Lunchtime Lectures is an event series intended to give alumni a taste of their college days.
October 2026 Lunchtime Lecture – In Person
“Slowing Down to Speed Things Up”
Dr. Dawna Ballard
Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Moody College of Communication
Thursday, October 22 | 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
This is an in-person event
Register to attend
In a culture that constantly pushes us to move faster, we often assume that speed leads to better results. But whether in organizations, communities, friendships, or families, rushing can actually create confusion and disconnect. Drawing from her book Time by Design, Dr. Dawna Ballard explores how slowing down communication—to build clarity, trust, and stronger relationships—can ultimately help groups work, connect, and live more effectively together.
Ballard is an associate professor of organizational communication and technology at The University of Texas at Austin whose research explores chronemics—the study of time as it relates to human communication—and how our pace of life shapes organizations, communities, and individual well-being. A graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara, Ballard is the author of Time by Design: How Communicating Slow Allows Us to Go Fast (MIT Press, 2025), which introduces the concept of “chronemic design” and examines how relationships and communication practices can improve effectiveness and long-term vitality. Her award-winning research focuses on engaged scholarship that creates practical impact, and her work has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, Time, The Atlantic, Fortune, Forbes, and Inc., as well as forums such as SXSW and CreativeMornings. Ballard also serves as a Public Voices Fellow, a research collaborator with the Mayo Clinic’s Knowledge & Evaluation Research Unit, and a board member for Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas. At UT, she co-directs the internship program and teaches courses on chronemics, group communication, and teams and communities, earning multiple honors for her teaching and mentorship, including the 2024 President’s Associates Graduate Teaching Excellence Award and the 2023 Blunk Professorship.
*Please note: Our October Lunchtime Lecture will be hosted in person at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center. Tickets are $30 for Texas Exes members and $40 for non-members, and include a catered lunch. Registration closes at midnight on Wednesday, October 14. We are unable to offer refunds within seven days of the event.
November 2026 Lunchtime Lecture – Virtual
“Reducing Methane Emissions: Rapid Climate Action and More Efficient Energy Systems”
Dr. David Allen
Professor, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering
Tuesday, November 10 | Noon–1 p.m.
This is a virtual lecture
Register to attend
The world is transitioning toward greater use of renewable energy sources, but that transition will take time. In the meantime, improving the performance of current energy systems will continue to play an important role in meeting future energy needs and reducing emissions.
Methane emissions are a significant part of emissions from today’s oil and gas supply chains, and reducing those emissions represents one of the most impactful near-term opportunities for improving energy efficiency and system performance. Because methane is also a valuable energy product, reducing methane emissions can help minimize waste while strengthening existing energy systems.
In our November Lunchtime Lecture, Dr. David Allen will explore the methods and technologies used to identify, measure, and mitigate methane emissions across oil and gas supply chains. Topics will include advanced methane measurement networks, strategies for reducing emissions, and recent progress in improving energy system performance.
Allen is the Norbert Dittrich-Welch Chair in Chemical Engineering, and the co-Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Systems Analysis, at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of eight books and over 300 papers, primarily in the areas of air quality and energy systems. Dr. Allen has been a lead investigator for multiple air quality measurement studies, including studies of emissions from unconventional oil and gas development. The quality of his work has been recognized by the National Science Foundation, the AT&T Foundation, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, and the State of Texas. In 2017, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. In 2020, he was recognized with the ENI Energy Transition Award, which has been referred to as the Nobel Prize in energy. He has served on a variety of governmental advisory panels and committees and boards of the US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. From 2012 to 2015 he chaired the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) and he currently serves on the SAB. He was also part of the National Petroleum Council committee that responded to the Secretary of Energy’s request for information on greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas systems. He has held visiting faculty appointments at the California Institute of Technology, the National University of Singapore, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh.