Events

In the last decade, archeologists have made a number of fascinating new discoveries about the way Paleoindians lived and even how they arrived in the land we now call Texas. These first peoples passed on knowledge and traditions through the generations, eventually giving rise to many culturally distinct Tribes and Indigenous American communities. Some Indigenous Americans traditional stories say that their ancestors were always here. Archeologists, who study objects and evidence left behind from early cultures, believe people have lived here for at least 16,000 years. Both ways of understanding the past are important to the study of Paleoindian history. A Time Before Texas considers both current science and cultural tradition to explore what life was like for the first people to call early Texas home. A Time Before Texas is created by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and ciruculated in partnership with Humanities Texas. For more information contact the Eastland County Museum.

From May 15–August 13, Austin Public Library will display the exhibition Roots Unveiled. Roots Unveiled is a multidisciplinary exhibition where contemporary art dialogues with history. The exhibition focuses on the early Chinese immigrant history in the United States, particularly drawing from the rich historical research on Chinese Americans in Texas. For more information, contact Asian American Art and Culture Initiative.

"Teaching U.S. History, 1980–2008" will take place in Lubbock at Texas Tech University from June 3–6, 2025. The three-day institute will address topics including the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush; the end of the Cold War; the Middle East; the AIDS epidemic and public health; immigration; economics from NAFTA to the Great Recession; 9/11 and the War on Terror; teaching foreign relations through film; civil rights; and advances in communication and technology.

Justin Hart (Texas Tech University) will serve as the faculty director for the institute. Jeremi Suri (The University of Texas at Austin) will deliver the keynote lecture. Presenters include Michael Brandl (The University of Texas at Austin), Nathan J. Citino (Rice University), Salem Elzway (University of Southern California), Jennifer L. Holland (The University of Oklahoma), Kyle Longley (Chapman University), Chase Untermeyer (former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar), and Emily Skidmore, Miguel A. Levario, and Sabrina C. Thomas of Texas Tech University.

"Teaching Writing: Best Practices and New Resources" will take place in Austin at The University of Texas at Austin from June 9–12, 2025. Topics to be addressed include understanding and engaging student writers; analysis, argumentation, and evaluation; and using AI and digital tools.

Coleman Hutchison (The University of Texas at Austin) will serve as the faculty director for the institute. Presenters include Amanda Licastro (Swarthmore College) and Casey Boyle, Alice L. Batt, Bret Anthony Johnston, and Susan Schorn of The University of Texas at Austin.