the UT tower with the words Commencement and College of Liberal Arts overlayed

COLA Commencement Program 2026

College of Liberal Arts

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Mission of the College of Liberal Arts

Mission

In the College of Liberal Arts, we teach students to think critically and independently so they can thrive in the world beyond campus. We are dedicated to promoting cutting-edge research that helps people better understand human history, society, and culture.

By providing students a strong foundation in the humanities and social sciences, we serve as a model in education and intellectual excellence for other universities. Our distinguished faculty is committed to teaching and to developing the best academic programs available in their fields. And our graduates must be able to read analytically, write cogently, and speak persuasively.

We do this in an atmosphere that fosters fellowship and understanding among students, faculty, and the administration. With a large and diverse student body, we recognize the importance of respecting students as individuals with unique needs, goals, and challenges.

In all courses and programs, we emphasize ethics, integrity, citizenship, and awareness of global issues. Students learn to assume personal responsibility for their actions, while they develop self-reliance and a passion for life-long learning. The College guides the lives of its students by fostering creativity, leadership, and service to community and nation.

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Letter from the President

President

Dear Graduate,

Congratulations and welcome to your convocation! The diploma you will receive today reflects the determination and fortitude that you have shown throughout your time at The University of Texas at Austin. It is also a tribute to the support of your family, friends, faculty, and others who have supported and encouraged you throughout your academic journey.

You have earned a degree from the greatest University in the world. That degree is a symbol of your academic and personal growth over your time on the Forty Acres, and it should always remind you of your capacity for excellence.

I also want to express our gratitude for the invaluable contributions you’ve made to our community throughout your time as a student. Every Longhorn helps enrich the vibrancy of our campus, both inside and outside the classroom. You’ve shared your knowledge and experiences with your peers, just as they have with you, and the lessons you’ve gained here will continue to shape your future.

We look forward to seeing what you achieve next. Please know that you will always be part of the University’s story, and that a worldwide network of Longhorns exists to support you. I also hope you will engage with the Longhorn students of the future who will benefit from your guidance and wisdom.

Today, however, is about celebrating you and your achievement. Congratulations again. We can’t wait to see how you change the world.

Hook ‘em!

James E. Davis, President, The University of Texas at Austin

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Letter from the Dean

Dean

Dear Graduates,

Congratulations! You’re receiving a degree from one of the premiere research and educational institutions in the world. That’s no small thing. You should be proud of yourselves. I know we are proud of you.

I also want to congratulate your families and support systems. They are the soil in which you have grown and flourished. Your success is their success. And it’s ours as well.

The phrase “liberal arts” comes from the Latin artes liberales—the arts of a free person. And I don’t think that original meaning is just a historical curiosity. I think it names something essential. A liberal arts education is a liberating education. It sets us free.

And what is it freeing us from? A kind of poverty of conceptual resources. If you don’t have the tools to think historically, you’re trapped in the present. If you don’t have the ability to imaginatively enter another person’s point of view, you’re limited to your own experience and storehouse of concepts. If you don’t have the language to articulate a problem clearly, you’re less capable of reckoning with the problem.

The liberal arts offer you new and different ways of seeing, questioning, interpreting, and revising your understanding of the world. These are not just academic skills. They are habits of mind. And they travel with you. They are a gift you’ve given yourself, with our help. It’s also a gift your families have given you, the opportunity to cultivate this form of excellence over the past few years.

You have taken seriously the opportunity you were given, and you have allowed yourselves to be changed by it. Congratulations to each of you, and thank you for letting the College of Liberal Arts be part of your story. Go forth and use your freedom to do extraordinary things.

Hook ’em,
 
David Sosa, Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts

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Administrative Officers 2025-2026

David Sosa

Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts
David Bruton, Jr. Regents Chair in Liberal Arts
Louann and Larry Temple Centennial Professor

Daniel Brinks

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Jacqueline Evans

Associate Dean for Student Affairs

Frances Champagne

Senior Associate Dean for Research

Jason Abrevaya

Associate Dean for Graduate Education

Robert Moser

Associate Dean for Instructional Technology and Facilities

Schedule of Celebrations

Thursday, May 7

12:00 PM

College of Liberal Arts

Moody Center

3:00 PM

Government, International Relations and Global Studies

Gregory Gymnasium

Friday, May 8

2:00 PM

Plan II Honors

Hogg Auditorium

Saturday, May 9

8:00 AM

Departments of English and History

Bass Concert Hall

8:00 AM

Department of Economics Bachelor of Arts

Gregory Gymnasium

10:00 AM

Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Williams C. Powers Student Activity Center 1.402

11:30 AM

Department of Economics Bachelor of Science and Masters

Gregory Gymnasium

College of Liberal Arts Combined

Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., Moody Center

Faculty Procession

Welcome Remarks

David Sosa
Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts

Featured Speaker

Betty Sue Flowers, Ph.D.
Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus and Joan Negley Kelleher Centennial Professor Emeritus in Rhetoric and Composition
Distinguished Alumnus of UT-Austin

Recognition of Dean's Distinguished Graduates

Presentation of Graduates, Part I

  • Dean’s Distinguished Graduates
  • African and African Diaspora Studies; Race, Indigeneity & Migration Studies
  • American Studies; Urban Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Asian Cultures and Languages; Asian Studies
  • Behavioral and Social Data Science (BS) 
  • Classical Languages; Classical Studies  
  • Geographical Sciences (BS); Geography; Sustainability Studies 
  • Economics
  • Jewish Studies
  • Religious Studies
  • Iberian and Latin American Languages and Cultures
  • French Studies; Italian Studies 
  • German; Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
  • Government
  • History
  • Humanities
  • Spanish 
  • Linguistics
  • Health and Society  
  • Mexican American and Latina/o Studies
  • Philosophy 
  • Women's and Gender Studies
  • International Relations and Global Studies
  • Middle Eastern Studies
  • Latin American Studies
  • Rhetoric and Writing  
  • Sociology

Student Speaker

Shriya Chilukuri
Human Dimensions of Organizations

Presentation of Graduates, Part II

  • Human Dimensions of Organizations
  • Psychology
  • Remaining graduates from various COLA majors

Faculty Recession

Closing Remarks

Graduate Recession

Betty Sue Flowers, Ph.D.

Betty Sue Flowers, Ph.D., Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus and Joan Negley Kelleher Centennial Professor Emeritus in Rhetoric and Composition, and Distinguished Alumnus of UT-Austin, is a writer, editor, and international foresight consultant, with publications ranging from poetry therapy to sustainability, including two books of poetry and four PBS tie-in books with Bill Moyers, among them Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth.

She has also served as moderator for executive seminars at the Aspen Institute, consultant for NASA, CIA, and the US Navy, Public Director of the American Institute of Architects, board chair of Public Agenda, and scenario consultant for Shell Global, OAS, WEC (London), CDC, OECD (Paris), WBCSD (Geneva), Malaysia, Eskom (South Africa), Oman, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta, and the Five Eyes, among others.

Before moving to New York City in 2009, Flowers served as Director of the Johnson Presidential Library, and at UT-Austin as Plan II Director and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

Other publications include “The Shield of Athena: Archetypal Images and Women as Political Leaders” in Ancient Greece and Modern Psyche; Browning and the Modern Tradition; Heartfulness (conversations with Father Thomas Keating); The American Dream and the Economic Myth (monograph); Scenarios: Crafting and Using Stories of the Future to Change the Present; and the co-authored Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future. She also edited The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti in the Penguin English Poets series and co-edited Daughters and Fathers and Realistic Hope: Facing Global Challenges.

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Shriya Chilukuri

Shriya Chilukuri grew up in Boston, Massachusetts before becoming a Texan. She is graduating with a degree in Human Dimensions of Organizations. Shriya has been working since she was 16, and the through line across every opportunity she has sought out has been persistence. From her freshman year as a data analytics intern to her work as a teaching assistant at UT, she has consistently pursued opportunities that challenge her to grow. Her path has also taken her into public service at the Texas Division of Emergency Management, consulting at KPMG, and the world of private equity recruiting at a boutique executive search firm. She has built that path one honest attempt at a time, driven less by certainty and more by a deep belief that showing up is how you figure out who you are. At the heart of her journey is a commitment to equity and access. Shriya believes that potential is universal, but the systems that recognize and reward it are not. Guided by that belief, she approaches life with intention, persistence, and a responsibility to support others along the way. She leaves UT ready to begin her career with the same purpose that has shaped her path.

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Government, International Relations, and Global Studies

Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., Gregory Gymnasium

Processional

Welcome and Introductions

Amy Liu
Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Government

Commencement Address

Kirk Watson
Mayor, City of Austin

Special Recognitions

Michael Anderson
Professor of Instruction and Director, International Relations & Global Studies

Ph.D. Hooding

Presentation of Certificates to Graduates

Announced by

Benjamin Gregg
Professor, Department of Government

Raul Madrid
Professor, Department of Government

Closing Remarks

Recessional

Kirk Watson

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has been immersed in public policy in both local and state government in Texas for three decades. He won his first term as Austin mayor in 1997 and earned praise for bringing different political factions together around transformative environmental and economic development initiatives. Watson returned to Austin City Hall in 2023 for a third term as mayor after serving more than 13 years in the Texas Senate, where he led on issues such as public education, healthcare and government transparency.  Watson also was the founding dean of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston.

During his first stint as Mayor of Austin in 1997, Watson won praise for bringing different political sides together around transformative environmental and economic development initiatives. He worked with elected officials and business leaders from across the region to proactively improve air quality, resulting in an agreement called the Clean Air Compact, which helped keep the Austin region in attainment with federal rules. He also championed the purchase of land in the Texas Hill Country for preservation and acted to secure the city's long-term water supply. In 2012, serving the Austin area in the Texas Senate, he led the effort to build a new medical school at The University of Texas at Austin. The Dell Medical School became the first medical school in nearly 50 years to be built from the ground up at a top-tier research university.

When Watson returned to the mayor’s office in 2023, he worked immediately to stabilize city government and improve basic city operations. In the first two years of Watson’s most current term, response times at Austin's 911 call center have substantially improved, site plan review times have been slashed, homeless response services have been consolidated under one department to better manage contracts and oversee efforts, and the City signed a new five-year labor contract with the Austin Police Association with robust police oversight. Watson also played an instrumental role in protecting Austin Light Rail during the 88th Legislative Session by working with lawmakers in the Texas House to stop a last-minute Senate amendment to kill its financing.

As mayor, Watson has been laser-focused on making sure every Austinite can afford to make a life in our city. He has led on major affordability initiatives including the enactment of historic land-use reforms to increase housing stock and the creation of the Austin Infrastructure Academy. His priorities include housing, workforce development, homelessness, public safety, mobility, climate resilience, and Generation ATX: a movement to make Austin the best place to be a kid.

Watson, who grew up in Saginaw, Texas, graduated from Baylor University and Baylor Law School. He and his wife, Liz, have two adult sons and two delightful granddaughters.

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Plan II Honors

Friday, May 8, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., Hogg Auditorium

Processional

1st Marshal
Michael Starbird
Professor, Department of Mathematics

2nd Marshal
Matthew Valentine
Professor, Department of English

Welcome and Introductions

Janet M. Davis
Professor of American Studies and History
Director, Plan II Honors Program
Eugene C. Barker Centennial Professorship in American History
Distinguished Teaching Professor
Hayden W. Head Regents Chair in the Plan II Honors Program
Stuart W. Stedman Director’s Chair in Plan II
John S. Alexander, M.D. Chair in Plan II

Commencement Addresses

Presentation of Plan II Chad Oliver Teaching Award

Awardee

Stephen M. Sonnenberg

Student Speaker

Tisha Chaudhuri

Plan II Honors and Economics

Alumni Speaker

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries '00

Presentation of Certificates to Graduates

Janet M. Davis

Recessional

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries '00

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries is a reporter on the investigative team at The New York Times, where she specializes in using novel data and methodologies to shed light on complex subjects. In 2022, she was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize in national reporting for coverage of systemic failures in American policing that lead to avoidable deaths.

Jennifer's work often explores the far-reaching effects of the technology industry on society. For a series of articles on privacy, propaganda and technology in 2018, she shared a George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in national reporting. Before joining The Times, Jennifer spent more than a decade at The Wall Street Journal, often covering digital surveillance, privacy and security. She received her undergraduate degree from Plan II Honors at The University of Texas at Austin and her master’s in public policy from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

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Tisha Chaudhuri

Tisha Chaudhuri is a Plan II Honors and Economics double major with minors in International Business and History. You may recognize her as the face of the Joynes Reading Room or as your 2025-26 Mx. Plan II. On campus, Tisha was involved with UT’s student-run think tank Global Macro Team, The Annette Strauss Institute, and Project Advance Austin. These experiences deepened her passion for public service and research, which she has pursued across Austin and Washington DC, from OSINT research at the Library of Congress and tech research at Gartner, to supporting a UN-launched Global Task Force on AI in Education at the Brookings Institution. Her thesis took her to working on farms in Norway and Portugal, where her love of travel and fieldwork converged. To keep up the practice, she plans to complete a Workaway in a new country every year and improve her very mild fluency in Turkish. After graduation, Tisha will continue her work at the Brookings Institution full-time, researching AI and its impact on education, contributing to policy conversations for domestic and international education systems.

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Departments of English and History

Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., Bass Concert Hall

Music

Sienna String Quartet

Processional

Student Marshal

Douglas Bruster 

Distinguished Teaching Professor

Grand Marshal

Elizabeth Cullingford

Distinguished Teaching Professor

Faculty Marshal

Bruce Hunt

Distinguished Teaching Professor

Welcome and Introductions

John Morán Gonzalez

Chair, Department of English

Mark Atwood Lawrence

Chair, Department of History

Commencement Address

Juliette Seive

Managing Director of Research at NYT Games

University of Texas at Austin, History, Class of 2015

Presentation of Special Awards

English and History Faculty

Recognition of Degree Candidates

Geraldine Heng

Mildred Hajek Vacek and John Roman Vacek Chair, English

Monica Martinez

Clyde Rabb Littlefield Chair in Texas History Fellow, History

Closing Remarks

John Morán Gonzalez

Chair, Department of English

Mark Atwood Lawrence

Chair, Department of History

Recessional

Sienna String Quartet

Juliette Seive

Juliette Seive is currently the Managing Director of Research at NYT Games, the home of Wordle, Connections, Strands, the Mini & Crossword, and other games. Her days include interviewing and learning from current and prospective players to better understand what new kinds of games to create and features to build. She was on the original pitch team for Connections and then later pitched the idea for Strands. Before working on NYT Games, Juliette focused on autonomous vehicles and how people might interact with them while riding and as pedestrians. She’s helped numerous other companies like Capital One, Athenahealth, and Bazzarvoice carve out space for empathy for those engaging with their products.
 
She’s a proud UT alum, both for her undergraduate degree and master’s. Juliette credits her time at UT for challenging her to think deeply and broadly – something she applies constantly in her day-to-day life. When she’s not chatting up people about games, you can find her spinning around in the air on aerial silks or deep down in the water scuba diving.   
 
Juliette is thrilled to return to UT to celebrate the Class of 2026, and looks forward to sharing a few stories (and maybe playing a game) about how to build a career that is as meaningful as it is unpredictable.

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Department of Economics Bachelor of Arts

Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 8 a.m., Gregory Gym

Thomas Wiseman, Professor and Chair

Processional

Marshals

Haiqing Xu | Associate Professor

Rafael Veiel | Assistant Professor

Welcome and Introductions

Thomas Wiseman | Department Chair

Keynote Address

Scott Cohen

UT Economics, 1993

Founder and CEO of CD Wealth Management

Recognition of Economics Honors Program Candidates

Presentation of Certificates to Bachelor Candidates

Closing Remarks

Recessional

Scott Cohen

A proud graduate of UT’s Class of 1993, Scott has built his career on thoughtful leadership, long-term perspective, and service to others.

In 2014, Scott founded CD Wealth Management, which today oversees more than $1.5 billion in assets under management through a highly personalized, relationship-focused approach. The firm has been recognized multiple times by the Dallas Business Journal as a Best Place to Work, and Scott has earned annual recognition on Forbes’ Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list and inclusion in Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors.

Beyond his professional work, mentorship has become a defining extension of Scott’s leadership. He believes early exposure to real-world responsibility accelerates confidence, clarity, and leadership.

Scott works closely with students in the Department of Economics and across the College of Liberal Arts, offering career guidance and industry perspective to students from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines. Through CD Wealth Management and Kestra Financial, he established structured internship programs in partnership with the University that have placed more than 20 UT students in hands-on professional roles, creating a deliberate pathway from the classroom to meaningful professional opportunities.

He remains deeply engaged with the University, serving on the UT Economics Advisory Committee, UT Development Board, the Liberal Arts Advisory Council, and the Longhorn Foundation Advisory Council. In addition, he mentors Silver Spurs members and alumni, advises Zeta Beta Tau, and has established two endowed scholarships — one in the College of Education and one supporting Economics students in the College of Liberal Arts.

In Dallas, Scott has been an active leader and volunteer for many years, including serving as Chairman of the Board at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center from 2013 to 2015. He has spent two decades as co-chair of the center’s annual golf tournament, helping raise more than $3 million for programs serving children and seniors. He and his wife Barbi served as event chairs of the 2025 Hope for Humanity dinner benefiting the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, raising $1.9 million in support of its mission to advance education and human dignity.

He has held advisory and philanthropic roles for the Parish Episcopal School, the Shelton School, and the Da Vinci School in Dallas, as well as serving on the Chancellor’s Parent Leadership Council at the University of Denver.

Scott is devoted to his family and enjoys making memories and spending quality time with Barbi and their three daughters: Kacey (UT, ’23), Ella and Olivia, a rising junior at UT. He is honored to return to the Forty Acres to celebrate the achievements of this year’s graduates and to encourage the next generation of Longhorn leaders.

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Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., Williams C. Powers Student Activity Center Auditorium

Presiding

Karma R. Chávez

Chair, Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Bobby and Sherri Patton Endowed Professor in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Marshal

Mary “Maggie” Rivas-Rodriguez

Professor, School of Journalism and Media

Director, Center for Mexican American Studies

Student Address

Alaiza Michell Mata

Bachelor of Arts in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies and Psychology

Mexican American and Latina/o Studies Distinguished Graduate with Special Honors

Commencement Address

Mary “Maggie” Rivas-Rodriguez

Professor, School of Journalism and Media

Director, Center for Mexican American Studies 

Presentation of Certificates to Graduates

Maria Cotera 

Associate Professor and Graduate Advisor, Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Rachel V. González-Martin

Associate Professor and Undergraduate Advisor, Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies

Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, Ph.D., is the director of the Center for Mexican American Studies and a professor in the School of Journalism and Media at UT Austin. As CMAS director, she has revived CMAS publications and created pathways for faculty affiliates and community members to publish mini-memoirs in annual edited volumes. In 1999, she founded the Voces Oral History Center, dedicated to recording interviews about the Latino experience in the US. Her oral history work has informed CMAS’s Latinos on the 40 Acres project which has conducted individual and group interviews with over 200 people. Rivas-Rodrigue has authored/edited/co-edited six books about the Latino WWII and post-war experience. In 2016, she founded the US Latina & Latino Oral History Journal, which initially was sponsored by CMAS. Rivas-Rodriguez was a journalist for major news organizations before earning a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her bachelors in journalism is from UT Austin and her masters is from the Columbia School of Journalism.

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Alaiza Michell Mata

Bachelor of Arts in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies and Psychology
Mexican American and Latina/o Studies Distinguished Graduate with Special Honors
Minor in Educational Psychology
2026 Winner of the Dorothy and Rudy Martinez Family Award

Alaiza Mata is a first-generation college student from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, double majoring in Mexican American and Latino Studies and Psychology. She has supported Latino students’ educational success through culturally adapted interventions. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum & Instruction in Cultural Studies at UT Austin.

"Throughout my undergraduate career, the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies has been a space for my professional development and a community that has allowed myself and many of my peers to build everlasting friendships. All the professors whose classes I have had the pleasure of taking have continuously contributed to my understanding of how governmental systems have impacted Latinos’ mental health and educational outcomes. I would like to give a big thank you to our amazing advisor, Luis Guevara, and to Dr. Gonzalez-Martin and Dr. Anthony Rasmussen for being supportive throughout the production of my MALS thesis." 

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Department of Economics Bachelor of Science and Masters

Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 11:30 a.m., Gregory Gym

Thomas Wiseman, Professor and Chair

Processional

Marshals

Eugenio Miravete | Professor

Saroj Bhattarai | Associate Professor

Welcome and Introductions

Thomas Wiseman | Department Chair

Keynote Address

Scott Cohen

UT Economics, 1993

Founder and CEO of CD Wealth Management

Presentation of Certificates to Doctoral Candidates

Robert Town | Graduate Students Committee Chair, Professor

Presentation of Certificates to Master's Candidates

Stephanie Houghton | MA Program Director, Associate Professor of Instruction

Recognition of Economics Honors Program Candidates

Presentation of Certificates to Bachelor Candidates

Closing Remarks

Recessional

Scott Cohen

A proud graduate of UT’s Class of 1993, Scott has built his career on thoughtful leadership, long-term perspective, and service to others.

In 2014, Scott founded CD Wealth Management, which today oversees more than $1.5 billion in assets under management through a highly personalized, relationship-focused approach. The firm has been recognized multiple times by the Dallas Business Journal as a Best Place to Work, and Scott has earned annual recognition on Forbes’ Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list and inclusion in Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors.

Beyond his professional work, mentorship has become a defining extension of Scott’s leadership. He believes early exposure to real-world responsibility accelerates confidence, clarity, and leadership.

Scott works closely with students in the Department of Economics and across the College of Liberal Arts, offering career guidance and industry perspective to students from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines. Through CD Wealth Management and Kestra Financial, he established structured internship programs in partnership with the University that have placed more than 20 UT students in hands-on professional roles, creating a deliberate pathway from the classroom to meaningful professional opportunities.

He remains deeply engaged with the University, serving on the UT Economics Advisory Committee, UT Development Board, the Liberal Arts Advisory Council, and the Longhorn Foundation Advisory Council. In addition, he mentors Silver Spurs members and alumni, advises Zeta Beta Tau, and has established two endowed scholarships — one in the College of Education and one supporting Economics students in the College of Liberal Arts.

In Dallas, Scott has been an active leader and volunteer for many years, including serving as Chairman of the Board at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center from 2013 to 2015. He has spent two decades as co-chair of the center’s annual golf tournament, helping raise more than $3 million for programs serving children and seniors. He and his wife Barbi served as event chairs of the 2025 Hope for Humanity dinner benefiting the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, raising $1.9 million in support of its mission to advance education and human dignity.

He has held advisory and philanthropic roles for the Parish Episcopal School, the Shelton School, and the Da Vinci School in Dallas, as well as serving on the Chancellor’s Parent Leadership Council at the University of Denver.

Scott is devoted to his family and enjoys making memories and spending quality time with Barbi and their three daughters: Kacey (UT, ’23), Ella and Olivia, a rising junior at UT. He is honored to return to the Forty Acres to celebrate the achievements of this year’s graduates and to encourage the next generation of Longhorn leaders.

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Dean's Distinguished Graduates

Graduate Students

This year, 5 graduates in the College of Liberal Arts were designated as Dean’s Distinguished Graduates, based on high achievements in scholarship, leadership, and service to the College.

Gabriella Chronis
Computational Linguistics

Gabriella Chronis is an interdisciplinary linguist who develops interpretable computational
methods and critical frameworks for studying how word meaning encodes social difference.
An NSF Graduate Research Fellow, her work has impacted both Natural Language Processing and
the anthropology of AI. Outside the university, she teaches AI bootcamps for activists and organizes towards technology autonomy.

“Since entering computational distributional semantics in 2014, I have witnessed the field transform into a site of enormous power. That experience sharpens my conviction that critique requires counter-instruments: challenging the role of AI in systems of oppression demands actively constructing technologies to support alternative forms of life. My research, pedagogy, and service work embody this ethos.”

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Kimberlyn Harrison
Rhetoric and Writing

Kimber Harrison’s work is situated at the intersection of rhetoric, technical communication, and science and technology studies. Her research primarily traces the rhetorical influence of the mid-20th-century cybernetics movement on contemporary artificial intelligence systems. She is interested in how these systems organize information and shape human agency.

“As a scholar working at the intersection of rhetoric, technical communication, and science and technology studies, I am invested in cultivating interdisciplinary collaboration and digital literacy across the university. I extend this research through collaborative initiatives that help faculty and students engage responsibly with emerging technologies. I am grateful to have had these opportunities to support the Longhorn community.”

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Yumin Hong
Economics

Yumin Hong specializes in applied microeconomics, focusing on environmental health and public policy. Her work analyzes how temperature, pollution, and regulation influence human behavior and well-being. She will join the University of Richmond as an assistant professor of economics in fall 2026.

“I did not fully know what kind of economist I wanted to become when I started my Ph.D. at UT six years ago. What I did know was that I cared about people and communities, about ways that environments shape lives, often unequally and often invisibly. That instinct led me to study the health consequences of climate exposure, and over time it grew into a research agenda I feel proud of. None of this happened in isolation. I’m indebted to my department and my advisors, who provided direction when my research felt uncertain, steadiness when I took risks, and perspective when I dared to look further. I carry my experiences as a mentee with me and hope to offer the same kind of thoughtful, steady support to students as I begin my faculty career.”

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Sydney Okland
Social Psychology

Sydney Okland is receiving her Ph.D. in Social Psychology. In her research with her advisor, Dr. Jennifer Beer, she explored social rejectors’ experiences and examined how to soften the blow of rejection. After graduation, she will work as a quantitative analyst for a nonprofit social science consultancy.

“One of my favorite memories at UT was watching one of my undergraduate research assistants catch the research bug for the first time. Overall, my graduate training has been defined by (a) developing as a scientist seeking to alleviate the impact of social rejection and (b) fostering others’ access to research opportunities. I dedicated my graduate work to rigorous research and training future scholars to help strengthen my scientific community.”

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İpek Şahinler
Comparative Literature

İpek Şahinler’s dissertation focuses on transnational literary networks, with particular attention to modern Turkish and Mexican literatures and their shared yet overlooked relationship to European modernism. She guest-edited a special issue for Culture, Theory and Critique. Her writings have appeared in the Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics; World Literature Today; Middle East Literatures; Peter Lang’s Culture, Society and Political Economy series; and Routledge’s Global Perspectives series. She has served as Chair of the Graduate Student Committee at the American Comparative Literature Association and as a member of the COLA Graduate Student Assembly at UT Austin. She runs the virtual, open-to-all, international translation platform called “Turkish Literature in Translation Reading Group” alongside its adjacent podcast, LiteraTurca.

“I came to the UT from the University of Edinburgh in the footsteps of the Texan writer Gloria Anzaldúa, with the goal of building bridges between seemingly disengaged literatures and cultures. This commitment has shaped both my scholarship and service. Through scholarship, leadership, and service, I strive to contribute to a more globally engaged intellectual community at UT.”

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Undergraduate Students

This year, 13 graduating seniors in the College of Liberal Arts were designated as Dean's Distinguished Graduates, based on high achievements in scholarship, leadership, and service to the College.

Nehir Aran
French Studies/Nutrition

Nehir Aran is graduating with majors in French Studies and Nutrition. Her interests include inter-disciplinary teaching, community outreach, and language as a cross-cultural communication tool. Through her EMS work, volunteering, research, and leadership, she has strived to serve her community across various domains. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school.
“When my family immigrated from Turkey, I became their translator, and I learned early on how language is at the intersection of independence and a sense of belonging. Alongside my coursework, I pursued my love of teaching as a tutor and teaching assistant. I learned how breaking complex concepts into clear, manageable pieces can contribute significantly to educational advancement. Applying those same skills in higher-stakes settings, I supported patients through health crises as an EMT; supported asylum-seeking families as an ESL instructor; and supported low-income, neurodivergent children as a music teacher. Across these roles, I have been committed to providing my community with knowledge and guidance, supporting autonomy and growth across disciplines.”

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Juslyn Dhingra
Public Health/Health and Society Honors

Juslyn Dhingra is graduating with honors majors in Health and Society and, as a Health Science Scholar, in Public Health, along with a Bridging Disciplines Program certificate in Social Inequality, Health, and Policy. Her work centers on addressing health equity through research, service, and community partnership. A three-time Distinguished College Scholar and Gordon Clark Bennett Scholar, Dhingra will attend Baylor College of Medicine on a full scholarship to pursue her MD/MPH and a career in equitable healthcare reform.

“During my time at UT and within Health and Society, I’ve committed myself to addressing health in partnership with Austin communities to tackle systemic inequities and understand how fragmented systems affect real people. I look forward to attending Baylor College of Medicine this fall and pursuing an MD/MPH, where I’ll learn to advance health equity while I practice medicine, commit myself to community partnership, and understand our healthcare system as a physician-leader.”

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Alisha Flexwala
Psychology

Alisha Flexwala is graduating with a major in Psychology. She conducted neuroimaging research in the Pestilli Lab and co-authored two publications. A Gilman Scholar and Fulbright-Nehru semifinalist for maternal health research, she serves as a teaching assistant and will pursue a career in medicine focused on global health equity.

“I seek to embody our Longhorn motto — disciplina praesidium civitatis — by cultivating an intellect grounded in interdisciplinary inquiry. I discovered that scholarship and leadership are mutually reinforcing, especially in medicine, where scientific insight must be matched with human understanding. This perspective cultivated my pursuit of excellence through deliberately balancing scholarship, mentorship, and global engagement. As a pre-medical student, I leveraged the college’s resources to bridge research and community outreach, shaping a scholarly purpose towards global health. UT has cultivated me into a scholar who leads with empathy and a future physician who values both evidence and humanity. Through integrating leadership and service, I demonstrate that a liberal arts education is the foundation for compassionate, global leadership.”

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Lilly Jarlsjo
Plan II Honors/History Honors

Lilly Jarlsjo is graduating with majors in Plan II Honors and History Honors with a passion for energy, environmental policy, and international affairs. Her proudest pursuits have been the Normandy Scholars Program, interning at the Department of State, and founding the Texas Swedish Club. Next fall, Lilly will be attending Harvard Law School.

“UT has molded me into a more interesting, passionate, and knowledgeable person through three study abroad experiences, fantastic internships, and close relationships with my professors. I pay forward this investment from UT by dedicating my time to peer mentorship. UT has immeasurably improved my life in intellectual, career, and personal pursuits, and I am so grateful for my time here.”

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Anjali Krishna
Art History/English Honors/Liberal Arts Honors

Anjali Krishna is graduating with majors in Art History and English Honors with Liberal Arts Honors and a minor in French Studies. As a Mellon-Mays Fellow, her thesis explored socioeconomics and relationality in Sally Rooney’s novels. She curated The Modern Cowboy exhibition at the Visual Arts Center and served as senior print editor for SPARK magazine.

“A belief in communal flourishing has guided my work with young writers. I encouraged students to bend form and genre as long as they could justify their choices. Freed from obligations, they experimented and developed into more confident writers. My curatorial endeavors recognized the importance of inclusivity and empathy in our university’s changing landscape. I am grateful for my time at UT, where I learned when to break rules and how to write my own story.”

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Elizabeth Marangell Monday
Plan II Honors/Health and Society Honors

Elizabeth Marangell Monday is a fourth-generation Longhorn graduating with majors in Plan II Honors and Health and Society Honors, with certificates in Pre-Health Professions and Spanish for Medical Professions. Ellie served as Forum Editor for the Daily Texan, Policy Chair for the Mental Health Agency, a member of Orange Jackets and Phi Beta Kappa, and Co-President of the Longhorn Harm Reduction Coalition.

“I chose to pursue my pre-med undergraduate studies in COLA because I understand that to truly heal, a physician must master not only the science but also the social and cultural needs of each patient. I sought leadership opportunities to learn about and help my community. After almost losing a close friend to suicide, I concentrated my time on uncomfortable topics like suicide and substance misuse. I have tried to show my gratitude to UT through my service in Orange Jackets. I have grown through this amazing group of women leaders and committed my time to upholding our four tenets of scholarship, leadership, service, and community.”

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Aruna Muthupillai
Plan II Honors/International Relations and Global Studies Honors

Aruna Muthupillai is graduating with majors in Plan II Honors and International Relations and Global Studies Honors with a minor in Chinese. She focuses on Indo-Pacific security studies and East/South Asian cultural history and intends to pursue international law in preparation for a public service career.

“Attending and serving UT has been the honor of a lifetime. In my time here, I have brought together my interest in Asian history and languages, with engagement outside the classroom, to serve those around me — a commitment captured by the Orange Jackets charge: ‘For Texas I will.’ After graduating, I will pursue international law and a career in federal service, always carrying forward the same spirit that has guided me throughout my time at Texas: ‘For Texas’ becomes ‘For the United States, and for the world.’”

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Trinity Ngo
English Honors/Liberal Arts Honors/Rhetoric and Writing/Asian American Studies

Trinity Ngo is a Dedman Distinguished Scholar graduating with majors in English Honors, Liberal Arts Honors, Rhetoric and Writing, and Asian American Studies. Her involvement in Liberal Arts Honors, English Honors, and the Mellon Mays Fellowship has indelibly impacted her UT trajectory and will continue to shape her as she pursues her Ph.D. this fall.

“Throughout my K-12 education, diasporic narratives were absent from my curriculum. At UT’s Center for Asian American Studies, however, I found a community that reframed Asian American literature as central — not peripheral — to literary scholarship. I aim to demystify this idea for others by becoming a professor and continuing my interdisciplinary work, a dream-turned-reality, as I move to Ann Arbor to pursue my Ph.D. this fall.”

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Samuel Gerard Rollo Salabit
 English Honors/Liberal Arts Honors

Samuel Gerard Rollo Salabit is graduating with a degree in English Honors with Liberal Arts Honors, minors in Asian American Studies and Spanish, and a certificate in Creative Writing Honors. He is a proud child and sibling of immigrants. Sam plans to pursue a graduate degree in comparative literature to study literature from different archipelagos.

“When I got into UT as a Coordinated Admissions Program student from UT Arlington my sophomore year, just two years after I immigrated to the United States, I had to hit the ground running. I wanted to learn as much as I could, never taking fewer than 15 hours in a semester, even completing 21 hours in one. I will graduate having completed two honors theses. But I didn’t do any of the above alone. I sought and found community at UT. My story shows what is possible here at UT: low-income, immigrant, or transfer student, we can still start here to change the world.”

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Isabella Athena Sanchez
Government Honors/English/Liberal Arts Honors

Isabella Athena Sanchez is a first-generation student graduating with majors in Government Honors and English with Liberal Arts Honors. After graduation, Sanchez plans to attend Texas Law to pursue civil rights law and to expand access to justice for low-income communities.

“As a first-generation student from a low-income family, higher education was never guaranteed; it was something I worked to make possible. As a senior preparing to graduate, I reflect not only with pride in what I have accomplished, but with deep gratitude for the university that challenged me to grow into a scholar and a leader. My time at UT has taught me that leadership is measured by how we expand opportunities for others. As I prepare to attend Texas Law School, I carry forward UT’s spirit of excellence, service, and integrity with pride.”

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Aadhunik Sundar
Plan II Honors/Human Biology

Aadhunik Sundar is graduating with majors in Plan II Honors and Human Biology. He is committed to working with children and families, strengthening communities through mentorship, and service that helps people feel supported and empowered.

“When I reflect on my time at The University of Texas at Austin, I think about the relationships that shaped me. My most meaningful experiences in college have come through working with kids across Austin. Those experiences taught me that meaningful work usually happens over time, and they shaped not only how I served in Austin, but also how I tried to lead within the College of Liberal Arts. I am grateful to UT for the people, opportunities, and communities that have challenged me, supported me, and shaped the way I hope to lead and serve going forward.”

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Kathryn Thomason
Humanities Honors/Liberal Arts Honors

Kathryn Thomason is graduating with a major in Humanities Honors with Liberal Arts Honors and minors in History and Journalism/Media Studies. She served in multiple leadership roles across a variety of student organizations and as a Dean’s Ambassador for the College of Liberal Arts.

“As a passionate student with a range of interdisciplinary interests, I’ve sought experiences through the College of Liberal Arts that allowed me to exhibit leadership, service, and research skills. After graduation, I will continue to explore my interests while completing an MSc in International Social Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The leadership, service, academic, and research experience I’ve garnered as a COLA student has transformed how I understand myself and my future ambitions.”

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Elijah Woodson
Psychology Honors

Elijah Woodson is graduating with a major in Psychology Honors, with a minor in Educational Psychology. He contributed to four research labs and completed an honors thesis examining racial disparities in comorbid substance use and depression severity. He plans to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology.

“As an undergraduate contributing to research focused on scalable, accessible digital mental health interventions and to feasibility studies and randomized controlled trials, I recognized that many intervention trials disproportionately served relatively advantaged communities and failed to acknowledge existing inequities. This realization shaped my honors thesis, which examined racial disparities in comorbid depression and substance use severity using nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. These experiences, along with my service to the Black and greater Austin community, have solidified my commitment to advancing equitable mental health care as a clinical psychologist through culturally responsive, empirically supported digital interventions that reduce disparities and expand access to those in need.”

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Dean's Distinguished Graduates Honorable Mention

The 2026 Dean's Distinguished Graduates Honorable Mention recipients are:

Undergraduate Students

  • Hannah Arulanandam | Anthropology/Classical Studies Honors
  • Sydney Baker | Government/Political Communication
  • Annalise Belzile | Psychology Liberal Arts Honors/Human Dimensions of Organizations
  • Audrey Fife | Sociology Liberal Arts Honors/Rhetoric and Writing
  • Jade Gaither | Anthropology Honors
  • Hannah Garza | Sociology/Rhetoric and Writing
  • Gavin Harris | Plan II Honors/International Relations and Global Studies
  • Nate Heffron | Classical Languages Liberal Arts Honors
  • Ava Hosseini | Humanities
  • Aashika Ingersal | History Honors
  • Victoria Kayode | Psychology Honors
  • Dantes Martinez | Linguistics Honors/Anthropology
  • Maheshwari Rajesh | Plan II Honors/Psychology
  • Brianna Schaff | International Relations and Global Studies Liberal Arts Honors/Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
  • Olga Tumanova | Environmental Science Liberal Arts Honors

Graduate Students

  • Benjamin Allison | History
  • Ricardo Castro | Spanish and Portuguese
  • Sam Law | Anthropology

Undergraduate Degree Candidates

Degrees and honors listed are only projections as of April 24, 2026. Actual degrees conferred and honors earned will be determined after final grades are submitted.