#College of Natural Sciences

[utcampuslifeupdate]

Celebrating the 2023-24 Outstanding Student Award Recipients

Tim "Teo" Jakobsen and Florence Fadipe at the Texas Parents Ambassadors Council Meeting luncheon in March 2024

On a campus that is driving healthcare innovation and becoming a destination for world-class specialty care, two seniors stand out for their avid pursuit of careers in this field. Texas Parents is recognizing Florence Fadipe and Tim “Teo” Jakobsen as this year’s Outstanding Student Award recipients, setting them apart as the cream of the crop of our 52,000 students.

This award is a time-honored UT Austin tradition since 1951 identifying high caliber students who model exceptional leadership, scholarship, character and service. When you read through the list of past recipients, you’ll notice some well-known alumni who have gone on to become leaders in education, public service, law, healthcare, business and philanthropy.

Meet this year’s recipients below and find out how they ventured outside their comfort zones to succeed on our vibrant campus through transformative opportunities and communities.

Florence Fadipe

Florence Fadipe came to UT Austin from Dallas curious, eager to learn and ready to meet other Longhorns. The senior’s passion for people and compassion for others led her to Healthyhorns – where her involvement exemplifies “healthy bodies, healthy minds, healthy lives.” She broadened her horizons outside of her major of nursing, discovering there’s more than one way to be a Longhorn. Our campus took her leadership skills to the next level.

“The motto ‘What Starts Here Changes the World’ is a direct reflection of my life path. It depicts what all students at UT students are capable of with the immense realization that you can go above with your experiences and don’t have to limit yourself to one path,” said Fadipe.

Fadipe with internship supervisor Renee Matthews (University Health Services)

Her path as a School of Nursing student and compassion for others led her to the Counseling and Mental Health Center as a student associate supporting the administrative staff. She’s also a member of the Student Health Advisory Committee to help provide student insight to Healthyhorns team which includes the counseling center, Longhorn Wellness Center and University Health Services. She also helped create policies for nursing staff by researching other Big XII institutions for University Health Services during the Division of Student Affairs Summer Internship Program.

As a first-generation college student and resident assistant, Fadipe supports first-year students in their transition to University life. She’s also built real-world career experience as an intensive care unit nurse extern.

“She appreciates nursing as a commitment, a duty and a heartfelt service given to one’s individuals and community,” noted her nominator.

Fadipe at the School of Nursing

Fadipe also serves as an Information Technology Support student consultant, and is part of the student organization Global Medical Training and community organization Uplift Austin. After graduation, she plans to work in a cardiovascular intensive care unit then pursue a master's in nursing informatics. She chose to direct the $1,000 award grant to the School of Nursing’s scholarship fund.

Tim “Teo” Jakobsen

Tim “Teo” Jakobsen is described as a servant-oriented leader with a “rare combination of vision, empathy and decisiveness.” The senior inspires and motivates other Longhorns – whether it’s leading his ultimate frisbee team or designing service projects for a student organization he helped found – the E. Lee Walker Fellowship. He balances rigorous academic achievement in neuroscience, Polymathic Scholars and Plan II Honors with supporting faculty research projects, mentoring younger students and shadowing local doctors to build career skills. He’s also dedicated to serving the Austin community through various volunteer organizations.

“This isn’t the end of the journey, it’s the beginning. We’re challenging preconceived notions, contributing to the greater atmosphere on campus and being life-long learners. It’s the skills I’m developing here that are the building blocks for the rest of life,” shared Jakobsen.

Jakobsen (front row, second from right) with the Project Doom co-ed intramural flag football team at Darrell K. Royal—Texas Memorial Stadium

Drawing from his family’s Norwegian heritage, Jakobsen makes a case to import the Norwegian concept of “friluftsliv” – “fresh air life” – to the United States. He focused his thesis project on this concept, but also lives it out through several intramural sports, service-oriented student organizations and community service.

As a freshman arriving from McKinney, Texas, Jakobsen joined a brand new organization: The E. Lee Walker Fellowship. The student organization provides students with a holistic set of tools to collaborate alongside community leaders and experts to develop comprehensive solutions for sustainable, social impact. He is helping lead a partnership with UT Outpost to provide nutritious food to students living in West Campus.

“He takes initiative, leads by example and fosters an inclusive environment where every voice is heard and valued,” added his nominator.

Jakobsen (front row, second from left) with Lee Walker (front row, left) at the inaugural meeting of the E. Lee Walker Fellowship in Fall 2022

Jakobsen also plays intramural dodgeball, basketball and flag football, is a member of the Plan II Pre-Med Society and Texas Triple Helix at Austin. He serves as a Plan II freshman mentor and member of the Director’s Student Advisory Board. After graduation from the College of Natural Sciences and College of Liberal Arts, Jakobsen will take a gap year to learn the ropes of how to care for his family’s farm in Norway, then he’ll attend medical school. He chose to direct the $1,000 award grant to The E. Lee Walker Fellowship.

In addition to the $1,000 grant, the Outstanding Student Award recipients received a plaque and a brick paver laid at the Student Services Building. Texas Parents also recognizes four award finalists. Read more about the finalists and their campus activities. Congrats to these recipients!

[legodna]

You guys wanna see a science Lego set? Well, here's Lego DNA!

With a scientifically accurate DNA model, and a historically accurate lab + 5 scientists!

Aims: to promote science to kids and honor Rosalind Franklin.

Less than 4,000 votes needed to get it considered as a real official Lego set to be sold worldwide!

If you like it, please support here and share with your friends: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/c92cd95b-49e7-46ec-b844-ac6482c51139

[amnhnyc]

🗣️ College students: Do you want to inspire curiosity in a captivating environment where science, community, and communication intertwine? Become a Museum intern! Applications for the Museum Education Experience Program (MEEP) are open through August 23. Apply today!

[the-physicality]

thinking this labor day about all the athletes in women's sports who didn't have a stable league, who were only making decent money from a spot on their national team, who had to fight to get even a fraction of what they deserve. who spent their prime without a club league or the infrastructure to propel the sport. who came of age after title 9 in the usa [forcing schools to fund women/girls’ sports], the ones who fought for cbas and are only seeing big change at the end of their careers or after their careers concluded. who didn't have the media attention before, but are now showing just how much they can sell out stadiums and arenas. the players who played year round because overseas teams paid athletes what they were worth. athletes who endured and reported harassment but the league never took appropriate action. athletes who never had the media attention or ability to monetize their talent but who had careers that were just as impressive as the stars of today. who did it without the help of the science, technology, and medicine we have today. who set records with less support and fewer games in a season, which will be broken by kids who have had personal trainers since high school. athletes who played great games that are no long available to view, their talent no longer archived and accessible for young or new fans. athletes who still don't have a league or are just getting one in 2024. athletes who took it upon themselves to create change for which they will never reap the full rewards.

[idontmindifuforgetme]

Woke up having a crisis about if I want an MD or an MD PhD………. It’s so over

[safetyhaxard]

I designed posters and some merch/related items for a fake museum exhibit at the Academy of Natural Sciences! I also redesigned the logo for extra credit (and think it’s much cooler than the original).

The museum used to have a butterfly exhibit, so I felt that focusing on them again for a new exhibit would be okay despite the major focus being on dinosaurs. There’s a lovely stained glass mural piece in the museum that inspired the idea of Stained Glass Butterflies.

I settled on designing tickets, gift shop bags, cafe cups, and a tote bag based around this exhibit. I might add a few more ideas to the line, depending on the time and motivation I have. I’m definitely printing off some sticker sheets of the butterflies I made, but I also might paint some of the designs on a shirt if I can find a good piece while thrifting.

I entered this project into LOCALLY SOURCED, a competition in Philadelphia and the surrounding states! I won’t know till between October 18th and November 17th if I made it in. It’d be cool to see my work in a magazine with other incredibly talented college designers.

I hope you guys like this set of products I made!

PS, I do accept support and donations through the following links:

Kofi

Cashapp

PayPal

[theonewhereistudy]

Go slow, but go

[ki1ldeer]

Little doodle thing of older Them™️ because I think about them sometimes (and it’s Finn’s canon birthday today. Happy canon birthday Finn)

[marthashlyn3]

‘ Revelations’ Remix ’ featuring God’s new ideas.

[myimaginationplain]

imagine: professor utonium mentoring dexter vs professor membrane mentoring mandark

[utcampuslifeupdate]

Celebrating the 2023-24 Outstanding Student Award Finalists

Brandon Matthews, Amelia Nickerson and Scott Fonseka at the Texas Parents Ambassadors Council Meeting luncheon in March 2024 (Not pictured: Vidhyasai "Sai" Annem)

The Outstanding Student Award is a time-honored UT Austin tradition since 1951 identifying high caliber students who model exceptional leadership, scholarship, character and service. Texas Parents honors two recipients and four finalists each year.

Meet this year’s finalists below and find out how they ventured outside their comfort zones to succeed on our vibrant campus through transformative opportunities and communities.

Check out this story on the two award recipients – Florence Fadipe and Tim “Teo” Jakobsen.

Vidhyasai "Sai" Annem

What senior Vidhyasai “Sai” Annem values most about her time at UT Austin is learning alongside community as she aspires to a career in healthcare. Annem, a Biology Honors major, is a recipient of the President’s Award for Global Learning, has contributed to several other research projects and is a patent holder. Outside the classroom, she serves others through various student organizations including the Community Engagement Collective, Health Careers Mentorship Program, and Miracle Messages. Her professional experience includes Project Healthcare at Bellevue Hospital, Impact Corps with the Impact Factory, The Kidney Clinic and Pediatric Center of Round Rock. After graduation from the College of Natural Sciences, she will be completing a master’s in history of science, medicine and technology at Oxford University as a Rotary Global Grants Scholar.

Scott Fonseka

Despite being part of a college cohort that entered the University during a global pandemic, Scott Fonseka took advantage of every opportunity to integrate into campus life. He served as the vice president of the Tejas Club, a student organization with a 100-year history of student leadership that includes 17 student body presidents as former members. As a Canfield Business Honors major, he was the executive vice president of the Honors Business Association’s coordinating alumni-student networking events, a member of the honors program’s alumni advisory board and a business honors peer mentor. After graduation from the McCombs School of Business, he’ll work at Guggenheim Securities in New York City, following internships there, and at Treaty Oak Equity and Oasis Petroleum.

Brandon Matthews

College life taught senior Brandon Matthews that being a chemical engineering student is much more than studying and acing tests. For the aspiring doctor, it’s about thinking critically, discovering one's purpose, challenging assumptions, expanding perspectives and giving back. This mindset drove him to participate in the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Advisory Board and Doctors without Borders, as well as serving as a mentor with the First-Year Interest Group and Ramshorn Scholar Program. His hard work and dedication in the Cockrell School of Engineering classroom resulted in several awards recognizing outstanding chemical engineering students and their research. He plans to apply to medical school after graduation.

Amelia Nickerson

Amelia Nickerson credits leadership experience and involvement in student organizations as having a profound impact on her desire to change the world. On campus, the senior has been a member of the Computer Science Roadshow, McCombs Women’s Case Competition, Texas Equestrian Team, Women in Business Association and Women in Computer Science. These experiences are helping the Canfield Business and Computer Science honors major forge her own career path the Longhorn way. After graduation from the College of Natural Sciences and McCombs School of Business, she’ll work at Bain & Company as strategy consultant, but her ultimate goal is to bridge the gender gap in computing by creating a mentorship network.

Congrats to these finalists!

[legodna]

Do you wanna build a Lego science set? Here's Lego DNA!

With a scientifically accurate DNA model, and a historically accurate lab + 5 scientists!

Aims: to promote science to kids and young adults and honor Rosalind Franklin and her legacy!

3,800 votes needed (we already have 6,200!) to get it considered as a real official Lego set to be sold worldwide!

If you like it, please support via the link above or here: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/c92cd95b-49e7-46ec-b844-ac6482c51139

[re-compor]

I finished the period and I'm already preparing to focus on research. I'm putting together and organizing my field notebook! 🍃🍂🐝

[redysetdare]

I think i would like sci-fi a lot more if more stories took the evolution route to it. so many sci-fi stories focus so much on the technology side and "Let's go to space! let's see capitalist hell!" and like, yeahh those have their purpose and place in sci-fi. But personally i love when sci-fi gets speculative with biology. How will the earth change? what animals developed from changed ecosystems - which animals evolved and which ones went extinct? I want people to take the science part of science fiction and explore biology and ecology and how the planet and animals change with the world. I"m tired of it only focusing on technology and robots and being more cyber fantasy.

[thatjamesianclass]

Welcome to Our Class

Do you like thoughts that make you question existence and reality? Like neuroscience and memes? Do you think college students/classes are unhinged? Well, then you're right: and this may be the place for you.

. : : **L**ittle Perceivers ! ★

. . : : collective: they/them ☆ . : : A neuroscience class having way too much fun while trying to map mind onto brain. Thus, we'd like the share the cool, funny, interesting and often outta-pocket takeaways from class. ★ !

| | That one M&B class

| | College aged

| | Fall 2024 Sem 1

| | NSC 201 Mind&Brain; Dr. T; Muhlenberg College

[maybejustacrow]

As both an animist and a scientist-in-training, the way that we talk about conservation is sometimes really frustrating. “We should protect this species from extinction because they provide valuable ecosystem services” no we should protect them because they are our FAMILY!!!! They are our NEIGHBORS!!!! We should protect them because it’s the right thing to do and because it is our duty!!

Like I understand that this language is often necessary to get funding and convince policymakers but it’s just so FRUSTRATING sometimes.