AUSTIN — University of Texas at Austin mass communication doctoral candidate Ryan Wallace, 33, of Bastrop, was just weeks away from receiving his Ph.D. when a crash took his life.Wallace, who died in a crash on Highway 21 Friday, March 22 in Bastrop County, was scheduled to defend his dissertation next week, Monday, April 8.The dissertation was titled “Changing Climates: Evolving Reporting Practices, Priorities and Audience Perceptions regarding the Human-Nature Relationship.”The School of Journalism and Media at UT-Austin will proceed with the event in his memory.“We as the school decided to continue with this defense meeting,” said Iris Chyi, Wallace’s ...