Campus Kudos
UT celebrates achievements of new graduates
About 7,500 students graduated last month from The University of Texas at Austin. Individual colleges and schools held their convocations May 20-21 and on the evening of May 21, the university celebrated the 128th Spring Commencement on the Main Mall. U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison was the speaker.
Read about some of our inspiring new graduates …
Aerospace engineering professor elected to United Kingdom’s Royal Society
Cockrell School of Engineering Professor Thomas J. R. Hughes has been elected as a Foreign Member of The Royal Society, the United Kingdom’s national academy of science and the oldest known scientific society in the world. Hughes, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES), was among 44 Fellows and eight Foreign Members whose induction was announced May 20.
Radio-TV-Film alumnus earns Student Academy Award
Radio-TV-Film alumnus Soham Mehta, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater in 2000 and a Master of Fine Arts degree in radio-television-film in 2010 from UT, has been named a winner in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 38th annual Student Academy Awards competition. His film “Fatakra” competed in the narrative film category. He will be honored June 11 in Los Angeles where he will learn whether his film earned a gold, silver or bronze placement and a cash grant of up to $5,000 (gold).
Senate resolution cites Nursing School for addressing health care shortage
The School of Nursing and two local health care entities were recently honored with a Texas State Senate Resolution for their efforts to address the shortage of primary health care providers through the creation of a family nurse practitioner residency program.
Laude named interim dean of Natural Sciences
David A. Laude, senior associate dean for academic affairs and a University Distinguished Teaching Professor, has been appointed interim dean of the university’s College of Natural Sciences. Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, dean of the college for 17 years, announced recently that she was leaving to lead the National Math and Science Initiative.
Press Mentions
The New York Times: Groundwater depletion is detected from space
May 30
Scientists have used a pair of groundwater sensing satellites, known as GRACE, to identify looming water shortages around the globe. GRACE was conceived by a group of scientists led by Byron D. Tapley, director of the Center for Space Research. The foresight of Clark R. Wilson, Jackson School of Geosciences, is also mentioned in this story.
The Wall Street Journal: Prominent names dip toes in 2012 race
May 28
A poll by the university/Texas Tribune found that Gov. Rick Perry’s approval rating in Texas has fallen to 41 percent and that only 4 percent of likely voters in the state’s GOP primary supported him for president.
CNN.com: Perry ‘thinking’ about presidential run
May 27
CNN’s Political Ticker blog references a poll by the university/Texas Tribune that found only 4 percent of Texas Republicans would support Gov. Rick Perry in a bid for the White House.
Times Higher Education: Odds and quads
May 26
A list of odds and ends found in the desk of English novelist John Fowles appears in this news brief. The desk was acquired by the Harry Ransom Center in 2008.
Forbes: Is Groupon jealous of LinkedIn?
May 24
This column mentions the recent Texas Venture Labs competition and the startup Kalood, which aggregates deals from all group buying Web sites.
The Los Angeles Times: Online dating secrets, as revealed by math majors
May 23
Experts such as David M. Buss, Department of Psychology, were invited to weigh in on the science behind dating and finding a mate. Buss says a personality descriptor like “sensation-seeking” could predict infidelity.
NPR: Making it official: Hunting Al-Qaida Worldwide
May 23
Bobby Chesney, School of Law, comments on updating a law that would give the U.S. more leeway in fighting terrorist groups.
Forbes: American’s fastest-growing cities
May 20
John Suh, chief executive of LegalZoom, says Austin is the ideal city for the company’s new regional office because of the university. “You’ve got a wealth of educated, very talented workers across the board,” says Suh in the story.
MSN.com and Women’s Health magazine: Suffering? Tips to crush your spring allergies
May 20
Jeffrey Siegel, Cockrell School of Engineering, recommends people run their air conditioners with a good filter and change the filter often to combat allergy symptoms.
Discovery News: Ancient mammals sniffed their way smarter
May 19
A bigger olfactory system boosts the brain size in mammals, according to a new study led by Timothy Rowe, Jackson School of Geosciences. The study, recently published in the journal Science, is the topic of this story.
The New York Times: Top Hispanic name loses ground, even as birthrates stay high
May 17
Fewer babies are being named Jose, a name that has appeared on the list of top 50 baby names since 1972. Javier Auyero, Department of Sociology, cautions against assuming the reason has to do with assimilation.
Read the last edition of In the Know.
