Cultural Studies alumni have gone on to work in journalism, the arts, and a range of other fields, and they have also enrolled in a variety of graduate school programs. If you are a Cultural Studies alum, we would love to hear what you’re doing and share your news with other alumni. Please contact us at bdp@uts.cc.utexas.edu any time!
Read on to hear about what some of our Cultural Studies alumni have been doing since they graduated.
Jo Ann Guillen
Anthropology, Graduated Spring 2008
Jo Ann held several internships while at UT, including positions at The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and La Peña. Her interests in the intersections between art and Mexican and Native Mexican culture motivated her to apply for a grant to continue to work with La Peña. After graduation, Jo Ann worked closely with the archivist of La Peña, increasing her knowledge of Mexican culture.
Eliseo Jacob
Spanish, Graduated Spring 2007
Eliseo explored his interests in the performing arts and Latino culture with a BDP in Cultural Studies. He conducted original research under the supervision of Dr. Sonia Roncador on Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art, and he completed an internship at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center. Eliseo has been admitted to the graduate program in Spanish and Portuguese at UT-Austin, focusing on Afro-Brazilian cultures and literatures.
Edith Whitsitt
Studio Art, Graduated Fall 2006
Edith combined her Studio Art major with a BDP in Cultural Studies to develop her interests in the interplay between high and low art. As a BDP student, she interned at the Dougherty Art Center’s Burtridge Gallery and conducted research at the Texas Women’s Museum. Since she graduated, Edith has been working here at UT, maintaining the web sites for the College of Fine Arts and the Blanton Museum. She also curated an exhibition at the Dougherty Arts Center titled Serious Fun, and her work was selected for the College of Fine Arts’ juried Studio Show this year. Edith now works for a contemporary art gallery in New York. She eventually plans to attend graduate school, where she would like to study the division between high and low art, particularly with the recent wave of “contagious” art.
Rupa Pillai
Anthropology and Asian Studies, Graduated Spring 2006
From her concentration on South Asia to her experience within the museum system, the Cultural Studies BDP helped Rupa explore issues of identity formation and representation. She interned at the Harry Ransom Center and completed an honors thesis in Asian Studies examining the development of performance arts in Kerala in relation to society. Rupa is currently pursuing a Masters of Art in the Program of Social Sciences at the University of Chicago.
“The BDPs are the most supporting, structured, and above all, rewarding when it comes to making undergraduate academics an in-depth experience, an experience that will not only help you expand your horizons, but will add value to your degree.”