UTEP’S REAS Center Powers Research and Student Success
The Research, Evaluation and Assessment Services Center, or REAS Center, in UTEP’s Research and Innovation division has contributed to over $100 million in awarded grants while equipping students and faculty with essential research skills and services.
This valuable yet often underutilized resource was established in 2013 to address the growing demand by faculty and graduate students for evaluation services in grant proposals. Over the years, it has expanded its operations significantly, currently evaluating 27 active projects and contributing to over $70 million in awarded grant funding.
The primary services of the center include free assistance in developing evaluation plans for grant proposals, and for a fee, they will conduct evaluations for funded projects. REAS also maintains a directory of regional evaluators to connect researchers with the best support.
“The REAS team assists with data collection, including surveys and interviews with students, faculty and stakeholders,” said Karina C. Canaba, director of the Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives (COURI). “They also assist in ensuring that we as a department do the activities that we have promised as part of proposals and are very helpful in answering research questions that identify successful activities and interventions that achieve student success.”
The REAS Center also provides students mentorship, financial support and hands-on research experiences to enhance their academic and career prospects. By pairing students with REAS staff mentors, the center fosters a collaborative learning environment where the students gain valuable research skills, build professional networks and prepare for advanced studies or careers in their chosen fields.
“REAS is a transformative center that equips our students with the knowledge, experience and confidence to excel in research and beyond,” said REAS Center Director Guadalupe Corral Ph.D. “Through individualized mentorship and skill-building training, we ensure that our students are well-prepared for future academic and professional success.”
For researchers, securing grants and conducting meaningful assessments can be challenging, but REAS provides the expertise needed to ensure the success of projects. By offering robust evaluation services, REAS strengthens UTEP’s research capacity and supports faculty in securing funding that benefits the University and the broader community.
“As a scientist, I do not have the skills to effectively assess my projects,” said Wen-Yee Lee, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “Without REAS, we would not have had the capability or ability to conduct proper assessment. We are very fortunate to have this kind of service.”
Canaba said the REAS team is extraordinarily responsive to COURI’s needs, even with quick turnaround deadlines.
“Last year we were invited to apply for a prestigious award that required us to submit all our application materials within a two-week time frame,” Canaba said. “These were data points that we had already collected for various programs but had never been asked to be put together in such a comprehensive way and within the organization’s submission guidelines. The REAS team worked diligently with me putting all the materials together, editing and reviewing before we submitted the materials on time. This included weekends and evenings – whatever it took to see to it that it was done.”
Beyond serving the UTEP community, the REAS Center collaborates with several regional organizations, including the City of El Paso, the Housing Authority, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso Community College, the University of Texas Medical Branch, and the County of El Paso. These partnerships ensure that research and evaluation efforts contribute meaningfully to the community. However, the main focus of the center is to support the UTEP community.
"Our main priority remains UTEP because we are UTEP-grown," Corral said.
For more information about the REAS Center, please visit utep.edu/research/reas/ or contact Sandra Oviedo Ramirez, Ph.D., REAS associate director, at sloviedoramirez@utep.edu.
Last Updated on May 12, 2025 at 12:00 AM | Originally published May 12, 2025
By Maggie Asfahani UTEP Marketing and Communications
