Changing the World (July-August 2013)

what your investment in ut makes possible

jul/aug 2013

CHANGING THE WORLD What your investment in UT makes possible

CONTENTS CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE Recognizing Peter and Edith O’Donnell, at last

EARLY INNOVATION Natural Sciences freshmen gain valuable lab experience

Cover: Summer may be slower on campus, but the

University received a record 38,000 freshman applications for the 2013-14 academic year. Fewer than half were offered admission, and around 7,200 are expected to enroll this fall as the Class of 2017.

CREDIT: Marsha Miller

Above: Pre-med major Christy Portales is a participant

in the Freshman Research Initiative, in which Natural Sciences students are placed in advanced research labs at the beginning of their educational experience rather than at the end.

CREDIT: College of Natural Sciences

ONE WAY TO SUPPORT STUDENTS: INSPIRE THEM Helping young women develop skills to succeed

STRONGER FOOTING Sales of official Longhorn boots give students a leg up reprinted from jul/aug 2013

CHANGING THE WORLD What your investment in UT makes possible

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE

Two of the University’s most prolific and generous donors receive long-overdue public recognition for their UT philanthropy.

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certain very generous husband and wife have long been among

the University’s top donors. And for about as long, they have declined the spotlight. But this spring, after years of encouragement from University leaders, Peter and Edith O’Donnell of Dallas decided the

time was right to shed their anonymity. UT’s Applied Computational Engineering Above: Edith and Peter

O’Donnell mark the naming of the O’Donnell Building in March with, from left, vice president for research Juan Sanchez, ICES director J. Tinsley Oden, president emeritus Peter Flawn, and president Bill Powers.

Opposite: Sanchez and pres-

ident emeritus Larry Faulkner view milestones of ICES’ first decade; students in the FRI program benefit from up-front lab experience.

CREDITS: Marsha Miller (2);

College of Natural Sciences

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and Sciences Building, home to the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES), is now—with the couple’s blessing—the O’Donnell Building for Applied Computational Engineering and Sciences.

The celebration of a decade of innovative work at ICES, an initiative Peter O’Donnell holds dear and has supported since its inception, provided the occasion. “On the 10th anniversary of the institute,” the investor and philanthropist says, “Edith and I thought it would be appropriate to honor the request of the University to rename the building.”

The O’Donnells and their eponymous foundation are well known for supporting higher

education, particularly engineering, science, and mathematics. They have given more than $135 million to the University since 1983, including 156 endowments for student fellowships, faculty support, and graduate education programs. The total market value of the endowments and accompanying matches currently exceeds $418 million.

President Bill Powers says the building naming acknowledges what the former “Mr. and

EARLY INNOVATION Mrs. Anonymous” have done for UT for decades. “By any measure, Peter and Edith O’Donnell are among the greatest supporters of The University of Texas in its 130-year history,” Powers says.

“Their transformative generThe O’Donnells have osity is based on the belief in our power to change society for funded 156 endowments for the better. It brings honor to UT to have their names connected student fellowships, faculty with the campus in perpetuity.” support, and graduate Edith O’Donnell, BA ’48, Life Member, received the Distin- education programs. guished Alumnus Award in 1989. Peter, who earned degrees from other universities, was given the Distinguished Service Award, the Texas Exes’ highest honor for a non-alumnus, in 2003. He is also a recipient of the UT System’s Santa Rita Award and was tapped for UT’s Presidential Citation earlier this year.

ICES draws together faculty from 18 University departments to teach graduate students and conduct research. The institute’s work combines advanced computing, math, and various scientific disciplines to address formidable technological challenges. These include treatment of cardiovascular disease, new sources of energy, the design of advanced materials, nanomanufacturing, and many more.

Built specifically for ICES, the $32-million O’Donnell Building came about under an unusual arrangement in which the foundation leased the land from the University, constructed the building, and then deeded it to UT. With hands-on supervision by Peter O’Donnell, it was completed in record time and within budget.

From the beginning it has attracted outstanding students, scientists, and engineers from around the world. Located in the heart of UT’s engineering and science complex and designed for continual upgrading, the building houses a 2,900-square-foot visualization lab, bandwidth-intensive research space for 300 graduate students, electronic seminar and videoconferencing rooms, and fully equipped offices for visiting researchers.

The O’Donnells have made nearly all of their gifts on the condition that matching funds would be raised and that the gifts would bear the names of those providing the matches. The single exception is the Peter O’Donnell, Jr. C e n t e n n i a l Chair in Computing Systems, which is assigned to the ICES director—a position that so far has been filled solely by founding ICES director J. Tinsley Oden, who also holds the Cockrell Family Regents’ Chair in Engineering #2.

“No one in history has had a greater impact on science and engineering in Texas than Peter O’Donnell,” says Oden, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and professor of aerospace engineering, engineering mechanics, computer science, and math.

“His extremely generous and strategically planned support of computational science and engineering has made possible the creation of one of the top academic and research programs in the world and has led to advances of great benefit to not only all Texans but to all Americans.”

And now, along with Edith, his partner in philanthropy and in life, he is anonymous no more.

FRESHMAN RESEARCH INITIATIVE TURNS TRADITIONAL FIRST YEAR ON ITS HEAD

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f you had told me in high school that in two years I would be doing top-of-the-line, cutting-edge research in astrophysics, I would have called you a liar,” says computer science major Sean Moorhead, a participant in UT’s enormously successful Freshman Research Initiative, or FRI as it is commonly known.

Started in 2005 in the College of Natural Sciences, FRI is turning students like Moorhead into innovators by putting them in advanced research labs at the beginning of their educational experience rather than at the end.

Originally introduced in biology and chemistry, FRI has expanded to 30 faculty-led research streams, working on real-world applications in biosciences as well as in physics, astronomy, math, and computer science. The program has grown to serve more than 700 first-year students each year, a third of each incoming class of natural sciences majors.

FRI provides an authentic research experience and in the process a richer college experience. Mentored by faculty and graduate students, freshmen conduct and contribute to modern science by designing experiments, performing data analyses, and publishing peer-reviewed papers. Perhaps best of all, students who participate in FRI graduate with a science or math degree at a 35 percent higher rate than their non-FRI peers. Participants also have higher GPAs and earn more scholarships than other natural sciences students.

The sheer variety of FRI options can be overwhelming initially, says pre-med major Christy Portales. “But that’s what thrills me the most, the fact that there are so many things being done at the same place. I started by exploring ways to grow switchgrass, which is used to produce biofuels. And now I’m researching antibiotics. FRI accelerated the process of my becoming a scientist.”

In the past year, biochemistry professor Andy Ellington and colleagues on the computer science faculty pioneered a new FRI stream, the DIY Disease Diagnostics Stream.

Freshmen will be trained in methodologies that will enable them to develop self-test diagnostics, which are expected in coming years to increasingly empower individuals in medical decision-making. Along the way students will learn about laboratory robotics and interact with computer scientists, who will help automate the delivery of diagnostics. The new stream was made possible by a gift from Bob O’Rear, MA ’66, as well as the involvement of the Gates Foundation.

“I really believe that all education is self-education, and so all I really want are students who are excited enough to go and learn for themselves,” Ellington says. “I can guide them and direct them, and I can save them some time, but mostly I’m looking for them to come in and be excited. And if they do that, the rest is easy.” s e p t e m b e r | o c t o b e r 2011

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CHANGING THE WORLD What your investment in UT makes possible

ONE WAY TO SUPPORT STUDENTS: INSPIRE THEM A new endowment aims to help young women develop skills to succeed.

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i t h w o m e n m a k i n g u p m o r e t h a n h a l f t h e n at i o n ’ s

population—51 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau— the need for scientists, leaders in business and government, engineers, and doctors of both sexes is greater than ever.

Fortunately for young women studying at UT, the University increasingly provides both a social climate and an intellectual environment to encourage their ambitions.

Above: INSPIRE students

visit the U.S. Capitol while attending the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, 2012.

Opposite: Get your official

UT boots in time for Texas Longhorn Football’s Aug. 31 season opener.

CREDITS: From left: College of

Liberal Arts; Global Volunteers; Jeff Heimsath

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INSPIRE Leadership is a three-year revolving program serving sophomores, juniors, and seniors that helps women develop the skills they need to achieve the highest levels within their academic fields. Under the direction of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, which is part of the College of Liberal Arts, INSPIRE has served as UT’s signature leadership program for women undergraduates since 2009. About 90 percent of participants are young women of color, most are in underrepresented majors, and many are first-generation college students.

Mary Braunagel-Brown, BA ’68, MA ’73, PhD ’83, Life Member, is committed to the establish-

ment of an endowment supporting students selected for the program. Retired in Austin with her husband, Bruce Brown, PhD ’76, Life Member, following a successful career in business and higher education, Braunagel-Brown is an active community volunteer. She would like to see her INSPIRE fund grow quickly and support as many students as possible. She has therefore pledged to match new gifts to the fund dollarfor-dollar up to a total of $25,000.

“I am delighted to support INSPIRE,” Braunagel-Brown says. “I am impressed with the program’s efficient structure, which allows even

a modest contribution such as mine to have a demonstrable impact.”

INSPIRE participants gain the confidence and knowledge to express their voice in the classroom, on campus, and in leadership roles in the community, making a difference by engaging in public service and working with other young women in supportive and interdisciplinary environments. They develop skills in areas such as critical thinking, public presentation, group motivation, and negotiation.

“The INSPIRE Leadership Program is unique and transformative,” says program facilitator Juan Portillo, BBA ’06, MA ’12.

“While we provide professional development workshops, take the students to conferences, and help them work on group and personal projects, the biggest impact that I feel this program provides is the space and time to take a step back and reflect on what it means to be a female student, more than likely a firstgeneration college student, and more often than not in a male-dominated field.”

Participant Bibha Suvedi, who is studying neurobiology and expects to graduate in 2014, says the program has helped her focus her ambitions. “Freshman year, before I was in INSPIRE, felt like a never-ending journey toward something that I didn’t quite have the idea of,” she says. “With so many students and their respective student organizations, it was surprisingly difficult to fit in. Joining INSPIRE and being able to interact regularly with an amazing group of diverse young women became the highlight of my week.”

In the academic environment, where what can seem most valued is the number of internships one has or the importance of competing and leaving others behind, INSPIRE teaches that becoming a leader requires many skills: originality, inspiration, imagination, resourcefulness, creativity, vision, and the power to influence. Moreover, students learn how to develop these skills directly from the experiences of successful Mary Braunagel-Brown female mentors drawn from both the academy and the community.

“I support this program,” says BraunagelBrown, “because the world will simply be a better place when UT women—particularly first-generation college students, those from underrepresented groups, and those pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math-related fields—have the skills and confidence to reach their potential.”

Learn more about INSPIRE Leadership and how to support it at utexas.edu/cola/centers/ cwgs.

STRONGER FOOTING SALES OF OFFICIAL LONGHORN BOOTS GIVE STUDENTS A LEG UP

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hese boots are made for walking—in Longhorn style, and for a good cause. All profits from sales of the 1883 University of Texas Boots, made by Lucchese and sold exclusively by the University Co-op, flow into the Rebecca H. Carreon Scholarship Fund, which Student Government created to help meet the financial needs of exemplary UT students. The boots—which feature distinctively orange and white smooth-quill ostrich skin—come in men’s and women’s versions and cost $400.

It took the efforts of three different SG administrations—and three friends—to get the footwear on the shelves. The idea for a pair of UT boots was the brainchild of Clayton Stewart, BA ’06. The external financial officer for SG at the time, Stewart was interning at the State Capitol when he noticed lawmakers wearing boots featuring the state seal.

“The best is when an Aggie sees the boots and is jealous.”

“It didn’t make sense that we were the largest school in Texas and we didn’t have an official pair of boots,” Stewart says. So he got to work. As graduation approached, Stewart worked on getting the go-ahead from UT’s trademark office before passing the baton to incoming SG executive director Evan Autry, BA ’07, Life Member, who got to work developing a design.

An SG committee decided the boots would carry the traditional Longhorn logo and the UT seal, and would be made by a high-quality U.S. manufacturer. Autry pinpointed Lucchese in El Paso as the company for the job. The project, nearing completion, was handed over to Andrew Solomon, BA ’08, JD ’11, Life Member, when Autry graduated. Solomon’s job was to get the boots to market.

Since the quest’s beginning, the primary goal had been to put the proceeds toward a scholarship fund—a purpose that the University Co-op embraced. Solomon worked with then-SG president Danielle Rugoff, BA ’09, and the Co-op’s George Mitchell to ensure that students would benefit.

The boots landed on the Co-op shelves in 2007, and since then sales have generated $200,000 in scholarships, benefiting 68 students thus far. All UT students except current SG representatives are eligible for the awards.

SG’s current external financial director, liberal arts/communication junior Kornel Rady, is now carrying the torch, serving on the committee that chooses the scholarship recipients. “Giving out the scholarship is an incredible opportunity for Student Government to live up to our goal of giving back to students,” he says.

Becky Carreon in the Dean of Students office has provided administrative support for SG and other student leadership organizations for the past 26 years. “I am super pleased that the boots scholarship is needbased,” says Carreon, whose name graces the fund in honor of her dedication and service. “I think that is the most important part. Student Government saw the need to help students with their struggle to make ends meet.

“I have the best job on campus,” she says.

“Every year we have a new administration of super-involved, super-motivated student leaders who have only one short year in office to accomplish their extremely ambitious goals. I help set up meetings for them with UT administrators, fellow students, city leaders, state officials, and whoever can help them accomplish their agenda. It is amazing how much the students grow in one year by actually being able to put their ideas into action.”

Those who helped make the UT boots reality take pride in seeing their pet project on the feet of Longhorns, all around Texas, and not just on game days. “We were definitely on the forefront of university boots,” Stewart says. “The best is when an Aggie sees the boots and is jealous. That’s just the icing on the cake.”

Changing the World is produced by the University Development Office. Please send your feedback and suggestions to editor Jamey Smith at jjsmith@austin.utexas.edu.

For more news and information about giving to UT, visit giving.utexas.edu.

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