Campus

The Height of Forensics

A look back at how UT prepared to restore its Tower and Main Building.

2 minutes

November 19, 2025

Specialists from WJE test various Tower facade features to determine the appropriate techniques for cleaning, painting and other renovations. Shown here is Emily MacDonald, fine art conservator, examining and taking surface samples from one of the lanterns in the Main portico.

In the fall of 2023, UT began preparing for the work we now see unfolding at a rapid pace. Before the scaffolding went up, a team of highly trained conservators, many educated at UT and some with Ph.D.s, circled the Tower for weeks evaluating the level of rust on the steel spandrels, scraping samples of paint chips, and investigating what kind of cleaners would work best on the stonework. Key partners were the national engineering firm of WJE (Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates). Longtime UT photographer Marsha Miller, now retired, was there to capture the process.

First two photos, Melannie Ruiz Moreno and Daniel Chavez, both UT graduates and WJE staffers, record the condition of the Tower and Main Building window casements and glazing. In a cherry picker, other specialists from WJE test various facade features to determine the best techniques for cleaning, painting and repairing.

In the first photo, Mike Ford, a materials conservator with WJE, discusses his findings with Kim Barker, UT’s historic preservation planner. Next, Ford assesses stains under the “Juliet balcony” on the south side of the building and on the steps to the loggia. Ford has worked on the restoration of Hoover Dam’s Monument Plaza and the Minnesota State Capitol.

Katy Aughenbaugh, who earned her Ph.D. in civil engineering at UT, consults with Kim Barker, UT’s historic preservation planner. Mike Ford tests a stone cleaner under the clock. The painter’s tape reads “acetic acid poultice.”

Emily MacDonald-Korth, fine art conservator, examines and takes surface samples from one of the lanterns in the portico. She earned her bachelor’s degree in printmaking at the Pratt Institute and her master’s in art conservation at the University of Delaware. She has lectured on optical microscopy for art conservation.

At the top, Texas Ex Katy Aughenbaugh throws the Horns up from the 10th floor. Next, Matt Carlton of WJE, who earned his master’s in civil engineering at UT, and fine art conservator Emily MacDonald-Korth prepare for their ascent. Neither are afraid of heights, and Carlton lists among his professional experiences assessing the stone cladding on the San Jacinto Monument’s star. At 567 feet, the San Jacinto Monument, at La Porte, is 12 feet taller than the Washington Monument.