Campus Kudos
Seven faculty members to receive President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Awards
In recognition of a consistent level of excellence in teaching undergraduate students, seven faculty members will receive the President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award. Recipients for the 2010-2011 academic year include: Associate Professor Elizabeth Engelhardt, Department of American Studies; Professor Ami Pedahzur, Department of Government; Associate Professor Kirsten Belgum, Department of Germanic Studies; Senior Lecturer Eve Nicols, program director in the Fashion Design Program; Professor Steven Friesen, Department of Religious Studies; Associate Professor Domino R. Perez, Department of English; and Associate Professor Charters Wynn, Department of History.
Pharmacy faculty member receives $10,000 award for outstanding research
Dr. James McGinity, professor of pharmaceutics in the College of Pharmacy, has received the $10,000 Ralph Shangraw Memorial Award for outstanding research in powder technology and the design and development of novel oral dosage forms. The award was presented by the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council of the Americas Foundation.
Communication professor named distinguished scholar
John Daly, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies, has been named a distinguished scholar — the highest honor bestowed by the National Communication Association (NCA). The NCA names four distinguished scholars a year in recognition of a lifetime of scholarly achievement in the study of human communication by members.
Rick Barnes gets 500th career victory
Men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes became the 50th coach in NCAA Division I history to reach 500 career victories when the Longhorns beat Sam Houston State 84-50 on Nov. 23. Barnes has been a head coach for 24 years, 13 of those years with the Longhorns.
Two university employees named nonprofit officers
Two university employees were elected officers and board members of Envision Central Texas, a nonprofit dedicated to managing future growth in Central Texas. Fritz Steiner, dean of the School of Architecture, will serve as secretary. Jim Walker, director of sustainability, will serve as past chair.
First Fulbright visiting professor in environmental sciences and policy named
Oswaldo dos Santos Lucon has been awarded the first Fulbright Visiting Professorship in Environmental Sciences and Policy for the spring semester. Lucon is a professor at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and a technical adviser to the Sao Paulo State Environmental Secretariat. The Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies and the School of Architecture will co-host Lucon.
Press Mentions
Newsweek: From the mixed-up files of David Foster Wallace
Nov. 19
This issue of Newsweek examined the archives of the late author David Foster Wallace, which were acquired by the Harry Ransom Center earlier this year.
The New York Times: Some very creative economic fix-its
Nov. 27
Professor James Galbraith from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs discussed ideas to get the economy on track for sustained growth by temporarily changing the retirement age.
The Chronicle of Higher Education: ‘diverse in the heart’
Nov. 21
This article examined the influence of Heman Sweatt in bringing diversity to The University of Texas at Austin, and the new book about him by Gary Lavergne from the Office of Admissions.
The New York Times: Willingham filmmakers will speak for the dead
Nov. 27
Co-director Steve Mims, lecturer in the Department of Radio-Television-Film in the College of Communication, discussed his latest project, “Incendiary,” a documentary about a Texas death penalty case.
Discovery News: Can math improve airport security?
Nov. 18
The Department of Computer Sciences’ Professor William Press presented new ideas on how to increase airport security using simple mathematics rather than profiling.
The Boston Globe: Energy and immigration
Nov. 26
Michael Webber from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Sheril Kirshenbaum of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy expressed their views on how immigration and energy policies intersect.
Los Angeles Times: Limelight dims for ex-congressman Tom DeLay
Nov. 18
James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project, commented on the political future of former House majority leader Tom DeLay during the congressman’s trial in Austin.
The Christian Science Monitor: Gulf oil spill: offshore drilling firms threaten to go abroad
Nov. 20
Joshua Busby, a professor in the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, commented on the political aspects of resuming oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
USA Today: Search for civility grows in Washington after midterms
Nov. 19
Bruce Buchanan of the Government Department in the College of Liberal Arts discussed the prospect of a return to civil discourse in politics after the mid-term elections.
The Wall Street Journal: Stalking a masterpiece
Nov. 26
The price of the Gutenberg Bible purchased in 1978 by the Harry Ransom Center was used for comparison in this article about John James Audubon’s “Birds of America.”
Read the last edition of In the Know.
