NEWS

When the 2025-2026 academic year begins, the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program will welcome seven new scholars to the program:

Four incoming first-year scholars will form the new Integrity Cohort with faculty mentor Dr. Michael Anderson:
– Natalia Camelo from Sugar Land, TX (Plan II Honors & Government)
– Awa-Susan Currier from Austin, TX (Plan II Honors & Government)
– Thandeka “Thandi” Gwelo from Argyle, TX (Liberal Arts Honors, Psychology)
– Daniel Pate from Flower Mound, TX (Plan II Honors & Aerospace Engineering)

Three rising sophomores will form the new Courage Cohort with faculty mentor Dr. Jeanette Herman:
– Gauri Kanakkancheril Binup (Plan II Honors & International Relations & Global Studies)
– Vennela Mallampati (Plan II Honors & Government)
– Devon Stevenson (Liberal Arts Honors, Government)

Each student will work with their faculty mentor to chart their course at UT and will enjoy the fellowship and support of the other Dedman Scholars.

This spring, we celebrated our eight graduating seniors at our annual Senior Send-off banquet. We honored graduating members of our Compassion Cohort (Josianne Alwardi, Neerul Gupta, Ingrid Piña, Anuraag Routray, and Joshua Russell), and graduating members of our Honesty Cohort include Eddie (June) Bankston, Nina Mbonu, and Isabel Webb-Carey (with Aditya Namjoshi graduating in December 2024).

We were especially delighted that the College of Liberal Arts named five Dedman Scholars among their Dean’s Distinguished Graduates: June Bankston, Neerul Gupta, Nina Mbonu, Ingrid Piña, and Cameron Waltz (who completed his coursework in December 2023). The DDG award is an honor reserved for only 16 undergraduates in the entire college. In addition, the College selected our very own Joshua Russell to be the 2024 student commencement speaker at the ceremony, and awarded Neerul Gupta with the prestigious Randy Diehl Prize, a $10,000 award presented to student who has committed to service in the year following graduation. Way to go, seniors! We are so proud of you.