The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) within the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin serves as the communication, outreach, and community engagement arm of one of the largest and most diverse liberal arts colleges in the United States. OPA promotes the work of the college’s 25 academic departments, centers, and programs by connecting scholarly research with public audiences across Texas and beyond.
Through events, media, and collaborative initiatives, the Office of Public Affairs amplifies the voices of faculty and students working in the humanities, social sciences, and area studies. Its mission is to foster public understanding of the arts and sciences while promoting inclusion, equity, and cross-cultural awareness.
OPA regularly organizes public lectures, cultural showcases, and academic forums that bring together scholars, artists, and community leaders. Notable programming includes initiatives in Latin American studies, gender and identity, public policy, and the arts. The Office also partners with organizations such as the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese to produce bilingual and bicultural events that reflect Texas’s rich diversity.
