Austin, TX
New Speakers Bureau Offers Access to Vast Community of UT Experts
AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has launched its first-ever University-wide speakers bureau, a new program that makes it easier for organizations to learn about and hire experts and leaders from across the UT community as their event and conference speakers.
Powered by Texas Executive Education, the UT Speakers Bureau will provide exclusive access to perspectives from esteemed scholars, researchers, administrative leaders, coaches and other professionals. Organizations, professional conferences and anyone else looking for keynote speakers and subject matter experts will have only one entry point to learn about, select and hire the perfect speakers for their needs.
“At Texas Executive Education, we are often on the front lines of engagement with different companies looking to partner with the University,” said Gaylen Paulson, associate dean in the McCombs School of Business and executive director of Texas Executive Education. “One of the things we sometimes hear is how challenging it can be to navigate the University and find the right expert speakers for their events — or to know who is even available or interested in those opportunities. The new UT Speakers Bureau was designed specifically to address that challenge, and I am thrilled to provide a streamlined platform for this engagement while also shining a light on the experts and leaders in our colleges, schools and units.”
With an internationally renowned community of faculty experts, coaching legends, staff leaders, alumni executives and more, the University has provided prominent keynote speakers and other event participants to local and national organizations for decades. As Austin continues to draw more companies and host more national and international conferences, the demand for these local experts is higher than ever.
“The UT Speakers Bureau comes at a perfect time for Austin,” said Mary Kay Hackley, vice president for strategic alliances at Visit Austin and executive director of the Visit Austin Foundation. “Austin has become recognized as one of the top destinations in the U.S. for professional events and meetings, and our ability to leverage the incredible base of talent at The University of Texas makes us an even more competitive option. We’re thrilled to be working with UT to help take meetings to the next level.”
By centralizing the entry point for outside organizations, the UT Speakers Bureau will streamline the process of identifying and accessing talent from the vast roster of speakers and thought leaders across campus. Organizations can now enjoy customized speaking engagements, complete with experienced speakers, interactive presentations, seamless experiences and support in planning and logistics for corporate events, seminars or any other occasion.
As part of UT’s 10-year strategic plan, Change Starts Here, the University seeks to create stronger connections with community and industry partners and increase access for external organizations to engage with the world-class talent of the UT community. With the UT Speakers Bureau, the University established a one-stop access point to showcase more of the University’s world-class expertise across a wide range of fields and industries.
Please visit the UT Speakers Bureau website to learn more.
Austin, TX
Black Sheep Coffee Opens First Austin Location, Expanding Its Texas Footprint | What Now Austin
Black Sheep Coffee, the international coffee brand, will celebrate the opening of its first Central Texas location in Downtown Austin with two public events. The new café, located at W 6th St & Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78701, marks a significant step in the company’s U.S. expansion following strong growth throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth region.
A public ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted in partnership with the Austin Chamber of Commerce, will take place on Thursday, January 15 from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., welcoming community members, local leaders, and partners into the space. During the event, guests can enjoy half-price lattes, including coffee and matcha drinks.
On Saturday, January 17, Black Sheep Coffee will officially celebrate their grand opening with a Sips & Beats event from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., featuring live vinyl set by DJ Foxxy Brown, signature menu tastings, and half-price lattes throughout the event. Continuing the celebration, the store will also offer a 50% discount to International Half Marathon medal holders on Sunday, January 18, welcoming runners and spectators to refuel post-race.
Designed to reflect Austin’s creative identity, the location features custom graffiti artwork inspired by the city’s street art scene and the energy of Downtown. The new outpost will serve Black Sheep Coffee’s complete menu, including its 100% specialty-grade Robusta coffee, ceremonial-grade matcha, smoothies, pastries, Norwegian waffles, curated food offerings, and two bakery variations created exclusively for the Austin store. Additional limited-time items will debut later in January as part of the brand’s functional health product refresh.
“Austin has long been on our radar for its passionate community and standout coffee culture,” said Eirik Holth, co-founder of Black Sheep Coffee in a statement. “We’re excited to become part of that fabric and bring something new to Downtown. With several U.S. locations in the pipeline, Austin marks a major milestone in our next chapter of growth.”
Black Sheep Coffee chose Austin for its strong alignment with the brand’s ethos and its reputation as a city that celebrates individuality and creativity. The opening also reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to Texas, with several additional locations planned statewide for 2026.
The Austin café will be open Sunday through Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit BlackSheepCoffee.us.
Austin, TX
Lawsuit: Brianna Aguilera’s parents allege underage alcohol service at Austin tailgate contributed to daughter’s death
The parents of Brianna Aguilera have filed a lawsuit against two organizations, alleging that they served alcohol to their underage daughter which contributed to her death in Austin.
Before Aguilera fell to her death from the Rio 21 Apartments in West Campus, the lawsuit states that she attended a tailgate at the Austin Blacks Rugby Club’s facility, organized by the UT Latin Economics and Business Association.
Both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association were listed as defendants in the lawsuit.
>> What we know about Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera’s death in Austin
Even though the lawsuit states Aguilera was “noticeably intoxicated” at the tailgate, her parents argue that the defendants continued to serve her alcohol.
According to court documents, Aguilera allegedly began stumbling at the tailgate and needed help standing at times. At some point, the lawsuit said she fell into the woods and lost her phone.
After leaving the tailgate at approximately 10 p.m., court documents state Aguilera died around two hours later.
The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of negligence and gross negligence for serving alcohol to Aguilera despite her age and allegedly overserving her.
In the suit, Aguilera’s parents demanded a trial by jury and sought at least $1 million plus interest, costs and punitive damages.
Aguilera’s parents also seek damages for wrongful death, citing the defendants’ alleged misconduct.
Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who’s representing the Aguilera family, commented on the lawsuit in a Tuesday news conference.
Watch the full news conference below:
“Brianna was obviously overserved,” Buzbee said. “Even the police have concluded that she was overserved at that tailgate. She was not 21.”
Buzbee also stated that the Austin Police Department has allegedly told multiple witnesses not to talk with him and Aguilera’s parents.
“They told the three, the three individuals that were in that apartment that night when this young girl died. They told them, do not speak to Brianna’s mother or her lawyers,” Buzbee said.
He said that the lawsuit could provide a way for the witnesses to eventually come forward with information.
“By filing this lawsuit, not only will we hold accountable an entity or entities that were involved in overserving Brianna and other minors, but we will also be able to subpoena individuals and documents and video and data so we can continue our investigation,” Buzbee said.
KSAT’s sister station, KPRC, has reached out to both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association for comment on the lawsuit. This story will be updated once the organizations provide a statement.
More coverage of this story on KSAT:
Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
Austin, TX
Cedar pollen eases, but record heat builds across Central Texas
Although record-breaking heat and spring-like warmth dominated the first few days of the new year, cooler — but still warmer than normal —temperatures settled in to start the first work week of 2026.
The heat will ramp up yet again Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures about 20 degrees above the normal early-January high of 62 degrees.
Expect a blanket of low stratus clouds and some patchy dense fog Tuesday morning, but skies should begin clearing around lunchtime.
“In the meantime, a surface trough (of low atmospheric pressure)/dry line will push from the southern Edwards Plateau into the I-35 corridor, bringing temperatures into the lower to mid-80s,” meteorologists with the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast discussion Monday. “It is going to be very warm for this time of year, and some daily high temperature records could be broken.”
Those temperatures could rival record highs at both Austin climate observation sites, Camp Mabry and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where the standing record is 84 degrees, set in 1989.
Behind the dry line Tuesday, drier air will move into Central Texas, leading to a slightly cooler start Wednesday under mostly to partly cloudy skies.
Morning temperatures will dip into the 50s around sunrise before climbing into the upper 70s to mid-80s by the afternoon. Those highs would surpass the record of 80 degrees set in 2008 at Camp Mabry.
Temperatures the rest of the week will remain above normal with mostly cloudy mornings but sunny afternoons.
A cold front is forecast to move across the region later in the week with a slight rain chance Thursday and Friday, but most of the rain will fall north and east of Austin. However, cooler and more seasonable weather is expected this weekend.
This past weekend, Austin experienced the highest cedar pollen counts so far this season with a count of 3,200 grains per cubic meter Saturday and a peak of 4,000 grains per cubic meter on Sunday. However, the count dropped to just over 1,000 grams per cubic meter on Monday. Humidity has been on the rise in the past few days, and winds have been much lighter. Those factors have helped “settle” the cedar pollen for the time being.
Luckily, the winds have turned southerly and are much lighter, so the pollen has settled a bit. A small chance of rain on Thursday and Friday should also help dampen cedar pollen before it becomes airborne. However, above-normal temperatures will allow tree pollen cones to continue opening, setting the stage for another pollen surge when the next breezy cold front arrives.
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