Michelle Bryant
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My Dearest
Scholars reveal the stories behind some of the world’s most inspired love letters A little over a year ago, Janine Barchas witnessed a marriage proposal in a crowded hotel ballroom. The young man left nothing to chance, relying on the words of a Jane Austen love letter—almost crafting his entire proposal from it. “The young…
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College Dedicates Charlie Wilson Chair
Grassroots effort helps create first privately funded chair in Pakistan Studies in the nation The College of Liberal Arts has successfully responded to a $500,000 challenge grant from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation of Lufkin to support the nation’s first privately funded faculty chair in Pakistan Studies. In all, the college raised $536,000 and received significant…
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Learning Curve
Texas Language Technology Center develops low-cost textbook alternative With textbooks often costing more than rent, many students will be relieved to know the Texas Language Technology Center (TLTC) is working on an alternative to the bulky old textbook that’s easier on the wallet and offers interactive features and compelling content. The TLTC has won a…
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Books: Spring 2010
Oscar Casares’ “Amigoland” Is 2010 Mayor’s Book Club Selection The book “Amigoland” (2009, Little, Brown) is set in a small Mexican border town. It tells the story of two estranged and aging brothers, Don Fidencio Rosales and Don Celestino, who are brought back together by a young cleaning woman and a mystery. The improbable trio takes…
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Standing on CloverStreet:
Willie Tichenor’s Legacy Rocks On At 16 years old, Dallas native Willie Tichenor joined the band CloverStreet as lead vocalist and journeyed to Austin to perform at the South by Southwest music festival. “My lifelong dream is to travel around the country with five stinky guys in a van and sing for strangers every night,”…
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“Provincial Texan” tells the stories of her state
Frances Vick was a prospective college freshman applying to The University of Texas at Austin in 1954, when her father dropped her off on “the Drag,” pointed her toward the Tower and said, “Go up there. They can tell you how to register.” That was the beginning of her time in the College of Liberal…
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Plan II gave philanthropist an exceptional start
Leslie Blanton gets excited every time she makes the drive from her adopted hometown of Houston into Austin. After all, it’s where she met her husband, Jack Blanton, Jr., and began her studies in the Plan II Honors program. “I knew I was getting into something that was exceptional,” Blanton, a 1976 Plan II Honors…
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English alum supports teaching, writing scholarships
Anticipating the future needs of a university the size of The University of Texas at Austin is no easy task, but Maureen Decherd is forging ahead, helping to shape that future. “While this may seem simplistic, I have a very deep belief in the university and its purposes,” says Decherd, a 1973 English graduate and…
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Books: Fall 2009
Fall 2009 titles from our college community.
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News & Notes: Fall 2009
Debate and Individual Event alumni looking to reconnect The university’s debate and individual events (IE) teams have an illustrious history on campus. Both groups have won numerous championships and both feature outstanding alumni. Still, there has not been an alumni association for these successful teams… until now. Are you a former debate team member? Did…
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Cultural Memories of Rome
Professor uses prize money to explore ancient civilization Staring down the challenge of a research project that spans 12 centuries of Roman civilization, Karl Galinsky’s expression is that of a confident gladiator. And who better to lead the charge than Galinsky, who admits he’s “not afraid to rattle some cages and have some fun” while…
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From Pre-K to Graduation Day
Sociologist separates truth from rhetoric in studies of educational experience Eighteen years ago, the federal government enlisted leading researchers to study the effects of childcare on early development. What the researchers couldn’t have anticipated was that this monumental research would still be going on today. What began as a 10-site study of 1,300 children, all…