Campus Kudos
Professor Tom Edgar Awarded Chemical Engineering’s Top Service Honor
Tom Edgar, professor of chemical engineering in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, accepted the F. J. and Dorothy Van Antwerpen Award for Service from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) recently at the association’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. The award, sponsored by The Dow Chemical Co., recognizes Edgar’s service and professional leadership contributions in chemical engineering, particularly for AIChE.
UT graduate and Keene Prize winner’s play goes on to U.S. and U.K. premieres
The prize-winning play “Lidless” by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers, will soon be seen on stages in the United States and abroad. Ya-Chu Cowhig won the 2009 Keene Prize for Literature. This coming year “Lidless” has its fully staged regional U.S. premiere at Interact Theatre in Philadelphia — city of the playwright’s birth — running from Jan. 21 through Feb. 13. Then only weeks later, it opens on the London stage at Trafalgar Studios 2 Theatre, a noted venue for new work, running from March 15-April 2.
Dance Professor Holly Williams Receives Fulbright Specialists Award
Holly Williams, professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at Austin, has been selected by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to receive a Fulbright Specialists grant for a project in Finland at the Turun Ammattikorkeakoulu Taideakatemia, the Turku University of Applied Sciences Arts Academy.
Alexa Stuifbergen Appointed University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing Dean
Dr. Alexa Stuifbergen, professor of nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and an internationally recognized researcher in the areas of multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome and fibromyalgia, has been appointed dean of the School of Nursing. Stuifbergen is the third dean in the school’s history. She replaces Dr. Dolores Sands who retired in 2009.
Architecture Professor Honored for His Contributions to Education
Lawrence “Larry” Speck, distinguished professor and former dean of the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded the Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architecture Education, the highest honor awarded to an architectural educator, from the American Institute of Architects and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.
Press Mentions
The New York Times: Universities are challenged as demographics shift
Jan. 1, 2011
President William Powers Jr. and Gregory Vincent, vice president for the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, were among those interviewed in an article about how changing demographics have affected the university.
The Wall Street Journal: Texas confronts budget travails as revenue slows
Jan. 11, 2011
Daron Shaw, Department of Government, commented on the Texas Legislature’s possible use of the state’s rainy day fund to cover budget shortfalls.
The New York Times: For minorities, new ‘digital divide’ seen
Jan. 8, 2011
Craig Watkins, College of Communication, discussed the increase in Internet use by minorities and the quality of that engagement.
Businessweek: Texas’s Perry faces record budget gap on revenue drop
Jan. 11, 2011
Sherri Greenberg, LBJ School of Public Affairs, was interviewed about the effect of state spending cuts on public education.
BBC Radio: ‘Over by Christmas’ and Race, sport and politics
Dec. 20, 2010
BBC Radio interviewed Ben Carrington, Department of Sociology, about his work on race and politics in sports.
MSNBC: The science of kissing
Dec. 30, 2010
Sheril Kirshenbaum, Jackson School of Geosciences, was interviewed about her research on the science of kissing.
Businessweek: Delaying sex might strengthen marriage
Dec. 29, 2010
Mark Regnerus, Department of Sociology, commented on research showing that delaying intimacy may result in better relationships in marriage.
Chicago Tribune: Will 2011 be a turning point for the economy?
Dec. 26, 2010
Robert Auerbach, LBJ School of Public Affairs, commented on the new bond-purchase program.
The New York Times: Vote hurts Obama’s push to empty Cuba prison
Dec. 22
Robert Chesney, School of Law, discussed the impact of new legislation on the potential closure of Guantanamo Bay prison.
The Wall Street Journal: Do these guys look too tired?
Dec. 20, 2010
Ed Coyle, College of Education, discussed the effects of time off on skill versus endurance athletes.
The Wall Street Journal: When it’s the time for plan B
Dec. 29, 2010
Isaac Barchas, Austin Technology Incubator, stressed the need for small businesses to adapt to changes in the marketplace.
Nature: Tired bees make poor dancers
Dec. 13, 2010
Barrett Klein, former ecology, evolution and behavior graduate student, explained his study on sleep-deprived honey bees and their ability to communicate.
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