From wearable sensors that capture children's real-world experiences to guidance on the responsible use of AI, Associate Professor Kaya de Barbaro's work bridges developmental science and emerging technologies. Her two recent studies explore how these new tools can both advance and challenge our understanding of the dynamic social and emotional interactions that shape infant development.

Planet Texas 2050 and the UT Department of Theatre and Dance co-hosted the Seeds of Change Film Festival, a two-day gathering of filmmakers, researchers, artists and community members exploring climate resilience through film.

At the annual Whole Communities–Whole Health Symposium, UT researchers and community partners reflected on what they have learned, how the work has changed and where it might go next.

A year after the deadliest flash flood in modern Texas history, researchers are racing to understand why so many people never got the warning they needed — and how to make sure it doesn't happen again.

A Good Systems team led by Sharon Strover is developing a “People’s Guide to AI” to help UT students and the public navigate AI safely, ethically and transparently in everyday life.

Postdoctoral fellow Oscar Ovanger, a statistician from Norway, contributes to multiple Planet Texas 2050 projects, applying statistical modeling and machine learning to everything from birds to archeology.

In 2025, Good Systems researchers partnered with the City of Austin to develop ethics-first AI training for city employees, helping staff navigate emerging technologies with a focus on accountability, transparency and public trust.

The global AI race is underway, as countries compete to keep up with the rapidly evolving technology. With Austin emerging as a center of AI innovation, the people studying and working with the technology are shaping not only what it means for the U.S. to compete, but also the cost that comes with it.

A cross‑disciplinary team at UT Austin is researching how AI can better support American Indian and Alaska Native nations in flood preparedness. Their project, AI²: Ancestral Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence for Flood Mitigation, was awarded seed funding through Good Systems’ internal competition, aimed at advancing human-centered AI

An interdisciplinary team of Whole Communities–Whole Health researchers is launching a new study of air quality and health in southeast Austin, building on questions and concerns raised by community members.