Global Engagement 2018–2020
Photo courtesy of Ryan Ladd, (B.A. '17)
04
Welcome
06
A Recognized Global Leader
14
Engaging Across Borders
28 Confronting a Global Pandemic 36 Advancing International Collaborative Research
Contents
46 Cultivating Global Citizens 56 Giving Back To The World
What Starts Here Changes the World “As one can see from ‘what starts here changes the world,’ UT Austin dreams, thinks, and acts on a global level. We’re proud to recruit outstanding faculty and students from all over the world. Once they’re on campus, they find that our research has worldwide impact and that we are preparing our students for success and service on an international scale. Global collaboration spurs academic curiosity, discovery, and excellence. Now, more than ever, international education and transnational partnerships are critical to creating a better Texas and a better world. I applaud our colleges, schools, units, and programs for their continued efforts to integrate global engagement into our core mission, as we seek to deliver on our promise.” Jay Hartzell, Ph.D. President, The University of Texas at Austin
4 • Welcome
I am delighted to share the first University of Texas at Austin global engagement report (2018-2020) and reflect upon these past two years with incredulity, gratitude, and hope. A global pandemic, a global reckoning with racial inequalities and economic disparities, and myriad global environmental challenges have elicited a panoply of emotions that will remain etched in our memories. Although we have experienced despair and bewilderment, we have been inspired and awed by the care, resilience, drive, and optimism of fellow citizens in our community and across the world. The challenges we have faced have underscored the commonality of the human experience, confirming yet again the significance and need for collaboration as we seek to develop solutions. The pages that follow provide a brief overview of the university’s global mindset and the far-reaching contributions of our faculty, students, and staff across all 18 colleges and schools, as well as our partners and alumni around the world. UT Austin is on the cutting edge of discovery and innovation. The faculty and researchers in all corners of the university inform policy, make the world healthier and safer, and transform lives. We bridge barriers and create connections that add to the cultural, scientific, and economic landscape of our city, state, country, and world. During the greatest global health crisis of our lifetime, our faculty adapted to new teaching environments and pursued their research agendas, our students overcame countless challenges in times of
great uncertainty, and our staff exhibited unrelenting dedication to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all to learn and grow. The pandemic has reinforced the critical role that robust transnational collaborations and global learning play in addressing the world’s most pressing challenges. Enhancing global competence is essential to preparing the UT community to contribute to, succeed, and lead in an increasingly interconnected world. There is no doubt that this is a propitious moment in the history of international education. With President Jay Hartzell’s steadfast support and unwavering commitment to internationalization, UT Austin will forge ahead on an ambitious trajectory that will be strategic and responsive to our faculty expertise and interests and to the needs of our diverse student population. For now, I invite you to celebrate the successes of our university’s global engagement efforts with the following snapshots of our motto in practice—what starts here changes the world. Best wishes and Hook ’em,
Sonia Feigenbaum, Ph.D. Senior Vice Provost for Global Engagement/ Chief International Officer
Welcome • 5
6 • A Recognized Global Leader
A Recognized Global Leader The University of Texas at Austin ranks among the 40 best universities in the world, receiving on average $650 million annually in research funding, attracting international students and scholars from more than 140 countries, and providing innovative learning experiences as well as research and service-learning opportunities to 51,000 students. Internationalization is deeply rooted in the university’s history, and it is a vital part of our future.
A Recognized Global Leader • 7
World Rankings
No. 30 TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION WORLD REPUTATION RANKINGS 2020
No. 33 CENTER FOR WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2020–2021
No. 38 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT BEST GLOBAL UNIVERSITIES 2021
No. 44 TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2021
No. 71 QS QUACQUARELLI SYMONDS QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2021
8 • A Recognized Global Leader
Research Awards from International Sponsors UT Austin faculty members engaged in research and creative activity in 40+ countries with $60 million in transnational funding. 2018–2020 Research Awards Source: Office of Sponsored Projects
PORTUGAL
SOUTH KOREA
JAPAN
CHINA
SAUDI ARABIA
NORWAY
INDIA
CANADA
BRAZIL
GERMANY
UNITED KINGDOM
SWITZERLAND
FRANCE
NETHERLANDS
SPAIN
AUSTRALIA
MEXICO
ARGENTINA
MALAYSIA
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
KUWAIT
ITALY
ECUADOR
TAIWAN
SWEDEN $0
$1M
$2M
$3M
$4M
$5M
$6M
$7M
A Recognized Global Leader • 9
2018–2019 Mobility OUTBOUND
4,715
3,101
99 COUNTRIES
AFFILIATE, EXCHANGE, AND FACULTY-LED PROGRAMS
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES
206
299
7,911
5,665
INTERNATIONAL POPULATION REPRESENTING
MATRICULATED INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
378
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE STUDENTS
136 COUNTRIES
1,219
649
STUDENTS ABROAD IN
TOP 10 DESTINATIONS: SPAIN, UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE, ITALY, MEXICO, GERMANY, CHINA, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA, AUSTRALIA
INTERNSHIPS
1,109
SERVICE LEARNING
INBOUND
TOP 10 PLACES OF ORIGIN: CHINA, INDIA, SOUTH KOREA, MEXICO, BRAZIL, TAIWAN, JAPAN, UNITED KINGDOM, CANADA, SPAIN
10 • A Recognized Global Leader
INTERNATIONAL FACULTY AND SCHOLARS
GLOBAL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
2019–2020 Mobility OUTBOUND
1,730
931
77 COUNTRIES
AFFILIATE, EXCHANGE, AND FACULTY-LED PROGRAMS
INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES
32
654
7,180
5,548
INTERNATIONAL POPULATION REPRESENTING
MATRICULATED INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
389
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE STUDENTS
119 COUNTRIES
1,058
185
STUDENTS ABROAD IN
TOP 10 DESTINATIONS: UNITED KINGDOM, MEXICO, SPAIN, FRANCE, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, ITALY, SINGAPORE, JAPAN, PANAMA
INTERNSHIPS
113
SERVICE LEARNING
INBOUND
TOP 10 PLACES OF ORIGIN: CHINA, INDIA, SOUTH KOREA, MEXICO, TAIWAN, SAUDI ARABIA, CANADA, UNITED KINGDOM, JAPAN, SPAIN
INTERNATIONAL FACULTY AND SCHOLARS
GLOBAL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
Mobility during AY 2019-2020 was significantly impacted by COVID-19.
A Recognized Global Leader • 11
No. 1 PRODUCER OF PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS AMONG TEXAS UNIVERSITIES U.S. PEACE CORPS 2020
No. 2 PRODUCER OF GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS BENJAMIN A. GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP 2018–2019
No. 3 STUDY ABROAD PARTICIPATION IN THE U.S. INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION 2020
No. 34 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT AMONG U.S. UNIVERSITIES INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION 2020
Top Producer FULBRIGHT U.S. STUDENT AND SCHOLARS THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM 2020
12 • A Recognized Global Leader
A Recognized Global Leader • 13
14 • Engaging Across Borders
Engaging Across Borders Our motto “what starts here changes the world” illustrates our commitment to global engagement at UT Austin. For nearly 140 years, the university has supported faculty members, scholars, students, and alumni to lead, serve, and effect positive change in local and global communities. In that spirit, Texas Global leads comprehensive internationalization efforts, fosters strategic partnerships on campus and abroad, supports an exceptional cadre of international students and scholars, and creates opportunities for the campus community to engage with peers and partners around the world.
Engaging Across Borders • 15
Mapping Internationalization UT Austin is regarded as one of the world’s most prominent research universities for its comprehensive global engagement efforts that include transnational joint research collaborations, innovative curriculum and co-curricular offerings, a robust presence of leading international scholars and prestigious guest lecturers, and access to numerous cultural performances and events. As a global university, cataloging the vast array of international activities allows us to amplify the academic priorities of UT’s colleges, schools, and programs. In 2020, Texas Global launched the Global Explorer—an interactive map that illustrates UT Austin’s global engagement by region and country. Stakeholders have access to a wealth of information, including faculty transnational research and creative activity, student mobility, institutional partnerships, international alumni opportunities, and key stories that celebrate the work of the UT Austin community around the world. This tool contributes to a datadriven, decision-making framework that informs the university’s comprehensive internationalization strategy.
16 • Engaging Across Borders
Global Virtual Exchange Initiative Provides Accessible International Experiences UT Austin faculty members and students, together with their peers around the world, are collaborating on projects across multiple disciplines, conducting research, and gaining accessible cross-cultural experiences with the support of the Texas Global Virtual Exchange initiative launched in 2018. The program encourages UT faculty to co-create collaborative online international learning courses in partnership with their peers at universities abroad. “I am so pleased to witness the continued and growing interest of our faculty
in this transnational academic initiative,” said Sonia Feigenbaum, senior vice provost for global engagement and chief international officer. “This robust intra-institutional program enhances the academic experience of our students and faculty and advances the university’s comprehensive global engagement objectives.” As of fall 2020, Texas Global has awarded 42 virtual exchange grants to UT faculty members conducting research with institutions in more than 27 countries, reaching more than 2,500 UT students and their peers across six continents.
2018–2020 2,500+ STUDENTS ENGAGED AT UT AND PARTNER INSTITUTIONS
42 GRANTS
AWARDED TO FACULTY TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT GLOBAL VIRTUAL EXCHANGES
50 UT FACULTY
CO-DELIVERED GLOBAL VIRTUAL EXCHANGE COURSES ACROSS 31 DEPARTMENTS IN 11 COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS
27 COUNTRIES
REACHED WITH GLOBAL VIRTUAL EXCHANGES
Pictured: Singapore. Photo courtesy of Swapnil Bapat.
Engaging Across Borders • 17
Global Innovation Lab The Global Innovation Lab (GIL) partners with governments, universities, and industries to deliver capacity-building training and support for entrepreneurs in their communities to overcome local challenges, create jobs, and drive sustainable economic development. Tokyo, Japan. Photo courtesy of Ryoji Iwata.
18 • Engaging Across Borders
Advancing Women and Youth Entrepreneurship, Japan In partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, UT Austin was selected to train women and young entrepreneurs in developing business skills, and to accelerate Japanese startups by expanding access to global markets. Participants benefit from a combination of online entrepreneurship training, interactive workshops covering topics of interest to startups, and extended mentorship in development of their business model.
Aichi Austin Innovation Kick-Start Program, Japan With the goal of building a more robust innovation ecosystem in Aichi Prefecture, GIL trained more than 100 entrepreneurs and incubation managers in effective business creation, governance, market research, and technology validation. GIL supports the startups that have demonstrated the highest potential to enter the global marketplace.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling, India In collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata, GIL was selected to implement a robust program connecting female entrepreneurs in SouthCentral Asia. This training opportunity includes components such as business development, networking, personalized mentorship, and business model creation.
Global Up Innovation Growth Program (Daejeon, South Korea) Center for Regional Innovation Program (Jeollabuk, South Korea) Building on a 10-year partnership delivering startup acceleration programs, GIL’s initiative with KAIST University has trained more than 100 entrepreneurs from Daejeon City and Jeollabuk Province and provided select startups with global market entry, resulting in more than $4 million in incremental revenue.
15,000+ NEW JOBS
GENERATING $1.5 BILLION + IN GLOBAL ECONOMIC IMPACT
600+ STARTUPS
PARTICIPATING IN CUSTOMIZED PROGRAMS ANNUALLY
44 COUNTRIES
STARTUP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS DELIVERED
7 COMPETITIVE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PROGRAMS AWARDED IN 2018–20
Engaging Across Borders • 19
Texas Global Funded Projects Texas Global leads and administers numerous competitively funded projects as part of a strategic effort to increase the university’s global presence and effect positive change in the world. Since September 2018, Texas Global has received more than $8 million in grants and contracts for programs that include entrepreneurship training, coordinating U.S.-based internships, providing English language teacher training, and hosting leaders and researchers from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Texas Global has developed and implemented prestigious programs such as the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the Fulbright Junior Faculty Development Program for Egypt, and the Teacher Training Institute for Mexican Teachers of English. These represent a few examples that underscore the university’s ability to create sustainable partnerships across campus and abroad, thereby increasing UT Austin’s visibility among a diverse array of funding agencies.
$8 MILLION
IN GRANTS AND CONTRACTS AWARDED TO CONCEPTUALIZE, LEAD, AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS
Projects Advancing Women and Youth Entrepreneurship, U.S. Embassy Tokyo Aichi Austin Innovation Kick-Start Program Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women's Entrepreneurship as an Engine for Growth, U.S. Embassy Kolkata Communicative Language Teaching Program for Uzbek English Teachers DHI Business Acceleration Program—Bhutan Friends of Fulbright—Argentina Fulbright Egypt—Junior Faculty Professional Development Program U.S. Future Leaders Topical Seminar: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Innovation & Business Acceleration Center (IBAC), West Bengal KAIST Daejeon—Global Up Innovation Growth Program KAIST Jeollabuk—Center for Regional Innovation Program KAIST Jeonju—City of Jeonju Innovation Program KAIST Yangjae—Innovation Hub Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders NEXUS Startup Hub, U.S. Embassy in India PDPI for Brazilian English Teachers Peace Corps Professional Campus Recruitment Services Russian and Uzbekistan Business Leaders Programs Teacher Training Institute for Mexican English Teachers XLr8 Andhra Pradesh Technology Business Accelerator Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative
Pictured: Jeonju, South Korea. Photo courtesy of Kim Jin Cheol.
20 • Engaging Across Borders
“I wouldn't trade my time at UT for anything—it was just extraordinary. The program finds and nurtures great talents and offers them a sense of direction and the privilege to attain full potential." Ogechukwu Sylvia Uzoegbo 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow from Nigeria
Mandela Washington Fellows for Young African Leaders Since the program’s launch in 2014, the U.S. Department of State has selected UT as a host institution for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders every year. As the flagship program of the U.S. Department of State’s Young African Leaders Initiative, the fellowship enhances the knowledge of emerging community, civic, and business leaders from across sub-Saharan Africa with academic coursework, leadership training, and networking at select institutions across the U.S. During the past seven years, Texas Global, in collaboration with the
McCombs School of Business, has developed a world-class business and leadership institute that immerses 25 young leaders in the Austin startup ecosystem. This dynamic and holistic program increases the fellows’ business acumen to address the complex issues facing the continent, with the goal of shaping the future of Africa and the world. With 150 alumni to date, UT’s Mandela Washington Fellows are working to increase internet accessibility in rural communities, leverage digital technology to improve education among schoolaged children, improve STEM education for girls and women,
promote the arts across the continent through cinema and fashion, serve in government roles, encourage diverse activities to strengthen democratic institutions, spur economic growth, and enhance peace and security in Africa. When the 2020 fellowship program was postponed due to COVID-19, the U.S. Department of State selected Texas Global’s English Language Center to create a toolkit for the more than 4,400 alumni and new fellows to improve their English communication and networking skills as part of a broader initiative supporting online programming.
Engaging Across Borders • 21
Fulbright Junior Faculty Development Program for Egypt In 2019, as one of eight U.S. institutions selected to host the Junior Faculty Development Program, UT held a 10-week intensive program focused on renewable energy and engineering for faculty from Egypt. The program, administered by AMIDEAST and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, aims to enhance higher education in Egypt through faculty development and mentoring, the exploration of long-term collaboration and institutional linkages between Egyptian and U.S. academics, and the inclusion of scholars’ engagement with
22 • Engaging Across Borders
the broader host campus community to promote mutual understanding between Egyptians and Americans. The visiting Egyptian faculty members learned about new teaching and research methods, observed classes, attended seminars, and met UT faculty for weekly mentoring sessions. “I’m going to be promoted to be a lecturer very soon, and I thought it would be perfect to participate in this program at this stage of my career,” said Sahar, an assistant lecturer of architectural engineering at Al-Azhar University who preferred to use only her first name. “I taught for several years but I didn't get a chance to
learn more about teaching methods, especially how to engage the class. This can be a very positive thing for the students and help them in their success, so all these things I hope to take back home to my university.” Al-Azhar University had previously only admitted men to its engineering school, but the 1,000-year-old institution recently opened engineering classes to female students on a separate campus. As the first Ph.D. in the women’s architectural engineering department, Sahar was one of the first women to teach at the new branch, and she is committed to improving her students’ academic experience.
Teacher Training Institute for Mexican Teachers of English Every year since 2003, Texas Global’s English Language Center has coordinated the Teacher Training Institute, a customized intensive skill-building and professional development program sponsored by the Mexican federal department of education, Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP). Open to teachers of English as a Foreign Language in primary, secondary, and university-level education in Mexico, the institute offers courses on teaching strategies, curriculum for communicative language teaching practices, and communication skills.
583 TEACHERS
PARTICIPATED SINCE 2003
Aurora Murillo Posada, an English teacher of eight years in Mexico City, found the techniques she learned to be invaluable to her online class instruction. “I have found a lot of resources and websites I didn't know existed,” Posada explained. “I think this will be very helpful for teaching in this new normality, and I am sure that my kids will enjoy the classes with all I have learned. When I see my kids enjoying the classes and speaking in English by themselves, not because I ask them to do it, that is my motivation. I love to see them successful.”
Pictured: Mexico City. Photos courtesy of Texas Global.
In 2020, the English Language Center administered the program virtually for the first time in its 17-year history. Online courses included intensive training in
English writing, grammar and pronunciation, U.S. culture, and a specialized technology course to equip teachers with resources to instruct classes virtually.
Engaging Across Borders • 23
“GPT gave me a different way to look at not only living but also working abroad. It gave me the necessary tools to work in different cultures with colleagues from different backgrounds. It definitely helped me build my global lens." Gaëlle Pfister (B.S., B.A. ‘17) 2020 GPT Asia panelist
Global Professional Training Employers seek job candidates with global competence and international experience. The Global Professional Training (GPT) program gives UT Austin students a competitive edge and prepares them for careers in a global economy. Established by Texas Global in 2010, GPT is customized by region and delivered traditionally in person, but most recently, virtually, in response to the pandemic. The symposium features expert speakers and in-depth discussions covering geopolitical and socioeconomic trends, social movements, and traditional culture. Students learn strategies for networking, participate in interactive workshops, and engage with UT alumni working in the region. Tunisian nonprofit founder, inventor, and UT alumna Olfa Hamdi (M.S. ’13) attended Global Professional Training: Middle East in 2012, and the experience continues to inform her work. She credits GPT with helping her hone the global mindset and leadership skills she used to establish Najah Academy, a nonprofit focused on empowering Tunisian youths.
24 • Engaging Across Borders
“For somebody that is looking to have an international impact, UT is that starting point,” Hamdi said. “With the pandemic happening, the natural reaction of people is to close in on themselves, shut down that global outreach. I have a core belief that as human beings, we're stronger in a global society.” Between 2018 and 2020, Texas Global hosted five GPT symposia focused on Latin America and East and Southeast Asia. Despite the pandemic, Texas Global was determined to continue with this impactful program, holding a virtual GPT symposium for each region in 2020. More than 200 students, distinguished faculty members, and international industry leaders engaged in discussions covering geopolitical and socioeconomic trends, regional culture, and career paths in these regions. The transition from an in-person conference to a virtual model allowed for greater reach and impact of the program while creating the opportunity for alumni living and working around the world to participate as guest speakers.
Pfister attended GPT East and Southeast Asia and later studied abroad in Beijing and Taiwan. After graduating from UT with degrees in corporate communications and Chinese, she moved to Taiwan where she currently works as a marketing and business development team lead at a startup.
“After the professional training sessions, I have a wider view towards my future and career because many of the presenters emphasized that they went through the paths they didn’t even imagine taking. GPT helped me learn where and how to find an internship or job opportunity related to Latin America.” Ayumi Uchiyama GPT Latin America participant, Latin American studies major
GPT Program Components Regional Expertise Sessions Presentations by UT faculty provide a geopolitical overview of the region. Participants continue to deepen their knowledge in detailed discussions throughout the symposium. Alumni Panels Career panels feature UT alumni with regional expertise in myriad industries to share their perspectives and international work experiences. Career Engagement Opportunities Texas Career Engagement connects students with resources to learn best practices in networking, optimize résumés for an international job search, and identify careers in a global marketplace. Professional Skill Building Interactive workshops develop students’ cross-cultural competencies, goal-setting techniques, networking strategies, and interview skills. Cultural Performances Live performances give students valuable insight into cultural traditions and practices. Past performances include Indonesian puppet theater, the Texas Dragon/Lion Dance team, Aztec dancers, and a fashion show by the Tamaulipas Institute for Culture and the Arts.
1,000+ STUDENTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN GLOBAL PROFESSIONAL TRAINING SINCE 2010
14 COLLEGES
AND SCHOOLS REPRESENTED AND RANGE FROM UNDERGRADUATE TO DOCTORAL STUDENTS
88% OF STUDENTS
REPORTED THEY GAINED NEW CONNECTIONS WITH GLOBALLY-MINDED STUDENTS
92% OF STUDENTS REPORTED THE SYMPOSIUM HELPED THEM NETWORK WITH PROFESSIONALS
170 STUDENTS
HAVE PARTICIPATED IN 35+ HOURS OF GPT VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING SINCE JUNE 2020
Engaging Across Borders • 25
26 • Engaging Across Borders
Photos courtesy of Texas Global Dialogues.
Texas Global Dialogues Longhorn Nation is proud to have more than 530,000 alumni living across 176 countries, and although the pandemic prevented communities from gathering in person, Texas Global partnered with the Texas Exes to create the Texas Global Dialogues for alumni abroad to hear from leading academic experts sharing the latest research on a variety of topics. This unique series of events connects alumni from around the world with university leadership and showcases the research, creative activity, and accomplishments of UT Austin’s outstanding faculty.
Presented in collaboration with various colleges and schools on campus, the first three events in 2020 focused on distinct world regions and brought together 500 participants representing more than 40 countries. Distinguished panelists examined the challenges and potential solutions to address the world’s dwindling energy supply; discussed their insights on machine learning and the real-world applications of this technology; and shared their diverse experiences dealing with misinformation while reporting on COVID-19.
500 PARTICIPANTS
40+ COUNTRIES
9 FACULTY AND EXPERT PANELISTS
Engaging Across Borders • 27
28 • Confronting a Global Pandemic
Confronting a Global Pandemic UT Austin was at the forefront of combatting the pandemic from the moment the COVID-19 virus was identified. As the world grappled with the health crisis, the university swiftly mobilized to support faculty members and students abroad, as well as our international students and scholars on campus who endured border closings and faced uncertainties about the future. Faculty shifted their focus to innovative teaching strategies on digital platforms while advancing their research agendas. Students exhibited remarkable resilience and resolve, harnessing opportunities to support their communities. In the face of great adversity, Longhorns adjusted to new learning environments, forged critical alliances, and worked together to achieve common goals.
Confronting a Global Pandemic • 29
Pictured: Jason S. McLellan. Photo courtesy of College of Natural Sciences.
C O L L E G E O F N AT U R A L S C I E N C E S
Texas Scientists Recognized for Pivotal Work in COVID-19 Vaccine Development As soon as the world learned of a new deadly strain of coronavirus, scientists began looking for a vaccine to slow the virus’s spread. Although typical vaccine development can span a decade, scientists developed effective COVID-19 vaccines in just under a year—and the collaboration between UT researchers and international scientists was central to the process. UT associate professor Jason McLellan, a structural virologist, and Daniel Wrapp, a doctoral student in
“It is fortunate for us all that, not only was the seed corn of basic research planted long ago here at The University of Texas at Austin and beyond, but that these scientists have worked tirelessly all year to ensure the arrival of vaccines, treatments, and knowledge to curb the coronavirus crisis." Paul Goldbart, Ph.D. Dean, College of Natural Sciences
McLellan’s lab, partnered with Ghent University in Belgium to engineer an antibody produced by llamas for use in fighting the coronavirus. The pair also collaborated with researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s Vaccine Research Center to develop a stabilized spike protein now used as an antigen in many leading COVID19 vaccines, including those developed by Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Novavax, and Johnson & Johnson. McLellan and Wrapp's work on both those projects earned them a Golden Goose Award, a prestigious award supported by members of Congress from both parties and a coalition of businesses, universities, and scientific societies. The 2020 prize went to scientists “whose federally funded research has had a significant impact for the response and treatment of COVID-19.” This was the first time a scientist has received recognition in more than one Golden Goose Award. Photo courtesy of Aleksandr Paramonov.
30 • Confronting a Global Pandemic
Photo courtesy of Jorge Salazar, Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), UT Austin.
new Global Health Program elective course—The COVID-19 Pandemic: Global Health on the Front Lines. TEXAS ADVANCED COMPUTING CENTER
Frontera Supercomputer Helped Scientists with Groundbreaking Research into COVID-19 To predict which drugs might be successful in fighting COVID-19, researchers around the world worked together to study the structure of the coronavirus. Capturing the dynamic movements of viral proteins is a complex challenge. Thanks to the Frontera supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), a team led by Rommie Amaro, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, and Arvind Ramanathan, computational biologist at Argonne National Laboratory, built a first-of-its-kind workflow based on artificial intelligence to simulate the virus’s spike proteins in numerous environments. The accomplishment earned the team a winning nomination for the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Gordon Bell Special Prize for High Performance ComputingBased COVID-19 Research, a special version of the ACM Gordon Bell Prize—one of the most coveted awards in supercomputing.
TACC’s Frontera, a Dell-Intel supercomputer funded by the National Science Foundation and ranked as the ninth-fastest in the world, was instrumental in creating the initial spike simulations. In addition, Amaro’s team also used the Longhorn, a subsystem to Frontera built in partnership with IBM to support graphics-processor-unit (GPU)-accelerated workloads, to support the intensive runs of the machine. “The TACC team has been extraordinarily supportive of our work in multiple ways. We used Frontera for the initial spike simulations and the viral envelope preparatory simulations, which was fantastic," Amaro explained. “There would be no Gordon Bell submission without TACC. Of all the supercomputing sites we used, TACC was the most essential to the work.” DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL
Global Health Program Students Support COVID-19 Efforts in Austin
The Global Health Program is a collaboration between Texas Global and Dell Med that combines education, research, and service to advance health equity worldwide. Dr. Tim Mercer, director of the Global Health Program within the Department of Population Health, would have led the program in Kenya. When the pandemic hit, he wanted to find an alternative learning experience for his senior medical students that could also aid various community health efforts. Students in the course directed the flow of information to frontline providers, helped manage donation websites, and spoke directly to concerned community members about COVID-19. “It’s been really important to us that we balance, for our students, their education with their ability to meaningfully contribute to the response,” Mercer said. “I thought, well, why don’t we have them learn about the COVID-19 pandemic in real time.”
When their plans to work with medical facilities in Kenya during spring 2020 were canceled, 27 residents in the Dell Medical School shifted their focus to support the health care needs of the Austin community as part of a Photo courtesy of Dell Medical School.
Confronting a Global Pandemic • 31
“We believe that educators are instinctively designers because they create experiences for students every day. Our goal is to provide a robust set of tools that are adaptable to many global contexts and are valuable for educators to improve their classrooms, schools, and campuses so that students achieve improved learning outcomes.” Gray Garmon Assistant Professor of Practice and Director of the Center for Integrated Design, School of Design and Creative Technologies, College of Fine Arts
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
Design Toolkit Improves Online Teaching Amid Pandemic COVID-19 has caused educators to explore new ways to engage with students. In collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation, Gray Garmon, assistant professor of practice in the School of Design and Creative Technologies, developed tools for educators to improve students’ learning experiences amid the pandemic.
Photo courtesy of Gray Garmon.
The project centered on the practice of design thinking, which uses empathy-based qualitative research to understand people’s needs and guide design solutions to meet those needs. Garmon and his team created a design toolkit and a set of facilitations
32 • Confronting a Global Pandemic
and trainings to help educators use design as a tool for improving holistic learning outcomes. The team originally planned to host in-person trainings, and they launched their first training in Nairobi, Kenya, just before the start of the pandemic. They transitioned to a 13-week workshop series on Zoom, during which participants learned how to use the design thinking process to reimagine schools in the time of COVID-19.
The virtual trainings were attended by national directors, global education coordinators, and individuals from Aga Khan teams across 10 countries and four continents. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the initiative aims to have a big impact on local communities throughout the world over the course of the next 10 years. The toolkit is free and distributed to anyone who wants to use it.
Photo courtesy of Jason Cons.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Global Virtual Exchange Course Shifts Focus to Examine the Impact of COVID-19 on the Built Environment With grant support from the Global Virtual Exchange initiative, associate professor Jason Cons collaborated with a faculty peer at the University of Newcastle in Australia to develop Landscape and Power, a signature course exploring how the built environment shapes social interactions. Halfway through the spring 2020 semester, as the world grappled with COVID-19, the faculty
collaborators shifted the curriculum to focus on the impact of the virus. Cons said the international exchange component of the course was invaluable to students at both institutions, allowing them to compare and contrast two environments in real time. Austin and Newcastle are vastly different, but their similarities have become more poignant as a result of the pandemic. “The ability to have a conversation with someone whose experiences differ is pretty unique in the context of contemporary education,” Cons said. “In the context of COVID-19 and the new world in which we all find ourselves, we hope that students bring the same intellectual curiosity to understanding this crisis as it unfolds. By starting to think about this critically and taking charge of doing one's own analysis, it makes it a little bit easier to make sense of what's unfolding.”
“That’s the beauty of this virtual exchange—it gives people the opportunity to have these kinds of encounters and discussions, which would be much harder to have otherwise.” Jason Cons, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts
Confronting a Global Pandemic • 33
C O L L E G E O F P H A R M ACY
Innovation from the College of Pharmacy Could Simplify Delivery of COVID-19 Vaccines Researchers made headway in developing vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, but distribution challenges could make it difficult for remote, developing, and low-income areas to have access to those treatments.
“This is truly groundbreaking technology that can fill a critical need to meet the packaging and distribution challenges for COVID-19 vaccines," Croyle said. This innovation will also allow for the same amount of vaccine to be delivered at room temperature in less than 1% of packaging. In addition, the film
can effectively streamline the number of cargo planes needed to deliver COVID-19 vaccines all over the globe—from 16,000 planes to just four cargo planes. “According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.5 million people continue to die annually from vaccine-preventable diseases. I felt this was unacceptable,” said Irnela Bajrovic, pharmacy doctoral candidate. “The potential to work on a project that could effectively eliminate the cold-chain and make vaccines more readily accessible to the developing world was the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Photo courtesy of Nick Nobel.
An innovation from the Croyle Laboratory at the College of
Pharmacy could help improve access to vaccines on an international scale. Researchers in the lab and drug delivery professor Maria A. Croyle published findings describing a lightweight film that is inexpensive and can withstand extreme temperature changes without requiring refrigeration. These findings are crucial during a pandemic.
34 • Confronting a Global Pandemic
Pictured: Wuhan, China. Photo courtesy of Francesco Bruno.
STEVE HICKS SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Doctoral Student Develops Training to Support COVID-19 Relief Workers
Pictured: Weiwen Zeng. Photo courtesy of Steve Hicks School of Social Work.
At the height of the COVID-19 crisis, doctoral student Weiwen Zeng in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work developed a training program to help social workers in Wuhan, China, cope with the pandemic. His program is now being used as a guide for first responders around the world. Before coming to the Forty Acres, Zeng worked as a clinical social worker in Hong Kong. After receiving a call from one of his Chinese colleagues who worked with families
affected by the virus, Zeng realized he could provide support to his former colleagues and other social workers by establishing an online network. Enlisting the help of professor Cynthia Franklin, clinical professor Jack Nowicki, and doctoral students Qi Chen, Xiao Ding, and Chun Liu, the team developed an online training workshop and translated the materials into Chinese. The first workshop supported more than 200 relief social workers alongside Franklin. Since then, it has been distributed to social workers across the U.S. by the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Social Workers-Texas Chapter. The recording of the workshop is available on the Steve Hicks School of Social Work website.
Confronting a Global Pandemic • 35
36 • Advancing International Collaborative Research
Advancing International Collaborative Research UT Austin’s faculty and researchers leverage international connections to advance discovery and seek solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The Forty Acres is rich with internationally renowned centers, museums, libraries, and archival collections, serving a global community engaged in creative exploration. Our campus is a laboratory for leading scientists and artists to bridge cultures and collaborate to meet far-reaching global objectives.
Advancing International Collaborative Research • 37
C O L L E G E O F N AT U R A L S C I E N C E S
UT Partners with International Institutions to Create the World’s Largest Telescope Fifty years after the moon landings, astronomers are still looking to understand the universe beyond our solar system. A momentous collaboration might just help astronomers answer one of humanity’s most pressing questions—Are we alone? The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) will be the largest telescope ever to study the atmospheres of planets far from our solar system to search for signs of biochemistry. The 80-foot-diameter optical-infrared observatory was jointly founded by an international consortium of leading institutions including the Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, Texas A&M University, and UT Austin. Finding evidence of life outside the solar system is an extraordinary challenge. The distance from Earth to the closest star is 4 light-years, which makes collecting sharp images extremely difficult. The GMT’s total collecting area of 368 square meters and structure consisting of seven giant mirrors will allow it to collect more light than any telescope ever built and images that are 10 times as sharp as those from the Hubble Telescope. The telescope’s location in Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the highest and driest regions on Earth, is ideal for its purpose.
38 • Advancing International Collaborative Research
Photos courtesy of M3 Engineering and GMTO Corporation and McDonald Observatory.
Las Campanas Peak, where the GMT will be located, has an altitude of approximately 8,500 feet and is almost completely barren of vegetation. These conditions allow for clear skies on more than 300 nights a year. In October 2019, the GMTO Corporation, which manages the telescope’s development, signed a contract with MT Mechatronics and Ingersoll Machine Tools to design, build, and install the telescope's precision steel structure. This contract will involve nine years of work and 1,300 tons of structural steel, and the structure is expected to be delivered to Chile at the end of 2025. The telescope will be commissioned in 2029. The university’s contribution to the construction of the GMT is an extraordinary addition to the widely recognized achievements of the Department of Astronomy, which has won six awards from the American Astronomical Society, in addition to several other international awards and honors.
“The signing of this very important contract is a critical step in the journey toward Texas astronomers using the GMT to answer some of the largest questions about the universe and our origins." Taft Armandroff, Ph.D. Director, McDonald Observatory; Vice Chair, GMTO Board of Directors
Pictured: Min Kyung Lee. Photo courtesy of Brian Lim.
on language and culture in international business communication. In a new book co-authored with Olivia Hernández-Pozas of Tecnológico de Monterrey and David Victor of Eastern Michigan University, Kelm distinguishes seven areas of communication challenges: language, environment and technology, social organization, contexting, authority conception, nonverbal cues, and the concept of time.
S C H O O L O F I N F O R M AT I O N
Min Kyung Lee Wins Grant to Improve Fairness in Artificial Intelligence (AI) As artificial intelligence is increasingly being employed to take on highstake roles, a growing concern arises that even algorithmic systems can have human biases. “There are many, many different concepts of fairness,” said Min Kyung Lee, assistant professor in the School of Information. “The one a developer happens to choose may not be good for the context that the system will be deployed.” The National Science Foundation, in partnership with Amazon, has awarded Lee with a $1,037,000 grant to advance fairness in machine algorithms. The grant allows her to collaborate with researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to find ways to close the gap between over-simplified algorithmic objectives and the complications of real-world decision-making contexts. Originally from South Korea, Lee brings a nuanced global perspective to
the iSchool and the field of artificial intelligence. Her education includes a bachelor’s degree from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and three graduate degrees from Carnegie Mellon. Lee shared her expertise during a Texas Global Dialogues focused on AI and machine learning as part of a panel that also included Junfeng Jiao, director of the Urban Information Lab and an associate professor in the Community and Regional Planning Program in the School of Architecture; and Peter Stone, founder and director of Learning Agents Research Group, executive director of Sony AI America, and professor and Robotics Consortium director in the College of Natural Sciences. COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS MCCOMBS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Best Practices for Successful Cross-Cultural Communication in Business Cultural values result in different communication styles, and Orlando Kelm, associate professor of marketing and Hispanic linguistics, has spent much of his career focused
The work offers practical recommendations for avoiding communication breakdowns that might compromise business deals with Mexico, America’s leading commercial partner, stressing the importance of cultural understanding for crossing business borders.
“Language is just a tiny piece of learning to be bicultural. It’s about becoming aware of cultural differences. Crosscultural communication is a transferable skill. It is the core of how to successfully deal with people abroad.” Orlando Kelm, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Marketing, McCombs School of Business; Associate Professor of Hispanic linguistics, Department of Spanish and Portuguese; Director of the Portuguese Flagship Program
Pictured: Orlando Kelm. Photo courtesy of College of Liberal Arts.
Advancing International Collaborative Research • 39
Photo courtesy of Astrid Runggaldier.
Mesoamerica Center Takes on Planet Texas 2050 Grand Challenge In 2009, Mesoamerica Center director David Stuart’s ambitious vision for a teaching and research center in Guatemala came to fruition with the launch of Casa Herrera in Antigua, an invaluable center for students and faculty members researching Mesoamerica. The facility celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020.
in northern Guatemala, have given students a firsthand look into the research being conducted in the field. Their work has also helped to bring the Mesoamerica Center into the fold of Planet Texas 2050, UT’s ambitious project to address Texas’ vulnerabilities to climate change. Casa Herrera will be a critical base for UT and other Mesoamericanists engaging in this research.
Stuart and fellow faculty member Astrid Runggaldier, assistant director of The Mesoamerica Center, lead annual study abroad programs at Casa Herrera, crafting their itineraries around the facility and using it as an anchor as they crisscross the region with students. Runggaldier’s research on buried architecture in Belize, as well as both her and Stuart’s extensive involvement with the San Bartolo/Xultun Archaeology Project
40 • Advancing International Collaborative Research
“Some of the recent research initiatives launched at UT, like the Planet Texas 2050 grand challenge initiative, have energized the community of Mesoamericanists and archaeologists at UT, and that also means more opportunities for students to expand their education abroad,” Runggaldier said. “The Mesoamerica Center’s activities and programs at Casa Herrera give students and faculty access to something truly special."
Photo courtesy of Natalie Broussard.
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
“The University of Texas at Austin has one of the earliest and largest collections of Mexican and Latin American art and documents in the world.” Photo courtesy of Blanton Museum of Art.
BLANTON MUSEUM OF ART L L I L A S B E N S O N L AT I N A M E R I C A N STUDIES AND COLLECTIONS
Blanton and LLILAS Benson Bring Latin American Art to the Forefront of the Global Art Scene As a world-renowned university art museum, the Blanton Museum of Art has brought Latin American art to the forefront of the international art scene. Since 1921, UT Austin has acquired more than 300,000 pieces of Mexican and Latin American art. In 2019, the museum hosted the Mapping Memory Exhibition, organized by Rosario I. Granados, the Marilynn Thoma Associate Curator of Art of the Spanish Americas, at the Blanton in collaboration with LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, the Harry Ransom Center, and the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. The exhibition marked the 500th anniversary of the
Simone Wicha Director, Blanton Museum of Art
first Spanish expedition to what is now Mexico. The unique maps were created by indigenous artists around 1580 and displayed some of the visual strategies used by native communities for the endurance and perseverance of the cultures throughout the colonial period and well beyond. “It's the first time that the maps are going to be presented in a museum setting lying flat. It is also the first time that so many of them (19) will be displayed in one single gallery, something only the Blanton could have done,” Granados said. “Mexican culture is so present in the United States that it’s worth taking the time to think about Mexican history, especially in Texas.” The Blanton also hosted “The Avant-garde Networks of Amauta: Argentina, Mexico, and Peru in the 1920s,” an exhibition showcasing more than 200 objects such as paintings, sculptures, and poetry from the magazine Amauta, which was published in Peru from 1925 to 1930. Amauta captured major artistic and political conversations of the decade including international discussions of the avant-garde,
traditional craft as innovation, the visual identity of leftist politics, and the movement of Indigenism. The exhibition was curated by Beverly Adams, former curator of Latin American Art at the Blanton Museum of Art, now Estrellita Brodsky curator of Latin American Art at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); and Natalia Majluf, former director and chief curator, Museo de Arte de Lima, Peru. The exhibition first opened in Madrid in 2019 and traveled to Lima and Mexico City before its final showing at the Blanton in 2020. The work of Blanton curators of Latin American art, including Adams and Florencia Bazzano-Nelson, has influenced the art world to be more inclusive, as other universities and art museums start to establish Latin American collections. “This was the first museum in the country to have a dedicated curator to Latin American art," said Simone Wicha, director of the Blanton Museum of Art. “The interest in Latin America was longstanding because Texas history is Mexican history and vice versa.”
Advancing International Collaborative Research • 41
H A R RY R A N S O M C E N T E R
Harry Ransom Center Advances Human Rights Research and Creative Innovation In the heart of the Forty Acres stands an internationally renowned humanities research center that houses 41 million manuscripts and photographs, 1 million rare books, and 100,000 works of art. Founded in 1957, the Harry Ransom Center is a “center of cultural compass” that provides insights into the creative process of some of the finest writers and artists who ever lived. The center houses some of the world’s most notable collections, from Robert De Niro’s archive of scripts, notes, costumes, and props, to one
of only 20 complete copies of the Gutenberg Bible in the world. Most recently, the Center hosted the first exhibition featuring manuscripts from Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez. The bilingual exhibition examined how the Colombian author became an international success after his 1967 novel, “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” Even during a pandemic, the center still provides virtual access to their internationally renowned exhibitions. Collections from authors such as Márquez and Edgar Allan Poe are available to view online. In 2019, the center also launched a digital library that includes teaching guides and records of major 20th-century historical events. The collection provides access to resources from PEN International, an advocacy group for human rights and freedom
42 • Advancing International Collaborative Research
Stephen Enniss, Ph.D. Director, Harry Ransom Center
of expression with members in more than 100 countries. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the collection aids researchers and teachers to engage with topics such as free speech, experiences of political prisoners, and human rights, which is at the core of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Photo courtesy of Harry Ransom Center.
Photo courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin.
“This access initiative gives new meaning to PEN’s founding charter that states literature knows no borders.”
“Our work has directly shaped international aid transparency and accountability, while empowering students to participate firsthand in cutting-edge fieldwork, geomapping, and aid evaluation. Many of the students have since gone on to prominent positions in global development."
Pictured: Catherine Weaver. Photo courtesy of LBJ School of Public Affairs
Catherine Weaver, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Public Affairs; Associate Dean for Students, LBJ School of Public Affairs
Photo courtesy of Amy Leung.
dean for students and an international aid policy researcher.
Student Research Lab Trains Students to be World Changers
collaboration with international institutions such as the World Bank, United Nations Foundation, and private sector companies such as Microsoft. The lab has attracted more than $4 million in funding through grants from sources such as the U.S. Department of Defense.
A student-driven research lab in the LBJ School of Public Affairs is providing future world leaders with experiential learning, applied training, and international professional opportunities. The Innovations for Peace and Development (IPD) provides mentoring opportunities for interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research on global conflict and peace building, foreign assistance, poverty alleviation, good governance, and human rights.
One of the students’ first projects in 2013 was an interactive map for policymakers in Malawi to see where aid was going and use this information to make better decisions about spending allocations and priorities. Under the direction of faculty members Michael Findley and Kate Weaver, students worked with international aid donors to gather aid data in the country.
L B J S C H O O L O F P U B L I C A F FA I RS
Since 2013, IPD has brought together more than 600 undergraduate and graduate students and worked in
“It was a great moment when we realized our research was going to make a real difference," said Weaver, the LBJ School's associate
One alumna from the student lab, Daniela Hernandez, currently works with the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services conducting an evaluation of sexual exploitation by UN peacekeeping forces. She first joined IPD in 2015 and interned in Manila, Philippines, as part of her work with IPD. “Not only did I receive a ton of support from the IPD directors when searching for jobs, I've also been able to count on a large network of IPD alumni,” Hernandez said. “The fact that you were involved in IPD is an instant green flag for those in the IPD alumni network, and they will very likely help you when you are looking for jobs, internships, and fellowships."
Advancing International Collaborative Research • 43
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
International Collaboration and ConTex Grant Recipient Received Statewide Award A cross-border partnership between nine students from the School of Architecture and a team from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León has received the statewide 2019 Texas Planning Award for Best Student Project. The award-winning project was based on a spring 2019 Community and Regional Planning practicum in which students were immersed in an informal community located in the heart of urbanized Monterrey, Mexico: El Cerro de La Campana. The project was made possible by a grant from ConTex, a joint initiative of the UT System and Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) that represents a
long-term commitment between the U.S. and Mexico to share knowledge of common interest. The students, taught by professor Patricia A. Wilson, worked with a local nonprofit called Barrio Esperanza and the community to plan projects in the neighborhoods. The result of the co-designing process was the transformation of a debris-filled lot into an actively used public space. The project demonstrated outstanding community engagement—planning projects not by interrupting and fixing, but by listening, engaging, and participating in the process with and alongside the community. The UT team helped to catalyze community discussions and provided technical expertise when solicited. As demonstrated in the project’s submission to the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association, the collaboration empowered the community to take ownership of improvements to their neighborhood, and the momentum continues to this day, well after the semester’s work has ended.
Photo courtesy of the School of Architecture.
Pictured: Maria Ekelin. Photo courtesy of Janet Ehle.
S C H O O L O F N U RS I N G
Swedish Nursing Fellow Brings International Health Care Perspectives to UT For years, international scholars have brought new perspectives to campus while furthering cross-institutional collaborations. Maria Ekelin, assistant professor and program director at Lund University in Sweden, came to the School of Nursing as part of the STINT Teaching Sabbatical program, which aims to equip Swedish researchers with international experiences that are relevant to their role of providing students with health care knowledge. Ekelin, who taught at UT in 2019, has extensive clinical experience as a nurse-midwife in labor and delivery. Her research involves learning and professional development of students studying midwifery. During her time on campus, Ekelin encouraged students to reflect and provide feedback on their learning experiences while also providing students with the latest advancements and research findings in the field of health care. “It’s very important to use evidencebased practice so that students not only know what to do, but why they do it,” Ekelin said. “I am truly grateful that UT Austin is providing me this opportunity to teach and observe. I [learned] a lot at this excellent university.”
44 • Advancing International Collaborative Research
Pictured: Dr. Kishore Mohanty. Photo courtesy of School of Engineering.
Engineering Experts Collaborate With Leaders to Energize India India has significant oil and gas reserves, but experts suggest that only a quarter of all the resources have been discovered. A $5 million, 10-year agreement between UT engineers and India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is aiming to improve and fortify India’s domestic energy industries. Kishore Mohanty, a professor of petroleum engineering at UT, is spearheading this project. Mohanty is an expert in enhanced oil recovery and has a Bachelor of Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He has also received several awards from the Society of Professional Engineering, including the Pioneer Award and the Lucas Gold Medal for Technical Leadership. Mohanty and his team of exceptional researchers are collaborating with Indian energy leaders to introduce an enhanced oil recovery process known as alkaline-surfactant polymer flooding, which is one of the most efficient methods for oil extraction.
Through enabling the nation to maximize benefits from its natural resources, this collaboration could have significant economic benefits for India. “If we could get an additional 25% of the oil from these indigenous oil fields, this would have tremendous benefits on India’s economy,” Mohanty said. The collaboration could also have significant implications for energy research and catalyze further engagement between international scientists and UT’s world-class researchers. . COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Geographic Study Challenges Earlier Research on Ancient Maya’s Environmental Impact
Using high-precision laser imagery to map the ground beneath 250 square kilometers of swamp-forest canopy, the research team of faculty members and graduate students led by geography and environment professor Tim Beach discovered an expansive ancient wetland field and canal system. The team hypothesized that the networks of fields and canals were developed in response to large population shifts and expanded atmospheric CO2 and methane due to burning and the creation of wetland farming. “Understanding agricultural subsistence is vital for understanding past complex societies and how they affected the world we live in today,” Beach said. “Our findings add to the evidence for early and extensive human impacts on the global tropics, and we hypothesize the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane from burning, preparing and maintaining these field systems contributed to the Early Anthropocene.”
Uncovering new evidence about the ancient Maya civilization in Belize, a geographical study by UT researchers found that the early Central American inhabitants contributed more significantly to climate change than previously thought. According to the research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy
Advancing International Collaborative Research • 45
T. Beach et al. Photo courtesy of College of Liberal Arts.
COCKRELL SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
of Sciences, the Maya had “earlier, more intensive and more wide-ranging anthropogenic impacts" on globally important tropical forests. The study added evidence for an early and more extensive Anthropocene—the period when human activity began to greatly affect Earth's environment.
46 • Cultivating Global Citizens
Cultivating Global Citizens We must experience the world to understand it. Strategic partnerships, innovative program design, and targeted outreach have led to a steady increase in the number of students learning, researching, and interning abroad, earning UT Austin the recognition of the third-highest study abroad participation in the country. More than 5,000 international students, among the most talented in the world, bring global perspectives to campus. With Global Cultures Flag courses offered in 12 colleges and schools and many campus-based intercultural programs, every student has access to an international learning experience. We prepare the next generation of leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a global economy and society.
Cultivating Global Citizens • 47
Photo courtesy of Sarah Fung.
“By doing international work and learning another language, I can be more knowledgeable about what’s going on around me and use that to learn to care for other people. I want to take my skills and apply my education here at UT into helping other people wherever I am.” Sarah Fung Advertising and Health and Society Major
M O O DY C O L L E G E O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N S C H O O L O F U N D E R G R A D UAT E S T U D I E S
Summer Exploration Grant Recipient Interns in Thailand to Prepare for Future Career Abroad When she first arrived at the Moody College of Communication in 2018, aspiring business leader and health advocate Sarah Fung knew she wanted to expand her worldview and deepen her understanding of other
48 • Cultivating Global Citizens
cultures. With the help of a Summer Exploration Grant from the School of Undergraduate Studies, Fung was able to achieve her goal, pursuing a summer internship at Samitivej International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Each day at the hospital was a unique experience, from observing surgeries to shadowing ICU doctors and helping with English translation. She studied Thailand’s distinct health care systems and interacted with people from all over the world, solidifying her desire to work abroad in the future. “Thailand has definitely shaped both my academic and career goals,” Fung
said. “Growing up, I was pretty sheltered. That's why I think going abroad is so important, because to become a worldly person, you need to have different experiences, and if you confine yourself to university, you're not going to be able to grow. I'm so thankful UT has programs that encourage students to go abroad and have these experiences.” The advertising and health and society junior concentrating on health care in the economy says once she graduates in spring 2022, she plans to work in the marketing industry before joining the Peace Corps for 2½ years as part of the HIV/AIDS and maternal sector program.
Knight Center Reaches Thousands of International Journalists in 2020 Through Digital Platforms
In addition to the MOOCs, the Knight Center hosted its annual International Symposium on Online Journalism (ISOJ), one of the most prestigious journalism conferences in the world, completely online for the first time in its 21-year history. Virtual delivery of the ISOJ 2020 broke all its previous records, yielding the highest number of speakers, broadest range of topics, and largest audience in the U.S. and around the world.
Since 2002, the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas has provided professional training and outreach to journalists all over the world. The pandemic has not quelled its impact.
A total of 4,790 people from 134 countries registered to participate in ISOJ Online, and with several events streamed on YouTube, thousands of additional viewers tuned in to the livestreams and recordings.
Through its Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), the center continues to provide trilingual distance learning programs through digital tools. One of the courses, Journalism in a Pandemic: Covering COVID-19 Now and in the Future, reached nearly 9,000 journalists
Even in the midst of a pandemic, the Knight Center has reached more journalists than ever before. Far beyond Texas and the U.S., the center has created a platform where journalists from six continents can share knowledge and experiences with one another.
IN THE AMERICAS
Photo courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin
M O O DY C O L L E G E O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N
in 162 countries and was highlighted by the director-general of the World Health Organization in his daily media briefing.
KNIGHT CENTER FOR JOURNALISM
Cultivating Global Citizens • 49
S C H O O L O F N U RS I N G
“This experience taught me about compassion for and awareness of other people’s ways of life. I know this experience will not only make me a more patient-centered nurse, but it has made me a better person.” Mariana Verissimo (B.S. '20)
Study Abroad in Costa Rica Provides Global Perspective in Health Care A faculty-led study abroad program in Costa Rica initiated in the School of Nursing is helping train future health care professionals to lead in diverse communities and think about health care beyond the U.S. The program, “Engaging Global Health in Costa Rica,” allows students to take a medical Spanish language course while learning about public health from a Latin American point of view.
The immersion in local clinics and hospitals allows the students to learn different approaches to providing health care, as well as disparities that exist globally. For many of the students, it’s the first time they have traveled outside of the U.S., and the study abroad program provides an experience that is often life-changing. “I really enjoyed learning about global health and relating it to what we saw in Costa Rica,” said Mariana Verissimo, one of the program’s participants. “The experience has shaped how I view health, sparking my interest in public health and living abroad one day.”
Photo courtesy of School of Nursing.
50 • Cultivating Global Citizens
Photo courtesy of Maro Youssef.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Doctoral Student Advances Women’s Activism in Tunisia Sociology doctoral student Maro Youssef once served as a foreign affairs analyst at the American Embassy in Tunisia. She first arrived in 2014, just one day before the country passed a constitution emphasizing women’s rights, now considered to be among the most progressive in the world. “No matter how much you know a country, if you are not physically located there, it is hard to grasp the complexities and nuances,” Youssef said.
and build sustainable peace. The fellowship allows her to concentrate full time on analyzing her fieldwork and completing her dissertation.
While working at the embassy in Tunisia, Youssef became interested in the work of Mounira M. Charrad, an associate professor of sociology at UT Austin and an expert on women’s rights and women’s movements in the country. Charrad, who is now her dissertation advisor, was a primary factor in her decision to pursue her doctorate at UT.
Women in the U.S. can learn from women’s activism in Tunisia, she explained, as they too are now at a crossroads where their rights can either be protected and advanced or diminished.
Youssef’s research focuses on Islamist and secular feminist women’s associations that formed in the wake of Tunisia’s 20102011 Jasmine Revolution. In 2019, she was awarded a U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) Peace Scholar Fellowship, which supports research that contributes to a wider understanding of how to manage conflict
“The first Women’s March in 2017 resembled Tunisian-style organizing around women’s rights. Women went out into the streets to express their concerns over their rights following a presidential election,” she said. “We can do more of that to make sure there is no backsliding on our rights, just like Tunisians did, starting in 2011.”
Cultivating Global Citizens • 51
Texas Law Shapes the Next Generation of International Lawyers and Public Policy Professionals J AC K S O N S C H O O L O F G E O S C I E N C E S
International Ph.D. Student Named NASA Future Investigator Samuel Fung, an international student pursuing a Ph.D. at the Jackson School of Geosciences, was named a Future Investigator in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST). In 2020, NASA awarded Fung a $134,976 grant for his research on mitigation strategies to modulate extreme rainfall in Houston. Fung, who previously studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, is exploring the link between the urban heat island effect and extreme rain events in Houston. His research could have significant impact on informing urban planners' strategies to minimize flood risk. According to the NASA panel, Fung’s approach to the issue was novel and contained a “well-defined hypothesis.” “I am deeply honored to receive the FINESST award. It recognizes the work and ideas that I have been developing since I entered UT,” Fung said.
52 • Cultivating Global Citizens
The University of Texas at Austin School of Law prepares students for prodigious careers at the highest levels of the legal profession and public affairs, not only in Texas but worldwide. Lawyers from all over the world come to Texas Law to expand the breadth and depth of their legal knowledge and invest in an internationally recognized Master of Laws. In 2012, Texas Law partnered with Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) to provide the opportunity for selected students to earn a law degree in both countries with the expressed goal of training lawyers to be exceptionally well qualified to practice law on a transnational level. In addition, the Institute for Transnational Law was established to enhance teaching and support research into international and comparative law, to build international contacts for the School of Law, and to increase student exchanges between Texas Law and the best foreign law schools around the world. Its robust MD Anderson Foreign Judge Fellows Program has hosted 30 French, Italian, and German judges now serving in top legal positions across Europe.
During the past three years, the institute has also supported 10 Fulbright students from 10 countries. Humzah Q. Yazdani was the 20192020 MD Anderson research fellow and also a Fulbright scholar. Yazdani’s diverse experience and deep knowledge in the energy sector were further developed at Texas Law, where he completed his Master of Laws in Global Energy and Environmental Law. He is licensed to practice law in Texas and Pakistan, and was selected to be part of the Global Shapers Community at the World Economic Forum in 2020. “Texas Law made me dream again! I am so glad I completed my Fulbright journey at Texas Law,” Yazdani said. “Being awarded the MD Anderson Research Fellowship at the Institute for Transnational Law enabled me to research cutting our carbon emissions. Most importantly, my time there reignited the fire of curiosity and set me on a career trajectory to work on the clean energy transition. The faculty, along with the quality of education, was incredible.” Pictured: Humzah Q. Yazdani. Photo by Inter-State Studio.
Pictured: Samuel Fung. Photo courtesy of Samuel Fung.
S C H O O L O F L AW
Pictured, Czech Republic. Photo courtesy of Julia Solonina.
C E N T E R F O R O P E N E D U C AT I O N A L R E S O U R C E S A N D L A N G UAG E L E A R N I N G CENTER FOR RUSSIAN, EAST EUROPEAN
spearheaded this project, together with a team that included language instructors and former students.
AND EURASIAN STUDIES COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Online Czech Textbook Makes Language Learning Accessible The Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) has improved access for those interested in learning Czech through its release of an innovative, open-source language textbook. “Reality Czech" is a fully customizable online guide, with downloadable lessons and topics such as family, food, health, studying, and travel. Included in the package are videos, pronunciation audio, and a complete set of self-graded quizzes. The project was funded primarily by the Czech Educational Foundation of Texas and grants from the U.S. Department of Education. Christian Hilchey, a lecturer in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies,
The online textbook contains more than 1,400 pages of the open-sourced online resources that are easy to navigate. In addition, the videos have transcripts that can aid students in their listening, reading, and pronunciation. Hilchey and his team are also able to amend the site with feedback from surveys and input from students; his goal has always been to “embrace what open really means.” I N S T I T U T E F O R I N N OVAT I O N , C R E AT I V I T Y A N D C A P I TA L ( I C 2 ) L B J S C H O O L O F P U B L I C A F FA I R S
challenges in home reconstruction, conduct extensive research, and implement solutions. The team was awarded the 2019 CenTex ASPA James McGrew Research Award, which recognizes outstanding student research in the field of public administration and public policy. The team’s research was done as part of the LBJ School’s yearlong policy research projects (PRP), in which teams of students address a complex policy issue in a real-world context. The students spent a month in Nepal meeting with local governmental officials, interviewing the residents of three villages to identify barriers to home reconstruction, and exploring alternative building technologies. Their research outlines several recommendations to improve reconstruction efforts. “It is an honor to know that others read our research and found it valuable and insightful," said Christine Ngan (M.S. ’17), who worked on the project as a master's student in the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering program. “As a young professional now, I feel encouraged to use the lessons I've learned while working on the PRP to influence my career as an engineer in our globalized world."
Graduate Students Honored for their Post-Earthquake Research in Nepal After a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal in 2015, a multidisciplinary team of 12 students from the LBJ School and the Institute for Innovation, Creativity and Capital (IC2) met with residents of the area to investigate
Photo courtesy of Leah Havens.
Cultivating Global Citizens • 53
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION MOODY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION MCCOMBS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
President’s Award Team, the Color Complex, Continues Conversation on Colorism In 2018, four students and three faculty members from colleges across UT founded the Color Complex. It is a student-run initiative that explores and mitigates the influences of colorism, a form of prejudice that purports a person with European features—slimmer nose, bigger eyes, straighter hair, and lighter skin—has more value. The student team—Timia Bethea, Christina Cho, Vida Nwadiei, and Rebecca Chen— was one of the seven selected to receive the inaugural President’s Award for Global Learning, the signature program of UT’s International Board of Advisors that provides funding to teams of students and faculty members to take on international projects that examine real-world challenges and enact solutions. The group began their research preparation in the spring of 2019, interviewing
54 • Cultivating Global Citizens
African American and Asian American female students about their experiences with colorism. Then in the summer of 2019, they traveled to Accra, Ghana, where they interviewed Ghanaian women about their experiences and attitudes toward beauty practices. Despite a ban on skin bleaching products containing a harmful substance called hydroquinone in 2016, Ghanaian women are bombarded by messaging from the multibillion-dollar industry of skin bleaching products. With guidance from education professor Kevin Cokley, McCombs School senior lecturer John Doggett, and Moody College associate professor Minette Drumwright, the team explored the influences of colorism in Ghana through the lenses of media and business, identity and self-worth, the cyclical nature of skin bleaching in families, and social mobility. The project’s impact isn't limited to Ghana. The team hopes it will be a movement that extends to Austin and beyond. When the team returned in the fall of 2019, they continued their project by working with two advertising classes led by Moody College lecturer Galit Marmor-Lavie to develop campaigns and continue the conversation.
Photo courtesy of Kiana Fernandez.
The team eventually grew in size, as several new members joined the initiative. In February 2020, they created the Museum of Color, a community-driven, interactive art exhibition that tells intimate stories about colorism written by students and community members. Today, the exhibition archive is available to view on the Color Complex’s website, along with the personal stories that accompany them.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Chen.
“We want students to be able to talk about their own experiences, understand each other’s experiences, and begin a process of healing. We want to take this from a summer project to a movement, to something that can be institutionalized. This is a global issue that we want to begin to tackle here at The University of Texas.” Vida Nwadiei (B.S. ’20) President’s Award for Global Learning Awardee 2018
Cultivating Global Citizens • 55
56 • Giving Back To The World
Giving Back to the World UT alumni are known for their passionate Longhorn pride and lifelong commitment to their alma mater. The success of our great university is owed in large part to the generosity of a vibrant community of more than 530,000 alumni living in 176 countries. UT alumni advance the university’s core purpose—to transform lives for the benefit of society— in Texas and communities across the globe.
Giving Back To The World • 57
Photo courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS L L I L A S B E N S O N L AT I N A M E R I C A N
Latin America through cultural, artistic, and educational research.
STUDIES AND COLLECTIONS
LLILAS Benson Celebrates 20 Years Since Transformative Gift In 2000, the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, commonly known as LLILAS, was born thanks to a generous $10 million endowment from Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long. Eleven years later, LLILAS joined forces with the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, establishing an official partnership and creating LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections. In 2020, the institute celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Longs’ transformative gift that has enabled students and faculty members over the decades to explore
58 • Giving Back To The World
The Longs’ gift has made possible numerous initiatives, faculty positions, and sources of student funding. It has allowed for visiting professorships that bring distinguished scholars from Latin America to teach on the Forty Acres, funding for international research, and endowments to support undergraduate and graduate students. The prestigious Lozano Long Conference brings international scholars, students, and activists to LLILAS Benson each year for a widely attended multiday series of events. Their generosity has not gone unnoticed. In 2018, Joe and Terry Long were recipients of the highest honor bestowed by the UT System Board of Regents, the prestigious Santa Rita Award. The following year, Terry Long was honored with the National Humanities Medal in a White House ceremony.
“The Longs’ gift has been essential to our core mission. Its resources have enabled the talented faculty and students of LLILAS Benson to do what they do best: conduct research and teach about Latin America across a diverse array of disciplines. But the gift has gone further, allowing LLILAS Benson to become a leader in the field of digital scholarship and to forge partnerships with Latin American peers, thus expanding access to Latin American studies and collections globally.” Javier Auyero Interim Director, LLILAS Benson; Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Professor in Latin American Sociology
COCKRELL SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Athletics Scholarship and Professional Basketball Career Kickstarted Muoneke’s Future in Energy Growing up in an Igbo community in Houston, Nnadubem Gabriel (Gabe) Muoneke (B.S. ’02) dreamed that he would one day live and work in Nigeria, where his roots were strongest and where he felt he could make the biggest difference. After choosing to attend UT on a basketball scholarship, Muoneke decided to study in an area he thought would best prepare him to make an impact in Nigeria. He chose to study petroleum engineering, and he knew that the Cockrell School of Engineering was the perfect place for him. Many student athletes would think twice before adding a challenging engineering course load to their plates, but Muoneke was dedicated to pursuing his two passions and believed that one could potentially help him realize his dream of pursuing the other. “I once saw an article from my freshman year, in which I was asked what I wanted to do in 20 years. Not knowing much about the terminology of oil and gas at the time, I said I wanted to start an oil ‘excavation’ company in Nigeria,” Muoneke said. “So, I guess you could say I knew what I wanted to do very early.” It was through his experiences as a student athlete at UT, and later nine
Photo courtesy of School of Engineering.
years as a professional basketball player, that he was able to achieve his dream. While playing basketball in various countries, Muoneke built relationships with key influencers who later helped him develop a company in Nigeria. After retiring from basketball in 2009, he joined Afren, a U.K.-based oil exploration and production company. Muoneke then used his experiences at Afren to start MTX, a mission-driven company based in Nigeria focused on bringing sustainable and economically viable energy projects to Africa. “We believe there is an energy solution in every region of Africa,” he said. “The issue is just to find that solution. If that requires investing in research, so be it.” Photo courtesy of School of Engineering.
Giving Back To The World • 59
Photo courtesy of Andrew Vo.
Proud Longhorn, Global Businessman and Former Refugee on Why He Gives Back
Growing up as a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant in the U.S., Vo earned a finance degree from the McCombs School of Business in 1995. He has since gone on to lead a successful 25-year career at Accenture working with partners around the globe. He currently lives in Singapore with his wife and 4-year-old twins, whom he hopes to provide with an international education tantamount to his.
From endowing student scholarships for Longhorns and establishing the Vo Family Auditorium, UT alumnus Andrew Phong Vo’s impact extends across the Forty Acres.
During his time at UT, Vo founded the Texas Iron Spikes, a student service and spirit organization dedicated to supporting the Central Texas community
E N R O L L M E N T M A N AG E M E N T A N D STUDENT SUCCESS MCCOMBS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
60 • Giving Back To The World
through active philanthropy and promoting Texas Baseball. But he continued giving back to UT even after he left Austin. When university leaders visited the Texas Exes alumni chapter in Singapore in 2018, he actively engaged with former UT President Gregory L. Fenves and now current UT President Jay Hartzell on opportunities to make his mark on UT students. In January 2020, Vo was recognized at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for his help in creating the new UT Admissions Welcome Center, naming the auditorium in honor of his family.
“As someone who was a former refugee, who came to the U.S. with nothing, the naming of the Vo Family Auditorium represents a symbolic pinnacle,” Vo said. “My involvement in the Admissions Welcome Center and the Vo Family Auditorium was a way to recognize my family’s immigrant heritage and my parents’ unwavering contributions as educators.” In addition to his family, Vo’s generosity and stewardship is fueled by his gratitude to those who took a chance on him when he was building his life and career. Over the years, Vo has given back to the Longhorn community in numerous other ways.
In 2014, Vo and his wife, Sophie, established a presidential scholarship endowment to provide full tuition for McCombs students. To date, their gift has supported two business students through graduation. Vo said one lesson from UT that stuck with him is, in the words of his inspirational McCombs professor Herb Miller, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” “If you start every day thinking about the difference that you can make on others, I believe that your focus, drive, and ambition will open up so many doors for yourself and the community around you,” Vo said.
“As I reflect on my roots, I realize many people have paved the way for me, and as a Longhorn, I want to be involved in providing those types of opportunities to underprivileged individuals.”
Photo courtesy of Andrew Vo
Andrew Vo (B.B.A. ’95)
Photo courtesy of Andrew Vo.
Giving Back To The World • 61
H A R RY R A N S O M C E N T E R L B J S C H O O L O F P U B L I C A F FA I R S TEX AS GLOBAL
Pictured: Marifer Saldaña Gonzalez. Photo ourtesy of Texas Global.
A Catalyst for Global Opportunity: Judy and Bill Bollinger Have Transformed UT’s Impact
DAV I D O . N I L S S O N S C H O L A RS H I P TEX AS GLOBAL
Financial Support Makes All the Difference for International Student Marifer Saldaña Gonzalez Growing up in Torreón, Mexico, as the oldest of five sisters, Marifer Saldaña Gonzalez (B.B.A ’19) knew from a young age that she wanted to make a difference in the world. After hearing about UT Austin from her cousin, a UT student, she decided to apply. “I looked at the website and the first thing I saw—'what starts here changes the world’—already sounded pretty good for me!” Gonzalez said. As a marketing major and management information systems
62 • Giving Back To The World
minor, Gonzalez was interested in the intersection of business and technology. During her time at UT, she worked as a resident assistant and also studied abroad in Bangkok, Thailand. Coming to UT as an international student was not easy for Gonzalez, and when her family faced unexpected financial challenges, the scholarship support she received made it possible for her to complete her degree. She received the Tuition Assistance for Mexican Students and the Dr. David O. Nilsson endowed scholarship supporting international students, awarded to one outstanding student each year. “As international students, we sometimes face a lot of hardships, but just having this financial support helps us to study more, to develop as people and to be able to give back to society,” said Gonzalez. “All of your help has changed my life.”
If anyone knows the importance of international experience, it is Judy and Bill Bollinger (B.B.A. ’78, M.B.A. ‘80). After their own study abroad experiences as undergraduates in France, the Bollingers spent their celebrated careers almost entirely abroad, from London to Singapore and many places in between. Their lifelong passion for global engagement inspired them to support the growth and success of students at UT Austin. The Bollingers have been a catalyst in advancing the university’s mission. During his tenure on UT’s International Board of Advisors, Bill spearheaded the establishment of the President’s Award for Global Learning and Global Professional Training: East and Southeast Asia. Judy continues to serve as vice chair of the Advisory Council of the Harry Ransom Center, which preserves treasured literary works thanks to support from donors such as the Bollingers. They also funded immersive U.S. cultural experiences for international graduate students at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Their many contributions to the university are driven by their belief that intercultural experience is essential to success in an interconnected world. “When [reflecting on] the problems that Judy and I have had to deal with, whether we’re managing employees from multiple different cultures or dealing with complex financial
markets, you need all hands on deck, you need all perspectives, you need people with different points of view and different expertise, and you have to have the humility to listen to them,” Bill stated. “We’re going to have to come up with very complex solutions that take into account so many different points of view because there's so many moving parts to the greatest challenges that we face, whether it's in the state of Texas or in the country or globally.” The Bollingers’ transformative initiatives have inspired students and faculty members to advance learning through interdisciplinarity while being globally engaged. They have touched the lives of so many by fostering intellectual inquiry, personal transformation, and cross-cultural communication. Their invaluable support is cultivating the next generation of leaders who will address the world’s most pressing challenges. “It’s very important for young people to become aware of the world, be a part of the world, and understand the good, the bad, and the risks so they can shape the outcomes for themselves, their families, the state, and the country,” said Judy. “The University of Texas cannot prepare future Texas leaders unless they are prepared to engage with the world.” While their professional achievements have enabled the Bollingers to give back to the university in ways
Photo courtesy of President's Award for Global Learning
that will have a long-lasting impact, both Judy and Bill encourage UT’s emerging leaders to take it one step at a time. They advise students to do every task, no matter how small, to the best of their ability, seek mentorship, and not shy away from failure. For UT Austin, the Bollingers see a future full of global connections. Their hope is for the university to continue providing students the best academic experience possible, fostering innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing the global reach of UT’s research and creative impact, and preparing leaders with the experience, knowledge, and tools to positively shape the future. “To give Texas students the best shot possible at success, not just in Texas but in the world, you have to equip them with an international perspective,” asserted Bill. Thanks to the generosity and passion of the Bollingers, as well as donors and alumni like them, the university ensures “What Starts Here Changes the World.”
“This opportunity has truly changed my worldview, expanded my knowledge, and encouraged me to pursue opportunities that challenge and excite me. Being part of the inaugural group of the President’s Award for Global Learning has been a life-changing experience. I want to leverage my education and experience to bridge the gap between community public health and personal medicine to ensure that treatments are sustainable and benefit the health of the whole community." Veronica Remmert (B.S. ’20) President’s Award for Global Learning Awardee 2018
Giving Back To The World • 63
64 • Acknowledgments
Acknowledgements We express our sincerest gratitude to the numerous staff members across the university who contributed to this inaugural Global Engagement Report. Communicators in every college, school, and unit deliver stories that demonstrate UT’s achievements and impact to audiences around the world every day. Although there are too many to include in a single document, this report offers a glimpse into the depth and breadth of the university’s global engagement efforts.
Contributors Stephanie Adeline Sarayu Adeni Marc Airhart Teri Albrecht Florencia Bazzano Steve Brooks Keisha Brown Andrea Campetella Asher Diaz Aaron Dubrow Vanessa Davidson Jade Fabello Nick Galuban Bridget Glaser Rachel Harken Rebecca Johnson Emily Luther Fiona Mazurenko
Darcy McGillicuddy Teresa Mioli Nick Nobel Elizabeth Page Jen Reel Alex Reshanov Jorge Salazar Susanna Sharpe Sofia Sokolove Kelsey Stine Jenan Taha Carly Toepke Rachel White Kathryn Blanton Wiley David Wolcott Cami Yates Victoria Yu
About Texas Global Texas Global advances UT Austin’s academic mission by leading, supporting, and coordinating the university’s international engagement efforts, fostering strategic partnerships on campus and abroad, welcoming a cadre of impressive international students and scholars to campus, and creating opportunities for students and faculty to engage with peers and institutions around the world. Website: global.utexas.edu Global Explorer: global.utexas.edu/map Facebook: /UTexasGlobal Twitter: @UTexasGlobal Instagram: @UTexasGlobal Copyright © 2021 Texas Global, The University of Texas at Austin and the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System. All Rights Reserved.
Acknowledgments • 65