President’s Award for Global Learning 2026 Faculty Programs Selected
Two faculty teams at The University of Texas at Austin have been selected to receive the 2026 President’s Award for Global Learning, partnering with international universities and nonprofit organizations in Tanzania, Kenya and Australia.
The projects address timely and critical global issues, including decentralized solutions to water scarcity and responsive solutions to the challenges of hearing loss. Students who participate will engage in project-based teams with international partners and faculty mentors to research and propose solutions to these complex issues.
As a signature initiative of UT Austin’s International Board of Advisors, the President’s Award for Global Learning has invigorated international engagement between the University and the world by combining interdisciplinary faculty collaboration, transnational institutional partnerships and cross-cultural work and research opportunities for students.
To be considered for selection, teams of 2-3 faculty members from distinct disciplines conceive research or service projects that address challenges in a specific area of the world. Each proposal involves collaboration with an international partner in its designated region and supports the participation of 12-18 UT Austin students.
After faculty proposals are accepted, students from various disciplines form teams and propose projects that operate within the established themes. Selected students, who will enroll in courses taught by the faculty teams and international partners, will also embark on trips abroad to complete in-country work during the program.
Selected faculty receive $5,000 per program to support student projects and class activities. Two faculty leaders will each receive an additional $14,000 honorarium and an optional third faculty mentor will receive an $8,000 honorarium. The award also includes fully funded travel for both faculty and students.
Students interested in the President’s Award for Global Learning can attend an information session and must submit an application in PDF format to presidentsaward@austin.utexas.edu. The application deadline is at 5 p.m. on Nov. 14, 2025.
Since its inception, the program has invested more than $5 million, supporting 236 undergraduate students and 56 faculty members across projects in 16 countries.
Please join us in congratulating the faculty recipients of the President’s Award for Global Learning on their winning proposals:
Tanzania/Kenya
Decentralized Solutions for Global Water Scarcity and Security
This global learning opportunity addresses socio-technical dimensions of water scarcity through two decentralized water treatment technologies—Solar Water Farms (community-scale desalination) and Moringa oleifera filters (household-scale)—in Tanzania and Kenya. The program will establish a “living learning lab” at the University of Dodoma, Tanzania, for international water research and learning.
Faculty team members:
Assistant Professor R. Patrick Bixler, Ph.D., LBJ School of Public Affairs
Professor Manish Kumar, Ph.D., Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering
Assistant Professor Anastasia Schauer, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering
International partners:
University of Dodoma, Dodoma, Tanzania, and South Eastern Kenya University, Kitui, Kenya
Australia
Global Challenges in Hearing Loss: An Australian Immersion Experience
This program, based at Macquarie University’s Australian Hearing Hub, offers students an immersive experience in hearing health through research, innovation and service delivery. Students will visit leading institutions like Cochlear Ltd. and the Shepherd Centre, gaining exposure to cutting-edge auditory technology and pediatric interventions. The students will focus on hearing loss, its intersections with cognition and global health, and includes seminars, collaborative projects, and cultural experiences. The program fosters global awareness and culturally responsive solutions to the worldwide challenge of hearing loss.
Faculty team members:
Associate Professor, Srikanta Mishra, Ph.D., Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Moody College of Communication
Professor Lori Holt, Ph.D., Psychology, College of Liberal Arts
International partners:
Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
