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From the College of Natural Sciences

Lee is the Director of Communications for the college. He holds a B.S. in Biology from UT and an M.S. in Entomology from UW-Madison. He lives in East Austin with his partner, their dog, and a garden full of plants and bugs.

Leading Astronomer Taft Armandroff Appointed Director of UT’s McDonald Observatory

Leading Astronomer Taft Armandroff Appointed Director of UT’s McDonald Observatory

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Astronomer Taft Armandroff has been appointed the new director of the College of Natural Sciences McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas.

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President Names Chemist Allen Bard a Recipient of the Enrico Fermi Award

President Names Chemist Allen Bard a Recipient of the Enrico Fermi Award

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President Barack Obama has named College of Natural Sciences chemist Allen Bard a recipient of the Enrico Fermi Award, one of the government’s oldest and most prestigious awards for scientific achievement. 

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Every Fish Wants to Be a Macho Fish

Every Fish Wants to Be a Macho Fish

For the male African cichlid fish, everyday can be a battle to gain rights to prime real estate and girls. Though the aquariums in Hans Hofmann’s lab in Patterson Hall are not like the fight-to-the-death arena of “The Hunger Games,” they are still the scenes of epic competition and showmanship.

Rescuing Sea Turtles From the Cold

Rescuing Sea Turtles From the Cold

Plummeting temperatures in November and December left dozens of young green sea turtles out in the cold, quite literally.

Seahorse Heads Have a 'No Wake Zone' That’s Made for Catching Prey

Seahorse Heads Have a 'No Wake Zone' That’s Made for Catching Prey

Seahorses are slow, docile creatures, but their heads are perfectly shaped to sneak up and quickly snatch prey, according to marine scientists from The University of Texas at Austin.

Scaling Theory Better Predicts Gas Production in Barnett Shale Wells

Scaling Theory Better Predicts Gas Production in Barnett Shale Wells

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a simple scaling theory to estimate gas production from hydraulically fractured wells in the Barnett Shale. The method is intended to help the energy industry accurately identify low- and high-producing horizontal wells, as well as accurately predict how long it will take for gas reserves to deplete in the wells.

This Longhorn Has Been Brought to You by DNA

This Longhorn Has Been Brought to You by DNA

In a set of two recent papers, Andy Ellington and his lab show how DNA can make pictures, but more importantly, that DNA circuits could someday be used to manufacture drugs or grow organs, such as a new heart.

Grasshopper Mice Are Numb to the Pain of the Bark Scorpion Sting

Grasshopper Mice Are Numb to the Pain of the Bark Scorpion Sting

The painful, potentially deadly stings of bark scorpions are nothing more than a slight nuisance to grasshopper mice, which voraciously kill and consume their prey with ease. When stung, the mice briefly lick their paws and move in again for the kill.

Texas Astronomer Discovers Most Distant Known Galaxy

Texas Astronomer Discovers Most Distant Known Galaxy

University of Texas at Austin astronomer Steven Finkelstein has led a team that has discovered and measured the distance to the most distant galaxy ever found. The galaxy is seen as it was at a time just 700 million years after the Big Bang.

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Weddell Seals Hunting and Living Beneath Antarctic Ice

Weddell Seals Hunting and Living Beneath Antarctic Ice

A brief glimpse into the life of an Antarctic Weddell Seal with Ed Farrell.