UT-Austin’s Reddit forum offers support platform for struggling students
Look beyond UT’s more than 1,100 on-campus organizations and you’ll find the UT-Austin Reddit subreddit: an online forum that can serve as a platform to anonymously discuss student life — including the hardships.
With over 17,000 subscribers, r/UTAustin is viewed by students as a source for support and resources. A quick scroll reveals students seeking guidance in the face of loneliness, academic stress and depression.
Unspecified business sophomore Sarah Johnson turned to Reddit after experiencing difficulties finding a support group at UT. In her post, Johnson expressed dismay with barriers to friendship she encountered despite being a generally outgoing person.
“It was difficult to make friends since I live off campus,” Johnson said. “That means it’s harder to participate in organizations and stick around for events.”
Upon seeking help, Johnson found comfort in the responses she received from other UT subreddit subscribers.
“Reddit is a community of outliers, so users are generally having similar issues,” Johnson said. “There’s a community of people that are like you and can guide you, and sometimes you just need to vent and get (your struggles) out there to feel better.”
The recurrence of stories similar to Johnson’s has prompted some users to offer ongoing guidance to distressed students. Economics senior Charles Wood said he felt compelled to offer support by channeling his own adversities at UT.
“I wanted students to know that if they’re having trouble, they could reach out,” Wood said. “I have empathy for people having a hard time because I’ve been in the exact
same position.”
Wood said he endured a miserable journey through UT’s computer science program beginning in 1988 due to the difficult transition from high school to college.
“I barely made it through the computer science program and graduated with a 2.0 GPA,” Wood said. “The whole experience was incredibly stressful and depressing.”
Wood said one of his college friends committed suicide because of the pressures he faced as a young student.
Twenty-two years later, Wood said he is glad the UT-Austin Reddit community exists as a low-barrier, helpful platform to connect with other people. “I just want to convey the simple idea that everything will be okay,” Wood said.
Raven Wilson, psychology junior and peer educator at the Counseling and Mental Health Center, explained that venting on social media is motivated by the comfort of anonymity and functions as a form of therapeutic action.
“When someone vents on a platform like Reddit, there is a perceived audience in mind,” Wilson said. “Some psychologists call it an imaginary interested party, or a mass audience. People envision someone … would understand them. It’s reassuring to know someone who doesn’t have personal stock in your life is there and willing to listen.”
While Wilson warned that venting on community platforms can result in an echo chamber where members reinforce each other’s bad habits, users such as Johnson stand behind Reddit’s benefits.
“Support is support, and I don’t think it matters where it comes from,” Johnson said. “A reply can change someone’s life. There’s power in knowing that you’re not alone. The power of community is really helpful.”
UT senior compiles data from subreddits to evaluate student COVID-19 responses
UT student Michelle Xia attempted to determine student sentiments toward topics such as COVID-19 in a recent study using data from the UT and Texas A&M University subreddits.
Xia used a system of artificial intelligence that analyzes text samples to compute meaning to evaluate how students felt about eight topics, including COVID-19, housing, classes and social justice. She compiled the 1,348 most recent text entries from the UT subreddit and included a post’s title, body and comments.
Xia, a management information systems senior, said one of the main motivations for her to write this article was to pursue a personal project and to use her knowledge of the AI system.
“I’m taking this class right now, MIS 373, User-Generated Content Analysis, and I was just thinking I can actually apply these techniques and … get a bunch of valuable information,” Xia said.
Xia compared the topic of COVID-19 between the two universities, and she found UT students had more negative sentiments toward COVID-19 based on the content of their entries.
People like linguistics senior Cutter Dalton use the UT subreddit and responded to Xia’s article with comments and upvotes on Reddit.
“Having an actual analysis of the language that is actually used regarding UT on the subreddit, you can actually mathematically see how people feel, and that’s really cool,” Dalton said. “I’m not sure if it would represent how UT (as a whole) feels, given the dataset is based off of the subreddit, so you might have overrepresentation of one group of students.”
Xia said she addressed the potential concern with the bias of only representing students in the subreddit and she could have more in-depth data with more time or resources. Xia said this project was mostly a comparison between the UT and A&M subreddits.
“I was a little surprised to see that people tend to associate engineering more strongly with A&M, but the A&M school spirit and culture do seem to be stronger, anecdotally speaking, which may curate a more well-defined reputation,” Xia said in the article. “On the other hand, UT-Austin is strongly associated with COVID.”
Psychology professor James Pennebaker said he found parts of Xia’s analysis interesting.
“In some ways, the most interesting findings that Michelle had are the A&M and UT data, where you can see that A&M and UT students are really focusing on different topics, and that’s quite interesting,” Pennebaker said.
2020 unofficial student Guide
FReshman Research Initiative
Welcome to the FRI student feedback page, presented by Catalyst! The pioneering Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) gives first-year students the opportunity to initiate and engage in real-world research experience with faculty and graduate students. Scroll or select from the index below to browse FRI streams and view feedback from your peers on their experiences in each stream. We hope this resource will help you find the undergraduate research experience that's tailored to you!
About the Information:All information is from students who took an anonymous survey about their experiences in their respective FRI streams, and is not affiliated with the FRI/TIDES office. Unless indicated otherwise, the information below reflects 2020 survey results. The graphs represent data from Spring 2020 UT CIS results. Some streams may be relatively new and have minimal data available. Responses have been edited for clarity and to ensure students remain anonymous. Opinions expressed in the guide do not represent the views of Catalyst and are not intended to represent the views of all students in each stream. Catalyst cannot ensure the accuracy of the responses represented below. We encourage you to use this guide as one information source among many. Official stream information is linked below for each section and can be found on the official UT FRI website.
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Human Development and Family Sciences, Medical Laboratory Science, Neuroscience, Nutritional Sciences, Public Health
Similar Streams: Bioactive Molecules, Biobricks, Bugs in Bugs, DIY Diagnostics, Microbe Hackers, Supra Sensors, Virtual Cures
Average Hours in Lab: 6-8+ hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: PCR, CCPCR, ELISA, gel electrophoresis, SDS PAGE, DNA/RNA purification, DNA/RNA quantification, SELEX, pipetting skills, sterile technique, cloning, writing in scientific language effectively, RT, transcription, gel analysis, making buffers, ethanol precipitation, filter-based selection, bead-based selection, science communication, reading scientific publications, project and time management skills
Student Projects in the Stream:
“Was able to develop an independent project where I created a diagnostic tool using horseradish per oxidase for detecting and preventing thrombin related disorders.”
“The project I am currently working on is the JoVE Publication project, which aims to create a manuscript and video protocol of the SELEX method utilized in the Aptamer stream to provide interested researchers and biotech companies with an affordable and accessible protocol for aptamer selection.”
“The main project is generally selection of a student chosen target. In my case, it was a synthetic enzyme named RTX. It's a long term, independent project that involves using the SELEX process (which is a cyclical method of selection, amplification, and purification) to select for an aptamer with strong binding affinity against RTX in the specific conditions set up during selection.”
Strengths:
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Skillset learned
Structure of the stream
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Work is independent/self-paced
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Lab community and culture
Flexibility
Weaknesses:
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Insufficient support/guidance from research educator
Lab work and concepts did not feel very applicable outside of the stream
Not enough flexibility
Students said…
“Amazing work environment. The mentors are amazing and the RE is always really supportive and available to help! Learned so much!!”
“I've made some of my closest friends through the Aptamers stream, and Gwen is honestly one of the kindest, most accepting professors I've ever met. I came into the stream expecting nothing but hardcore research (from the way it was described on paper), but I ended up finding family and direction from the lab.”
“The environment of the Aptamers lab is amazing, everyone is incredibly supportive of each other and always down to hang out or socialize.”
Students said…
“Sometimes it feels like our stream doesn't have much structure, but it's mostly because we want to give the students a chance to be flexible with their hours and their research. The workload can definitely be overwhelming (there's quite a lot of hours), but they're very manageable and Gwen designed the course to give flexibility in hour requirements.”
“Depending on the project, you'll have a lot of freedom, which can be overwhelming and frustrating at times. Research is ultimately student-driven, so it's a learning process. In the end though, I do think that experience is valuable.”
“The teaching method utilized in the stream is not sufficient for all students and despite constant criticism, the research educator refuses to adopt a new method that may make the concepts more understandable and less overwhelming for the students. There also needs to be more support for the students by the research educator.”
Autonomous Intelligent Robotics
Recommended Majors: Computer Science, Mathematics
Similar Streams: Robot Learning, Autonomous Robots, Quantum Computing, Behavioral Neuroscience, Big Data in Biology, DIY Diagnostics, Glow Worms
Average Hours in Lab: 2-4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: C++, Reading scientific papers, ROS (Robot Operating System), Python, how to code on robots and build systems that contribute towards the autonomy of these robots
Student Projects in the Stream:
“A project in the stream was to apply filter camera input so that the computer could track cups of different colors as they were moved around the screen. We used C++ and ROS for this assignment.”
“I've worked on numerous projects since my freshman year. My FRI 1 project was about using the robot to go around the GDC 3rd floor computer lab and count how many people are in it and then tweet out the capacity of the lab so people can know whether there's space for them of they were to come over. I learned C++, basic linear algebra, and simple computer vision techniques through this simple but entertaining project.”
“A project I am working on is an agent-based simulator written in Python to model the spread of the COVID-19. The goal of the simulator is to optimize government policies to both keep the economy as open as possible and minimize hospitalization.”
Strengths
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Work is independent/self-paced
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skillset learned
Flexibility
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Lab community and culture
Workload
Weaknesses
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Pace of class
Students said…
“Lot of independence and the research we do is relevant to the field and teaches us a lot.”
“Every group gets their own research project, nowadays with high publication potential. If you're not interested in that, you can get a project with a lower workload, but it's still intensive enough that you gain relevant industry experience.”
Unfortunately, we do not have student response data for this stream.
If you would like to provide feedback for this stream, please contact the catalyst team.
Suggested Majors
Biochemistry
Biology
Medical Laboratory Science
Neuroscience
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Chemistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health
Similar Streams: Functional Genomics, Computational Materials, Geometry of Space, White Dwarfs, Biobricks, DIY Diagnostics, Microbe Hackers, Nano Chemistry
Average Hours in Lab: 4-6 hours/week (variable responses)
Skills/Takeaways: RNA-Seq Data Analysis, Basic Python, R, Unix, Bash Scripting, Differential Gene Expression Analysis, Reading Scientific Publications, Creating Scientific Presentations, unix, PCR, statistical analysis, Command Line
Student Projects in the Stream:
“A project in the stream was to bioinformatically identify differentially expressed genes between healthy individuals and patients with ALS. This involved creating an SNP caller, creating a sequence aligner, and carrying out differential gene expression analysis. The project was done using Python and was done in groups.”
“The mini project was to compare samples between multiple sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The project used many statistical Python packages. A lot of guidance was given but it felt rushed.”
“A project was to evaluate bioinformatic tools that call out structural variants in genetic data and compare and contrast them.”
Strengths
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skillset learned
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Workload
Work is independent/self-paced
Lab community and culture
Weaknesses
Lab community and culture
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
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Students said…
“Very different from the experience I've heard about some of the other streams... very collaborative but also every opportunity to be independent or take the lead on something! A lot of support from research education and all the mentors and the timings are very flexible. Timings are self paced and the skills you learn in the stream unlock so many new opportunities for you outside of FRI.”
Students said…
“Although the timings are flexible and the workload isn't too bad, it definitely is an intense time commitment”
Synthesis and Biological Recognition
Recommended Majors: Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Environmental Science, Human Ecology, Neuroscience, Nutritional Sciences
Similar Streams: Biobricks, DIY Diagnostics, Luminators, Microbe Hackers, Nano Chemistry, Supra Sensors
Average Hours in Lab: 4 - 8 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: NMR, Organic Chemistry, Reading scientific publications, TLC, rotovaping
Student Projects in the Stream:
“One project was to practice extracting an organic solvent from an aqueous solvent using a separatory funnel. It was a good introduction to organic chemistry laboratory techniques.”
“We used to choose 3-4 molecules to synthesize in lab for fall semester and work on making the reactions more efficient (higher yields and more pure product) through trial and error in our synthesis reactions.”
Strengths
Lots of support from mentors
Interesting and applicable work
Lab community and culture
Students said…
“The RE is really great, and she means the best for every student. Most of the work is independent, but the lab environment is very nice, so you don’t necessarily feel lonely.”
“It is a difficult stream, but it introduces you to organic chemistry very well and gives a lot of insight into medicinal chemistry and pharmaceuticals. The information I learned here was very valuable.”
Weaknesses:
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Lab work and concepts did not feel very applicable outside of the stream
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
Students said…
“Sometimes the instructions from the RE can be quite vague in terms of constructing a lab report and getting through experiments. However, it’s part of the learning process. There is definitely a large learning curve.”
“I wouldn’t say that it’s way too much work, but if you’re not on top of it then it can definitely stack up. The RE can be very understanding if you explain your situation though.”
Biobricks for Molecular Machines
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Neuroscience, Nutritional Sciences, Public Health
Similar Streams: Bioactive Molecules, Behavioral Neuroscience, DIY Diagnostics, Functional Genomics, Microbe Hackers
Average Hours in Lab: 4-8 hours/weeks
Skills/Takeaways: PCR, CRISPR, Western Blot analysis, Transformation, Gel Electrophoresis, protein purification and expression, SDS-PAGE, Affinity Chromatography
Student Projects in the Stream:
“I worked at the CDX2 protein project. The goal was to introduce point mutations to the protein to understand its interaction with ATM and MRN complex that are important players in DNA double strand break repair system.”
“The main focus of our Spring semester was the Purple Protein Project in which we learn the process of transforming a protein into E. coli cells, expressing, and isolating the protein.”
“Amplified, expressed, and purified a protein found in sea corals. Served as the first introductory project to ease us into research methods and lab techniques before we started our independent projects.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Lab community and culture
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Students said…
“Dr. Yang and her cohort of mentors are extremely supportive and accessible when we need help! They are always ready to answer questions. Moreover, the lab is extremely welcoming! As someone who came in with zero research experience, it was very reassuring to have an understanding lab team who would guide every step of the way.”
Weaknesses:
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
Skillset learned felt insufficient
Students said…
“Aside from your lab partner and some mentors you probably won't really get to know many of the other people in your stream.”
“I only think that skillset felt insufficient initially due to my time in lab getting cut short because of COVID. I wish I would have had more time to sharpen my skills.”
“Although the workload was a little bit too much, or so it felt like that during my first semester in the stream, I did learn a lot from writing weekly lab reports. But the following semester gets much better in the workload-less reports and more flexibility in scheduling.”
Biodiversity Discovery
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Human Ecology, Public Health, Medical Laboratory Science
Similar Streams: Behavioral Neuroscience, Glow Worms, Luminators, Microbe Hackers, Urban Ecosystems, Bugs in Bugs, Fish Behavior, Functional Genomics, Plant Pathways
Average Hours in Lab: 2-4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: PCR, scientific writing, proper lab etiquette
Student Projects in the Stream:
“A project in the stream involved DNA sequencing of salamander samples with the goal of determining the species.”
“Once we were responsible for creating agarose gel and running electrophoresis to distinguish between different species of reptiles.”
Strengths:
Support from Mentors
Work is collaborative
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Weaknesses:
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Insufficient guidance and support from mentors
Microorganisms in Bees and Other Insects
Recommended Majors: Biology, Environmental Science, Biochemistry, Human Ecology, Human Development and Family Sciences, Public Health, Medical Laboratory Science, Neuroscience, Nutritional Sciences
Similar Streams: Biodiversity, Microbe Hackers, Urban Ecosystems, Bioactive Molecules, Behavioral Neuroscience, Glow Worms, DIY Diagnostics, Biobricks
Average Hours in Lab: 2-8 hours/week (variable responses)
Skills/Takeaways: Reading scientific publications, PCR, bacterial plating and passaging, Agarose gel electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing, spectrophotometry, insect dissection, specimen collection and curation
Student Projects in the Stream:
“One project we plated bacteria from the gut of a honeybee, used PCR to amplify their genetic material, and identified the species based on our own data and findings.”
“I am screening many species of native bees for a novel virus that resembles a virus found commonly in mosquitos. This allowed me to work independently and lead a team of students.”
“At the end of the semester, we had to write a research proposal that we could work on during the following semester (because we weren't able to work in a lab during the pandemic). I wrote my paper on the gut microbiota of dung beetle larvae and drew a lot of my information from the literature review I wrote earlier in the semester. The project was good practice in collecting research papers, writing introductions and methods, and presenting research, but it involved no lab work.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Work and learning felt impactful
Work is collaborative or independent/self-paced
Students said…
“The Bugs in Bugs Stream has perhaps the best lab culture of any stream I know of. We are all friends and collaborators that truly strive to support one another in every step of the scientific process and college experience. We have adapted together throughout the pandemic and have, by far, some of the most cutting-edge research without any of the ‘cutting-edge’ attitudes.”
“The research educator and peer mentors are super helpful! They all make themselves available whenever assistance is needed.”
Weaknesses:
Workload felt excessive or overwhelming
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Skillset felt insufficient
Students said…
“There was often insufficient funds and materials to get publishable work done.”
“The workload can be overwhelming at times, so I would choose it as the biggest weakness, BUT this stream is great and there a lot of options and ways to get help.”
Recommended Majors: Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics
Similar Streams: Functional Genomics, Gene Networks, Nano Chemistry, Robot Learning, White Dwarfs
Average Hours in Lab: 2-4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Python, reading scientific works, research experience, machine learning skills
Student Projects in the Stream:
“One big portion of this stream was optimization of chemical structures of nanoparticles. At some point we were asked to recreate the method used by the cluster to optimize a system through our own Python code. This was as any coding task very challenging at first but after getting it done it felt amazing to know that everything you did was only yours to celebrate.”
Strengths:
Support from research educator
Work is independent/self-paced
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Skillset learned
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Weaknesses:
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Lab work and concepts did not feel meaningful or interesting
Students said…
“You can really do your job anywhere, since most of the activities are coding based. As such, you will gain a lot of computational skills that can be easily translated in a variety of settings.”
Students said…
“This class is often very quick paced. It is common for students to feel lost at some lectures and key concepts.”
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Neuroscience
Similar Streams: Behavioral Neuroscience, Biodiversity, Fish Behavior, Plant Pathways, Bioactive molecules, Biobricks, DIY Diagnostics, Bugs in Bugs
Average Hours in Lab: 2 - 4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: ImageJ, Reading scientific publications, pipetting, scientific communication, sterile technique, data analysis, X software
Student Projects in the Stream:
“I really enjoyed my experience in FRI and would apply again if I could redo my college experience!”
“Overall, great experience in the stream, I am a mentor for the stream now and I have thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this stream.”
“I am very grateful to Dr. Clark for being committed to the lab, but also each of the student's success during their undergraduate experience. Dr. Clark has been the only professor to actively reach out to me to ask how I am doing, assuring me I could always count on him for anything.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from Research Educator
Work is independent/self-paced
Content and work is interesting
Lab and community/culture
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Workload
Work and learning felt impactful
Skillset learned
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Students said…
“The research educator is extremely flexible, understanding, and nice. The overall structure of this stream is very chill and not a lot of time commitment.”
“Dr. Clark is a fantastic research educator. He is very knowledgeable and understand how to portray info in a helpful manner, while also being understanding and flexible. The flexibility and workload are really good and the research and techniques are interesting as well.”
“There’s enormous flexibility in that after the first semester you schedule every step of your experiments and you get to design your own experiments (within reason).”
Weaknesses:
Lab work and concepts did not feel very applicable outside of the stream
Skillset learned felt insufficient
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
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Students said…
“The stream is very self paced and independent at times, so it can be challenging as a novel researcher to get up to speed and it takes some time to feel confident in the work you are doing.”
“Learned a good intro skill set for working in lab and designing experiments but did not learn PCR or more advanced lab techniques like some of my peers in FRI.”
Geometry, Symmetry, Groups and Fields
Recommended Majors: Computer Science, Mathematics
Similar Streams: Big Data in Biology, Robot Learning
Average Hours in Lab: 2-4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Reading mathematics papers, proof writing
Student Projects in the Stream:
“A project we did was to read and understand a math paper to write a new paper on said paper as well as to give a presentation. The project was done in groups and really teaches you how to read and comprehend math papers… This is a fairly unique stream since it's the one of if not the only math based stream, so in a lot of ways this stream just has to do things differently. In the simplest terms this is a modified discrete class that along side teaching discrete, teaches how to read and write math research papers, and has a fantastic professor. Anyone who is interested in proofs or math research would find this stream interesting if not fun.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skillset learned
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Weaknesses:
Delayed direct research experience.
Students said…
“There is a large focus on sharing answers and helping each other with the course work.”
Students said…
“Math research is very different, and it would be next to impossible for Dr. Daniels to give that direct research experience during the first semester, so instead Dr. Daniels does everything in his power to give the next best thing. So instead of doing fresh math research first semester, you instead review already completed research and learn how to understand and communicate it, and sometimes that does include doing some fresh math research, just not always.”
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Medical Laboratory, Public Health
Similar Streams: Bioactive Molecules, Biobricks, Biodiversity, Aptamer
Average Hours in Lab: 4- 8 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: qPCR/PCR, LAMP, Coding
Student Projects in the Stream:
“A project in the stream was to create a program that diagnosed cold or allergies.”
“Creating a diagnostic for melanoma skin cancer. Currently still in progress. We did a lot of LAMP, qLAMP, and qPCR. We need to find better biomarkers.”
“An independent research project detecting live/dead cells for mycobacterium bovis BCG. The project utilized both qPCR and the LAMP nucleic acid amplification techniques with propidium monoazide. A major weakness of this project is that there is little perceived practicality of a successful diagnostic. Despite the weakness of this project, it has yielded successful results and enhanced our understanding of the robust nature of the loop-mediated isothermal amplification method when paired with other chemicals.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative/self-paced
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skillset learned
Flexibility
Lab community and culture
Structure of the stream
Workload
Students said…
“The structure of the lab is meant to encourage students to learns skill that are useful in and outside of the lab.”
“The teacher is really good at establishing workload and making sure your work is being done properly.”
Weaknesses:
Lack of clear structure/ too much flexibility
“Nothing”
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Measuring the coevolution of cognition and behavioral tradeoffs in fish
Recommended Majors: Biology, Biochemistry, Environmental Science, Human Ecology, Neuroscience, Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health, Computer Science
Similar Streams: Biobricks, DIY Diagnostics, Behavioral Neuroscience, Urban Ecosystems, Bugs in Bugs, Gene Networks
Average Hours in Lab: 4-6 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: R-Studio; Reading, interpreting, and discussing scientific journals; Handling fish and collaborating with peers on research projects; Setting up and designing real trials to test real-world behaviors; Cowlog application; Image-J; Ethovision
Student Projects in the Stream:
“We worked on a project studying fish learning ability in a detour maze. The project utilized R-Studio and was fairly collaborative. Great support from the research educator and even the PI!”
“One experiment we worked with dealt with female tendency to shoal as a result of harassment or competition. The females were raised in various environments with a different number of males and females; we wanted to see if the environment which the female grew up in resulted in learned behaviors to avoid harassment from other male or female fish.”
“A project in the stream was to gauge social behaviors in guppies. This project involved running a t-maze experiment and was a group effort.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Work is independent/self-paced
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skill set learned
Lab community and culture
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Workload
Students said…
“This stream is amazing! Mentors are very nice and will always help out if needed and the labs are very fun to set up and run! The research investigator is also very nice and hardworking. :)”
“If you’re interested in animal behavior, this is the stream for you!”
“Great, approachable RE.”
Weaknesses:
Lab work and concepts did not feel very applicable outside of the stream
Insufficient support/guidance from research educator
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Skill set learned felt insufficient
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
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Students said…
“Live animals are a bit more difficult to work compared to graduated cylinders of chemicals, but it is also very rewarding to name all of the fish, watch them swim and solve difficult tasks given to them!”
“If you aren’t planning on working with fish, then it’s probably not super applicable. But we learned how to use R to analyze data and that might be more broadly applicable to other labs.”
“Assignment instructions from RE can be unclear. Pretty excessive workload.”
Functional Genomics Research
Recommended Majors: Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Medical Laboratory Science
Similar Streams: Biobricks, Bioactive Molecules, Biodiversity, Fish Behavior, Gene Networks, Microbe Hackers, Plant Pathways, Virtual Cures
Average Hours in Lab: 4-6 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Serial Dilutions; Buffer Preparation; DNA extraction; Transformation; Running a Gel; PCR; Reading scientific publications; HISTONE knowledge; R coding (second semester)
Student Projects in the Stream:
“Will be doing a group project using R (data analysis) about a topic that interests us.”
“We took E.coli cells and transformed them to have antibiotic marker genes. It was really fun and neat to see and, although the steps were tedious, they were easy to follow.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Work is independent/self-paced
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Skill set learned
Lab community and culture
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Wet lab techniques
Weaknesses:
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
Insufficient support/guidance from mentors
Insufficient support/guidance from research educator
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Lab work and concepts did not feel meaningful or interesting
Lab work and concepts did not feel very applicable outside of the stream
Skill set learned felt insufficient
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
Students said…
“Dr. Bagchi and the mentors are always readily available and weekly meetings really do help! Work is almost always collaborative, but you can also work on assignments on your own before meeting with your group! Dr. Bagchi always does a very great job of trying to keep content up to date and current -- she's very big on discussing current topics in science and current breakthroughs in science weekly. Such topics are ingrained into our schedule through journal club and lectures. I feel like I've learned a lot of basic lab skills through this FRI stream, which will set up up for any wet labs in the future! Lab times are also flexible and Dr. Bagchi does take into account your schedule through WhentoMeet, so you always get a time frame for lab that you can definitely attend! She also sets up alternate lecture times to accommodate people who can't attend the main lecture!”
Students said…
“To be fair, Dr. Bagchi is continually refining this and this might just be a burden of doing "lab" online, but there are a lot of reading assignments that tend to drone on. A lot of online "research tasks" which get overwhelming, especially when they're not interactive and they're assigned in conjunction with your regular class workload!”
“Pretty heavy workload if you’re taking 15 total credit hours, and the RE didn’t teach us sufficiently before making us do assignments, which made things feel overwhelming. Plus it was mostly asynchronous even before COVID-19, and so lack of strict lab times for everyone made it hard to collaborate.”
“Support from mentors has been improving but in the first semester of the stream, the mentors couldn't answer any questions so I would go straight to the research educator but she occasionally doesn't answer emails but has improved on that since the pandemic.”
Vertebrate Interactome Mapping
Recommended Majors: Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Neuroscience, Public Health
Similar Streams: Aptamers, Behavioral Neuroscience, Big Data in Biology, Biobricks, Bioactive Molecules, DIY Diagnostics, Functional Genomics, Plant Pathways, Virtual Cures
Average Hours in Lab: 4-6 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: PCR; Molecular structure modeling; Reading, writing, and presenting scientific literature; Reading scientific papers; Writing research proposals; Grant writing
Students Projects in the Lab:
“A project in the stream was to determine the effects of protein interaction on mutated genes. The project was fairly independent, unlikely to be completed within a semester (or 2) and required a lot of PCR. “
“Goal was to describe which amino acids in the RNA-recognition motif (RRM) domains of RNA-binding proteins (RBM) were essential for binding to spliceosomes via attraction to U2AF homology motif (UHM) domains. We used 3d modeling software (Chimera) to simulate and analyze dipeptide bonding and worked in groups of 6-8 overseen by mentors and often met with the RE.”
“Choose a specific GPATCH protein domain and understand how it works in the body through performance of various lab techniques.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is independent/self-paced
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skillset learned
Lab community and culture
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Workload
Weaknesses:
Insufficient support/guidance from RE
Lab work and concepts did not feel meaningful or interesting
Skillset learned felt insufficient
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Lab community and culture
Students said…
“Mentors are great. Al [RE] also has a lot of knowledge. “
“We do a lot of group work which counts as participation and extra credit but we're graded primarily on individual end-of-the-semester project-size assignments (i.e. grant proposal draft, scientific paper draft, etc.). The flexibility of assignments and due dates makes the stream essentially self-paced too.”
Students said…
“Because of the disorganized format, students are expected to take a lot of initiative to clarify and adapt the stream format to their needs and interests. We frequently contact our RE and mentors, schedule meetings on our own, and devise next steps in a project on our own (with RE and mentor guidance of course).”
Paraphrased Student Response: Student expressed that RE had made insensitive comments towards them, and that student and peers had found RE to be “sarcastic and condescending.”
“Focus of the lab is GPATCH proteins. The functions of them are not well known and I never really understood what we were actually doing.”
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Human Development and Family Sciences, Human Ecology, Medical Laboratory Science, Neuroscience, Public Health
Similar Streams: Aptamer, Big Data in Biology, Bioactive Molecules, Biobricks, Functional Genomics, Virtual Cures
Average Hours in Lab: 2-6 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: PCR, CRISPR design strategy, bacterial transformation, reading scientific publications, reading genomes
Student Projects in the Stream:
“One project we worked on was designing our CRISPR strategy for our gene of interest. We used several online programs and softwares and the work was mainly independent with some help from the mentors.”
“Coded my own gene and inserted homology arms, made mutations, etc.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is independent/self-paced
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Content and work is interesting
Skillset learned
Lab community and culture
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Weaknesses:
Insufficient support/guidance from mentors
Insufficient support/guidance from research educator
Work is very decentralized
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Students said…
“I felt very supported by my research educator and mentors while learning, especially when I was going through some rough times. The workload is not too much, but enough to understand the material and be interested.”
“Glow Worms has a semester-long, on-going competition between houses (yes like in Harry Potter) where students are sorted into Houses and compete each semester for a prize. It's absolutely amazing and shoutout to our RE Ryan and all the mentors for putting it together!”
“Since the stream is new, there’s a lot of ways input from students can really shape the way things work”
Students said…
“Sometimes it is hard to keep track since it is self paced but it teaches good time management skills.”
Functional Materials Based on Metal Complexes
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Medical Laboratory Science
Similar Streams: Bioactive Molecules, Gene Networks, Nanochemistry, Glow Worms
Average Hours in Lab: 2-6 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Wet lab etiquette, crystal growing techniques, NMR, how to write a report, how to properly track data collection, reading scientific publications
Student Projects in the Stream:
“During my independent inquiry semester, I designed a reaction for two compounds that would hopefully form the Schiff base ligand that would later coordinate with a lanthanide. This included a lot of trial and error with procedure variations in reflux time and temperatures before taking an NMR to confirm or deny the successful production of the ligand. This was a great exposure to the reality of research. I failed to make the ligand probably 15 different times over the semester, but I finally got it because I kept a thorough log and didn’t stop trying.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Lab community and culture
Flexibility
Students said…
“The people in this lab make the research that much more exciting and fun. The mentors and students get along in a way that they truly get to know each other and work together towards successful learning and research.”
Students said…
“An example is that it sometimes feels like setting up a slow vapor diffusion jar with no resulting crystals isn't meaningful, but overall you do learn about lab techniques which is helpful.”
Weaknesses:
Lab work and concepts did not feel very applicable outside of the stream
Lab work and concepts did not feel meaningful or interesting
Back to Top
Electronic and Magnetic Materials Research
Recommended Majors: Astronomy, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics
Similar Streams: Quantum Mechanics, White Dwarves, Discrete Mathematics
Average Hours in Lab: 2-8 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Reading Publications, MATLAB, NMR, Labview
Student Projects in the Stream:
“Using Fiber Optic Interferometry to measure small oscillations in a membrane due to pressure.”
“I worked on a coding project to create a program which extracting relaxation times during NMR experiments. The project utilized MATLAB and was independent.”
“A project in the stream was to create a superconductor using a rare earth metal. The project was mostly done in the laboratory and was collaborative.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Work is independent/self-paced
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skillset learned
Lab community and culture
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Workload
Students said…
“Sometimes the lab won't mention why our work matter to the broader context of the world”
“The stream may be overwhelming for freshman or students who have not already completed coursework in physics. Coding experience helps significantly.”
Weaknesses:
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Lab work and concepts did not feel very applicable outside of the stream
Back to Top
Hijacking Microbial Factories for Synthetic Biology
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Medical Laboratory Science, Neuroscience, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Nutritional Sciences, Public Health
Similar Streams: Aptamers, Behavioral Neuroscience, Biobricks, Nano Chemistry, Gene Networks, DIY Diagnostics, Plant Pathways
Average Hours in Lab: 4-6 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: PCR, gel electrophoresis, sterile technique, writing lab reports, reading scientific literature, micropipetting, virtual PCR and plasmid design, bacterial transformation concepts, creating cultures, plating, teamwork, gene device design
Student Projects in the Stream:
“We analyzed a PurR repressor protein mutation found in Caffeinated Coli by using genomic extraction and RNA sequencing.”
“I worked on the Cyanobacteria project and I am working on engineering the strain so that it can detect water pollution. We did PCR and ran gel electrophoresis to see if our sequence made was correct.”
“Participated in virtual research over the summer to create insert sequences for measuring a mutation rate in E. coli near a antibiotic resistance gene and in the promoter.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream, Skillset learned, Lab community and culture
Support from research educator, Work is collaborative, Work and learning felt impactful, Content and work is interesting, Structure of the stream
Students said…
“The research educator makes it a point to get everyone involved and make them feel like they can do it”
“The mentors are extremely helpful and lead the students through the experience”
Students said…
“There was a lot of work in the beginning when we were in person which was more than I expected on top of my class load.”
“Love this stream but a massive time commitment and a lot of work!”
Weaknesses:
Not enough flexibility
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
Back to Top
Nanomaterials for Chemical Catalysis
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Biology, Human Ecology, Environmental Science
Similar Streams: Aptamer, Biobricks, DIY Diagnostics, Microbe Hackers, Behavioral Neuroscience, Bioactive Molecules, Supra Sensors, Luminators
Average Hours in Lab: 2-4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Python, communicating science effectively, chemistry techniques, spectroscopy
Student Projects in the Stream:
“A lot of the experiments deal with inorganic chemistry and making reactions happen. Synthesizing Nanoparticles was one highlight, and it was a collaborative feat.”
“We had an independent project using metal alloy nanoparticles in various titration reactions to see if there was a catalytic component to the nanoparticles.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is independent/self-paced
Flexibility
Work is collaborative
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skillset learned
Students said…
“You only spend 4 hours in lab which is nice when you have a busy schedule”
Students said…
“It's a stream where there's not many formal assignments so it may seem like there is not too much structure. I’m not sure if I actually understand what’s going on in the stream.”
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Insufficient support/guidance from mentors
Insufficient support/guidance from research educator
Skillset learned felt insufficient
Back to Top
Epidermal Cell Fates and Pathways
Recommended Majors: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Nutritional Sciences, Public Health, Biochemistry, Human Ecology, Neuroscience, Medical Laboratory Science
Similar Streams: Bioactive Molecules, Biodiversity, Supra Sensors, Biobricks, Functional Genomics, Luminators, Biodiversity, Bugs in Bugs, Fish Behavior, Gene Networks, DIY Diagnostics
Average Hours in Lab: 2-4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: PCR, Benchling, Colony PCR, reading scientific publications, genetic cloning, reverse genetic engineering, sequencing DNA/RNA purification, gel electrophoresis, pDONR manipulation, etc.
Student Projects in the Stream:
“The project that I worked on was to identify the role and function of the gene, IP5P2, in Arabidopsis Thaliana. We used PCR and plasmid cloning in order to identify this function. We plan to grow mutant seeds once we are allowed back in the lab.”
“A project I worked on was isolating a specific transcription factor and attempting to create a transgene that could be inserted into a model organism to observe the effects of the gene on biological pathways.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skill set learned
Lab community and culture
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Work is independent/self-paced
Workload
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Skill set learned
Students said…
“Tony is very supportive and no one would get left behind. There are common lab techniques used in almost every lab introduced in this one.”
“Dr. Gonzalez is a fantastic instructor, and although I wouldn't necessarily recommend the stream to majors outside what I listed, I am a physics major and I LOVE this stream.”
Students said…
“This stream is structured differently than most. Whatever work you put in, you will get out. For some students, this method can be difficult as it requires an intrinsic approach to the research.”
Weaknesses:
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Insufficient support/guidance from mentors
Back to Top
Harnessing Quantum Physics for Computation
Recommended Majors: Computer Science, Math, Physics
Similar Streams: Magnetic Matter, White Dwarfs, Autonomous Robots, Energy Analytics, Luminators, Microbe Hackers, Robot Learning, Big Data in Biology, Computational Materials
Average Hours in Lab: 1 - 4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Python, knowledge of algorithms, some skills in quantum mechanics, Quantum Math, Reading Scientific Publications, linear algebra, experience with new software.
Student Projects in the Stream:
“We were told to implement the BB84 protocol, which is a real quantum cryptography algorithm in use today. This was really cool because we were doing something that was literally discovered less than 40 years ago. We also attempted to ‘hack’ each other's implementations of quantum cryptography. Some of the newer algorithms we have worked on were invented as late as 2010.”
“Built my own simulation of a quantum computer in python. Also implemented cool quantum computing algorithms like Grover's search algorithm and Shor's factoring algorithm.”
“One of the first projects was a paired assignment to simulate quantum key distribution with either Java or Python. My partner and I chose Java to develop our data encryption and decryption protocols. The project also had a second phase where we created an adversarial program to try and hack another group’s protocol.”
Students said…
“It is very difficult to learn quantum computing on your own. The field itself is so new that the teaching materials available on the web are generally just not adequate enough. The support and curriculum offered by the TA's and instructors is invaluable.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Skillset learned
Structure of the stream
Content and work is interesting
Students said…
“Concepts are often introduced at a high level and can be very difficult to grasp at first.”
Weaknesses:
Lab work and concepts did not feel very applicable outside of the stream
Concepts are often introduced at a high level and can be very difficult to grasp at first.
Back to Top
Robot Learning from Demonstration and Interaction
Recommended Majors: Computer Science, Math
Similar Streams: Autonomous Robots, Big Data in Biology, Nano Chemistry, Quantum Computing
Average Hours in Lab: 1 - 4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Python, PyTorch, reading scientific publications, linear algebra for ML, neural networks.
Student Projects in the Stream:
“We created a deep Q-learning agent with PyTorch to play a simple video game. This included convolutional neural networks to scan the game image, processing the data, and implementing the deep learning policy.”
“A project I worked on was training the robot to learn a task in simulation and then accurately translate it to reality. This project was collaborative and very interesting, even though we didn't get results.“
“Using pytorch, we made a neural network to classify images of numbers (image classification). This project walked you through the components of a NN and allowed you to apply it to other tasks.”
Strengths:
Support from research educator
Work is independent/self-paced
Content and work is interesting
Flexibility
Workload
Students said…
“The concepts are very advanced for students’ current knowledge, so a lot of self-paced learning is required but the result is rewarding.”
Students said…
“The class goes quickly for the amount of concepts learned and it is easy to fall behind in confusion.”
Weaknesses:
Insufficient support/guidance from mentors
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Skillset learned felt insufficient.
Back to Top
Supramolecular Sensors
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Medical Laboratory Science
Average Hours in Lab: 2 - 4 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Peptide synthesis, LDA and PCA, differential sensing, creating sensors, creating an assay, writing a lab report, Reading & Writing Scientific Papers, XCMS, HPLC, Common Lab Skillsets (Titrations, etc.)
Student Projects in the Stream:
“The goal of my team in our lab was to create assays and do differential sensing of different types of wine. We worked as a group to perform the assays and then we used PCA and LDA to analyze trends .”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Content and work is interesting
Lab community and culture
Students said…
“I think one of the strongest aspects of this stream is the team and people involved. The group communicates really well together and ensures every student has the best possible learning environment.”
Students said…
“I think one of the only drawbacks to this stream is it does require a large amount of time and work. However, this does help the student have a more in-depth learning experience.”
“Sometimes the stream lacks updated assignments/information that make it confusing for students.”
Weaknesses:
Skillset learned felt insufficient
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
Back to Top
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Human Ecology, Public Health
Similar Streams: Biodiversity, Bugs in Bugs, DIY Diagnostics, Fish Behavior, Microbe Hackers, Virtual Cures, Glow Worms, Luminators, Aptamer, Bioactive Molecules, Biobricks, Discovering Signals, Functional Genomics, Gene Networks, Supra Sensors
Average Hours in Lab: 6-8 hours/week
Skills/Takeaways: Reading scientific publications, data analysis, communication and presentation skills, designing research projects, Analytical chemistry, growing/working with bacteria, field science, PCR, Javascript
Student Projects in the Stream:
“One of the projects was that we developed and validated a novel method of DNA extraction from bacteria. The project utilized qPCR, nanodrop, and other molecular biology techniques. It was a very tean based project that was flexible”
“A project in the stream is to see what may be affecting leaf litter decomposition rates in Waller Creek (upstream and downstream of diversion tunnel) and Bear Creek. This project was split into smaller groups who each investigate a potential variable (e.g. macroinvertebrates), so there is both collaborative and independent work.”
Students said…
“They are VERY flexible. On weeks where you are busy and can only do one hour of research, you can make it up in other weeks. You can choose to come to the lab anytime, even at 3am. RE and TAs will reply to any questions you have and get on a Zoom call with you to help, even at midnight.”
“The research instructors provide a rather large but close, friendly, and very collaborative community, where you are allowed to fail and highly encouraged to think creatively and ask questions. They also encourage you to take advantage of opportunities outside of the lab, highlighting how interdisciplinary this stream is.”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Work is collaborative
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Skill set learned
Lab community and culture
Structure of the stream
Flexibility
Workload
Students said…
“This FRI stream is way bigger than other streams, so it will take time to get to know your community. However it is also way more fun.”
“I did find it a bit difficult doing assignments simply through written and oral instruction, but the amount of collaboration made up for that and even fostered a better sense of community where you were confused or failed together.”
Weaknesses:
Sometimes there was a lack of organization
Workload was excessive or overwhelming
Insufficient support/guidance from research educator
Lack of clear structure or structure did not feel effective
Stream size
Back to Top
Virtual Drug Screening
Recommended Majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health, Neuroscience
Average Hours in Lab: 5-7 hours/week
Similar Streams: Aptamer, Bioactive Molecules, Biobricks, Functional Genomics, Microbe Hackers, Nano Chemistry, Geometry of Space, Luminators, Magnetic Matter
Skills/Takeaways: Virtual Screening, Recombinant DNA methods, HPC skills, PCR, reading scientific publications, gel electrophoresis, GOLD/Hermès
Student Projects in Stream:
“We ran virtual screening jobs to determine best fitting ligands for potential drug discovery.”
“A project in the stream was to select a target protein to work on where we would follow both Virtual and Wet lab procedures. Various tools were utilized to successfully complete the project. It is much more useful and elaborate to view old stream posters as that provides the jist of what is done in the stream.”
Students said…
“Scope of this course would be very limited if you only stick with "required" work and always work with mentors who may not be more capable of research than the student. I would definitely recommend reaching out to RE directly in this stream to expand yourself. Best decision I made in this stream.”
“Very organized, heavy workload, great team”
Strengths:
Support from mentors
Support from research educator
Applicability of concepts and techniques outside of stream
Work and learning felt impactful
Content and work is interesting
Lab community and culture
Flexibility
Work is collaborative
Structure of the stream
Students said…
“Some mentors lack confidence and decision skills in carrying out lab tasks (often stopping to doubt very trivial problems while often not being able to catch some problems that should be obvious and really worth rethinking about).”
“Virtual labs were a lot and stressful.”
Weaknesses:
Insufficient support/guidance from mentors
Not enough flexibility
Hours
All regular collections are available when the building is open.
PCL is restricted to UT students, faculty and staff between the hours of 10pm and 7am.
| Architecture and Planning LibraryAlexander Architectural Archive – Monday to Friday by appointment. | Sun Oct 17 | Mon Oct 18 | Tue Oct 19 | Wed Oct 20 | Thu Oct 21 | Fri Oct 22 | Sat Oct 23 |
| Library Hours | closed | closed | closed | closed | closed | closed | closed |
| Special Collection - by appointment | closed | By Appointment | By Appointment | By Appointment | By Appointment | By Appointment | closed |
| Alexander Architectural Archive - by appointment | closed | By Appointment | By Appointment | By Appointment | By Appointment | By Appointment | closed |
| Benson Latin American Collection | Sun Oct 17 | Mon Oct 18 | Tue Oct 19 | Wed Oct 20 | Thu Oct 21 | Fri Oct 22 | Sat Oct 23 |
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| Rare Books and Manuscripts Reading Room - by appointment | closed | By Appointment | By Appointment | By Appointment | By Appointment | By Appointment | closed |
| Mallet Chemistry Library | Sun Oct 17 | Mon Oct 18 | Tue Oct 19 | Wed Oct 20 | Thu Oct 21 | Fri Oct 22 | Sat Oct 23 |
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| Library Hours | closed | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | closed |
| McKinney Engineering Library | Sun Oct 17 | Mon Oct 18 | Tue Oct 19 | Wed Oct 20 | Thu Oct 21 | Fri Oct 22 | Sat Oct 23 |
| Library Hours | closed | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | closed |
| Fine Arts Library | Sun Oct 17 | Mon Oct 18 | Tue Oct 19 | Wed Oct 20 | Thu Oct 21 | Fri Oct 22 | Sat Oct 23 |
| Library Hours | closed | 8am - 9pm | 8am - 9pm | 8am - 9pm | 8am - 9pm | 8am - 5pm | closed |
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| Walter Geology Library | Sun Oct 17 | Mon Oct 18 | Tue Oct 19 | Wed Oct 20 | Thu Oct 21 | Fri Oct 22 | Sat Oct 23 |
| Library Hours | closed | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | 9am - 6pm | closed |
| Life Science Library | Sun Oct 17 | Mon Oct 18 | Tue Oct 19 | Wed Oct 20 | Thu Oct 21 | Fri Oct 22 | Sat Oct 23 |
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| Service Desk and Stacks | closed | 8am - 5pm | 8am - 5pm | 8am - 5pm | 8am - 5pm | 8am - 5pm | closed |
Ut reddit
‘UT’s best-kept secret’: Viral Reddit photo celebrates beloved parking attendant
AUSTIN (KXAN) — For many students, graduation is a celebratory occasion that calls for plenty of ceremony photos with friends, family, loved ones and professors.
But for 2021 University of Texas at Austin graduate Wes Wofford, his most cherished graduation photo is one with UT parking enforcement attendant Michael Shaw — and nearly 800 Reddit users agree with him.
“I think that Michael is UT’s best kept secret,” he said.
Wofford’s photo with Shaw went viral following this weekend’s commencement ceremony. In the thread, upvoted almost 800 times, more than a dozen other users shared their memories of Shaw as someone whose positive attitude and warm personality left lasting impressions on students.
Wofford first met Shaw in fall 2019 while skateboarding on his daily campus route. Blowing through a stop sign, Shaw called out to Wofford to be careful and slow down next time. But it was the way he said it — with a smirk and laughter in his voice — that stuck with Wofford.
“I would just go by and I would stop at the stop sign on the skateboard — people don’t normally do that on skateboards — and he took notice and he would, would give me a little bit of like, just positivity, some props on the way,” Wofford said. “But one day I stopped, and I was just like, ‘I’m going to talk to this guy. I’m going to have a conversation because he seems like the kind of guy that I would want to have a conversation with.'”
For more than nine years, Shaw has worked as a UT parking enforcement attendant. He said the joy he gains from his job comes from seeing these students grow and evolve as members of the UT community, and how small interactions at 24th and Whitis each day have built friendships.
Shaw greets each pedestrian and vehicle passing through the kiosk with his signature smile and the phrase, “Welcome family.” People want to feel seen and respected, he said, and that starts with simple acts of kindness.
For Wofford, conversations with Shaw centered around life, specifically how to carry one’s self with love and respect and share those same gifts to others. Wofford said Shaw always displayed emotional vulnerability and strength in his chats, and spoke to students as his equals.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, Wofford moved back home to complete coursework remotely. Returning for UT’s commencement ceremony last weekend, Wofford borrowed a friend’s skateboard for one final loop and spotted a familiar kiosk.
Shaw had just finished his shift and was sitting at the intersection just down the road, an employee told Wofford. Blasting down Whitis Avenue, Wofford rolled up to Shaw’s open truck window and was greeted by that familiar smile and laugh.
“After all that time, it was pure elation,” he said. “It was joy that you can’t quite put into words.”
Wofford updated Shaw on his post-graduation plans, including his first post-grad advertising job and impending move to Oklahoma City. Wofford said Shaw told him he was proud of his accomplishments, particularly amid an adverse chapter spurred by the pandemic.
As Wofford discussed his post-grad plans with Shaw, he said Shaw smiled and joked that he’d like an invitation to Wofford’s wedding when the time comes. Right now, Shaw’s name is at the top of the list.
“I just can’t tell you how much he has poured into me as a student, as a friend and as a role model,” Wofford said. “He is such an incredible human being.”
When students request a graduation photo with Shaw or pay his kiosk a visit on trips back to campus post-graduation, he said it’s a reminder that every interaction — every smile, high five, hello or pieces of wisdom — always pays it forward.
“That humbles me and it makes me feel even more appreciated, just the little things that these students do,” he said. “If it’s just a smile, just throwing up your horns, just to let me know that they not only see me, but that they acknowledge me just like I try to acknowledge them and let them know that, ‘Hey, I see you. I recognize you.'”
For Wofford, he said his photo with Shaw is a lasting reminder of all the lessons learned at UT, with the most important ones coming from outside the classroom.
“All of my professors, they taught me how to do a job, and how to do it very well,” Wofford said, adding: “Michael taught me how to be as a human, and there’s no real teaching — there’s not a class on that.”
Copyright 2021 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Austin-Travis County
Sours: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/uts-best-kept-secret-viral-reddit-photo-celebrates-beloved-parking-attendant/Indeed, for several years they have been working and see each other in bed only asleep: either Anton will stay at his factory, then Ksyusha will come. Home and push the sleeping civil husband aside in order to make room for himself. Therefore, at least once a month is already a law for them.
And sexual starvation makes these evenings unforgettable for them.
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Denis reaches out and touches his words with his fingers. I tell myself not to tremble. I so wanted to hear these words. He strokes the tattoo, and then lowers his hand to my dripping hollow and starts fucking with his. Fingers, forcing me to take a step back in search of support.