Lunchtime Lectures is an event series intended to give alumni a taste of their college day
“A Guide to Viewing the Upcoming Total Solar Eclipse in Texas”
Dr. Anita Cochran
Assistant Director for Research, McDonald Observatory (Retired)
Senior Research Scientist, The University of Texas at Austin
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 | 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
This is an in-person lecture
Register to attend
In our March Lunchtime Lecture, Dr. Anita Cochran will discuss the total eclipse visible in a large part of Texas on April 8, 2024. Dr. Cochran will explain why we have this eclipse, where and how you can see it safely, what you should expect, how you should prepare, and why you should care.
Dr. Anita Cochran is a senior research scientist at The University of Texas at Austin and recently retired as the assistant director for research at the McDonald Observatory. She earned her PhD in astronomy from UT in 1982. Cochran has served as a member of the U.S. National Committee of the International Astronomical Union, and as both a Councilor of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and the chair of the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences. In addition, she has served on numerous committees of the National Research Council, including the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX). Cochran was also a member of NASA's Comet Rendezvous/Asteroid Flyby Imaging Science Team and a co-investigator of the NASA CONTOUR mission. She is currently a member of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory's council and working part-time at the McDonald Observatory during the search for her successor.
“Applying the Science of Emotion to Promote Well-Being”
Dr. Jacqueline Evans
Associate Professor of Instruction,
Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts
Thursday, April 25, 2024 | Noon–1 p.m.
This is a virtual lecture
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In this lecture, Dr. Jacqueline Evans will share lessons that psychological research reveals about how emotions and stress unfold. We will also consider practices grounded in science to support well-being and thriving in the face of adversity, with opportunities for participants to engage in reflection and guided activities.
Jacqueline Evans received her BA in psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz in 2003 and her PhD in psychology from The University of Texas at Austin in 2011. Her research interests are centered on the social psychophysiology of stress. She is particularly is interested in the influences of personality, social, neuroendocrine, and genetic factors on cortisol hormone response to—and recovery from—acute stress and the downstream implications for health.
Dr. Evans has been recognized for her teaching with several awards, including the prestigious UT Austin President's Associates Teaching Award in 2017–18. In addition to teaching a variety of courses in psychology, Dr. Evans also serves as the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor for the department and enjoys supporting undergraduate psychology students in their time at UT and beyond.