Southwestern has received another recognition as one of the top liberal arts colleges in Texas with Forbes ranking the University #2 in the Lone Star State.
The home of the Pirates basketball and volleyball programs will receive a series of upgrades to elevate the fan experience and enhance the home court advantage.
In alignment with Southwestern’s Tactical Plan, the five-year grant will aid the University’s initiatives to increase retention and graduation rates, prepare students to meet the needs of today’s workforce, and modernize academic facilities.
Led by Assistant Professor of Physics August Kohls, a group of students are working to design and construct a low-cost device for quick and reliable disease detection at home.
SU checked in at #11 on the leading college planning platform’s annual Top 25 Best Southwest Colleges List, marking the seventh consecutive year the University has ranked inside the top 15.
History major Ethan Sledge ’27 made history by becoming Southwestern’s first-ever member of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Now, he is focused on helping establish the organization’s presence on campus through building community.
Highlighted by nationally-ranked faculty, career services, Greek life, and campus recreation, Southwestern shines as one of the best universities in Texas in The Princeton Review’s annual college guide.
Looking back on a career that has included leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, Facebook, Instagram, Birdwell, and now GoDaddy, Clawson credits one thing above all else: the liberal arts education that he received at Southwestern University.
This summer, psychology majors Ingrid Buchwald ’27 and Julia Marshall ’27 worked to validate a parental effort scale developed by Professor of Psychology Carin Perilloux.
Southwestern has received another recognition as one of the top liberal arts colleges in Texas with Forbes ranking the University #2 in the Lone Star State.
The home of the Pirates basketball and volleyball programs will receive a series of upgrades to elevate the fan experience and enhance the home court advantage.
In alignment with Southwestern’s Tactical Plan, the five-year grant will aid the University’s initiatives to increase retention and graduation rates, prepare students to meet the needs of today’s workforce, and modernize academic facilities.
Led by Assistant Professor of Physics August Kohls, a group of students are working to design and construct a low-cost device for quick and reliable disease detection at home.
SU checked in at #11 on the leading college planning platform’s annual Top 25 Best Southwest Colleges List, marking the seventh consecutive year the University has ranked inside the top 15.
History major Ethan Sledge ’27 made history by becoming Southwestern’s first-ever member of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Now, he is focused on helping establish the organization’s presence on campus through building community.
Highlighted by nationally-ranked faculty, career services, Greek life, and campus recreation, Southwestern shines as one of the best universities in Texas in The Princeton Review’s annual college guide.
Looking back on a career that has included leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, Facebook, Instagram, Birdwell, and now GoDaddy, Clawson credits one thing above all else: the liberal arts education that he received at Southwestern University.
This summer, psychology majors Ingrid Buchwald ’27 and Julia Marshall ’27 worked to validate a parental effort scale developed by Professor of Psychology Carin Perilloux.
Southwestern has received another recognition as one of the top liberal arts colleges in Texas with Forbes ranking the University #2 in the Lone Star State.
The home of the Pirates basketball and volleyball programs will receive a series of upgrades to elevate the fan experience and enhance the home court advantage.
In alignment with Southwestern’s Tactical Plan, the five-year grant will aid the University’s initiatives to increase retention and graduation rates, prepare students to meet the needs of today’s workforce, and modernize academic facilities.
Led by Assistant Professor of Physics August Kohls, a group of students are working to design and construct a low-cost device for quick and reliable disease detection at home.
SU checked in at #11 on the leading college planning platform’s annual Top 25 Best Southwest Colleges List, marking the seventh consecutive year the University has ranked inside the top 15.
History major Ethan Sledge ’27 made history by becoming Southwestern’s first-ever member of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Now, he is focused on helping establish the organization’s presence on campus through building community.
Highlighted by nationally-ranked faculty, career services, Greek life, and campus recreation, Southwestern shines as one of the best universities in Texas in The Princeton Review’s annual college guide.
Looking back on a career that has included leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, Facebook, Instagram, Birdwell, and now GoDaddy, Clawson credits one thing above all else: the liberal arts education that he received at Southwestern University.
This summer, psychology majors Ingrid Buchwald ’27 and Julia Marshall ’27 worked to validate a parental effort scale developed by Professor of Psychology Carin Perilloux.
Southwestern has received another recognition as one of the top liberal arts colleges in Texas with Forbes ranking the University #2 in the Lone Star State.
The home of the Pirates basketball and volleyball programs will receive a series of upgrades to elevate the fan experience and enhance the home court advantage.
In alignment with Southwestern’s Tactical Plan, the five-year grant will aid the University’s initiatives to increase retention and graduation rates, prepare students to meet the needs of today’s workforce, and modernize academic facilities.
Led by Assistant Professor of Physics August Kohls, a group of students are working to design and construct a low-cost device for quick and reliable disease detection at home.
SU checked in at #11 on the leading college planning platform’s annual Top 25 Best Southwest Colleges List, marking the seventh consecutive year the University has ranked inside the top 15.
History major Ethan Sledge ’27 made history by becoming Southwestern’s first-ever member of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Now, he is focused on helping establish the organization’s presence on campus through building community.
Highlighted by nationally-ranked faculty, career services, Greek life, and campus recreation, Southwestern shines as one of the best universities in Texas in The Princeton Review’s annual college guide.
Looking back on a career that has included leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, Facebook, Instagram, Birdwell, and now GoDaddy, Clawson credits one thing above all else: the liberal arts education that he received at Southwestern University.
This summer, psychology majors Ingrid Buchwald ’27 and Julia Marshall ’27 worked to validate a parental effort scale developed by Professor of Psychology Carin Perilloux.
2026 Southwestern University Teaching Award recipient and Professor of Mathematics Fumiko Futamura is part of a team that recently earned a $150,000 grant to build a math-themed playground in Austin.
Southwestern has received another recognition as one of the top liberal arts colleges in Texas with Forbes ranking the University #2 in the Lone Star State.
The home of the Pirates basketball and volleyball programs will receive a series of upgrades to elevate the fan experience and enhance the home court advantage.
In alignment with Southwestern’s Tactical Plan, the five-year grant will aid the University’s initiatives to increase retention and graduation rates, prepare students to meet the needs of today’s workforce, and modernize academic facilities.
Led by Assistant Professor of Physics August Kohls, a group of students are working to design and construct a low-cost device for quick and reliable disease detection at home.
SU checked in at #11 on the leading college planning platform’s annual Top 25 Best Southwest Colleges List, marking the seventh consecutive year the University has ranked inside the top 15.
Highlighted by nationally-ranked faculty, career services, Greek life, and campus recreation, Southwestern shines as one of the best universities in Texas in The Princeton Review’s annual college guide.
Looking back on a career that has included leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, Facebook, Instagram, Birdwell, and now GoDaddy, Clawson credits one thing above all else: the liberal arts education that he received at Southwestern University.
This summer, psychology majors Ingrid Buchwald ’27 and Julia Marshall ’27 worked to validate a parental effort scale developed by Professor of Psychology Carin Perilloux.
2026 Southwestern University Teaching Award recipient and Professor of Mathematics Fumiko Futamura is part of a team that recently earned a $150,000 grant to build a math-themed playground in Austin.
This summer, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Branndon Bargo is inviting the Southwestern University community to join him on a world record-setting trip to the highest point in all 50 U.S. states.
Southwestern University Outdoor Adventure’s Branndon Bargo embarked on an extraordinary quest to climb the highest point in all 50 U.S. states in record time.
This summer, Branndon took the Seek Your Summit challenge across the country, testing his endurance on some of America’s most demanding terrain. Although the journey ended short of the record, the miles traveled, peaks climbed, and obstacles overcome made it an incredible adventure.
An Extraordinary Journey
46 Highpoints Reached in 21 Days
Explore Branndon’s cross-country route and the summits reached during the Seek Your Summit challenge.
Follow the Highpointers
Join Branndon for more summit adventures and tales from the trail.
Southwestern University Outdoor Adventure’s Branndon Bargo has made adventuring his life. He has led large and difficult expeditions to more than 60 countries, including Chile, Ecuador, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Peru, Tanzania, and Uganda, just to name a few. A gifted athlete, he competes in the world’s most difficult endurance events to keep in shape for his expeditions. Branndon has competed in the world’s toughest canoe race, the world’s toughest one-day mountain bike race, and in triathlons and ultramarathons around the world.
Branndon and his brother Greg were the first individuals in history to climb Mount McKinley, the highest point in North America, then bike 4,000 miles down the western seaboard, from Alaska, through Canada, across the United States, and eventually to Baja, Mexico, where they capped off the expedition by swimming with great white sharks.
A member of the prestigious Explorers Club since 2009, Branndon is the founder and owner of the outdoor company, Live Adventure, and is Executive Producer and host of The Highpointers on PBS and Amazon Prime. He has a broadcast journalism degree from Texas State University and an Emmy nomination for his work with the travel documentary series The Daytripper.
Explore the Route
The current fastest known time to summit all 50 U.S. state highpoints is 20 days, 14 hours, and 4 minutes. Branndon is looking to break that record this summer. His clock will start when he reaches the peak of his first summit — Mount McKinley in Alaska — and stops when he reaches his final summit, Wyoming’s Gannett Peak. Once his clock begins, updates will be shared via this webpage and on social media.
Seek Your Summit Schedule
Branndon’s tentative schedule is listed below. Dates, times, and routes are subject to change as Branndon pursues the world record time. For the most up-to-date information, follow @southwesternu, @suoutdooradventure, @thehighpointers, and the tag #SeekYourSummitSU on Instagram throughout the Seek Your Summit expedition.
Branndon is partnering with the Southwestern kinesiology and psychology departments on a study that will track the physical, mental, and emotional changes that occur to his body during the Seek Your Summit expedition. Associate Professor of Kinesiology Ed Merritt and his students will conduct pre- and post-trip testing on Branndon’s cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, heart rate, and other vitals, to compare his statistics before and after the excursion. About a month before the journey began, Branndon slept in a Hypoxico altitude tent designed to train his body to perform better at higher altitudes. SU kinesiology students will be studying how this pre-trip regimen may improve his performance.
Branndon will also be working with Professor of Psychology Erin Crockett to assess his psyche before, during, and after the excursion.
At Southwestern, learning doesn’t stop in the classroom. Our Outdoor Adventure program takes students out into the world — whether they’re summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, backpacking the Grand Canyon, or paddling Texas rivers. Each experience is designed to challenge, build leadership, and deepen sense of purpose.
Branndon and Shelby pour months of planning into each adventure, working hard to build experiences that appeal to a wide range of students, ensuring that opportunities are created for students of all abilities and skill levels. From spelunking in nearby caves, kayaking in local rivers, and rock climbing at state parks to hiking Central Texas nature trails, horseback riding in the Hill Country, and exploring historic archaeological sites, the program aims to explore all that Texas and the world has to offer.
Explore a selection of videos and stories about Outdoor Adventure:
