Ryan Hightower Email & Phone Number

Hello, my name is Ryan and I am a University of Texas at Austin Alum! I graduated from UT with a double major in Humanities Honors, where I specialized in Behavioral Economics in American Culture, and Human Dimensions of Organization with a minor in Italian Studies. Throughout my time at UT, I was highly involved in a variety of communities and activities. I was on the executive leadership board for Texas Sunshines, a social student organization, for 4 semesters. I also helped to found and lead Circolo Italiano, a social-academic student organization for students studying Italian language and culture. Beyond just our campus in Austin, I studied abroad in Rome, Italy during a 6-week summer program where we dove into Roman history and culture while living with Italian host families. This variety of immersions sculpted my journey as a college student as well as my experience as an individual as I strengthened my people, culture, and leadership-centered skills alongside my academic studies. Throughout my final year at UT, I wrote a thesis entitled “Workplace Toxicity: A Cost/Benefit Analysis” wherein I combined my people-centered skills with my passion for mathematics and economics in a new and revolutionary approach to the workplace toxicity dilemma. I believe that through the application of Behavioral Economics and by embracing the unity between the world of numbers and the world of humanities, we may learn to create a more functional, empathetic, and prosperous new world of American business. I currently work in Commercial Real Estate at Tarantino Properties, Inc. where I conduct in-depth Market Research, head Marketing and New Business activities for our Austin branch with my boss, Nick, and assist in a variety of special operations pertaining to the property management and accounting aspect of our company. I am an adaptable, quick-learning, and hard-working individual who strives to increase efficiency and productivity in any project that I participate in. I absolutely love interacting with others and thrive in environments where creativity and independence are valued.