All articles tagged with #ut austin
The University of Texas at Austin is doubling its AI computing capacity at the Center for Generative AI to over 1,000 GPUs, enhancing research in biosciences, healthcare, and NLP, supported by a $20 million state investment, and making it a leading hub for open-source AI development.
UT Austin is one of two universities that has not publicly rejected the Trump administration's 'Compact for Academic Excellence,' which asks universities to adhere to specific policies in exchange for federal funding; most other universities have rejected the offer, and the decision at UT Austin remains pending amid broader system issues.
The Trump administration proposed a 'compact' to UT-Austin and other universities, offering preferential federal funding in exchange for adopting strict policies on gender definitions, international student enrollment caps, and campus protest regulations, sparking concern among faculty about academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
During July's historic floods in Central Texas, volunteers uncovered 115-million-year-old dinosaur footprints along Sandy Creek, belonging to an Acrocanthosaurus, providing valuable insights into prehistoric life and behavior. These fossils, part of a vast collection at UT Austin's J.J. Pickle Research Campus, highlight the region's rich fossil history and the importance of preserving these natural heritage sites.
The University of Texas at Austin is ranked as the top public university in Texas and seventh nationally, with 76 programs in the top 10 nationwide, including top rankings in business, engineering, and computer science, reflecting its commitment to academic excellence and record student success.
UT Austin has laid off around 60 staffers, including those focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, in order to comply with Texas' anti-DEI law, Senate Bill 17. The university closed its Multicultural Engagement Center earlier this year and has now announced the closure of the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, leading to layoffs. This move comes after concerns from state Sen. Brandon Creighton about universities making superficial changes to comply with the law. The layoffs have raised questions about the future of programs supporting underrepresented groups on campus.
The University of Texas at Austin has laid off at least 60 employees from diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as part of efforts to comply with Texas' Senate Bill 17, which prohibits DEI initiatives in public universities. The university is also disbanding the Division of Campus and Community Engagement. These changes have sparked controversy and criticism, with some students feeling that the university's actions represent an overcorrection. The layoffs come amid increasing pressure on Texas colleges to demonstrate compliance with the DEI ban, with potential funding consequences for non-compliance.
The University of Texas at Austin will reinstate the requirement for applicants to submit standardized test scores starting with the fall 2025 enrollment, citing the value of standardized testing in identifying student performance and fit for majors. This decision follows a period of test-optional admissions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UT-Austin's move aligns with other universities, including Brown, Yale, Dartmouth, and Georgetown, that have also reversed test-optional policies. The university also introduced an early action process for fall 2025 applicants and continues to grant automatic admission to top 6% high school graduates while using a holistic process for other applicants, which includes considering standardized test scores.
The University of Texas at Austin has been ranked as the ninth-best public university in the United States, according to the 2024 undergraduate rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. UT Austin also secured the top spot among public universities in Texas. Overall, the university climbed six places to rank 32nd among both public and private schools. The McCombs School of Business and the Cockrell School of Engineering were recognized for their strong programs, with several specialties listed among the top rankings. UT Austin President Jay Hartzell attributed the university's success to its exceptional talent, commitment to academic excellence, and the opportunities available in Austin as an innovation and cultural hub.
Hundreds of University of Texas at Austin students were informed just 24 hours before their scheduled move-in that their new apartment building, The Rambler, had failed a fire inspection and would not be ready for occupancy until August 26. Students expressed frustration and concern about their living situations as classes were set to begin. The Rambler is offering financial assistance and alternative housing options while working to rectify the issues and pass the necessary inspections.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents has announced plans to build the University of Texas at Austin Medical Center, a world-class academic medical center for education, research, and patient care. The center will include two new hospital towers: the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a UT Austin hospital. The MD Anderson Cancer Center will expand its Houston footprint to Austin, while UT Austin will build its own specialty hospital. The total investment for these projects is estimated at $2.5 billion, and the hospitals will be constructed on the current site of UT Austin's Erwin Center. The new medical center aims to provide transformative cancer care, enhance educational experiences for students, and benefit patients throughout the state and nation.
Scientists at UT Austin have discovered fossilized remains of an extinct marine reptile, possibly a plesiosaur, in the Malone Mountains of West Texas, providing solid evidence of Jurassic vertebrates in the state. Previously, only ammonites and snails from the Jurassic period had been found in Texas. The discovery fills a gap in Texas' paleontological history and researchers hope to find more fossils to better understand the environment during the Jurassic period.
Dr. John B. Goodenough, the creator of the lithium-ion battery, passed away at the age of 100. Goodenough, along with Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino, was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 for their contributions to the development of lithium-ion batteries. Despite the widespread use of the battery, Goodenough signed away most of his rights and cared little for money. UT Austin President Jay Hartzell praised Goodenough's legacy as a brilliant scientist who improved the lives of billions of people around the world.
Robert Metcalfe, a professor emeritus at UT Austin, has been awarded the 2022 Association for Computing Machinery A.M. Turing Award for his invention, standardization, and commercialization of Ethernet. Ethernet is the main conduit of wired network communications around the world, handling data rates from 10 Mbps to 400 Gbps, with 800 Gbps and 1.6 Tbps technologies emerging. The award is named after Alan M. Turing and includes a $1 million prize with financial support provided by Google.