UTEP President Named America Makes Ambassador
Last Updated on August 12, 2019 at 12:00 AM
Originally published August 12, 2019
By UC Staff
UTEP Communications
UTEP President Diana Natalicio was named an ambassador of America Makes, the nation’s leading public-private partnership to innovate and accelerate additive manufacturing technology.
The company announced the distinction during President Natalicio’s visit Aug. 1, 2019, to its National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Youngstown, Ohio. America Makes leaders said President Natalicio was named an ambassador in recognition of and appreciation for her continuous demonstration of outstanding dedication to America Makes and its mission.
The University of Texas at El Paso is the home of America Makes’ first Satellite Center, which was established in 2015. Through an expanded agreement with America Makes announced in November 2018, UTEP’s W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation is a pivotal leader in the collection of critical performance data for the 3D-printing industry while offering immense benefits to students.
“During her remarkable 31-year tenure as president, Dr. Natalicio has led UTEP to become a center of academic and research excellence, recently attaining Carnegie R1 status as a top tier doctoral university,” said America Makes Executive Director John Wilczynski. “Our partnership with UTEP and its Keck Center as our first Satellite Center, has been successful, yielding positive outcomes for both our members and industry. Together, our partnership has achieved much to advance additive manufacturing technologies. I anticipate more successes to come from our ongoing collaboration.”
President Natalicio concludes her term in the campus’ highest leadership position Aug. 14. In May 2018, she announced that she would retire after 31 years as UTEP’s leader. Throughout the last three decades, President Natalicio has deftly guided the University to national prominence as a top tier research institution, all the while being relentless in ensuring access and affordability for the student population that it serves. In 2019, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education designated UTEP as an R1 top tier doctoral university with very high research activity. UTEP is one of only 131 (4.5%) universities among the 2,883 four-year higher education institutions across the U.S. to earn this distinction. President Natalicio’s tenure makes her the longest-serving current president of a public doctoral/research university in the country.
