Voting has begun for this year’s SXSW and SXSW EDU panels! The College of Education is excited to announce that twelve panels were submitted for consideration by COE faculty, researchers and project leaders.
SXSW EDU (March 3-6) and the full SXSW conference (March 7-15) offer the opportunity for industry leaders and experts to contribute to the dynamic programming of these annual events by proposing panels in a variety of formats. SXSW then opens the panel selection process to the public through their PanelPicker system where community votes account for 30% of the competitive selection process. All are welcome to participate and cast votes for one, or all, potential 2025 panels.
The college is proud to recognize the participating COE members and encourage our community to offer additional support by voting through the SXSW PanelPicker. Every vote provides a greater opportunity for COE’s aspiring panelists to showcase the critical, relevant research and discussions taking place within the College of Education on a global stage. Voting ends on Sunday, August 18.
Here are the COE Community SXSW 2025 Proposed Panels:
Academic Freedom Under Fire: Professors Speak Out
Academic Freedom Under Fire: Professors Speak Out: This panel will bring together educators from across the nation to share their firsthand experiences navigating the treacherous waters of academic freedom.
- Corinne Weisgerber, Professor of Communication & Public Relations, Concordia University Texas
- Jason Rosenblum, Assistant Professor of Instruction, College of Education, UT Austin
- Shannan Butler, Founder and CEO, Fuzzy Logic Group
- Kara Laskowski, Professor and Chair, Department of Communication Studies, Shippensburg University
The Burnout Precipice: Activism, Mental Health Training and Practice
The Burnout Precipice: Activism, Mental Health Training and Practice: This conversation will explore how educators can change the culture that leads to burnout of students in the health professions at both the individual and systemic levels.
- Jane Gray, Director of Clinical Training, College of Education, UT Austin
- Eboni Ceasar, CEO and Founder, Elixir Austin
College Student Government Leaders as Public Officials
College Student Government Leaders as Public Officials: This session will explore the understanding, viewing, and honoring of college and university student government officers as public officials and go in depth on power in the role, politics and partisanship, student resolutions, preparation for post-college roles, and mental health and safety of leaders.
- Michael A. Goodman, Assistant Professor of Practice, College of Education, UT Austin
Cultivating Latina Youth Voices Through Art and Writing
Cultivating Latina Youth Voices Through Art and Writing: This hands-on, interactive workshop will allow participants to learn about Somos Escritoras, a writing, art, and storytelling workshop designed to support Latina girls in unleashing their stories and amplifying their voices.
- Tracey Flores, Associate Professor, College of Education, UT Austin
How Educational Leaders Navigate Waves of Policy
How Educational Leaders Navigate Waves of Policy: Explore how district and school leaders surf ever-changing policy pressures and discuss insights for a path forward for educational leaders as waves of education policy–from new assessment systems and school safety regulations to math curricula and teacher certification requirements–affect schools, leaders, teachers, and students.
- Sarah Woulfin, Professor, College of Education, UT Austin
Leading Through Challenges: Mitigating Principal Burnout in Urban Schools While Maximizing Student Outcomes
Leading Through Challenges: Mitigating Principal Burnout in Urban Schools While Maximizing Student Outcomes: This panel will explore the multifaceted factors contributing to principal burnout in urban schools and highlight effective strategies for cultivating resilience. Attendees will hear firsthand from diverse school leaders about their experiences and approaches to managing stress, promoting mental health, and fostering a supportive work environment. The session will provide practical insights and actionable strategies for educational leaders to apply to their respective settings.
- Sofia Malik, Assistant Professor of Practice, College of Education, UT Austin
- Cynthia Griggs, Principal, Round Rock ISD
The Power of Storytelling: Spotlighting Lived Experiences
The Power of Storytelling: Spotlighting Lived Experiences: The National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes has combined years of research and data on postsecondary outcomes for deaf people with recorded video interviews that hope to build connections and humanize the stories of the deaf community.
- Chase Burton, Media Producer, National Deaf Center, College of Education, UT Austin
Reading Buddies: A partnership between YMCA and UT Austin
Reading Buddies: A partnership between YMCA and UT Austin: This discussion about the power of community partnership will explore the collaboration between the YMCA of Central Texas and the University of Texas at Austin to support the reading growth of students in the YMCA afterschool program in Texas.
- Elizabeth Swanson, Research Professor, College of Education, UT Austin
- Emily Mauer, Project Coordinator and Doctoral Student, College of Education, UT AustinWendy Greinke, Reading Coach, The YMCA of Central Texas
- Kristy Nyagaka, Program Director, The YMCA of Central Texas
Rebooting Attendance for the AI Age: A Radical New Playbook
Rebooting Attendance for the AI Age: A Radical New Playbook: This panel will share cutting-edge analysis and innovative solutions in an era of educational analytics & adversity.
- Eyal Bergman, Senior Vice President, Learning Heroes
- Joshua Childs, Assistant Professor, College of Education, UT Austin
- Keri Johnson, Superintendent, Tuscaloosa County School District
- Russ Davis, Founder and CEO, SchoolStatus
Secrets to Success for Disabled Students in Higher Ed
Secrets to Success for Disabled Students in Higher Ed: Over 20% of college students now have at least one disability. This session will spotlight disabled college students and what they can teach us about accessibility in higher education.
- Stephanie Cawthon, Executive Director, National Disability Center for Student Success, College of Education, UT Austin
- Desiree Lama, Coordinator of Student Partnerships, National Disability Center for Student Success, College of Education, UT Austin
- Soren Aldaco, Student Fellow, National Disability Center for Student Success, College of Education, UT Austin
- Lily Alvarez, Student Fellow, National Disability Center for Student Success, College of Education, UT Austin
THRIVE: A Disruptive Approach to Supporting Novice Teachers
THRIVE: A Disruptive Approach to Supporting Novice Teachers: This panel will highlight how the challenging conditions that new teachers encounter often undermine their efforts toward effective practice and the innovative approach of THRIVE to new teacher induction and mentoring.
- LeAnne Hernandez, Director, Texas Education THRIVE, College of Education, UT Austin
Translating Research to Action: Creating a Texas-Sized Impact
Translating Research to Action: Creating a Texas-Sized Impact: This panel will focus on how these diverse constituencies are building common knowledge and common cause around barriers to student success and are engaging community partners and policy advocates with research that is easy to find, understand and use.
- Carolyn Landel, RP3 Director, College of Education, UT Austin
- Jacob Kirksey, Assistant Professor, Texas Tech University
- Jennifer Cavazos Saenz, Senior Director of Communication and Policy, E3 Alliance
- Ben Mackey, Executive Director, Texas Impact Network
