Success Stories

Graduate Student Stories

Our graduate students have presented their research and creative work at a variety of national and international conferences and in multiple publications.

Faculty Stories

Alumni Stories

What exactly can you do with a degree from the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology at The University of Texas at Dallas? Our alumni are teachers, artists, lawyers, physicians, business entrepreneurs and generally fascinating people. Meet a few of our current and past students.

UT Dallas Alumna Takes Her Historical Insight to Healthcare and Medical School

UT Dallas, recent graduate Arlin Khan BA’24, BS’24 developed a robust skill set based on her diverse academic experiences in pre-med, history, communications, neuroscience, and humanities, preparing her to excel in her future medical career.

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ATEC Undergrad Emerges as Performance Artist and Musician 

Kit Co, upcoming BA recipient, featured in lauded performance art project recognized by Dallas Morning News and Dallas Observer.

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Washington Post Spotlights Alum’s Creator Camp 

Creator Camp, a Texas company co-founded by ATEC alum Jacky Chao, caught national attention with a feature on The Washington Post.

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Animation and Games Senior Lands Activision Blizzard Internship

Megan Stewart, a senior at the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology (the Bass School) at The University of Texas at Dallas, secured a summer internship with video game giant Activision Blizzard. Stewart is expecting to graduate with a BA in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication with a concentration in Animation and Games in the Spring. She will serve as a 3D character artist intern for Overwatch – a widely popular multiplayer first-person shooter game -…

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Patricia Mathu, BA in History, Spring 2022, Earns NSF Graduate Fellowship

Patricia Mathu Patricia Mathu was one of seven University of Texas at Dallas students and alumni selected for the 2022 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The highly competitive national program provides a stipend and tuition support for students pursuing graduate studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Mathu was born and raised in suburban Milwaukee, but as she worked toward earning her degree at UTD, she became passionate about food and agriculture and how the environment affects…

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Osinachi Osuagwu, BA in Literary Studies, Teaching Artist

“Being a literary studies major gave me the opportunity to explore many aspects of the humanities. Not only did I get to read and analyze great pieces of literature, I also studied art history, was a part of theatre productions and learned about other things that caught my interest. I received a much deeper appreciation for the humanities that opened doors to so many opportunities I had never previously considered. I am forever grateful for the school in my growth as an individual.”

John McCaa, PhD in History of Ideas, Broadcast Journalist

It was his international living, along with not having a television — but having a fascination with radio and sound instead — that helped propel John McCaa into a decades-long career as WFAA-TV news anchor. When advisor Megan Gray sat down with John at the WFAA Studio in Victory Park in 2013, he expressed how learning about people and wanting to continually know more about the world around him also helped him carve out a career. His desire to continue learning served as a catalyst to pursue his doctorate in the History of Ideas.

Billie D. Merritt, BA in Art and Performance, Actress

“As a performance artist, especially growing up in a very science and business-driven environment, one will find themselves on the receiving end of trivializing criticisms in pursuit of a degree in arts. IGNORE THEM. Focusing my degree on what I love was the best and most liberating decision of my college career. Going with my instinct to follow my passion and allowing the rest to follow has led me into a world of confidence, success and endless opportunities.

Having a degree in Arts and Performance gives me the confidence in knowing I AM well-versed and trained in my field because of the hours of study, immersion, and interning I have put into my passion while at UT Dallas. Not only is my degree a shining badge of credibility on my resume, it is an attitude displayed when I am in the room auditioning with pride and confidence for Hollywood directors and producers. My study habits, knowledge of performance and discipline I acquired have helped me break down a script in a different language overnight to crush an audition the next day and book my first role on the AMC TV network.

The network of mentors and peers I am proud to know from the school are also successful artists, from Dallas to L.A. and all over the country. I see them and know we share something special and that as we rise, we will remember each other and work together!”

Learn more about Billie D. Merritt