A new endowment that will support the academic pursuits of graduate students in the humanities has been named in honor of Tom Heffernan, retiring director of the UT Humanities Center.
Heffernan has stepped down as the founding director of the center, which opened in 2012 and facilitates research opportunities for faculty and graduate students in the humanities.
Dozens of faculty, staff, and community members recently attended a special farewell Conversations and Cocktails presentation at Holly’s Gourmet’s Market and Cafe honoring Heffernan, a professor emeritus in the Department of English.
The immediate past provost, Susan Martin, concluded the evening with a special announcement regarding the establishment of the Thomas J. A. Heffernan Humanities Fund. The new privately funded endowment will support graduate student work though internships, dissertation workshops, and payment of expenses related to research.
To learn more about the endowment or to give, visit the Humanities Center website.