Features
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
Come and Make It
New technology available in The Foundry is sparking creativity and expanding opportunity.
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
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.
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. …
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 …
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
News
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Universal Chemical Sensor Could Help Boost Public Health
Chemists at UT have developed a material that holds the key to cheap, fast and portable new sensors for a wide range of chemicals that right now cost government and industries large sums to detect.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Papers of Actors Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson Acquired
The Ransom Center has acquired the papers of actors Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 UT Austin.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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.
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 …
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.
Cruz’s Lead Widens, Clinton Stays Strong in UT/TT Poll
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remain front-runners among Republican and Democratic primary voters in Texas, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
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 …
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 …
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.
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.
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.
Undergraduates
Frontera Digital: Exploring Biometrics and Trans Lives Crossing the Border
Gabryella Desporte, a Latin American Studies senior from Austin, Texas, looked at the absence of literature pertaining to transgender migrants trying to cross the border. Desporte critiqued and explored how …
Insecurity, Policing and Social Control in Brazil
Xavier Durham, a sociology junior from San Antonio, analyzed the use of state surveillance to control and regulate Afro-Brazilian populations in Salvador, Bahia, namely in the form of policing.
A Visual Discourse Analysis of Uganda’s Wedding Industry
Annie Elledge, an international relations & global studies and government junior from Austin, Texas, researched the Ugandan wedding industry as a site where the country’s growing middle class increasingly …
Prostitutes or Laborers: Sex, Work & Rights in India
Enakshi Ganguly is a humanities and government senior from Missouri City, Texas, whose research seeks to historicize sex work, in its many layers, as well as a counter-perspective on sex work in India …
Cora Eiland Hicks: First Black Faculty Member
Mikayla Harden, a government and African & African Diaspora Studies honors junior from Crossett, Arkansas, by way of Houston, studied how the history of black female academics at The University of Texas at Austin has …
Abortion Stigma Among Latinas in the Rio Grande Valley
Abigail Newell, a sociology and liberal arts honors senior from Pittsburgh, analyzed Texas Latinas’ experiences of abortion stigma in her research and examined possible causes for the stigma.
Analyzing the Actors in the Red Sea–Dead Sea Project
Marie Sells, an international relations & global studies and liberal arts honors senior from Schertz, Texas, used her research to explore how the governments, companies and nongovernmental organizations planned the …
URF Recipient Takes Third in Longhorn Research Showdown
Joy Youwakim is passionate about hunger “because I’ve never understood why it’s still an issue today” noting that in the United States alone we waste 40 percent of our food. “That’s food that never makes it to the table.”
Effects of Religious Commitment and Parental Monitoring on Substance Use
The purpose of this cross- sectional correlational study was to examine the influence of religious commitment and parental monitoring on substance use in adolescents. Participants in this study were all first year …
2016 Research Showdown Winners Announced
Six undergraduate researchers were recognized for their research projects and communication skills at the Texas Student Research Showdown on Nov. 15, 2016.
Factors Influencing Weight in Caregivers of Children with Disabilities
There has been ample research showing that caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities are prone to obesity; however, little research has been done to identify which factor or factors are most predictive of …
URF Recipient Co-authors Paper as Undergrad, Starts Graduate School
Each year, the Office of the Vice President for Research at UT Austin presents Undergraduate Research Fellowship awards. These stipends are available in a competitive process and help students gain a hands-on …
Differences in Health Promoting Behaviors and Quality of Life …
As people age, they are more likely to develop various chronic conditions. Little research has been conducted on health promoting behaviors in individuals with more than one chronic illness. If various health …
The 2016 Undergraduate Awards
The Undergraduate Awards is an annual international competition that celebrates the research projects and coursework of students from all over the world.
Cross-Era Analysis and Comparison of Individuals from Archeological Site
Emily Edwards, an anthropology and Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures senior from La Porte, Texas, studied the dental and skeletal changes in Native Americans over time at an archeological site in Galveston, Texas.
Chinese Expansionism: American and Indian Perspectives
Shalaka Joshi, a government and Plan II Honors senior, examined the policies of the United States and India toward China and the similarities and differences in these ideas and tactics.
Student Preferences for Sleep Promotion Information Delivery Platforms
Information about the impact sleep deprivation can have on students success in college is critical. However, traditional methods of disseminating health information (e.g. posters) are not as effective for this …
WIALD Wanderer: A Planetary Rover
This year our Women in Aerospace for Leadership and Development (WIALD) student organization has been working on a robotics project, a planetary rover.
Benefits of Yoga for People Experiencing Homelessness
Adam Benden drew upon his experience as a yoga instructor and his interests in class, gender, and race theory to design a unique research project in partnership with the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless.
Leadership in the Contemporary House of Representatives
Beau Baumann, a government senior from Flower Mound, Texas, researched the “unorthodox” legislative tactics of Congress in order to determine the impact of Speaker Nancy Pelosi on enacting legislation.
Accelerometer Protocol Adherence in People with MS and Cognitive Impairment
Impaired cognitive function affects up to 70% of persons with MS, is regularly under diagnosed, poorly managed, and has few treatment options. Physical activity has been related to better cognitive performance in …
Family Cohesion, Adaptability, and Strengths of Adolescents with Cancer
As the leading cause of death due to disease in adolescents, cancer imposes profound stress on patients and their families. The resilience in illness model (RIM) guiding this study poses that optimal, supportive …
Design/Build/Fly: Two Airplanes Are Better Than One
Aerospace engineering Longhorns gave it their all at this year’s international Design/Build/Fly (DBF) competition, landing 13th place among more than 80 competing universities.
Algeria’s Military Power
Global Studies BDP student and jazz performance major Andre Galuban stepped outside of his academic comfort zone to research Algerian military power. The experience inspired Andre to consider graduate work in foreign …
Safety of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scans
Digital Arts & Media BDP student Julia Chernis created an animation affirming the safety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. She sought to counter the misperceptions of family members and friends with …
How Suspension Affects High School Student Graduation
Matthew Snidal, a student in the Social Entrepreneurship & Non-profits BDP, spent the summer before his senior year participating in the Research Experience for Undergraduates program.
Transnational Surrogacy Practices in India
Ethics & Leadership BDP student Megan Maldonado analyzed the literature on transnational surrogacy practices in India. Among other aspects, she studied risks to reproductive laborers.
Prisoners’ Rights within the English Criminal Justice System
Human Rights & Social Justice BDP student Sarah Qureshy pursued an independent research study investigating prisoners’ rights within the English criminal justice system. Sarah’s experience conducting research …
History and Evolution of Vienna’s Central Train Station
Sarah Talaat, a student in the Media, Culture & Identities BDP, spent the summer before her senior year researching the history and evolution of Wien Hauptbahnhof, the central train station in Vienna, Austria.
Machismo, Secondary Labor, and the Mexican-American Father
Sahara Khan, an Iberian and Latin American Languages & Cultures sophomore from Frisco, Texas, researched the variety of impacts that physically demanding labor can make on first-generation Mexican-American men.
The Cognitive Concerns after Cancer Treatment
As many as 60% of breast cancer survivors experience cognitive problems following cancer diagnosis and treatment. These limitations can profoundly impact quality of life – particularly in the area of employment …
Comparative Analysis of U.S. and E.U. Labor Law and Tax Law
Hector Cantu's project consists of a comparative analysis between United States and European Union labor law and tax law harmonization.
Effects of Technology on Organizational Communication
Ignacio Cruz's undergraduate research thesis aims at conceptualizing contemporary meetings through the influence of technology.
Relating Persuasive Techniques of LBJ to Business Leaders
Jacob Spangler's research project focuses on President Lyndon B. Johnson’s persuasive capabilities, and how today’s business leaders could use them to fight the inaction that accompanies large-scale bureaucracies.
Disease Risk and Diet Among Firefighters
Jennifer Huang's thesis focused on the association between lipids and cardiovascular disease risk factors among firefighters. The analysis was part of the recommendation to the fire department for its future wellness program.
Baptistery Design and Cultural Identity of Late Medieval Pisa
Jessica Thompson conducted research on how international influences exhibited themselves in the design of the Pisa Baptistery, and how this speaks to the cultural identity of late medieval Pisa.
Manuscript illuminations of Dante’s Inferno
Julie Timte's research investigates how Dante’s word became image, or rather what influences shaped manuscript illuminators, and how the visualized Inferno permeated later iterations of Hell.
Analysis of Digital Archives of Jokes from World War II
In one of her undergraduate research projects, Juliette Seive analyzed digital archives of jokes from World War II to better understand public sentiment.
Natural Language Processing for the Spanish in Texas project
Kelsey Ball conducted research on the contact between Spanish and English in Texas, and the way that manifests itself at a semantic and syntactic level.
History of Economic Policy in Tanzania
Loyce Gayo's research forcused on African socialism and development theories with a regional focus on Tanzania.
Dramaturgy Research with Cohen New Works Festival Activities
Madilynn Garcia combines undergraduate research in dramaturgy with creative activity in her work with the Cohen New Works Festival.
Impact of Gender and Environment on Mental Health in Border Communities
Maria Renteria's research project uses quantitative secondary data of a previous longitudinal study that examined perceptions of drug trafficking and immigration on borderland culture.
Pronunciation of French Vowels by English-speaking Learners of French
Mirna Reyna's research project focuses on second language acquisition and the pronunciation of French vowels by English-speaking learners of French.
An Analysis of Paternalism in Radical Organized Politics
Mirusha Yogarajah's research project aims to understand the roles of female revolutionary fighters in the Black Panther Party in the United States and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka.
Language Processing in Bilinguals and in Noisy Listening Environments
Nicole Tsao's research project aims to understand how the bilingual experience modulates audiovisual processing and to examine the multimodality of speech and language processing in noisy listening environments.
Financial Model for Tracking and Forecasting State of the Economy
Rachel Gosch's project involved financial mathematics and creation of a model that used macroeconomic data to output a set of “business condition indices,” or the underlying state of the economy, on a relative scale.
Engineering Nanostructures for Bioimaging
Sai Gourisankar conducted undergraduate research as part of a team investigating engineering nanotechnology that can target tumors for bioimaging and diagnosis.
Creation of Innovation Station 3D Printing Vending Machine
Sanjai Bashyam's undergraduate research led to the creation of the Innovation Station 3D printing vending machine.
Examining Impact on Consumer Behavior from James Bond Films
Sara Saastamoinen's undergraduate research examined how travel and luxury in the works of James Bond author Ian Fleming have shaped consumer behavior.
From the Bones of Wolves: Guitar Music from the Southwest US
Thales Smith combined undergraduate research and creative activity by researching and performing guitar works from the southwestern U.S.
Arabic is Not in Danger
Adeli Block, a Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures and geography senior from the Washington, D.C., area, investigated the prevalent belief that the Arabic language is dying out among Arabic speakers.
Effect of Vocational Training Programs on Students’ Employment Prospect
Christina Kent traveled to Mongolia to conduct research on poverty and vocational training as part of her undergraduate research experience.
Student Perceptions of Importance Level of Sleep Promotion Message Content
Sleep is an essential aspect of life that affects academics, social functioning, and physical and emotional health. Because college students often do not realize how at risk they are for negative effects of sleep …
Rhetoric Used in the Debate Preceding the 2003 Iraq War
Alex Fischer’s work is a rhetorical analysis. He analyze the discussions surrounding the Iraq war to discover the strengths and weaknesses of our country’s most recent war deliberation.
Analysis of the Rhetoric of the Russian News Media
Alexander D'Jamoos's research project seeks to analyze the propagandist tendencies of current news media in Russia.
The Optoelectronic Properties of CVD-grown MoS2 Nanowalls
Ankit Sharma's undergraduate research project looked at MoS2 (molybdenum disulfide) nanowalls as a potential material for light sensors.
Trophic Dynamics of Atlantic Croaker in Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone
For her undergraduate research project, Ava Ibanez went to UT’s Marine Science Institute to study the trophic dynamics of Atlantic croaker in the hypoxic zone of the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Black Business History
Christine Nbemeneh's undergraduate research on black business history led to her becoming the founding associate editor of a new undergraduate research journal.
Black Business History in Austin, Texas
Dara Oke’s undergraduate research consisted of a photojournalistic history of black-owned businesses in Austin.
Investigation of Properties of Heart Muscle Cells
Divya Ramamoorthy studied whether a hydrogel environment can maintain the growth of heart muscle cells and helped test how stem cells can be differentiated into mature heart cells.
Using Computer Modeling to Uncover Computational Principles of Cerebellum
Evan Delord took part in undergraduate research by using computer modeling to uncover the computational principles of a particular neuron layer in the cerebellum of the brain.
Self-Management Interventions for Youth with Type 1 Diabetes
This review analyzes the available literature on interventions that have been conducted to help children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus to better self-manage their disease. We searched the available …
Race-Related Stress and Racial Identity as Factors in Academic Self-Concept
Jennifer Oruebor, a psychology senior from Houston, Texas, evaluated if the stress that black students experienced on predominantly white college campuses affects academic self-concept.
Predicting Effects of Climate Change Through Sustainable Agriculture
Joy Youwakim, an economics sophomore from Nederland, Texas, is working on agricultural research that simulates an environment affected by climate change.
Students Develop Apps to Help Detect Skin Cancer
Rachel Graubard and Vatsal Shah, both alumni of the Freshman Research Initiative's DIY Diagnostics stream, have created two apps which could help patients detect skin cancer at home.
Emotional Experiences of Mothers of Newborns Admitted to NICU
The transition to parenthood is an emotional life experience. Giving birth to a healthy baby and bringing the child home shortly thereafter is a significant emotional occasion. Even when everything goes as smoothly …
Applying Transnational Social Field Theory to Illustrate K-Pop Culture
Breana Lovelace, an International Relations & Global Studies and Asian Studies senior from Arlington, Texas, examined the global rise of Korean popular music (K-Pop) and interactions between fans, artists and companies.
Evaluation of Nursing Student Pre-test Anxiety Related to Performance Exam
The focus of this paper is the analysis of course evaluation data relating to nursing students’ stress and anxiety in both the traditional face-to-face (F2F) and video performance examinations. This paper analyzes …
Studio Art Senior Blends Fine Arts and Game Development
Studio Art senior Christina Curlee was selected to be an International Game Developers Association’s Women in Games Ambassador, a program designed to build bridges between female university students and the game industry.
UT Student Developing App that Can Help Diagnose Skin Cancer
Rachel Graubard, a Liberal Arts Honors (LAH) senior from Houston, Texas, has been working on an app that can diagnose and monitor skin cancer since her freshman year.
Interventions that Foster Maternal–infant Attachment in High-risk Infants
Mothers with low socioeconomic backgrounds who give birth to preterm infants are at a greater risk for experiencing a disturbance in the bonding process. Compromised maternal–infant bonding has been shown to …
Self Regulatory Demands Impacting Survivors’ Cognitive Capacities
Factors typically labeled “covariates” or “confounders” (e.g. stress and distress) may be important to understanding the manifestation and persistence of cognitive dysfunction among breast cancer survivors …
Undergraduate Student Received Second Place at Disney's Competition
A team of four UT undergraduate students received second place at the 25th Imaginations Design Competition, put on annually by Walt Disney Imagineering, and competed against six teams from eight other universities.
Researchers Try To Develop Zika Detection, Understand Epidemiology
Undergraduate researchers in UT Austin's Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) join the effort to develop a readily available test for the newly spreading Zika virus.
Rural Adolescent Stressors and Relationship to Depressive Symptoms
Exposure to negative life experiences and stressors can place an adolescent at a risk for the development of depressive symptoms. One of the best predictors of development of depressive symptoms is stress …
Wine Detective Work Afoot in Chemist's Lab
Wine analysis research in the lab of Professor Eric Anslyn can help prevent counterfeits and improve winemaking. Best of all, it's helping students learn the value of scientific research.
“Sentinel of Liberty”: Captain America on the Home Front in WWII
Captain America’s evolution reflects the transformation of American society during and in the decades following World War II. He remains to this day a manifestation of America’s desire for righteousness.
EOR: Enhancing Our Research
UT PGE Professor Gary Pope has been a trailblazer for undergraduate research in UT PGE for almost three decades, leading the largest group in the department.
The Contrast of Medium through Bartolomé de las Casas and Cildo Meireles
When an artist relays a message or theme, the medium of the idea often determines its effectiveness as a piece of art. Such is true for Cildo Meireles’ Missão/Missões [Mission/Missions] (How to Build Cathedrals).
Embracing Myth in Mrs. Dalloway
In Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf addresses the effort to preserve female individuality and autonomy in the face of a society bent on reducing women to abstract, mythical ideals.
Undergraduate’s Research will Help Children with Intellectual Disabilities
Finding time to sit and talk about herself isn’t easy for Kaitlin (Kate) Galloway. The first semester senior is in Nursing’s undergraduate Honors Program, a rigorous academic program for high-achieving undergraduates.
The Myth of Chechen Radical Islam
Since he became president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin has sought to portray Russia’s war in Chechnya as part of the fight against global Islamic terrorism, and the Chechens as radical Islamists …
Demonological Characterizations in Shakespeare’s The Tempest
The historical sources of The Tempest, as well as its invocation of generic conventions of the travel narrative and other New World literature, lend the play to historicist modes of interpretation. In the last few …
Evolutionary Game Models of Optimal Nuclear Weapons Strategies
If nations behave similarly to actors in an evolutionary game model, then as long as the probability of nuclear war or catastrophe is less than one, global disarmament, if it occurs, will not be a stable equilibrium.
Circuit Optimization for an Auto Ranging Bio-Impedance Measurement System
To improve accuracy, an auto-ranging circuit consisting of two important circuit stages is proposed for the design of a bio-impedance measurement system for use in cardiac ablation treatment.
Freshman Researchers Receive Grand Challenges Explorations Grant
University of Texas at Austin freshmen, working to develop do-it-yourself health care diagnostics, make up a research group that was announced today as a Grand Challenges Explorations winner.
36 Longhorns Receive National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships
The National Science Foundation selected 36 students for its prestigious Graduate Research Fellowships Program, giving UT Austin the 12th highest number of NSF graduate fellows in the country in 2015.
UT Student Wins Goldwater Scholarship
Brendan Chou, an undergraduate biochemistry major, has been awarded a Goldwater scholarship, the premier undergraduate award of its type in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering.
Recognition
Center for Electromechanics to Lead Rural Energy Grid Project
DOE selects UT Austin for Energy Grid Project to lead a new $1.6 million project to develop the technology needed to bring the reliable and efficient emerging electrical grid to rural parts of Texas and the nation.
Improving Adolescents’ Social and Emotional Lives Must Go Beyond Teaching
School programs designed to improve adolescents' social and emotional lives should aim to create a respectful climate and allow adolescents more autonomy, according to psychology research.
Bringing the Latest to Addiction Treatment and Recovery
Social work researchers at UT Austin seek to speed up adoption of new therapies and tools to fight addiction with a major federal grant.
Researchers Seek to Prevent Diabetes in At-Risk Population
Mexican Americans in one of the poorest counties in Texas will soon have new tools to better understand the relationship between weight loss and diabetes.
With a Focus on Others, Graduate Lands Campus-Wide Awards
While studying for her degree in Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), Marilu Sanchez—one of the world-changing CNS students graduating this month—dedicated herself to helping others.
Yu receives Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award
Guihua Yu, an assistant professor of Materials Science and Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has been recognized with a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award. This distinguished awards program supports …
Douglas Bruster Named Piper Professor of 2017
On May 1, Douglas Bruster, professor in the Department of English, was named a Piper Professor of 2017 by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation for his dedication to the teaching profession and for his outstanding …
Real Estate Investor Donates $6 Million to UT Austin’s McCombs School of
John Goff, BBA ’77, has donated $6 million to support real estate and experiential learning initiatives at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
Researchers Seek to Reduce Nighttime Agitation in People With Alzheimer’s
Researchers at UT and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee have received a $3.9 million, five-year award from the National Institute on Aging to improve treatment of nighttime agitation in persons with Alzheimer’s disease.
Thomas Hughes Receives SURA Distinguished Scientist Award
Thomas “J.R.” Hughes, a professor of aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin and one of the most cited authors in scientific computing, has been selected to receive the …
Peppas Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Nicholas Peppas, professor of biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, surgery and pharmacy at UT and an expert in biomaterials and drug delivery systems, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
UT Austin Receives $2.7 Million in Grants from Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded UT two new grants for training doctoral students in the humanities, and the preservation of vulnerable human rights documentation from Latin America.
UT Austin Army ROTC No. 1 in the Nation at Annual Sandhurst Competition
After two days of traversing 25 miles of mountainous, heavily wooded terrain with full packs, UT Austin Army cadets can now relax as the No. 1 ROTC team in the nation.
Alofsin Donates Archive to Libraries
The Alexander Architectural Archives and Architecture & Planning Library at The University of Texas at Austin have acquired the archive and personal library of award-winning author, architect and educator Dr. Anthony Alofsin,
UT Austin Students Win National Urban Design Competition
A team from UT recently received top honors in the 2017 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Hines Student Competition in Chicago. The team was awarded $50,000 for their forward-looking redevelopment plan for a mixed-use Chicago site.
NSF Honors Eight UT Austin Professors with Early CAREER Awards
Eight faculty members from UT have been selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to receive Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards totaling more than $2 million.
UT Austin Has 18 Top 10 Programs in Latest Global Rankings
UT has 18 research disciplines ranked in the top 10 worldwide, including the No. 1 program in interdisciplinary mathematics, according to subject rankings from the Center for World University Rankings released this week.
Grant to Fund Creation of New Bridging Disciplines Certificate Program
The National Endowment for the Humanities will award a $97,491 grant to The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture and its partners across the UT Austin campus to fund the development of a new Bridging …
NEH Grant Supports Ransom Center's "Writers Without Borders" Project
The Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to support a two-year, $195,000 project to arrange, describe, selectively …
Influential Marketing Executive Invests $1 Million in McCombs School
Robert Malcolm has donated $1 million to the McCombs School of Business to establish an endowed chair in marketing innovation. Malcolm is the executive in residence at the Center for Consumer Insight and Marketing Solutions.
UT Austin Receives $5.6M for Long-term Study of Alaska’s Arctic Coast
Researchers will study changes on land and in the ocean that affect the fish and wildlife that native communities depend on.
UT Austin Leading National Efforts to Support Lower-Income Students
n a new report from the American Talent Initiative (ATI), UT is one of five colleges and universities highlighted for its success expanding opportunity and boosting graduation rates for low- and moderate-income students.
UT Austin Professor, Five Alumni Elected to National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has elected David T. Allen, professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas of Austin, to the prestigious academy.
UT Austin Leads $29 Million Alcoholism Treatment Consortium
The NIH has awarded an international consortium seeking better pharmaceutical treatments for alcoholism a five-year grant totaling $29 million. Administration will be based at UT, which will receive $8.5 million of the total.
TEA Award Helps UT Expand Computer Science Teacher Education
Only 2 percent of Texas high school graduates completed a computer science class in 2015, even though 60 percent of today’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs are in computing.
UFCU Invests $1M in Central Texans’ Health Through Dell Med
A $1 million gift from University Federal Credit Union (UFCU) will support community health initiatives and the training of physician leaders attending Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin.
New $5 Million Fund for American Music at UT Austin
A newly established $5 million endowment will advance the study of music produced by Americans — from roots to jazz to film music to the concert hall — at UT Austin.
UT Austin Professors Named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors
John B. Goodenough, James W. McGinity and Sidigata V. (S.V.) Sreenivasan of The University of Texas at Austin have been named fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
UT Austin Innovators to Receive O'Donnell Awards
One recipient studies fish for clues to how our immune systems work and the other is using lasers to see what’s happening in our brains.
Geography Student Awarded British Marshall Scholarship
Bailey Anderson, a geography senior at UT, is the recipient of a 2017 British Marshall Scholarship. Anderson will pursue a Master of Philosophy in Geography: Water Science, Policy and Management at the University of Oxford.
World's Largest General Science Society Names Five Fellows
Five UT faculty members have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society.
Plan II Senior Awarded 2017 Rhodes Scholarship
Mikaila Smith, a Plan II senior with concentrations in international affairs and Chinese, has been awarded a 2017 Rhodes scholarship, one of the most distinguished graduate scholarships in the world.
Jonathan Sessler Named 2016 Inventor of the Year
Dr. Jonathan Sessler, the Doherty-Welch Chair in Chemistry in the College of Natural Sciences, has been named the 2016 UT Inventor of the Year for work that has added to the basic scientific understanding of pharmaceuticals.
Hal Alper Named 2016 Emerging Inventor of the Year
Hal Alper, associate professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering in the Cockrell School of Engineering, has been named the 2016 Emerging Inventor of the Year.
Venice Biennale to Showcase Work of UT Austin Artist and Colleague
A faculty member at UT and her colleague have been invited to create and showcase new work at the 57th Venice Biennale, one of the largest and most prestigious exhibitions of contemporary art in the world.
UT Austin Engineer Wins Inaugural Moore Inventor Fellowship
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has selected Deji Akinwande, associate professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, as one of its five inaugural Moore Inventor fellows.
Classical Mexican Cinema Wins Grand Prize in the 2016 Co-op Awards
Charles Ramirez Berg's work, “The Classical Mexican Cinema: The Poetics of the Exceptional Golden Age Films” (University of Texas Press), is the Grand Prize winner of the 2016 University Co-op Robert W. Hamilton Book Award.
UT Austin Ranked No. 30 in World by U.S. News
U.S. News and World Report ranked UT No. 30 in the world in its latest ranking of Best Global Universities, marking the fourth time this year a prestigious international group has placed UT among the best universities.
New American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare fellows
Professors Cynthia Franklin and Mary Marden Velasquez have been selected as 2016 fellows to the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, the first national society honoring excellence in the research and …
David Springer Awarded NASPAA’s "Public Service Matters” Spotlight Honor
David Springer, LBJ School Professor and Director of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, has received the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) annual “Public …
Professor receives IMA Prize in Mathematics and its Applications
ICES Professor Rachel Ward received the 2016 Institute for Mathematics and its Applications' (IMA) Prize in Mathematics and its Applications.
Physicists and Engineer Elected Fellows of the American Physical Society
Three scientists at UT Austin have been elected as fellows of the American Physical Society for their outstanding contributions and leadership in physics.
Professor receives the 2016 ICCM International Cooperation Award
ICES Professor Bjorn Engquist received the 2016 International Congress of Chinese Mathematicians (ICCM) International Cooperation Award for his significant contributions in nurturing and mentoring a large number of …
Natural Sciences Faculty Member Selected as HHMI Faculty Scholar
Ila Fiete, associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience, is the first faculty member from UT Austin to receive recognition through a new program from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
Chair of Pediatrics Receives Renowned Nutrition Research Award
Steven Abrams, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Dell Medical School and director of the Dell Pediatric Research Institute, has received the 2016 Samuel J. Fomon Nutrition Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
$20 Million to Improve Education for Deaf Young Adults
UT-Austin College of Education researchers have received $20 million from U.S. Department of Education to lead a center supporting postsecondary education for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Ram Ranganathan Receives Emerging Scholar Award
The Technology and Innovation Management (TIM) Division of the Academy of Management selected McCombs School of Business Assistant Professor Ram Ranganathan as the 2016 recipient of the Past Division Chairs’ Emerging …
Professor David Harrison Inducted into Academic of Management Fellows
McCombs School of Business Professor David Harrison was inducted into the Academy of Management (AOM) Fellows Group on Aug. 7, 2016, at the academy’s annual meeting. Harrison was among seven prestigious scholars …
Researchers Receive $2M Grant to Break the Laws of Classical Physics
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a four-year, $2 million grant to Andrea Alù of the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin to break the conventional ways in which light and acoustic waves propagate.
English Professor Named 2016 Academy Film Scholar
UT Austin Assistant Professor of English Donna Kornhaber has been named a 2016 Academy Film Scholar for her research on women writers who shaped the American film industry during the silent era.
ExxonMobil Invests in Development of Emerging Technologies at UT Austin
ExxonMobil will invest $15 million as a leadership member of the UT Energy Institute to pursue technologies to help meet growing energy demand while reducing environmental impacts and the risk of climate change.
Battery Research Consortium Chosen by DOE to Advance Electric Cars
The Department of Energy has selected Battery500, a national consortium to help lead a new five-year, $50 million initiative to advance battery technology in electric cars.
Engineers Receive $22.8 Million from DOD for Cross-Disciplinary Projects
Three UT engineers receive DOD grants to lead Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) projects, to help advance innovative technologies in energy, computing and nanoelectronics.
Board of Regents Honors 11 UT Austin Faculty Members
Eleven faculty members from The University of Texas at Austin have been chosen to receive the prestigious 2016 Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award from The University of Texas System Board of Regents.
$2.2 Million Grant for Improving Durability of Bioprosthetic Heart Valves
ICES Professor Michael Sacks has received a $2.2 million National Institutes of Health grant to develop the first detailed computer simulations of how to improve bioprosthetic heart valves’ durability.
AAPG Honors Tinker's Leadership with Halbouty Award
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is honoring Scott W. Tinker, director of UT Austin Bureau of Economic Geology, with the Michael T. Halbouty Award for Outstanding Leadership.
Physicists Earn Career Research Awards from the Humboldt Foundation
UT Austin physics professors Mike Downer and Philip J. Morrison each have garnered career research awards from the Humboldt Foundation to fund international research collaborations with German physicists.
Supercomputer Drives Frontiers of Science and Engineering
The National Science Foundation awards $30 million to TACC at UT to acquire and deploy a new large-scale supercomputing system, Stampede 2.
UT College of Education to Lead Governor’s Literacy Initiative
The College has been awarded $4 million by the Texas Education Agency to design and launch the state’s new literacy and reading-to-learn academies.
Gates Foundation Grant for Innovative Malaria Research at UT
Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering received a $100,000 grant from the Gates Foundation for health-related research.
Professor James Pennebaker Awarded APA 2016 Award
Dr. Pennebaker has been awarded the American Psychological Association's 2016 Award for Distinguished Scientific Applications of Psychology, one of the highest honors for scientific achievement by psychologists.
UT Wins State Grants for Cancer Drug Research
UT researchers have received almost $5 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to kick-start drug discovery programs.
Ransom Center Awards More Than 75 Fellowships
The Harry Ransom Center has awarded more than 75 fellowships to postdoctoral, dissertation and independent researchers.
UT Professor Wins Prestigious Fellowship
Huriya Jabbar, assistant professor of educational policy and planning, has been selected as a 2016 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow.
Biologist James Bull Elected to National Academy of Sciences
UT's James Bull has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of distinguished and continuing achievements in original scientific research.
Regenerating Blood Vessels gets $2.7 Million Grant
Engineers have received a $2.7 million grant to advance a promising treatment for peripheral ischemia, a condition that restricts blood flow to muscles in the lower limbs.
UT Team Wins HUD 2016 Innovation in Affordable Housing
A team of graduate students the School of Architecture has won the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) third annual Innovation in Affordable Housing competition.
UT Humanities Student Receives Truman Scholarship
Humanities junior Zoraima Pelaez will use her Truman Scholarship to pursue a law degree upon graduation.
Research Article Awarded Best Paper at 2016 AERA Conference
The article by Dr. Min Liu, Professor of Learning Technologies and former and current graduate students, focused on the study middle school science students in a 3D game environment
UT Researcher Receives Grant to Study Library “Hotspot Lending"
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded a $500,000 grant to Professor Sharon Strover to study rural library “Hotspot Lending programs", where libraries loan out devices that connect to cellular network.
UT Austin Ranks No. 25 Globally for Science in Latest Nature Index
UT ranked No. 25 in the world among academic institutions for publication of scientific research, according to the latest annual report from the Nature Index.
Ethnomusicology Professor Receives Fulbright Scholar Grant
Sonia Seeman, associate professor of ethnomusicology, received a Fulbright Scholar grant to conduct research in Turkey for a book project.
Works with Community Groups to Improve Local Health
UT School of Nursing will partners with community groups on projects to address health care inequalities after receiving two six-year grants totaling more than $3 million from the City of Austin.
UT Sociologist Wins Carnegie Fellowship for Research on U.S. Gun Culture
Communities of gun owners may be reshaping democracy, according to ongoing research by UT sociologist Harel Shapira, recipient of a 2016 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship.
Rumbellow Cited for National Public Health Honor
Sarah Rumbellow, a P-3 pharmacy student, has been selected to receive the United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award for her contributions to public health.
Taxi-Market Researcher Chosen for "ReStud Tour"
Economics graduate student Nick Buchholz was selected by The Review of Economics to participate in the 2016 “Restud Tour,” the highest honor for a graduating Ph.D. student in the field of Economics.
Researchers Bring School Gardens, Cooking Classes to Austin-Area Schools
Austin-area elementary schools will participate in a study with UT researchers, thanks to a $3.85 million grant from the NIH, to learn whether gardening, nutrition and cooking can improve health and fight obesity.
Engineering Awards Innovation Grants to Professors with ‘Protostartups’
The Innovation Center in the Cockrell School of Engineering launched a grant program to provide critical funding for faculty entrepreneurs to bridge the gap between university research and developing technologies.
$6 Million Award from Cancer Agency Supports Bringing Researcher to UT
A $6 million award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) will underwrite UT's hiring of a leading cancer researcher as chairman of Molecular Biosciences.
Scientist and Engineer Win Presidential Early Career Awards
Two faculty members have received Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the nation’s highest honor for scientists and engineers in the early stages of research.
UT Professors Elected to National Academy of Engineering
David R. Maidment, professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering, and Bridget R. Scanlon, senior research scientist in the Jackson School of Geosciences have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Kloesel Grant Helps Asthma Patients Stay Healthy
A study that focuses on the role of pharmacists in helping asthma patients stay healthy is the inaugural program supported by a new initiative of the College of Pharmacy.
Center for Infectious Disease Named for Dr. John Ring LaMontagne
The Center for Infectious Disease at UT renamed for Dr. John Ring LaMontagne, a scientist who combated flu and other infectious diseases to improve public health around the globe.
Award Supports Digitization of García Márquez Archive
The Council on Library and Information Resources has granted the Harry Ransom Center a 2015 award to digitize more than 24,000 pages from the Gabriel García Márquez archive.
UT Austin Professors Named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors
George Georgiou, Thomas Milner and Jonathan L. Sessler, professors at The University of Texas at Austin, have been named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
Grant Awarded for Developing Fracturing Simulation
UT PGE Professor Mary Wheeler and her collaborators received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop computational techniques that more effectively use big data to predict and model …
Five States to Join Math Project for College Students
Leaders and policymakers in five states will develop state mathematics task forces and work to improve college student success through a new initiative from UT Austin’s Charles A. Dana Center.
CPRIT Grant Helps UT Recruit Top Cancer Researcher
Thanks to a $6 million recruitment grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), The University of Texas at Austin has hired Thomas Yankeelov, a distinguished cancer researcher.
Center for Space Research Expands STEM program
NASA has selected the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin for a five-year, $1.3 million grant that will support the national expansion of a STEM program that gives high school students and teachers the …
$2M Grant for Research in Bendable Electronics
A research team led by Xiaoqin Elaine Li has been awarded a grant of $2 million to research and develop thin, flexible semiconductors that might eventually lead to bendable computer screens and wearable electronics.
Texas Advance to Award $20 Million in Scholarships
Nearly 1,000 Texas high school students will receive scholarships worth $20,000 over four years through Texas Advance, a year-old UT Austin initiative aimed at supporting economically disadvantaged students.
Book on Medieval Syrian Shrines Takes Grand Prize at UT
Stephennie Mulder at UT Austin has been named the $10,000 grand prize winner of the 2015 University Co-op Robert W. Hamilton Book Awards for her work.
Angela Evans Receives $300,000 Grant from NSF
The National Science Foundation recently awarded CHASP faculty associate Angela Evans an EAGER Grant of $300,000 to explore how training protocols supported by NSF and targeted at research scientists in the hard …
UT Austin Startup Incubator is Among National Elite
The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) at UT Austin has been named one of the top eight startup incubators in the nation by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a leading international entrepreneurship organization.
Belo Foundation Awards UT $1.5 Million for Journalism
The Belo Foundation has awarded UT Austin $1.5 million to create the Dallas Morning News Journalism Innovation Endowment, a fund to support digital innovation in the School of Journalism.
Grant Supports Creation of Makerspace in Fine Arts Library
The Hearst Foundations have awarded a $200,000 grant to the Center for Arts and Entertainment Technologies in the College of Fine Arts and the Fine Arts Library at UT Austin to help create a common makerspace.
NIH Grant to Prevent Fetal Exposure to Alcohol, Marijuana
A $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will help researchers at UT's School of Social Work test a health intervention to reduce fetal exposure to alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco during early pregnancy.
As Above, So Below: The Wonder of Science through Art
A team of Longhorns is being honored with a national award for conveying the wonder of science through art.
Researchers Receive $15 Million for Biofuel Crop Study
Integrative biology professor Tom Juenger will receive two grants totaling $15 million to study a native prairie grass, including how it can become a sustainable source of bioenergy amid global climate change.
Goodenough Receives Prestigious Global Innovation Prize
John B. Goodenough will receive the Samson Prize, totaling $1 million. It is the world’s largest monetary prize awarded in the field of alternative fuels.
Grants for UT to Develop Techniques for Brain Imaging
Researchers at UT Austin will receive three grants totaling $4 million to develop techniques for imaging and manipulating the activity of neurons in the brain.
Texas Engineering Team Wins Emmy for Video Quality Tool
The Television Academy announced today that Cockrell School of Engineering professor Alan Bovik and his team of former students and collaborators will be honored with a 2015 Engineering Emmy Award.
UT Austin Honored with Excellence in Diversity Award
UT Austin has received the 2015 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award (HEED) from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine for the fourth consecutive year.
Study Examines Seniors' Social Life and Health
UT 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.
NSF Grant Boosts UT Earthquake Engineering Research
NSF selects the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin to house one of seven state-of-the-art, experimental natural hazards research facilities.
Neuroscience Professor Wins NSF CAREER Award
Assistant professor Laura Colgin has received the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation to pursue her research on the relationship between brain waves and memory during sleep.
Ransom Center Accepting Applications for Fellowships
The Ransom Center invites applications for its 2016–2017 research fellowships. More than 50 fellowships will be awarded for projects that require substantial onsite use of the Center's collections, supporting …
Energy Management Program Receives Landmen Accreditation
The American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) has accredited the Energy Management Program at the McCombs School of Business, making the program one of 11 nationally accredited land management programs in …
New Center will Help Those with Chronic Illness to Help Themselves
The School of Nursing received a $2.4 million federal grant to help improve the lives of people struggling with chronic health conditions.
UT Austin Ranks No. 37 in World for Academic Excellence
UT Austin is ranked No. 37 in the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), which evaluates more than 1,200 international higher education institutions.
Halliburton Partners With McCombs School to Teach Business
Halliburton has donated $1 million to renew support of the Texas Business Foundations Summer Institute at the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin. The grant will fund the Summer Institute through 2020.
NEH Grant Will Transform Study of Early Books
A National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant will make many of the first books printed in the Americas available for the first time in digital full-text format, thanks to innovations in optical character …
Talbert Receives ACCP’s Parker Medal
Dr. Robert L. Talbert, the Smithkline Centennial Professor Emeritus in Pharmacy, has received the Paul F. Parker Medal from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).
Obama Names UT’s Sandra Black to Council of Economic Advisers
President Barack Obama intends to nominate UT Austin economics Professor Sandra E. Black to join the three-member White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA).
UT Austin to Launch New Doctorate for Nurses
UT Austin's School of Nursing has received final approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to launch a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree program.
Professor Aims to Expand Art Audiences With $3.5M Grant
Professor Francie Ostrower is the recipient of a $3.5 million grant from The Wallace Foundation to study how performing arts organizations can develop approaches to attracting new audiences.
NSF Funds Cyberinfrastructure Effort at UT
The Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin is leading the effort to build a software platform, data repository and tools that will help the United States design more resilient buildings, levees and other public …
Hurricane Models to Benefit from $13.7 Million NSF Grant
ICES Professor Clint Dawson will lend his hurricane modeling expertise to a new cyberinfrastructure effort funded by a $13.7 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
Keck Foundation Awards $1.5 Million for UT Research
The W. M. Keck Foundation has awarded scientists at UT Austin two grants totaling $1.5 million to develop a powerful, alternative method for cooling atoms and involve more undergraduate students in using new advanced …
UT System Honors 11 with Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award
Eleven faculty members from UT Austin have been chosen to receive 2015 Regents' Outstanding Teaching Awards by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System.
NIH Grant to Advance Brain Imaging
A biomedical engineer at the Cockrell School of Engineering has received a $1.8 million NIH grant to advance his light-based technique for imaging blood flow across the brain.
UT Austin Ranks No. 19 in World for High-Impact Research
UT ranked No. 19 in the world for high-impact science, according to the Nature Index, which tracks publication in the world’s top research journals.
Military Children to Receive Math Learning Support
The Charles A. Dana Center at UT Austin has been awarded a $12.7 million contract by the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity to advance math education for children on U.S. military bases.
Seeking Earthquake Answers, TexNet Seismic Monitoring Program Authorized
Texas has authorized $4.47 million for the TexNet Seismic Monitoring Program, an initiative led by the Bureau of Economic Geology — the State Geologic Survey of Texas — at UT, to place monitors and analyze data.
Federal Grant Helps UT Researcher Study Word-Problem Solving
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a four-year, $3 million grant to Sarah Powell, an assistant professor in the College of Education, to study ways to help students better solve word-problems in math.
Freshman Researchers Receive Grant for Malaria Diagnostics
A student team participating in the Freshman Research Initiative working to develop do-it-yourself health care diagnostics, received a Grand Challenges Explorations award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Ransom Center Awards 70 Fellowships
The Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at UT, has awarded 70 research fellowships for 2015–2016.
Faculty Members Named to Academy of Distinguished Teachers
Richard Corsi, Mechele Dickerson and John Markert have been inducted into the university's Academy of Distinguished Teachers for 2015.
UT Engineer Wins $1 Million National Science Foundation Award
Andrea Alù, associate professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering, received the prestigious 2015 Waterman Award. Alù is the first recipient from a Texas university to receive this National Science Foundation Award.
Neuroscientists Receive $1M Grant to Study Sensory Adaptation
Associate professor Nicholas Priebe and three colleagues have been awarded a Human Frontier Science Program research grant worth $1.05 million to study how our sensory systems change as the environment changes.
President Obama Honors UT Geosciences Mentoring Program
President Barack Obama honored GeoFORCE Texas, an outreach program of the Jackson School of Geosciences, with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.
Institute Award Supports Faculty on Search for Grand Challenge Solutions
Moncrief Grand Challenge Award recipients and their progress in computational material modeling, pathway simulation and visualization.
UT Earns 2015 Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Classification
UT one of only six universities to receive a 2015 Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.