Statements from Nominees

Chair-Elect

Laura Fonken (Associate Professor, Pharmacy)
My name is Laura Fonken, and I am an Associate Professor in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology. I currently serve on Faculty Council as the representative for the College of Pharmacy. As faculty in Pharmacy, I teach in PharmD and PhD courses, and I lead a research lab that investigates environmental factors that influence brain aging.

I started a faculty position at UT Austin in 2018, but I have a long-standing connection with the UT community. I grew up in Austin and have had many family members and friends contribute to the UT community and benefit from all that UT has to offer.

I was happy to accept this nomination because I care deeply about this university and its faculty, staff, and students. What we do at UT matters. Education and research matter. Education fosters critical thinking, self-awareness, and personal growth; it opens opportunities, and it should be accessible to everyone. These fundamental university activities should not be a political tool.

Given the current climate, I believe it is essential for the Faculty Council Executive Committee to listen to our students, staff, and faculty. This year will be critical to the future of academic freedom and shared governance. We must communicate our community’s concerns to UT leadership in a respectful and productive manner that supports UT’s continued success.

I am driven to support the success of our world-class university community, and aim to provide a strong voice advocating to amplify our excellence in research and education.

Jonathan Sessler (Professor, Chemistry)
Dear Fellow Faculty Council Members,

This is Jonathan L. Sessler. I apologize for making a self-nomination; however, these are critical times for our university--even more so than normal. Accordingly, I am volunteering to serve as Chair-elect of the Faculty Council (FC) per the pleasure of my fellow FC members.

I’d like to outline briefly my bona fides. I hope this will help FC members assess the putative strengths I will bring to our FC leadership team.

I have been at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) for over 40 years. My current position is as the Doherty-Welch Chair in Chemistry. My research and teaching interests are firmly based in STEM. I have been recognized for my contributions in these areas with teaching awards and the usual litany of research honors, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. However, I am also very much a humanist. I serve on the boards for the Austin Opera and Austin Symphony, for instance. I also speak 4 languages in addition to English and am a fan of art, history, and culture in their almost infinite guises. Not surprisingly, I am a great believer in the power of a liberal arts education. I also appreciate the power of technology and the benefits that can accrue from technology development and transfer. I was, for instance, a co-founder of Pharmacyclics, Inc., a company that was acquired by AbbVie for $21B in 2015.

I like to think my broad outlook and the perspective that has come from being with UT for decades will put me in a near-unique position to serve the FC. If elected, I will work to enhance bridges between various stakeholders within our university, strengthen UT and the communities it serves, and be a strong voice for the faculty. Ours is a great university and I believe the best is yet to come. Unfortunately, we are also under unwarranted attack. Academic freedom and all that is good in academe is in dire peril. We need a voice that has the strength to speak truth to power, but in a polite, respectful, and most importantly, effective way. I like to think I can be that voice.

Representatives for Faculty Council Executive Committee

Jennifer Austin (Professor of Instruction, Mathematics)
I am Jennifer Austin, a Professor of Instruction in Mathematics. I completed my undergraduate degree in mathematics at a small liberal arts college and then taught high school mathematics and physics for four years. My doctorate is from Florida State University. I worked at Baylor College of Medicine doing interdisciplinary research for five years before coming to UT Austin as a postdoc in the fall of 2007. After my three-year postdoc, I continued as instructional faculty. For eleven years, I have served all UT undergraduates in my role as the Undergraduate Mathematics Faculty Advisor. I teach undergraduate mathematics courses and M 398T Supervised Teaching for our graduate students. Additionally, I serve the Mathematics Department as the Southern Association of Colleges (SACs) Accreditation Coordinator, Outreach Coordinator, and Mathematics Undergraduate Studies Executive Committee Chair.

Currently, I serve as a representative for the College of Natural Sciences and on C-2 University Academic Calendar, C-3 Undergraduate Curriculum Changes, and C-4 Educational Policy Committees. In the past, I have served as a Student Conduct and Academic Integrity Hearing Officer, on committees including Mathematics Core Curriculum Assessment, Quantitative Reasoning Flag, and C-1 Admissions and Registration.

I am passionately committed to our students' learning experience, supporting our faculty's growth and opportunities, and remaining a lifelong learner.

I accept this nomination to stand for election to the Faculty Council Executive Committee to continue to elevate the concerns of our faculty and students to the President and Provost during this critical time.

Andrew Dillon (Professor, School of Information)
I’ve been a faculty member at UT since 2002 during which time I served over two terms as dean of the School of Information. I have considerable experience with and understanding of the challenges faced by the upper administration, coupled with a faculty member’s perspective of working life at this university. I have never experienced such a challenging time where faculty must continually articulate and defend the values of academic freedom, shared governance, and the social contract of a public university. I am prepared to accept the responsibility of faculty council leadership to engage in open and constructive dialog on the appropriate council matters of educational policy and academic procedures, with the aim of advancing our mission as a research university that seeks to change the world. I am standing for election because I feel it is vital we work collaboratively and constructively to build solutions that honor the principles of academic life that have served not only our university, but our society so well.

Jennifer Ebbeler (Professor, Classics)
I am currently an Associate Professor of Classics and a member at large of the Faculty Council Executive Committee. It has been a challenging year for the UT community and I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role at such a critical time. Shared governance and academic freedom—two of the bedrock principles of the modern university—are under attack at both the state and federal levels. It is more important than ever to demonstrate our commitment to these values. Likewise, it is more important than ever that viewpoint diversity is represented in conversations with university leadership—in this case, the viewpoint of faculty in the humanities at a time when many non-STEM fields are being singled out for special intervention in our hiring decisions.
I have enjoyed the experience of working with my colleagues on the executive committee this year. While the fruits of our labors are not always obvious or successful, we have done our best to encourage university leadership to remember the values that guide all research and teaching work. We have reiterated the deep commitment that faculty have to student learning, particularly through our involvement in setting and delivering core curriculum, and advocated for an ongoing role in curriculum oversight. I would be honored to be elected to represent you all for a second year on the faculty council executive committee.

I am driven to support the success of our world-class university community, and aim to provide a strong voice advocating to amplify our excellence in research and education.

Michael Goodman (Assistant Professor of Practice, Educational Leadership and Policy)
My name is Michael Anthony Goodman and I am an assistant professor of practice in the College of Education. I study and teach about educational leadership and policy, as well as issues impacting higher education and student affairs. Since January, I have had the opportunity to serve on the Faculty Council Executive Committee (FCEC), and it would be my honor to continue that service into the fall, serving out a full academic year on FCEC. Over the past semester, I have developed relationships with administrators and faculty leaders and have become knowledgeable about the issues facing faculty across rank, type, and college. I view my role as a voice of my peers and constituents. As a professional track faculty member, I also think it is important to have my voice in those spaces, representing all faculty, and especially those who may not always feel heard or seen – this shows up in how I ask questions, give feedback, and consider the faculty experience in full. As someone who studies higher education leadership and policy, roles like this are right up my alley. I am well-read on issues impacting colleges and universities today, and especially amid a tense political climate that has attacked faculty councils, I take this role and opportunity seriously. It would be an honor to serve in the new academic year.

Debra Hansen (Assistant Professor of Instruction, Biology Instruction Office)
I have enjoyed working in Faculty Council since 2023, and I would be happy to serve on the Faculty Council Executive Committee.

I received my PhD in Plant Biology from UT and I love teaching here. Although I’m proud to call CNS my home, I appreciate a liberal arts education as the foundation of a civil society. UT has a well-earned reputation for addressing the whole student - for preparing them to contribute meaningfully as engaged, informed thinkers and creative problem-solvers. All faculty are required for this. An engaged and healthy faculty council has a positive impact on the academic, scholarly, and research endeavors that lift and strengthen our University.

As a member of FCEC, I will work to empower faculty council, advocate for shared governance, and prioritize fair representation.

Li-Chen Lin (Clinical Assistant Professor, Nursing)
This statement explains my strong interest in representing the Faculty Council in the Faculty Council Executive Committee (FCEC). I have been representing the School of Nursing in the Faculty Council for the 2024-26 academic year and have actively engaged in the Faculty Council. My contributions to UT include advocacy in disaster preparedness/response, advising student organizations, and chairing the Disaster Preparedness Committee. My leadership at UT includes overseeing multidisciplinary research studies and supervising volunteer organizations. My leadership activities have strengthened our partnerships with organizations on campus and in the communities. I believe my experience and commitment align well with the FCEC by addressing matters critical to the university and faculty community.

I am particularly interested in contributing to the FCEC's work on faculty development, research support, disaster preparedness, and student well-being. I am enthusiastic to support planning, decision-making, and overall governance of the university. I am deeply committed to advocating for the mission of Faculty Council and eager to represent the faculty to ensure that their voices are heard within the university community to achieve common goals.

I believe my involvement in the FCEC will contribute to a stronger and more collaborative university community. I fully dedicate the necessary time and effort to serve effectively as a Faculty Council representative for the FCEC. I am eager to contribute to the important work of the FCEC towards a more collaborative community with a brighter future. I am grateful for the opportunity to express my interest in this essential role.

Larry Schooler (Assistant Professor of Practice, Communication Studies)
I have served in multiple leadership roles for the past 30 years. I was president of an international professional association, am a board member of two national organizations, and have been an executive board member or chair within several local nonprofit organizations. I also have the privilege of teaching in the Communication and Leadership Degree program at the Moody School of Communication.

Beyond my experience and credentials, I hope that the greatest value I add to the EC will be my ability to help parties with differing positions and interests find common ground. I teach conflict resolution and am a practicing mediator and facilitator. In a moment when the faculty, administration, legislators, students, and other stakeholders are struggling to see eye to eye, I hope I can offer some perspective, guidance, and support to move us forward in a direction that satisfies all of our interests.

I appreciate your support in this election.

Paul Shapiro (Professor, Astronomy)
Paul R. Shapiro is The Frank N. Edmonds, Jr. Regents Professor in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) with over 300 publications in theoretical astrophysics, he was elected in 2013 to Chair the 2400-member APS Division of Astrophysics, serving in the Chair-line (2013 – 2017). Shapiro represents CNS faculty on the FC, having served multiple terms over the years, since joining UT as Assistant Prof in 1981.

Statement of Interest

If elected to serve as at-large FC rep on the FCEC, I will bring 4 1/2 decades of experience and knowledge of institutional history at UT, along with my leadership experience outside UT, to bear on the critical role the Council plays representing issues of importance to faculty, students, and staff, to help steer and advise UT leaders. Be it an issue as seemingly small as a change to the annual calendar of class days, or as seemingly out of faculty purview as University- or college-wide policy decisions to centralize administrative or computer staff or reduce libraries, or as deeply-rooted in academic tradition as protection of freedom of speech and tenure, I will stand up and speak out in defense of our interests and the long-term health and future of our University. As FC rep on the FCEC, I intend to be a conduit to my FC colleagues, to alert them to issues that come before it, that might affect our professional lives, to give us all the chance to influence them, rather than merely “receive” news, after the fact. The idea of shared governance by our elected FC is now threatened. Only together can we fight to protect the independence of the University and its members from attack, by political forces at the state and federal level which attempt to repress us, control who we hire, what we teach and say and how we say it, and subvert our academic mission.

Julija Šukys (Associate Professor, English)
I’m Julija Šukys and I’m a writer of literary nonfiction. An associate professor of English, I have been at UT Austin since 2022. I’m happy to accept a nomination to stand for election to the executive committee of Faculty Council. At my previous institution I served on the Graduate Faculty Senate for three years as a member and then chair of its policy committee. In that role, while drafting care-leave policies for graduate students, I discovered that I had a knack for writing policy. In my final year at that institution, I chaired a number of ad hoc graduate dismissal appeals committees. That work required evenhandedness and discernment. In some cases, it felt incredibly urgent. Here at UT, I’ve been a member of the Faculty Welfare committee for the past two years, where we’ve considered and advocated for concrete improvements to faculty work life. Additionally, a few months ago, I also took on the role of Faculty Council parliamentarian. My books include Artifact: Encounters with the Campus Shooting Archives, Siberian Exile: Blood, War, and a Granddaughter’s Reckoning, Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Šimaitė, and Silence is Death: The Life and Work of Tahar Djaout. In my work, I draw on archives, interviews, bibliographical research, and observation to write about minor lives in war-torn or marginal places, about women’s life-writing, and about the legacy of violence across generations and national borders. Above all, I seek to tell powerful stories about overlooked and neglected people, places, and events.