survey to date of proteins in plants, examining 13 different species across 1.1 billion years of plant evolution.
Solving the Ventilator Shortage with Windshield Wiper Parts
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin are building a new type of ventilator made of cheap, widely available materials to help fill the demand created by the spread of COVID-19 for these critical devices …
Pandemic Model Shows Importance of Social Distancing in 22 Texas Cities
A new pandemic model of COVID-19 shows the positive role social distancing can play in preventing the spread of the illness in areas across the state.
Eclectic Rocks Influence Earthquake Types
New Zealand’s largest fault is a jumble of mixed-up rocks of all shapes, sizes, compositions and origins. According to research from a global team of scientists, this motley mixture could help explain why the fault …
A New Texas COVID-19 Pandemic Toolkit Shows the Importance of Social Distan
Since 2012 a pandemic-planning tool developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin has helped public health officials plan for the consequences of a deadly and virulent virus. Now the pandemic modeler …
Postdoc Receives Fellowship to Study Extrasolar Planets
Ben Tofflemire, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, has received a 51 Pegasi b Fellowship from the Heising-Simons Foundation.
Texas Supercomputer Joins COVID-19 Fight
White House announces new High Performance Computing Consortium; TACC's Frontera is a key resource within the consortium to help researchers combat the virus.
Researchers Team Up to 3D Print Masks for Health Care Workers
Health care workers treating COVID-19 patients are facing a shortage of face masks and other personal protective equipment that could shield them when exposed to the virus. A group of researchers in the Cockrell …
New Partnership Aims to Demystify Artificial Intelligence “Black Boxes”
The promise of artificial intelligence to solve problems in drug design, discover how babies learn language, and make progress in many other areas has been stymied by the inability of humans to understand what's …
Hidden Source of Carbon Found at the Arctic Coast
A previously unknown significant source of carbon just discovered in the Arctic has scientists marveling at a once overlooked contributor to local coastal ecosystems – and concerned about what it may mean in an era …
$10M for Medical Robot Startup Aiding Hospitals During Coronavirus Outbreak
A startup co-founded by University of Texas at Austin engineering professor Andrea Thomaz just landed $10 million in investment to ramp up production of medical robots that could prove a valuable tool in helping …
Breastfeeding Gap’ Exists Among Mexican-Origin Women Living in Texas
Mexican women born and educated in Mexico who now live in Texas breastfeed longer than those born and educated in the United States.
Coronavirus Spreads Quickly and Sometimes Before People Have Symptoms
Infectious disease researchers at The University of Texas at Austin studying the novel coronavirus were able to identify how quickly the virus can spread, a factor that may help public health officials in their …
Cancer Drug with Better Staying Power and Reduced Toxicity
A drug candidate has been found in preclinical trials to stop tumor growth entirely, deliver more cancer-busting power than many commonly used chemotherapy drugs and do so with fewer toxic side effects and more …
Computer Model Solves Mystery of How Gas Bubbles Build Big Methane Hydrate
New research from The University of Texas at Austin has explained an important mystery about natural gas hydrate formations and, in doing so, advanced scientists’ understanding of how gas hydrates could contribute to …
Surveying Deepest Space to Understand Dark Energy
HETDEX experiment, led by UT Austin, uses advanced computing resources at TACC to pin down the expansion rate of the universe.
Demographics Linked to Choice Not to Vaccinate Children in Texas
Texans who are college-educated, live in suburban or urban areas, have higher median incomes and are ethnically white are less likely to vaccinate their children.
New Method Could Transform Vaccine Distribution to Remote, Developing Areas
Access to vaccines around the world could get easier thanks to scientists at The University of Texas at Austin who have developed an inexpensive and innovative vaccine delivery method that preserves live viruses, …
Powering the Future with Revolutionary Lithium Extraction Technique
An international research team that includes Benny Freeman, professor in the Cockrell School’s McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, has pioneered a new filtration technique that could dramatically reduce the …
Croyle Lab Develops Innovative Vaccine Delivery Method
The Croyle Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy recently published findings that may greatly increase access to vaccines on an international scale.
Sinking Sea Mountains Make and Muffle Earthquakes
Subduction zones — places where one tectonic plate dives beneath another — are where the world’s largest and most damaging earthquakes occur. A new study has found that when underwater mountains — also known as …
CPRIT Funding to Support New Cancer Prevention Efforts
Individuals with low income living in Central Texas will soon benefit from two new evidence-based cancer prevention initiatives thanks to grants made by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to …
New Sandboxing Approach in Web Browser Increases Security
A powerful new approach to securing web browsers, using a tool called WebAssembly, is getting its first real-world application in the Firefox browser.
Planet Finder Validates Its First Habitable-Zone Exoplanet, a Mini Neptune
Astronomers have validated their first exoplanet with the Habitable Zone Planet Finder instrument on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest telescopes, located at The University of Texas at Austin's …
Water Reuse Could Be Key for Future of Hydraulic Fracturing
Enough water will come from the ground as a byproduct of oil production from unconventional reservoirs during the coming decades to theoretically counter the need to use fresh water for hydraulic fracturing …
Breakthrough in Coronavirus Research Supports Vaccine Design
Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the National Institutes of Health have made a critical breakthrough toward developing a vaccine for the 2019 novel coronavirus by creating the first 3D atomic …
Supporting Portable, Reproducible Computational Science
Center-wide support for, and R&D around, containers helps researchers compute with ease at TACC and elsewhere.
Enhancing Sustainable Energy is the Aim of New UT Collaborations
A team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin is creating a new technology for the economic recovery of rare earth elements from fly ash to alleviate the materials bottleneck in the manufacturing of …
How Chromosomes Organize and Genes Interact Needs Rethinking, Study Finds
The organization of genetic information in most bacteria – long thought to occur in a single ordered, segmented ring – turns out to more closely mimic a spaghetti noodle: shifting, balling up and twisting in ways …
Can AI Support Youth Mental Health?
UT researchers explore whether artificial intelligence can help identify teens and young adults at risk for mental health problems by ethically following their online footprint.
UT’s Fulbright Student Production Still Ranks Among Top in U.S.
For the 11th consecutive year, The University of Texas at Austin is one of the top U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2019-2020 Fulbright U.S. students.
Distant Giant Planets Form Differently than ‘Failed Stars’
A team of astronomers led by Brendan Bowler of The University of Texas at Austin has probed the formation process of giant exoplanets and brown dwarfs, a class of objects that are more massive than giant planets, …
Graduate Researcher Studies Cells that Fight Autoimmunity
T-cells are crucial to our immune systems, recognizing viruses, bacterial infections and even cancer cells and triggering immune responses that help kill off these and other dangerous invaders. This may sound like …
Hydrogel Platform Enables On-Demand Production of Medicines and Chemicals
A team of chemical engineers has developed a new way to produce medicines and chemicals on demand and preserve them using portable “biofactories” embedded in water-based gels called hydrogels. The approach could help …
Spread of Coronavirus Extends Far Behind China's Quarantine Zone
TACC's Wrangler system helps epidemiologists model spread of the novel virus.
Bacteria Engineered to Protect Bees from Pests and Pathogens
Scientists from The University of Texas at Austin report in the journal Science that they have developed a new strategy to protect honey bees from a deadly trend known as colony collapse: genetically engineered …
Masri Endowment to Support Graduate Education at the UT JSG
The Munib and Angela Masri Foundation has pledged $10.5 million to create an endowment for graduate education at The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences.
Discovering a Genetic Mechanism that Affects Birth Defects, Some Cancers
Scientists have understood for some time that proper embryonic development depends in large part on transcriptional repressors, proteins that prevent genes from being expressed at inappropriate times. Steven Vokes, …
Protein Pores Packed in Polymers Make Super-Efficient Filtration Membranes
A multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists has developed a new class of filtration membranes for a variety of applications, from water purification to small-molecule separations to contaminant-removal …
New Earl Maxwell Scholars Program Supports UT Austin Social Work Students
As part of their professional education, master’s students at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin complete more than 1,000 hours of internship in Texas agencies and nonprofits …
European Enlightenment Found in the DNA of Western Sign Languages
Sign languages throughout North and South America and Europe have centuries-long roots in five European locations.
Texas CS Alumnus Joins the Race to Build Self-Driving Trucks
The race to build the best autonomous cargo vehicle is heating up, indicating big developments for the $700 billion U.S. trucking market. With the rise of e-commerce comes the accompanying need for more efficiently …
Deep Diving Scientists Discover Bubbling CO2 Hotspot
Diving 200 feet under the ocean surface to conduct scientific research can lead to some interesting places. For University of Texas at Austin Professor Bayani Cardenas, it placed him in the middle of a champagne-like …
LLILAS Benson Is Awarded $700,000 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant
LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections recently was awarded a grant of $700,000 from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that will fund work with Latin American partner organizations, supporting their …
Glimpses of Fatherhood Found in Non-Pair-Bonding Chimps
Although they have no way of identifying their biological fathers, male chimpanzees form intimate bonds with them, a finding that questions the idea of fatherhood in some of humanity’s closest relatives.
Oil and Gas Boom Could Mean Significant New Climate Emissions
New research from The University of Texas at Austin finds industrial buildout in oil, gas and petrochemical sectors in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southwest regions could generate more than half a billion tons of …
Abstract Thinking Helps Make Sense of the World with Some Setbacks
In the aftermath of a mass shooting, people scramble for answers, drawing on commonalities from earlier tragedies to make sense of things. While this may help simplify complex issues and relieve psychological …
The Architecture School Most Likely To Get You a Job
The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture (UTSOA) ranked the No. 1 “Most Hired From” architecture program by DesignIntelligence.
DJ-MC: A Personalized DJ
There are few pet peeves worse than being unable to find the right song. It’s this endless cycle of shuffling through a music library that inspired UT alumni and faculty to create DJ Monte-Carlo (DJ-MC)—a program …
Texas Astronomer Helps NASA Find its First Earth-size Planet
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered its first Earth-size planet in its star's habitable zone, the range of distances where conditions may be just right to allow the presence of liquid …
Improving Brain Imaging with Deep Learning
Salk Institute partners with TACC, UT, fast.ai and WAMRI.ai to improve resolution of microscope images.
Twin Astronomer Probes "DNA" of Twin Stars
Twin stars appear to share chemical "DNA" that could help scientists map the history of the Milky Way galaxy, according to new research by astronomer Keith Hawkins of The University of Texas at Austin accepted for …
Obesity in Pregnant Moms Linked to Lag in Their Sons’ Development and IQ
A mother's obesity in pregnancy can affect her child's development years down the road, according to researchers who found impaired motor skills in preschoolers and lower IQ in middle childhood for boys whose mothers …
Develop a New Economic Growth Model for Rural Communities in West Texas
The IC² Institute at The University of Texas at Austin is starting a yearlong study in a portion of West Texas to inform an economic development strategy based on the community’s unique identity.
Scientists Find Iron ‘Snow’ in Earth’s Core
The Earth’s inner core is hot, under immense pressure and snow-capped, according to new research that could help scientists better understand forces that affect the entire planet.
Reducing Mouse Allergens May Improve Lung Growth for Asthmatic Children
Lowering exposure to allergens from mice may lead to improved lung growth for children with asthma living in low-income neighborhoods, helping them avoid lung ailments and possibly live longer, according to newly …
Top UT Austin Research of 2019
Researchers at UT Austin have made countless discoveries through the years that change the way we view the world. From the far reaches of distant planets to the inner workings of our brain, these research …
Scientists Identify Genes that Help Protect Plant Genomes
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and elsewhere have identified genes in plants that help maintain protective caps on the ends of their DNA. Because the genes have analogs in the human genome …
How We Transport Water in Our Bodies Inspires New Water Filtration Method
A multidisciplinary group of engineers and scientists has discovered a new method for water filtration that could have implications for a variety of technologies, such as desalination plants, breathable and …
3D Print a Piece of Mars for the Holidays
There’s a galaxy of gifts out there for space nerds. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin may have just the thing to set your present apart: a model of Jezero Crater, the landing site of NASA’s upcoming …
Diversify To Avoid a Repeat of Blackouts, Study Suggests
If states want to avoid costly electricity failures such as the blackouts that roiled California recently, they can improve their odds by diversifying power sources.
UT Austin Astronomer Spies Most Distant Dusty Galaxy Hidden in Plain Sight
Astronomer Caitlin Casey of The University of Texas at Austin has used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to spot the light of a massive galaxy seen just 970 million years after the Big Bang.
School of Nursing Hosts the NHCGNE 2019 Leadership Conference Program
Last month, almost one hundred agencies and institutions, including professionals from Canada, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia, descended on Austin, Texas to attend the 2019 National Hartford Center of …
First-of-Its-Kind Master’s in Design in Health Launches at UT Austin
The School of Design and Creative Technologies and the Design Institute for Health at The University of Texas at Austin are advancing the role of design with the creation of the Master of Arts in Design in Health.
Ramping up Carbon Capture Could Be Key to Mitigating Climate Change
As the world gathers in Madrid to discuss how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change, a newly released study makes the case that trapping emissions underground could go a long way toward solving …
A Big Brain Was a Good Thing for Ancient Carnivores, New Study Finds
Over most of the past 40 million years, having a larger brain relative to body size was an advantage for carnivores, increasing the probability that large-brained species survive while other species go extinct …
New Initiative Positions Texas as Geothermal Energy Leader
With a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Cockrell School of Engineering is launching a unique initiative that aims to make the University of Texas at Austin a national hub for geothermal energy …
Developing a Digital Twin
Oden Institute director leads effort to create virtual UAVs that can predict vehicle health, enable autonomous decision-making.
Researchers Solve Decades-Old DNA Mystery
A team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have solved a decades-old mystery about how DNA organizes itself in the cell.
The Nurdle Patrol Wages War on Plastic Pellets
Plastic pollution has contaminated every continent on Earth. It kills wildlife from whales to sea turtles. Some of the smallest plastic particles, called nurdles, are among the most insidious. It's difficult to even …
Playwright Arthur Miller’s Archive Opens to Researchers
The complete archive of Arthur Miller, one of America’s most acclaimed playwrights, is now available for teaching and research use at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin.
Everyday Interventions Show Greatest Promise for Young Children with Autism
Education researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have learned that everyday interventions that parents and caregivers can provide in natural settings show greatest promise for children with autism.
Tech Startups Gravitate Toward Cities with Strong Social Networks
Tech startups are drawn to cities with small but frequent funding opportunities and plenty of social networking.
Researchers Discover New Way to Split and Sum Photons with Silicon
A team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Riverside have found a way to produce a long-hypothesized phenomenon—the transfer of energy between silicon and organic …
Educational Psychology Pioneer Joins UT as Visiting Scholar
A pioneer in educational psychology and former mentee of W.E.B. Du Bois, Edmund W. Gordon, has been appointed as the 2019-2020 W.E.B. Du Bois Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Black Studies at UT Austin.
Building Industry Bridges: Computer Scientist Tackles New Role for Sony
In a sign of the highly competitive environment for top talent in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), the Sony Corporation this week tapped Peter Stone, a faculty member in the College of Natural Sciences at …
Faculty Discuss Compulsive Alcohol Consumption in Science Commentary
A new article in Science by Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology researchers Kimberly Nixon, Ph.D. and Regina Mangieri, Ph.D. gives perspective on the possible origins for compulsive consumption of alcohol.
Biologist Awarded Grant to Study Effects of Chemicals on Embryos
An associate professor of molecular biosciences at the University of Texas at Austin is one of two individuals this year to receive a Sustaining Outstanding Achievement in Research (SOAR) award from the National …
Urbain Weyemi Looks for the Unexpected to Better Understand Cancer
A noted researcher at the intersection of cancer biology, neurodegeneration and epigenetics, Urbain Weyemi is joining the Department of Molecular Biosciences with the help of a recruitment grant from the Cancer …
Anti-Cancer Drug Has an Unexpected Method of Attacking Cancer
A widely used class of chemotherapy drugs, called topoisomerase inhibitors, come with some serious downsides: bone marrow damage, reduced blood cell production, diarrhea and heart damage. And some cancers can quickly …
Archives of Renowned Documentary Photographers Coming To Briscoe Center
The Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin has received the archives of Fred Baldwin and Wendy Watriss, award-winning photographers and co-founders of FotoFest International, adding …
Crystal Coatings Could Help Solve Mystery of Fracture Patterns
Fractures are everywhere. They are the cracks in the sidewalk. The rifts in roadcuts. The spidery textures in brick and boulders. And those are just the fractures visible at the surface. Underground, fractures can …
TACC to Use Big Data to Explore Chronic Pain and Opioid Reliance
The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin is a key collaborator in a first-of-its-kind National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to investigate and understand the biological …
Scientists Find Eternal Nile To Be More Ancient Than Previously Thought
Ancient Egyptians considered the Nile river to be the source of all life. The steady northward path of the river has nourished the fertile valleys of northeast Africa for millions of years and in doing so, shaped the …
UT Austin Launches Institute to Harness the Data Revolution
The University of Texas at Austin has received a three-year, $1.5 million National Science Foundation TRIPODS (Transdisciplinary Research in Principles of Data Science) award to establish a new institute on the …
Explores Employment Outcomes for People Living with HIV/AIDS
Many persons living with HIV/AIDS experience unemployment with estimates as high as 60 percent. Todd Olmstead, a health economist and professor of public affairs at the LBJ School, along with colleague and principal …
Attacking Weaknesses in Killer Bacteria with Help from Glowing Beads
Biofilms – tightly packed sticky blobs of many bacteria – are a huge problem in the medical world. Biofilms can form on joint replacements and medical equipment, they cause long-term infections in lungs and urinary …
Exceptional Fossils May Need a Breath of Air to Form
Some of the world’s most exquisite fossil beds were formed millions of years ago during time periods when the Earth’s oceans were largely without oxygen. That association has led paleontologists to believe that the …
‘Fake News’ Isn’t Easy to Spot on Facebook, According to New Study
With the presidential election season moving into high gear, campaign messaging will soon begin increasing dramatically. But for those of us who get our news from social media, a new study from the McCombs School of …
Historical Data Confirms Recent Increase in West Texas Earthquakes
A new analysis of historical seismic data led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that earthquake activity in West Texas near the city of Pecos has increased dramatically since 2009.
New Material for Manufacturing Even Smaller Computer Chips
Not everything is bigger in Texas — some things are really, really small. A group of engineers at The University of Texas at Austin may have found a new material for manufacturing even smaller computer chips that …
New Digital Resources Launch Online for Study of Human Rights
Thousands of digitized records reflecting major historical events of the 20th century related to PEN International, a global writers’ organization, are available online beginning this month.
Too Much Seafood? No Such Thing, Says Researcher
Virtually all infant formulas sold in the U.S. contain DHA and ARA, essential fatty acids occurring in breast milk that studies suggest promote brain and eye development. It’s in no small part thanks to Tom Brenna …
Twisted Physics
Magic angle graphene produces switchable patterns of superconductivity.
Giant Magellan Telescope Signs Contract for Telescope Structure
GMTO Corporation, the organization managing the development of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) on behalf of its U.S. and international founders, has signed a contract with MT Mechatronics and Ingersoll Machine …
Research Debunks Myth of Super Bowl Sex Trafficking
For years news outlets have tied major sporting events to an increase in sex trafficking, but researchers have now revealed that assumption is a myth and that misleading news stories foster distorted views and …
NSF Project to Improve Human and Autonomous Technology Interaction
Oden Institute Professor Ufuk Topcu will participate in a $5.5 million National Science Foundation project to develop better ways for autonomous technology to interact with humans.
NSF Invests in Cyberinfrastructure Institute to Harness Cosmic Data
TACC to contribute to community effort to develop a Scalable Cyberinfrastructure Institute for Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (SCIMMA).
Computer Scientist Weighs in on Quantum Supremacy
Google announced earlier this week they reached a milestone achievement of "quantum supremacy," or the creation of a quantum computer capable of calculations beyond the capacity of a traditional supercomputer.
New Venture Team Success Requires Collective Ownership – With Boundaries
A sense of collective ownership is crucial to a startup team’s success. The energy and enthusiasm that come from working toward a shared vision can be powerful. But how an entrepreneur interacts with a team to build …
Artificial Intelligence System Gives Fashion Advice
People turn to many different sources for clothing style advice, from magazines to best friends to Instagram. Soon, though, you may be able to ask your smartphone.
Tapis Computing Platform Weaves Together Science Computing Tools
TACC, UT Austin, University of Hawaii start $3.9 million NSF awards for Tapis platform development.
Welch Foundation to Establish New Chemical Engineering Chair at UT
The Welch Foundation, one of the nation’s largest private funding organizations for basic chemical research, is giving $2.5 million to establish the Norbert Dittrich-Welch Chair in Chemical Engineering in the McKetta …
Remembering Eminent UT Austin Mathematician John Tate
John Tate, who won the world's top prize in mathematics and taught for nearly 20 years at The University of Texas at Austin where he was Regental Professor Emeritus, has died. He was 94.
Archive of Leading American Poet Acquired by the Ransom Center
The papers of American poet Frederick Seidel (b. 1936) have been acquired by the Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin.
Demand for Online Abortion Medication Varies by State Policy Context
Demand for abortion medication through online telemedicine in the United States varies by state policy context, according to new peer-reviewed research from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin.
Deaf Infants’ Gaze Behavior More Advanced Than That of Hearing Infants
Deaf infants who have been exposed to American Sign Language are better at following an adult’s gaze than their hearing peers, supporting the idea that social-cognitive development is sensitive to different kinds of …
Monitoring Hurricanes for Better Life-Saving, Property-Preserving Decisions
When a natural disaster strikes, first responders step in to reduce harm and save lives. They risk their lives in highly unpredictable environments — often without clear knowledge of the dangers they are facing or …
Seismic Monitoring Links West Texas Earthquakes to Hydraulic Fracturing
A new study by scientists of the TexNet Seismic Monitoring Program shows that some of the recent earthquake activity in the Delaware Basin of West Texas may be related to hydraulic fracturing.
$2.5 million Research Award from NIDILRR
Professor Sandy Magaña has been awarded a five-year, $2.5 million grant to study obesity in Latino children with developmental disabilities.
UT Austin Chemical Sensor Startup Secures Major Investment
A tech startup that spun out of The University of Texas at Austin, Lantha Inc., has successfully completed its first round of venture capital investments, securing $2.6 million from the GOOSE Society of Texas and …
NOAH Model Captures Major Hydrological Patterns in China, Study Finds
The Noah land surface model with multi-parameterization options (Noah-MP) simulates the major spatiotemporal patterns of hydrological variables in China, a vast country characterized by complex terrain and large …
Amid National Health Crisis, Pain Plan Reduces Opioid Use for New Moms
A newly standardized pain treatment plan for pregnant women delivering in hospitals reduced mothers’ opioid use before and after delivery and may reduce their risk of opioid addiction later, according to a study …
Align Information Science Curriculum With Serving the Public Good
The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information has long been a leader in the field of informatics, the science of engineering data so it can more easily be used to improve society, and now the School of …
Lone Star State of Science
The 2nd annual TACCSTER Symposium lets Texas-based researchers share, learn about TACC-enabled science.
New Test for Thyroid Cancer Could Prevent Unnecessary Surgery
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Baylor College of Medicine have developed a new preoperative test for thyroid cancer that is faster and about two-thirds more accurate than the diagnostic tests …
Ancient Maya Wetlands Show Early and Extensive Impacts on Tropical Forests
New evidence in Belize shows the ancient Maya responded to population and environmental pressures by creating massive agricultural features in wetlands, potentially increasing atmospheric CO2 and methane through burn …
The Key to Innovation Sales is Matching Reps with the Right Boss
Researchers find novel product sales require pairing the personalities of supervisor and sales rep.
Lightening the Load for Advanced Computing Users
Changes to TACC-produced environment module tool are greeted with quick acceptance.
Novel Nanogels Hold Promise for Improved Drug Delivery to Cancer Patients
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed new guidelines for fabricating nanoscale gel materials, or nanogels, that can deliver numerous therapeutic treatments to treat cancer in a precise manner.
Discovery Gives Insight into How Seeds Germinate in Response to Light
Biologists at the University of Texas at Austin have discovered one of the key processes that let plants know when the time is right to grow and develop from seeds. The findings, published in Nature Communications, …
Bird Droppings Defy Expectations
For every question about bird poop, uric acid appears to be the answer. But according to Nick Crouch, a scientist at The University of Texas at Austin, uric acid can’t be the answer.
Chemist Awarded NIH Grant to Study Metals in Proteins and Enzymes
Emily Que, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study metal-containing enzymes and proteins.
New Study Finds Alternate Procedure Comparable to Hysterectomy
Five months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration halted the sale of kits used to correct a common pelvic floor problem in women known as uterovaginal prolapse, novel research published in the Journal of the …
Elaborate Komodo Dragon Armor Defends Against Other Dragons
Just beneath their scales, Komodo dragons wear a suit of armor made of tiny bones. These bones cover the dragons from head to tail, creating a “chain mail” that protects the giant predators. However, the armor raises …
New Computing Education Group Joins TACC
A new research and service unit has joined the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin): Expanding Pathways in Computing (EPIC).
Rocks at Asteroid Impact Site Record First Day of Dinosaur Extinction
When the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs slammed into the planet, the impact set wildfires, triggered tsunamis and blasted so much sulfur into the atmosphere that it blocked the sun, which caused the global …
Texas Boosts U.S. Science with Fastest Academic Supercomputer in the World
Frontera, at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, will power discoveries by the nation’s top computational scientists.
New Testosterone Nasal Spray Offers Patients an Alternative
A newly patented, testosterone-containing nasal spray developed by a psychology professor at The University of Texas at Austin could provide those suffering from testosterone deficiency and other ailments, such as …
Frontiers in Inorganic Nanoscience: Catching Up with the Milliron Group
Dr. Delia Milliron is passionate about clean energy and the enormous potential of nanoscience to address and solve energy challenges. Milliron, the T. Brockett Hudson Professor in Chemical Engineering at the McKetta …
E-Cigarette Ads Increase Likelihood of Teen and Young Adult Vaping
E-cigarettes are the most popular tobacco product among teens and young adults today, surpassing cigarettes in 2014 with 4.9% of middle school students and 20.8% of high school students reportedly vaping.
Texas Organization Donates Millions to UT Austin Cancer-Fighting Research
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin will head into September, childhood cancer awareness month, with nearly $5 million in new cancer prevention funding from the State of Texas.
Newly Discovered Giant Planet Slingshots Around its Star
Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory, along with colleagues at Caltech and elsewhere, have discovered a planet three times the mass of Jupiter that travels on a long, egg-shaped …
Testosterone has a Complicated Relationship with Moral Reasoning
Although some studies have linked high levels of testosterone to immoral behavior, a new study published in Nature Human Behaviour finds testosterone supplements actually made people more sensitive to moral norms …
Noninvasive Modeling Technology Aims to Better Assess Risk of Heart Attack
The National Science Foundation has awarded $550,000 to fund a collaborative new research project to develop a noninvasive, computational modeling technology for assessing the likelihood of a heart attack in patients.
Police Become Less Proactive with Increased Public Scrutiny
Officers aren’t as likely to go "above and beyond" when they feel misunderstood, new research shows.
Police Less Proactive After Negative Public Scrutiny, Study Says
Public safety officers know that their profession could draw them into the line of fire at any moment, as it did recently for six officers wounded in a shooting standoff in Philadelphia.
Research Bias May Leave Some Primates at Risk
Recent primate research has had a heavy focus on a few charismatic species and nationally protected parks and forests, leaving some lesser known primates and their habitats at risk.
DOE Grant Aims to Improve Oil Recovery by Using Engineered Water
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is investing $8 million in engineering research at UT-Austin that aims to create a more efficient process for recovering oil from naturally fractured reservoirs using engineered water.
Greater Blood Pressure Control Linked to Better Brain Health
For adults with high blood pressure, greater blood pressure control than what’s currently considered standard is associated with fewer adverse changes of the brain, which could mean lower risks of dementia and …
A Growth Mindset Intervention Can Change Students’ Grades
Boosting academic success does not have to derive from new teachers or curriculum; it can also come from changing students’ attitudes about their abilities through a short online intervention.
A Rubik’s Cube® Built from Polymers Holds Promise for Data Storage
A team of chemists from the U.S. and China have constructed a cube of colored, hydrogel blocks, which looks and acts much like a Rubik's Cube®. It might inspire new ways to store and detect information, and possibly …
Priority Rule for Organ Donors Could Have Unintended Consequences
Several countries have combated low organ donor counts by implementing a priority rule that pushes registered donors to the front of the line if they ever need a transplant. However, according to a study from the …
Experimental Vaccine Against RSV Elicits Strong Immune Response
An experimental vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), one of the leading causes of infectious disease deaths in infants, has shown early promise in a Phase 1 human clinical trial.
Marital Infidelity and Professional Misconduct Linked, Study Shows
People who cheat on their spouses are significantly more likely to engage in misconduct in the workplace, according to a study from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
Electric Car Research Boosted by Cobalt-Free Battery
The elimination of cobalt — an expensive chemical component currently required to power our smartphones and laptops — from lithium-ion batteries has been the goal of Texas Engineer Arumugam Manthiram for much of his career.
The Big Shift: More Corporate Cash Flows into the U.S. than Out
Despite popular belief, all U.S. firms haven’t been sending most of their earnings abroad to dodge taxes, finds a study using IRS data.
Many Dallas-Fort Worth Area Faults Have the Potential to Host Earthquakes
A study led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that the majority of faults underlying the Fort Worth Basin are as sensitive to changes in stress that could cause them to slip as those that have generated …
Take a Warm Bath 1-2 hours Before Bedtime to Get Better Sleep
Biomedical engineers at The University of Texas at Austin may have found a way for people to get better shuteye. Systematic review protocols — a method used to search for and analyze relevant data — allowed …
When Should Banks Chase Debts? New Method Could Help Them Decide
Like Kenny Rogers’ gambler, who has to “know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,” banks face financial risks and uncertainty when deciding when to chase consumers who default on their credit card payments and …
Cost-Effective Way to Help Women with Substance Abuse Issues
Providing substance-abuse intervention services for women, particularly in the setting of reproductive health centers, is critical to positive patient outcomes, and offering those services electronically is much less …
Help Women with Substance Abuse Issues by Electronic Intervention
Providing substance-abuse intervention services for women, particularly in the setting of reproductive health centers, is critical to positive patient outcomes, and offering those services electronically is much less …
Horton and Becker to Help Lead NSF Flat Slab Research
A $2.7 million multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional NSF-Frontiers of Earth Science grant has been awarded to a team led by Carnegie’s Lara Wagner to study an active flat slab in Colombia.
Article Highlights Pharmacist’s Role in Opioid Harm Reduction
A recent article in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (JAPhA) from College of Pharmacy professors emphasizes the pharmacist’s irreplaceable role in opioid harm reduction, and how a number of studies …
Keck Foundation Awards Chemists Grant to Squeeze More Energy from Sunlight
The W.M. Keck Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to a team led by University of Texas at Austin chemists to develop an innovative new coating for silicon-based solar cells that could boost their efficiency by …
Well-Connected Directors Pay Off in the Long Term
Dumping directors who serve on too many corporate boards can come at a cost: sacrificing long-term investments for quarterly profits.
UT Study Shows How To Produce Natural Gas While Storing Carbon Dioxide
New research at The University of Texas at Austin shows that injecting air and carbon dioxide into methane ice deposits buried beneath the Gulf of Mexico could unlock vast natural gas energy resources while helping …
Existing Drug May Help Fight the Lethality of E. Coli Infection
New research from a lab within the College of Pharmacy may have discovered a way to repurpose an existing drug to fight the lethality of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections.
Patients See Multiple Clinicians on One Visit
A new patient-centered scheduling protocol is improving the quality, efficiency and convenience of multiprovider health care, according to a recently published paper from The University of Texas at Austin.
Using Green Laser Technology to Predict Climate Change
We know ice is melting on the Earth’s poles. But how fast? New data gathered using a green laser in space is helping scientists track the melting ice and giving us a new elevated view of climate change.
Turning Plant Pests into Helpers
As any farmer or summer gardener knows, tiny aphids represent an enemy for most crops. The insects like many of the same plants that we rely on for food, and aphids can sometimes spread plant diseases, similar to the …
New E-Tattoo Enables Accurate, Uninterrupted Heart Monitoring for Days
The leading cause of death in Texas is heart disease, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, accounting for more than 45,000 deaths statewide in 2017. A new wearable technology made from stretchy, …
New AI Sees Like a Human, Filling in the Blanks
Computer scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have taught an artificial intelligence agent how to do something that usually only humans can do—take a few quick glimpses around and infer its whole …
Frontera Named 5th Fastest Supercomputer in the World
TACC's leadership-class system tops all academic supercomputers, achieves 23.5 PetaFLOPS on Top500 benchmark.
Moss Heart Trust Funds the Oden Institute for Cardiovascular Modeling Work
The Harry S. Moss Heart Trust has funded the Oden Institute’s work to create patient-specific mitral valve models to improve treatment of this form of heart disease.
Rural Entrepreneurship in Texas Gets Boost from UT Austin Research Projects
To help support entrepreneurs and small-business owners — key drivers of prosperity in rural Texas — the IC² Institute at The University of Texas at Austin is funding new research on entrepreneurship in rural and …
Giustino Receives $2 Million DOE Computational Design of Materials Grant
The newest Oden Institute professor, Feliciano Giustino, has received a $2 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop exascale computing of electron-phonon couplings for finite-temperature design.
Planet Texas 2050: For a Better Tomorrow
By 2050, the population of Texas is expected to double from about 28 million today to 55 million. This would create an incredible strain on resources.
Decoding a Drop of Water to Understand Life on the Texas Coast
You can swim, but you can't hide. Even hard to find living things in the bays and estuaries in the Coastal Bend are being identified as researchers from The University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI), …
New Photography Technique Brings Hidden History of Fossils to Light
We’ve all seen and marveled at them: perfect fossils of gargantuan dinosaurs or other exotic creatures from the ancient world. But the truth is, sometimes there’s more than meets the eye. From signs of soft tissue …
Satellite Missions Honored as Antarctic Glaciers Become Namesakes
A remote glacier on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula has been named after GRACE, the satellite mission developed by Cockrell School of Engineering researchers at The University of Texas at Austin almost …
Engineering What’s in Our Water
Fluoride is a naturally existing ion, like sodium, calcium or magnesium, found in abundance in many environments around the world, including groundwater, oceans and soil. In optimal concentrations, fluoride can strengthen ou
Researcher Publishes Gene Sequence Analysis Methods in PNAS
John Hawkins' analysis of bat genomes appeared in the June 4 edition of the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Is Summer Learning Loss Real?
Recent tests do not show widening achievement gaps during summer vacation, says the LBJ School's Paul von Hippel.
Civility Still Matters to Some in Cyberspace
In the online world, where incivility is all too common, new research from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin found that being polite is golden, at least when individuals who …
Don’t Be Rude: Polite Answers Favored by Online Questioners
Civil replies beat confrontational ones when answering other online readers.
A Rose Inspires Smart Way to Collect and Purify Water
The rose may be one of the most iconic symbols of the fragility of love in popular culture, but now the flower could hold more than just symbolic value.
Have Research, Will Travel
President’s Award for Global Learning expands horizons.
UT Austin Becomes Major Research Hub for Army Futures Command
The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved $20 million to support The University of Texas at Austin’s collaboration with the U.S. Army Futures Command.
Massive Martian Ice Discovery Opens a Window into Red Planet’s History
Newly discovered layers of ice buried a mile beneath Mars’ north pole are the remnants of ancient polar ice sheets and could be one of the largest water reservoirs on the planet.
Topcu to Work with Consortium Selected to Pioneer New Autonomy Capabilities
Oden Institute Professor Ufuk Topcu will participate in the new U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Center of Excellence for Assured Autonomy in Contested Environments. The Center will be the first to look …
Donation to UT Will Expand View of the Universe
David Booth, co-founder and executive chairman of Austin-based Dimensional Fund Advisors and a visionary philanthropist, has committed a $10 million gift to The University of Texas at Austin. His philanthropic …
The Fourth Trimester: Maternal health and the continuum of childbearing
Traditionally, postpartum care has ended at about six weeks or 42 days after birth when new mothers are last seen by their obstetrician. However, a study published in 2017 found that one-third of maternal deaths …
Student Lei's AI Research Paper Featured in Nature
In the world of machine learning algorithms, text was considered relatively safe from adversarial attacks, because, whereas a malicious agent can make minute adjustments to an image or waveform of sound, it can’t …
Scientists Capture First-Ever Video of Body’s Safety Test for T-cells
For the first time, immunologists from The University of Texas at Austin have captured on video what happens when T-cells – the contract killers of the immune system, responsible for wiping out bacteria and viruses …
Jawless Fish Take a Bite out of the Blood-Brain Barrier
A jawless parasitic fish could help lead the way to more effective treatments for multiple brain ailments, including cancer, trauma and stroke.
Jah Helping Develop Space Sustainability Rating
The World Economic Forum has announced the introduction of a Space Sustainability Rating (SSR) system to help tackle the problem of space traffic and congestion in the Earth’s orbit. The announcement of the SSR and …
Storm Water Banking Could Help Texas Manage Floods and Droughts
Massive, destructive floods such as those caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 are a stark reality in Texas, but so are prolonged ground-cracking droughts.
Controversies about Marginalized Groups Increase Bullying in Youths
Scientists have uncovered new evidence that heated political discourse over proposed laws involving marginalized groups, such as debates about the rights of LGBT people, can contribute to an increase in bullying …
Grading Brain Health
High school experiences follow you long after you’ve graduated, shaping your professional success and even your health. Now, researchers are investigating how it could contribute to your future brain health and maybe …
New Malware Detector Identifies Bugs By Monitoring Power Usage
Malware is evasive, intelligent and sneaky. No sooner than anti-virus software is updated to combat the latest attacks, a computer virus will have already evolved into something harder to detect and potentially more …
Complex Geology Contributed to Deepwater Horizon Disaster, New Study Finds
A study from The University of Texas at Austin is the first published in a scientific journal to take an in-depth look at the challenging geologic conditions faced by the crew of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig …
Fight Climate Change and Help Caribbean Nation’s Economy
The University of Texas at Austin is partnering with two Caribbean universities on the dual-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago to create a new clean industry that will store greenhouse gasses underground and …
Address Growing Amount of Space Debris Orbiting Earth
The World Economic Forum has announced the introduction of a Space Sustainability Rating (SSR) system to help tackle the problem of space traffic and congestion in the Earth’s orbit. The announcement of the SSR and …
Arctic Rivers Helps Monitor Greenhouse Gases Released from Permafrost
As Earth's climate warms, experts predict the rate of greenhouse gas emissions from thawing Arctic permafrost and peat will rise, which will further boost climate warming. Because the rate of permafrost thaw varies …
Find Personalized Treatment for Crohn’s Disease
To model human health and disease, organ-on-a-chip technology mimics the human body’s organ structure, functionality and physiology in a controlled environment. These miniature systems, which serve as accurate models …
The Personnel Component
How people analytics can help your company get ahead.
GRACE Mission Data Contributes to Our Understanding of Climate Change
The University of Texas at Austin team that led a twin satellite system launched in 2002 to take detailed measurements of the Earth, called the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), reports in the most …
UT Austin's Inventors Celebrate World Intellectual Property Day
World Intellectual Property Day, observed annually on April 26, honors the inventors behind the innovative technology used in daily life.
Teens’ Appetite for Rebellion Can Counter Their Appetite for Junk Food
Researchers have suggested for years that the enormous amount of food marketing bombarding kids and teens contributes to rising levels of obesity. New research published in Nature Human Behaviour suggests an …
Ancient “Texas Serengeti” Had Elephant-Like Animals
During the Great Depression, some unemployed Texans were put to work as fossil hunters. The workers retrieved tens of thousands of specimens that have been studied in small bits and pieces while stored in the state …
Rachel Cusk’s Papers Acquired
The papers of acclaimed author Rachel Cusk (b. 1967) have been acquired by the Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin.
Measurement of Semiconductor Material Quality is Now More Sensitive
The enhanced power of the new measuring technique to characterize materials at scales much smaller than any current technologies will accelerate the discovery and investigation of 2D, micro- and nanoscale materials.
Evolution Imposes “Speed Limit” on Recovery after Mass Extinctions
It takes at least 10 million years for life to fully recover after a mass extinction, a speed limit for the recovery of species diversity that is well known among scientists. Explanations for this apparent rule have …
How the Brain Fights Off Fears That Return to Haunt Us
Neuroscientists at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a group of cells in the brain that are responsible when a frightening memory re-emerges unexpectedly.
Discovery of New Details about Metabolism in Ancestors of All Complex Life
A team of researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden, The University of Texas at Austin and elsewhere, have found new evidence that strengthens the hypothesis that the first complex life forms.
Supercomputers Help Supercharge Protein Assembly
XSEDE allocations on Stampede2 and Comet speed simulation of protein oligomers.
Manganese regulation research highlighted as a NIEHS Paper of the Month
Somshuvra Mukhopadhyay, M.B.B.S., Ph.D. assistant professor in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, recently led research focused on how brain manganese is regulated by activity of the gene SLC30A10 in the …
New Health Social Work Department Means Better Whole-Person Care for All
Dell Medical School and Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin are advancing the role of social work as an agent of health care transformation through the creation of the new …
New IDVSA Report: Child Sex Trafficking in Texas
A new study of child sex trafficking in Texas finds that victims are not adequately identified, enter and exit victimization multiple times, and spend much of their lives being exploited.
Child Sex Trafficking Victims May Not Be Who You Think They Are
A new study of child sex trafficking in Texas finds that victims are not adequately identified, enter and exit victimization multiple times, and spend much of their lives being exploited.
BBR and IDVSA Release New Study on Commercial Child Sexual Exploitation
Building on their 2016 study that looked at prevalence and economic impact of human trafficking in Texas, the Bureau of Business Research (BBR) and the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) have …
Brain-Inspired AI Inspires Insights About the Brain (and Vice Versa)
Research from Huth lab at UT Austin predicts how neurons respond to language in context.
Antibodies From Earlier Exposures Affect Response To New Flu Strains
We are repeatedly exposed to the influenza virus via infections, vaccinations and our communal environments. The annual flu shot is believed to be the best line of defense, and doctors recommend vaccinations every …
2019 Regional Meeting Brings NAE to Austin to Discuss Disaster Analytics
Members of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) met at The University of Texas at Austin on March 7, 2019, to examine the growing role of data analytics in natural disasters and determine how the proper …
To Stoke Creativity, Crank Out Ideas and Then Step Away
To encourage good ideas from employees, companies can’t simply demand creativity on the spot. Instead, they need to spur workers’ creative activity — and then wait.
New Research Identifies Potential PTSD Treatment Improvement
Researchers may have found a way to improve a common treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by changing how the brain learns to respond less severely to fearful conditions.
Simple Directions From Parents Can Guide Children’s Discovery
Whether it’s probing a child’s understanding of a topic through questions or engaging in hands-on activities alongside them, parents can guide their children to learn in new ways through simple directions, according …
Solar-Powered Moisture Harvester Collects and Cleans Water from Air
Access to clean water remains one of the biggest challenges facing humankind. A breakthrough by engineers at The University of Texas at Austin may offer a new solution through solar-powered technology that absorbs …
Forgetting Uses More Brain Power Than Remembering
Choosing to forget something might take more mental effort than trying to remember it, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin discovered through neuroimaging.
Fossil Teeth from Kenya Solve Ancient Monkey Mystery
The teeth of a new fossil monkey, unearthed in the badlands of northwest Kenya, help fill a 6-million-year void in Old World monkey evolution.
Black and Hispanic Americans Bear a Disproportionate Burden from Air Pollut
Poor air quality is the largest environmental health risk in the United States. Fine particulate matter pollution is responsible for more than 100,000 deaths each year from heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and …
A Newborn's Lung
TACC assists in massive data collection effort in lung development to help premature babies.
Advance is a Key Step Toward Treatment of Neurological Disorders
A technique neuroscientists use to view neurons in the brain and to turn them on and off with light, called optogenetics, is a promising strategy that could eventually treat a wide range of disorders, from chronic …
Design, Meet Research
How UT is encouraging faculty members to think outside the (tenure) box and try something new.
Texas Invasive Species Program Gets Boost from Foundation Grant
Destructive and costly fire ants, crazy ants, moth larvae and invasive grasses can wreak havoc on Texas ecosystems, but biologists at The University of Texas at Austin are bringing the fight to them. With the help of …
In Singing Mice, Scientists Find Clue to Our Own Rapid Conversations
Studying the songs of mice from the cloud forests of Costa Rica, researchers from New York University School of Medicine and The University of Texas at Austin have identified a brain circuit that might enable the …
Sacks Receives $3.1 million NIH Grant for IMR
Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is a common complication of patients with heart disease or who have had a heart attack, affecting at least 300,000 Americans. As the population ages, this clinical problem is …
UT and Austin ISD Showcase Research to Benefit Pre-K-12 Education
In early February, the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin and Austin Independent School District (AISD) hosted its first Collaborative Research Forum.
Award-Winning Visualization Dives into Arctic Ocean
Stampede2, Maverick systems at TACC help power visualization of Arctic Ocean data.
Outfitting T Cell Receptors to Combat a Deadly Virus
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering's McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering have engineered "antibody-like" T cell receptors that can specifically stick to cells infected with cytomegalovirus …
New Material Holds Promise for More Secure Computing
As computers advance, encryption methods currently used to keep everything from financial transactions to military secrets secure might soon be useless, technology experts warn. Reporting today in the journal Nature …
New Ultrafast Device Welds Bridge Parts in Seconds
When you see “Bridge Closed” signs on the road and engineers working on repairs, you know it only makes sense to turn around and try a different route. There’s no point in waiting for the repairs to be finished …
New Study Reveals When a Superconductor Truly Becomes Super
Unraveling the mystery of superconductivity at high temperatures, specifically in copper oxide materials, remains one of the most puzzling challenges in modern solid-state physics. But an international research team …
Understanding the West Texas Earthquake Problem
During the past decade, recorded earthquakes in the Permian Basin region of Texas have increased from 15 per year in 2010 to more than 400 small earthquakes per month. But why?
Scientists Synthesize a New Type of DNA with Extra Building Blocks
A team of synthetic biologists led by Steven Benner at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution—and including Andy Ellington at The University of Texas at Austin—have synthesized a new kind of DNA that uses …
Sleep May Be Key in Slowing Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
Could it be that something as simple as sleep can slow or even roll back the effects of cognitive impairment and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease? Kathy Richards, PhD, RN, FAAN, and research scientist at …
Interacting With More People is Shown to Keep Older Adults More Active
It’s been said that variety is the spice of life, and now scientists say variety in your social circle may help you live longer. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have found that older adults who spend …
Habitable Zone Planet Finder Enables Discovery of Planets Around Cool Stars
A new astronomical spectrograph provides the highest precision measurements to date of infrared signals from nearby stars, allowing astronomers to detect planets capable of having liquid water on their surfaces that …
Audrey Stone awarded $2.4 million NIH Grant
Audrey Stone has received a $2.4 million, four-year grant from NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for the project, Temporal Effects of Inflammation on the Autonomic Control of Circulation During Exercise in Type 2
Adventures in Sequencing
When genome sequencing began, creating comprehensive maps of a living thing’s DNA was eye-poppingly costly and time-consuming: Mapping the first human genome took about 15 years and billions of dollars. Later …
Crust Kept Shallow Melt Reservoir Liquid for Millions of Years on Planet
A recent NASA mission to the dwarf planet Ceres found brilliant, white spots of salts on its surface. New research led by The University of Texas at Austin in partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) …
LGBTQ Youths Are Have Poorer Outcomes in Child Welfare System
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youths are more likely to end up in foster care or unstable housing and suffer negative outcomes, such as substance abuse or mental health issues, while …
New Initiative Will Ignite Collaboration between UT Austin and Mexico
AUSTIN, Texas — Mexico scholars at The University of Texas at Austin will come together with Mexican colleagues at the inaugural Puentes Summit on Security and Governance this coming Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 11 and 12.
Sharp Bends Make Rivers Wander
Left to their own devices and given enough time, rivers wander, eroding their banks and leaving their old channels behind. It’s a behavior that engineers have to keep in mind when managing rivers or planning projects …
Modeling Uncertain Terrain with Supercomputers
ICES Professor Tan Bui-Thanh uses TACC systems to test new mathematical and computational approaches to statistical inverse problems.
Enlarged Prostate Could Actually Be Stopping Tumor Growth, Simulations Show
For men older than about 60, an enlarged prostate means feeling the urge to make a pit stop way too often throughout the day. But a new study shows that if these men also happen to have prostate cancer, the larger …
UT Energy Week Explores New Technologies, Markets & Trends
Energy experts from industry, academia, government and nonprofit groups are gathering on The University of Texas at Austin campus Monday, Feb. 4, to kick off UT Energy Week, an annual conference designed to explore …
Dell Medical School Initiative Doubles Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates
A novel colorectal cancer screening initiative run by Dell Medical School at The University of Texas has helped double the percentage of CommUnityCare Health Center patients being screened for this form of cancer to …
Online Database for Higher Education Researchers
When ZW Taylor, a Higher Education Leadership doctoral student within the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy wanted to know which journals he should shoot for publishing in, he had a hard time locating a …
Graduate Student Creates Online Database for Higher Education Researchers
When ZW Taylor, a Higher Education Leadership doctoral student within the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy wanted to know which journals he should shoot for publishing in, he had a hard time locating a …
New Drug Has Potential to Protect Brain Cells from Traumatic Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), caused by everything from falls to being hit by moving objects to car crashes, cause nearly a third of all injury-related deaths in the U.S. Millions of survivors struggle with …
Climate Change Could Make Corals Go It Alone
Climate change is bad news for coral reefs around the world, with high ocean temperatures causing widespread bleaching events that weaken and kill corals. However, new research from The University of Texas at Austin …
Want Healthier Eating Habits? Start with a workout.
In the latest evidence that it's worth sticking to your health-focused New Year's resolutions, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have found that exercising regularly is linked to better eating habits.
New Heart Valve Modeling Technique Enables Customized Medical Care
Engineers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new noninvasive technique for simulating repairs to the heart’s mitral valve with levels of accuracy reliable enough for use in a clinical setting.
Scientists Uncover RNA Silencing Technique to Change Seed Size in Plants
In a development with promising implications for crop farmers in the U.S. and around the world, scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have figured out how to get some plants to produce nearly one-third bigger seeds.
When an Unexpected Disaster Strikes, Abstract Language Helps
Shocking events, such as mass shootings and natural disasters, can create causal uncertainty, leading many to ask, “Why did this happen?” For public leaders, providing their communities with answers can be difficult …
New Research Center to Address Future Needs of Growing Elderly Population
To improve the longevity and well-being of aging individuals across all demographics, The University of Texas at Austin will launch the Texas Aging & Longevity Center (TALC) on Friday, Jan. 25.
Reef Experts From Throughout the Gulf Region Gather to Share Knowledge
An impromptu meeting between Jackson School of Geosciences Assistant Professor Rowan Martindale and Rice University Assistant Professor Adrienne Correa may pay big dividends for future research on reefs in the Gulf of Mexico.
New Material Might Lead to Higher Capacity Hard Drives
Over the past few decades, the cost of storing data on hard disk drives (HDDs) has fallen dramatically, enabling revolutions in personal, scientific and cloud computing and allowing for storage of ever-greater …
Ice Age Climate Caused Sediment Sourcing 180 in Gulf of Mexico
The onset of the most recent ice age about 2.6 million years ago changed where the western Gulf of Mexico gets its supply of sediments. The finding adds new insight into how extreme climate change can directly impact …
Coax Proteins to Form Synthetic Structures with Method that Mimics Nature
Scientists have long dreamed of creating synthetic structures out of the same raw material that nature uses in living systems — proteins — believing such an advance would allow for the development of transformative …
Central Texas Salamanders at Risk of Extinction
Biologists at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered three new species of groundwater salamander in Central Texas, including one living west of Austin that they say is critically endangered. They also …
Archive Examines Creative Process in Photography
More than 35 years ago, prominent artists Robert Frank, Dave Heath, Robert Heinecken and John Wood agreed to participate in a project exploring creativity in photography. Led by art historians Susan E. Cohen and …
Bacteria Help Scientists Discover Human Cancer-Causing Proteins
A team led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Baylor College of Medicine has applied an unconventional approach involving bacteria to discover human proteins that can lead to DNA damage and …
Computer Modeling Could Improve Understanding of Megathrust Earthquakes
Years before the devastating Tohoku earthquake struck the coast of Japan in 2011, the Earth’s crust near the site of the quake was starting to stir. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin are using computer …
Research May Identify Those at Risk of Developing Diabetes
The good news is that people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and who are in routine care are living longer and healthier lives. The bad news is that because the virus puts them at risk for other …
Reconstructed Ocean Warming Offers Clues for the Future
Due to a scarcity of direct observational data, most global estimates of ocean warming start only in the 1950s. However, a team of international scientists including ICES Professor Patrick Heimbach has now succeeded …
Evolution Used Same Genetic Formula to Turn Animals Monogamous
Why are some animals committed to their mates and others are not? According to a new study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin that looked at 10 species of vertebrates, evolution used a kind of …
Tackling Critical Health Needs for Austin’s Homeless
Of the more than 7,000 people who experience homelessness in Travis County each year, many have complex health problems as diverse as heart disease and asthma. To help address these persistent challenges, Dell …
The New Work-Work-Life Balance
Young workers are increasingly taking on side gigs in hopes of advancing professionally. Experts offer some tips for managing them.
UT Austin Research in the News: Top Stories from 2018
Every day, researchers at UT Austin are helping answer big questions, improve lives and challenge conventional wisdom. From dinosaurs to Bitcoin to honey bees, here’s some research that made headlines in 2018.
Curiosity and Confidence Help Children Take on Math and Reading
Children’s personalities may influence how they perform in math and reading, according to a study by psychology researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.
New Shale Gas Drilling Methods Boost Production Potential, Study Finds
A new analysis of the nation’s major shale gas plays has revealed that the amount of natural gas that can be technically recovered from future well locations has increased by 20 percent compared with an estimate made …
Hesse's Research Featured by DOE
ICES Professor Mark Hesse's research was featured on the front page of the U.S. Department of Energy's website.
Willerson Center Cardiovascular Work Featured on Journal Cover
To study mitral valve disease and repair, researchers in the Willerson Center for Cardiovascular Modeling and Simulation developed a novel, completely noninvasive computational method to estimate mitral valve leaflet in‐plane
Spinal Cord Injury Could Throw Off Body’s Internal Clock, Study Shows
Although paralysis is the most noticeable result of a spinal cord injury, a new study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin suggests such injuries could throw off the internal clock of the entire body’s …
Two UT Engineers Elected to National Academy of Inventors
Hal Alper, professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, and Alex Huang, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, have been selected as fellows in the prestigious National …
Indian Ocean May Be More Disruptive to Tropical Climate
The Indian Ocean played a far greater role in driving climate change during the most recent ice age than previously believed and may disrupt climate again in the future.
Genetic Component Affects Recovery in Traumatic Brain Injury
More than 40 million people show up in emergency rooms and health care clinics in the United States each year with a variety of serious injuries. Of these, approximately 2.5 million are traumatic brain injuries (TBI) …
Females Prefer City Frogs’ Tunes
Urban sophistication has real sex appeal — at least if you're a Central American amphibian. Male frogs in cities are more attractive to females than their forest-frog counterparts, according to a new study published …
Computer Scientist Recognized as ACM Fellow
Professor Lili Qiu in the Department of Computer Science has been named an ACM Fellow by the Association for Computing Machinery.
UT Launches New Rocket Engineering Program
The University of Texas at Austin and Firefly Academy, a nonprofit organization run by Austin-based firm Firefly Aerospace, have partnered to establish Firefly@UT — a $1 million, multi-year program that, for the …
Newly Identified Gravitational Waves Help Pinpoint Black Hole
The scientists looking for gravitational waves report that last year they observed four additional ripples in space-time. During about a nine-month period, scientists involved with the National Science Foundation's …
Table-Top Experiment Flips Current Understanding of Solutal Convection
When Yu “Alex” Liang started graduate school at The University of Texas at Austin, he was tasked with running a straight-forward experiment to collect data on a well-understood phenomenon in fluid mechanics: how …
NASA Selects Jackson School Postdoc’s Pick for Mars Rover Landing Site
For the past four years, a University of Texas at Austin postdoctoral fellow Tim Goudge has been making the case to send an upcoming Mars mission to Jezero Crater. On Monday, Nov. 19, NASA announced that the crater …
Latest Book Examines How the U.S. will Handle Aging and Diversity
Two massive demographic changes are poised to hit the United States in the next 30 years: The older population will double and the country will become a majority-minority society. But whether or not the country will be prepar
NIH Funds Five-Year Study on Women's Response to Zika in Brazil
In spring 2015, a Zika virus outbreak struck Brazil, making it the first report of locally-acquired Zika in the Americas. Three years later, researchers are still unpacking all of its consequences, particularly the …
Connection Between Climate, Life and the Movement of Continents
A new study by The University of Texas at Austin has demonstrated a possible link between life on Earth and the movement of continents. The findings show that sediment, which is often comprised from pieces of dead …
Women Bring More Skills, Better Performance to the C-Suite
Data show that firms do better with female leaders in the mix.
Disease-Fighting Cells at High Speed in High Volumes
A new technology that identifies disease-related antigens and T cells that could potentially destroy them could speed the development of new therapies to treat diseases as diverse as influenza and cancer.
17th Century Authorship Mystery Tackled
A new mental-profiling technique, developed at UT Austin, could be applied broadly, from forensic work to identifying critical mental health events on social media.
Biggest Bird May Have Been Blind
According to brain reconstruction research led by The University of Texas at Austin, the part of the elephant bird brain that processed vision was tiny, a trait that indicates they were nocturnal and possibly blind.
Where Water Goes After Fracking is Tied to Earthquake Risk
New research led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that where the produced water is stored underground influences the risk of induced earthquakes.
Keeping Calm When You’re on the Clock
Stress limits thinking capacity and is harmful to health. Here are three ways to get back into the productive zone.
UT Austin Selected for New Nationwide High-Intensity Laser Network
UT Austin will be a key player in LaserNetUS, a new national network of institutions operating high-intensity, ultrafast lasers, with $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences.
Probiotics Are Not Always ‘Good Bacteria’
UT engineers have shed light on the human digestive system using their gut-on-a-chip technology.
Energy Institute Full Cost of Electricity Study
Study: natural gas, wind & solar energy are the lowest-cost technologies for new electricity generation.
Biologists Receive $2 Million to Classify the Microbial World
The National Science Foundation has awarded a team of four researchers, including University of Texas at Austin biologists Howard Ochman and Mark Kirkpatrick, approximately $2 million over three years to classify the …
Honey, I Shrunk the Cell Culture
Chemists have developed a shrink ray that holds promise for biomedical researchers, including those seeking to shed light on how to grow replacement tissues and organs for implants.
Why Do our Eyes Move as They Do? UT Scientists Have New Answers to That
Humans move their eyes about two or three times a second, even when we're concentrating on a particular object or image, but the reason for these tiny eye movements has never been very clear.
State of Science
Inaugural TACC Symposium for Texas Researchers helps scholars in the Lone Star State boost their computational savvy.
New Protein Sequencing Method Could Transform Biological Research
A new ultra-sensitive method for sequencing proteins could help reveal new biomarkers for diagnosing cancer and other diseases, as well as enhance our understanding of how healthy cells function.
Two Studies Shed Light on How Complex CRISPR Systems Work
In a pair of papers out this week, scientists at the University of Texas at Austin made new discoveries about a remarkable naturally occurring system known as CRISPR.
New Research Explores Global Climate Leadership, Risks and Fragility
Joshua Busby, an associate professor of public affairs and leading expert on environmental politics, published two reports on climate change in September 2018.
Reaching Healthcare Professionals to Prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorde
A $1 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will help social work researchers from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work strengthen primary prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum …
To Boost App Sales, Reconsider the Free Versions
Most mobile apps entice new users with free versions, hoping they’ll like them enough to buy paid versions. That strategy can backfire.
Machine Learning Provides New Insights Into Cellular Biology
In a new interdisciplinary study, a team of engineers led by The University of Texas at Austin have used machine learning technology in tandem with next-generation RNA sequencing to reveal the inner workings of cells …
Improve Your Company’s Social Reputation, and Investors Will Notice
There’s good news for firms with bad reputations for social responsibility, finds a new study from Texas McCombs.
Newly Described Fossils Could Help Reveal Why Some Dinos Got So Big
By the time non-avian dinosaurs went extinct, plant-eating sauropods like the Brontosaurus had grown to gargantuan proportions …
Robot Masters Human Balancing Act
UT engineers have successfully demonstrated a novel approach to human-like balance in a biped robot.
Computer Scientists Receive $1.7 Million Grant to Make Chip Design Easier
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, Yale University and Texas State University have been awarded $5 million by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of a program designed to …
Texas Foster Youth and Higher Education
In 1993, Texas became one of the first states to adopt a post-secondary tuition and fee waiver for foster youth. And in 2017, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Department of Family and Protective …
UT Austin Rises 10 Spots in Latest Global Ranking
The University of Texas at Austin rose 10 spots to No. 39 in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Research on China and Developing Communities Published in a Top Journal
The LBJ School's Joshua Eisenman, Erin Lentz and Raj Patel have published new studies in Development and Change, a top journal in the development economics field from the Institute of Social Studies.
Scientists Discover Why Some Bacteria Turn Bad
Every year, millions of people have vacations and business trips ruined when they succumb to "traveler's diarrhea" during their journeys. A major cause of traveler's diarrhea is bacteria called Enterotoxigenic E. coli…
Racial and Ethnic Bias Leads to Lower Well-Being Among Adolescents
Racial and ethnic discrimination is problematic for all aspects of development — from mental and physical health to risky behaviors and academic success — according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.
Keeping Texas Fishing Strong
The spotted seatrout is one of the most prized targets of saltwater recreational fisheries in Texas. A better understanding of its habits improves fishing opportunities for generations to come.
Better Water Purification Methods Are Aim of New Research Center
New $10.75M DOE center will focus on developing more creative approaches and new materials for the purification of water, perhaps Earth's most critical natural resource.
ICES Leads New $10 million Center for Applied Mathematics Research
A joint university—U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories team of researchers led by The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES) Professors Omar Ghattas and …
Methane in Barnett Area Groundwater Naturally Occurring
After four years of studies, scientists have found no link between methane present in water wells outside of Fort Worth and nearby gas production activities in the Barnett Shale.
Birds Reinvent Voice Box in Novel Evolutionary Twist
Birds tote around two vocal organs inside their bodies, but only one works. New research suggests that this distinct avian anatomy arose because birds opted for building a brand new vocal organ.
Common Weed Killer Linked to Bee Deaths
The world’s most widely used weed killer, Roundup, causes honey bees to lose some of their beneficial bacteria and are more susceptible to infection and death from harmful bacteria.
This Data Source Could Enable Better Flu Forecasts
New research shows that data routinely collected by health care companies could enable more accurate forecasts of when the next flu season will peak, how long it will last and how many people will get sick.
UT Engineers Develop First Method for Controlling Nanomotors
In a breakthrough for nanotechnology, engineers at UT have developed the first method for selecting and switching the mechanical motion of nanomotors.
ICES Hosts "Exploring the Arctic Ocean" Art Exhibition
While the Arctic has long been subject to exploration, its very core, the Arctic Ocean remains an uncharted territory for many. An exhibition developed by ICES researchers, Exploring the Arctic Ocean Sept. 21-Dec. 7, …
UT Austin Scientists Help NASA With Global Ice-Measuring Satellite
Scientists from UT's Applied Research Laboratories aid NASA's latest satellite mission.
UT Professor David Stuart a Part of Team that Uncovers Major Maya Find
A team of archaeologists working at the Classic Maya site of La Corona, located in jungle forest of the Petén in northern Guatemala, has discovered a nearly 1,500-year-old carved altar. This monument, the oldest …
Faculty and Meadows Center Go Back to the BASICs of Academic Support
Associate Professor Nathan Clemens along with a team of Special Education faculty and representatives from The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk have received a $4 million grant to be distributed over …
Business Genius Can Be Taught, Study Says
How did Steve Jobs do it? What about Whole Foods Market and Starbucks? These kinds of “breakout” success stories show what is possible when business leaders imagine into the future rather than re-enacting the past.
Three Studies from the LBJ School Appear in Leading Development Journal
Three new studies from the LBJ School appeared in the leading peer-reviewed journal World Development. The studies explore climate security vulnerability, the relationship between food insecurity and domestic violence…
Galactic “Wind” Stifling Star Formation is Most Distant Yet Seen
For the first time, a powerful “wind” of molecules has been detected in a galaxy 12 billion light-years away, showing how the earliest galaxies regulated the birth of stars to keep from blowing themselves apart.
Genes Are Key to Academic Success, Study Shows
Parents always worry about whether their children will do well in school, but their kids probably were born with much of what they will need to succeed.
"Nature" Highlights Jah's Work to Conquer Earth’s Space Junk Problem
Researchers are working to reduce the threats posed by more than 20,000 objects in space and ICES Professor Moriba Jah's ASTRIAGraph database seeks to minimize collisions. The Sept. 5 issue of the prestigious journal …
Using Gut-on-a-Chip Models to Test Probiotic Therapies on Colitis
Studies suggest there is a growing rise in the number of people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. As many as …
Simple Test Detects Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes, Presence of Biopesticide
A new diagnostic tool can quickly and cheaply identify whether a mosquito belongs to the species that carries dangerous diseases such as Zika virus, dengue, chikungunya or yellow fever.
New Texas Supercomputer to Push the Frontiers of Science
The National Science Foundation awards $60 million to the Texas Advanced Computing Center to build a new supercomputer that will be the fastest at any U.S. university and among the most powerful in the world.
Mammal Forerunner Sheds Light on Brain Evolution
A newly described fossil of an extinct mammal relative — and her 38 babies — is among the best evidence that a key development in the evolution of mammals was trading brood power for brain power.
Three Previously Unknown Ancient Primates Identified
UT Austin biological anthropologists have described three new species of fossil primates that were previously unknown to science.
New Cancer Treatment Uses Enzymes to Boost Immune System and Fight Back
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new approach to treating cancer using enzyme therapy.
Writing Thank You Notes Is More Powerful Than We Realize, Study Shows
Letters of gratitude are found to improve well-being, new UT study finds.
Human Trafficking in Harvey’s Wake: UT Study Aims to Disrupt Supply
Scientists with UT Austin are receiving a National Science Foundation grant to explore ways to disrupt human trafficking supply chains related to Hurricane Harvey reconstruction efforts.
Report: Drug Use Patterns and Trends in Texas, 2018
Professor Jane Maxwell from the Addiction Research Institute has released the 2018 report to the National Drug Early Warning System (NDWES), Drug Use Patterns and Trends in Texas.
Gleaning Fresh Ideas from Your Board Members or Franchisees
Firms invest significant resources to come up with innovative new products. Two new studies suggest less costly alternatives: franchisees and outside directors.
Keeping Cancer Out of Breath Blocks Drug Resistance
A new combination of existing drugs shows promise that it could reduce the size of cancerous tumors much more effectively than current treatments.
Air Pollution Reduces Global Life Expectancy by One Year
Air pollution shortens human lives by more than a year, according to a new study led by engineers at UT Austin.
New Geodetic Observatory Coming to UT Austin’s McDonald Observatory
A new scientific facility is under construction at McDonald Observatory that will help scientists better understand Earth and could help minimize the effects of earthquakes and other natural disasters.
UT's Video-Based Ethics Program Increases Moral Awareness
Ethics Unwrapped, a video-based behavioral ethics curriculum created at UT, effectively increases student understanding of ethics and human behavior.
Researchers Create 3D Model to Better Understand the Mitral Valve
Research from UT Austin biomedical engineers is displayed on the cover of the August 2018 issue of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering. The journal, sponsored by the Biomedical Engineering Society features a …
UT Works with Uber and Army Research Labs on uberAIR
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering will work with the U.S. Army Research Labs and Uber Elevate to help develop new rotor technology for vehicles in Uber’s new uberAIR program.
Scientists Map a Complicated Ballet Performed in Our Cells
For years, scientists have looked at human chromosomes, and the DNA they carried, poring over the genetic code that makes up every cell for clues about everything from our eye color to congenital diseases. In a new …
Dell Medical School Launches Data Hub
Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin is accelerating innovation and research by creating a Biomedical Data Science Hub to help solve complex research and clinical problems.
UT Scientist Collaborates on Paper Published in Nature
Karen M. Vasquez, Ph.D., who serves as the College of Pharmacy’s James T. Doluisio Regents Professor and Head of the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, recently collaborated on a research paper exploring the …
How to Make the Gene-Editing Tool CRISPR Work Even Better
Scientists have identified a protein for use in CRISPR gene editing that is more effective and accurate than the protein most commonly in use.
Work, Money Worries Leave Many Musicians Singing the Blues
Dell Med Researcher Identifies Key Factors Affecting Musicians’ Mental Health.
Addressing Race, Culture, and Ethnicity through Psychological Research
In July, the College of Education’s Educational Psychology Department hosted the 5th Biennial American Psychological Association Division 45 Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race Research…
Merging Literacy and Science Methods
Because of the foundational importance of literacy to education, teachers are increasingly expected to integrate reading across various subjects, including science. But choosing appropriate texts can be a challenge …
Teachers Encourage Students Voice Their Own Curriculum
Teachers often question when it’s the right time to give children more choice when creating and following through on academic projects. Some believe it’s never too early, and that kids in elementary grades can be …
Fighting Hepatitis C Virus, Using Clues from What Killed Bevo XIV
Scientists studying the cattle virus that killed a beloved University of Texas mascot nearly three years ago have stumbled upon a discovery that may help unlock treatments for a virus that poses a major threat to …
In Social Media Age, New Products Need New Marketing Ideas
Consumers often look to other consumers before deciding to try a new product. But in the world of social networks, the process has changed—and marketers need to catch up.
A Surprising Effect of Texas Drought: Changes to the Marine Food Web
When Texas' worst drought on record hit the state between 2011 and 2015, it did more than dry up rivers and lakes. It changed the chemical composition of fish eggs, which revealed bigger changes to the marine life in …
Students' View of Intelligence Affects Their Level of Stress
How students think about themselves and their abilities could affect their stress levels.
Jabbar Part of $10 Million Grant to Fund New School Choice Research Center
Educational Policy and Planning Assistant Professor Huriya Jabbar is part of a team that has secured a $10 million grant from the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. The grant will launch a …
Professor Scott Niekum Teaches Robots to Help Humans with Dreaded Tasks
Robots are everywhere, from the Roomba cleaning your floor to the first self-driving cars traveling the roads. As robots advance and help with more and more tedious or dangerous tasks, they need an easy and efficient …
David Buss: The “Darwin” of Evolutionary Psychology
In laying the foundation for evolutionary biology in his 1859 book, “On the Origin of Species,” Charles Darwin also prophesied a rise of new scholars that would seek to understand the ancestry of the whole human …
UT Researchers to Play Role in Energizing India
UT Engineers and India’s national oil company collaborate in novel energy recovery technique.
Study Shows Why US Residents Seek Abortion Medication Online
Research from the LBJ School of Public Affairs reveals four key themes about the motivations and experiences of people seeking medication abortion online.
New Semiconducting Crystal Rivals Diamond for Heat Conductivity
The need for faster and smaller electronics has resulted in microelectronic components that produce progressively more heat. Thus, heat dissipation is an important issue, and one solution for cooling is to develop …
How Women Define Sexual Histories Affects How They Are Influenced by Them
While it’s estimated that more than a third of women have had nonconsensual sexual experiences in their lifetime, the way they define those experiences may influence their sexual wellbeing, according to psychology …
Empathetic Police Prone to More Problems on the Beat
Police officers who endorse an empathetic approach to criminal justice do not perform as well when they sense they are under appreciated, according to new research from The University of Texas at Austin.
New Nerve Gas Detector Built with Legos and a Smartphone
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a way to detect the presence, type and concentration of nerve agents in the field using Legos, a smartphone and a chemical sensor.
Scientists Pinpoint New Alcohol Addiction Pathway in Brain
There's a new line of attack in the war on alcoholism: Reporting in the journal Science, UT Austin researchers discovered that people suffering from alcoholism have less of a protein, GAT-3, in the part of the brain …
Fish’s Use of Electricity Might Shed Light on Human Illnesses
Weakly electric fish, commonly called baby whales, use brief electrical pulses to sense the world around them and communicate. By studying these fish, scientists may unlock clues about conditions like epilepsy.
Possible Link Found Between Type 2 Diabetes and Common White Pigment
A pilot study by a team of researchers at UT Austin found that a common chemical may contribute to Type 2 diabetes.
T. Rex Couldn’t Stick Out Its Tongue, New Research Shows
Dinosaurs couldn’t stick out their tongues like lizards. Instead, their tongues were probably rooted to the bottoms of their mouths in a manner akin to alligators.
DNA Barcodes That Reliably Work: A Game-Changer for Biomedical Research
A new method for correcting errors that creep into DNA barcodes, labels used in a wide range of biological experiments, yields far more accurate results and paves the way for more ambitious medical research in the future.
Antarctic Ice Shelves Compromised by Combined Effects of Ocean and
Scientists have discovered the world’s ice shelves are being destabilized from above and below and documented for the first time how these forces work together to carve off enormous pieces of ice and increase sea level.
When Social Media Becomes Malicious
Advertising professor authors “The Dark Side of Social Media,” and offers 10 tips users can apply to be safe.
Nation’s Largest-Ever Indoor Air Quality Experiment Coming to ‘UTest
UT leads unprecedented experiment aimed at identifying the key causes of indoor air pollution.
NIH Grant Will Help Answer Questions about Cancer Growth
Why do some cells proliferate into full-blown tumors, while others lie dormant for years, never fully developing into cancer? These are questions that Assistant Professor Amy Brock hopes to answer with support from …
BBR Conducts Survey of Texas Housing Needs after Hurricane Harvey
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is partnering with researchers at IC²’s Bureau of Business Research to conduct a survey seeking feedback from homeowners and renters to assess the status of the remaining needs …
McCombs School Part of $50M Blockchain Innovation Program
The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin will participate in a new blockchain research and innovation program founded by the distributed-ledger currency exchange company Ripple.
A Change in Bacteria’s Genetic Code Holds Promise of Longer-Lasting Drugs
By altering the genetic code in bacteria, researchers have demonstrated a method to make therapeutic proteins more stable, an advance that would improve the drugs' effectiveness and convenience.
Physicists Catch Higgs Boson Interacting with Top Quarks
The ATLAS Collaboration, an international team of physicists including Peter Onyisi from the University of Texas at Austin, has announced the observation of Higgs bosons produced together with a top-quark pair.
Research Sheds Light on Coming Out, Online
New Research Shines Much-needed Light on Gay Men’s Use of Facebook to Reveal Their Sexual Identity
Gravitational Wave Event Likely Signaled Creation of a Black Hole
The spectacular merger of two neutron stars that generated gravitational waves announced last fall likely did something else: birthed a black hole.
Professors Shine Light on Americans’ Perception of Intelligence Agencies
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers explore the proper role of intelligence in democracy.
Professor Receives $3 Million to Develop Models that Predict Heart Disease
With a new, four-year, $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, ICES Professor Michael Sacks will lead a research team to develop advanced computational models that analyze characteristics directly …
World's Largest Library of Biomedical Images Gifted to UT
The most comprehensive collection of biomedical and scientific visual aids has a new home: UT Austin.
Life Recovered Rapidly at Site of Dino-Killing Impact
New research led by UT Austin has found that an impact crater created by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs was home to sea life less than a decade after impact.
Could a Digital Version of this Part of the Brain Be Coming Soon?
For decades, Michael Mauk, a neuroscientist at the University of Texas at Austin, has been developing a computer simulation of the part of our brains called the cerebellum that directs many of the movements we make …
Texas Agency Helps to Attract Pediatric Cancer Researcher to Dell Medical
Made possible by a $2 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), UT Austin has hired cancer researcher John Powers, Ph.D., as an assistant professor of pediatrics at Dell Medical School.
How Language Reveals Relationships with the Natural World
In studying descriptions of soil found in three centuries of ancient Roman texts on farming, Margaret Clark, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Classics at The University of Texas at Austin, demonstrated how …
Predicting Aortic Calcification with Patient-Specific Models
Biscuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) Disease is the most common congenital heart defect. This condition affects approximately two percent of the population and is twice as common in men as women.
Solar Energy Storage Problem May be Solved in New Single-System Technology
The DOE has awarded $3 million to UT engineers to overcome the Achilles’ heel of the solar power story: efficient energy storage.
Stroke Prevention Drug Combo Shows Promise, Study Says
After minor or mini-stroke, this drug combo may lower future stroke risks.
Foster care and Texas teen pregnancy
Thanks to a recent report, Texas is one of the first states to actually know how many youths in foster care are pregnant or parents already. Of the 7,090 females ages 11 to 18 in foster care in 2017, 332 …
Postdoc Reza Avaz Receives American Heart Association Career Award
Reza Avaz, an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein Research Fellow in the Willerson Center for Cardiovascular Modeling and Simulation (WCCMS), has received a $230,000 2018 Career Development from the American Heart Association.
UT Broadens Academic Reach with Two Research Symposiums
This spring, the UT Department of Computer Science launched two new research consortiums with the first annual Texas Systems Research Consortium Symposium and UT Robotics Consortium Symposium.
Rapid Evolution Fails to Save Butterflies from Extinction
New research confirms that wild species can adapt quickly to human-induced changes, but also shows how such adaptation can cause those species to be caught in deadly “eco-evolutionary traps” when humans introduce new …
Leafcutter Ants' Success Due to More Than Crop Selection
A complex genetic analysis has biologists re-evaluating some long-held beliefs about the way societies evolved following the invention of agriculture—by six-legged farmers.
Slurpee Straw Inspires Novel Innovation in Surgical Cleaning Tech
The enterprising engineer can find inspiration in anything. For a group of graduate students from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, under the guidance of associate professor of …
Planet Probes, All the Rage Now, Have Deep Roots at UT Austin
2018 may go down in science history as the Year of Super Planetary Research.
Ranking Teacher-prep Programs on Value-added is Usually Futile
New analysis finds program rankings based on graduates’ value-added scores are largely random.
Dawn of Plate Tectonics Could Have Turned Earth into Snowball
A research duo from The University of Texas at Austin and UT Dallas have put forward a hypothesis that links the dawn of plate tectonics with “snowball Earth”—a period of climate change that sent the planet into a …
China’s One Child Policy May Have Positively Benefited Girls
China’s former One Child Policy had profound effects on the parenting of children in the country. As China promoted the policy, extolling the benefits of “high-quality” only children, parents began to devote …
Anti-Alcoholism Drug Shows Promise in Animal Models
Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have successfully tested in animals a drug that, they say, may one day help block the withdrawal symptoms and cravings that incessantly coax people with alcoholism to drink.
TACC Builds Seamless Software for Scientific Innovation
Researchers from Texas Advanced Computing Center will present projects at NSF SI2 Principle Investigator Meeting.
The Physics of Rapidly Spreading Cancer
Scientists have recently discovered a method in cancer's madness. Before now, they've been perplexed by how cancer cells, growing alongside healthy cells, often spread much faster into surrounding tissue than …
Truly Autonomous Systems is Goal of $7.5 Million Project
Thanks to a $7.5 million Department of Defense grant, ICES researchers are planning for a future when unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have the ability to fly themselves in emergency situations.
Gap in Financial Literacy Widens for Couples the Longer the Relationship
As couples mature together, they often grow apart in their level of interest and skill in handling their finances, according to researchers at UT Austin and the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Hydrogen-Fueled Vehicle Produces Magic Number for Emissions: Zero
The design and construction of a clean, hydrogen-powered UPS delivery van is near completion by engineering researchers and students at The University of Texas at Austin.
Creating More Durable, Small Vascular Grafts
Patients with vascular disease frequently experience blockage in the arteries that cause poor blood flow. Often, physicians bypass the blood flow around the blockage using vascular grafts, either by using the …
Dell Med Launches Population & Mental Health Projects
Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin is launching two new projects around population and mental health to advance its efforts to improve health and health care in Central Texas.
Watch Your Step: How Vision Leads Locomotion
Using new technologies to track how vision guides foot placement, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin come one step closer in determining what is going on in the brain while we walk, paving the way for …
UT Launches Center to Advance Health Interprofessional Practice & Education
The University of Texas at Austin continues its outstanding leadership in interprofessional education. The Center for Health Interprofessional Practice and Education (Center for Health IPE) was launched with approval …
Great Barrier Reef Corals Can Survive Global Warming for Another Century
They're still under threat from global warming, but corals in the Great Barrier Reef have enough genetic variation to survive for at least another century, or more than 50 years longer than previous estimates have suggested.
Creating Star Stuff on Earth is the Aim of New $7 Million Project
With a new $7 million grant, astrophysicists will re-create the physical environment inside white dwarf stars, helping reduce uncertainties about the sizes and ages of these super-dense objects.
New Study on the Link between Religion and Suicide for Queer Youth
Religious beliefs are supposed to protect people from suicidal thoughts and behaviors. However, a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that the opposite may be happening for young people …
Salty Subglacial Lakes Could Help in Search for Life
Researchers from the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) have helped discover the first subglacial lakes ever found in the Canadian High Arctic.
HIV Cell Dysfunction Discovery Sheds Light on How Virus Works
New study finds some immune cells act differently in HIV-infected patients in healthy individuals, a discovery moving us one step closer to understanding how the virus works.
Water Purification Breakthrough Uses Sunlight and Hydrogels
The ability to create clean, safe drinking water using only natural levels of sunlight and inexpensive gel technology could be at hand, thanks to an innovation in water purification.
Breakthrough Taco Will Change Breakfast — and the World
Researchers and faculty members are calling the lab-grown taco a marvel of biotechnology.
Using Chosen Names Reduces Odds of Depression and Suicide in Transgender
In a recent study, researchers found that when transgender youths are allowed to use their chosen names their risk of suicide and depression decreases.
Proposed Border Wall Will Harm Texas Plants and Animals, Scientists Say
In the latest peer-reviewed publication on the potential impacts of a border wall on plants and animals, conservation biologists, led by a pair of scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, say that border …
Pterodactyls at Dusk
Jackson School scientist co-authors a paper reporting seven pterosaur species from the end of the Mesozoic Era.
New ‘Nanotweezers’ Open Door to Innovations in Medicine, Mobile Tech
Nanotweezers could create opportunities for innovations in nanotechnology and individual health monitoring.
Physicists Improve Key Component of Future Atom Microscope
Mark Raizen, a professor of physics at The University of Texas at Austin, and his team have developed the world's highest resolution atom lens, a key component of a new kind of microscope called an atom microscope, …
The 40 Year-old Discovery Behind A Promising New Flu Drug
A discovery that Robert Krug, a University of Texas at Austin molecular biologist, made decades ago has led to the development of a new drug to fight flu infections more effectively than existing drug treatments.
UT Computer Science Graduate Program Among Top Ten in the U.S.
According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Graduate Schools report, UT’s computer science graduate program is among the top 10 best graduate programs for computer science in the country, as well as among the …
UT No. 3 Pharmacy School in the Nation
U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2018 rankings for colleges, universities, and higher education programs across the nation. The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy remains the third best …
Manipulating Neurons
With a flash of light, neuroscientists can now turn individual brain cells on or off. They do so using a set of tools, pioneered in part by UT Austin neuroscientist Boris Zemelman, called optogenetics.
Youth in Foster Care: Authentic Relations Matter Most
Upbring, a thought leader among child welfare nonprofits, and the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing have released a preliminary report from the Texas Youth Permanency Study (TYPS). Findings call into …
Pen-Like Device That Detects Cancer Takes a Top Prize at South by Southwest
UT professor and team were honored with an award at SXSW for cancer detecting pen.
Vital Statistics: The Potential of Math to Advance Medicine
From baseball to financial investing, from elections to oil drilling, analyzing data quickly to predict future outcomes is transforming industries and activities around the world. Take, for example, car-racing. Each …
iPad App May Help Make Colon Cancer Screenings More Accessible
Dell Medical School researcher works to increase screenings for one of the most preventable forms of cancer.
Economics, not Regulations, are Killing Coal Plants
Despite government efforts to boost coal plants, a new UT study finds they’re on their way out, and the U.S. is on track to meet climate targets for its electricity sector. Part 2 of a Q&A.
Our Electric Future
In a new multidisciplinary study, researchers find the answer to our electric future is blowing in the wind — and burning natural gas. A Q&A in two parts.
Desire to Declutter? Science Says Take a Picture First
Understanding our reluctance to let go of items with sentimental value may also benefit nonprofits that rely on a steady stream of donations.
Archive of Photographer Fritz Henle Comes to Texas
The Ransom Center has acquired Fritz Henle's archive, containing negatives, transparencies, contact sheet books and thousands of prints spanning the photographer’s career.
Hidden “Rock Moisture” Could Explain Forest Surviving Drought
Research conducted by The University of Texas at Austin has found that a little-studied, underground layer of rock can hold significant amounts of water that may serve as a vital reservoir for trees in times of drought.
Learning Expands the Brain’s Capacity to Store Information
The act of learning causes connections between brain cells, called synapses, to expand their capacity to store information, according to a new discovery from neuroscientists at The University of Texas at Austin, …
UT Austin-Mexico Summit Fuses Health Research Projects Across Borders
Researchers from leading health institutions in Mexico and The University of Texas at Austin gathered this week for a first-of-its-kind summit in Austin to develop concrete and actionable research projects to improve health.
New Interpretation for Aztec Sun Stone Shows It Is a Named Portrait
Art history professor David Stuart argues that the image on the Aztec Sun Stone is a named portrait of the ruler Montezuma II as a “sun king.”
Researchers Demonstrate How to “Freeze” Sand
Using a novel imaging technique, a team of U.S. and German researchers found that wiggling the walls of a box packed with sand-sized glass spheres causes the spheres to form crystal structures similar to those formed …
The Effects of Smartphones on Studying
If you find your focus wandering as you study for that exam or write a paper, the solution could be in your back pocket. More specifically, the solution could be removing what’s in your back pocket—your smartphone.
Ultra-Flexible Probes Form Reliable, Scar-Free Integration with the Brain
A team led by Chong Xie, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the Cockrell School of Engineering, and Lan Luan, a research scientist in the Cockrell School and the Department of …
Casino Style Game Helps Patients with Heart Failure
Dr. Kavita Radhakrishnan is finishing up a transdisciplinary pilot study using a casino style slot game to teach self-management skills to patients with HF. Dr. Radhakrishnan contends that because poor outcomes in …
Unlocking the Potential of Gap Junctions to Advance Drug Delivery
Assistant Professor Jeanne Stachowiak of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Professor Hugh Smyth from the College of Pharmacy have received a new grant from the National …
New Sustainable Production Method Could Advance Plastics & Pharmaceuticals
A team of chemical engineers at The University of Texas at Austin has developed a new, cost-effective method for synthetically producing a biorenewable platform chemical called triacetic acid lactone (TAL) that can …
New Lithium Collection Method Could Boost Global Supply
Chemical engineer Benny Freeman and his team have discovered a new, efficient way to extract lithium from water.
Where People Live Shapes How They Talk About Food, Study Shows
Research shows that how we specifically talk about food plays a role in our health.
Conjuring Time Crystals
A new era in physics has arrived with the creation of time crystals, an exotic new form of matter. Unlike normal crystals, in which atoms are arranged in repeating 3-D patterns, the atoms in these new crystals move …
New Technique Could Improve Vaccine Efficacy and Cancer Treatment
Researchers from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin are using a new repertoire sequencing technique that detects T cell composition more accurately and with higher …
Information Vacuum: Narrowing the Gap between Health Literacy and Technolog
The patient was scheduled to have a shoulder replacement. She wasn’t concerned about the procedure itself but did want to know more details. She wanted to know what it would feel like, how much it weighed, even what …
Two Postdocs Receive Fellowships to Study Extrasolar Planets
Two postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin have received the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship from the Heising-Simons Foundation.
What’s Inside Black Holes
Supermassive black holes have been thought to lie at the heart of most galaxies, but some theorists have suggested that something else exists there instead — an even stranger supermassive object that has somehow …
Sepehr Vakil Receives NSF CAREER Grant
Curriculum and Instruction Assistant Professor Sepehr Vakil received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant for a five-year project totaling $672,379. His project is titled "CAREER: Investigation of …
Link Between Rainfall and Ocean Circulation in Past and Present
Research conducted at UT-Austin has found that changes in ocean currents in the Atlantic Ocean influence rainfall in the Western Hemisphere, and that these two systems have been linked for thousands of years.
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
People with cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often develop serious and even life-threatening bacterial infections that are hard to treat, in large part because the bacteria form …
Discrepancies in Water Storage Trends Across the Globe
Research led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that calculations of water storage in many river basins from commonly used global computer models differ markedly from storage estimates from GRACE satellites.
Ultra-Thin Memory Storage Device Paves Way for More Powerful Computing
Electrical engineers at UT Austin have developed the thinnest memory storage device with dense memory capacity.
Tiny Dinosaur May Have Dazzled Mates with Rainbow Ruff and a Bony Crest
A newly discovered, bird-like dinosaur fossil from China used a shaggy ruff of rainbow feathers to attract mates.
How Tiny Tetherballs Can Lead to New Antibiotics
Biologists engineer bacteria to make tiny tetherballs to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.
Playwright Arthur Miller’s Archive Comes to Harry Ransom Center
The Harry Ransom Center has acquired the archive of American playwright Arthur Miller.
This UT Austin Research Changed The World in 2017
Here is some of the UT Austin research that captured the public imagination in 2017.
The Downside to Downtime at Work: There Are Significant Costs, Study Shows
Companies in the United States pay more than $100 billion in wages every year for time that employees spend idle, according to new research from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
New Method for Depositing Single Platinum Atoms
In a new paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Allen Bard and co-workers describe a new approach to create catalytic platinum structures the size of one to a few atoms fabricated on an atom-by-atom basis.
Discovery of New Planet Reveals Distant Solar System to Rival Our Own
The discovery of an eighth planet circling the star Kepler-90 by UT Austin astronomer Andrew Vanderburg overturns our solar system’s status as having the highest number of known planets. We're now in a tie.
First-of-its-Kind Chemical Oscillator Offers New Level of Molecular Control
UT researchers successfully constructed a first-of-its-kind chemical oscillator that uses DNA components.
East Antarctic Ice Sheet Has History of Instability
The East Antarctic Ice Sheet may not be as stable as it seems.
New Research Improves Understanding of Ancient Landscapes
Geologists use zircon mineral grains to reconstruct what the Earth and its landscapes looked like in ancient times. These microscopic grains, commonly the width of a human hair, record detailed information on when …
A New Normal: Helping ICU Survivors Recover
More than five million Americans with life-threatening illnesses are admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) annually. Owing to advances in critical care treatment, many of them are surviving their stay. That’s the good news.
AI and Supercomputers Help Alleviate Urban Traffic Problems
Researchers developed a tool that uses artificial intelligence and supercomputers to automatically recognize objects in raw traffic camera footage and characterize how they move and interact.
Gut Microbiome Influenced Heavily by Social Circles
Social group membership is the most important factor in structuring gut microbiome composition, even when considering shared diet, environment and kinship, according to research on lemurs at The University of Texas at Austin.
New Consortium Brings Together Industry and Academic Research Efforts
Starting this fall, UT and industry will work together to further innovation in the field of computer systems research through a program called the Systems Research Consortium, launched by the UT Department of …
Rehabilitating Cognitive Deficits in Individuals with Diabetes
Problems in cognitive performance, or cognitive deficits, are common in people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, evidenced by a slowing of mental processing speed, psycho-motor speed, executive function and attention.
Futuristic Fabric
Thanks to new technology under development in Gearing Hall by Jonathan Chen, professor of textiles and apparel, it may soon be possible to charge medical equipment from a tent or plug your cell phone into your …
Bully-Proofing the Teen Years
Our picture of the classic bullies and their victims – the pale wallflower perched on a gym bench at a school dance or a gangly bookworm hovering at the edge of a basketball game – is due for an update. According to …
Texas Astronomers Lead Early Webb Telescope Studies
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the powerful successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, is expected to launch in 2019 after decades of development. Now the agency has announced the scientists who will use …
Moon’s Crust Underwent Resurfacing After Forming from Magma Ocean
The Earth’s Moon had a rough start in life. Formed from a chunk of the Earth that was lopped off during a planetary collision, it spent its early years covered by a roiling global ocean of molten magma before cooling …
The Breakthrough Bird Research of Julia Clarke
Antarctica wasn’t always a frozen, desolate continent. About 70 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, it was green, lush and teeming with dinosaurs. Thanks to discoveries made by Jackson School of …
Seafloor Sediments Enhance Earthquake and Tsunami Danger in Pacific NW
The Cascadia Subduction Zone off the coast of the Pacific Northwest has all the ingredients for making powerful earthquakes—and according to the geological record, the region is due for its next “big one.
Petra Nova: Producing Power and Trapping CO2 Underground
For the first time in this country, a commercial-scale project is taking carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) from a coal-fired plant and storing them in rocks beneath the ground.
New Research Could Predict La Niña Drought Years in Advance
Two new studies from The University of Texas at Austin have significantly improved scientists’ ability to predict the strength and duration of droughts caused by La Niña – a recurrent cooling pattern in the tropical …
Improving Cancer Detection with Liquid Biopsies
Scientists are developing a set of medical tests called liquid biopsies that can rapidly detect the presence of cancers, infectious diseases and other conditions from only a small blood sample. Researchers at …
Relationship between U.S. Visa Waiver Program and National Security
New research from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin examines foreign tourism to the United States and the resulting economic benefits against the backdrop of national security.
Is Your Smartphone Draining Your Brain?
Adrian Ward has dared to question everyone’s favorite tech device. His findings will doubtless open further inquiry and perhaps spur new work habits.
New E-Tattoo is Thinnest of Its Kind
A cross-disciplinary team of researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new kind of electronic tattoo that monitors bodily functions and signals from the …
Tiny Bees Play Big Part in Sex Lives of Trees
When it comes to sex between plants, tiny bees the size of ladybugs play a critical role in promoting long-distance pairings. That's what scientists at The University of Texas at Austin discovered after one of the …
UT Austin and Partners Cast Fifth Massive Mirror for Giant Magellan Telesco
Today, The University of Texas at Austin and its partners in the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) are beginning to cast the fifth of seven mirrors that will form the heart of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT).
Winds Driving Warm Water Under East Antarctic
Totten Glacier, the largest glacier in East Antarctica, is being melted from below by warm water that reaches the ice when winds over the ocean are strong — a cause for concern because the glacier holds more than …
Texas Engineers Develop New Material for Better Lithium-Ion Batteries
New family of anode materials can double the charge capacity of lithium-ion battery anodes.
Opening of 430,000-Square-Foot Engineering Education Building
The new 430,000-square-foot Engineering Education and Research Center has officially opened today at UT Austin.
Scientists on the Trail of Central Texas’ Elusive Satan Fish
As Halloween approaches, scientists are pondering a mysterious creature that may be lurking in underwater caves deep beneath a major U.S. city. It's eyeless, has see-through skin and spends its life in the total …
Are Police Cameras Useful Tools Against Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence cases can be hard to prosecute. After an initial call to 911, many victims are unable or choose not to testify in court and if they do, they may recant their statements and testify on behalf of …
Warning: This Research Might Give You Goosebumps
The season for spooks and scares is here, and faculty members across campus are contributing their share of spooky research and findings.
TACC Teams Up with Children's Optimal Health to Improve Child Welfare
Non-profit finds infrastructure backbone in national supercomputing center.
Texas Engineering First to Offer B.S. in Computational Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin is introducing a new Bachelor of Science degree in computational engineering, a new field that focuses on modeling and simulation to develop solutions for society.
Fighting the Opioid Epidemic
Center for Health Communication has been awarded State Health Services contract.
Ransom Center Acquires War Poetry Collection
The Harry Ransom Center is now home to the Dean F. Echenberg War Poetry Collection.
Cracking the Code: Why Flu Pandemics Come At the End of Flu Season
You might expect that the risk of a new flu pandemic — or worldwide disease outbreak — is greatest at the peak of the flu season in winter, when viruses are most abundant and most likely to spread.
Future of Texas is Focus of New Research Challenge
Planet Texas 2050: Planning for a Resilient Texas, a university-wide, interdisciplinary research challenge, will examine the issues of extreme weather events, population growth and aging infrastructure facing Texas.
These Mathematical Techniques Could Help Design Shape-shifting Materials
Nature has a way of making complex shapes from a set of simple growth rules. The curve of a petal, the swoop of a branch, even the contours of our face are shaped by these processes. What if we could unlock those …
A Map of Community Assets to Prevent ACES in Travis County
Are you one of the 2.5 million people who watched the TEDTalk where Dr. Nadine Burke Harris describes how childhood stress can lead to lifetime disease? If you are, you already know about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE).
Report: Substance abuse trends in Texas, 2017
Professor Jane Maxwell from the Addiction Research Institute has released her yearly report to the National Drug Early Warning System.
Biros brain research featured by TACC
Primary brain tumors encompass a wide range of tumors depending on the cell type, the aggressiveness, and stage of tumor. Quickly and accurately characterizing the tumor is a critical aspect of treatment planning …
Older Adults More Likely to Disclose Suicidal Thoughts As They Age
A study by social work researchers shows that 23 percent of individuals aged 50 and older who died by suicide had disclosed their intent, most often to family member and less often to a healthcare professional.
Turning Plant Pests into Plant Doctors
Scientists from The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University are investigating an innovative new way to protect crops from pathogens, thanks to a four-year cooperative agreement worth up to $5 million …
New Telescope Coming Soon to McDonald Observatory
A new 1-meter telescope is coming to The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory in the next two years. The Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) global network is expanding, and will build a second 1-meter …
Astronomers Solve Mystery of Formation of First Supermassive Black Holes
An international team of researchers has successfully used a supercomputer simulation to recreate the formation of a massive black hole from supersonic gas streams left over from the Big Bang. The study will be …
DOD Awards $1.1 Billion Contract to UT Austin’s Applied Research
The U.S. Navy has awarded Applied Research Laboratories at UT (ARL:UT) the largest research contract in the university’s history — worth as much as $1.1 billion over 10 years — to conduct research and development.
This is Why the Opioid Crisis is as Dangerous as A Terrorist Attack
UT Austin professors explain why the opioid crisis warrants the a declaration of national emergency.
Harry Ransom Center Acquires Archive of Michael Ondaatje
The archive of author Michael Ondaatje has been acquired by the Harry Ransom Center. Ondaatje, author of the “The English Patient,” is widely regarded as one of the finest English-language novelists writing today.
Marine Science Institute Awarded Grant to Complete Gulf Oil Spill Research
A consortium led by The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) is receiving $4.5 million in the third multi-million-dollar grant since 2012 supporting research on the impact of oil spills and dispersan
Best Practices to Help Young Children Succeed
Communities in Texas are seeking to improve the outcomes of the almost four million children under 9 years of age in the state. Research shows that only 29 percent of Texans under the age of 6 have had a developmental…
Why Poison Frogs Don’t Poison Themselves
Scientists are a step closer to resolving a related head-scratcher — how do these frogs keep from poisoning themselves? And the answer has potential consequences for the fight against pain and addiction.
Transgender Youths Vulnerable to Threats
Researchers have found transgender adolescents are at greater risk for substance abuse and suicidal thoughts, in part because of depression and school-based bullying.
Neuroscientists Join Virtual Mega-laboratory to Probe the Brain’s Secrets
To understand how billions of neurons work together to guide decision-making in a single brain, twenty-one laboratories will join forces under the umbrella of the newly-formed International Brain Laboratory (IBL) to …
Couples Weather Bickering With a Little Help from Their Friends
Every couple has conflict, and new research finds that having good friends and family members to turn to alleviates the stress of everyday conflict between partners.
Dell Children’s, Dell Medical School Tackle Childhood Obesity Epidemic
Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas and the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin are collaborating on an innovative approach to combat childhood obesity in Central Texas.
Earthquake Triggers “Slow Motion” Quakes in New Zealand
Slow slip events are thought to be able to trigger earthquakes. In a study led by UT Austin, scientists have found the first instance of the reverse—an earthquake triggering a series of slow slip events.
Study Quantifies Potential for Water Reuse in Permian Basin Oil Production
A study led by UT Austin has found that in the Permian Basin reusing water at other well sites is a viable way to deal with the water that could also reduce potential instances of induced seismicity.
UT Austin Study Raises Question: Why are Fossilized Hairs so Rare?
When most people hear the word fossil, they probably think of gigantic leg bones or sharp teeth. But, given the right conditions, after an animal dies even delicate body coverings like skin and feathers can be preserved.
Big Data May Amplify Existing Police Surveillance Practices, Study Shows
With access to more personal data than ever before, police have the power to solve crimes more quickly, but in practice, the influx of information tends to amplify existing practices.
Scientists: New Device Accurately Identifies Cancer in Seconds
A team of scientists and engineers at The University of Texas at Austin has invented a powerful tool that rapidly and accurately identifies cancerous tissue during surgery, delivering results in about 10 seconds.
Project Explores Fate of Coral Reefs and Related Life
An international team of coral experts, including Misha Matz, an associate professor of integrative biology at The University of Texas at Austin, have published a set of urgent research recommendations, related to …
Immigration May Contribute to Rising Wage Inequality in the U.S.
Low-skilled immigrant labor may increase wage inequality in the United States by driving up the wages of high-skilled natives; according to sociology research at The University of Texas at Austin.
Mapping a Manager’s Brain on Incentives
How do incentives affect a person’s decisions? Researchers give managers an fMRI to find out.
New Way to Map Ecological Niches
A group of ecologists has started creating a periodic table of ecological niches that shows relationships over time among animals, plants and their environments and may help in understanding climate change in species.
Caspian Sea Evaporating As Temperatures Rise, Study Finds
Caspian Sea Evaporating As Temperatures Rise, Study Finds
Algae Fortifies Coral Reefs in Past and Present
The Great Barrier Reef, and most other large reefs around the world, owe their bulk in large part to a type of red algae that grows on corals and strengthens them. New research led by Anna Weiss, a Ph.D. candidate at …
Scientists Discover Powerful Potential Pain Reliever
If they can demonstrate the drug is safe, effective and nonaddictive in humans, it could be address one of today’s biggest public health challenges: the opioid abuse epidemic.
Ancient Microbes Folded their DNA Similarly to Modern Life Forms
As life evolved on Earth, from simple one-celled microbes to complex plants, animals and humans, their DNA grew. And that created a problem: how do you pack more and more DNA into roughly the same-sized cellular compartment?
Stress Heightens Fear of Threats from the Past
When older memories are coupled with stress, individuals are likely to perceive danger in harmless circumstances, according to new research.
Advance Understanding of Brain Structure
Images and tools will be shared with the scientific community through a portal being developed at TACC.
UT Austin’s New Supercomputer Stampede2 in Support of U.S. Scientists
The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin has launched Stampede2, the most powerful supercomputer at any U.S. university and one of the most powerful in the world.
Large-Scale Data Project Will Aid Vulnerable Babies
Premature babies face a number of potential health threats after they are born. But how can hospitals predict when complications might become dangerous?
CEO Politics Can Spur (or Stifle) Business Innovation
Political affiliation offers more reliable clues about a CEO’s inclination to take risks than factors like age or education.
Nexus Incubator Graduates Its First Cohort
The Nexus Incubator, a collaboration between the IC² Institute and the U.S. State Department, graduated its first group of 10 startups on July 21.
Bakken Play Analysis Reported by Bureau of Economic Geology
The Bureau of Economic Geology has concluded a comprehensive study of the Bakken unconventional resource in North Dakota and Montana and found that it will remain a substantial contributor to U.S. oil production for …
Construction Begins on International Neutrino Facility
With the turning of a shovelful of earth a mile underground, a new era in international particle physics research officially begins.
Fossil Site Shows Impact of Early Jurassic’s Low Oxygen Oceans
Using a combination of fossils and chemical markers, scientists have tracked how a period of globally low ocean-oxygen turned an Early Jurassic marine ecosystem into a stressed community inhabited by only a few species.
Oil Impairs Ability of Coral Reef Fish to Find Homes and Evade Predators
Just as one too many cocktails can lead a person to make bad choices, a few drops of oil can cause coral reef fish to make poor decisions.
Unmet Demand for Long- Acting Contraception After Delivery in Texas
New research from the Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP) at The University of Texas at Austin identifies unmet demand for long-acting, reversible (LARC) and permanent contraception among recent mothers in Texas.
Heart of an Exploded Star Observed in 3-D
Supernovas — the violent endings of the brief yet brilliant lives of massive stars — are among the most cataclysmic events in the cosmos. Though supernovas mark the death of stars, they also trigger the birth of new …
Calm Lakes on Titan Could Mean Smooth Landing for Future Space Probes
The lakes of liquid methane on Saturn’s moon, Titan, are perfect for paddling but not for surfing. New research led by UT Austin has found that most waves on Titan’s lakes reach only about 1 centimeter high.
Drinking Rates Differ for LGB Youth, Study Finds
Despite increased acceptance of same-sex marriage and workplace equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people many LGB youth continue to have higher-than-heterosexual rates of drinking, according to a new paper …
Frogs Illustrate the Creative Destruction of Mass Extinctions
New research shows that a mass extinction 66 million years ago sparked an explosion of new frog species.
UT Austin Launches China Policy Center
UT will establish a new interdisciplinary China Policy Center, with a charge to make fresh and enduring contributions to the study of China-related policy topics while advancing U.S.-China relations and Texas-China relations.
Bullying and Bias Can Cost Schools Millions in Lost Funding
When children are afraid to go to school because classmates target them because of bias against their race, gender, religion, disability or sexual orientation, schools lose millions of dollars each year in absenteeism.
New Technique Enables Safer Gene-Editing Therapy Using CRISPR
Scientists took an important step toward safer gene-editing cures for life-threatening disorders by developing a technique that can spot editing mistakes a popular tool known as CRISPR makes to an individual’s genome.
Peer Recovery Coaches Help Battle Addiction in Texas
Texans with substance use disorders who work with a peer recovery coach for a minimum of 12 months remain abstinent or reduce their substance use, improve their housing and employment status and reduce use of health services.
The Mere Presence of Your Smartphone Reduces Brain Power, Study Shows
Your cognitive capacity is significantly reduced when your smartphone is within reach — even if it’s off. That’s the takeaway finding from a new study from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
New Research Could Help Humans See What Nature Hides
Things are not always as they appear. New visual perception research at UT Austin explains the natural limits of what humans can see and how to find what nature hides.
Reproductive Decisions Affected by Zika Outbreak in Brazil
Brazilian women of low socio-economic status face more barriers preventing or postponing pregnancies than women of high-socioeconomic status, heightening their risk of having a child with congenital Zika syndrome and …
College of Education Showcases Research at AERA Annual Meeting
College of Education faculty and graduate students were well represented at the 2017 AERA Annual Meeting held in San Antonio, Texas, in April.
Hydroelectric Dams May Jeopardize the Amazon’s Future
Hundreds of built and proposed hydroelectric dams may significantly harm life in and around the Amazon by trapping the flow of rich nutrients and modifying the climate from Central America to the Gulf of Mexico.
Spying on Fish Love Calls Could Help Protect Them from Overfishing
Marine scientists have discovered a way to use the incredibly loud, distinctive sounds fish make when they gather to spawn--not to catch them, but to protect them.
Chemist Searches for Less Toxic Compound to Preserve Organs
About a third of all deaths in the U.S. could be prevented or substantially delayed by organ transplantation, according to a 2015 report from the U.S. military. The main bottleneck is that there is no practical way to…
Nanoparticles and Magnets Remove Oil from Water
UT Austin researchers used magnetic nanoparticles to separate oil from water through a simple process that relies on electrostatic force and a magnet.
University of Texas at Austin Launches Free Digital Edition of "The
The University of Texas at Austin has released a digital edition of The Collections, the first encyclopedic account of the university’s repository of cultural artifacts.
Starving Prostate Cancer Cells
A new study from Dr. John DiGiovanni, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, and his colleague, Dr. Stefano Tiziani, assistant professor of nutritional sciences, identifies several natural compounds found in food, …
El Niño and Global Warming Cause Record-Breaking Heat
Scientists at The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) have found that a devastating combination of global warming and El Niño is responsible for causing extreme temperatures in April 2016 in Southeast Asia.
Starving Prostate Cancer With What You Eat for Dinner
New research from The University of Texas at Austin identifies several natural compounds found in food, including turmeric, apple peels and red grapes, as key ingredients that could thwart the growth of prostate cancer.
UT Austin Leads Hyper-Local Air Pollution Mapping Study
Engineering researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed the most detailed and extensive local map of air pollution ever produced for an urban area, using specially equipped Google Street View cars …
Astronomers Prove What Separates True Stars from Wannabes
Astronomer Trent Dupuy of The University of Texas at Austin has shown what separates true stars from wannabes. Not in Hollywood, but in the whole universe. He will present his research today in a news conference at …
UT Austin Unveil Hyper-Local Pollution Map
Engineering researchers have developed the most detailed and extensive local map of air pollution ever produced, using Google Street View cars to measure air quality on a block-by-block basis.
Physicists Launch Experiment to Probe a Muon Mystery
Physicists have been puzzled ever since an experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the late 1990s found that muons, elementary particles produced when cosmic rays hit our atmosphere, have slightly different …
First Step Taken Toward Epigenetically Modified Cotton
With prices down and weather patterns unpredictable, these are tough times for America’s cotton farmers, but new research led by Z. Jeffrey Chen at UT might offer a break for the industry through epigenetic modification.
Outnumbered and on Others’ Turf, Misfits Sometimes Thrive
It’s hard being a misfit: say, a Yankees fan in a room full of Red Sox fans or a vegetarian at a barbecue joint. Evolutionary biologists have long assumed that’s pretty much how things work in nature too.
Historical Rainfall Levels Are Significant in Carbon Emissions from Soil
Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have found that soil microbes from historically wetter sites emit significantly more carbon than microbes from historically drier regions.
Do Stars Fall into Black Holes, or Crash?
Astronomers at UT Austin and Harvard have shown that matter completely vanishes when pulled into black holes, in another successful test for Einstein's General Relativity theory.
Historical Rainfall Levels Key in Carbon Emissions from Soil
Scientists have known that microbes living in the ground can play a major role in producing atmospheric carbon that can accelerate climate change, but now researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have …
Researchers Seek to Prevent Diabetes in At-Risk Population
Mexican Americans in one of the poorest counties in Texas will soon have new culturally tailored tools to better understand the relationship between weight loss and the onset of diabetes. The effort is aimed at …
Take Away the Juice, Pediatricians Say
New recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics advise parents not to offer fruit juice to babies, and to give only limited amounts to older children.
Biofilm Discovery Suggests New Way to Prevent Dangerous Infections
Special coatings on medical devices and hospital surfaces might block dangerous microbial biofilms from forming.
Telemedicine and Self-administered Abortion Medication can be Effective
Medical abortion using online telemedicine and self-administered medication can be highly effective with low rates of adverse events according to new research from Abigail Aiken, an assistant professor at the LBJ …
Decision Aid, Support Strategy Boost Colorectal Testing
Helping patients understand colonoscopy alternatives and make a colorectal cancer screening choice based on their own values — combined with one-on-one support — increases screening completion.
Property of Ferroelectrics Might Lead to Smaller, Lighter Electronics
A research team led by physics professor Keji Lai at the University of Texas at Austin has discovered that a material he studies has an unusual property that could one day lead to cell phones and other electronic …
Computer Model Developed to Assess Risk of a Zika Epidemic in Real-time
A new model for assessing real-time risk of a Zika virus epidemic in the United States is described in research published in the open access journal BMC Infectious Diseases. The computer simulation, based on data …
Study: Poor Decision Support for Breast Cancer Patients
More than half of breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy do not make an informed decision about reconstructive surgery that aligns with their personal goals, a new study reports.
Dr. Cynthia Osborne Appointed to National Academy of Sciences Committee
The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) has appointed Dr. Cynthia Osborne, associate professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and one of the country’s foremost health and social policy …
Rock Samples Indicate Water is Key Ingredient for Crust Formation
By examining the cooling rate of rocks that formed more than 10 miles beneath the Earth’s surface, scientists led by The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences have found that water probably …
Michele Deitch: Research Says “Raise the Age”
On Thursday, April 20, in an unprecedented move that could change a 100-year old law, the Texas House passed a bill that would raise the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18 years old.
Research from the LBJ School Informs Raise the Age Bill
On Thursday, April 20, in an unprecedented move that could change a 100-year-old law, the Texas House passed a bill that would raise the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18 years old. "This legislation is my …
ICES Storm Surge Research Defining Feature of Peabody Award
A news story explaining the benefits of ICES Professor Clint Dawson's research on hurricane storm surge has won broadcast journalism's highest honor, the Peabody Award.
Hormone-Influenced Social Strategies Shape Social Hierarchy
In a game of chicken, the most aggressive players are fueled by testosterone and are more willing to harm others; and while it may be easy to demonize such hawkish behaviors, psychology researchers from UT Austin say …
Nondigital, Analog Theft is Main Driver in Identity Theft
Identity theft through non-digital rather than digital is the major driver of identity-related crimes, according to new research from the center for Identity at UT Austin.
Archive Acquired of Theatre and Film Actor Peter O’Toole
The Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin has obtained the archive of British theatre and film actor Peter O’Toole (1932–2013).
Research Team Tracks Complex Web of Monetary Sanctions in Nine States
The phrase “criminal justice system” may conjure images of courtrooms, juries and prison. But when justice is doled out, it can have a harsh impact on a person’s pocketbook, depending on where he or she lives.
Wheeler Advancing “Digital Oil Field” at Center for Subsurface Research
The soaring productivity of oil and gas from hydraulic fracturing wells depends in large part on advancements in the “digital oil field,” according to a recent that said computational technology is driving the output per shal
Glacier Shape Influences Susceptibility to Thinning
Researchers at UT have identified glaciers in West Greenland that are most susceptible to thinning in the coming decades by analyzing how they’re shaped.
Birth Risks Rise Late in Doctors' Shifts, Researchers Find
The number of hours an obstetrician has been on the clock before an unscheduled delivery significantly influences risks to the mother and unborn baby, researchers report.
Universal Chemical Sensor Could Help Boost Public Health
New material enables cheap, fast and portable new sensors for a wide range of chemicals that right now cost government and industries large sums to detect.
Child Maltreatment Prevention is Working in Texas, Study Shows
Texas families who receive child maltreatment prevention services do not have a subsequent child protective services case, according to a new report from the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing at UT.
Human Cognitive Map Scales According to Surroundings
A new study published this week refines our understanding of a human skill — the ability to instantaneously assess a new environment and get oriented thanks to visual cues.
ICES Ranked No. 1 for Interdisciplinary Applications of Mathematics
The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) ranked The University of Texas at Austin number one in the world in the discipline “Mathematics: Interdisciplinary Applications”.
Briscoe Center for American History Reopens
The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin has reopened its public spaces after a comprehensive 18-month renovation.
Upgraded Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dedicated; Dark Energy Survey To Begin
The world’s third-largest telescope, the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) located at McDonald Observatory, has completed a multiyear $40 Million upgrade to enable it to take on the biggest challenges in astronomy.
Impostorism Impacts the Mental Health of Minority Students
While perceived discrimination on college campuses compromises the self-esteem, well-being and mental health of ethnic minority students, new research suggests the impostor phenomenon may worsen these effects.
Mapping the Evolution of Literature Using Science Techniques
A classicist, biologist and computer scientist all walk into a room — what comes next isn’t the punchline but a new method to analyze relationships among ancient Latin and Greek texts.
For Kids With Autism, Imitation Is Key on Road to Speech
Nearly 30 percent of children with autism will not have learned to flexibly speak by the end of elementary school. In looking for ways to help, learning when to intervene in the children’s speech development is paramount.
Social Bees Have Kept Their Gut Microbes for 80 Million Years
About 80 million years ago, a group of bees began exhibiting social behavior, which includes raising young together, sharing food resources and defending their colony.
BBR Contributes to Important New Study on Campus Sexual Assault
Bureau of Business Research Director Bruce Kellison and Research Scientist Matt Kammer-Kerwick were co-Principal Investigators on a groundbreaking campus climate survey of students at 13 UT System universities released this m
Psychologists Enlist Machine Learning to Help Diagnose Depression
University of Texas researchers use Stampede supercomputer to identify patterns in neuroimaging data that are predictive for mental disorders.
Creative Workers Need Both Incentives and Breaks
For best results, churn out ideas, rest, repeat.
Human Skull Evolved Along with Two-Legged Walking, Study Confirms
Researchers confirm that the evolution of bipedalism in fossil humans can be detected using a key feature of the skull.
Recovery after “Great Dying” Was Slowed by More Extinctions
Researchers studying marine fossil beds in Italy have found that the world’s worst mass extinction was followed by two other extinction events.
Overuse of Antibiotics Brings Risks for Bees — and for Us
A new study from UT Austin suggests that antibiotics could play a role in the mysterious disappearance of bees.
Business Genius Can Be Borrowed
Research rooted in cognitive psychology explains how bold, new business models are often copied from other industries.
Conformity is Not a Universal Indicator of Intelligence in Children
Because innovation is part of the American culture, adults in the United States may be less likely to associate children’s conformity with intelligence than adults from other populations, according to research from …
Scientists Create New Form of Matter: a Time Crystal
The atoms in a weird new phase of matter, called a time crystal, move in a pattern that repeats in time rather than in space.
Methane in Groundwater Linked to Natural Sources
Scientists from UT have found that high levels of methane in well water from two counties near Fort Worth are probably from shallow natural gas deposits.
PTSD Risk Can Be Predicted by Hormone Levels Prior to Deployment, Study
New neuroscience research suggests some soldiers might have a hormonal predisposition to experience PTSD.
New Research Examines Barriers to Texas Clinics Providing Vasectomy
New research from the Texas Policy Evaluation Project (TxPEP) at The University of Texas at Austin provides insight into why vasectomy is not more widely available at family planning clinics in Texas.
Caring for Black Male Students Requires More Than Good Intentions,
UT researchers were part of a team that observed relationships between black male teachers and students in a recent study. Results show that politicized caring enhanced their relationships with students.
Lithium-Ion Battery Inventor Introduces New Technology for Fast-Charging,
John Goodenough and his team have developed the first all-solid-state battery cells that could lead to safer, faster-charging, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries.
$3.2 million Federal Grant to Study on Algebra Readiness
The Meadows Center for Prevention of Educational Risk has received a $3.2 million federal grant to conduct a randomized controlled trials study on algebra-readiness instructional content and interventions for middle …
Want to Motivate Students While Fostering Their Autonomy? New Research from
Researchers from UT may have some help for parents and educators attempting to locate that sweet spot between giving students just enough direction to succeed and allowing them the autonomy to set and follow their goals.
New Research Shows How to Motivate Students While Fostering Their Autonomy
Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin may have some help for parents and educators attempting to locate that sweet spot between giving students just enough direction to succeed and allowing them the …
Teacher Education Forum Showcases “Interlanguage” of Bilingual Students
The Department of Curriculum and Instruction welcomed Dr. Kathy Escamilla on February 17th as part of its Spring Teacher Education Forum for graduate students and faculty. Dr. Escamilla, the Bob and Judy Charles …
Experiments Call Origin of Earth’s Iron into Question
New research from UT Austin reveals that the Earth’s unique iron composition isn’t linked to the formation of the planet’s core, calling into question a prevailing theory about the events that shaped our planet.
Food Revolutions: Latin America’s Food System
Latin America might be the canary in the coal mine for the world food system. “Our global food system is broken, it is making us sick, and it is undermining the environment and eroding workers’ rights. No region in …
New Mechanical Metamaterials Can Block Symmetry of Motion, Findings Suggest
Engineers and scientists have invented the first mechanical metamaterials that easily transfer motion effortlessly in one direction while blocking it in the other.
Genetic Signatures Reveal Environment Where Bacteria Evolved
Just as the fossil record reveals clues about the conditions in which prehistoric animals and plants once lived, newly discovered genetic signatures in bacterial evolution may one day allow hospitals, doctors and …
A Trust Gap May Hinder Academic Success for Minorities
Middle school students of color who lose trust in their teachers due to perceptions of mistreatment from school authorities are less likely to attend college even if they generally had good grades.
Astronomers Find Faintest Early Galaxies Yet
Astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new technique to discover the faintest galaxies yet seen in the early universe —10 times fainter than any previously seen.
BBR Study Demonstrates Economic Value of Texas Public Libraries
A new report prepared by the Bureau of Business Research for the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has found that Texas public libraries provide $2.628 billion in economic benefits to the state.
Hybrid Antibody Takes Down HIV
Researchers have developed a hybrid antibody that neutralized 99 percent of HIV-1 strains tested.
Storing Solar Power Increases Energy Consumption and Emissions
Homes with solar panels do not require on-site storage to reap the biggest economic and environmental benefits of solar energy.
Exceptionally Preserved Jurassic Sea Life Found in New Fossil Site
A trove of exceptionally preserved Jurassic marine fossils discovered in Canada, rare for recording soft-bodied species that normally don’t fossilize, is expanding scientists’ view of the rich marine life of the period.
UT Austin Expands Collaborative Research Efforts with Lockheed Martin
The University of Texas at Austin and Lockheed Martin, a global aerospace and security company, today announced a collaborative research agreement to enhance engineering research collaboration and support cutting-edge…
Study Estimates More Than 300,000 Victims of Human Trafficking in Texas
There are more than 300,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas, including almost 79,000 minors and youth victims of sex trafficking and nearly 234,000 adult victims of labor trafficking, groundbreaking UT research shows.
Blacks Experience more Family Member Deaths than Whites, On Average
African-Americans are more likely than whites to experience the loss of a parent during childhood and more likely to be exposed to multiple family member deaths by mid-life.
Wired to Wander
Prairie voles are small animals known for their monogamy — they have a primary partner and raise their young as couples. But while some males stay fully faithful to their partner, others also mate with other partners &hellip
“Mad Men” Archive Donated to Harry Ransom Center
The archive for the acclaimed drama “Mad Men,” one of television’s most honored series in history, has been donated to the Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin.
Discovery of New Microbes Sheds Light on How Complex Life Arose
An international team of scientists discovered several new microbes carrying genes that until now were thought to be unique to a group of more complex life forms including humans.
Betelgeuse May Have Swallowed Companion 100,000 Years Ago
Astronomer J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin thinks that Betelgeuse, the bright red star marking the shoulder of Orion, the hunter, may have had a past that is more interesting than meets the eye. Working
ICES Postdoctoral Fellowship Essential to Computational Cancer Models
For the past five years, Ernesto Lima has been making computational models of tumor growth. The models use complex mathematics to simulate the eight hallmarks of cancer behavior—abilities all cancers share, such as …
Mulva Family Foundation Leading a Brain Health Revolution
James and Miriam Mulva and the Mulva Family Foundation have donated $50 million to advance neuroscience at UT Austin and another $25 million for cancer research at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Breakup of Supercontinent Pangea Cooled Mantle and Thinned Crust
The oceanic crust produced by the Earth today is significantly thinner than crust made 170 million years ago during the time of the supercontinent Pangea, according to University of Texas at Austin researchers.
Enzyme Safely Starves Cancer Cells in Preclinical Study
A research team led by UT Austin has engineered an enzyme that safely treats prostate and breast cancer in animals and lengthens the lifespan of models that develop chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
DNA Repair Findings Shed Light on Pathways Affecting Cancer Progression
For healthy cells to become cancerous cells, they have to lose several systems that regulate healthy function such as cell growth and division and DNA repair. New findings from University of Texas at Austin …
Natural Gas and Wind are the Lowest-Cost For Much of U.S.
Natural gas and wind are the lowest-cost technology options for new electricity generation across much of the U.S., according to new research released by UT Austin.
More Supportive Strategies May Reduce Bullying Against LBGT Youth in School
Students feel more connected to their peers and teachers and are less likely to experience homophobic bullying when schools combat bullying with supportive practices, such as counseling, according to researchers in …
Snow Data from Satellites Improves Temperature Predictions, UT Researchers
Researchers with The University of Texas at Austin have found that incorporating snow data collected from space into computer climate models can significantly improve seasonal temperature predictions.
Patient Navigators Help Increase Breast Cancer Screenings
Patient navigators who were deployed as part of a state program have proved to be effective in increasing screening rates for breast and cervical cancer among women in rural areas in Texas, according to researchers.
Female Lemurs with Color Vision Provide Advantages for Their Group
Female lemurs with normal color vision, as well as their cohabitating colorblind group members, may have selective advantage over lemur groups whose members are all colorblind, according to anthropologists at UT Austin.
Books from Gabriel García Márquez’s Library Added to Collection
The Harry Ransom Center has acquired books from Gabriel García Márquez’s library. The collection will reside alongside the author’s literary archive, which the Ransom Center acquired in 2014.
Human Ancestor ‘Lucy’ Was a Tree Climber, New Evidence Suggests
A new analysis using CT scans of the world-famous, ancient human fossil, Lucy, suggests she was a tree climber.
New Health Literacy Digital Divide
Health information technologies — such as wearables, patient portals and mobile apps — have the potential to improve health, but a new study suggests many Americans aren’t buying the hype.
Peppas, Horava Develop First-Ever Capsule to Treat Hemophil
In the near future, hemophiliacs could be able to treat their disease by simply swallowing a capsule. Thanks to a breakthrough led by researchers in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at UT Austin.
UT Austin Engineers Develop First-Ever Capsule to Treat Hemophilia
In the near future, hemophiliacs could be able to treat their disease by simply swallowing a capsule, thanks to a breakthrough led by researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering.
Researchers Run Largest Known Transparent Checkpointing Process
Transparent checkpointing allows computer scientists and engineers working on large projects to save and reopen programs without modifying any code.
Mars Ice Deposit Holds as Much Water as Lake Superior
Frozen beneath a region of cracked and pitted plains on Mars lies about as much water as what's in Lake Superior, largest of the Great Lakes, as team of scientists led by UT has determined.
Chemist Receives CPRIT Award for Tool to Recognize Thyroid Cancer
The Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) awarded an Early Translational Research grant to chemist Livia Eberlin, for the development of a new tool to accurately recognize thyroid cancer.
Improve Effectiveness of Mental Health Treatment Protocols for Youth
Sarah Kate Bearman, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin, recently co-authored a study highlighting the need for effective …
Insurers Use High Drug Costs to Deter Some Patients
A UT economists briefs members of Congress on how insurers are using high out-of-pocket prescription drug costs to deter certain chronically ill patients from joining their plans in the individual markets.
Dino-Killing Asteroid Made Rocks Behave like Liquid
A study of the massive crater that formed when an asteroid crashed into Earth 66 million years ago is giving insights into how impacts can help shape planets.
U.S. Army Research Laboratory announces establishment of ARL South at UT
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is partnering with The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas System in an expansion of its open campus initiative, establishing ARL South on the campus of UT Austin.
Flu Vaccine’s Effectiveness Can Be Improved, New Findings Suggest
A team of engineers and scientists at UT is reporting new findings on how the influenza vaccine produces antibodies that protect against disease, research that suggests that the conventional flu vaccine can be improved.
Statoil Partnership Bolsters UT Austin Graduate Research
Statoil, an international energy company based in Norway, has signed a $2.5 million partnership renewal agreement to support graduate student research focused on geology, geophysics and petroleum engineering at UT Austin.
A Funnel on Mars Could Be a Place to Look for Life
A strangely shaped depression on Mars could be a new place to look for signs of life on the Red Planet, according to a University of Texas at Austin-led study.
UT Austin and Partners Launch New Breast Cancer Study
UT and community partners have embarked on a two-year clinical study to test advanced imaging methods that could provide patients and physicians with new, valuable information on how to treat breast cancer in patients.
New Coral Research Exposes Genomic Underpinnings of Adaptation
Scientists at UT have observed for the first time that separate populations of the same species — in this case, coral — can diverge in their capacity to regulate genes when adapting to their local environment.
Texas Engineering Becomes New Home for EPA Water Infrastructure Center
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given $3.9 million to researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin to establish the new Center for Infrastructure Modeling …
UT Austin Engineering Becomes New Home for EPA Water Infrastructure Center
The EPA has given $3.9 million to researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering to establish the new Center for Infrastructure Modeling and Management.
LBJ Professor Receives $1.25 million DoE Grant for SunShot Initiative
The U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative awarded LBJ Professor Varun Rai $1.25 million to examine the motivations and factors that influence the technology adoption process to help boost state solar …
Major Risk Factors For Childhood Obesity Lie Outside School
Increases in overweight and obesity rates among young children occur during summer vacations, not during the school year, according to new research from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.
Psychology Researchers Map Neurological Process of Learning, Deciding
Scientists at UT Austin can now map what happens neurologically when new information influences a person to change his or her mind, a finding that offers more insight into the mechanics of learning.
Green Activism
Scholar examines climate change and sustainability campaigns in top academic publication.
A Trio of Flu Studies Point the Way to Better Treatment and Prevention
As we head into flu season, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin are announcing the results of three flu studies: One suggests a possible new target for drugs to combat the flu; another study forecasts …
UT Austin to Launch New Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Degree
The University of Texas at Austin is introducing a new Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering. The program, which will be offered by the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental …
Arctic Found to Play Unexpectedly Large Role in Removing Nitrogen
Areas of the Arctic play a larger role than previously thought in the global nitrogen cycle—the process responsible for keeping a critical element necessary for life flowing between the atmosphere, the land and oceans.
Unusual Quantum Liquid Could Inspire Future Electronics
For the first time, an experiment has directly imaged electron orbits in a high-magnetic field, illuminating an unusual collective behavior in electrons and suggesting new ways of manipulating the charged particles.
Children Adjust Poorly When Parents Cannot Handle Normal Misbehavior
New research from The University of Texas at Austin shows that children adjust more poorly when parents react negatively in direct response to their child's crying, fussing and other aversive behavior than if the …
UT Austin Receives $7.6 Million to Study Latino Health
With leadership in place and $7.6 million in grants acquired for research on health issues that disproportionately affect Latino communities, the 1-year-old Latino Research Initiative is hitting the ground running at UT.
At-home Medical Termination of Pregnancy Report Benefits
In a recent study of characteristics and experiences of women in Ireland and Northern Ireland seeking and completing at-home medical termination of pregnancy (TOP) through online telemedicine, the vast majority of …
Oldest Known Squawk Box Suggests Dinosaurs Likely Did Not Sing
The oldest known vocal organ of a bird has been found in an Antarctic fossil of a relative of ducks and geese that lived more than 66 million years ago during the age of dinosaurs.
New Platform for Roundworms Could Speed Up Drug Delivery
Engineering researchers at UT have developed a research platform for roundworms that could speed up scientific research and more accurately assess the effectiveness of new drugs in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Facebook More Effective at Mobilizing Voters
In a new study, researchers found that individuals are significantly more likely to vote if they receive reminders through Facebook that voting records are public by messages of encouragement or shame to vote.
Papers of Nicaraguan Luminary Find Home at Benson Collection
The archive of Nicaraguan poet, priest and political activist Ernesto Cardenal will open in November at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at UT.
As Oceans Warm, Coral Reef Fish Might Prefer to Move Rather Than Adapt
Scientists have new evidence that coral-reef fish – who are capable of adapting to warmer temperatures brought about by global climate change – will probably opt instead to relocate to cooler parts of the ocean.
Disproportionate Use of Corporal Punishment in Schools
In the 19 states that allow corporal punishment in schools, the practice is used up to 50 percent more frequently on children who are African American or have disabilities, according to a new analysis.
Tan Bui-Thanh Uses Inverse Problem Solving for Oil and Gas Exploration
ICES Professor Tan Bui-Thanh, an assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, has received three research grants this year from industry and research organizations alike …
Connectosomes Provide Improved Chemo Delivery Route
Engineering researchers at UT have developed a new method that delivers chemotherapy directly and efficiently to individual cells and could provide a faster means of targeting and killing cancer cells with less chemotherapy.
Removing Barriers
Stephanie Cawthon and Carrie Lou Garberoglio are deaf. They have lived the experience—as students and professionals—of working with accommodations and breaking down barriers. Their passion for changing the paradigm …
Latin American Collections Now Available in Digital Repository
More than 500,000 books from the stacks of the Benson Latin American Collection, a trove of treasures related to Latin America, have been digitized and are now accessible online.
$20 Million Patton Gift to Boost Liberal Arts
A $20 million gift from Fort Worth oil and gas investor Bobby Patton Jr. and his wife, Sherri, will support faculty and graduate student endowments in the College of Liberal Arts at UT.
Searching Genomes for New Chemotherapies
A new hunting ground for medically important compounds may be the genome of a stressed-out, poisonous evergreen shrub. Rhazya stricta is a relative of a plant currently mined for chemotherapies and holds promise for …
New Faculty, New Technology to Strengthen Disease Research at UT Austin
A $2 million recruitment grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) has paved the way for The University of Texas at Austin to welcome a scientist experienced in cutting-edge molecular …
New Species of Ancient Texas Reptile Offers Clues to Evolution of Dinosaurs
A newly described extinct reptile that roamed Texas more than 200 million years ago had a strikingly dome-shaped head with a very thick skull and a large natural pit on top that lends the appearance of an extra eye.
New Superconductor Could Pave Way to Practical Quantum Computers
Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a new superconducting material that might allow the construction of quantum computers that are more resistant to outside noise, such as electromagnetic …
Bats Use Second Sense to Hunt Prey in Noisy Environments
The fringe-lipped bat's ability to shift to a second sense for hunting might give it a leg up in competition with other predators in a noisy environment and might also alter prey populations.
Make Chemical Plants More Energy-Efficient
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering recently received $360,000 from the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and the National Energy Technology Laboratory within the U.S. Department of Energy.
Elliott Erwitt Photography Collection Donated to Harry Ransom Center
The Harry Ransom Center has acquired the archive of renowned photographer Elliott Erwitt (American, b. France 1928). Caryl and Israel Englander generously donated the collection.
Chemists Garner New Insights into Protein Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer's disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, has proven especially thorny for researchers: no cure has been found, nor has there been any treatment proven to slow the progression of the …
Super-resolution Microscope Builds 3D Images by Mapping Negative Space
Scientists at UT have demonstrated a method for making three-dimensional images of structures in biological material under natural conditions at a much higher resolution than other existing methods.
Experts Forecast the Changes Artificial Intelligence Could Bring by 2030
A panel of academic and industrial thinkers looked ahead to 2030 to forecast how advances in artificial intelligence might affect life in a typical North American city – from transportation to healthcare and education.
New ‘Critical Audit Matters’ Serve as Warning for Investors
The first major change in auditing reports in over 80 years could actually decrease rather than increase auditor litigation risk by serving as an implied disclaimer of auditor responsibility for certain areas.
UT Study Cracks Coldest Case: How the Most Famous Human Ancestor Died
Lucy, the most famous fossil of a human ancestor, probably died after falling from a tree, according to a study appearing in Nature led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.
UT Austin and Texas A&M Partner on Solar Energy Research Center
It does not require a force as powerful as the sun to get Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin to work together, but it certainly helps. The institutions, along with Texas A&M University-Central …
Astronomers Discover Rocky Planet Orbiting Nearest Star, Proxima Centauri
An international team of astronomers including UT's Michael Endl have found clear evidence of a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun.
Low-Temp Production Could Mean Cheaper, Flexible Smart Windows
UT researchers have invented a new flexible smart window material that, when incorporated into windows, sunroofs, or even curved glass surfaces, will have the ability to control both heat and light from the sun.
James Chelikowsky’s Center to Participate in $8 million DOE Project
The ICES Center for Computational Materials will participate in the U.S. Department of Energy $16 million design of new materials through use of supercomputers.
Cohabitating Couples With Lower Education Levels Marry Less
A new PRC research brief by Kelly Raley, based on the study “Diverging Patterns of Union Transition Among Cohabitators by Race-Ethnicity and Education: Trends and Marital Intentions” appearing in the journal …
Texas Engineer Provides Key Leadership for Smart Manufacturing Institute
Cockrell School of Engineering professor Tom Edgar’s leadership in clean energy research helped to secure more than $140 million in public-private investment for a new Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute that …
Middle East & North Africa Show Concern for Advertisements
As emerging markets in the Middle East and North Africa become increasingly attractive for business opportunities, they also have become more prone to ethical infractions in advertising, according to a study from UT.
Pop-Up Institutes Foster New Research Partnerships
UT is starting a new research initiative called “Pop-Up Institutes” which are designed to harness knowledge, expertise, and resources across multiple disciplines on campus to address a research goal.
‘Empathy Mirror’ to Foster Understanding People with Different Perspectives
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have awarded $100,000 to a team of engineers and designers, led by Cockrell School of Engineering professor Brian Korgel, to develop an “empathy mirror” …
New Research Indicates Student Interest Critical to Engagement in Science
Educators and parents have understood that student interest is important in engaging high schoolers in science, but exactly how that interest supports their learning has not been clearly measured. New research from a …
Ethics in Advertising
Study finds ethical infractions in advertising in emerging markets in the Middle East.
New Research Repository into Education of Black Males
To help researchers, journalists and policymakers locate available research on the education of black males, UT Professors Louis Harrison and Anthony Brown launched The Black Male Education Research Collection website.
Bacteria Show Capacity for Rapid, Beneficial Mutations
A study of tens of thousands of generations of E. coli bacteria reveals that most new genetic mutations that were passed down were actually beneficial and occurred at much more variable rates than previously thought.
Monsoon Intensity Enhanced By Heat Captured By Desert Dust
Variations in the ability of sand particles, kicked into the atmosphere from deserts in the Middle East, to absorb heat can change the intensity of the Indian Summer Monsoon.
UT Austin Website Promotes Transparency on Deaths in Texas State Custody
A new interactive, online database provides the public full access to records on 6,913 deaths that have occurred in Texas state custody since 2005.
Some Bacteria Have Lived in the Human Gut Since Before We Were Human
Some of the bacteria in our guts were passed down over millions of years, since before we were human, suggesting that evolution plays a larger role than previously known in people’s intestinal-microbe makeup.
Scientists Glimpse Inner Workings of Atomically Thin Transistors
A team of UT physicists has had the first-ever glimpse into what happens inside an atomically thin semiconductor device.
Gov. Abbott’s University Research Initiative Brings Two Distinguished
With support from the Governor’s University Research Initiative grant program, UT has recruited renowned researchers Joan Brennecke in chemical engineering and Wei Yang in molecular biosciences.
Research Sheds Light on Challenges of Interpreting Brain Activity
Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation. It's a warning that echoes throughout the halls of science, but is not always heeded. A new study in the journal Nature by associate professor Alex Huk and graduate …
Genetics Play Role in Character Traits Related to Academic Success
Character traits, such as grit or desire to learn, have a heavy hand in academic success and are partially rooted in genetics, according to a psychology study at The University of Texas at Austin.
Genetics Play Role in Character Traits Related to Academic Success
Character traits, such as grit or desire to learn, have a heavy hand in academic success and are partially rooted in genetics, according to a psychology study at The University of Texas at Austin.
Bird Research Suggests Calling Dinosaurs May Have Been Tight-Lipped
Dinosaurs are often depicted in movies as roaring ferociously, but it is likely that some dinosaurs mumbled or cooed with closed mouths, according to a study published online in the journal Evolution that will be in …
A New Kind of Black Hole, Once a Theory, Now Firmly within Observers’ Sight
Astronomers Aaron Smith and Volker Bromm of The University of Texas at Austin, working with Avi Loeb of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, have discovered evidence for an unusual kind of black hole born …
California Droughts Caused Mainly by Changes in Wind, Not Moisture
Droughts in California are mainly controlled by wind, not by the amount of evaporated moisture in the air, new research has found.
Researchers Determine Fundamental Limits of Invisibility Cloaks
Researchers at UT have been able to quantify fundamental physical limitations on the performance of cloaking devices.
Fossil Shows Ostrich Relatives Lived in North America 50 Million Years Ago
Bird fossil specimens dating back 50 million years represent a species of a previously unknown relative of the modern-day ostrich.
Food Subsidies Perpetuate Poor Diet, Poverty and Environmental Damage
The main beneficiaries of food subsidies in the United States are neither the farmers, nor low income families, but the food companies that profit from low costs and a ready market for their products. The result is …
Blue-Collar Training in High School Leaves Women Behind, UT Study Says
Vocational training without a strong college-preparatory focus in blue-collar community high schools led some millennials to face wider gender employment and wage gaps than their peers, according to UT sociologists.
Cross-respiration Between Oral Bacteria Leads to Worse Infections
Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and elsewhere have determined that two bacterial species commonly found in the human mouth and in abscesses, cooperate to make the pathogenic bacterium …
Fix for 3-Billion-Year-Old Genetic Error Could Improve Genetic Sequencing
For 3 billion years, one of the major carriers of information needed for life, RNA, has had a glitch that creates errors when making copies of genetic information. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin …
Abortion Demand Increases with Zika Virus Advisories
Requests for abortions increased significantly in Latin American countries that issued warnings to pregnant women about complications associated with Zika virus infection.
Two Rare Orchids Discovered at Brackenridge Field Lab
Last week Robert Deans, a University of Texas at Austin graduate student in ecology, evolution and behavior, discovered an extremely rare orchid in an unexpected place—at an urban biological field station in the …
Lessons on Personalities Help Teens Cope With Social Stressors
Teaching teens that social and personality traits can change helps them cope with social challenges such as bullying, which in turn can help mitigate stress and improve academic performance.
Rare, Blind Catfish Discovered in U.S. National Park
An extremely rare eyeless catfish species, previously known to exist only in Mexico, has been discovered in Texas.
New “GreenWeb” Tools Aim to Create an Energy-Efficient Web
UT researchers have developed a new, open-source computer programming framework that could make the web significantly more energy efficient, allowing people to save more battery power while browsing on mobile devices.
New 'GreenWeb' Tools Aim to Create an Energy-Efficient Web
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new, open-source computer programming framework that could make the web significantly more energy efficient, …
New Federal Statistical Research Data Center
A new partnership with the United States Census Bureau will establish an on-campus Federal Statistical Research Data Center, stimulating more research and enhancing graduate training opportunities at The University …
Ransom Center Acquires Archive of Author Raja Rao
The Harry Ransom Center has acquired the archive of Indian author and philosopher Raja Rao (1908-2006), recipient of the Neustadt International Prize for Literature and numerous other literary awards.
Eco-Friendly Way to Boost Texas Cotton Production
UT Study shows increasing the diversity of pollinator species, including bees, flies and butterflies, can dramatically increase cotton production.
Aerosols Strengthen Storm Clouds, According to New Study
An abundance of aerosol particles in the atmosphere can increase the lifespans of large storm clouds by delaying rainfall, making the clouds grow larger and live longer.
Study Identifies Social Media Metrics Linked to Increased Revenue
Businesses looking to maximize “return on investment” from social media efforts should focus on a few key metrics, including increasing Instagram followers, Facebook comments and Twitter mentions, according to …
New Technique Shows Link Between T-cells and Aging
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT have discovered a correlation between aging and the effectiveness of T-cells, a type of immune cell programmed to fight or kill a threat. Researchers found that …
Hands-On Science Boosts Graduation Rates, STEM Retention
A new study finds that courses that engage college students in conducting scientific research early on can dramatically increase students’ odds of completing a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) degree.
Forecasting Challenges for Incoming Students Can Reduce Inequality
Incoming college students, especially students of color and first-generation college students, who anticipate challenges and recognize these as normal and temporary are more likely to remain enrolled full time …
A New Norm: Marriages Can Thrive with a Full Nest
There's a silver lining to the Great Recession: new research published in the Journal of Gerontology Psychological Sciences shows that the addition of an adult child to your home may no longer spell trouble for your marriage.
Researchers Find Ice Age Record in Mars’ Polar Cap
Scientists using radar data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have found a record of the most recent Martian ice age in the planet’s north polar ice cap.
Cheap, Simple Virus Sensors: New Method Detects Single Viruses in Urine
Scientists at UT have developed a new method to rapidly detect a single virus in urine. Although the technique presently works on just one virus, scientists say it could be adapted to detect a range of viruses …
Rare Evolutionary Event Detected in UT Lab
It took nearly a half trillion tries before UT Austin researchers witnessed a rare event and perhaps solved an evolutionary puzzle about how introns, noncoding sequences of DNA located within genes, multiply in a genome.
Unstable Antarctic Glacier Has Contributed To Past Sea Level Rise
Research published in the journal Nature on May 19 has revealed that vast regions of the Totten Glacier in East Antarctica are fundamentally unstable and have contributed significantly to rising sea levels several …
Humans have been causing earthquakes in Texas since the 1920s
Earthquakes triggered by human activity have been happening in Texas since at least 1925, and they have been widespread throughout the state ever since, according to a new historical review of the evidence published online Ma
Relationship Satisfaction Depends on the Mating Pool, Study Finds
Relationship satisfaction and the energy devoted to keeping a partner are dependent on how the partner compares with other potential mates, a finding that relates to evolution’s stronghold on modern relationship …
New Way of Producing Random Numbers Could Improve Cybersecurity
With an advance that one cryptography expert called a "masterpiece," UT Austin computer scientists have developed a new method for producing truly random numbers, a breakthrough that could be used to encrypt date …
Dalby Wins State Grant for Cancer Drug Research
Dr. Kevin Dalby, professor of chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, has received an almost $5 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to kick-start drug discovery programs.
Small Storytellers, Big Screen
Many aspiring filmmakers wait years for their work to debut at an Austin film festival. Some just have the right fourth-grade teacher. On a Tuesday morning just days after torrential April rains, 24 young filmmakers …
Gene Mutation Leads to Variety of Poorly Understood Birth Defects
Scientists have identified genetic mutations that appear to be a key culprit behind a suite of birth defects called ciliopathies, which affect an estimated 1 in 1,000 births. In a paper published online this week …
Challenges, Hopes of Helping Patients Avoid Stroke
A new study did not find that the drug ticagrelor was better than aspirin in reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack or death in certain patients.
Genetic Potential of Oil-Eating Bacteria from the BP Oil Spill Decoded
Microbiologists at The University of Texas at Austin and their colleagues have cracked the genetic code of how bacteria broke down oil to help clean up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
World’s Shallowest Slow-Motion Earthquakes Detected Off New Zealand's Coast
Research published in the May 6 edition of Science indicates that slow-motion earthquakes or “slow-slip events” can rupture the shallow portion of a fault that also moves in large, tsunami-generating earthquakes.
$2.7 Million Grant Advances Treatment to Regenerate Blood Vessels
Biomedical engineers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have received a three-year, $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to advance a promising …
Risks of Harm from Spanking Confirmed by Researchers
The more children are spanked, the more likely they are to defy their parents and to experience increased anti-social behavior, aggression, mental health problems and cognitive difficulties, according to a new …
Volcanoes Tied to Shifts in Earth’s Climate
A new study reveals that volcanic activity associated with the plate-tectonic movement of continents may be responsible for climatic shifts from hot to cold over tens and hundreds of millions of years throughout much …
Chemical Weathering Controls Erosion Rates in Rivers
Chemical weathering can control how susceptible bedrock in river beds is to erosion, according to new research. In addition to explaining how climate can influence landscape erosion rates, the results also may improve scient
Improve Breast Reconstruction Process for Patients
For many of the thousands of women who undergo mastectomies each year due to breast cancer, part of the healing process is breast reconstruction. However, reconstruction can be an arduous process based primarily on …
Scientists Unveil the Most Comprehensive Genomic Tree of Life
An international team of researchers, including Brett Baker from The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, has made the most comprehensive tree of life based on genomes, greatly expanding our view of the …
Drug Engineered at UT to Treat Anthrax Gains FDA Approval
Researchers at UT successfully culminated years of work when a drug they engineered for the treatment and prevention of inhalational anthrax — the anthrax antitoxin obiltoxaximab — received approval March 21 from …
New Partnership to Explore Innovations in Fibers And Fabrics
The University of Texas at Austin will participate in a new $317 million partnership to accelerate innovation in high-tech, U.S.-based manufacturing involving fibers and textiles, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter …
UT Austin Part of New Partnership for Innovations in Fibers, Fabrics
The University of Texas at Austin will participate in a new $317 million partnership to accelerate innovation in high-tech, U.S.-based manufacturing involving fibers and textiles, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter …
Mile-High Mars Mounds Built by Wind and Climate Change
New research has found that wind carved massive mounds of more than a mile high on Mars over billions of years. Their location helps pin down when water on the Red Planet dried up during a global climate change …
Storing Extra Surface Water Boosts Groundwater Supply During Drought
Although years of drought and over-pumping have significantly depleted groundwater in Arizona and California, a new study shows the situation has an upside: It has created underground reservoirs where extra surface …
Global Spread of Zika Linked to Types of Mosquitos that Transmit
More cities than previously assumed could soon grapple with the Zika virus if two species of mosquitos are found to be equally effective carriers of the disease, a University of Texas at Austin disease ecologist and …
Sociologists Expose the Moral Framework of India's Rent-a-Womb Industry
Despite India’s multimillion-dollar, transnational surrogacy industry’s reputation as a “baby factory” or the “global market in bargain basement price babies,” it continues to thrive, bringing in more than …
Do We Overeat Because It’s “Healthy”?
Terms like “all-natural” and “organic” may actually trigger overeating.
Environmental Groups in China Benefit from International Partners
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working in China on environmental issues are more successful in advocating for their causes by leveraging “transnational networks,” according to new research from U T that …
Engineers Invent Next-Generation Antenna
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have designed an antenna that is able to process incoming and outgoing radio-wave signals more efficiently and without the need …
Accepting a Job Below Skill Level Can Affect Future Employment Prospects
Accepting a job below one’s skill level can be severely penalizing when applying for future employment because of the perception that someone who does this is less committed or less competent, according to new …
Penguin Brains Not Changed by Loss of Flight
Losing the ability to fly gave ancient penguins their unique locomotion style. But leaving the sky behind didn’t cause major changes in their brain structure, researchers from The University of Texas at Austin suggest…
Bacteria Take "RNA Mug Shots" of Threatening Viruses
Scientists have discovered that bacteria have a system that can recognize and disrupt dangerous viruses using a newly identified mechanism involving ribonucleic acid (RNA).
Exercise Helps Adults with High-Anxiety Sensitivity Quit Smoking
Exercise helps smokers with a high risk for cessation failure due to emotional distress finally kick the habit, according to psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin.
Newly Discovered Planet Could Shed Light on Planetary Evolution
University of Texas at Austin astronomer Andrew Mann and colleagues have discovered a planet in a nearby star cluster which could help astronomers better understand how planets form and evolve.
Many Community College Students Are Not Prepared for College-Level Work
A majority of community college students are underprepared for college-level work, are not successful in developmental or remedial coursework, and do not reach their educational goals, according to a report from the …
Ancient Lone Star Lizard Lounged in Lush, Tropical Texas
Researchers have discovered a new species of extinct worm lizard in Texas and dubbed it the “Lone Star” lizard. The species — the first known example of a worm lizard in Texas — offers evidence that Texas …
Majority Say Government, Industry Should Work Together for Energy Security
A majority of Americans say government and industry should collaborate to strengthen U.S. energy security and energy independence, according to the latest edition of the UT Energy Poll.
On-Off Relationships Positively Affect Friendships
Individuals in “on-off” dating relationships — relationships involving couples who break up and get back together — are more likely than others to communicate frequently with friends outside the relationship, …
Scientists Find Leukemia’s Surroundings Key to its Growth
Researchers at UT have discovered that a type of cancer found primarily in children can grow only when signaled to do so by other nearby cells that are noncancerous.
Common Colds at School a Key Driver of Asthma Hospitalizations
The most dangerous times of year for children with asthma are soon after their schools reopen after a break, and a new study finds that cold viruses are largely to blame.
Scientists Map Movement of Greenland Ice During Past 9,000 Years
Scientists have created the first map that shows how the Greenland Ice Sheet has moved over time, revealing that ice in the interior is moving more slowly toward the edges than it has, on average, during the past …
Impact of Removing Planned Parenthood from Texas Women’s Health Program
The public defunding of Planned Parenthood in Texas may have led to a decrease in highly effective forms of contraceptive services and an increase in Medicaid-paid childbirths among women who previously used …
Scientific Expedition to Antarctica Will Search for Dinosaurs and More
An international team of researchers supported by the National Science Foundation will journey to Antarctica this month to search for evidence that the now-frozen continent may have been the starting point for some …
UT Establishes Center to Study Race and Democracy at the LBJ School
UT has established The Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD) at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, which will host its inaugural national conference Feb 8-9.
Challenger Explosion - Study Examines Why Organizations Repeat Big Mistakes
On the 30th anniversary of the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle, recent research from the McCombs School of Business at UT examines why large organizations as diverse as NASA and BP have a tendency to make …
Texas Engineers Build High-Performance Transistors Using Inkjet-Printing
In the last decade, methods for producing electrical components and devices by inkjet printing them onto paper, plastics and other materials have advanced, opening the door for enhanced functionality and a new …
UT Austin Establishes Center to Study Race and Democracy
The University of Texas at Austin has established the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD) at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, which will host its inaugural national conference Feb. 8-9, 2016.
Fighting Lymphoma Cancer with Genomics and Supercomputing
Lymphoma is cancer that begins in infection-fighting cells of the immune system. These cells are in the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow, and other parts of the body. When you have lymphoma, the cells change …
Engineers Invent a Bubble-Pen to Write with Nanoparticles
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering have solved a problem in micro- and nanofabrication — how to quickly, gently and precisely handle tiny particles — that will allow researchers to more easily …
Sociable Chimps Harbor Richer Gut Microbiomes
Spending time in close contact with others often means risking catching germs and getting sick. But being sociable may also help transmit beneficial microbes, finds a multi-institutional study of gut microbiomes in …
Scientists Discover How We Play Memories in Fast Forward
Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a mechanism that may explain how the brain can recall nearly all of what happened on a recent afternoon — or make a thorough plan for how to spend an …
Generations Later, Language Continues to Isolate Immigrant Communities
The way second- and third-generation immigrants learn a language may spell trouble early on in school and further isolate them from society, according to a Germanic studies researcher at The University of Texas at Austin.
Genetic Potential for Intelligence Adversely Affected by Social Class
Genetic influence on intelligence varies according to people’s social class in the United States, but not in Western Europe or Australia, according to a psychology study at The University of Texas at Austin.
Which-Hunting and the Hegemony of Style Guides
A new study reveals just how strong the influence of mass-market books promoting a certain style of writing have had on authors since they were first published in the late 1950s. The study “Which- hunting and the …
Professor Launches Time-Travel Portal To 18th-Century Gallery
The Shakespeare Gallery has been digitally reconstructed by The University of Texas at Austin — just as it looked in 1796, when novelist Jane Austen took lodging around the corner while visiting London’s sites.
Ostracized Children Use Imitation To Fit In, Study Finds
The threat of ostracism influences children to imitate group behaviors as a means of re-affiliating, according to psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin.
The Longhorn Maker Movement
Pioneering students, hands-on tech and the space to create and collaborate — that’s the foundation of the Longhorn Maker Movement. From traditional soldering and woodworking to advanced 3D printing and robotics, …
Nature Has Greatest Influence on Water in Colorado River
the water supply of the Colorado River basin, a vital source of water in the Southwest, is influenced more by wet-dry periods than by human use, which has been stable during past decades.
Some Prairie Vole Brains Better Wired for Sexual Fidelity
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have found that natural selection drives some male prairie voles to be fully monogamous and others to seek more partners. The surprising contrasts in the animals’ …
How Speakers Handle Questions During Presentations
Professor John Daly in the Department of Communication Studies has published new research that explores public speaking and how speakers handle objections and questions after their presentations.
Develop More Efficient, Realistic Fracturing Simulations
Professor Mary Wheeler, director of the ICES Center for Subsurface Modeling and holder of the Ernest and Virginia Cockrell Chair in Engineering, with her collaborators has received a $1.5 million grant from the …
Engineers Advance Potential Whooping Cough Treatment
A team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and Synthetic Biologics Inc. have developed two antibodies to potentially treat or prevent pertussis, the highly contagious respiratory tract infection …
Rock Salt May be More Vulnerable Than Previously Thought
Research from UT Austin shows that rock salt, used by Germany and the US as a subsurface container for radioactive waste, might not be as impermeable as thought or as capable of isolating nuclear waste from …
Early Christianity Scholar Discovers Ancient Papyrus Fragment on eBay
A fourth-century papyrus fragment of the Gospel of John, one of about 130 Greek New Testament papyri known to survive today, made its serendipitous debut in an online auction earlier this year — with a starting bid …
Climate Can Grind Mountains Faster Than They Can Be Rebuilt
Researchers for the first time have discovered that erosion caused by glaciation during ice ages can, in the right circumstances, wear down mountains faster than plate tectonics can build them.
New ‘Self-Healing’ Gel Makes Electronics More Flexible
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a first-of-its-kind self-healing gel that repairs and connects electronic circuits, creating opportunities to …
Fish Skin Provides Invisibility in Open Ocean
Scientists have solved a longstanding mystery about how some fish seem to disappear from predators in the ocean, a discovery that could lead to more effective methods of ocean camouflage.
New "Self-Healing" Gel Makes Electronics More Flexible
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering have developed a first-of-its-kind self-healing gel that repairs and connects electronic circuits, creating opportunities to advance the development of flexible …
UT Austin Partners with Alda Center
UT Austin will partner with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at the State University of New York at Stony Brook to help scientists and health practitioners better communicate scientific findings to …
Austinites “Cautiously Optimistic” About 10-1 Representation
Austinites are “cautiously optimistic” about the future of the 10-1 system of geographic representation adopted by the City of Austin in 2014 to elect City Council members, according to a report conducted by the …
Models of Mitral Valve Biomechanics Seek to Help Surgery Success Rates
ICES postdoctoral fellow Chung-Hao Lee in the Center for Cardiovascular Simulation (CCS), studies the biomechanics and cell mechanobiology of the heart’s mitral valve—the organ that helps prevent the backflow of …
TACC to Launch New Catapult System to Researchers Worldwide
FPGA-based reconfigurable fabric offers opportunity for more effective large-scale computing in science and engineering
Giant Magellan Telescope Breaks Ground in Chile
The McDonald Observatory, along with an international group of universities and research institutions, celebrate groundbreaking for telescope that will address key questions in cosmology, astrophysics and more.
Mixing Ages in Head Start Stunts Academic Progress
Four-year-olds in the nation’s largest preschool program fare worse with 3-year-olds in their classrooms, according to new research that shows a common practice in most Head Start programs may stunt children’s …
Shape of Bird Wings Depends on Ancestors More Than Flight Style
In a finding that could change the way scientists think about bird evolution, researchers have found that the shape of bird wings is influenced more by how closely related species are to one another than by flight style.
Nomadic Computing Speeds Up Big Data Analytics
University of Texas researcher designs novel way to analyze bigger datasets using supercomputers and machine learning algorithms.
How Precision Medicine is Turning the Tables on Cancer
There are few things as full of anxiety, heartbreak, and anguish as finding out that you or someone you love has cancer. Unfortunately, it’s not at all uncommon. By the American Cancer Society’s estimates it is …
Upgraded Hobby-Eberly Telescope Sees First Light
After several years and a massive team effort, one of the world’s largest telescopes, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at UT Austin's McDonald Observatory, has opened its giant eye again, achieving “first …
Chemistry in Mold Reveals Important Clue for Pharmaceuticals
In a discovery that holds promise for future drug development, scientists have detected for the first time how nature performs an impressive trick to produce key chemicals similar to those in drugs that fight …
Researchers Build Nanoscale Autonomous Walking Machine
Researchers at UT Austin have developed a nanoscale machine made of DNA that can randomly walk in any direction across bumpy surfaces and could potentially be used for cancer detection.
Cockrell School Research Consortium Selected for $3 Million Project
The Construction Industry Institute (CII), a research consortium based in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, has signed a three-year, $3 million agreement with the Singapore …
Extinct Species of Pig-Snouted Turtle Unearthed in Utah
Researchers have discovered a species of extinct pig-nose turtle that lived alongside dinosaurs and fills a gap in understanding the evolution of turtles.
Views of Key Energy Issues Are Shaped by Partisan Politics
More than 3 out of 4 Americans (76 percent) now believe that climate change is occurring, up from 68 percent just one year ago, according to the latest UT Energy Poll.
Overfishing at Spawning Sites Put Species, Economies at Risk
Countries worldwide may soon see mass species loss and challenges for local fishing economies if predictable breeding events where fish gather in large numbers remain unprotected from overfishing, scientists say.
Research Identifies Career Resources That Millennials Need
Doing Innovation, a research project at UT Austin, has launched a multimedia website that examines how millennials are using new technology, developing creative communities and finding innovative paths to respond to …
Image, Emotion and Voting
Journalism scholar examines the importance of emotional appeal in presidential elections.
Global Public Health Messages Should Tell Stories
Global public health agencies such as the CDC should use storytelling techniques to get audiences to share key public health messages, according to a UT health communication scholar.
Texas Engineers Develop Nontoxic Flame Retardant
nspired by a naturally occurring material found in marine mussels, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have created a new flame retardant to replace commercial additives that are often toxic and can …
Digital World Map Broadens Scope for Middle Ages Research
Online users can now travel back in time to the medieval world by clicking through a collection of international research on the first digital platform of its kind from UT Austin.
Engineers Develop New Method for Making Wearable Electronics
Cockrell School of Engineering researchers have invented a method for making inexpensive and high-performing wearable electronic patches that monitor the body’s vital signs for health and performance tracking.
Study Examines Seniors' Social Lives and Health
The University of Texas at Austin will receive a $2.4 million grant over the next five years from the National Institute on Aging to study how social interactions improve the health of older adults. Participants will …
Sustaining Science
Researcher receives NSF grant to examine preschoolers’ attitudes and continued success in sciences.
New Cathode Material Discovered for Sodium-Ion Batteries
Professor John Goodenough, the inventor of the lithium-ion battery, and his team have identified a new cathode material, presenting a significant advancement in the race to develop a commercially viable sodium-ion …
Small Town Students See Big Potential at UT Austin
The University of Texas at Austin assistant professor of psychology David Yeager will receive the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Robert B. Cialdini Award for his published studies on effectively …
Girls Serve Longer Sentences Than Boys in Justice System
Females in the Texas juvenile justice system are often at greater risk of serving longer sentences and having a mental health need than their male counterparts, according to new research from UT Austin.
Sexual Assault is More Pervasive in Texas Now Than in 2003
Sexual assault is more pervasive in Texas now than in 2003, the time of the last statewide survey, according to a new study by the Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (IDVSA) at UT Austin.
Organisms Across Tree of Life Share Common Molecular Tools
Researchers at UT Austin discovered the assembly instructions for nearly 1,000 protein complexes shared by most kinds of animals, offering a powerful new tool for studying the causes of diseases such as Alzheimer's, …
Clues from Ancient Maya Reveal Lasting Impact on Environment
Evidence from the tropical lowlands of Central America reveals how Maya activity more than 2,000 years ago continues to influence today’s environmental conditions.
Ancient Cold Period Could Provide Clues on Climate Change
Researchers at UT Austin have found that a well-known period of abrupt climate change 12,000 years ago occurred rapidly in northern latitudes but much more gradually in equatorial regions, a discovery that could …
UT Austin A Key Partner in New $75 Million U.S. Manufacturing Initiative
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded $75 million for the establishment and management of a new Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) for Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE-MII) to a team led by the …
Immigrant Teens Less Likely to Commit Crimes and Use Drugs
Amid concerns that immigrants may pose a threat to American society, a new study from UT Austin shows that immigrant teens are less likely to engage in violent behaviors, crime and drug use than their U.S.-born …
Improve How Medical Devices Gather Data from Tissues
Histopathology is an important tool that biomedical researchers and physicians use to study and diagnose disease. But it’s highly subjective, involving the characterization of cell types and cell health by examining …
UT Students Build High-Efficiency, Solar-Powered Home
UT Austin Students Build High-Efficiency, Solar-Powered Home A team of students from the Cockrell School of Engineering and the School of Architecture at UT Austin and the Technische Universität München (TUM) in …
New Institute Advances Health Care Solutions for Today’s Patients
The Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin is launching the university’s first health care engineering institute dedicated to developing technologies and treatments that will immediately …
NASCENT-Lam Partnership Accelerates Discovery in Semiconductor Industry
NASCENT, the National Science Foundation-funded Nanosystems Engineering Research Center headquartered at the Cockrell School, has added Lam Research Corporation, a global supply company that develops wafer fabrication…
Ransom Center to Acquire Archive of Kazuo Ishiguro
The Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at UT Austin, is acquiring the archive of award-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro.
Texas’ $37M Physical Education Program Didn't Reduce Obesity
A new article by researchers at UT Austin reports that Texas Fitness Now, Texas’ $37 million physical education program, had no effect on children’s weight.
Policies Help Women Balance Work-Family Life, Study Shows
Various Western nations’ work-family policies leave many working mothers feeling unsupported as both caretakers and workers, according to a comparative study of working mothers in multiple countries by UT Austin.
Medical Informatics Expert to Lead Population Health
Dr. William Tierney, an internationally recognized leader in medical informatics and health services research who has devoted his career to creating innovation, value and efficiency in health care delivery, will be …
Computer Scientists Find Mass Extinctions Can Accelerate Evolution
A computer science team at The University of Texas at Austin has found that robots evolve more quickly and efficiently after a virtual mass extinction modeled after real-life disasters such as the one that killed off …
UT, Japan Collaborate on Energy Efficient Data Center
Partnering with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), which acts as a Japanese government agency, The University of Texas at Austin will begin using alternative energy sources to …
Scientists Pioneer Method to Track Water Flowing in Glaciers
Researchers for the first time have used seismic sensors to track meltwater flowing through glaciers and into the ocean, an essential step to understanding the future of the world’s largest glaciers as climate …
Genders Differ Dramatically in Evolved Mate Preferences
Men’s and women’s ideas of the perfect mate differ significantly due to evolutionary pressures, according to a cross-cultural study on multiple mate preferences by psychologists at UT Austin.
Katrin Erk's Research Paves Way for Language Technology Applications
Katrin Erk, an associate professor in the Linguistics Department, has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for her project titled "Deep Natural Language Understanding with Probabilistic Logic and …
Hormones Influence Unethical Behavior
Hormones play a two-part role in encouraging and reinforcing cheating and other unethical behavior, according to research from Harvard University and The University of Texas at Austin.
Children are Flexible Social Learners, Study Finds
Psychologists at UT Austin found that children flexibly choose when to imitate and when to innovate the behavior of others, demonstrating that children are precocious social learners.
Smarter Window Materials Can Control Light and Energy
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin are one step closer to delivering smart windows with a new level of energy efficiency, engineering materials that allow windows …
"Very Light" Smoking Popular Among Young Adult Women, Study Finds
“Very light” smoking, defined as five or fewer cigarettes per day, is common among young adult women in the United States, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.
Seton and UT to Improve Healthcare Services Delivery
Seton Healthcare Family and UT Austin's Center for Health and Social Policy (CHASP) at the LBJ School of Public Affairs have announced the funding of seven new health care research studies aimed at resolving critical …
The Mystery of the Brownbanded Bamboo Shark
All week, sharks splashed across TV screens as viewers who love (or fear) the kings of the sea tuned into shows about the allure (or revulsion) of great whites, hamnmerheads, makos and more. But if you want to …
Soares' Simulation Shows How to Grow Better Engineered Tissue
Mechanical stimulation of tissue during in vitro incubation and early tissue development are an increasingly important tool in bioengineering. It exposes engineered tissues to physical forces similar to those …
Earthquakes in Western Solomon Islands Have Long History, Study Shows
Researchers have found that parts of the western Solomon Islands, a region thought to be free of large earthquakes until an 8.1 magnitude quake devastated the area in 2007, have a long history of big seismic events.
New Computer Tool Improves Artery Disease Management
A new, non-invasive diagnostic tool could make it easier, cheaper and safer to diagnose and treat peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that affects more than 200 million people worldwide.
Corals Are Already Adapting to Global Warming, Scientists Say
Some coral populations already have genetic variants necessary to tolerate warm ocean waters, and humans can help to spread these genes, a team of scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, the Australian …
Medication May Stop Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Researchers have successfully stopped cocaine and alcohol addiction in experiments using a drug already approved to treat high blood pressure. If proven effective in humans, this could help prevent relapses by …
Authoritarian Parenting Can Affect Latino Children
Authoritarian parenting can lead to depression and somatization in young Mexican American and Dominican American children, according to new research from the School of Social Work.
Study Links Heartbeat to Female Libido
Sexual dysfunction in women can be linked to low resting heart rate variability, a finding that could help clinicians treat the condition, according to a study by psychologists at UT Austin.
Upcoding Inflates Medicare Costs in Excess of $2 Billion
Medicare, which is already the costliest public health insurance program in the world, is costing taxpayers an excess of $2 billion annually because of a practice called “upcoding” in private Medicare Advantage …
First Magnetic Field Sensor Discovered in Animal
A team of scientists and engineers at UT has identified the first sensor of the Earth’s magnetic field in an animal, finding in the brain of a tiny worm a big clue to a long-held mystery about how animals’ …
Meeting Global Air Quality Guidelines Could Prevent 2 Million deaths
Improving air quality — in clean and dirty places — could potentially avoid millions of pollution-related deaths each year. That finding comes from a team of environmental engineering and public health …
Supercomputing Surprisingly Link DNA Crosses to Cancer
UT Austin researchers find hotspots of genetic instability in cancer using Stampede and Lonestar.
New Honeycomb-Inspired Design Delivers Superior Impact Protection
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering have developed a groundbreaking new energy-absorbing structure to better withstand blunt and ballistic impact, which can be integrated into car bumpers, military and …
Researchers Build World's Thinnest Light Bulb from Graphene
Researchers have demonstrated—for the first time—a visible light source using graphene, an atomically thin form of carbon. This new type of light source could form the basis of faster communications devices and …
Texas Health Catalyst Speeds Development of Health Products
The new initiative will utilize top experts to ensure that the campus’s best health-focused research is transformed into new drugs, devices and health products to benefit patients, health care providers and the …
Foreign Language Learning in Adults and Genetic Variation
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered that a genetic variation in the FOXP2 gene is strongly associated with the ability to learn a foreign language during adulthood. The FOXP2 gene, …
UT, Partners Approve Giant Magellan Telescope Construction
Construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope was unanimously approved by the 11 international partners including The University of Texas at Austin. The decision initiates final design and fabrication of the GMT, …
Editor Ben Bradlee’s Archive Donated to Ransom Center
The archive of the legendary Washington Post editor complements the archives of the reporters who covered the Watergate break-in.
Antarctica Radar to Scour Europa for Life-Supporting Environments
When a NASA spacecraft sets off to explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to look for the ingredients of life, radar equipment designed to pierce the ice of Antarctica will be among the passengers. Ice-penetrating radar …
Ancient DNA May Provide Clues on How Past Environments Affected Populations
Anthropologists show that epigenetic marks, or chemical modifications on DNA, can be detected in a large number of ancient human remains, which may further understanding the effects of famine and disease in the …
UT Engineer Joins Rapid Response Mission to Nepal
A researcher from the Cockrell School of Engineering at heads to Nepal as part of a rapid response mission to assess post-earthquake damage to potentially dangerous glacial lakes and to begin the process of …
Assess Risks from Glacial Lakes After Earthquakes
A researcher from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin is headed to Nepal as part of a rapid response mission to assess post-earthquake damage to potentially dangerous glacial lakes …
Partly Human Yeast Show A Common Ancestor’s Lasting Legacy
Humans share hundreds of genes with baker’s yeast and biologists are creating genetically engineered yeast using human genes to better understand genetic disorders and screen drugs for treating the diseases.
New Forecast Should Improve Texas Summer Drought Prediction
A new forecasting method, created by the Jackson School of Geosciences and the Texas Water Development Board, is thought to be more accurate for predicting summer rainfall across the state.
Protecting Pollinators: UT Researchers Buzzing About Bees
In May, President Obama announced a task force to protect pollinators, in particular bees. Researchers at UT are looking at the problem for a number of perspectives.
Gabriel García Márquez Symposium and Opening of Author’s Archive
The LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections and Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum, will host “Gabriel García Márquez: His Life and Legacy.
Mobile Phone Bans Lead to Rise in Student Test Scores
Banning cellphones in schools reaps the same benefits as extending the school year by five days, according to a new study.
Model Predicts Which Delinquent Credit Card Holders Will Pay
Research from the McCombs School of Business has identified a way to accurately predict which delinquent credit card accounts will repay an outstanding balance.
Bacteria Suppress Their Antibiotic-Resistant Cousins
In the battle against superbugs, new research suggests that the infecting bacteria might be turned against themselves to weaken their defenses.
Discuss Safe Sex With Teens Openly and Honestly
New research by the Austin Child & Family Research Institute at UT finds main barriers to safe sex practices include lack of access and misinformation.
Engineers Develop Centimeter-Accurate GPS System
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering have developed a centimeter-accurate GPS-based positioning system that could revolutionize geolocation.
Rehab Robot HARMONY Introduced by UT Engineers
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering have developed a first-of-its-kind, rehabilitation exoskeleton that could provide new therapies.
Texas Engineers Introduce Advanced Rehabilitation Robot HARMONY
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a first-of-its kind, two-armed, robotic rehabilitation exoskeleton that could provide a new method of high-quality …
Political Ideology Drives Opinions on Key Energy Issues
Partisan politics are polarizing Americans’ views of several controversial energy issues according to the latest version of The University of Texas at Austin Energy Poll.
UT Austin Researchers Inform Development of Ebola Vaccine Trials
TACC's Lonestar4 supercomputer aids simulation and analysis to reach scientific results.
Create Digital Archives from Central Lunatic Asylum for Colored Insane
King Davis (Mike Hogg Professor Emeritus in Liberal Arts, professor at the School of Information and in the African & African Diaspora Studies department) and two other faculty members at The University of Texas at …
Expedition Will Sample Crater Left By Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid
An international research team is formalizing plans to drill nearly 5,000 feet below the seabed to take core samples from the crater of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.
A New Look at Language Delay in Children With Autism
A new study by a linguistics professor and an alumnus from The University of Texas at Austin sheds light on a well-known linguistic characteristic of autistic children — their reluctance to use pronouns — paving the …
New Yeast Strain to Enhance Biofuel and Biochemical Production
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have used a combination of metabolic engineering and directed evolution to develop a new, mutant yeast strain that could lead to a more ef
Men’s Preference for Certain Body Types Has Evolutionary Roots
A psychology study from The University of Texas at Austin sheds new light on today’s standards of beauty, attributing modern men’s preferences for women with a curvy backside to prehistoric influences.
HIV Not As Infectious Soon After Transmission As Thought
People who recently have been infected with HIV may not be as highly infectious as previously believed, a finding that could improve global efforts to prevent HIV transmission and save lives.
Company Founded by Cancer-Fighting Chemist Sold for $21 Billion
Jonathan Sessler has battled cancer as a patient, a researcher and an entrepreneur. His lifelong fight met an auspicious milestone this month, when the once-small pharmaceutical research company he co-founded was purchased fo
New Cystic Fibrosis Research Examines Deadly Pathogen
A new method of testing the most common cause of life-threatening infection in people with cystic fibrosis could improve efforts to study and combat the illness.
East Antarctica Melting could be Explained by Oceanic Gateways
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin’s Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) in the Jackson School of Geosciences have discovered two seafloor gateways that could allow warm ocean water to reach the base of …
Texas Engineer Collaborates to Advance U.S. Army Vehicle Technology
Earlier this year, mechanical engineering professor Delbert Tesar, director of the Robotics Research Group and the Carol Cockrell Curran Chair in Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, hosted key members …
Amphibians Join the Genomic Revolution
The dramatic drop in cost and time needed to sequence the genomes of animals over the past decade has revolutionized the study of evolutionary relationships. But for scientists who study amphibians, it feels like the …
Historian Provides New Perspective on Islam and Secularism
Religion and politics are at the root of conflict around the world, and historians are looking to the past for solutions to today’s most heated debates.
Improving Oil Production and Oil Spill Cleanup Using Nanotechnology
Andrew Worthen, chemical engineering Ph.D. student supervised by professor Keith P. Johnston, is conducting research “all about discovering how we can steward the planet more responsibly,” something he gets closer to …
New Protein Booster May Lead to Better DNA Vaccines and Gene Therapy
Scientists have discovered a new way to manipulate how cells function, a finding that might help advance an experimental approach to improving public health: DNA vaccines, which could be more efficient, less expensive and eas
Nature May Produce Reaction thought Earlier to Be in Only Synthetic Chemist
Discovered nearly a century ago, the Diels-Alder reaction has been used by synthetic chemists in many industries to produce everything from morphine to plastics. It turns out nature, too, may be performing …
Cather Researches Scripted Suicide in Modern Japan
Japanese artists have scripted suicide into their work, sometimes marking destinations for contemplating, committing and mourning suicide, morphing modern Japan into what some consider a “suicide nation.”
Historian Provides Perspective on China’s Economic Rise
Since the ending of the Mao era, China’s economy has grown from small and centralized to a global market giant. But, is China’s success a response to what many consider to be an era of economic failure?
A Field of their Own: Nineteenth-Century Women Intellectuals
Though gender equality has come a long way since the 19th century, modern day literature and culture remains gendered, quieting the voices of worthy intellectuals.
Researchers Use Light to Understand Cancer Progression
Light is used as a diagnostic, therapeutic, and drug delivery tool. Alumna Laura Suggs, B.S. ChE ‘93, and her team of researchers in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UT Austin believe light can also be …
Big Data Bridging the Atlantic
Advanced computing necessary for big data analysis is crossing the Atlantic.
Cyanobacterium Found in UT Algae Collection Holds Biotech Promise
A fast-growing bacterial strain found on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin in the 1950s might ultimately prove useful for carbon sequestration, biofuel production, biosynthesis of valuable chemicals and …
Texas Instruments Gives $3.5M for Project-Based Learning at Cockrell School
The Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has received a $3.5 million gift from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) to develop state-of-the-art teaching and project labs for the …
Study Supplies Insight into Behavior of African Monsoon
Think of the Sahara and you will conjure images of a vast desert landscape, with nothing but sand as far as the eye can see. But for a period of about 10,000 years, the Sahara was characterized by lush, green …
Cockrell School Engineers Advance World’s Thinnest Silicon
Researchers at the Cockrell School of Engineering have created the first transistors out of silicene, the world’s thinnest silicon material. This new “wonder material” could make computers and other electronics more …
Drought and Flood Prediction Gets Boost from New Texas Network
A new network of underground sensors in the Texas Hill Country will arm those responsible for managing the state’s finite water supply with vital information for determining the chances of drought and dangerous floods.
Supercomputing the Evolution of a Model Flower
Scientists take computational approach to evidence of plant climate adaptation using iPlant, Stampede and Lonestar supercomputers.
Black Hole Chokes on a Swallowed Star
A five-year analysis of an event captured by a tiny telescope at McDonald Observatory and followed up by telescopes on the ground and in space has led astronomers to believe they witnessed a giant black hole tear …
Astronomers Discover Ancient Solar System with Five Earth-sized Planets
A team of scientists including The University of Texas at Austin’s Dr. William Cochran has discovered a solar system similar to our own dating back to the dawn of our Milky Way galaxy.
Demkov's Research Points Way to Less Vulnerable Computer Memory
Have you ever been working on a document on your computer and it suddenly crashes? Maybe the power goes out or there's a software glitch that causes it to freeze and you lose everything you've been working on for the …
New Research Points Way to Less Vulnerable Computer Memory
Have you ever been working on a document on your computer and it suddenly crashes? Maybe the power goes out or there's a software glitch that causes it to freeze and you lose everything you've been working on for the …
Majority of Young Women and Men Prefer Egalitarian Relationships
The majority of young women and men today would prefer an egalitarian relationship in which work and family responsibilities are shared equally between partners if that possibility were available to them, according …
Features
Supercomputing Speed Proves Crucial in the Race Against COVID-19
The Texas Advanced Computing Center’s supercomputers are helping scientists optimize health care response and fast-track research.
Surveying Deepest Space to Understand Dark Energy
Two decades ago, Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt, and Adam Reiss shocked the world when they published research showing not only that the Universe was expanding, but that the expansion was occurring at an …
After the Spill
Texas’ Gulf Coast has experienced the aftermath of the “worst oil spill in history” – twice. Forty years ago, a rig called Ixtoc I exploded off the coast of Campeche, Mexico, and the spill held that ignominious title …
20/20 Foresight
In the last half-century, science has served up a bonanza of advances. The periodic table gained 13 more elements – practically a new row. There’s one more state of matter, and one less planet (sorry, Pluto). Even …
Minds at Work
Peer-reviewed article explains how brain stimulation offers insight into music, language.
Using Science to Drive Change
Parenting is a hard, important job that comes with no instruction manual. Parents rely on family, friends and the internet for advice on raising children, but a robust body of science on parenting also can help …
Corwin Zigler
Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics and Data Sciences, also appointed in Women’s Health at the Dell Medical School. Interviewed by Larissa Herold.
Joydeep Biswas Builds Robots to Navigate the Real World
Joydeep Biswas leads the Autonomous Mobile Robotics Laboratory (AMRL) at UT, where he and other researchers work on building mobile service robots that assist humans in everyday environments. The lab investigates …
Even The Smallest Problems Need The Biggest Supercomputers
Oden Institute’s Feliciano Giustino had already discovered several novel nanomaterials and had a slew of offers from competing institutions worldwide before joining The University of Texas at Austin. The reputation …
Changing the Evolution of Database Applications
Most websites that we use every day are database applications, which means that they involve software that interacts with an underlying database. As these websites evolve to meet the demands of their users, so must …
12 Ways Texas Science Innovators Made the Most of 2019
Out of the lab and into the marketplace. That could be the catch phrase for a growing number of UT Austin science students and faculty. They are pouring creativity and hard work into new efforts to bring UT science …
Top Texas Science Stories and Discoveries of 2019
As we look back on 2019, it's been a year filled with fascinating discoveries and big developments in the College of Natural Sciences and beyond. Read on to see some of the highlights from this year in Texas Science.
2019 Research Roundup
It has been another great year for research at the Jackson School of Geosciences! Learn more about some of our top 2019 research hits.
‘Chilly’ UT Research from the Forty Acres
A roundup of ‘cool’ science and discovery in time for winter.
Looking Back on 2019, New Faculty Members Are a Highlight
As the year draws to a close, we're looking back on highlights of 2019, including the arrival and hiring of dozens of new tenured and tenure-track faculty members in the College of Natural Sciences. Below are some …
Melissa Kemp Combines Art and Science in Study of Lizards
Melissa Kemp, an assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, studies how extinction, biological diversification and colonization are shaped by environmental upheavals. She joined the faculty as a …
Solving Problems with Sociology
Sociology is an academic discipline devoted to documenting and analyzing social oppression. This primary focus, Christine Williams says, is what drew her to the field. Williams, a professor of sociology …
The Taco Truck
Much like the government, the railroads, farmland and cities, the United States food truck industry was built on the backs of immigrants. “The Mexican food truck changed how we looked at our cities,” argues Robert …
Update Views on Same-Sex Behavior in Animals
Over the years, scientists have recorded same-sex sexual behavior in more than 1,500 animal species, from snow geese to common toads. And for just as long evolutionary biologists studying these behaviors have …
TACC Remains among the World Leaders in Academic Supercomputing
Center announces results of Top500 list, first large-scale science runs, new fellowship program, Frontera allocation process, and planning for future exascale facility.
Flu Season is Here — Supercomputers are a New Line of Defense
Supercomputers at UT Austin are tracking drug-resistant viruses on a whole new level and helping researchers stay ahead of infections such as influenza and Zika.
Improve Breast Cancer Survivors' Lives from Diagnosis to Reconstruction
An emphasis on the psychosocial elements of living with diseases such as breast cancer may seem uncommon in engineering. But Mia K. Markey, biomedical engineering professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering …
Rethinking Brain-Inspired Computing
If you wanted to deliver a package across the street, you could program a powerful computer to do it, equipped with sensors and hardware capable of running multiple differential equations to track the movement and …
Visualizing Science 2019: Revealing Hidden Splendor in College Research
Each year the College of Natural Sciences invites its faculty, staff and students to submit the most stunning and inspiring images from their scholarly research for our Visualizing Science competition. We ask for …
Ethics Unwrapped's Global Impact on Understanding Issues of Right and Wrong
Quick — what’s the difference between moral muteness and moral myopia? Are incrementalism and ethical fading the same? And do you know deontology from utilitarianism? Most people know that ethics have to do with …
The Role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Today’s Health Care System
When Christina Schulte worked as a neuroscience researcher she could often go eight hours a day without speaking to another person, which was one reason she decided bench science wasn’t for her and decided to …
Skies of Texas are Upon You at McDonald Observatory
What starts here changes our understanding of the cosmos.
Uses Quantum Mechanics to Create New Materials
Feliciano Giustino recently joined the University of Texas at Austin faculty in the Department of Physics and is a Moncrief Chair in the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, where he will direct …
Ade Adamson: Studying Melanoma Care — & Busting Myths
Sunscreen helps to prevent skin cancer, right? Maybe not, at least for some people. Adewole “Ade” Adamson, M.D., an assistant professor of internal medicine at Dell Medical School, made national headlines earlier …
Five Questions with Professor Al Bovik
It’s not that common to hear about an engineering professor winning an Emmy. Unless they’re moonlighting as a TV star, the glitz of the Hollywood red carpet circuit isn’t the first place one might look for …
A UT Austin Spin-Out Beats the Odds, Turning Data into Knowledge
It was 2006 when Juan Sequeda (BS '08, PhD '15), then a new UT Austin computer science transfer student, saw a fellow undergraduate drop a bunch of papers on the floor. When he bent over to help pick up the papers, …
Music to Suit Your Changing Mood
To improve streaming music playlists, researchers create a “personalized DJ” computer program.
Developing an Innovative Patient Engagement Platform
Researchers at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin are developing an innovative patient engagement platform to make personal health information easily accessible and portable for everyone, with …
Why the Most Popular Candidate in a Close Election Will Probably Lose
The Presidential elections of 2000 and 2016 were controversial, in part, because it seemed like the wrong person won. In 2000, Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore by 5 electoral votes after losing the …
5 Ways UT Science is Fighting Back on Microplastics
On a clear day on the beach in Port Aransas, Jace Tunnell noticed clear and multi-colored pellets collecting on the sand at the high tide line. On closer inspection, he discovered the pellets were tiny, round bits of plastic.
A Space for Creativity
The Foundry offers equipment to make your projects a reality — and it’s open to all in the UT community.
Kami Hull Seeks to Make Drugs Faster with Less Waste
New faculty in Natural Sciences conduct compelling research and inspire new generations, right out of the gate. As the 2019-20 academic year begins, we are introducing faculty members whose compelling work is worth …
The Potential of Bacteriophages in a Post-Antibiotics World
As antibiotic-resistant bacteria, like MRSA and resistant strains of tuberculosis and gonorrhea, become more prevalent, health officials are wondering how long antibiotics will be able to hold up against their bacterial foes.
Learning from Histria
For the sake of Texas and the world, a UT professor and his students want to learn as much as they can through a “keyhole” of history on the Black Sea.
Move Donors to the Head of the Transplant Line?
Accounting research demonstrates how a simple rule change could boost the number of usable organ donations — and save lives.
Corwin Zigler Uses Statistics to Link Air Pollution to Health Impacts
As a new academic year approaches, we introduce you to some of the newest scientists and mathematicians in our community. First up: Corwin Zigler, associate professor in UT Austin's Department of Statistics and Data Sciences.
Billion Dollar Boxes (Photo Essay)
One of the assets of a large research university is its ability to store the objects, treasures and memories important to the society it serves.
A Newly Discovered 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.
For the Love of Science
Science enthusiasts, researchers, and students benefit from volunteer computing using BOINC@TACC.
Town and Country
Finding ways to improve economic growth in small towns and rural areas across Texas.
No-Cost Products Garner Strong Word-of-Mouth Recommendations
Consumers who get a web-based product or mobile app for free are more likely to give it a word-of-mouth boost than a product they buy, suggesting they feel “one good turn deserves another.”
On Anniversary of Gulf Oil Spill, Science Has Insights for the Next Crisis
On June 3, 1979, an oil rig called the Ixtoc I exploded off the coast of Campeche, Mexico, triggering what at the time was the worst oil spill in history. Even today, Ixtoc is eclipsed in the Gulf of Mexico only by …
Finding Common Ground in Water
When pressed to summarize the path of his wide spanning career, Paul Adams offers one word, “discourse.” Adams, a professor at UT Austin’s Department of Geography and the Environment, is interested in how people …
ADCIRC Provides Storm Surge Simulators for Natural Hazards Community
The backbone for storm surge modeling — TACC's supercomputing speed and power.
Helping Modernize Our Military
UT is collaborating with the U.S. Army Futures Command to give soldiers the tools they need.
Arming Texas for War on Crazy Ants
In 2014, the staff at Estero Llano Grande State Park, on the Rio Grande outside Weslaco, began seeing large colonies of ants they did not recognize around the buildings and in the restrooms. Then staffers began …
Turning the Tide
How the Marine Science Institute is Building a Bluer Future.
Clinical Optimization
Researchers work together to help patients see multiple clinicians on one visit.
How to Fail Smart
Why those seeking to innovate must allow for failure along the way.
Using Machine Learning to Revolutionize the Future of Food Production
Water, sunlight, nutrients—these ingredients are essential for plant growth. However, these basic ingredients don’t always yield the ideal plant. In fact, optimizing these variables is complicated, causing some …
Breakthroughs in Brain Health: We're Closer then You Think
It might not seem like it when you’ve forgotten your email password for the third time in as many days, but your brain is capable of amazing things.
New Series Highlights World-Changing Math and Science Leaders
New initiative, World Changers, aims to celebrate a very special type of human in history: the scientist or mathematician who charted a path forward in which others could follow.
"New Math" for Everyday Life
A surprising amount of everyday life is governed by advanced mathematics. Aside from the motion of atoms or the rotation of the stars, complex mathematical methods guide social media feeds, medical imaging …
Researcher’s Genomic Studies May Hold Clue to Better Disease Treatments
What if it were possible to use microbes to treat infections, outsmarting antibiotic resistance, or even to prevent disease before it starts? Sound too much like science fiction? Michelle Wright, PhD, RN and …
Researcher Thinks Digital Games may Improve Quality of Life
As a young nurse working in a hospital medical surgical floor, Kavita Radhakrishnan, PhD, RN, MSEE and assistant professor at the UT Austin School of Nursing, used to worry that many of her cardiac patients wouldn’t …
The Tool Maker
A story about how a blacksmith learned to forge new tools in the fight against cancer.
What Gym Memberships Can Teach Us About Self-Control
Membership renewal strategies rely on understanding how people self-regulate.
It’s Time to Show Up for Black Mothers
Black women in Texas are 2.3 times more likely to die while giving birth compared to white women, regardless of income, education, marital status or health factors, according to a Joint Biennial Report published by …
Hook ’Em Health
Research into viruses that occur only in animals can pave the way for the next medical breakthrough for people. While studying the bovine virus that killed UT Austin’s last beloved mascot, Bevo XIV, Chris Sullivan, …
Imaging, Reimagined
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) helps doctors diagnose a host of problems from tumors to spinal cord injuries to strokes. But MRI scans require patients to spend as long as a half-hour or hour uncomfortably confined …
Into the Obscure Universe
Not only is everything bigger in Texas, Texas astronomers set their sights on what’s massive.
Tweezing at the Nanoscale
What gets measured at the nanoscale can be both mind-bogglingly small and incredibly important. Think of the transistors powering a computer chip, about 1,000 of which can fit across the width of a human hair …
A Better 360° View
To navigate through a space virtually, entertainment and news operations increasingly offer 360° videos. Viewed either with a virtual reality headset or by moving controls on a flat screen, like a computer or …
The Mating Game
Across the animal kingdom, males and females of the same species are often locked in a battle of the sexes. The instigator is evolution itself. It drives them to develop weapons, tactical tricks and defensive …
Beauty, Bonding and Rethinking Evolution
Across the animal kingdom, males and females of the same species are often locked in a battle of the sexes. The instigator is evolution itself. It drives them to develop weapons, tactical tricks and defensive …
Chronic Disease Self-Management Leads to Improved Health and Well-Being
The ad Jessie Wilborn saw at church sounded like something that might finally help her get her diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure under control. “The program seemed simple enough, and I could see it …
Welcome to the Bone Collection: A Look at the Lab Behind the Tweet
A few weeks ago, Sarah Davis tweeted a picture of her rubber-gloved hand holding a gigantic grey scaly foot with claws like railroad stakes. The image went viral – collecting over 14,000 likes, close to 5,000 shares …
UT’s High School Curriculum Continues to Garner Nationwide Honors
Engineer Your World, a high school engineering curriculum and teacher support program operated by UT Austin and developed by experts in the Cockrell School of Engineering, has been named an “Accomplished Program” by …
HIV Hidden in Patients’ Cells Can Now Be Accurately Measured
Until now, researchers haven't been able to accurately quantify a latent form of HIV that persists in patients' immune cells. This hampers doctors' ability to assess the effectiveness of a particular treatment and …
The Implications of Quantum Computing
Quantum computers are sophisticated machines that harness the strange laws of quantum physics to solve particular kinds of problems. These machines have been “trending” for quite some time now with popular media …
Will You See the Doctor Now?
Two landmark studies use patient no-show probability to create a scheduling model that minimizes patient wait time while maximizing profit.
Virtual Training Ground
Green screen reinforces hands-on learning approach for creative digital narrative techniques.
Reading Metadata to Combat Disinformation and Fake News Campaigns
If you’ve ever reacted to a Facebook post, retweeted on Twitter, or commented on an Instagram story, then you’ve not only successfully used and engaged with these communication infrastructures, but you’ve also …
In Sales Force Incentives, Give Choice a Chance
Want to get more sales out of a sales contest? Let your sellers pick their own incentives.
Time Matters
Communication Studies professor examines society’s concept of time and punctuality.
Letting Banks Know Who’s Got the Power to Pay
Each year in the U.S., more than $15 billion of overdue credit card debt goes into collections. But it doesn’t have to.
Thousands of Stars Observed Turning into Crystals for the First Time
The first direct evidence of crystallized white dwarf stars has been discovered by an international team of researchers that includes an astronomer at The University of Texas at Austin. Predicted half a century ago …
Working Together is Easier if You Can Distinguish Thoughts from Emotions
New research offers pointers on seeing a co-worker’s point of view — knowing when to read their thoughts and when to read their feelings.
Is Your LinkedIn Network Jinxing Your Job Search?
Think before you link on the popular career site. Having too many connections actually weakens your network power.
Two UT Scientists Part of Project to Detect ‘Life As We Don’t Know It’
A nearly $7 million grant from NASA is supporting research to develop approaches to detecting extraterrestrial life, and two University of Texas at Austin faculty are part of the interdisciplinary scientific team.
Art Contest Promotes Mental Health Awareness Among Texans
One in five children and adults in the United States struggle with mental health, but mental illness is still stigmatized and not discussed as openly as physical illnesses. To fight mental health stigma …
18 Notable and Newsworthy Texas Science Stories from 2018
It's been a big year for Texas Science, with news about research, new discoveries, technological advancements and awards making headlines around the world. Here are a few UT Austin science stories that made the news in 2018.
UT Scientists, Mathematicians and High Schoolers Partner for Success
Gold medalists in an astrophysics Olympic-style event, award-winners at a statewide science fair and budding genetic engineers who shared their research 2,000 miles away are among the high schoolers who found success …
Watch Your Mouth: Researching the Effects of Vulgarity in Social Media
As the presence of social media becomes increasingly abundant in our everyday lives, sordid words, once considered shocking to express, are now seen nearly everywhere we look.
Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Could Get a Boost by Tracking In-store Displays
Internet of things technology gives suppliers the ability to more efficiently monitor promotional displays — and boost profits.
Not How I Learned It: Rediscovering and Redefining Slave Values in America
Historian and professor Daina Ramey Berry who received the Hamilton Book Award tells us how 10 years of research led to discoveries that force us to relearn what we thought we knew about slavery in the U.S.
Texas Astronomers Find that Dark Matter Dominates Across Cosmic Time
In findings published today in The Astrophysical Journal, University of Texas at Austin astronomers report that they have stumbled on an extraordinary galaxy that may corroborate a recently contested theory about dark matter.
New Year, Same You: Why New Year's Resolution Fail
After we’ve spent all our money on gifts and stuffed ourselves to the brim with endless holiday treats, it’s no wonder many of us see the new year as an opportunity to become a little less broke and little more …
Changing the Texas Computer Science Experience
When we think of robots, we envision the future. Intelligent mobile robots that can answer questions, give directions, complete tasks, and walk us through an ever-changing world—these robots could one day make more …
Deep-Sea Microbes Gobble Greenhouse Gases and Perhaps Oil Spills
Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin's Marine Science Institute have discovered nearly two dozen new types of microbes, many of which use hydrocarbons such as methane and butane as energy sources to …
Smartphones Enable Study to Combat Pregnancy Complications
Women in the U.S. are more likely to die from childbirth or pregnancy-related causes than other women in the developed world. About 700 women die each year in the U.S. as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications.
Overflowing Crater Lakes Carved Canyons Across Mars
Today, most of the water on Mars is locked away in frozen ice caps. But billions of years ago it flowed freely across the surface, forming rushing rivers that emptied into craters, forming lakes and seas.
Why Performance Rankings Can Backfire for Promotions
Ranking workers against one another can be good for business — except when they’re competing for a promotion.
Blockchain Innovation
McCombs takes a global role in research and development of groundbreaking new crypto-technology.
Undeterred, Gulf Fish Spawn Despite Hurricane
As extreme weather patterns threaten the Gulf Coast, new findings from UT Austin’s Marine Science Institute show some important fish species can spawn even in a severe storm.
Planning for Idle Time and Interruptions
If your workday is plagued by idle time and interruptions, new research shows how to turn them to your advantage.
Teaching Computers to Read with Machine Learning
The internet is a vast network of knowledge, containing the sum of humanity’s greatest accomplishments, algorithms, and stories. However, accessing this information usually requires the critical eye of a human user …
Everything’s Bigger in Texas, including the Occasional Spider Web
If creepy-crawly, eight-legged types are the stuff of your Halloween fears, you might want to stop reading here.
Chemistry of Ocean Floor Impacted by Human Emissions
Normally the deep sea bottom is a chalky white. It’s composed, to a large extent, of the mineral calcite (CaCO3) formed from the skeletons and shells of many planktonic organisms and corals. The seafloor plays a …
Trauma-Informed Care for 800K+ Women Veterans
One in four women experience sexual trauma while in the military — and there are crucial gaps in the care they receive afterward.
Political Misfits in the Workplace
Being the only conservative or liberal political voice at work can determine how long employees stick around.
Visualizing Science 2018: Beauty and Inspiration in College Research
Over the last six years, faculty, staff and students from across the College of Natural Sciences have submitted hundreds of images from their scholarly research for our annual Visualizing Science competition, and …
10 Tips for Business Success in 2019
Research tips from Texas McCombs will improve your workday and sharpen your focus.
UT Psychologist Provides Solutions for Mental Block in Athletes
Many athletes experience mental blocks, where their emotions get the best of them. Psychologists say that simply visualizing success and simulating stressful situations can help athletes overcome these common …
Engaging parents of young children in Corpus Christi ISD
Children do best when parents and teachers work together to support children’s development and learning. This is particularly true during the early years, and has long been recognized as a key component of …
The Origins of AI
The hidden figures of artificial intelligence, as explained by Associate Professor James Scott, co-author of a new book tracing the history of the ideas that power AI.
How One App’s Buyout Can Boost Competitors
When Facebook bought Instagram, competing apps were expected to vanish. Instead, some actually gained users.
The Cost of Emergency Evacuation
Texans watching the news of Hurricane Florence making landfall in the Carolinas can be forgiven for experiencing a severe case of déjà vu. It was just over a year ago that Texans saw themselves in those news stories, …
Closing the Knowledge Gap in Self-management of Chronic Illnesses
Miyong Kim, PhD, RN, FAAN, wasn’t about to let the grass grow under her feet once she arrived at The University of Texas at Austin in 2013. Determined from the outset to make a difference in the burgeoning health …
Nation’s Focus Shifting Away from Terrorism
In the nearly two decades since 9/11, terrorism and counterterrorism have occupied center stage of the nation’s politics, media, and attention. For many years now on-screen villains, both factual and fictional, have …
Images and Geometry Visualized
The research website of Chandrajit Bajaj is adorned with colorful renderings of biological subjects: there are ribosomal subunits, neurons, and even an entire human abdomen…
Magnetic Waves Create Chaos in Star-Forming Clouds
New research by Stella Offner, assistant professor of astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin, finds that magnetic waves are an important factor driving the process of star formation within the enormous clouds …
Six Predictions about the Future of Gaming from a Computer Scientist
In honor of National Video Game Day (Sept. 12), we sat down with Dr. Paul Toprac, who leads the Games and Mobile Media Application (GAMMA) program at the University of Texas at Austin, to discuss the positives, …
Teach Students How to Think Like Steve Jobs
UT entrepreneurship professor says future-focused imagination can be taught and it’s high-time business schools started.
Your Co-Workers are Computers
AI is changing how work gets done, with researchers forecasting both more efficiency and increased monitoring.
The Future of Search Engine
Search engines have changed the world. They put vast amounts of information at our fingertips. But search engines have their flaws, says iSchool Associate Professor Matthew Lease. Search results are often not as …
To Paint to Write: The Study of Mithila Folk Art
In English, writing is very different than painting. But in Hindi, and specifically in the landscape of Mithila folk art, “to paint” is “to write.” The distinction could be a phenomenon of grammar, or it may have to …
Thanks, but No Thanks
Why we tend to withhold our gratitude, and why researchers say that needs to change.
Decoding the Language of Love
The secret to romance is out, though it doesn’t seem like such a secret. After all, people have been writing and reading about it centuries.
More or Less: Why Timing is Key to Your Team’s Creative Success
For creative teams, knowing when to stop brainstorming is crucial.
Trains Computers to Understand What They’re Seeing
In order for a robot to be able to navigate the world, it must be able to “see” its environment and be able to process what it sees. However, since computers don’t naturally know how to understand images, this is a …
Teaching from the Inside Out
College of Education alumna and advisory council member Jeanne Klein, B.S. ’67, is passionate about public education and is one of Austin’s staunchest supporters of social and emotional learning (SEL). It started in 2005 at a
Love – what is it good for?
People in all cultures around the world glorify love, particularly romantic love. It is enshrined as the cornerstone of a happy mating relationship, but why?
Making a Case for Ethnic Studies in Texas Schools
Recent research has found that students who participate in ethnic studies classes show improved academic performance and a higher attendance rate. Students benefit from seeing their culture and ethnic backgrounds …
Major Quantum Computing Advance Made Obsolete by UT Grad
Ewin Tang, a 2018 University of Texas at Austin graduate in computer science and mathematics, is receiving national attention for a feat accomplished at the age of 18 by disproving, as part of an honors thesis, a …
To Sell Spicy Food, Appeal to Aggression
As Americans’ taste buds grow more adventurous, they’re getting fonder of spicy food. How can marketers more effectively appeal to them? One possible selling point: stir up aggressive thoughts.
Is the Literacy Crisis Real?
Melissa Wetzel, associate professor of language and literacy, shares research-based ideas about the literacy “crisis” and how understanding diverse literacies is a stronger educational approach.
When and Why Did Our Human Ancestors First Leave Africa?
A new discovery in China may help bridge the gap between where humans began and where they are today.
Climate Change Affects Conservation Efforts for Important Caribbean Fish
For more than 20 years, conservationists have been working to protect one of the most recognizable reef fish in the Caribbean, the endangered and iconic Nassau grouper, and thanks to those efforts, populations of …
A Right to the City
Just south of Manor Road on Airport Boulevard, there’s a dimly lighted blues club where new and old East Austin meet. There, at the Skylark Lounge, local African American piano icon Margaret Wright plays happy hour …
Making Tracks: Cassie Shankman Helps Others Walk With Music
Texas Performing Arts alumna Cassie Shankman (link is external) has always been a busy woman with many talents and interests. As a young girl, Cassie loved the arts. She frequented the theater, was an active jazz …
Professor Etienne Vouga Uses Complex Geometry to Solve Real-World Problems
The world is made up of shapes of all kinds, from boxy cubes to perfect spheres and everything in between. Some shapes work best for certain applications; for example, only a few configurations will lead to a stable …
Studies Reveal the Quantum Workings of Silicon
Jim Chelikowsky keeps a dinner plate-sized wafer of silicon--his favorite material--in his ICES office as a tangible reminder of his 50-year career end-goal.
Ailing Healthcare System Needs a Transfusion of Ideas and Technology
The country’s healthcare delivery system remains stuck in the past. Will new solutions come from a team of experts skilled in business operations and management?
How Employers Can Catalyze Change in the Health Care Industry
Few employers have a strategic approach to health, says Elizabeth Teisberg, a leading figure in the value-based health care strategy movement.
Coal Plants Get New Life in the Sun
Cheaper renewable energy is reshaping how electricity is generated and consumed. But is there a way to still make use of all those old coal plants and mines?
AIDS Research by Alum Left Lasting Impact
André Nahmias (BA '50, MA '52) first encountered what he calls "the ecstasy of discovery" when he was a University of Texas at Austin student. In the intervening decades as an infectious disease research pediatrician, &hellip
Researchers Study Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Texas Gulf Coast
When Hurricane Harvey hit on Aug. 25, 2017, Jeff Paine was ready. Paine, a researcher at the Jackson School of Geosciences Bureau of Economic Geology and coordinator of its Near Surface Observatory (NSO), had been …
Less is More
For consumers who aim to shop based on their values or political beliefs, deciding what products are safe to buy isn’t easy.
Pop-Up Institutes Tackle Big Research Questions – Quickly
Researchers and faculty members will participate in the second annual series of Pop-Up Institutes focused on adolescent drug and alcohol addiction, humanistic approaches to health care, and planetary habitability.
5 Things Scientists Say to Try in Your Yard This Spring
With spring gardening season in full swing, Natural Sciences researchers have suggestions for the perfect vegetable garden, flower bed, lawn or landscape. In fact, scientists with the University of Texas at Austin …
How Taxes Affect Our Wallets and Our Health
When Dr. Michael Hole was a pediatrician in Boston, he discovered a key to unlocking a healthier future for many families – help with taxes.
Regulate Consumer Litigation Funding, Don’t Ban It
Texas Law Senior Lecturer Ronen Avraham has just completed the first large-scale empirical study of consumer third-party litigation funding in the United States, along with colleague Anthony J. Sebok of Yeshiva University’s B
Autism Bridges
Micheal Sandbank, assistant professor, is studying how typically-developing children and those with developmental disabilities distinguish between words and non-words in child-directed speech, or baby talk. These …
Using Quantitative Methods Skills to Make a Difference in Education
Nancy Smith earned her Ph.D. in quantitative methods from the Educational Psychology department of the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin in 1997. Here, she shares how her degree in education …
More Than Virtual Fun and Games
TACC helps researchers use virtual and augmented reality to expand understanding of the world and communicate new perspectives.
Reducing Nighttime Agitation in People with Alzheimer’s Disease
Kathy Richards, PhD, RN, FAAN and research professor at the UT Austin School of Nursing, knows personally the heartache of watching a loved one succumb to dementia and its many distressing symptoms.
Augmenting Scientific Inquiry with Augmented Reality
UT researchers develop new visualization tools to explore fusion physics.
How to Choose a Sport for Your Daughter or Son
Leadership? Health benefits? The thrill of winning and the dignity of handling defeat with grace? Think about what psychological and social skills you value and how those may correlate with success in all areas of …
Movie Studios Build Buzz With Fake Film Tweets
It’s movie night. Which film should you see? Your decision might be swayed by fake tweets from studios.
Mobile Phones Help Improve Postpartum Outcomes
Text messaging and phone calls make it easier for new moms in Quito, Ecuador, to care for their newborns and for themselves. Results from research conducted by a faculty member in UT’s Department of Kinesiology and …
Bringing Fresh Perspectives to Health Care Redesign
Dell Med’s Distinction Track in Care Transformation gives medical residents time and resources to improve health in their communities.
Students Build Animatronic Raptor Suits for the Play Enron
For most college students, there is that one class or project that changes the scope of their career goals. Whether they learn they love something, or maybe don’t love what they imagined they would, these experiences …
Aztec Manuscript Offers Fresh Perspectives into Mesoamerican Culture
This spring, visitors to the Visual Arts Center had the rare opportunity to see a collection of 76 hand-painted folios that recreate a sixteenth century Aztec manuscript, the Codex Borgia, which survived the burning …
Including Race in Literacy Instruction Opens Up the World
On a Thursday afternoon last fall, approximately 20 pre-service teachers arrived for class at Guerrero-Thompson Elementary in Austin. They were students in the College of Education enrolled in Literacy Methods, a …
Three Billion Rural Consumers — Can Marketers Profit from Them?
The rural consumer growth story presents one of the biggest opportunities for businesses to expand their footprint to new geographies and markets. While several corporates have established a firm footing, startups …
Talking Parallel with Zhao Zhang
One of TACC's foremost experts in the application of advanced computing to machine and deep learning discusses current and emerging resources at the center.
Quantum Computing
Take the principles of quantum mechanics. Add the imagination of computer scientists. What you get is a mind-bending technological advance called a quantum computer, with links, past and present, to the UT Austin …
Microbes Sway Bee-havior
A complex community of thousands of microbes live inside the digestive tracts of humans and other animals. To truly understand our health, behavior and even our ability to learn, we must first understand this gut …
Putting Trust in Numbers
In 2012, Cornell University researchers published a study that concluded that children between 8 and 11 years old would choose an apple over a cookie if the apple had a sticker of a popular cartoon character …
Solving Living Science and Engineering Problems with Supercomputers and AI
Efforts at TACC show the benefits of applying high-performance computing and artificial intelligence to a range of research challenges.
One Plus One Equals 10
Health care professionals identify the problems. In Austin, Dell Med’s Health Product Innovation team finds ways to support the solutions. It’s having what one researcher calls a "multiplicative effect."
From Discovery to Impact in 5 Years — Not 25
Science as usual is slow. But when it comes to research with the potential to improve health, delays can be a matter of life or death. Solving the problem requires radical collaboration.
Digital Activism
Award-winning research examines how shaking up tactics led to more online engagement for advocacy groups.
Smile, You're on Camera: Behind the Lens of 24/7 Surveillance
“Even a strutting exhibitionist has something to hide: certain diary entries, genetic predispositions, financial mistakes, medical crises, teenage embarrassments, antisocial compulsions, sexual fantasies, radical …
An Education Decision
UT sociology researchers determined how voters were influenced by their academic preparation in high school math and civics.
Tailoring Cancer Treatments to Individual Patients
Supercomputers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center help researchers design cancer models and predict treatments outcomes based on patient-specific conditions.
Strengthening Hispanic Parent-child Relationships
The 2016 presidential election had just finished when Ruben Parra-Cardona, an associate professor at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, stood in front of his first Austin-based parenting intervention group of …
Unlocking the Mind’s Mysteries
It’s been called the most complicated object in the known universe. But, as UT scientists are learning, the human brain offers five important clues for understanding its wonders.
Delivering A Better Life
The field of drug delivery encompasses a wide variety of approaches, technologies and systems for transporting a pharmaceutical compound through the body to treat and manage health issues. Broadly speaking, the field …
Data-Informed Debate
How one researcher uses data to inform one of Texas’ most heated policy debates.
Trickle-down is the Solution (to the Planetary Core Formation Problem)
Scientists have long pondered how rocky bodies in the solar system—including our own Earth—got their metal cores. According to new ICES research, evidence points to the downwards percolation of molten metal toward …
Minimizing Uncertainty in Uncertain World of Defense, Energy
ICES Professor Tan Bui-Thanh in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics has received three new research grants to tackle the challenge of quantifying the uncertainty in the solution of …
The Ripples Felt From Fathers
Just as a pebble dropped in a lake sends rings of water far from the point of impact, parenting can create a ripple effect. By interacting with their children in certain ways, parents can set in motion later outcomes …
Butler School of Music’s New Music Ensemble Brings Living Music To UT
When asked to identify a successful musician, many people (musicians and non-musicians alike) will respond with famous names like Bach or Beethoven, often overlooking present-day artists and their work. Dan Welcher, …
Supercomputing Speeds Up Deep Learning Training
New algorithm enables researchers to efficiently use Stampede2 to train ImageNet in 11 minutes, faster than ever before.
A Holistic Approach to Making Cyberinfrastructure Accessible
At the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) in Austin, Texas, the Education and Outreach (E&O) group is focused on broadening participation and accessibility in advanced computing through a holistic and …
Mars Geology Missions
An eclectic group of researchers at the Jackson School of Geosciences is studying the Red Planet from afar using the constant stream of data provided by these NASA probes.
Personalizing Cancer Therapy
If you ask Dr. Marissa Nichole Rylander about the myriad factors influencing cancer cells, the names of dozens of growth-promoting proteins, signaling pathways, angiogenic factors and other players trip rapid-fire …
Preservation for the (Digital) Ages
Databases aren’t just for tech companies. Classicists collaborate with TACC, UT’s supercomputing center, to upgrade preservation methods for the Digital Age.
Mathematics as Life: Irene Gamba and the Kinetic Lens
Irene M. Gamba, director of the ICES Applied Math Group, is a world leader in kinetic theory, the mathematics that describes how particles of matter interact under different conditions.
Confronting the New Normal of Mass Error in Criminal Justice
Texas Law Prof. Jennifer E. Laurin, an expert in the shared roles of courts, police, and lawyers in regulating forensic science, is now a regular contributor the new online platform of the Fair Punishment Project, In …
Studio Art Professor Michael Smith Explores Themes of Youth and Aging
Visitors to the art exhibition Skulptur Projekte Münster this summer had an unusual opportunity—to leave the event with an artist’s work permanently tattooed on their body. And if that visitor was over 65? They got a …
Multiple Factors of Authentication to Your Community
TACC develops multi-factor authentication solution, makes it available open-source.
Save the Baird Tapir
To prevent the extinction of the endangered Baird’s tapir, researchers must understand the specific habitat sheltering the estimated 3,000 to 5,000 remaining tapirs across Central America.
Fueling the Future
A group of Jackson School scientists and students embark on a high-stakes research mission.
Use Supercomputers, Machine Learning to Automatically Identify Brain Tumors
Team led by University of Texas at Austin researchers shines in Multimodal Brain Tumor Segmentation Challenge.
Improving Digital News
Engaging News Project Relaunches as Center for Media Engagement.
How UT Scientists Contributed to Nobel-Winning Gravitational Wave Discovery
In the same week that the scientific community celebrated news that University of Texas at Austin alumnus Michael Young was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on circadian rhythms, three …
Social Media in an Emergency
NSF Backs Research on Social Media “Calls” for Help During Hurricane Harvey.
Tested in Texas
Zero tolerance was once seen as the only way to address student misconduct, particularly in high-poverty schools. But years of harsh, no-excuses discipline have resulted in high rates of suspensions and expulsions …
What to Do When Your Knee Hurts
Your knee hurts. A lot. After months of hoping it will improve on its own, you finally see a doctor. She refers you to an orthopaedic specialist. The story branches here. In one scenario, you’re added to a list …
Pushes Computational Efficiency by Programming with Hardware in Mind
For decades, scientists have been increasing the speed and efficiency of high performance computing (HPC) by cramming more and more transistors onto processing cores, a phenomenon described by the famous Moore’s Law.
All Systems Go for Student-Led Startups at ATI SEAL Decision Day
The Austin Technology Incubator’s 2017 SEAL program concluded yesterday with 14 out of 17 companies announcing a full Go decision at Decision Day, hosted at Austin’s Capital Factory.
The Future of Search Engines
Researchers combine artificial intelligence, crowdsourcing and supercomputers to develop better, and more reasoned, information extraction and classification methods.
Over 80 Years of Texas Business Review Now Available Online
In connection with the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Bureau of Business Research (BBR) at The University of Texas at Austin, the Bureau is pleased to announce new digital access to the …
Stampede Supercomputer Skyrocketed Science
A look back at the technology, science accomplishments of Stampede.
Kinky Biology
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch explore DNA folding, cellular packing with supercomputer simulations.
Solving the Algebra Problem
Professor Eric Knuth (College of Education professor) and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and TERC (Technical Education Research Center) recently received three new grants, two from the National …
Separated at Birth
Persistent disparities in health between African Americans and whites begin at birth and may be partially explained by long-term residential segregation.
Improve Autonomous System Design
Wondering how soon you’ll be able to leave the driving to an autonomous vehicle? The statistics from companies developing driver-less cars sound pretty good at first blush. A few dozen Google-related vehicles have …
Who Learns at the Lab School?
Everyone’s engaged in the Priscilla Pond Flawn Child and Family Laboratory’s Pecan Room. Fledgling engineers debate the construction of a block tower. Bookworms explore bright pictures unfolded on laps. Clothing …
4 Keys to Chucking Sugar
From high fructose corn syrup to fruit juice sweeteners to agave, added sugars are everywhere. New federal dietary guidelines call for limiting added sugar in the diet to 10 percent of total calories— a significant …
Discovery Across Disciplines
The Bridging Barriers initiative is challenging researchers from different disciplines to find intersecting goals and work together to solve the world's most pressing problems.
Disparities in Health
Prejudice casts a long shadow. Recent research shows discrimination leaves a lasting impact on human health. Now faculty, led by Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) researchers, are collaborating in a new effort to a
Research Day 2017 Celebrates Discovery
The art and science of discovery took center stage at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy on April 11.
An Anthrax Anti-Toxin
UT Austin scientists George Georgiou, Brent Iverson and Jennifer Maynard engineered the world’s first treatment for inhalation anthrax, approved by the FDA in 2016. The drug binds to anthrax toxin and prevents it from harming
Two Smiths, one quest
Doug Smith and Reggie Smith didn’t have much in common until they both went to prison. They are now deeply involved in a movement of formerly incarcerated individuals advocating for criminal justice reform.
Anatomy of a Lesson
A peek into how UT Austin is teaching the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers to communicate and collaborate with each other.
Rethinking Cancer Prevention
Three of every four postmenopausal women in the United States are either overweight or obese. The extra weight gives these women a 30-60 percent greater chance of developing breast cancer—as well as a poorer …
Fueled by Physics
As global demand for energy rises and environmental concerns over fossil fuels increase, many experts see the need to transition to a new mix of energy sources. Michael Marder, a physics professor, says one approach to mainta
Transportation Research Gaining Additional Momentum at UT Austin
Transportation continues to be a hot topic in research and political circles across the U.S., but in Austin, it’s sweltering. Led by the Cockrell School of Engineering, UT Austin is a globally respected hub for …
Deep Impact of Maternal Depression
Ted Dix, associate professor of Human Development and Family Sciences, has detailed the profound impact of maternal depression on a child’s social development in a series of papers published over the last decade.
5 Tips from UT Researchers for Making Every Bite Count
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that highlights positive food choices and a healthy lifestyle.
Cockrell School Hosts 'Girl Day,' Biggest Event of its Kind in U.S.
The Women in Engineering Program in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin hosted more than 8,000 children, parents and educators from cities across the state for its 16th annual …
Signaling to Tumors
Most treatments for cancer involve finding ways to try to blast malignancies out of existence: burning tumors through radiation, poisoning them with chemotherapy or cutting them out with surgery. New cancer research is invest
Digital Rock Physics Helps Scientists Understand Porous media
Supercomputer-powered portal provides data and simulations to geology and engineering community.
Fight Cancer, She Must
Robed in tie-dye lab coat, graduate student Norah Ashoura meticulously guides her pipette while explaining what Star Wars has to do with the innovative research into cancer treatments coming from the George Georgiou …
Travel Transformation
Analyzing data for transportation systems using TACC's Rustler, XSEDE ECSS support.
How to Learn STEM
Ask Calvin Lin, a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Computer Science, his biggest challenge, and he won’t miss a beat: “In three words: keeping students engaged.”
Chemistry Outreach Program Promotes Sustainability, Love of Science
Ryan Pekarek, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Chemistry, has two passions: renewable energy and science education. Luckily he's found a way to pursue both on the Forty Acres through his …
Randomness Means Security
Random numbers are a necessity for computer security, but a leading contributor to problems with cybersecurity is how surprisingly hard it can be for computers to produce high quality random numbers. The numbers …
Sowing Seeds for a Life of Research
Migration—within and between countries—can have profound effects on children and their families. It was economic migration in rural China and the impact on children separated from their parents that first piqued Yang …
Come and Make It
New technology available in The Foundry is sparking creativity and expanding opportunity.
Quasar Answers
Many supermassive black holes like the one found at the center of the Milky Way are believed to form from the collapse of a star much more massive than our sun. This creates a “seed” black hole that then grows by …
Breaking their Silence
Women’s role in early American cinema is often overlooked, but English assistant professor Donna Kornhaber — recently named a 2016 Academy Film Scholar —hopes to change that with her research on female writers who …
Q&A with Educational Psychology Assistant Professor Delida Sanchez
Educational Psychology Assistant Professor Delida Sanchez’s research focuses on how racism, particularly perceived discrimination, affects social, emotional, and behavioral health among Black and Latinx populations. …
Leaving Home: Austin's Declining African American Population
In December of 2015, author and former Austin resident Ellen Sweets wrote a farewell letter to Austin that was published in TribTalk: Ever since I decided to leave Austin, I’ve tried to write a farewell devoid of …
UT Speech and Hearing Center Offers Free Training to Parents of Children
Texans can now access free training to enhance language and communication skills of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through a new program at The University of Texas at Austin.
What’s the Buzz: Reflecting on a Life's Work Inspired by Pollinators
An assistant professor reflects on a life's work inspired by pollinators and plants.
We're Not Going to Eat It: Channeling Teen's Appetite for Rebellion
During this school year in Texas we’re likely to see between 15 and 20 percent of teens with obesity and more than 15,000 cases of preventable forms of youth diabetes. We can do better, and it starts with the …
The Cost of Crime
Despite crime rates being at a historic low, the United States is spending hundreds of billions of dollars to achieve an 80 percent recidivism rate. We’ve spent $1 trillion during the past 40 years on criminal …
Busting the Myth that Living with Your Parents is Harmful
Young adults who live with their parents find that their relationships feel more tense, with higher highs and lower lows. But they are no worse off as a result of these daily experiences than young adults living …
Extreme Measures: 5 Questions with Lydia Contreras
Lydia Contreras studies very small organisms, but seeks to answer big questions: how does our environment affect our chemical makeup, and what can we do to improve our response to environmental stress? An assistant …
Improve Public Health
The Department of Kinesiology and Health Education (KHE) conducts cutting-edge research that enhances health—from the cellular level to individual behaviors and the broader environment. In this edition of One Big …
70 Years of Discovery
Applied Research Laboratories, The University of Texas at Austin (ARL:UT) was originally founded in 1945 as the Defense Research Laboratory. ARL:UT also traces its roots to the university’s War Research Laboratory …
Food and Drink Advertising Affects Kids’ Health
Kinesiology and Health Education Associate Professor Keryn Pasch knows how influential marketing to young people can be from over 10 years of research. “Behavior isn’t just about individual choices,” she explains. …
Smart Move
Sociologist Chandra Muller argues that migration shapes the national landscape — sometimes at the expense of equality of opportunity across labor markets.
Green Activism
Scholar examines climate change and sustainability campaigns in top academic publication.
Engineering and the Brain
It is our most complex organ — one that literally controls our every move. The brain is the command center of our bodies that, if attacked by disease or impacted by injury, can change a person’s life forever.
Building the Third Hub
Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area are giants in healthcare innovation. Austin is poised to join them by becoming a nerve center for innovation in health, not just health care — and the reality may be closer than …
Nursing Research to Establish Best Practices in Elder Care
In 2003, the Texas Legislature charged the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), a component of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, with assessing how satisfied people who live in …
30+ Must-Know Campus Research Resources
We're exactly half a year away from the College's biggest undergraduate research showcase event. On April 12, 2017, bright student scientists from across Natural Sciences will present original research at the 2017 …
Welcome to the Inoversity of Texas
Five years ago, the Cockrell School of Engineering brought in a bold tech visionary who has made it his mission to create and inspire innovation and entrepreneurship at UT Austin. Bob Metcalfe, inventor of the …
Sex Education in Public Schools
When it comes to sex ed in public schools, the country seems deeply divided between states who favor abstinence-only programs—26 of them—and states who favor more comprehensive approaches —18 states and the district …
Clever Fish Keep Cool
A group of international scientists has new evidence that coral reef fish – which struggle to adapt to the warmer ocean temperatures brought about by global climate change – may instead opt to relocate to cooler …
Schools Use Corporal Punishment More on Some Children
In parts of the 19 states where the practice is still legal, corporal punishment in schools is used as much as 50 percent more frequently on children who are African American or who have disabilities, a new analysis …
3D Geospatial Remote Sensing
The Geospatial Laser Applications and Measurements (GLAM) group was formed in 2008 within ARL:UT’s Signal and Information Sciences Laboratory (SISL). The group was established with a mission of addressing ARLUT’s …
It's All in the Delivery
I once visited a third-grade class to talk about my job for career day. My presentation was sandwiched between that of a neurosurgeon — who showed off a model of a human skull, to great applause, of course — and a …
How to Predict Cancer
Most researchers focus on the ways cancers — and the people who have them — are similar. For Thomas Yankeelov, there’s hope in the distinctions.
As Hunt for Sterile Neutrino Continues, Mystery Deepens
Physicists have hypothesized the existence of fundamental particles called sterile neutrinos for decades and a couple of experiments have even caught possible hints of them. However, according to new results from two …
Research Visualized
Awe-inspiring experiments, tiny devices and otherworldly materials are just a few of the fascinating things on display in Texas Engineering laboratories.
Helping Homeless Youth Become Their Best Possible Selves
The School of Nursing is renowned for research that bridges the gap from laboratory to real life, whether it’s developing a model program to increase access to mammograms for members of minority populations; …
What Makes a City Smart?
The world has smart water, smart cars and even smart appliances, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that attention has now turned to developing smart cities. Recently, the smart cities movement has gained momentum, …
Research Matters
A social work student discovers how research can help Texas children with mental health needs.
Underwater Robotics
The use of robotics is rapidly expanding into many aspects of human activities, including manufacturing, aerial drones, search-and-rescue crawlers, planetary space exploration, micro-surgery, student competitions, …
Reimagining the Engineering Student Experience
Two years ago, the Cockrell School community watched as its outdated Engineering-Science Building — a relic of the days of chalkboards and vacuum tubes — crumbled to the ground in a pile of rubble, making room for …
Race, Gender and the American Built Environment
The School of Architecture at UT Austin will address one of the most pressing issues affecting 21st-century design and planning by establishing a new program on race, gender and the American built environment.
Starting from Scratch
After years of planning, UT Austin’s Dell Medical School — the first to be established at a Tier 1 research university in more than 50 years — proudly welcomed its first class of students this year. Dr. Clay Johnston …
30 Years of Success: The Monitor Station Network
The Monitor Station Network (MSN) celebrated its 30th anniversary in December 2015. MSN data has played an integral role in improving and maintaining the quality of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and supports …
The Making of the Energy University
Texas is one of the most resource-rich states in the country. It has approximately one-third of the nation’s crude oil reserves and one-quarter of its natural gas reserves. It produces more wind energy than any other …
Thinking Design
A 2014 study by the Design Management Institute reveals that over the last 10 years, design-led companies have maintained a significant stock market advantage, out-performing the S&P by an extraordinary 219 percent. …
Does Race Influence Tort Damages?
Most lawyers would say the Constitution forbids the government to discriminate on the basis of race, but Professor Ronen Avraham believes it still happens routinely in the courtroom.
Planting the Seed
When Olivia Dudley brought kohlrabi home, everybody thought the odd-shaped bulbs looked like little aliens. Olivia’s mom, who did most of the cooking, had no idea what to do with them. Mother and daughter searched …
Archiving Human Rights Documentation
Guatemala’s internal armed conflict was brutal by all accounts, and justice for human rights violations has been notoriously difficult to attain in its wake. Yet there have also been some critical milestones, …
Mastering Turbulent Details: Moser, A NASA Medalist, Celebrated
The violent churning of river water as currents of different speeds collide over rapids. The dull thrum of air buffeting the window of a moving car. The sudden change in color when cream is stirred into coffee …
Preservation of Audio Data
For several decades, magnetic tape was used to record and preserve valuable information—historic events, musical performances, scientific data, family memories. Most of these irreplaceable snapshots of history are …
Neuroscientist Weighs How Realistic Bourne Character's Memory Loss Is
This week, Matt Damon returns to the big screen as Jason Bourne, a secret agent who has forgotten his entire life and is piecing it back together while confronting political and economic conflicts. We wondered how …
Supercomputers Fire Lasers to Shoot Gamma Ray Beam
TACC Stampede, Lonestar supercomputers help discover gamma ray creation from lasers.
Faculty Profiles: Sarah Lopez
Migration and home, history and the built environment. The work of Sarah Lopez sits at the confluence of these themes. An assistant professor in the School of Architecture, Lopez studies cultural landscapes, …
Young 'Super-Neptune' Offers Clues to Origin of Exoplanets
Astronomers at UT Austin have confirmed the existence of a young planet, only 11 million years old. The discovery lends unique insights into the origin of planetary system architectures.
Campus Installs First Living Wall
This collaboration between the School of Architecture and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center explores the role of architecture in ecology.
World's Largest Computer-Generated Math Proof
Computer scientist Marijn Heule and his colleagues have solved a decades-old math challenge known as the boolean Pythagorean Triples problem (BPTP) and created the largest mathematical proof ever, at a whopping 200 terabytes.
Faculty Profiles: Paola Canova
In her fascinating work with the indigenous Ayoreo of Paraguay’s Chaco region, anthropologist Paola Canova explores a topic generally regarded as uncomfortable: women and girls trading sex for money, gifts, and …
Towards Better Care for Military Families
Veteran Spouse Network project provides a platform for the spouses of veterans to inform, evaluate and advocate for the use of effective mental health care practice in their communities.
Faculty Profiles: Marcelo Paixão
Associate Professor Marcelo Paixão works at the nexus of economics, public policy, and sociology, studying the effects of racial and ethnic discrimination in Brazil and other Latin American countries, and pursuing …
Researchers Find Ice Age Record in Mars' Polar Cap
Scientists using radar data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have found a record of the most recent Martian ice age in the planet’s north polar ice cap.
Innovations in a Downturn - Q&A with Dr. Pradeep Ashok
In an Innovations in a Downturn – Q&A session, research scientist Dr. Pradeep Ashok talks about RAPID (Rapid Automation and Performance Improvement in Drilling) program.
Sleep May Preserve Memory and Cognition in Aging Adults
Lifestyle changes, such as getting a good night’s rest, can help maintain memory function and may slow cognitive decline in older adults, according to psychology research at UT Austin.
Zika Hackathon Fights Disease with Big Data
Wrangler data intensive supercomputer at TACC provided cluster space for Austin Zika Hackathon.
Unlocking Mysteries of Hepatitis C Drugs
Researchers at UT Austin have revealed how a group of drugs that are being developed to treat hepatitis C works. Pharmaceutical companies might be able to apply these new insights to future drugs design.
Can You Read a Group? A New Test Will Tell
Emotional Aperture Measure, which rates a person’s ability to pick up the patterns of feeling of an entire group, is a tool that could find a place in management training.
Where History, Science, and Coral Reef Conservation Meet
I am still relishing being a fashionable latecomer to the field of geography, particularly to historical geography. Many of its tenets seem, if not totally new, at least still “hip” to me. Like many before me, …
Serotonin Regulates Sensitivity of Auditory Neurons
Researchers discovered that serotonin, a chemical in the brain that regulates a host of mental states, also regulates the sensitivity of auditory neurons, brain cells involved in hearing.
See 22 Ways UT Researchers Apply DNA, Genomics to Understanding Life
In honor of National DNA Day, we take a look at the myriad ways that researchers in the College of Natural Sciences use deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and genomic information to fight disease, improve agriculture and …
Digital Ancient World Dictionary Expands with UT Libraries
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has named the Periods, Organized web project as a finalist for its grant awards in the first cycle of the National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program and the Laura …
Innovations in a Downturn - Q&A with Dr. Hugh Daigle
In an Innovations in a Downturn – Q&A session, Assistant Professor Dr. Hugh Daigle talks about a new technique for recovering residual oil from old reservoirs, in particular those containing heavy oil.
Cardiologist Brings Computational Science to Clinic
When ICES' computational medicine research meets clinical applications, cardiologist Dr. Kent Beasley is there with the bedside manner uniquely provided by a physician with more than 40 years of clinical practice.
In Mergers, Analyst Opinion Changes the Game, Stock Value
Research shows stock analysts' thumbs up or down can affect whether a merger gets completed or torpedoed and offer opportunities for contrarian investors.
Understanding Campus Sexual Assault
In fall 2015 students at the UT System began participating in the nation’s most comprehensive study on sexual assaults ever conducted on a college campus.
Ten Years In, Freshmen Research Initiative Keeps Blazing Trails
In honor of the Freshman Research Initiative's 10th Anniversary, we take a closer look at the innovative program in this article from the latest issue of The Texas Scientist.
The Canary in the Mine
The Brazilian political crisis of 2016 has sent shockwaves through the nation. Brazil’s first female president, Dilma Rousseff, has been accused of corruption and is facing impeachment proceedings. Millions of …
Innovations in a Downturn - Q&A with Dr. Mukul Sharma
In an Innovations in a Downturn – Q&A session, Professor Dr. Mukul Sharma talks about two software products that have emerged from the research over the past eight years.
LLILAS Benson and Repatriation of Indigenous Cultural Patrimony of Mexico
One of the main attractions among the rare books and manuscripts at the Benson Latin American Collection is a group of late-sixteenth-century manuscripts and maps known as the Relaciones Geográficas …
Text Discovered May Shed Light on Etruscan Deities
Archaeologists working on an archeological site in Italy have discovered what may be a rare sacred text in the Etruscan language that is likely to yield rich details about Etruscan worship of a god or goddess.
Saving Lives through Real-Time Flood Forecasting
In October 2013, Austin, Texas experienced record levels of flooding. The historic Onion Creek Halloween floods caused several deaths, devastated hundreds of homes, and nearly $30 million in damage. Because of the …
2013 HRA Recipients Wrap Up Their Research
The 2013 Humanities Research Award recipients used their prize to travel around the globe to libraries, archives and museums to gather data and submerge themselves into their research.
New Catalyst Enables Cheaper Production of Hydrogen Fuel
A team of researchers reports the discovery of a new catalyst that significantly improves the efficiency of water electrolysis under alkaline conditions.
Art History Professor and Her Work in Syria, Trip to Iran
Stephennie Mulder, an associate professor in the College of Fine Arts, was invited to Tehran in February 2016 to receive the Islamic Republic of Iran’s World Award for Book of the Year from the Iranian Ministry of Culture.
New Collaborative a Draw for Increased Research Funding
The College of Pharmacy is the newest member of a multi-university collaborative designed to advance pharmaceutical research and education initiatives.
Mapping Modern Slavery
UT research institute won a two-year, $500,000 grant from the Texas Governor’s Office to map modern slavery across the state.
Mechanics Models Help Breast Cancer Patients Rebuild
Computational models are being developed to provide understanding of the breast reconstruction process and to improve breast reconstruction outcomes.
Study Self-Repair of DNA Through Molecule Imaging
Scientists from UT Austin have imaged proteins which repair DNA and gained new insights into how the body regulates DNA repair. The research could lead to a better understanding of how cancerous cells repair their DNA.
Difference in Trump and Sanders YOOGE, except for NY accents
On the national political stage, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump may say very different things, but phonetically they sound almost the same, according to an analysis by the Texas English Linguistics Lab at UT Austin.
The Therapist will Skype You Now
Studies indicate that depressed older adults who take medications for their conditions prefer talk therapy to antidepressant medications. Even so, there is a stigma and discomfort attached to seeking psychotherapy.
Critical Care to Prevent PTSD
How many injured patients come into emergency rooms not knowing they also suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Can they be screened to address their needs sooner – before their PTSD symptoms worsen?
More Than a Question of Aptitude
Former high school math teacher and current College of Education learning technologies Ph.D. student Anita Harvin reflects on how even underrepresented students who are highly proficient at math and science can still …
Supply Chains, Not Trade Agreements, Keep Tariffs Low
A research study shows that it’s this growth in global supply chains that’s actually keeping tariffs low, not multinational trade legislation like NAFTA or the TPP.
Talking Dark Matter, Particle Physics with Professor Can Kilic
Dr. Can Kilic, specializing in theoretical particle physics, the Standard Model, and dark matter models, talked about his research, teaching, and hopes for the future of science.
Programming the Future
Suzette, a Manor New Technology High School freshman, hunches over her tiny breadboard, which is a base for prototyping electronics, and an LED strip. Both are connected to a keyboard, …
Serving Texas Youth with Intense Mental Health Needs
Wraparound, an intensive and individualized care planning and management process helps children with mental health issues reach their full potential while staying in their homes and communities.
A Groundbreaking Blueprint for Sexual Assault Response
A unique collaboration between The University of Texas System Police and social work researchers at UT Austin has produced a science-based, victim-centered blueprint for law enforcement to respond to sexual assault cases at a
Looking to Engage Diverse Students in Tech?
African Americans, Latinos, and women of all ethnicities are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. That’s why educators and families want to increase these students’ …
Should CEOs Still Get Stock Options?
Stock options became a dirty word after the 2008 crash, blamed for encouraging CEOs to place too many risky bets. But in an economic recovery, a bigger threat might be playing it too safe.
Friends Tell Friends to Make a Difference in Cancer Survival
The Regional Friend to Friend Patient Navigation program provides low-income women with the missing links in the fragmented health system so that they can afford early screening services that can save lives.
Substance Use on the U.S.-Mexico Border
From the perspective of substance use, the US-Mexico border, conceived as a space of mixtures and exchanges of all types, has attracted the attention of scholars and researchers for a long time.
John J. McKetta and an American Century
The University of Texas formed the department of chemical engineering in 1915 and in 2012, it was named in honor of John J. McKetta, Jr.
Decode Genomes of Subsurface Microbes
Microbiologists have discovered genetic evidence that a group of subsurface microbes, Hadesarchaea, consumes carbon monoxide to produce energy.
Lights – Camera - Research!
Undergraduates showed off their work at the first Texas Student Research Showdown, sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Understanding Cultural Values in Latino Parenting
Cultural values play a major role in the development and academic achievement of Latinos
M.F.A. Candidate Uses Theatrical Design to Improve Air Travel
Andrew Carson applied his education about theatrical lighting to the airplane to match passengers’ circadian rhythm and reduce the feeling of jet lag.
Super Bowl Ads Try to Score More Points with Viewers
Research findings offer techniques to make ads more effective by telling better stories.
Differences in Student Access to Technology at Home and School
It’s important for educators to understand what children do with technology when they aren’t in the classroom and how those experiences vary.
A Better Adoption Journey for Foster Children
Children’s Bureau has funded a project designed to develop evidence-based models of support and services that will better the adoption journey for foster children and families.
How does English Proficiency Impact Healthcare Access?
If English proficiency is not sufficient, navigating tricky terrain like medical treatment and healthcare access can become difficult to the point of impossible for immigrants, particularly as they age.
Despite Perception, Business PACs Don’t Buy Politicians
What’s the latest status symbol for a billionaire businessman? Forget about buying a yacht, a mansion, or a private island. Instead, purchase a politician.
Estimate Brain's Memory Capacity
Neuroscientists have estimated, based on the sizes of brain synapses, that a single human brain might potentially store a petabyte of information, roughly the size of the entire World Wide Web.
Physicist Pushes Boundaries of Photonics and Electronics
Associate professor Xiaoqin Li and her lab are developing lightweight and flexible semiconductors for potential use in bendable computer screens and wearable electronics.
Alternative to “Zero Tolerance” Disciplinary Policies
When dealing with school discipline, Restorative Discipline is an alternative to zero tolerance policies that have failed to deliver good outcomes.
Rank Matters: Index Position Can Change a Stock's Price
Membership has its privileges, even in a stock index. New research from the McCombs School of Business finds a change in a stock’s relative ranking can cause its price to rise or fall.
Culture Matters When It Comes to Reducing Alcohol Use
Researchers are collaborating to develop an interventions specifically targeting Latino men in order to find the best culturally adapted approach to treating heavy drinking.
Aliens to the Rescue
Professor Min Liu's research, “Designing Science Learning with Game-Based Approaches,” explores digital games as a tool for learning.
Jaffe Named Vice President for Research at UT Austin
Daniel Jaffe grew up in an unusual milieu for an astronomer – New York City – where star gazing was not among his pastimes. But after building a solar telescope in high school, he was set on the path to astronomy.
Why a Simple Law Governs Tropical Rainforest Trees
Tropical rainforests vary widely in climate and species composition. But when scientists plot out the numbers of trees by size, each rainforest follows the same pattern in the distribution of trees of different heights.
ICES Internship Opened Up Research for CSEM Student
The Moncrief Undergraduate Summer Internship Program is an opportunity for undergraduate students studying math, science or engineering to spend their summer working alongside faculty, staff and graduate students.
Heating Up the Fight Against Cancer
A research team at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy is turning up the heat in its efforts to understand and ultimately block production of cancer cells.
A Tablet-based Intervention for Healthier Pregnancies
An interactive, tablet-based prevention approach is being used to reduce disorders caused by substance exposure during pregnancy.
Working with the Community to Help Families with Cancer
UT researcher is conducting an evaluation of an evidence-based intervention program designed for children dealing with parental cancer.
Scanning the Past for the Future
Archival digitization is limited by the sheer volume of historical works that exist and by that which continues to be created. Sometimes, the only sure way for art to be preserved digitally, is for a specific need to arise.
Beginner or Expert? How Consumers Decide What to Buy
New research from McCombs shows how marketing cues can guide consumers to make better decisions about what they purchase and, in turn, help businesses improve customer satisfaction and increase sales.
The Business Case for a Carbon Tax
A carbon tax is both more beneficial and easier to administer in competitive markets than in less competitive markets.
A Small World Has Enormous Benefits for Autism Research
What started with a letter between two special education professors a world apart has led to a decades-long international collaboration. More than 20 years ago, special education professor Mark O’Reilly received a …
UT Astronomer Solves Mystery of 'Born Again' Stars
Astronomer Natalie Gosnell has used Hubble Space Telescope to better understand why some stars look hotter and bluer than they should for their advanced age, as if they were somehow reinvigorated to look much younger.
Psychological Advantages for China’s Only Children
Educational Psychology Professor Toni Falbo and graduate student Sophia Y. Hooper recently conducted and published a meta-analysis of research into China’s only children.
Book Explores Educational Needs, Gifts of Transnational Youth
Allison Skerrett, associate professor at the College of Education, recently published a book for educators and researchers, Teaching Transnational Youth: Literacy and Education in a Changing World.
Diet in Fish Affects Offspring's Metabolism
Scientists have discovered that in fish the nutrients that are passed from a mother to her offspring can change the way her offspring develop and make a big difference in how well they do in life.
Sanchez Led Research at UT Austin to Global Standing
In 1999, then-President Larry Faulkner named Juan M. Sanchez as Vice President for Research at The University of Texas at Austin. Under Sanchez’s leadership there has been a sea change in research driven by the …
Researchers Seek Education Answers in Huge Data Sets
The Education Research Center at UT Austin allows researchers to study a variety of topics on an extremely wide scale with more than 20 years of individual records on education and the workforce.
Testing General Relativity
To test the Theory of General Relativity, scientists from UT-Austin have traveled to the Sahara Desert to observe a rare eclipse and used computers to model ripples in space and time unleashed by the mergers of black holes.
The Race for Dark Energy
Einstein's Theory of General Relativity has successfully explained a lot of what we observe out in the universe. However the existence of mysterious dark energy might mean that the theory needs to be tweaked or even replaced.
Can General Relativity Withstand Some Holes?
The Theory of General Relativity, Einstein's description of gravity, has so far held up well to various tests scientists have thrown at it. But there are signs that it's incomplete.
Researchers Develop New Tool for Green Chemistry
Chemists have developed an environmentally friendly method for creating chemical structures, which have implications in chemical manufacturing, biological processes, and medical therapies.
Nomadic Computing Speeds Up Big Data Analytics
Researchers have recently developed a new data analysis tool, NOMAD, to explore problems where the system automatically determines the appropriate topics related to billions of documents.
Drought and Deluge
Water is the most precious resource on Earth, but there always seems to be too little or too much of it in Texas. Research at the Jackson School is tackling the challenges posed by these extremes.
Much in the Works at the Physics Machine Shop
Pieces of detectors for particle colliders and neuroscience research line the shelves in the UT Austin Physics Machine Shop. The air constantly hums with the noise of advanced machines at work.
Promising New Target in War Against Flu
Scientists have discovered that a protein produced by the influenza A virus can overcome one of our body's natural defense mechanisms. That makes this protein a potentially good target for antiviral drugs.
Exploring Europa
Jackson School scientists play a key role in NASA’s quest to find life-supporting environments on Jupiter’s moon.
Improving Tumor Forecasting with New Collaborations
Over the past decade the ICES tumor-modeling group has been using computational methods to model cancer treatment. The group's latest research venture is to model how cancer cells thrive in their native environment.
Want to Motivate Employees? Let Them Work From Home
In 2013, Yahoo made headlines when it stopped allowing employees to work remotely. New research shows Yahoo likely misjudged its employees, and the decision may have reduced their productivity in the process.
Pushing Boundaries with Numerical Analysis
Bjorn Engquist says that if you ask a mathematician to categorize Bjorn’s work, she will say that it is applied. Her rationale is that the differential equations he’s studied over the years are used to describe …
Sorting Science from Dread
New research shows that risk of serious pipeline accidents were overestimated.
Engineering Bacterial Communities Improves Plant Growth
Studies indicate that by harnessing the power of often helpful bacterial communities known as the microbiomes of plants will give plants a pesticide-free boost.
Diabetes, Obesity Linked to Chemical Exposure
Chemicals that disrupt the body’s hormone system may also be linked to two of the biggest public health threats facing society – diabetes and obesity, according to a recent statement co-authored by Dr. Andrea Gore.
Understanding the Shale Boom
Research at the Jackson School of Geosciences Bureau of Economic Geology into U.S. shale oil gas production and reserves is widely considered to be the most comprehensive public study of its kind.
Frei Leads Translational Science Program
Dr. Christopher Frei, associate professor of pharmacotherapy, has been named director of the Translational Science Ph.D. Program.
New Nanostructure Could Lead to Advanced Optical Devices
Physicists at UT Austin have been exploring new ways to manipulate light on the nanoscale that could lead to better biological sensors and improved devices for optical communications and computing.
Eating Out No Longer Has to Be a Guilty Pleasure
"Eating Well While Eating Out" is an online healthy eating resource designed to provide viable options for restaurant patrons concerned about weight and making healthful dining choices.
Slow Slip
Undetected by humans, slow motion earthquakes are happening all over the world. Understanding them could help predict when destructive quakes are coming.
A New Age of Rock
A team of UT Austin scientists received a two-year, $600,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to build a Digital Rocks Portal utilizing the latest technologies in data storage.
Froggy Went a Courtin'
Study shows that when choosing a mate, female túngara frogs switch their choice about a third of the time when a decoy is present.
Volcano Forensics
A research team examine the lava to understand what volcanic conditions caused Yellowstone’s magma to steadily effuse and the eruption type that dominates Yellowstone’s past and could happen again in the future.
Texas Astronomers Help Find Earth’s Older, Bigger Cousin
UT Austin astronomers working with NASA’s Kepler mission have helped to discover the first near-Earth-sized planet around a Sun-like star in the range of distances where liquid water could pool on a planet’s surface.
Chink Found in Armor of Invasive Crazy Ant
Tawny crazy ants are taking hold in the U.S. But scientists from UT Austin recently discovered a chink in the insect's armor that could help control the spread of this invasive species.
Scientists Predict which Crops Will Thrive Under Stress
By studying the genomes of almost 2,000 species of sorghum, researchers has developed a method to predict how varieties of the crop will respond to stress from their environment.
New Method May Spot Counterfeit Olive Oil, Help Pre-Diabetics
Researchers at UT Austin have developed an improved method for measuring glycerides. The finding also could help with detecting counterfeit olive oils.
BP Oil Spill Settlement Supports Gulf Coast Research
Professor Edward Buskey of UT Marine Science Institute explains what has been learned to date from studying the effects of oil and dispersants as part of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.
Longer Acquaintance Levels the Romantic Playing Field
Partners who become romantically involved soon after meeting tend to be more similar in physical attractiveness than partners who get together after knowing each other for a while.
New Device Bends Light at Sharp Angles
Researchers from UT Austin announced the design of a device—called a photonic topological insulator (PTI)—that can bend the path of light by 120 degrees without any reflections.
New Tool for Spintronics
Researchers have developed a new tool for probing the properties of topological insulators that might aid in the development of new materials and devices for spintronics.
Researchers Discuss Brain Tumor Treatment Advances
Determining patient-specific tumor details is important in choosing the best treatment plans for those suffering from brain tumors or other forms of cancer.
Mammal Magnetism of Interest to Marine Scientists
Marine science professor Lee Fuiman has hypothesized that a natural compass based on Earth's magnetic field guides seals, helping them return to breathing holes in the ice.
Supercomputing Helps Deepen Understanding of Life
Supercomputing is enabling some of the most exciting advances of our time in the life sciences and allowing us to delve deeper and ask bigger questions than we ever knew possible.
From Mathematician’s Findings Flow Many Applications
The work of mathematics professor Luis Caffarelli is commonly considered to have laid the foundations for solving the unknowns of the Navier-Stokes equations.
Chemists Develop Technique to Detect Single Viruses
Chemists at UT Austin have developed a laboratory technique that can detect single viruses floating in a solution of water. This is the first time the technique has been demonstrated on biological samples.
Simulating Seasons
UT Austin researchers use supercomputing to assess the impact of climate change on the country's growing season.
Genetic Road Map May Bring About Better Cotton Crops
Scientists have developed the most precise sequence map yet of U.S. cotton and will soon create an even more detailed map for navigating the complex cotton genome.
Researchers Tackle the Dark Side of Moore's Law
This month marks the 50th Anniversary of Moore's Law, an observation that every couple of years, computer chip manufacturers manage to squeeze twice as many transistors onto a computer chip.
Typhoon Haiyan’s Storm Surge May Contaminate Aquifer for Years
In research of significance to the world’s expanding coastal populations, scientists have found that geology and infrastructure play key roles in determining whether aquifers that provide drinking water are inundated …
New Cystic Fibrosis Research Examines Deadly Pathogen
A new method of testing the most common cause of life-threatening infection in people with cystic fibrosis could improve efforts to study and combat the illness.
Mapping a Manager's Brain on Incentives
A tool from neuroscience opens a window to peek into the brain and find out if restructuring a manager’s pay help that manager make better business decisions.
Always and Forever: A Microscopic Love Story
In the world of living things, surely one of the oddest relationships is the one between certain insects and the bacteria they can't seem to live without. Such bacteria, called obligate symbionts live inside the host's cells.
Intelligence, Designed: The Future of AI
In the artificial intelligence age we live in, you’ll find AI in the workplace, the home, and even on a sports pitch. From hospitals to highways, artificial intelligence offers new solutions to real-world problems.
A 3-D View of the Greenland Ice Sheet Opens Window on Ice History
Scientists using ice-penetrating radar data collected by NASA’s Operation IceBridge and earlier airborne campaigns have built the first comprehensive map of layers deep inside the Greenland Ice Sheet, opening a …
As Austin Grows, so Do Its Traffic Woes
TACC supports UT's Center for Transportation Research to visualize, simulate alternative solutions for traffic issues.
5 Discoveries to Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolutions
We’re still at the beginning of 2015, but this is when it’s hardest for a lot of people to stick to to their New Year’s resolutions. The good news is recent work by UT Austin researchers studying human development, …