2008 Web Feature Stories
Each year, the Office of Public Affairs highlights Liberal Arts faculty, research and programs in feature stories on the university homepage. Below are the stories from the College of Liberal Arts that have appeared on the homepage in 2008.
A Red and Blue Nation?
Political scientist debunks three common myths about American voters
Unnatural Disaster
Recovering remains elusive for Hurricane Katrina survivors, researchers say
Free Minds
Adults break through financial and social barriers to pursue intellectual life in Humanities Institute program
Politics in the Pews
Researchers explore the role of religion in mobilizing African American and Latino voters
Pop Goes Philosophy
Professor draws upon popular culture to illustrate today's moral issues
Defusing Explosive Situations
Hoping to save lives, researchers seek new methods to stop bombs before they explode
'Til Death Do Us Part?
Researchers diagnose health consequences of marriage, divorce
Primary Education
From their views on the White House to the playground, children need mentors' help to reject stereotypes
Assignment Abroad
From China to Tanzania, students explore cultures around the world in quest for global citizenship
2007 Web Feature Archive
- Books that Changed America: Scholars explore seven seminal works that shaped our nation's history
- La Llorona's Revenge: The wailing ghost of the Southwest haunts canvasses, celluloid and cyberspace
- Translating the Arab World: Language, religion and culture are keys to understanding diverse region, scholars say
- Listen in on History: Untold stories of African American experience in Austin preserved in oral history project
- Deep Roots? New DNA tests may reveal your ancestry, but researchers urge caution when interpreting results
- Living Newspapers: High schoolers bring current events to life in curriculum adapting 1930s theater project to the classroom
- Language of Love From diaries to online chats, writing about your romantic relationship may help it last, researchers find
2006 Web Feature Archive
- Día de los Muertos: Unearthing Mexico’s national holiday reveals celebrations that keep the dead among the living
- Banking on Love?: Psychologist uses mating budgets to take the mystery out of finding the perfect partner
- Citizen Jane: Constitution helps define women’s civic membership and creates social roles, professor argues
- Making the Grade: Feeling stigmatized can hurt adolescents' chances for long-term academic success, professor says
- The Gospel Truth?: Scholar says Gospel of Judas and other ancient texts must be read within historical context of early Christianity
- Mixed Messages: Billboards, other communications encountered in neighborhoods linked to racial inequalities in health
- The Divorce Dilemma: Sociologist finds that even amicable divorces are likely to have negative effects on children
- A Fetching Personality: Psychologist’s work may help dog lovers find their perfect match
- Getting in the Global Groove: Professor examines how music genre unified a youth subculture
- On the Edge: Professor identifies how suicide bombers work on periphery of terrorist networks
- Marching on Memphis: Professor looks at how decades of discrimination fueled pivotal fight for civil rights
- Emotion Control: Suppressing feelings during upsetting events may impair your memory, researcher says
2005 Web Feature Archive
- The Serious Business of Toys: Sociologist examines racial, gender and class inequities in retail toy sales
- You Are What You Eat: Dr. Elizabeth Engelhardt studies how your food choices can carry stories of race, class and culture
- A New Look at Old Hickory: Andrew Jackson biography reveals how first populist president changed the way the nation elects its leaders
- No Boys Allowed: Friendships among high school girls can promote academic success, researchers find
- Spirituality and Society: Professors examine religion’s role in identity, culture and conflict
- Stressed for Time?: People with more money have more options, but are left with little time, economist says
- Seeing the Forest and the Trees: Researchers help indigenous communities in Ecuador manage their land and protect region’s critical resources
- More Than a March of Dimes: New fund-raising tactics, intense research rivalry spurred polio cure, historian says
- The Murderer Next Door: Psychologist explores the circumstances and motives that push people to kill
- Can You Dig It?: Archeologist works to overturn long-held theory of when people first came to the Americas
- Black Business is Her Business: With an eye on the future, researcher traces African American entrepreneurship back before the Civil War
- Writing to Heal: Research shows writing about emotional experiences can have tangible health benefits
2004 Web Feature Archive
- Generations to Come: Researcher examines options for Latino elders as economic realities challenge family traditions
- Witch Trials: Tragic events once led people to accuse neighbors of witchcraft
- The Politics of Indecision: Undecided voters face challenges as Nov. 2 election approaches, professor says
- Beauty and the Business: Professor explores political, social legacy of African American women beauticians, salon owners
- Safety First: From medicine to air travel, leading researchers find ways to manage human error
- Will Foreign Policy Win the Vote?: University experts examine role of international affairs in elections past and present
- An Anime Explosion: Challenging themes, complex characters make Japanese animation a global phenomenon
- Revealing Fashion: Throughout history, fashion has conveyed the politics and culture of an era
- Put a Poem in Your Pocket: National Poetry Month reminds us why poetry is "the soul of the human race"
- You Can Get There From Here: Researcher helps people navigate more efficiently through their environments
- Come to Chersonesos: Institute helps preserve 2,500-year-old city in Ukraine for future generations
- Testosterone Dreams: Professor studies complex intersection of sports, doping and public opinion
- Imagining the Inferno: Professor sparks students’ interest with award-winning Danteworlds Web site
2003 Web Feature Archive
- The Science of Religion: Researchers study how religious beliefs influence people’s lives
- An Encyclopedia as Big as Texas: From Amarillo to Zavalla, Texas Historical Association has the Lone Star State covered
- Vampires Never Die: No one's been able to drive a stake through the heart of vampire legend, professor says
- Writing Austin's Lives: More than 800 residents tell their stories in Humanities Institute community project
- Utterly Blirtatious!: Your verbal reactions can affect personal relationships and health
- Teaching Texas: Classes explore unexpected details of life, land and legend in the Lone Star State
- What's in a Name?: Professor takes on roles of Romani activist and spokesperson to improve plight of his ethnic group
- Under the Big Top: History of circus is a mirror of American society
- Studying a Hip Hop Nation: Pop culture phenomenon at the intersection of race, media and youth
- Tackling the Texas Teacher Shortage: UTeach turns liberal arts and natural sciences students into educators
- A Working Ranch for Wordsmiths: Paisano Ranch a rustic retreat for Texas writers
- An Exercise in Democracy: Deliberative Polling shows value of informed citizens
2002 Web Feature Archive
- Tolkien and the Tongues of Middle Earth: Hobbits, elves and orcs teach lessons in linguistics
- Fear Factor: Psychologists help people conquer anxieties and phobias
- Clues to an Ancient Civilization: Archaeologists and students unearth history of the Maya in Belize
- Behind the Veil: Professor reveals its political, religious and cultural significance
- Shakespeare Plays Texas: Works of the Bard create dialogue between London and Austin
- Born to Be a Bully?: Study shows social stress can change your mind
- 13,000 Years at Your Fingertips: Virtual museum showcases the rich cultural heritage of Texas
- Saving a Dying Language: Graduate students help preserve endangered language in the Amazon Basin of Peru
- Window to the World: Outreach program brings diverse people and cultures closer to home
- Getting on the Same Page: Humanities Institute and City of Austin help build community through shared reading experience
- Time Travelers: Professor transports students through gateway to another time and place
- The Personality of Personal Spaces: Your office or bedroom can reveal more about you than you may think