Brian Dauenhauer
Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, 2014
I completed my undergraduate work in Physical Education at the University of Illinois and came to UT- Austin for a Master’s program in Exercise Physiology. After graduating, I began teaching at the University of Texas Elementary School and realized my passion for school-wide health promotion and effective data-use in physical education. I connected with Dr. Dolly Lambdin and when the PhD program began, I was one of the first doctoral students enrolled. I continued teaching full-time for four years while also taking classes at UT in the afternoons and evenings. I started a family and finally took a couple years off from working to finish up my program. As a Doctoral Candidate (ABD), I accepted a position at the University of Northern Colorado and officially graduated in the spring of 2014.
I can’t imagine a better place to have conducted my PhD work than UT-Austin. It is one of the highest ranked universities worldwide and the Graduate School of Education is consistently at the top of the list of best programs nationwide. The faculty are truly experts in their field and I had amazing mentorship throughout my time at UT. One of the aspects I liked most about the program was the diversity. I was exposed to so many different perspectives and my time at UT was truly a transformational experience. I am grateful for the education I received and feel fully prepared for my position in academia.
One of the reasons I came to UT originally was because I fell in love with Austin. There is never a dull moment in that town! There’s the BBQ, the live music, the green spaces, Sixth Street, Town Lake, and so much more. Longhorn sports are equivalent or better than any professional sporting events and campus is always bustling with 60,000 students. From my personal perspective, it is also a wonderful place to start a family. There are good schools and plenty of activities for the young ones. UT and Austin complement each other perfectly.
My best advice for prospective graduate students is to visit the university and meet with faculty members. Check out the educational environment and see if you connect with any of the faculty members. Consider research interests and of course, personalities. The faculty members will be the backbone of your experience and will have a large role to play in determining your success. In my honest opinion, you can’t go wrong with UT-Austin.
