Letter from the Dean

Dear Friends,

Here at The University of Texas at Austin, we have lofty goals. We aim to be the world’s highest-impact public research university. We also work to provide an inclusive community, where each person experiences true belonging.

In the College of Natural Sciences, scientific questions get tackled that really matter. Just think about our vaccine researchers whose technology, in the last year or two, has played a role in saving (no exaggeration) millions of lives.

Meanwhile, each student, each faculty and staff member and each alum really matters here, too. Our people are key to our impact.

This edition of The Texas Scientist introduces you to some of our people and the ideas they pursue. You’ll meet scientists working for a more sustainable future: developing new types of batteries, creating improved solar cells and pursuing solutions to environmental challenges, from air pollution to plastic waste. You’ll learn about our astronomers leading some of the biggest projects on NASA’s new space telescope. You’ll discover how machine learning leaders are transforming research in computer and data science, nutritional science, neuroscience and more.

This is just a sampling of the potential here in Texas Science, a community capable of delivering extraordinary impact.

David Vanden Bout

Dean, College of Natural Sciences