Dr. Anita Vangelisti’s appointment as interim dean of Moody College followed previous Moody Dean Rachel Davis Mersey’s appointment to serve as interim provost. As Moody navigates another change in leadership, Moody Magazine spoke with Interim Dean Vangelisti about her journey to the Forty Acres and how she plans on leading the college. 

Since she started her new position on Sept. 1, Vangelisti said the quick transition is the most surprising change. Mersey stepped into the role of dean only eight months prior and served as interim dean for six months before that. 

“We didn't know this was going to happen at the beginning of the summer,” Vangelisti said. “We found out it was going to happen right before the semester started. So, the expression that other deans have given me is that it was a little bit like drinking from a fire hose.”

The demands of the dean’s office require Vangelisti to divvy up her time in ways she previously didn’t have to. 

“The thing that surprised me the most was sort of the change in pace and schedule. I used to have several meetings a day,” she said. “Now, my whole day is full of meetings, and then I do my other work at home at night, so I'm perpetually behind on my email. Sorry, everyone!” 

Vangelisti’s path to the University of Texas started on the West Coast, where she was a student at the University of Washington and took her first communication class. 

“I was working my way through school and had my own business, and as an undergrad, stumbled into a communication class, and (thought) one way to make my business go better would be to get a master's degree in communication,” she said. 

While pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Washington, Vangelisti said she fell in love with teaching and decided to go for her PhD. After discovering her graduate adviser graduated from UT, Vangelisti decided to follow in her footsteps and attended the Forty Acres. After graduating, she completed a brief stint at the University of Iowa before returning to Texas as a professor. 

When asked about her favorite UT tradition, Vangelisti said one quickly came top of mind – graduation. 

“There's nothing better than looking out at the audience and seeing all the families’ faces smiling and everybody being so proud of the graduates,” she said. “And then, of course, the big graduation, the fireworks, makes you go, ‘This is UT.’ It's the best.” 

Vangelisti has made it her mission to continue the initiatives Mersey started. 

With all the exciting things happening at Moody, Vangelisti touched on the highlights of projects already underway and talked about what’s coming next. 

“One thing is the sports production and broadcasting classes that we have in place. That’s one of the things going full steam ahead,” said Vangelisti, adding that this program came about thanks to UT’s move into the SEC, which prompted Texas Athletics to come to Moody and propose a collaboration. “We got courses up and running this fall, and there's now a proposal for a minor in sports production and broadcasting.”

Vangelisti also said she wants to ensure that all Moody programs continue to grow. Initiatives like UTNY, UTLA and the Moody Honors program are all programs Vangelisti plans on “leveling up,” along with growing hubs like the Center for Media Engagement. 

“I think the best ideas come from people with different backgrounds and perspectives working together. It's one of the most incredibly exciting things we do here at UT,” Vangelisti said. “I'm interested in those kinds of projects where we get to bring people from different areas of campus together to create new and innovative things.”

As for how she wants to be remembered as a leader, Vangelisti shared a clear goal to keep things moving. 

“The best thing I can do is to keep all the projects and all the people's goals going at the same speed they were, and elevate them even further,” Vangelisti said. 

Interactions with students proved to be the aspect of her new role Vangelisti considers the most fun. The variety of students Vangelisti gets to interact with due to the public-facing nature of the role showed her another aspect of the college.

“'I’ve not had that much exposure before now to students in the other departments, and it's inspiring to see we have excellent students in all areas. Some of the things they're doing, I'm just like, ‘That's incredible,’” Vangelisti said. 

As a researcher of personal relationships, Vangelisti wants to remind students that at the end of the day, it’s your interactions with others that matter most. Vangelisti said that “being able to build and maintain those relationships is what's going to make you personally and professionally successful.”

Austin continues to be the place to be with major events such as a visit from the “Today” show, the CMT Music Awards, Formula 1 and the Austin City Limits Music Festival. This electric atmosphere, particularly in the past few years, hasn’t gone unnoticed by Vangelisti. 

“I've been here for a long time, and in all the years I've been here, this is the most exciting time that I've seen, and I think it's partly because people are open to all the things coming together,” she said. 

The excitement of the city is reflected in applications rising for this “Public Ivy of the South.”

“We have our applications that are up and up and up every year. So, it's just the perfect mix,” she said. “People are more open to working together on innovative things now than I've ever seen them here before. Nothing except excitement can come from that.”