Established in 1983, the Dean’s Scholars Honors Program is a 4-year honors degree program enrolling nearly 50 students per class. Dean’s Scholars have won some of the most prestigious and competitive graduate fellowships in the nation, including Marshall Scholarships, Gates Foundation Scholarships, National Science Foundation Fellowships and even a Rhodes Scholarship.

Computer scientist Alan Cline served as director for 20 years and stepped down after the Spring 2011 semester. David Hillis directs the program today.

As a way to celebrate the Dean’s Scholars program and former director Alan Cline’s tremendous contribution to the program’s development, program alumni have established the “Dean’s Scholars Endowment."

The endowment provides scholarships to Dean’s Scholars students and provides discretionary funds to the program director. Students receiving the scholarships are called “Alan Kaylor Cline Dean’s Scholars.” Anyone can donate to the endowment, including current and future Dean’s Scholars alumni.

“Dean’s Scholars isn’t just unique on campus,” he says. “It’s unique in the nation. There are science honors programs at other universities, but none that are as exclusive, and none that grant degrees.”

To support the Dean's Scholars Endowment or for more information, please call the College of Natural Sciences Office of External Relations at 512-471-3299, or email cnsgiving@austin.utexas.edu.