On this episode, hosts Jen Moon and Katie Dawson sit down with student fellow of the National Disability Center for Student Success Soren Aldaco to examine how accessibility is not just a set of accommodations—but an evolving, shared practice shaped by both students and educators. Together, they unpack what it means to move beyond traditional hierarchies into a model of co-mentorship, where students and faculty learn from one another as equal contributors to research, culture, and change.

The conversation highlights how this partnership model reshapes perspectives on teaching, learning, and belonging. From meaningful research projects to real-world impact—like resources, events, and new campus conversations—the episode reveals how student voices are actively shaping the future of accessibility at UT Austin.

More than a discussion about disability, this episode is about transformation: how engaging in this work changes not only institutions, but the people within them. As always, thanks for joining us on The Other Side of Campus!

In this episode of The Other Side of Campus, hosts Jen Moon and Katie Dawson sit down with Dr. Stephanie Cawthon—researcher, author, and founder of the National Disability Center for Student Success—to explore how accessibility is reshaping higher education from the inside out.

Drawing from her lived experience as a deaf scholar and nearly two decades of research at The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Cawthon reframes accessibility not as compliance, but as culture. She shares how the National Disability Center is transforming the landscape through research, mentorship, and outreach—amplifying student voices and equipping institutions with practical tools to design more inclusive learning environments.

From rethinking STEM classrooms to embedding accessibility into institutional decision-making, this conversation highlights a powerful shift: moving from accommodation to intention.

https://stephaniecawthon.com/the-movement

Huge thanks to Dr. Cawthon for making the time, and an extra special thanks to interpreters Jennifer Stoker and Amanda Ford for facilitating the conversation!!

In this episode of The Other Side of Campus, hosts Stephanie Seidel Holmsten and Jen Moon sit down with Francesca “Chessie” Lockhart, Program Lead of the Cybersecurity Clinic at UT Austin’s Strauss Center for International Security and Law. Drawing on her experience in state-level intelligence at the Texas Department of Public Safety, Lockhart shares how her career in counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure protection led her back to the university — and how she’s now helping shape the next generation of public-minded technologists and security strategists.

At the heart of the conversation is the Cybersecurity Clinic itself: an innovative, hands-on two-semester program where students apply classroom learning directly in partnerships with nonprofits, small businesses, and local governments to address real cybersecurity challenges. Lockhart explains how this model transforms learning — moving beyond the lecture hall to cultivate technical skills, ethical responsibility, and a deep sense of public purpose.

We also hear from Kareem Chavez-Escobedo, now a UT law student and a member of the clinic’s inaugural cohort, who reflects on what it was like to work with real clients as an undergraduate. Her experience highlights how applied learning can build not only expertise, but confidence, agency, and a clearer sense of how students can contribute to the public good.

Together, the episode explores broader questions about the role of higher education in an age of rapid technological change: What responsibilities do universities have in strengthening cybersecurity at the local and national level? How can experiential learning better prepare students to navigate complex, real-world problems? And what gives educators hope about the next generation stepping into these critical roles?

As always, thanks for joining us on The Other Side of Campus.