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ExxonMobil Foundation Makes Largest Matching DonationThe ExxonMobil Foundation has given a record $1.31 million to The University of Texas at Austin as a match of 353 unique gifts made by the company’s employees and retirees during the past calendar year. Biotechnology Company Wins UT Venture CompetitionThe grand-prize winner, industrial biotechnology company Visolis, beat out 39 other teams from top graduate programs around the world to receive a prize package worth $75,000. Another Dimension to UTSpaceships hurtling toward you. Touchdown receptions an arm’s length away. Front-row seats at big concerts. These experiences—or at least the illusion of them—are increasingly common in movie theaters and living rooms thanks to 3-D technology. And now UT radio-television-film students will have access to the nation’s first comprehensive 3-D production curriculum. $6.6 Million Gift Will Support History Graduate StudentsA $6.6 million gift from the estate of Gardner Marston, BA ’53, of La Jolla, Calif., will boost graduate student recruitment and support in UT’s Department of History. “This is a tremendous example of what planned giving can do for the future of the university,” says Randy Diehl, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “Our college [...] Endowment Helps INSPIRE Undergraduates Develop Skills in Chosen FieldsDonations Matched Up to Total of $25,000 UT alumna Dr. Mary Braunagel-Brown is committed to the establishment of an endowment supporting women undergraduates selected for INSPIRE Leadership, a three-year revolving program serving sophomores to seniors that helps women develop the skills they need to achieve the highest levels within their chosen academic fields. Dr. Braunagel-Brown is matching [...] Gates Opens Computer Science ComplexBill Gates made an appearance on campus for the March 6 opening of the Bill & Melinda Gates Computer Science Complex and Dell Computer Science Hall, a 140,000-square-foot, $120 million complex for the university’s top-10 ranked Department of Computer Science. The computer science complex received $30 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for [...] New Liberal Arts Building OpensA new home for Liberal Arts The new 200,000-square-foot glass and limestone College of Liberal Arts Building opened just in time for the spring semester, giving more than 10,000 liberal arts students a new home for the first time in decades. Of the $87 million in projected costs, donors contributed $20 million, the College of [...] Gala Celebrates Half a Century of Art at the BlantonWelcoming 126,000 visitors each year, the Blanton Museum of Art inspires people of all ages and interests. And now the museum is marking a major milestone. On February 16, 2013, it will kick off celebrations of the 50th year since its founding with a grand gala and special anniversary exhibition. A cultural haven on the [...] UT Elementary Works with Dell to Enhance Tech LearningThe University of Texas Elementary School has received a 2012 Dell Powering the Possible grant to support the expansion and enhancement of the school’s science and technology curriculum. The grant is for $80,000. Now in its 10th year of operation, UT Elementary is firmly established as a research-based demonstration school in the heart of East [...] Football’s Cory Redding Gives Back to UTGiving back to UT is better than gridiron glory for this NFL star. Dell Supports UT’s Mission, On Campus and BeyondBig things happen when companies invest in The University of Texas at Austin. For proof just look at Dell, Inc., which is working with UT to change lives in Central Texas and in the far corners of the world. Through the years, Dell, Inc., has given almost $22 million to the university. That’s not including [...] Prize Recipients Share Winnings with the UniversityBy Jamey Smith Anyone seeking confirmation that The University of Texas transforms lives need look no further than two recent donations. Each represents a big thank you for a positive UT experience. You may have seen Zach Anner on television as host of the Oprah Winfrey Network’s “Rollin’ with Zach.” After besting the competition in [...] Ransom Center Awards 2012-13 FellowshipsThe Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin, has awarded more than 50 research fellowships for 2012–13. The fellowships, funded by individual donors and organizations, support research projects in the humanities that require substantial on-site use of the center’s collections of manuscripts, rare books, film, photography, art and performing [...] ExxonMobil Foundation Makes Record Matching DonationThe ExxonMobil Foundation has given a record $1.19 million to The University of Texas at Austin as a match of gifts made by the company’s employees and retirees during the past calendar year. The donation is the largest matching gift the university has ever received and the largest the foundation gave to any institution for 2011. [...] Co-op’s Mitchell Awards Recognize Academic ExcellenceIn what has become a spring tradition, the University Co-operative Society and The University of Texas at Austin awarded the University Co-op George H. Mitchell Student Awards for Academic Excellence on May 2. Each year the awards acknowledge undergraduate students nominated by their professors for recognition of their hard work and extraordinary contributions to their fields [...] Longhorn Network Earnings Create Fine Arts ChairProfessor Andrea Giunta has been appointed to the newly established Endowed Chair in Latin American Art History and Criticism in the College of Fine Arts’ Department of Art and Art History at The University of Texas at Austin. The chair is the first initiative paid for with earnings from the Longhorn Network. President Bill Powers [...] Expanding Opportunity at Home: A Brownsville Family Continues Its Giving TraditionBy Jamey Smith For Brownsville’s Nick and Viveca Serafy, giving to the University is about more than improving its programs. It’s also about making those programs more accessible to area students who would not otherwise be able to take advantage of them. That’s why they support the Rio Grande Valley Scholars Program. “We hope our [...] Shell Oil Company Invests Nearly $4 Million in the UniversityShell Oil Company executives recently visited the University to present a check in the amount of $3,963,250, representing the company’s investment in UT for the year. About $3.5 million of the total is designated for sponsored research. Shell has active research partnerships with the University’s Cockrell School of Engineering and Jackson School of Geosciences. Those partnerships [...] Publisher, Author, Artist Fleur Cowles’ Archive Comes to UTAs a humanities research library and museum housing some of the world’s finest cultural collections, UT’s Harry Ransom Center has always had a certain flair. Now it has the complete Flair, following the donation of the personal archive of Fleur Cowles (1908–2009). Cowles published Flair, a magazine celebrated for its provocative design, enlightened articles, and [...] Software Donations Help Train Tomorrow’s Energy WorkforceTake America’s largest geosciences school —the Jackson School of Geosciences — and its top university petroleum and geosystems engineering program — at the Cockrell School of Engineering — connect them with some of the world’s leading geotechnology software companies, and the synergy that results is no small wonder. Landmark Graphics Corporation (a subsidiary of Halliburton [...] Harrington Fellows Program Enters Second DecadeBy Jamey Smith If the names Donald and Sybil Harrington are familiar, it could be because they built a hugely successful independent Texas oil and gas operation — or because they chose to share their good fortune to aid worthy causes. The Amarillo couple married in 1935 and later created the Don and Sybil Harrington [...] ‘The More You Give, the More You Get Back’: One Couple’s StoryBy Angela Curtis Mary Virginia Jacobs could tell Trina Sommerlatte was special from the moment the young nurse walked into her husband’s hospital room. She just had no idea how special. It was Thanksgiving weekend 2009. From the moment the two women met they shared an important interest: the health of Claud Jacobs, who was [...] UT and St. David’s Foundation: Working Toward a Healthier TexasImpact. Community. Health. Those are the three central tenets of Austin’s St. David’s Foundation, and by investing in programs at UT, the organization supports all three. From its beginning in 1924, St. David’s HealthCare has grown to comprise seven hospitals, four surgery centers, and four urgent care clinics reaching from Georgetown to Kyle. In August [...] The Campaign for Texas: Looking Back, Pushing ForwardThe Campaign for Texas is a major undertaking, a campuswide effort to increase UT’s quality, competitiveness, and impact across the board. Gifts to the campaign are targeted at attracting and keeping first-rate faculty, creating new opportunities for talented students, boosting research and academic programs across all disciplines, and enhancing facilities on the University’s beautiful campus. [...] Luce Scholar Improves Lives of Kids with ProstheticsBy Laura Messer For most people, the ability to move their body is a natural, automatic aspect of daily life. But for children with a disability that requires a prosthetic device, the act of moving can be a significant daily challenge. Christopher J. Stanfill, MS ’10, a master’s-turned-doctoral student in kinesiology, hopes to help those [...] Coca-Cola Foundation to Send Dozens of Students to ChinaUT students who yearn to experience Chinese culture firsthand may be pleased to learn that The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded $150,000 to the Study Abroad Office. The grant will provide approximately 45 scholarships for first-generation college students at the University to study in China over the next four years. President Barack Obama’s 100,000 Strong Initiative is [...] St. David’s Grant to Promote Health among UnderservedThe School of Nursing has received a $3 million grant from the St. David’s Foundation for the school’s Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research in Underserved Populations (CHPR). The interdisciplinary center aims to decrease health disparities through faculty research and community-based health promotion programs. When the foundation recently announced $9.2 million in grants to [...] Gift Supports Forty Acres Scholarship in Social WorkMr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Dunning of Dallas have given $100,000 to the Forty Acres Scholars Program to support students majoring in social work. The Forty Acres Scholarship is a new merit-based, full-ride scholarship created by the Texas Exes to recruit and recognize exceptional students, enriching their lives and nurturing their development as future leaders. [...] Dell Commits $5 Million to Expand RGK Center’s Student Social Entrepreneurs ProgramIn what will be the company’s largest cash donation to The University of Texas at Austin, Dell has committed $5 million to the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at the University’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. The grant, which will be distributed to the RGK Center over five years, will build [...] Major Energy Companies Bolster Academic ProgramsFour of the University’s most generous corporate partners — energy companies Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Shell — have collectively contributed nearly $3.5 million this year to support academic programs at UT Austin. Most of the philanthropic funding benefits students and programs in the Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, McCombs School of Business, and [...] University Institute Offers a New Path to Scientific Collaboration and KnowledgeFor centuries the quest for knowledge has relied on the two pillars of the scientific method: hypothesis and experimentation. The process has served us well, but it has its limits. Scientific inquiry is the work of humans, after all, and we’re slow. What if lengthy and complex inquiries could be completed much more quickly and [...] Student Applies Engineering Science to Help FirefightersBy Lauren Edwards If your house ever caught fire, it’s a safe bet you would want the firefighters who show up to have met Craig Weinschenk. A master’s-turned-doctoral student in mechanical engineering, he has been studying fire science since he arrived at the University in 2006. After applying to graduate programs across the country, the [...] Winedale Historical Complex Receives $1 Million for Renovations and UpgradesHoward and Nancy Terry of Houston have made a $1 million donation to support renovations and upgrades to student and visitor facilities at the Winedale Historical Complex, a division of the University’s Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. In honor of the gift, the facilities will be named the Nancy M. and Howard L. Terry Student Center. [...] Newlyweds Think Outside the (Gift) Box with EndowmentBy Jamey Smith Music fans — and romantics — take note. There’s a new way you can support the Butler School of Music, thanks to a pair of philanthropy-minded young alumni. Kathryn Hutchison and Rami El-Farrah met in a music class when Kathryn, BM ’08, was an undergraduate and Rami, MM ’07, DMA ’10, had just [...] Student’s Research Looks at Interconnections of People, EnvironmentBy Kathleen Mabley Behind the headlines about climate change is a complex subject that is the focus of research around the world. Emily Grubert, MA ’10, a recent Harrington Graduate Fellow, has a particular climate-change concern: water, and the effects that conventional energy production have on it. Growing up the daughter of a petroleum engineer [...] Social Work Marks Anniversary with ‘60 for 60’ Campaign60 for 60. More than just a set of numbers, it’s become a rallying cry on the Forty Acres lately. The School of Social Work marks its 60th anniversary this academic year, and it has asked alumni and friends to consider a gift of $60 or more to help celebrate the milestone. All funds raised [...] Mary Ann Rankin: School Fixer-UpperDean of 16 years a calm but powerful presence who gets things done on campus, in community Thanks Day Raises Student Awareness of University FundingUniversity of Texas students celebrated Thanks Day on Nov. 10 to express appreciation to alumni, faculty and staff, family members, and everyone else who has helped them along their path to a higher education. Thanks Day also was an opportunity to educate students about the University’s funding structure and needs. The Student Government and Senate [...] ConocoPhillips Gives $1.5 Million to Fund Cutting-Edge Energy ResearchConocoPhillips has committed to contribute $1.5 million over five years to support cutting-edge energy research at the University. The five-year grant, administered through UT’s interdisciplinary Energy Institute, is split evenly between the Cockrell School of Engineering and McCombs School of Business. McCombs’ Energy Management and Innovation Center (EMIC) taps energy-related expertise from within and outside [...] Graduate Endows Scholarship to Honor Mentor Who Helped Her SucceedScholarships helped Katina Johnson make it through the University. So did Darrell Rocha. Now Johnson, BJ ’95, has found a way to express her appreciation for both — by endowing a scholarship honoring the mentor who helped her succeed. “From the very beginning Darrell was there,” she says. “He’s like a second dad to me.” [...] Alumnus Gives $15 Million to Support New Liberal Arts Building, ROTCBy Gary Susswein More than four decades ago, The University of Texas at Austin and its Naval ROTC program gave James Mulva the education, discipline, and support that would help shape his future. Now Mulva, BBA ’68, MBA ’69, is giving back, helping to shape the future of the University, the College of Liberal Arts, [...] Power Surge: Why Expanding Computer Science at UT Will Expand the Texas EconomyComputer science is about to ramp up in a big way at The University of Texas, and the Texas economy is poised to reap some impressive rewards as a result. As construction begins on the first phase of the new home for UT’s Department of Computer Science — the nation’s largest and most diverse top-10 [...] Student’s Work Leads to Insights on Immigrants — and a Documentary FilmBy Lauren Edwards It is an unlikely story: A young man works in the kitchen of a restaurant, where his experiences inspire him to pursue a PhD — the highest degree academia offers — in pursuit of deeper insights into one of society’s most challenging problems. His dissertation research leads to a documentary film and [...] Endowed Funds Help Student Unleash Power of the SunBy Lauren Edwards The solar energy Earth receives in one hour is more than the energy demand of the entire world for a year. For Reeja Jayan, MS ’08, learning this changed the course of her life. “It was one of those moments where I thought, Why aren’t we using this?” says Jayan, who was [...] Perfect Match: How a Family of UT Alums Is Helping StudentsBy Tod Francis For Al Hagedorn, BS ’61, PhD ’64, and his daughter Karen, BS ’86, giving to the University has been something of a family custom. Both father and daughter earned petroleum engineering degrees. (Karen has an MS and PhD in the same field from Stanford.) Both have established endowments at UT along with [...] Donors Make a Difference with Summer Scholars ProgramAt first glance it might not seem that Michael and Alice Kuhn have much in common with the incoming UT freshmen who participate in the Summer Scholars Program. But a closer look at the participants in the program, run by UT’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, shows qualities the couple can appreciate: high motivation, [...] Blanton Museum of Art Meets Fundraising Challenge for Two ExhibitionsThe University’s Blanton Museum of Art is pleased to announce that through an outpouring of generous gifts to the museum, the community has met a fundraising challenge issued by Austin philanthropists Teresa and Joe Long. The effort was in support of the exhibitions Matisse as Printmaker, now on view, and Turner to Monet: Masterpieces from The Walters Art [...] Architecture Faculty Are Proud Participants in the Campaign for TexasBy Amy Crossette Hosting a faculty campaign within the campus-wide Campaign for Texas, the School of Architecture has achieved a 92 percent participation rate among its faculty in six months. The School of Architecture’s campaign, Designing the Future, with a goal of $21.5 million, is a component of the University’s $3 billion fundraising target. A [...] ExxonMobil’s Annual Matching Donation Exceeds $1 Million for First TimeExxonMobil has given $1,002,329 to the University as a three-to-one match of gifts made by the company’s employees and retirees in the past year. It is the first time the company’s yearly match has exceeded $1 million after coming close in recent years. “ExxonMobil has been very generous to UT over many years,” says William [...] Law Graduate Stephen Susman ‘Repays Debt’ with $5 Million Gift to Alma MaterStephen Susman, a founding partner at Susman Godfrey LLP, has made a gift of $5 million to the School of Law. In honor of this gift and his past generosity, the UT System Board of Regents has named a newly renovated space in the Law School’s Jesse Jones Building the Stephen D. Susman Academic Center. The [...] Film Brings Barbara Smith Conrad’s Inspiring Story to a New GenerationBy Jamey Smith It was a significant chapter in the University’s history — and one that many of today’s students and younger alumni aren’t familiar with. That’s one reason the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History drew on its archives to help produce a new film about it. Made possible by AT&T and other Briscoe [...] Shell Donates $313,500 for Science, Business, EngineeringShell Oil Company has contributed $313,500 to support academic programs at the University. The grants benefit undergraduates and graduate students in UT’s McCombs School of Business, Cockrell School of Engineering, and Jackson School of Geosciences. A large component of the donation is designated for the GeoFORCE Texas program, which rewards outstanding low-income students from diverse [...] Red McCombs Honored on 10th Anniversary of $50 Million Business School GiftTexas entrepreneur and businessman Red McCombs and his wife Charline will be honored at a gala on May 13 in recognition of his transformational gift to the school that now bears his name, the McCombs School of Business. The event will be held at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, a building McCombs was [...] ConocoPhillips Gives $1 Million to Business, Engineering, ScienceConocoPhillips has contributed $1 million to support academic programs at UT. The grant benefits undergraduates and graduate students in the University’s McCombs School of Business, Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, and College of Natural Sciences. The largest component of the donation is $275,000 for the SPIRIT Scholars program. Now in its eighth year, [...] May 1 Campus Fun Run Benefits Student Government EndowmentCall it a stampede for a good cause. The Longhorn Run, featuring 10-kilometer and two-mile races through and around the University of Texas campus, will take place on Saturday, May 1. Both races will start in front of the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center at the corner of University Ave. and W. 20th St. [...] |
Endowment Helps INSPIRE Undergraduates Develop Skills in Chosen FieldsThursday, March 28, 2013 Rowling Family Pledges $25 Million for McCombs Graduate Business BuildingThursday, March 21, 2013 Dedman Endowment Increases to $20 Million to Support Liberal Arts ScholarshipsMonday, March 18, 2013 Gates Opens Computer Science ComplexThursday, March 7, 2013 Bion Tsang Appointed to New Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Chair in CelloFriday, February 15, 2013 |