Co-Mentoring Change: Rethinking Accessibility at UT Austin

Co-Mentoring Change: Rethinking Accessibility at UT Austin

On this episode, hosts Jen Moon and Katie Dawson sit down with student fellow of the National Disability Center for Student Success Soren Aldaco to examine how accessibility is not just a set of accommodations—but an evolving, shared practice shaped by both students and educators. Together, they unpack what it means to move beyond traditional hierarchies into a model of co-mentorship, where students and faculty learn from one another as equal contributors to research, culture, and change. The conversation highlights how this partnership model reshapes perspectives on teaching, learning, and belonging. From meaningful research projects to real-world impact—like resources, events, and new campus conversations—the episode reveals how student voices are actively shaping the future of accessibility at UT Austin. More than a discussion about disability, this episode is about transformation: how engaging in this work changes not only institutions, but the people within them. As always, thanks for joining us on The Other Side of Campus!

The Other Side of Accessibility: Transforming the Campus Environment

In this episode of The Other Side of Campus, hosts Jen Moon and Katie Dawson sit down with Dr. Stephanie Cawthon [https://education.utexas.edu/faculty/stephanie_cawthon/]—researcher, author, and founder of the National Disability Center for Student Success [https://nationaldisabilitycenter.org/research]—to explore how accessibility is reshaping higher education from the inside out. Drawing from her lived experience as a deaf scholar and nearly two decades of research at The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Cawthon reframes accessibility not as compliance, but as culture. She shares how the National Disability Center is transforming the landscape through research, mentorship, and outreach—amplifying student voices and equipping institutions with practical tools to design more inclusive learning environments. From rethinking STEM classrooms to embedding accessibility into institutional decision-making, this conversation highlights a powerful shift: moving from accommodation to intention. https://stephaniecawthon.com/the-movement Huge thanks to Dr. Cawthon for making the time, and an extra special thanks to interpreters Jennifer Stoker and Amanda Ford for facilitating the conversation!!

Classroom to Cyberspace: Teaching Public Service Through Cybersecurity

In this episode of The Other Side of Campus, hosts Stephanie Seidel Holmsten and Jen Moon sit down with Francesca “Chessie” Lockhart [https://www.strausscenter.org/person/francesca-lockhart/], Program Lead of the Cybersecurity Clinic at UT Austin’s Strauss Center for International Security and Law [https://www.strausscenter.org/]. Drawing on her experience in state-level intelligence at the Texas Department of Public Safety, Lockhart shares how her career in counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure protection led her back to the university — and how she’s now helping shape the next generation of public-minded technologists and security strategists. At the heart of the conversation is the Cybersecurity Clinic itself: an innovative, hands-on two-semester program where students apply classroom learning directly in partnerships with nonprofits, small businesses, and local governments to address real cybersecurity challenges. Lockhart explains how this model transforms learning — moving beyond the lecture hall to cultivate technical skills, ethical responsibility, and a deep sense of public purpose. We also hear from Kareem Chavez-Escobedo, now a UT law student and a member of the clinic’s inaugural cohort, who reflects on what it was like to work with real clients as an undergraduate. Her experience highlights how applied learning can build not only expertise, but confidence, agency, and a clearer sense of how students can contribute to the public good. Together, the episode explores broader questions about the role of higher education in an age of rapid technological change: What responsibilities do universities have in strengthening cybersecurity at the local and national level? How can experiential learning better prepare students to navigate complex, real-world problems? And what gives educators hope about the next generation stepping into these critical roles? As always, thanks for joining us on The Other Side of Campus.

Design Beyond Campus: Rural Architecture in West Texas

In this episode of The Other Side of Campus, hosts Jen Moon and Katie Dawson speak with Charles Di Piazza [https://soa.utexas.edu/faculty/charles-dipiazza] from the UT School of Architecture about his Rural Architecture Studio course. Charles takes students to Terlingua, near Big Bend National Park, where they work alongside local partners to explore sustainable design rooted in place. From earthen construction and compressed earth blocks to the design of potential teacher housing for the local school district, the studio invites students to connect ideas with material practice. Along the way, they learn how environmental constraints, traditional building knowledge, and community collaboration can shape better architecture. Professor Di Piazza describes the project as an “experiment in reciprocity,” where knowledge flows in both directions between the university and rural Texas communities. The result is a powerful model for experiential learning, sustainable design, and meaningful engagement beyond campus. The Fall 2025 class description...Earthen Grounds: Graduate Studio in West Texas In partnership with Bob Estrin, Director of the School of Constructive Arts (SCA) in Alpine, Charles Di Piazza leads this new graduate design studio, building on the work in Marathon, Texas. Earthen Grounds brings Di Piazza's interest in vernacular architecture, massive construction, and courtyard housing and combines it with Estrin’s focus on regenerative design and hands-on building practices. The studio asks students to envision new models of sustainable housing and walkable communities for dryland environments. Beginning with the study of precedents spanning nearly 9,000 years, students will explore the fundamental relationships between people, climate, space, and place before applying their research to a site in the Chihuahuan Desert near SCA. The class includes a trip to Big Bend to participate in an earthen construction workshop on the SCA campus. The studio’s research and proposals aim to generate ideas for affordable housing in the Big Bend region and beyond. This work is supported by a grant from the Still Water Foundation, whose generosity makes this collaboration possible. Credits Hosts: Jen Moon & Katie Dawson Music by various artists: "Arizona Moon" by Blue Dot Sessions, "Lyanetha" by John Bartmann, "Help Me" by Eme Hache Theme track: "Soul Sync" by Ketsa Executive Producer: Michelle Daniel

Imagination, Storytelling, and Acting for a Complex World with Corey Allen

What does acting training prepare students for—beyond the stage or screen? In this episode of The Other Side of Campus, Katie Dawson (Theatre & Dance) and Stephanie Holmsten (Government) speak with Corey Allen [https://theatredance.utexas.edu/faculty/allen-corey], Assistant Professor of Acting in the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. A multidisciplinary artist whose work spans acting, directing, writing, visual art, and immersive performance, Corey shares how he adapts classroom training to meet the realities of today’s industry—while cultivating artistry, resilience, and agency. He reflects on acting as the recreation of truthful human behavior under imaginary circumstances, and as a practice rooted in empathy, imagination, and storytelling. At its heart, this episode asks: What does it mean to train not just performers, but empathetic and engaged community members who are prepared to navigate change, rejection, and risk in a hyper-complex world? As always, thanks for listening! Credits Hosts: Stephanie Seidel Holmsten & Katie Dawson Music by various artists: Denys Brodovskyi, Beat Mekanik Theme track: "Soul Sync" by Ketsa Executive Producer: Michelle Daniel