College of Natural Sciences, UT Austin

09/03/2026

New studies find COVID pandemic impacts on children were not as severe as originally feared. Most children’s health, learning, social development and well-being recovered substantially over time. Full story: https://news.utexas.edu/2026/09/02/most-children-rebounded-after-covid-19-disruptions-study-finds/

09/02/2026

Ruth Buskirk, a legendary teacher and scientist, is retiring after teaching biology at The University of Texas at Austin for 42 years.

In a new profile, she shares insights gleaned from her time in the College of Natural Sciences and reveals how she is revisiting research into insect populations in a South American cloud forest that she began 50 years ago.

Read her profile at txsci.net/Buskirk.

08/31/2026

On August 30, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope lifted off from Kennedy Space Center. Named for NASA’s first chief astronomer, Roman carries a mirror the size of Hubble’s but captures a field of view about 100 times wider, letting it survey enormous areas of sky at Hubble-class sharpness. Th...

08/31/2026

Physicist Allan MacDonald is receiving The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience tomorrow in Oslo. Learn about his science, and the work of the other winners, in a live backstage event on YouTube hosted by physicist Brian Cox and journalist Vivienne Parry. Tuesday, Sep. 1 at 9:45am ET/6:45am PT (U.S.).

You know sports, right? Off-side and field goals? This is not it. T...

08/28/2026

That’s a wrap on the first week back!

We’ve loved seeing students back on campus and captured a few moments to share 🤘

08/28/2026

Five students from the Freshman Research Initiative — Ella Baird, Selina Bakieva, Joanna Du, Brandon Nguyen and Nahomi Vasquez — won the Outstanding Science Award in the 2026 Biodesign Challenge, which focuses on the intersection of biotechnology, art and design.

While enrolled in the Sustainable Fashion Materials FRI research stream, taught by Jessica Ciarla, the team invented an innovative bio-inspired fabric sealant that could be a safer way to make clothing water-resistant, stain-resistant and moisture-wicking. They presented their research at the annual Biodesign Challenge competition in New York, going up against more than 60 other teams from more than 20 countries.

Read more about their research at txsci.net/Biodesign.

Happy FRIday!

08/24/2026

We had a fantastic time welcoming to the Forty Acres yesterday!

The grand carnival kick-off at and was just the beginning of a new chapter of endless possibilities.

We wish you an incredible year filled with fun, growth, discovery and success! 🤘

Photos by Eileen Chong. Find even more photos at txsci.net/GoneToCNS2026.

08/21/2026

Happy Mooov-in Day!

Dean Vandenbout had a grand day out and about helping our newest Longhorns get settled 🤘

We can’t wait to see all the new faces on Sunday for the festivities 🎉

08/19/2026

When nutritional scientists at The University of Texas at Austin examined toddler foods sold in 21 Texas grocery stores they found that more than 80% were ultraprocessed and almost half exceeded recommended sugar, sodium, fat or calories.

University of Texas at Austin nutritional scientists found nearly half of foods for young children exceeded recommended sugar, sodium, fat or calories.

08/18/2026

Although it’s often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, there’s been little evidence to back that up until now.

New research by UT Nutritional Sciences doctoral student Emma Rose Brown at The University of Texas at Austin has shown that teens who ate breakfast took in more nutrients and consumed less daily fat and sugar than those who skipped it, especially if those foods were higher in protein.

Teens who ate breakfast took in more nutrients and consumed less daily fat and sugar than those who skipped it, a University of Texas at Austin study found.