Cognitive Science is an inter-disciplinary field devoted to the study of mind. At the University of Texas it is pursued mainly by faculty and students in the departments of Computer Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Psychology. There is an informal group which sponsors various University activities related to Cognitive Science. We welcome others who are interested in learning more about the field, and/or working in it.
Education: There are two official Cognitive Science courses which are taught by members of our group, one at the graduate and one at the undergraduate level. These courses serve to introduce the field and to make students aware of faculty members who do research in Cognitive Science. There are also many courses which pertain more or less directly the field, taught by faculty members across the University who work in Cognitive Science. We circulate a list of such courses every semester (see e.g. the Fall95 list). The Department of Philosophy recognizes a graduate program in Philosophy and Cognitive Science; the Department of Linguistics has a minor in Cognitive Science; and the Departments of Psychology and Computer Science have strong offerings in Cognitive Science.
Research: A significant number of faculty members at UT conduct research in Cognitive Science, many of them with grants from national and state funding agencies. For specifics, see the list of cognitive science faculty.
Colloquia: The group frequently hosts colloquia where faculty and graduate students present current research. Recent colloquia have included presentations by UT cognitive science researchers well as outside visitors. Informal reading groups on various cognitive science topics are active in the different departments. The group has also hosted a number of regional, national, and international conferences, and others are planned for the future.