Matthew McConaughey officially joins University of Texas at Austin as a professor

Matthew McConaughey is forging a new career path that combines two things he's passionate about: films and Texas. The Oscar-winning actor has officially joined the faculty of University of Texas at Austin, as a professor of practice at the school's Moody College of Communication.

McConaughey has been a visiting instructor at the school since 2015 and served as the school's "Minister of Culture," CBS Austin reports. The Texas native attended UT Austin, graduating in 1993 with a bachelor's of science in radio, television and film, according to the school. 

McConaughey, who dressed casually in a group photo with students at the school, will teach the "Script to Screen" film production class in UT's Department of Radio-Television-Film, the school announced on Twitter.

Eight years ago, McConaughey and his wife, Camila Alves, decided to move their family to Austin, CBS Austin reported. In a video Alves posted on Instagram, the couple explained their decision to move there — and what has changed about Austin. 

McConaughey said the city was going through some "wonderful growing pains" and is facing the challenge of "maintaining the core values of the village we used to be while we're now becoming a great metropolis."

"Now with our massive growth we're more than just a university town and a government town," he said in the video, which was filmed at an event for the couple's Just Keep Livin Foundation. "We're a tech town; we're a business town; we're a banking town and we're a congested traffic town... but we don't honk horns!"

McConaughey also said Austin has always been a place where "nobody's too good and everybody's good enough."

The Just Keep Livin Foundation focuses on empowering high school students to stay healthy and active. Now, McConaughey will also impart his wisdom on slightly older college-age kids.

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