News

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Announcements

Computer Scientist Selected for Department of Energy’s New AI-for-Science ‘Genesis Mission’ Award

Volkan Isler, professor of computer science, is among those who will lead UT teams working to harness AI for research.

A man in glasses crosses his arms, standing in a large room with robotics equipment.

Features

Crossing Boundaries: James Chelikowsky Reflects on Six Decades of Materials Science Discovery

The physicist and Oden Institute faculty member has been at the cutting edge of materials science for years.

A man wearing glasses sits with his hand on a table in front of a chalkboard with equations with a bookshelf nearby.

Research

One Idea, Two Cosmic Mysteries: Linking Little Red Dots and Globular Clusters

In a preprint publication, John Chisholm and colleagues find that LRDs may be an early form of global cluster.

Two images from space: On the left, a central yellowish dot is surrounded by a red glow. On the right, a cloud of white dots becoming more concentrated in the center.

Research

Publishing in a Leading Journal as Undergraduates

Three undergraduate researchers published with a team in Nature, shedding new light on a microbe and its host.

Two adult aphids and nymphs on a stem

Features

UT’s Mark Raizen on Quantum Mechanics and the Future of Medicine

Researchers at Raizen’s UT lab are searching for new possibilities in health and medicine linked to quantum mechanics.

Two scientists wearing eye protection stand in a lab before some laser equipment, as one gestures at the device.

Department of Computer Science

UT Austin Villa Finishes Strong at RoboCup 2026

The award-winning robot soccer team from Texas Robotics returned were semifinalists at competition in South Korea.

Six men in Texas Robotics t-shirts stand behind a flag with the Longhorn silhouette and a pair of humanoid robots in a convention hall on an artificial soccer field.

McDonald Observatory

Korea Partner Increases Investment in Giant Magellan Telescope

UT is helping build the largest-ever ground-based telescope, with Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.

Two men in suits sit in leather chairs in a room decorated with the flag of South Korea and signage that indicates an Astronomy and Space Science Institute abroad

Features

Summer at CERN

A group of undergraduate students spent their summer at the world’s largest particle physics laboratory.

A team of students and researchers pose by a sign that reads #I [Heart] CERN

Research

Inside UT’s Quantum Ecosystem: From Breakthroughs to Possibilities

The University of Texas at Austin is charging ahead with quantum innovations, built on a history of quantum science leadership.

Three scientists in PPE work in a laser facility.

McDonald Observatory

Nearby “Super Earth” May Be a Better Candidate for Life Than Previously Thought

The planet, known as GJ 3378b, orbits a small, cool star is 25 light-years from Earth and is in its star’s “habitable zone.”

An artistic rendering depicting the view from another planet with glowing liquid and a reddish star behind clouds.