MinerAlert
MinerAlert
César Carrasco, Ph.D., has been named interim associate dean for Research, Innovation and Impact at The University of Texas at El Paso’s Miguel A. Loya College of Engineering, effective Sept. 1, 2026.
Carrasco, a longtime faculty member and academic leader at UTEP, brings 26 years of experience with the College to the role. During his tenure, he has served as a professor, undergraduate program director, chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering and director of the Future Aerospace Science and Technology (FAST) Center.
“Dr. Carrasco brings extensive experience as a researcher, educator and academic leader, as well as a deep understanding of our college and its research community,” said Kenith Meissner, Ph.D., dean of the Miguel A. Loya College of Engineering. “His leadership will be important as we continue to strengthen the environment that enables our faculty to pursue ambitious research, build collaborations and create opportunities for our students.”
Carrasco succeeds Eric MacDonald, Ph.D., who recently accepted a faculty position with the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida.
MacDonald had served in Loya Engineering research leadership role since December 2021, initially as associate dean for Graduate Studies and Research and most recently as associate dean for Research, Innovation and Impact. During his tenure, he worked to advance faculty research productivity, support early-career faculty, strengthen research collaborations and expand connections with national laboratories and other research partners. He also supported efforts to strengthen graduate education, recruitment and opportunities for students to pursue nationally competitive fellowships.
“We are grateful to Dr. MacDonald for his leadership and contributions to Loya Engineering,” Meissner said. “His commitment to strengthening our research enterprise and supporting our faculty and students has helped position the college for continued growth. We wish him the very best in this next chapter of his career.”
As interim associate dean, Carrasco will help advance the college’s research mission by supporting faculty scholarship, strengthening the resources and infrastructure that enable research and identifying opportunities to expand the impact of engineering research and innovation.
“It is an opportunity to broaden my impact on the scholarly work across the Loya Engineering,” Carrasco said. “For me, this role is about serving our faculty by building the support and resources they need to elevate their research and create life-changing opportunities for our students.”
Carrasco said listening to faculty and identifying barriers to their research and scholarly goals will be among his first priorities. His approach will draw from his experience working across a wide range of research areas and his previous academic and administrative leadership roles.
“My top priority will be to listen closely to our faculty, identify the primary friction points preventing them from achieving their scholarly goals and work to mitigate those challenges so they can focus on what they are passionate about,” Carrasco said. “My experience working across a wide variety of research topics with diverse teams, along with my time as a department chair and program director, has given me a practical understanding of the administrative and operational challenges our faculty navigate every day.”
Carrasco earned a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from UTEP in 2000 and a master’s degree in civil engineering from UTEP in 1992. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in 1989.
In his new role, Carrasco will work with college leadership, faculty, research centers and partners to strengthen the research environment across Loya Engineering and help translate scholarly work into meaningful impact for students, the region and beyond.