In the spirit of the University Lecture Series, there are many additional talks on campus that create conversations across disciplines, departments, and schools. Contact us if you know of any events or lectures you would like featured on this page.
University Lecture Series
The University Lecture Series gives first-year students an opportunity to interact with leading members of our faculty—scholars, scientists, and civic leaders who are nationally and internationally renowned. Signature Course students will be required to attend one of the offered lectures, each designed to create a campus-wide conversation.
The School of Undergraduate Studies produces the University Lecture Series each fall semester. Various lectures and events that will fulfill the ULS requirement for spring 2012 Signature Courses are posted below.
All students, faculty, alumni, staff and community guests are invited, but the events will be aimed at entering first-year students. The University Lecture Series is generously brought to UT Austin by the Audre and Bernard Rapoport Excellence Fund for Undergraduate Studies.
Photo of Dr. Charles Ramírez Berg, by UT Austin student Jorge Corona.
University Lecture Series Spring 2012
The School of Undergraduate Studies has assembled a list of lectures (below) that you may count for the spring 2012 Signature Course University Lecture Series requirement. We will update the list continuously and welcome your suggestions or additions.
Please note that UGS does not sponsor its own lectures in the spring.
Life on Europa? Exploring Jupiter’s Icy Moon
Lecture by Dr. Britney Schmidt, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics
April 13, 2012 * 7:00 p.m. * Welch Hall Auditorium
Do you ever wonder about the possibility of life on other planets? Evidence of a shallow lake of liquid water on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, suggests the potential for life may exist within our solar system. Dr. Britney Schmidt studies these structures, one of which has a similar volume to the North American Great Lakes. These icy areas may have physical mechanisms that permit the exchange of nutrients and energy between the planet’s surface, and a large ocean inferred to lie beneath the ice shell. Dr. Schmidt takes us on a journey that examines some essential environmental conditions necessary to support life, and how these conditions may arise on other planets.
For more information, visit the event page.
The Attraction of Vampires
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 * 4-5 p.m. * Welch Hall (WEL) 1.308
The Gateway Scholars Program’s Distinguished Speaker Series presents a talk by Dr. Elizabeth Richmond-Garza titled The Attraction of Vampires. Richmond-Garza is associate professor of English at The University of Texas at Austin, director of the Program in Comparative Literature and chief administrative and financial officer of the American Comparative Literature Association. More information about this speaker series can be found on the Gateway Scholars site.
Texas Advertising & Public Relations Presents Stephen Marino
Thursday, April 19, 2012 * 10:30 a.m.-noon * AT&T Conference Center (ATT) 105
The Texas Advertising & Public Relations Gwyn David Lecture Series presents a talk by Stephen Marino, SVP, North American director of Digital & Social Media for MSL Group, titled Social Media, PR, and Issues/Reputation Management. More information about this lecture can be found on the College of Communication site.
How Scientists Serve as National Policy Advisors
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 * 5-6:15 p.m. * AVAYA Auditorium, ACES 2.302
The College of Natural Sciences speaker series, Science for Change, presents How Scientists Serve as National Policy Advisors, a talk by Joye Purser. Purser is a former legislative aide to U.S. congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Dallas and is currently an analyst at the Department of Defense. More information about this lecture can be found on the Science for Change site.
Gateway scholar discusses media law, ethics and politics
Wednesday, April 25, 2012 * 4-5 p.m. * Welch Hall (WEL) 1.308
The Gateway Scholars Program welcomes Dr. Robert Jensen for its Distinguished Speaker Series, discussing media law, ethics and politics. Jensen is a professor in the School of Journalism and director of the Senior Fellows Honors Program of the College of Communication. More information about this speaker series can be found on the Gateway Scholars site.