Liberal Arts Impact Report 2019/20

ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT 2019-2020

FROM THE DEAN'S DESK It is impossible to fully express how

What makes the study of liberal arts

grateful we are for the extraordinary

unique at a major public research

impact you have made on the College

university is the wealth of

of Liberal Arts. Your generous

opportunities to learn across

contributions have changed and

disciplines, drawing from numerous

improved lives in countless ways,

departments and specializations such

empowering our students to build upon

as government, history, economics,

experiences and skills that position

sociology and anthropology, as well

them toward successful and fulfilling

as area studies and languages.

futures.

We are grateful for your partnership Indeed, your transformative support

as we continue to advance the

helps to provide a liberal arts

mission of learning and discovery in

education which prepares our students

the College of Liberal Arts,

for a rapidly changing world, nurturing

and I am pleased to share this report

a new generation of ethical leaders to

on your remarkable impact on the

be ready to tackle jobs that have yet

College and beyond.

to be invented.

Ann Huff Stevens Dean, College of Liberal Arts

TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 07 08 09 12 13

A YEAR IN REVIEW

NEW ENDOWMENTS

NEW QUARTER CENTURY DONORS

DEAN'S CIRCLE DONORS

STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND

FRANCISCO GONZALEZ-LIMA | PROFESSOR INTERVIEW

15 17 19 21 24 25

SARAH BRAYNE | PROFESSOR INTERVIEW

ZARIA EL-FIL | AKA SCHOLARS INTERNSHIP

KEVIN COKLEY | PROFESSOR INTERVIEW

ADAM CLULOW | PROFESSOR INTERVIEW

STUDY ABROAD STATS

SARA M. SAASTAMOINEN | LASTING IMPACT

A Year in Review

Total Students

10,141 61%

39%

Female

Male

145,920 Living Alumni

TOP 10 MAJORS

9,028

Economics

Undergraduates

Psychology Government English

1,113

International Relations &

Graduates

History

Global Studies

Plan II Sociology

764 Faculty

3

Health and Society Anthropology

$22,691,144 Received Financial Aid

Total Gifts and Pledges

or Scholarship Support

37.9%

Undergraduates

74.7%

Graduates

3,476 Unique Donors

2,668 Gifts Under $250

5,247 Total Gifts to the College

$100 Median Donor Gift Amount

1,320 First-Time

$5,807,149 Impact From Planned Gifts

Donors

4,364 Unrestricted

20 New Planned Gifts Committed

Gifts

4

Philanthropy

by Designation

FACULTY $1,202,400

STUDENTS $7,817,291

PROGRAMS $7,310,966

RESEARCH $6,360,487

5

Philanthropy

by Entity

INDIVIDUALS $12,008,245

REALIZED BEQUESTS $1,596,255

FOUNDATIONS $3,601,166

FAMILY FOUNDATIONS $3,243,001

CORPORATIONS $1,522,876

OTHER $719,602 6

New Endowments Chair Howard and Wendy Berk Director's Chair in Liberal Arts Honors

Distinguished Professorship Brian F. Bolton Distinguished Professorship in Secular Studies

Faculty Fellowship Robert K. Conklin Faculty Fellowship for Plan II

Graduate Fellowship Clyde Rabb Littlefield Distinguished Graduate Fellows Endowment

Scholarships Chip Kaye Endowed Scholarship in the Dual-Degree Plan II and Canfield Business Honors Program

Dudley and Judy White Oldham Texas Challenge Scholarship

James Everett Key and Betty Wilson Key Endowed Scholarship

John R. Trimble Endowed Scholarship

Judye and John Hartman Endowed Scholarship

Mercedes and Halstead Frost Endowed Scholarship in Plan II

Milton S. Jacobs, M.D. Endowed Scholarship

Peggy Hardaway Beckham Endowed Scholarship

Rebecca A. Lane and Kathleen Williams Scholarship

Program Support Barber Family of Mont Belvieu Endowed Fund in Liberal Arts

Dale Stahl Excellence Fund

Hilda and Greg Curran Excellence Fund in Economics

Jack Miller Center Postdoctoral Fellowship Excellence Fund

Karl Galinsky Excellence Endowment in Classics

Kevyn Kennedy & Chien-Yi Kung Endowed Excellence Fund in Chinese Studies

Lewis Mandell Endowed Excellence Fund in Economics

Lilas and Sam Kinch, Jr. Endowment in Plan II

Madeline C. Sutherland-Meier, PhD and Richard P. Meier, PhD Endowed Excellence Fund for Study Abroad in Spain

Richard N. Adams Endowment for Research on Central America

7

Sharada Krishna Rao Family Kannada Studies Excellence Fund

Spanish Creative Writing Excellence Endowment

New Quarter Century Donors Quarter Century members are donors who have given to the College of Liberal Arts for 25 years or more.

Mrs. Carol E. Bartz Dr. and Mrs. Peter J. Bellis Mr. and Mrs. Taylor V. Cooksey Ms. Rebecca Gonzalez and Mr. P. Douglas Smith Mr. C. O. Gregory, Jr. and Mrs. Janice M. Gregory

Mr. Willie J. Kostka and Mrs. Roberta J. Kostka Mr. Daniel Y. Kruger and Mrs. Lorraine B. Kruger Reverend Marilyn McNaughton Dr. James F. Murphy and Mrs. Marilyn Murphy

Dr. Aveva B. Hahn Shukert

Dr. Raymund A. Paredes

Dr. Reid C. Hartson

Ms. Janet G. Redeker

and Dr. Melinda B. McFarland

Mr. and Mrs. Steven R. Rooks

Dr. Jerald L. Head

Dr. and Mrs. William F. Sanford, Jr.

Mr. Martyn J. Hitchcock

Dr. Christine M. Sierra

and Ms. Joanna Hitchcock Mr. Robert C. Hunter and Mrs. Amanda K. Hunter Mr. Christopher W. Jackson and Mrs. Melinda N. Jackson

Dr. Bartholomew H. Sparrow and Ms. Polly L. Sparrow Mr. Howard W. Townsend Ms. Mary M. Webb Ms. Sarah H. Wieser

8

Dean's Circle Donors The Dean's Circle recognizes donors who provide critical support that allows the College to seize opportunities as it strives toward its goal of advancing excellence in the liberal arts. All members are invited to an annual Dean's Circle event each fall. All giving, of $500 or more, to any area of the College, is counted toward Dean's Circle membership.

Gold Level Donors Mr. and Mrs. Joseph C. Abel

Joan D. Lewis, Ph.D.

Mr. and Mrs. James R. Beckham

Mr. W. Austin Ligon

Mr. and Mrs. John L. Beckham

Drs. Adriana M. Pacheco Roldan

Mr. and Mrs. G. Robert Beckham Howard and Wendy Berk

Ashish and Sameera Mahendru

Barbara and Bill Binder

Ms. Lynn Marderosian

Dr. Brian F. Bolton, Ph.D.

Dr. Steven R. and Melissa (Marrs) May

Mary Braunagel-Brown, Ph.D.

H. Malcolm Macdonald Charitable Trust

The Cain Foundation

Drs. Richard P. Meier

Dr. Guy N. Cameron

and Madeline C. Sutherland-Meier

Mrs. Nancy B. Capra

Mr. J. Mark Metts

Mr. Arthur G. Carpenter

The Milisci Family Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. William R. Childs

The William A. and Elizabeth B. Moncrief Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Michael B. Collins

Mr. and Mrs. James J. Mulva

Mr. Robert K. Conklin

National Philanthropic Trust

Elizabeth Crook and Marc Lewis Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. D. Dudley Oldham

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory S.V. Curran

The Philanthropy Lab

The Dedman Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Patton, Jr.

Dr. Carolyn H. Denham and Mr. Robert E. Denham

James and Ruth Pennebaker

Mr. Martin W. Dies III and Mrs. Darci Dies

The Bernard & Audre Rapoport Foundation

Sharon G. Dies

Mr. Dan I. Rather

William C. Dvorak

Mr. and Mrs. Harry M. Reasoner

Embrey Family Foundation

Roberta Wright Reeves Trust

Dr. and Mrs. Larry R. Faulkner

Mr. and Mrs. Corbin J. Robertson III

Mr. Halstead H. Frost

Mr. and Mrs. J. Brett Robertson

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. William Scanlan, Jr.

Drs. David G. Genecov and Lisa W. Genecov

William & Salome McAllen Scanlan Foundation

Ms. Jo A. Giese and Mr. Ed Warren

Dr. Frank D. Schubert

Dr. Austin M. Gleeson

Mr. and Mrs. Stuart W. Stedman

Mr. Rudolph H. Green and Ms. Joyce K. Christian

and The Stedman West Foundation

Judye and John Hartman

Mr. and Mrs. Eric B. Stumberg

Dr. and Mrs. Gregory L. Hemphill

Mr. Michael Stutzer

Stephen H. Houston and Mimi Houston

The Thomas W. Smith Foundation

Mrs. Linda F. Ivey

Rachael and Ben Vaughan Foundation

Mrs. Patricia H. Kelso

Mr. Robert C. Vaughn and Mrs. Fallon B. Vaughn

Ms. Chien-yi Kung and Mr. Kevyn W. Kennedy

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick P. Walker

Dr. and Mrs. James E. Key II

Mr. Brian G. Waters

Ms. Keary A. Kinch

Mrs. Marilyn M. White

Jeanne and Michael Klein

Drs. James R. Yates and Alba A. Ortiz

Dr. Rebecca A. Lane

9

and Fernando Macias-Garza

Silver Level Donors Mr. Muhannad Abulhasan

Mr. Umesh V. Biradar

Mr. Melvin J. Berning, Jr.

Phil and Sherri Bishop

and Ms. Mary Dell Harrington Mrs. Laura A. Beuerlein and Mr. Stephan D. Beuerlein

Ms. Carla A. Blumberg Mr. and Mrs. William G. Bollinger Ms. Marian L. Brancaccio

Bill and Katie Weaver Charitable Trust

Mr. and Mrs. M. Scott Bresk

HL Burns

Megan Bucy

Charles Butt

Mr. Keith E. Burtner

Cogburn Family Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Caldwell, Jr.

Mr. John L. Crawley

Dr. Beth A. Chambers

Gerald E. Finken Dr. Stephanie L. Kodack and Dr. David A. Garza Douglas and Emily Jacobson

and Mr. James M. Chambers Mr. and Mrs. Coby C. Chase Dr. Stephen L. Chew and Dr. Daisy Y. Wong

Mr. and Mrs. Lenoir M. Josey II

Mr. Michael L. Cooper

Mr. Barron U. Kidd

Ms. Dawn Coronado

Mrs. Judy Rowe Koehl

and The Honorable Santiago Coronado

Doris Fulda Merrifield

Mr. Morris S. Crim

Mr. James W. McBride

Mr. Clark R. Crosnoe

Mr. Morton H. Meyerson

Mrs. Claire Crumbley

Mr. Emeka C. Okoroegbe

and Mr. Alex Crumbley

Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Perkins

The Joan & Keys A. Curry Foundation

Mr. Russell S. Post

Mr. and Mrs. Carl R. Dawson

Mr. and Mrs. Barrett H. Reasoner

Mr. Paul DeCleva, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry M. Reasoner

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Denham

William and Teresa Reynolds

Mr. and Mrs. Jim H. Derryberry

Scott and Marina Ring

Al and Julie Tindall DeVincentis

Drs. Bryan R. and Susan K. Roberts

Ms. Anne H. Dibble

Mr. and Mrs. John F. Schreck

Mr. and Mrs. William L. Docekal

David A. and Susan D. Sheppard

Mr. David A. Donohoe, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Dale O. Stahl II

David L. and Adrienne S. Draper

The Marcus Family Foundation

Mrs. Christine C. Egan

The Morton H. Meyerson Family Foundation

Mrs. Suzanne Ellis

Ms. Marilyn A. White Mr. and Mrs. James E. Yoder

Bronze Level Donors

and Mr. Edward H. Ellis, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Eric O. English Mr. and Mrs. Randall H. Erben Mr. and Mrs. Douglas W. Ferguson

Mr. an Mrs. Christopher R. Abbott

Mr. William P. Frisbie II

Mr. and Mrs. Fields Alexander

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A.C. Fulcher

Mr. Thomas Anthony Andreoli

Mrs. Elizabeth Reding Gambrell

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Appleman

Mr. F. John Garza

Donald P. Atkins, M.D.

Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Gilmer III

Mr. and Mrs. Morton W. Baird II

Stephen and Meggie Gilstrap

Mr. Michael W. Barker

Ms. Carolyn Holt Goldston

Dr. Alexandra L. Barron

Ms. Bianna Golodryga

Ms. Jodi M. Batten-Savoie

and Dr. Peter R. Orzag

10

Mr. and Mrs. Sanford L. Gottesman

Cyrena N. Pondrom, Ph.D.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Graham

Mr. Frederick H. Poppe, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Graves

and Ms. Jana Edwards

James Alexander Green

Dr. and Mrs. Hervey A. Priddy

Ms. Joy Green

Bethel and Jonathan Quander

Ms. Erika L. Griffith

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Rankin

Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Grigsby

Mr. Satish Krishna Rao

Mr. and Mrs. James T. Hanna

Mr. Kevin S. Reed

Dr. Maury N. Harris

Mr. Daniel C. Reel

Ms. Joyce Anne Hendy

Mr. Samuel D. Rhea

Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Hicks

Ms. Caitlin E. Rhodes

Ms. Jane Periman Hilfer

Mrs. Janet K. Richter

Mr. Robert J. Hoodis

Mr. Sean P. Rodriguez

Hunt Family Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. David I. Rosenfield

Mr. and Mrs. David M. Jabour

Ms. Lorin L. Runnels

Mr. William F. Kemp and Ms. Suzon S. Kemp

The Rust Family Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. John C. Kerr

Ms. Lauren M. Salomon

Mr. Robert Kilgore III

Mr. Steve and Mrs. Joyce Sandweiss

Mr. Michael C. Kuhn and Mrs. Lucy Kuhn

Ms. Archana Sastry

Mr. and Mrs. Bradley C. Ladden

Ms. Kimberly M. Schmid

Mr. Ryan L. Latham

Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Schmidt, Jr.

Ms. Virginia Lebermann

Ms. Leslie Shaunty

and the Lebermann Foundation

and Mr. Robert M. Topp

Dr. James D. Lehmann, M.D.

Celeste Sheppard, M.D.

Mr. Bradley S. Lewis and Ms. Lori Wittlin

Drs. Dina M. and Joel F. Sherzer

Mr. and Mrs. Campbell C. Lewis

Donald and Emily Simpson

Ms. Amy C. Liss

Warren Skaaren Charitable Trust

Mr. Lee G. Litzler

Alden Smith, Ph.D.

Mr. Joe R. Long and Dr. Teresa L. Long

Ms. Pamela M. Giblin

Drs. David and Jane Malin

Mr. Robert B. Smith

Dr. Arthur Markman and Ms. Leora Orent

Mr. and Mrs. Will Snyder

Dr. and Mrs. G. Sealy Massingill

Dr. Michael B. Stoff

Mr. and Mrs. Murray J. McCabe Mr. and Mrs. Andrew R. McFarland Dr. Melinda B. McFarland and Dr. Reid C. Hartson

and Ms. Raquel Schuster Mr. William F. Stutts, Jr. and Ms. Susan P. Campbell The Susser Family Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Byron M. McKnight II

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Tschurr

Kimberly E. Monday, M.D.

Dr. Thomas A. Van Hoose

Dr. Othon M. Moreno Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey L. Wade

Mr. Benjamin J. Nale

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Wagner

Mr. and Mrs. Albert G. Nance III

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Wagner

Mr. and Mrs. Howard D. Nirken

Ms. Diana J. Walters

Mrs. Janis C. Nooteboom

Mr. J. Thomas Ward

Ms. Susan G. Palombo

Mr. W. Thomas Weir

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin L. Pardue

Dale and Mendi West

Dr. Vimala C. Pasupathi, Ph.D.

Mr. and Mrs. John F. Wombwell

Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Phaneuf

Dr. Chang-Po Yang

11

Student Emergency Fund On March 25, The University of Texas at Austin launched a fundraising effort to support our students who are in need of emergency support due to the COVID-19 crisis. The Student Emergency Fund (SEF) helped fill the needs for students in crisis. The funds were used to help with

rent,

internet

services,

and

to

purchase

laptops

so

that

students

could

transition

to

attending class online.

"I am very thankful for the assistance that I received from the Black Studies Dept. [SEF], and appreciate them for giving back to students during an unprecedented time of need. The assistance I received was a huge relief.”

- Amy

"Seemingly overnight I lost my part-time job and the ability to attend class in-person. The SEF came to my aid when I was not sure if graduation was realistic, considering how I would pay my bills and survive. This aid was a life changer, and I thank everyone who contributed to this fund."

- Samuel

“I was laid-off in late March of 2020. The emergency funds I received didn’t go towards school, but instead helped me pay my rent in Austin. Without it I wouldn’t be able to continue school.”

- Jack

"The UT SEF has been a big help through all of this. In addition to rent, [the fund] also helped students who lack technological resources, such as an adequate computer or wifi, to receive assistance. Again, thank you so much for all of your help. I am truly grateful."

-Janèe

(circulatory) health and oxygenation of the brain that are

aggravated by exposure to environmental toxins

and other insults to the brain. We are developing noninvasive interventions that focus on increasing brain oxygenation and vascular supply. These non-invasive interventions are able to energize the brain, enhance its cognitive functions and protect it against agingrelated decline and environmental toxins. Two of our promising

interventions

are

low-level

infrared

laser

stimulation of the brain and low-dose administration of methylene blue. able

to

They are both safe interventions

produce

cognitive

enhancement

and

neuroprotection in laboratory animals and in young healthy adults. We are now testing them with older adults who have cognitive impairment and dementia.

Q. Have you had any surprising or unexpected discoveries in your research?

A.

Francisco Gonzalez-Lima, Ph.D.

The most surprising and unexpected discoveries in

our Alzheimer’s research took place when we directly investigated the fresh-frozen brains from Alzheimer’s patients.

PROFESSOR INTERVIEW

brains

Previous

that

had

brain

been

research

preserved

had with

focused fixatives

on that

destroyed their biochemical activities. In fresh-frozen brains, my former graduate student Jon Valla and I

Q. Would you mind telling us a little more about your remarkable research on Alzheimer’s disease?

found that amyloid plaques and tau tangles were not related

to

the

progression

of

Alzheimer’s

disease.

Most importantly, we found that the main problem was the inhibition of a mitochondrial enzyme called

A.

Our brain research is providing novel means to

facilitate against most

cognitive

neurodegenerative

common

Alzheimer’s

the

example, elderly

type

of

research disease

the

that

conditions,

The is

called

to

type

called most

prevalent

ideas

people

disease.

They

that

are

is

also

two

different

the

common

type

of

early-onset

dementia.

Alzheimer’s

research

these

wrong

not

hereditary

Therefore, and

all

the

interventions

energy,

inhibition ability

eventually

to

of

this

use

enzyme

oxygen

causing

to

cognitive

impairment, tissue atrophy and death of brain cells.

human brain as a way to enhance brain oxygenation,

with

in

older

Furthermore, the common type of dementia

found in older people is

The

brain’s

on

Alzheimer’s

found

generate

the

not

diseases,

dementia

functioning.

is

Amyloid plaques and tau tangles are not the cause

people.

brain

compromises

The interventions that we have been developing focus

different causes and affecting different age groups.

of

for

the

disease

called

the oxygen consumption needed to generate energy

of

related to the other rare type of dementia found in younger

cytochrome oxidase. This enzyme is responsible for

For

wrong.

dementia

Alzheimer’s

the

with

proven

of

as

dementia

the

been

protect

such

problem

that

have

common is

and

late-onset

disease.

Alzheimer’s about

enhancement

as

the

previous

based

on

ideas have failed. The number one risk

increasing

cytochrome

oxidase

activity

in

the

and thereby prevent cognitive decline and dementia.

Q. When you were a student, was there a particular professor that inspired you along the way?

A.

When I was a student of Biology and Psychology at

Tulane University, New Orleans, I conducted research for

my

Dunlap,

Honors Arnold

particular,

Dr.

Thesis A.

supervised

Gerall

King’s

and

teachings

by Joan

Drs.

Janis

L.

C.

King.

In

about

the

brain

Alzheimer’s

inspired me to study the brain. During my last summer

disease, is aging. The cognitive decline taking place

at Tulane, I also worked in the neuroendocrinology

as

laboratory of Dr. Andrew V. Schally, who later that

factor

we

for

late-onset

grow

older

dementia,

and

the

called

subsequent

dementia

experienced by an increasing number of older people

year earned a Nobel Prize. These

are caused by chronic decrements in vascular

experiences

13

enriching

research

at Tulane convinced me to pursue a

research career in neuroscience.

sacrifice, about scientific research and about the importance of devoting your life to goals that are

Q. Do you have a memorable teaching moment you would like to share with us?

A.

I

have

because

lots

I

of

have

memorable

been

teaching

blessed

to

larger than yourself.

Q. How does private support help your research?

moments

teach

and

do

A.

The cognitive enhancing and brain research we

research with outstanding students during my long

conduct

career, first in Puerto Rico, then at Texas A&M, and

supporters

finally at UT where I have been teaching for thirty

research is based on thinking “outside the box”;

years.

that

My

most

memorable

moment

related

to

depends

is,

for

it

is

a

the

very

generosity

important

paradigm

shift

private

promoting

bold

Arizona, to spend the summer collecting brains of

rejects failed scientific dogmas about Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s

disease and cognitive decline. This type of frontier

with

my

graduate

students.

research

then we had to quickly remove the brain from the

institutions

head.

traditional

This

directly

experience

teach

only

to

Alzheimer’s

researchers

governmental still

include

committed

to

greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn more

of

about Alzheimer’s, the misconceptions that abound

precious

brain

to

by

panels

students but was a way to teach about the ethics the

human

served

funded review

and

failed ideas about Alzheimer’s disease. My donors

and

the

not

rarely whose

ideas

my

research

about

has

is

conventional

Our

research

Sometimes we arrived at the moment of death, and

shatters

of

reason.

Alzheimer’s disease was when I traveled to Sun City,

patients

that

on

a

contributions

to

science made by the patients who donated their

and

brains for the benefit of humanity.

most medical professionals. Alzheimer’s disease as

to

discard

the

pessimistic

outlook

given

by

it appears in the elderly is a preventable disease, it

Q. How does your research inform your teaching?

is not inherited, and there are promising ways to combat it.

A. In the past, I experienced memorable moments in research when we collected and analyzed brains donated

by

Alzheimer’s

patients

and

healthy

Q. What are you reading right now? Any recommendations for us?

elderly. These research opportunities have inspired and informed my teaching efforts. Nowadays we

A.

depend on young and old people volunteering to

Point: A Vascular Approach to Clinical Prevention”

participate in our clinical trials. As we continue to

written by Jack C. de la Torre, MD, PhD, a former

investigate brain

adjunct professor at UT. You will find in this book

learning and enrich our the

other cognitive functions, our findings

teaching. Through this research I have

unique

volunteers

interventions to enhance memory,

opportunity

and

to

teach

to my

meet

wonderful

undergraduate

and

graduate students about human suffering and

I

recommend

detailed

the

explanations

evidence

against

the

book

of

“Alzheimer’s

overwhelming

failed

amyloid

Turning

scientific and

tau

hypothesis of Alzheimer’s, and descriptions of the new

views

prevention.

and

promising

early

interventions

for

A. Perhaps one of earliest surprises came up on a ride along I went on while conducting research with the Los

Angeles

Police

Department

(LAPD)

for

my

new

book, Predict and Surveil: Data, Discretion and the Future of Policing. I was accustomed to the police enthusiastically embracing a lot of new technological tools they could use for surveillance. However, near the

end

of

manually

this

type

Considering

ride

his

how

along,

location

I

noticed

into

his

technologically

the

sergeant

in-car

laptop.

advanced

the

department was in many other ways, I told him I was surprised that there wasn’t an automated mechanism for tracking the location of patrol cars. He explained that

there

equipped pinged

actually

with

the

an

was—every

automatic

location

seconds—but

of

police

vehicle

each

unit

was

locator

that

vehicle

every

five

the vehicle locators weren’t turned on

because of resistance from the police union. It was in that moment that I started to understand how the police

don’t

always

embrace

new

surveillance

technologies; they sometimes resist when the tech is turned on them.

Sarah Brayne, Ph.D. PROFESSOR INTERVIEW

Q. Your research on technology and the criminal justice system has received national attention in multiple news publications and research journals. Would you mind sharing a brief description of your research?

A.

I use qualitative and quantitative methods to study

how big data is used in the criminal legal system. Over the past century, the US criminal legal system—from the police to the prisons—has expanded dramatically.

Q. How does your research inform your teaching?

More recently, we’ve seen an explosion of interest in big data, or the computational analysis of massive and

A.

diverse

make

invisible social and technological practices that serve

predictions. Law enforcement has started leveraging

to exacerbate existing inequalities in society. Similarly,

the vast troves of digital data we leave in our wake as

in my undergraduate teaching, I work hard to try and

we go about our everyday lives. However, there is very

shed light on taken-for-granted social practices like

little research on how the police use big data and with

gender socialization that shape people’s lives but are

what consequences. That’s what I focus on in my work.

hidden in plain sight. For graduate teaching, it means

I ask, how do the police use big data for surveillance,

uncovering the "hidden curriculum,” or, unwritten rules

how do people react when they are surveilled, and

of academia. I think a major barrier to diversity, equity,

what are the consequences of police use of big data

and

for crime, law, and social inequality?

knowledge, so I am careful to always show students

datasets

to

automate

decisions

and

In my research, I focus on uncovering the often-

inclusion

concrete

Q. Were you surprised by any of the findings in your research?

15

in

examples

higher

of

education

things

like

is

assumed

journal

article

submissions, acceptances, and rejections, to try and demystify academia and the research process.

Q. In 2017, you and your graduate students, created the Texas Prison Education Initiative (TPEI), which offers college-level classes for inmates.

Was there a particular moment during your student career, or while teaching, that inspired this idea?

A.

One

of

graduate volunteer

my

favorite

student teach

moments

told

in

me

prison.

was

she She

when

wanted was

a

a to

quiet

student, but she came alive when she taught with TPEI. I vividly remember sitting in the back of the classroom watching her teach for the first time.

She had so much skill and passion and was able

A.

I started volunteer teaching college classes in

to connect with students in a way that helped

prisons while I was a PhD student at Princeton.

them

After

phenomenon

teaching

my

first

class,

I

knew

it

was

something I wanted to commit more time and

more

deeply she

understand was

the

explaining.

sociological It

was

an

incredible educational moment to watch.

energy to. The students were so engaged and eager to learn, and I learned so much from them.

Q. How does private support help your research?

When I moved to UT in 2016, I wanted to continue teaching having

in

the

country,

there

education students

prisons. largest was

program.

Lindsay

established

However, prison

TPEI.

no So,

Bing By

despite

population

campus-wide alongside

and

A.

I

am

Tellez,

I

educational

individual

Dickson

mass

donations

through

Hornraiser

for

the

Texas Prison Education Initiative. We run entirely on

private

possible.

underpinning

Raymond

has supported my research as well many generous

of

issues

the

prison

makes

key

to

Centennial Endowed Teaching Fellowship which

opportunities in prisons, we hope to address one the

grateful

the

graduate

Armando

increasing

Texas in

donations,

access

to

a

UT

so

donor

education

support

truly

behind

bars

incarceration in the first place—structural barriers to educational access.

Q. Have you had a favorite classroom moment that you would like to share with us?

Q. What are reading right now? Whether for fun or related to your research and/or teaching.

A. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

AKA Scholars Black Diaspora Archive Internship WRITTEN BY ZARIA SAWDIJAH EL-FIL

I was only six years old when I felt the blow that I would

later

read

so

aptly

expressed

by

James

Baldwin: “It comes as a great shock to discover that the country, which is your birthplace, and to which you owe your life and your identity has not in its whole system of reality involved any place for you.�

But I wouldn't understand the implications of this meditation university, through

on

identity

when

my

I

saw

until my

coursework

my

first

year

experiences

in

African

of

mirrored

and

African

Diaspora Studies. I was continuously encouraged to think critically about archives and historiography.

After my Junior year, the question remained for me as to how I could perform the intellectual labor of producing directly impactful work that dedicates care

to

the

insignificant

lived by

experiences

U.S.

of

educational

those

deemed

institutions.

The

AKA Scholars Black Diaspora Archive Internship has continuously

demonstrated

a

commitment

to

answering this question and critically examining the connection between archiving and social justice.

When

I

excited

started to

my

year-long

contribute

my

skills

internship, to

I

was

processing

the

John L. Warfield and Omi Jones Collection. I deeply admire both scholars and got to see their trajectory from

childhood

through

their

Additionally, exhibition

to

highly

documents

I

had

the

for

the

acclaimed and

intellectuals

personal

opportunity

to

Gordon-White

items.

curate

Building.

an The

exhibition idea came from the robust materials in the

archive

documenting

Black

student

activism

throughout history. I was inspired by the political action of the students and wanted to celebrate their efforts by curating an exhibit honoring them. I believe that it is important to look to the past in order to envision new futures. I hoped that Black students

on

campus

would

be

inspired

by

the

trailblazers of the past that secured the present benefits

they

encourage

experience.

more

political

Moreover, action

I

to

want make

campus a safe place for future generations.

it

to the

Rachel Winston was a generous supervisor and

governance has been indispensable in all of my

taught

current endeavors.

me

the

archive’s

administrative cataloging.

Rachel

In

addition,

she

ins

to I

and

was

–

from

able

to

observe

The

African

and

African

Department

encourages

experiential

learning

ambitions.

practice.

am

felt

though

guidance

supported

I

was

was

new

incredibly

graduate

and

students

I

encouraged

outs

digitization

and community members in their archive related

even

as

tasks

in

everything

to

wasn’t

engaging

in

working

rigorous

on

pursue

grateful

into

Her

education I have received as well as the many

allowed

opportunities that have contributed greatly to my

and

immensely

to

theory

did,

for

the

success. Donors massively impact programs, such as

I

turns

I

me to succeed in all of my tasks.

When

students

that

Studies

archiving.

detailed

I

Diaspora

cataloging,

AKA

Scholars

Black

Diaspora

Archive

Internship — with support provided by the Alpha

various

Kappa Alpha Delta Chapter Legacy Scholarship — which gives students the opportunity to take an

my favorite talks was I Just Want to Be a Student:

active

The

classroom. Thanks to donors, I was able to directly

of

Black

at

the

was

Brown Bag Lunch and Discussion series. One of

Experience

conversations

I

Students

in

the

role

their

and

was

moderated

included

by

insights

Dr.

from

my

work

with

more

Alessandro de Oliveira dos Santos and Andrés

understanding

Eduardo

critical methodologies.

Aguirre

Antúnez.

Being

given

the

of

rigor

archiving

the

develop as an aspiring historian. I now approach

discussion

of

of

Brazil.

Smith

aspects

outside

learn

The

various

education

Academic Environment at São Paulo University,

Christen

about

in

and

scholarship,

a

activism,

and

larger and

opportunity to learn from scholars from all over the world on topics related to race and racial

Photo Credits: Trent Lesikar, School of Undergraduate Studies

18

the area of African American psychology, which simply stated means using an insider approach which focuses on African Americans and centers their experiences in the construction of knowledge. A theme of much of my research

is

understanding

the

psychological

and

environmental factors that impact African American student achievement. My research program resulted in me

writing

the

book

“The

Myth

of

Black

Anti-

Intellectuaism: A True Psychology of African American Students”, narrative

which

challenged

regarding

Black

the

student

deficit-based

achievement.

In

many ways my research and scholarship are a defense of Black students and Black culture which informs how I approach

my

teaching.

For

example,

when

I

teach

Psychology of the African American Experience, I am able

to

draw

from

my

research

to

help

students

understand why the narrative about Black students not valuing

school

or

education

is

without

merit.

My

research on the impostor phenomenon reminds me in the classroom that there are many students, especially those from racial and ethnic minority groups, who feel like impostors and thus need the assurances of me as their professor that they belong here and I believe in their potential and capabilities.

Q. When did you know that you wanted to teach? Would you mind sharing this with us?

Kevin Cokley, Ph.D.

A.

PROFESSOR INTERVIEW

This

is

a

good

question!

I

first

came

to

the

realization that I wanted to teach, and specifically be a university professor, when I was a master’s student in a counselor education program. My original goal was

Q. Would you mind telling us a little bit about your work as the Director of Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis (IUPRA)?

to

work

in

student

affairs,

and

eventually

be

the

Director of what used to be called Minority Affairs on some

college

campus.

I

was

taking

a

Multicultural

Counseling class in my first year of the program and

A.

As

Director

administrative

of

IUPRA,

leader

I

am

who

the

intellectual

establishes

the

and

goals,

was

totally

captivated

about issues related

class.

was

racial

multicultural research such as Derald Wing Sue, Janet

and

Helms,

to

inform

legislative

and

Thomas

Parham.

influential

learning

and

staff. I lead an organization that uses empirical data research

about

I

racism,

identity

policy

reading

the

race,

objectives, and priorities of IUPRA and supervises all

conducts

and

by

to

Sitting

in

scholars

that

of

class,

I

African

began to envision myself one day doing the type of

Americans/Black people as well as other populations

work those scholars did and teaching other students

of

like myself about this work. That is when I knew I was

policies

that

color

and

specifically

people

living

affect

in

poverty.

The

core

objectives of IUPRA include (a) identifying, describing, analyzing

and

critiquing

disproportionately

impact

public African

policies

that

Americans/Black

people, other populations of color and people living in poverty (b) producing research (e.g., policy briefs, issue

destined to teach and be a university professor.

Q. How have you and your students been adapting to this new digital learning environment?

public

A. It has definitely been challenging. My teaching style

commentaries (e.g., op-eds) on important policy and

is one of high energy. When I teach in person I am

social

often very animated, and I move around quite a bit. I

briefs,

numbers

issues

people, improving

and

briefs,

relevant (c)

public

Americans/Black

one-pagers),

to

African

providing policies

people,

to other

and

Americans/Black on

have tried to figure out how to translate my energetic

African

style to the digital learning environment, and I would

recommendation better

serve

populations

of

color

and people living in poverty.

say that I have had varying degrees of success. Of course

I

won’t

truly

know

how

my

students

have

adapted until I see my course evaluations. One way

Q. How does your research inform your teaching?

that I have truly benefitted from using Zoom is

that in

some ways it has actually made my teaching more

A. My research program uses an emic approach in the 19

personal. I am notoriously bad at learning the names of

all my students. I try but it is not a strength of mine.

Test" where I showed pictures of traditional, hearty

When I’m teaching in person, I often only call students

plates of soul food juxtaposed

by name who talk a lot and are really engaged. For

portioned, “fancy food.” The students are asked to

those quieter students who don’t talk much, sadly it is

choose which picture of food they preferred. Next, I

much

The

showed pictures of “dressing” and “stuffing,” and ask

the

students which word was used in their home growing

names of the students with their faces (assuming their

up. Finally, I show a picture of sweet potato pie and

cameras are on) at all times. This has made it much

pumpkin pie and ask the students to choose which one

easier for me to call students by their names, which

they prefer. This is a very light-hearted activity which

makes

always brings a lot of smiles to the students’ faces,

harder

wonderful

for

thing

really

believe

that

Occasionally technical

to

about

teaching

students

me

more

learn

Zoom

intimate

appreciate students

some

of

difficulties

is

names.

I

can

For

will

I

know

see

personal. the

adapted

them

which

that

and

this.

have

their

most

I

think

part

I

allows

the

class

to

bond

photos of small

over

both

their

quite

well.

similarities as well as to appreciate their differences

experience

some

across race, ethnicity, and culture. Food is central to

is

frustrating

for

them (e.g., dropped internet signal, audio difficulties).

However, these experiences have been infrequent, and overall I believe that the students have adapted well.

Q. It has been an especially tough year. Have you had any classroom moments of lightness or joy that bring you hope?

A.

and

with

all cultures, and is the common bond that brings us all together.

Q. How does private support help your research?

A.

Private support has been very helpful for me and

my research. I have been fortunate enough to have received

private

support

in

the

form

of

endowed

professorships from both the College of Liberal Arts, Well, there certainly have not been many classroom

moments

of

lightness

or

joy.

The

class

that

I

am

Harold C. and Alice T. Nowlin Regents Professorship in Liberal Arts,

and the Oscar and Anne Mauzy Regents

currently teaching, "Politics of Black Identity," is a fairly

Professor for Educational Research and Development,

intense class that surveys the diversity and politics of

where I have a joint appointment in the College of

Black identities and critically analyzes the idea that the

Education.

behaviors, attitudes, and philosophies of certain Black

professorships

celebrities,

or

elevated my professional stature and given me the

advance Black progress. We discuss very serious topics

support needed to focus on my research, scholarship,

in

and outreach activities.

that

leaders,

class,

and

and

there

intellectuals

have

undermine

definitely

been

some

intense and heated discussions in the class. I think the most light-hearted moment came recently when the topic was soul food. This lecture is always timed to coincide with the Thanksgiving holiday. The point of the lecture is to one

eats

“authentic”

understand how soul food, and whether

it

or

Black

not,

contributes

identity.

I

to

started

notions the

Being has

the

recipient

been

an

of

honor

these and

endowed

has

further

Q. What you are reading right now? Whether for fun or related to your research and/or teaching.

A.

I recently finished reading Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book

of

an

“Between the World and Me.” I have plans on reading

lecture

by

Barack Obama’s new book “A Promised Land.”

administering what I humorously called a “Black Identity

Ĺ?

a specific historical episode, the Ak

incident (also

known as the story of the 47 ronin). Second, the game

had

to

have

clear

educational

payoff

that

could provide a window into the difficult life of a low-ranking samurai family in the eighteenth century.

Third,

the

game

had

to

be

developed

on

zero

budget, using only free, publicly available platforms and software without purchasing game assets.

The result of the experiment was impressive: a deep learning experience for the students, who combined extensive research, multiple disciplines and different technologies, Ako:

A

to

Tale

produce

of

contemporary

a

Loyalty,

fully that

scholarship.

By

functional was the

game,

hooked end

of

to the

semester in May 2020, the game was distributed to beta-testers who provided feedback.

In September

2020, it was used for the first time in a university

Adam Clulow, Ph.D.

setting as an educational resource and it will soon be released on commercial platforms where it will

PROFESSOR INTERVIEW

be available for download at no charge.

Q. We are 10 months into the pandemic, the majority of classes have been moved online, and it is as though your class was designed for this moment. Tell us about how your Digital Humanities class came about.

A.

In Spring 2020, I recruited four students for a

specialized

Digital

Humanities

internship.

The

internship was built around a single question: Could four

History

majors

design

a

fully

functional,

historically accurate video game across the course of a single semester.

The internship was driven, first, by an awareness of the dramatic growth of the video games industry in recent years and, second, by a sense that History

As an educator, it was remarkable to watch a group

departments including our own needed to engage

of

more closely with what has become a key conduit

immersive historical experience over the course of a

for students in our classes.

semester. Such experiments show how video games can

After

21

an

call

applications

be

viewed

as

zero

something

and

build

more

than

up

just

an

a

interviews, I recruited four students, Ashley Gelato,

Instead, used properly, video games can provide a

Michael Rader, Izellah Wang and Alex Aragon, for a

highly effective vehicle for learning about the past.

semester long Digital Humanities internship focused

At UT, the experiment was so successful that it led

on

directly

story-telling,

followed

from

distraction separated from the core study of history.

design,

for

start

by

game

open

students

programming,

and

to

the

creation

which

aims

of

to

Epoch:

develop

History

history. The game to be developed was constrained

Initiative,

a

by a set of guidelines. First, it had to be built around

historical games over the coming years.

Games

pipeline

of

Q. Tell us about the Digital Humanities; how does it work as an interactive teaching tool?

if I couldn’t do something similar (on a far smaller scale) for my classroom — that is, make a large quantity of information related to the trial I was

A.

Digital

Humanities

is

a

capacious

term

that

working

on

freely

available

and

see

if

students

means different things to different people. For me,

would respond in the same way by digging into

Digital Humanities is at its best when it emphasizes

these

“making,

conclusions.

connecting,

interpreting,

and

sources

and

putting

Working

and

New

Roy

their

own

Rosenzweig

Center

represents the best of Digital Humanities: students

Mason University, I built an interactive website, The

working on a collaborative project that can then

Amboyna Conspiracy Trial, designed to do just that.

be distributed to classrooms around the world.

At the heart of the site is an interactive trial engine

A. When I did my doctorate, Digital Humanities was

History

forward the

collaborating”. To me the Spring 2020 internship

Q. Do you have a memorable teaching moment you would like to share with us?

for

with

Media

at

George

which places students at the center of the case. To make a complex trial more accessible, we boiled the controversy down to six key questions that have to be answered one way or the other in order to come

to

a

verdict.

For

each

question,

the

site

just emerging as a set of skills and I paid very little

presents the arguments mobilized by both sides,

attention to it.

the prosecution and defense, in conjunction with

I wrote my first book much as a

scholar might have done at any point in the past

the

century by diving deep into archives and thinking of

documents

most

important

a largely academic audience. The key shift came

distinguished trial attorney. In addition, we created

for me when I became stuck as I attempted to

a

write my second book.

documents,

large

and

pieces

legal

repository which

of

of

evidence,

commentary

additional

students

can

related

from

material

work

a

and

through

at

their own pace to support their conclusions.

My research project at this time focused on the Amboyna

(Amboina)

controversial

legal

conspiracy

trial

that

case,

took

place

on

a

After hundreds of hours of consultation, design, and

a

construction,

the

website

went

live.

Students

remote island in Indonesia but involved a global list

worked through the materials, completed the trial

of

engine, and then arrived at class ready to debate

characters

English

including

officials,

Dutch

Japanese

South Asia and local polities. controversial, pages

of

the

case

frequently

mercenaries,

merchants,

slaves

from

Because it was so

generated

contradictory

thousands court

different

dizzying

versions

of

Rashomon-like

interpretations,

the

case

reaching

of

their

complete,

conclusions.

we

made

When

the

these

website

tests

publicly

of

available, and since then thousands of visitors from across the world have worked through it, with their

creates

kaleidoscope

making

defend

were

records,

depositions and other materials. Putting together the

and

verdicts all recorded in our database.

a

possible

The

sort

pulling them deep into complicated material and

any

of

conclusion very difficult.

site

had

an

immediate

impact

on

students,

stimulating impassioned and productive debate in big lecture courses and seminars. Although some

After almost a decade of research on the case, I

students tossed off a verdict after racing through

decided that I had to try something different. My

the materials, many others confided to me that they

breakthrough

had become engrossed by the details of the trial,

came

when

I

noticed

that

all

my

students in Australia were talking about a different

trawling

trial that had taken place some years earlier. What

again and again to key points. I used the exercise

I

most

was

witnessing

was

the

remarkable

worldwide

response to the groundbreaking first season of the podcast Serial, which focused on a 1999 murder case in Baltimore. I watched in wonder as students, who were previously reluctant to engage with legal materials, dissected new pieces of evidence, often devoting

hour

after

hour

to

the

details

of

a

through

recently

the

in

a

sources

Spring

and

coming

2020

class

back

where

students delved deep into the Amboina case.

Q. Tell us about your current research projects, and what sparked your interest in this topic?

A.

I am currently working on a second DH project,

decades-old case. The average Serial episode was

Virtual Angkor, which was built from the ground up

downloaded over 3 million times and it generated

for

a

Virtual

tremendous response as the public logged vast

numbers of hours

working through the key pieces

of evidence. Listening to Serial, I began to wonder

the

classroom.

History

Historians

at

Constructed

Specialists, Monash

by

a

team

Archaeologists

University

in

of

and

Melbourne,

Flinders University in Adelaide and the University of

22

Texas at Austin across a period of more than ten years, the Virtual Angkor project aims to recreate the

Q. How does your research inform your teaching?

sprawling Cambodian metropolis of Angkor at the

A.

height of the Khmer Empire’s power and influence

example of how Digital Humanities projects impacted

around 1300. Although it has been used for research,

both

Virtual Angkor was constructed specifically for the

Humanities

classroom and can be used at both secondary and

especially

tertiary

levels.

tools

and

go

project

teaching.

the

Amboyna

sophisticated

or

As website

is

an

Digital is

not

technologically

case and the classroom more generally. First, having

premodern city to life, to place students on its streets

dozens

and

material proved a revelation for me. By homing in on

interact

Virtual

research

Trial

demanding, but it changed my approach to both the

to

advanced

my

Conspiracy

Reality

them

deploys

Amboina

technology, 3D Modeling and Animation to bring a

allow

It

The

with

a

historical

environment.

of

pairs

of

new

eyes

examining

familiar

points that I had dismissed too quickly and forcing me to defend lazy assumptions in class, these students

Most Asian history survey courses make reference to

helped me think through the mass of evidence. All of

Angkor but the standard black and white illustrations

this fed into my book which was published last year.

featured in textbooks make it difficult for students to

Second,

gain a sense of the scale and grandeur of the city.

retrying the case in seminar after seminar was one of

The Virtual Angkor project allows educators to place

the most satisfying experiences of my teaching career

students inside the Angkor Wat complex, to view the

and it made me want to incorporate such exercises

famous bas-reliefs first hand without leaving their

into all my classrooms.

seats, to sail down one of the hundreds of canals crisscrossing the city, to inspect a marketplace selling goods from across Southeast Asia and to watch as

it

changed

the

way

I

taught.

Trying

and

Q. How does private support help your research?

thousands of animated people and processions enter,

A.

exit, and circulate around the complex.

The result is

have

been

to draw students into a virtual world and then to use

from

my

this experience as a jumping off point to engage with

would have been impossible to move forward on this

primary sources.

project.

Digital

Humanities fortunate

department

projects to

require

receive

and

resources.

consistent

donors.

Without

I

support this,

it

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Students

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the

classroom

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and

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This year participation levels were lower than in previous years due to COVID-19. All Maymesters and Summer programs were cancelled and the majority of COLA students study abroad during those terms.

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What made you want to be a Longhorn and a Plan II major?

When I was looking to apply for universities, rather than a clear idea of the one thing I ‘wanted to be when I grew up’, I had a laundry list with a multitude of

subjects

and

industries

in

which

I

was

rather

interested. I was lucky to have someone from my high school attend Plan II, so I had heard of the program through

him.

The

broad

curriculum,

the

small

classroom sizes, the access to terrific faculty, and all the student organizations and opportunities a large research institution has to offer drew me in to UT. When I visited the University, I was particularly keen on walking the forty-plus acres from one corner of campus

to

another,

the

lush

greenness

of

the

campus nestled inside bustling metropolitan Austin and all the city has to offer, and having only a fourhour bus ride to see my parents as the rest of my family live across an ocean back home in Finland.

What did you gain from a liberal arts education?

Plan II isn’t a one-track path to law school, grad school, or a specific career. Rather, it opens up a tremendous number of doors for you—and you get to choose which ones to peek behind—and teaches you the

skills

needed

to

succeed

across

a

variety

of

professions. The curriculum requires you to write a significant

amount

concisely

state

coursework

which

your

hones

reasoning.

allows

you

to

your The

ability

to

breadth

of

understand

the

fundamentals of a variety of disciplines and have conversations with anyone from any field. The course content is created not to teach you how to memorize facts or formulas but to refine your ability to critically consider arguments, listen to multiple points of view, and validate claims. The opportunity to take classes with fantastic professors in their specific areas of interest

allows

you

to

explore

what

you

found

interesting. Beyond the classroom, the Plan II Honors program

afforded

me

opportunities

to

test-drive

work I was interested in, such as interning at the Harry Ransom Center for Humanities Research. This broad engagement in multiple disciplines combined with internships and research projects helped me to better figure out some of the focus areas for my career. For me personally, not only did the program help

me

figure

professors,

and

out the

my

passions,

Plan

II

staff

but all

my

peers,

personally

supported me in pursuing my passions, both during college and even after graduation. u L i h Ci h C : ti d e r C o t o h P

Sara M. Saastamoinen

Please tell us a little bit about what you do now.

After

graduation,

I

joined

Deloitte’s

consulting

practice and specialized in the firm’s organization transformation work. For three years, I served

international humanitarian aid and children’s poverty NGOs,

U.S.-based

advocacy

and

literacy

organizations, and higher education institutions. The scope

of

my

work

ranged

from

cyber

security

change management to global technology adoption across more than 90 countries in five regions.

After a few years on the road, I moved to Brooklyn and currently lead a nonprofit auxiliary to Bellevue Hospital, the nation’s first public hospital and the largest public hospital in New York City. During my tenure, I wrote the nonprofit’s first strategic plans to build

a

solid

authored

foundation

and

and

launched

expand

its

inaugural

base,

advocacy

campaigns around the family separation crisis and the

public

charge

proposal,

and

shepherded

in

much-needed financial stability by identifying and mitigating shortfall.

a

nearly

The

partnering

three-quarter

best

with

part

our

of

million

my

hospital’s

job

historical

has

expert

Photo Credit: Ruyi Yao

been

leaders

to

refine their program strategy and develop, evaluate, and expand their programs sustainably.

How did private support impact your student career?

How do you apply what you learned in the College to your career path?

During my undergraduate studies, I worked at two or

I’ve been able to apply much of what I learned in the classroom to my work, whether it be in the nonprofit space or consulting for clients. Through the College I learned

there

are

always

100

nuanced

ways

to

approach a specific issue; a variety of stakeholders have

differing

viewpoints,

methodologies,

and

biases; and the best thing we can do for our world is to

provide

access

for

others,

whether

it

be

to

insights and research we have generated ourselves or to resources and support in the community.

My

journey

to

understand

national,

and

global

people’s

lives

throughout

continue

to

do

so

how

the

institutions the

today,

have

and

local,

affected how

how

they

they

are

continuously being modeled by multiple actors fully took

root

at

the

University.

The

classes

I

took

illuminated the interconnections between the many systems

that

healthcare,

affect

from

our

the

lives

legal

from

system

immigration to

public

to

and

private education, and from the criminal system to the

economy.

The

comprehensive

liberal

arts

education I received at UT cultivated my intellectual curiosity, imagination, and stamina to consider what could be most probable futures 50 to 100 years from now—good or bad—and what each would mean for humanity.

afford my education and living expenses. Even as affordable

as

UT

can

be

compared

to

other

universities of the same high caliber, I wouldn’t have been

able

everything

to I

stretch

wanted

the to,

dollars

from

I

earned

studying

to

do

abroad

to

conducting extensive thesis research. The support of two dozen donors provided me with the opportunities to study art history throughout Italy, to conduct onsite research at Indiana University’s Lilly Library for my senior honors thesis, and to help cover the costs of books, tuition, and room and board for much for my

many

ages,

three part-time jobs on campus every semester to

undergraduate career.

You have already started giving back to the College. What inspires you to give?

If it weren’t for those who had given to the College before me, I wouldn’t have been able to do much of what made my undergraduate career special to me. I want

to

live

in

a

world

where

all

students

can

graduate without massive student debt, can afford to study

abroad

(ideally

more

than

once!),

and

can

focus their time on their studies, research, volunteer activities,

and

on-campus

leadership—without

needing to work part-time, full-time, or night jobs to afford lunch. I’m happy to donate from my earnings to help make that a reality for UT students.

26

website: liberalarts.utexas.edu phone: 512-232-8143 The College of Liberal Arts The University of Texas at Austin 116 Inner Campus Dr., Stop G6000 Austin, TX 78712