UT Experts at SXSW EDU: Online Graduate Education at Research Universities

Growing industries demand change and UT Austin is on the forefront, delivering high-quality post-secondary online education. UT educators will discuss the challenges and successes they’ve experienced with these programs on March 6, the first day of SXSW EDU.  

Professors Art Markman, Adam Klivans, and Catherine "Kate" Calder, led by moderator Eric Busch, will describe launching at-scale online graduate programs at research-focused universities, and what they envision for online graduate education in the next 10 years.

 “In-person post-secondary programs can't produce talent quickly enough to meet industry demands for expertise and this in turn has led to acute worker shortages particularly in growth sectors like data science and machine learning,” said Busch, UT’s director for online learning, noting the dearth of talent is “the most significant barrier to the adoption of emerging technologies among tech focused organizations.”

In addition to graduate programs, the Extended Campus at UT Austin provides in-demand skills through more than 200 career and professional education programs.

Panel at SXSW EDU

Online Graduate Education at Research Universities

March 6, 2023, 4-5 p.m.

Austin Convention Center Room 18CD

 These educators will be available throughout SXSW EDU and SXSW to discuss how innovative graduate education can respond to the challenges of the workforce revolution.

Eric Busch

Director For Online Learning

Named director of UT's Online Programs in 2021, Eric Busch previously was course manager for UT's innovative OnRamps dual enrollment program. He holds a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Texas at Austin.

Catherine "Kate" Calder

Professor, Department Chair, Statistics and Data Sciences

Kate Calder is also the Director of the Science and Technology Core and a faculty research associate of UT’s Population Research Center. Before joining the UT faculty in 2019, she spent 16 years at The Ohio State University in the Department of Statistics. From 2018-2019, she was co-director of the Mathematical Biosciences Institute, one of eight National Science Foundation (NSF) Mathematical Sciences research Institutes.

Adam Klivans

Professor Of Computer Science, Director of The NSF Institute for the Foundations of Machine Learning

Adam Klivans is a recipient of the NSF Career Award and a leading researcher in the fields of machine learning and theoretical computer science, in particular, Learning Theory, Computational Complexity, Pseudorandomness, Limit Theorems, and Gaussian Space. He also serves on the editorial board for the Theory of Computing and Machine Learning Journal. He has won several awards for teaching excellence.

Art Markman

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Art Markman, Ph.D., is a cognitive scientist and longtime UT Austin faculty member in both psychology and marketing. In 2021, he was appointed Vice Provost for Continuing and Professional Education and New Education Ventures.

Beyond the UT Austin campus, he is probably best known as the co-host of KUT’s “Two Guys on Your Head” radio show and podcast, where he and Butler School of Music professor Bob Duke explore the human mind with a unique mix of research, humor and everyday relevance.