Programs and Activities

The PS Student Leadership Panel organizes a variety of social, academic, and service events on and off campus. We also connect our Polymaths with a wide range of opportunities including research, community service, and more.

Research Experiences on Campus

  • Freshman Research Initiative The FRI is an acclaimed three-semester sequence that begins with the Research Methods course and then places students into a spring semester research laboratory where they learn important research techniques. First-year internships and additional independent inquiry in the fall semester of the sophomore year complete the FRI experience. Students may then have the opportunity to become mentors for incoming FRI students and to continue their research.
  • CNS Undergraduate Research Forum Held on a Friday afternoon in April, this poster session displays the work of over 200 students engaged in undergraduate research. Scientists from academia, national labs, and industry show up to judge the posters and award substantial cash prizes for the best work in each discipline.
  • CNS Honors Thesis Symposium Held annually in April, graduating honors students from all three college honors programs present their research in panel sessions. Student panels run concurrently, and each panel is moderated by a UT-Austin faculty member.

Friday Lunches

  • Most Fridays, Polymaths gather to enjoy a free catered lunch and engage with a faculty speaker.

Chautauqua

  • Every Spring, the Polymathic Scholars plan and host a Chautauqua, an intellectual discussion on a interdisciplinary topic. Faculty from across the University and members of the Austin community are invited to share their perspectives in a vibrant exchange of ideas.