UTEP News | Updates from The University of Texas at El Paso

UTEP Expands Efforts to Support First-Generation Student Success

The University of Texas at El Paso is expanding its efforts to support the success of first-generation (FirstGen) college students by incorporating a holistic approach.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting to Celebrate Establishment of the School of Mines

The University of Texas at El Paso will illuminate the “Mining Minds” pickaxe sculpture at the campus’ Sun Bowl-University Roundabout in blue and orange Friday evening, April 16, 2021, to commemorate the establishment of the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, now UTEP.

UTEP College of Business Administration Reaffirms Dual AACSB Accreditations

The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Business Administration has received accreditation extensions for its accounting and business programs from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

UTEP’s 27th FloraFest Offers Diverse Plants for Sale

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens invites community members to start their spring season at the FloraFEST 2021 Annual Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 17-18, 2021, at Leech Grove.

UTEP Professor Selected as Fellow of the UT System of Academy of Distinguished Teachers

Denise Lujan, director of developmental math and the Entering Student Experience (ESE) Program at The University of Texas at El Paso, was selected as a Fellow of The University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers, the UT System’s highest honor for recognizing outstanding leadership in education.

UTEP, America’s Leading Hispanic-Serving University, Unveils 10-Year Strategic Plan

The University of Texas at El Paso today unveiled its strategic plan for the next decade, built upon UTEP’s unique advantages and highlighting its status as America’s leading Hispanic-serving university.

UTEP Students, Alumni Earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

A half-dozen students and alumni from The University of Texas at El Paso are recipients of 2021 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships in recognition of their potential to be high achieving scientists and engineers early in their careers.

National Group Honors UTEP Educator for Impactful Book

The Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) announced recently that The University of Texas at El Paso’s Isabel Baca, Ph.D., had earned a 2021 CCCC Advancement of Knowledge Award for a book she edited that advanced writing studies.

Engineering Student is First UTEP Recipient of National Metallurgy Scholarship, Internship

Gina Zavala Alvarado, a senior metallurgical and materials engineering major at The University of Texas at El Paso, was recently named the recipient of the nationally competitive Metallurgy Scholarship and internship awarded by the Ellwood Group.

Virtual Show Generates Love, Funds for the UTEP Dinner Theatre

When the UTEP Dinner Theatre (UDT) produced “Broadway in Concert” on Feb. 6, 2021, the producers were unsure how interested people would be in a free virtual show that offered live performances of popular showtunes. The answer surprised and humbled them.

3 UTEP Students Win at Regional Theater Festival

A trio of students from The University of Texas at El Paso earned top finishes at the recent Region 6 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) that was conducted virtually.

UTEP Alumnus and Researcher Awarded Prestigious Army Service Award

Jaime C. Acosta, Ph.D., an alumnus and researcher at The University of Texas at El Paso, earned the Department of the Army Civilian Service Achievement Medal for his commitment to improving workforce diversity from October 2018 through December 2020.

UTEP to Study Ways State Can Retain ECI Specialists

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) awarded part of a three-year, $750,000 grant to The University of Texas at El Paso to develop strategies for the State of Texas to retain early childhood intervention (ECI) personnel.

Renowned Mexican Feminists Speak at UTEP Virtual Event

Renowned Mexican anthropologist and scholar Marcela Lagarde y de los Ríos attributed the rise in domestic violence and intimate partner violence in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic to patriarchal attitudes and gender inequality in the home.

UTEP Joins National COVID-19 Network to Build Resilience Against Pandemic among Food Production and Distribution Workers

The University of Texas at El Paso joined Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM)’s National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN) of strategic partners to inform community-driven response, recovery and resiliency strategies for addressing the impact of COVID-19 on communities.

UTEP President Promotes Peer Assistance on STEM Panel

Mentors and “champions” can help elevate more women and minorities to positions of authority, according to The University of Texas at El Paso’s President Heather Wilson, who was a panelist on a virtual Women’s History Month webinar Tuesday, March 23, 2021.

UTEP Helps Optimize COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics in the U.S.

Sreenath Chalil Madathil, Ph.D., assistant professor in industrial manufacturing and systems engineering (IMSE) at The University of Texas at El Paso, is working to streamline the process and ease the patient experience at COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the United States to ensure faster vaccine distribution.

UTEP Announces Details for Commencement Ceremonies in May 2021

The University of Texas at El Paso will host two in-person Commencement ceremonies at Sun Bowl Stadium in May for all graduates of the Class of 2020 and the 2021 spring and summer candidates.

UTEP Administrator to Chair El Paso’s Emergence Health Network Board

Emergence Health Network (EHN) announced recently that its Board of Trustees had elected as its chair The University of Texas at El Paso’s Rick Myer, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Services.

Recent UTEP Graduate Earns Fulbright U.S. Student Program Award

Aylin Duarte was born in El Paso, Texas, but raised in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The recent graduate of The University of Texas at El Paso understands biculturalism and bilingualism and plans to promote both in Argentina as a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistant starting in spring 2022.

Retired Administrator Helped Build UTEP’s ‘Access, Excellence’ Plan

Colleagues at The University of Texas at El Paso said Charles “Chuck” Ambler, Ph.D., used his good humor, calm demeanor and insightful leadership skills to help UTEP become a top research institution that serves all levels of students.

UTEP President and Other Higher Ed Leaders Discuss the Impact of Texas Universities on Hispanic Success

At a critical juncture in the economic recovery of Texas and the nation, The University of Texas at El Paso is proud to join with national higher education leader Excelencia in Education to unveil “25 Years of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs),” a new, major research project.

UTEP Engineering Doctoral Student Paper Earns Editor’s Choice

Maryamsadat Shokrekhodaei, a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso, received an Editor’s Choice Article recognition from Sensors, a leading international peer-reviewed open access journal on the science and technology of sensors, for her published research on glucose measurements for diabetic patients.

Special Lighting of 'Mining Minds' to Honor 1966 Championship Team

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at UTEP's Sun Bowl-University Roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Friday evening, March 19, 2021, to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Texas Western College (now The University of Texas at El Paso) men's basketball team winning the NCAA championship.

UTEP President and Other Higher Ed Leaders to Discuss the Impact of Texas Universities on Hispanic Success

UTEP Faculty Member Contributes to Advances in Cancer Detection

Research being conducted at The University of Texas at El Paso by Wen-Yee Lee, Ph.D., is helping pave the way for advances in early detection methods for prostate cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer death among men according to the American Cancer Society.

UTEP Miner Earns Fulbright Award

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Aylin Duarte has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award for an English Teaching Assistantship for the 2021-22 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

UTEP Master’s Programs Recognized Among Top Programs in U.S.

A pair of graduate programs at The University of Texas at El Paso are among the top 5 in the nation, while a handful of others are also recognized in rankings published by Intelligent.com, an online publication that touts a lifelong commitment to continuous improvement.

UTEP Creative Writing Lecturer Earns National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) named The University of Texas at El Paso’s alumnus and faculty member Aldo Amparán as one of its 2021 Literature Fellows in Creative Writing for Poetry.

UTEP Black Affinity Group Champions for Minority Populations

Kityara James, a doctoral student at The University of Texas at El Paso, is not averse to relocation. She was raised in Detroit, moved to Atlanta and received her undergraduate degree in Savannah, Georgia. In 2019, she arrived at UTEP, drawn by the University’s doctoral program in legal psychology.

UTEP Faculty Member Receives Coveted NASA Award to Expand Lunar Exploration

Newly minted NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) fellow, Amelia Greig, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso, will have the opportunity to expand her research to harvest water on the moon through the receipt of a highly competitive NIAC award.

UTEP Survey Reveals Hidden Health and Wellness Benefits of COVID-19 Pandemic

EL PASO, Texas – A study by physiology researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso found that El Paso’s stay-at-home ordinance due to the COVID-19 pandemic had positive effects on the health and well-being of the region’s residents.

UTEP Lecturer Earns NEA Translation Fellowship

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently awarded a $12,500 Literature Translation Fellowship to The University of Texas at El Paso’s JD Pluecker, an online Master of Fine Arts lecturer in the Department of Creative Writing.

UTEP Student Researchers Present During Texas Undergraduate Research Day at The Capitol

Kenji Santacruz readily admits he was awestruck when he opened an email from The University of Texas at El Paso Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives (COURI) informing him that he would have an audience with the state legislature to showcase his work during the 2021 Texas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol on Feb. 23-24, 2021. The senior electrical engineering major joins Jacob Hooper, a senior biological sciences major, as the 10th and 11th students to represent UTEP since the biennial event began in 2011.

UTEP LaunchPad Primes Students for Success as Entrepreneurs

Jesus Hernandez, Timothy McCary and Erick Rivera are now better equipped to run a successful business, thanks to a new entrepreneurship program available to students at The University of Texas at El Paso that has the potential to positively impact the region’s economy.

UTEP Expertise to Aid COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts in Mexico

EL PASO, Texas – The University of Texas at El Paso’s COVID-19 vaccination program may soon serve as model for immunization efforts in Mexico’s largest state.

UTEP Civil Engineering Student Named Young Engineer of the Year

Daniel Carrera, a civil engineering graduate student at The University of Texas at El Paso, was named Young Engineer of the Year by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) El Paso Chapter in recognition of his technical ability, professional achievements and civic and humanitarian efforts.

UTEP Civil Engineering Professor Named El Paso Engineer of the Year

Soheil Nazarian, Ph.D., professor of civil engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso, was named Engineer of the Year by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) El Paso Chapter for his vast academic, professional and community contributions.

UTEP’s ‘ReUnion rEvolución’ Broadcasts Earn Kennedy Center Invitation

The radio series “ReUnión rEvolución,” produced by The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Theatre and Dance during the fall 2020 semester, earned an invitation to the virtual Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Region 6 competition Feb. 19-28, 2021.

UTEP Nursing Students Care for Virtual Patients During Pandemic

When Sarys Vasquez started The University of Texas at El Paso’s traditional undergraduate nursing program in fall 2020, she looked forward to checking vital signs, evaluating patients and role-playing other patient care scenarios with classmates in UTEP’s Center for Simulation.

UTEP to Delay Opening Monday Due to Inclement Weather

Due to inclement weather and potentially dangerous road conditions, all in-person activities at The University of Texas at El Paso will be delayed until 10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. This includes the on-campus COVID-19 walk-up coronavirus testing sites and the YWCA University Heights Early Learning Center.

Inclement Weather Impacts Some University Services

Some campus operations at The University of Texas at El Paso have been impacted by the arrival of a winter storm in the region Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

NEA to Fund UTEP Study on How Arts Affect Learning

The National Endowment for the Arts awarded The University of Texas at El Paso’s Sarah Jean Johnson, Ph.D., a grant to study how teaching and learning practices in community arts programs affect Latinx children and their families.

UTEP Professor’s Study May Lead to Solutions for Overeating

Science is a step closer to a new response to obesity, thanks in part to a study conducted by a team that included Sergio Iñiguez, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Awarded $1 Million NNSA Grant to Expose Minority Students to Nuclear Energy Industry

EL PASO, Texas – Students from The University of Texas at El Paso will have more opportunities to train for competitive jobs in the energy industry through a $1 million grant from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

National Group Admits UTEP Research Collaborative

The National Network of Education Research Practice Partnerships has admitted The University of Texas at El Paso’s Paso del Norte Partnership for Education Research (PDNPER) into its group.

UTEP Team to Assess Security and Strategic Trade Management Academy’s Coursework

The U.S. Department of State has awarded a $34,000 grant that researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso will use to evaluate training programs offered to international representatives to enhance U.S. security.

UTEP's Dance Program Organizes Virtual Concert

An international audience is expected to tune into a virtual dance concert organized by The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Theatre and Dance at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, on the department’s YouTube channel. Organizers will rebroadcast the show at the same time the next day, Feb. 6.

Journalist Who Was Inside Capitol Riot Will Share Experience During UTEP Webinar

A cameraman who was inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection will share what he experienced that day and how to cover breaking news during a Zoom conversation with a faculty member from The University of Texas at El Paso at 11 a.m. MST Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. The event is open to the public.

UTEP Houses Exclusive Femtosecond Laser Machine as Part of Multiple DOE Grants through Honeywell FM&T

The University of Texas at El Paso is now home to one of only three femtosecond laser machines in the world – a feat that significantly enhances the University’s advanced manufacturing research and is funded by six grants totaling more than $1 million backed by the U.S. Department of Energy through Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies.

UTEP Researchers Make Discoveries to Better Understand SARS-CoV-2 Virus

An effort led by Lin Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics at The University of Texas at El Paso, in collaboration with students and faculty from Howard University, has identified key variants that help explain the differences between the viruses that cause COVID-19 and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

UTEP Fights Superbugs with $1.2 Million NIH Grant to Develop a New Way to Produce Antibiotics

EL PASO, Texas – Chu-Young Kim, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, is helping combat the threat of superbugs – illnesses caused by drug-resistant bacteria – by returning to nature.

UTEP Electrical Engineering Student Earns National Scholarship

Jesus Morales, a senior electrical and computer engineering major at The University of Texas at El Paso, was named a recipient of the nationally competitive Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society (IEEE PES) scholarship through the organization’s Scholarship Plus Initiative. IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

UTEP Geology Professor’s Research Contributes to New Data on the World’s Tallest Active Geyser

The work of a faculty member from The University of Texas at El Paso is helping build understanding of the recent reactivation of Steamboat, the world’s tallest active geyser located at Yellowstone National Park.

2 UTEP Professors to Guest Edit Popular Poetry Series

The Academy of American Poets (AAP) selected two professors from The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Creative Writing to be among the 2021 guest editors of the Poem-a-Day series that is sent daily to more than a half million subscribers worldwide.

UTEP Begins COVID-19 Vaccination Program

EL PASO, Texas – The University of Texas at El Paso began administering doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Friday morning to current students, faculty and staff. The vaccine has been allocated to UTEP by the State of Texas. UTEP will continue to administer the vaccines – 975 doses – throughout Friday afternoon and Saturday, Jan. 22-23, 2021, on the UTEP campus.

New UTEP Speaker Series Aimed at Entering Students

Students at The University of Texas at El Paso with less than 45 semester credit hours are the focus of a new virtual speaker series organized to help them make the most of their time on campus, achieve their academic goals and be job-ready graduates.

UTEP to Start COVID-19 Vaccination of Faculty, Staff and Current Students

The University of Texas at El Paso will administer nearly 1,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine next week to current students, faculty and staff. The vaccine has been allocated to UTEP by the State of Texas.

NBCUniversal News Group Selects UTEP for New Partnership to Increase Journalism Diversity

Communication students and faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso will benefit from a new corporate collaboration with NBCUniversal News Group that will involve internships, training and development programs focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Extended Hours for Virtual Services Leading Up to Spring 2021 Semester

Miners, if you're gearing up for the Spring 2021 semester, several offices are extending hours of operation the week before school starts and the first week of school.

UTEP Services, Facilities Ready for Spring Semester

The University of Texas at El Paso will continue to offer many of its on-campus services and resources to students and employees during the spring 2021 semester, even while many students and employees will work and take classes remotely.

UTEP’s OLLI to Open Registration to El Pasoans 50 and Older for Spring 2021 Sessions

El Paso area residents ages 50 and older who want to learn and meet new people are encouraged to register for the spring 2021 sessions of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) offered through The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Awarded Grant to Improve Employment and Quality of Life for Individuals with Disabilities

The University of Texas at El Paso is one of eight U.S. universities participating in a multisite study to increase sustainable employment and career advancement opportunities for individuals with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities.

UTEP Frontline Workers Immunized in Rollout of TTUHSC El Paso’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program

Approximately 100 members of The University of Texas at El Paso’s Coronavirus Proactive Testing and Vaccination programs received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Monday, Dec. 28, thanks to the University’s ongoing partnership with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso).

UTEP Studio Theatre Renamed in Honor of Professor’s Beloved Wife

A recent generous gift to the Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at El Paso has helped with much-needed renovations of the Studio Theatre, which is being renamed in honor of the donor’s late wife, June Sadowski Kruszewski.

UTEP to Start Winter Holiday Schedule

The University of Texas at El Paso will begin its winter holiday schedule Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020. The campus will be closed Dec. 24-25, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2021.

UTEP’s State Employee Charitable Campaign Raises Over $100K for State and Local Charities

Every year, faculty and staff from The University of Texas at El Paso donate thousands of dollars to local and regional charities through the annual State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC).

Five Students Receive Prestigious Gilman Scholarship to Study Abroad

Five undergraduates at The University of Texas at El Paso will study abroad with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

Miners Help Miners During the Holidays

The Student Emergency Fund and the UTEP Food Pantry are among the campus’ fundraising efforts designed to make a difference for students by providing financial assistance and food.

UTEP Receives NASA MUREP Award to Encourage Participation of Hispanic Students in Engineering

The University of Texas at El Paso will aid the establishment of a coalition aimed at broadening participation by Hispanic students in engineering through a grant awarded by the NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP).

KTEP to Broadcast UTEP’s ‘A Christmas Carol’

Live theater is an opportunity for patrons to enter into someone else’s vision of a story. This year’s production of “A Christmas Carol en la Frontera” by The University of Texas at El Paso will allow its audience members to use a bit more of their own imagination.

UTEP’s Ann Gates Receives Top Leadership Award from American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education

Ann Gates, Ph.D., vice provost at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), has been awarded the 2021 Alfredo de Los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award – a prestigious honor by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE). Gates will accept the award March 2 during the 2021 AAHHE National Conference.

UTEP Research Unit Publishes Long-Run Regional Economic Forecast for El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Border Region Modeling Project (BRMP) has released long-range projections for the region’s demographics, labor markets, commercial activity, economic performance and more in “Borderplex Long-Term Economic Trends to 2049.”

Power Up: UTEP Expands Energy Research to Achieve Global Impact

Faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Mechanical Engineering are on a mission to clear the air. Their goal is to expand energy-related initiatives and position the University as a leader in renewable and clean energy technology research to advance opportunities for students and positively impact climate sustainability on a global scale.

UTEP to Host Virtual Town Hall on Strengthening STEM Workforce

The University of Texas at El Paso and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will co-host host a free virtual town hall focusing on strengthening the STEM workforce beginning at 9 a.m. MST Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. Sessions are scheduled throughout the day until 1:30 p.m.

PBS Selects UTEP Art Alum for ‘Craft’ Series Episode

Producers of the PBS series “Craft in America” selected a sculptor and ceramic artist who learned the basics of his craft at The University of Texas at El Paso to be part of its “Storytellers” episode that will be broadcast Dec. 11, 2020.

UTEP, Airport Partnership Elevates Commercial Real Estate Student Experience

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is partnering with the El Paso International Airport (EPIA) to provide real-world experience to College of Business Administration students enrolled in the Commercial Real Estate minor.

Purchasing and General Services Recognized for Leadership, Collaboration

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Purchasing and General Services Department was recognized for its dedication and accomplishments in leadership and innovation during The University of Texas System Supply Chain Alliance’s (UTSSCA) annual Power of Collaboration Conference.

UTEP Student Support Services Director is President-Elect of National Higher Ed Association

Jaime Mendez, Ed.D., director of the Student Support Services Program at The University of Texas at El Paso, was named president-elect of NODA, the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education, in November 2020.

UTEP Awarded $1.2 Million by NIH to Advance Research on Diabetes-Related Cardiac Complications

November is National Diabetes Month, a time when the nation comes together to shed light on one of the leading causes of death and disability among U.S. citizens. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is joining the fight against the disease through innovative research made possible through a recent $1.2 million grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance understanding of a critical diabetic heart condition.

Early Voting in UTEP Union Building East Through Dec. 8

The Union Building at The University of Texas at El Paso is a site for early voting for El Paso’s runoff elections. Voting takes place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, in Union Building East, Templeton Suite 313.

Smithsonian Taps UTEP’s ‘Dr. Skateboard’ for New Research

The Smithsonian Institution’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation recently awarded The University of Texas at El Paso’s William Robertson, Ph.D., with a three-year appointment as a distinguished research fellow.

UTEP Names Winners of Inaugural Hawkins Scholarship

Two students at The University of Texas at El Paso have been named the institution's first-ever Hawkins Scholars and were awarded $10,000 each.

UTEP Doctoral Student Awarded Generation Google Scholarship

A doctoral student at The University of Texas at El Paso is among the recipients of the 2020 Generation Google Scholarship, which awards $10,000 to exemplary computer science students from throughout the United States and Canada.

Full Throttle: Faculty Poised to Lead Aerospace Efforts with Student Focus

A cadre of young, talented faculty members at The University of Texas at El Paso is poised to lead the next generation of aerospace research and education efforts at the University’s renowned Aerospace Center, also known as cSETR, through their wide spectrum of expertise, innovative research and ardent focus on student success.

UTEP Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday Nov. 26-27

In observance of Thanksgiving, The University of Texas at El Paso will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27, 2020. Regular operating hours will resume Monday, Nov. 30.

UTEP to Inform Earth Science Research as Member of University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

The University of Texas at El Paso recently was selected as a member of the prestigious University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). UCAR is a nonprofit consortium of 120 North American colleges and universities focused on research and training in the atmospheric and related Earth system sciences.

UTEP to Provide COVID-19 Testing to Underserved, Vulnerable Populations

EL PASO, Texas – A new research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will support The University of Texas at El Paso’s efforts to increase access to COVID-19 testing for populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

UTEP Researchers Join List of Top Researchers in the World

When The University of Texas at El Paso announced it was awarded an R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education in 2019, the distinction signaled UTEP’s arrival on the national stage as one of the premier research institutions in the country. That reputation was cemented further thanks to a recently published study of the world’s top researchers.

UTEP Study to Examine Effects of Vaping on the Brain and Behavior

More than 3 million high school students and 550,000 middle school students in the United States reported using e-cigarettes, or vaping, in 2020, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey.

LinkedIn Learning Launches to Bolster Professional Development in UTEP Community

Students, faculty and staff from The University of Texas at El Paso will notice a new application when logging into my.utep.edu.

UTEP Geospatial Scholar Receives National Fellowship for COVID-19 Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many people with disabilities throughout the United States. A researcher at The University of Texas at El Paso will use geospatial software and cutting-edge techniques to learn the extent of their exposure.

UTEP Artists Lend a Hand to Thank COVID-19 Caregivers

Students, faculty and alumni from The University of Texas at El Paso were part of an international art effort to honor health care workers who risk their lives daily in service of COVID-19 patients.

UTEP Celebrates First-Generation College Students

The University of Texas at El Paso celebrated the successes of first-generation students Nov. 2-6, 2020, during the third annual national First-Generation College Celebration.

UTEP Awarded National Designation for Economic Impact on the Paso del Norte Region

The University of Texas at El Paso earned the Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) University designation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and its Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) for the positive economic impact the University has had on the Paso del Norte region.

UTEP Health Care Students Learn to Work Together Online During Pandemic

When Heather Ramirez, a speech-language pathology graduate student at The University of Texas at El Paso, participated in her first Interprofessional Education (IPE) experience in 2019, she worked alongside other health professions students on a treatment plan for a transgender female who had suffered a stroke.

UTEP Leads Collaborative Abiotic CO2 Project Through $1.18 Million NSF Grant

The University of Texas at El Paso received a $1.18 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to learn more about greenhouse gas abiotic carbon dioxide (CO2) dynamics in dryland systems through the study of irrigated pecan orchards throughout the El Paso region.

Arbor Day Foundation Recognizes UTEP for Environmental Commitment

The University of Texas at El Paso has been awarded a Tree Campus USA designation by The Arbor Day Foundation for the fourth consecutive year for its continuous efforts to be a sustainable green space.

Colorado Educators Honor New UTEP Professor

The Colorado Association for Bilingual Education (CO-CABE) recently announced that it had recognized The University of Texas at El Paso’s Sandra Butvilofsky, Ph.D., as its 2020 Higher Education Educator of the Year.

UTEP Educators See Need to Teach, Understand Mexican-American Studies

Recent discussions about schools and statues in the Paso del Norte region named after Confederate soldiers and a 16th-century Spanish explorer raised the issue of how much Latino history is understood and The University of Texas at El Paso’s role in how it is taught.

UTEP Awarded Prestigious OSHA Grant to Help Keep Construction Workers Safe

The University of Texas at El Paso is one of 80 U.S. institutions awarded a prestigious Susan Harwood federal safety and health training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to train hard-to-reach Hispanic workers in El Paso and neighboring areas for the seventh consecutive year.

UTEP Doctoral Student Earns Spot in Department of Energy’s Graduate Student Research Program

Luis Martinez, a doctoral student at The University of Texas at El Paso, has a prime opportunity to elevate his research as one of 52 graduate students from throughout the United States selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program’s 2020 Solicitation 1 cycle.

Listen to UTEP President Heather Wilson Deliver State of the University Address

The University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson presented the 2020 State of the University address in two radio broadcasts on KTEP-FM (88.5) on Oct. 27 and 28, 2020.

Two UTEP Faculty Members Combine Art and Technology to Highlight Social Challenges

The worlds of art and engineering collide in an interdisciplinary collaboration between a pair of faculty members at The University of Texas at El Paso.

New Leader Talks About Faculty Opportunities Through Center for Faculty Leadership and Development

Among the many professional development opportunities available at The University of Texas at El Paso, the Center for Faculty Leadership and Development (CFLD) is leading the way in developing and supporting faculty-driven initiatives that will enhance not only faculty, staff and student success but also UTEP’s role as a national leader in 21st century public higher education. Cigdem V. Sirin, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, recently was appointed the new director of the center.

UTEP to Offer Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program in Spring 2021

EL PASO, Texas – The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently approved a new postgraduate certificate in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) concentration at The University of Texas at El Paso. The certificate program will help address the critical need for more mental health providers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, said UTEP School of Nursing Dean Leslie K. Robbins, Ph.D.

UTEP SECC Dunk Tank Video Game Creates Virtual Fun

For the past eight years, faculty and staff from The University of Texas at El Paso who give to the annual State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) have donated thousands of dollars to local and regional charities. The SECC planning committee often coordinates activities such as soccer goal shootouts and volleyball tournaments to celebrate the contributions and incentivize participation.

UTEP Engineering Students Named Transportation Research Board Minority Student Fellows for 2021

Two engineering undergraduates at The University of Texas at El Paso were selected by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to be part of the 2021 class of Minority Student Fellows.

Students Complete Virtual NASA Internships in Bhutan

Nine Bhutanese students from The University of Texas at El Paso had the opportunity to perform ecological research during the summer in the southern region of the Kingdom of Bhutan as interns in a partnership between the Bhutan Foundation and NASA.

UTEP President to Deliver 2020 State of the University Address on the Radio

The University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson will present the annual State of the University address in two radio broadcasts on KTEP-FM (88.5).

UTEP and City of El Paso Collaborate on New COVID-19 Drive-Through Testing Site

The University of Texas at El Paso and the City of El Paso have formed a partnership to help the community get tested for COVID-19.

NSF Awards UTEP Grant to Study Word Choice Phenomena

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a three-year, $150,000 grant to The University of Texas at El Paso’s Iva Ivanova, Ph.D., to study the mental processes that bilingual speakers use to choose their words.

First Peace Corps Coverdell Fellow Graduates from UTEP

Crystal Costa, a graduate from The University of Texas at El Paso’s Master of Public Health Program (MPH), is the first Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from UTEP to participate in the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program.

UTEP and Community Partners Awarded $1.5M NSF Grant to Improve Quality of Life for Senior Citizens through Technology

A team of interdisciplinary researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso in collaboration with the City of El Paso and El Paso Community College (EPCC) recently was awarded nearly $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop and sustain the social connectedness of seniors to improve their quality of life through technology, community engagement and social sciences.

UTEP Part of Panels to Promote Indigenous People

The University of Texas at El Paso is helping to recognize the history of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo through a series of virtual panel discussions in October.

Statement from Heather Wilson, President of UTEP

UTEP leadership continues to monitor the public health situation in El Paso daily and maintains close communication with City and County public health officials.

UTEP Institute to Upload More Digital Content This Fall

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Institute of Oral History (IOH) has started to augment its rich and accessible catalogue of stories with podcasts and videos to better serve community members with internet access.

JazzWeek Notes Success of UTEP Professor’s Album

The Big Bad Bones, a music group that includes UTEP Department of Music Chair and Professor Steve Wilson, DMA, debuted its latest album, “Emergency Vehicle Blues,” at No. 32 in JazzWeek’s Jazz album chart for the week of Sept. 28, 2020.

UTEP Launches Inaugural Institute to Boost Career Readiness

Career opportunities for students at The University of Texas at El Paso will be enhanced with the introduction of the campus’ Employer-led Professional Development Institute (EPDI). The institute will provide students with opportunities to gain valuable professional insights and skills while interacting with more than a dozen global and local employers.

UTEP, High Schools Build Paths to Science Careers

Osvaldo Morera, Ph.D., understands what it is like to be judged by an accent and undervalued by a standardized test. The son of Cuban immigrants also knows the benefits and importance of academic rigor and treating students with respect.

Early Voting Begins at UTEP Oct. 13

Early voting at The University of Texas at El Paso begins Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, and runs through Friday, Oct. 30 in Union Building East, Templeton Suite Room 313. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

UTEP Faculty Member Honored as Educator of the Year by Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Adeeba A. Raheem, Ph.D., assistant professor of civil engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso, was named the recipient of the Educator of the Year Award in Higher Education for 2020 by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).

UTEP Top Research Centers Announce Plans for Youngstown Expansion

Two renowned research centers at the The University of Texas at El Paso have announced plans to open a unit in Youngstown, Ohio, to create a joint presence for collaborative opportunities with Youngstown State University (YSU) and the region’s business community focused on advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense technologies.

UTEP Forum to Focus on Immigrants, Criminal Justice

The University of Texas at El Paso has organized a virtual mini-conference Oct. 9, 2020, about the experiences of immigrants and other marginalized groups with the U.S. criminal justice system along the U.S.-Mexico border region.

UTEP Welcomes Future Miners to First Virtual Orange and Blue Week

The University of Texas at El Paso invites prospective students to learn about the Miner experience from the comfort of their homes during the University’s first virtual Orange and Blue Week.

UTEP Tracks Traffic-Related Air Pollution Near Regional School Zones

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Civil Engineering was awarded $30,000 by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) through the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin to address community exposure to traffic related air pollution near school zones in the Paso del Norte region using low-cost air sensors.

Grant Funds UTEP Efforts to Prepare, Assist Teachers

The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Education, in collaboration with several community partners, has launched the latest in a series of initiatives meant to recruit, train and retain teachers who will serve students in the Paso del Norte region.

UTEP Social Work Faculty Member Awarded Top Mexican Government Honor

Eva Moya, Ph.D., associate professor of social work at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been recognized with the regional 2020 Ohtli Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Mexican government to individuals who have aided, empowered or positively affected the lives of Mexican nationals in the United States and other countries.

UTEP Engineering Students Awarded Scholarships

Six undergraduate engineering students from The University of Texas at El Paso claimed the majority of scholarships awarded by the Department of Energy’s Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program (MSIPP) to take part in internships at the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC), managed by Honeywell.

UTEP and TTUHSC El Paso Announce Seed Grants, New Initiatives for Collaborative Health Research

UTEP President Heather Wilson and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso President Richard Lange, M.D., announced new initiatives to strengthen collaboration and expand health research involving faculty at both universities.

UTEP Honors Program Celebrates 40th Anniversary

The University Honors Program at The University of Texas of El Paso is celebrating four decades of working hard to give students a competitive edge and providing them with premier opportunities that yield a foundation for professional success.

UTEP’s Rubin Center Receives Grant, Will Help Schools

The National Endowment for the Arts, through the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA), awarded a grant to The University of Texas at El Paso’s Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts as part of the federal COVID-19 response.

UTEP Professor Earns International Book Award

Empowering Latino Futures (ELF) announced that The University of Texas at El Paso’s Andrea Cote Botero, Ph.D., was among the winners during the group’s 22nd annual International Latino Book Awards.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting Commemorates First Day of School in 1914

The “Mining Minds” pickaxe sculpture at the Sun Bowl-University roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange the evening of Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, to commemorate the first day of school 106 years ago at the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, now The University of Texas at El Paso.

Turning Thoughts to Words Can Overcome Stress

As a master’s student at The University of Texas at El Paso, Lucia Dura, Ph.D., had doubts about her academic and career goals. She hoped to become a professional writer and work for nonprofits, but her faculty mentors encouraged her to pursue a doctorate.

FBI Awards UTEP Professor Grant to Study Interview Methods

The FBI recently awarded The University of Texas at El Paso’s Misty Duke, Ph.D., a grant to examine the effectiveness of two different methods to conduct investigative and intelligence interviews.

UTEP-led Research Team Aiming to Understand Impacts of Hybridization Awarded $1 Million NSF Grant

A team of researchers from multiple institutions led by Philip Lavretsky, Ph.D., assistant professor in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Biological Sciences, was awarded nearly $1 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance ongoing research to understand the adaptive impacts of hybridization between wild and domesticated animal populations.

NSF Awards UTEP $5 Million to Lead Study of Earth’s Surface in Drylands

A team of interdisciplinary researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso was awarded $5.27 million by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance critical zone (CZ) research in drylands. The University is one of nine funded CZ research projects in the nation.

UTEP’s ‘Dr. Skateboard’ Earns Ambassador Award

The World Round-Up for Freestyle Skateboarding recently announced that The University of Texas at El Paso’s Bill Robertson, Ph.D., was its Ambassadors of Freestyle Skateboarding Award recipient for 2020.

UTEP’s Student Support Services Program Earns $1.7 Million Grant

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $1.7 million grant to The University of Texas at El Paso’s Student Support Services Program (SSSP). This award will fund five years of the program’s operations.

UTEP Professor Part of Comprehensive Prison Study

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Melinda Tasca, Ph.D., is participating in the most comprehensive study ever into the causes and effects of prison violence. Researchers expect their findings to enhance institutional culture and safety within prisons.

UTEP Launches Virtual Research Experience for Undergraduates

This summer marked the first time a group of faculty and students at The University of Texas at El Paso were able to engage in meaningful research opportunities while staying safe amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through the launch of the Virtual Research Experience for Undergraduates (vREU).

UTEP Celebrates Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week

The University of Texas at El Paso joins more than 500 institutions throughout the country this week in marking National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, a national observance celebrated Sept. 14-20, 2020, that coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month and acknowledges the critical role HSIs play in educating and empowering Hispanics.

Anais Alvarado: Virtual Networking and Collaboration with Lockheed Martin

Anais Alvarado, a senior finance major, is one of many UTEP students who spent their summer expanding their knowledge by taking part in internships and research opportunities. Anais shares her story about her experience during her virtual internship with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company:

UTEP Partnership Receives Federal Grant to Combat Opioid Abuse in West Texas Counties

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Minority AIDS Research Center (MARC) is the subrecipient of a $1 million implementation grant to target substance use disorders and opioid use disorders in five rural counties along the Texas-Mexico border.

UTEP Professor Among Finalists for Major Art Prize

An international organization has nominated Jess Tolbert, assistant professor of art at The University of Texas at El Paso, for a prestigious award that recognizes artists who achieve creative excellence by combining craft with contemporary culture.

Arts Series to Showcase UTEP’s Performers, Campus

The University of Texas at El Paso will showcase the talents of its students, faculty and alumni as well as many of the institution’s iconic backdrops during “UTEP Arts Alive,” a virtual series of performances that will start Monday, Sept. 14, 2020.

UTEP’s New Alternative Certification Plan for Teachers Includes Master’s Degree

The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Education recently launched an innovative program that will assist individuals with bachelor’s degrees to earn their alternative certification and a Master of Arts in Education in one year.

UTEP Named Among Top 3 Safest Texas College Campuses

The University of Texas at El Paso’s dedication to campus safety has earned the campus a No. 3 ranking in a list of the safest college campuses in Texas, according to a survey conducted by YourLocalSecurity.com, which based its rankings on the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security data and the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

UTEP to Host Spring and Summer 2020 Virtual Commencement on Sept. 12

The University of Texas at El Paso will host a single virtual Commencement ceremony for its Spring and Summer 2020 graduates. The virtual Commencement will be available online starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, and will continue to be available for on-demand playback.

UTEP Names Priscilla Castillo as Chief Legal Officer

The University of Texas at El Paso announced today the appointment of El Paso native Priscilla Castillo to the position of Chief Legal Officer effective Sept. 8, 2020. She succeeds Andrea Cortinas, who recently was promoted to Vice President and Chief of Staff.

UTEP to Host Major National Modeling and Simulations Virtual Town Hall Conference

The University of Texas at El Paso will host a virtual town hall conference on strengthening a national foundation for advanced modeling and simulations (M&S) at minority-serving institutions beginning at 8:30 a.m. MST Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, via Microsoft Teams. Various sessions are scheduled throughout the day until 1:50 p.m.

UTEP Shows Go Online, On Radio for Fall ’20 Season

Theater administrators and faculty members at The University of Texas at El Paso have announced artistic alternatives for the live performances that were canceled last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UTEP Alumni Association Announces New President, Board Members

Martha Isabel Aguayo began her term as president of The University of Texas at El Paso Alumni Association on Sept. 1, 2020, replacing outgoing President Laura E. Biggs.

New Office of Fellowships and Awards Opens World of Possibility to UTEP Students

The University of Texas at El Paso has opened an Office of Student Fellowships and Awards to inform and support UTEP students applying for graduate and undergraduate scholarship and fellowship opportunities. This new office in the Division of Student Affairs will assist students applying for external funding for research, study abroad, internships and graduate school.

30th Annual Minerpalooza Goes Virtual

This year, Minerpalooza is going completely virtual. The 30th anniversary of The University of Texas at El Paso’s biggest annual celebration will kick off at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, 2020.

UTEP Simulation Experiences Prepare Nurse Educators

In her role as a nurse educator, Koby Mitchell was responsible for ensuring that the undergraduate nursing students she supervised in the hospital provided safe and effective care.

UTEP Series Tackles Minorities in Performing Arts

The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Liberal Arts has relaunched its Dean’s Speaker Series in a virtual, more inclusive format for anyone with the internet and an interest in how underrepresented individuals can prevail in the performing arts.

UTEP Ranks No. 2 in Texas for Graduating Latino Students

The University of Texas at El Paso is ranked No. 2 in Texas for awarding bachelor’s degrees to Latino students, according to Excelencia in Education, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to ensuring and accelerating the success of Latino students.

Statement from the President

I want to thank the UTEP Alumni Association for their exceptional work to provide engagement opportunities to our more than 110,000 Miner alumni over the past year. I would especially like to thank Laura Biggs for her outstanding leadership of those efforts.

Q&A With Incoming Alumni Association President Martha Isabel Aguayo

Learn more about the UTEP Alumni Association’s next president, Martha Isabel Aguayo.

Alumni Association Board of Directors

The University of Texas at El Paso Alumni Association traces its roots to 1923, nine years after the founding of the State School of Mines and Metallurgy.

UTEP Welcomes 37 New Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Members

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) welcomed 37 new tenured and tenure-track faculty members to start the 2020-21 academic year.

Heather Wilson Celebrates First Year as UTEP President

During Heather Wilson’s first news conference as President of The University of Texas at El Paso in August 2019, she sat in front of a roomful of reporters with a look of determination and a smile on her face.

Q&A With Outgoing Alumni Association President Laura Biggs

The University of Texas at El Paso's Office of Alumni Relations caught up with outgoing UTEP Alumni Association Board President Laura Biggs to talk about her time at the helm and why joining an alumni association is the easiest way to give back to your university.

“Miners Forever. Stronger Together.”

Each August marks a transition for the UTEP Alumni Association as one board president steps down and another takes the helm. Traditionally, that event is commemorated with a “Passing of the Gavel” ceremony. This year’s transition, however, is more symbolic since the physical event cannot take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn About Student Resources and Support Available This Fall

As the Fall 2020 semester begins, students may have questions about the resources and services available as they begin with remote, hybrid, or in-person learning.

Class Acts: Two UTEP Faculty Receive Top Teaching Award

For two faculty members at The University of Texas at El Paso, countless hours of research, planning, mentoring, teaching and learning culminated with a prestigious teaching award for their passion and dedication to their profession.

UTEP’s College of Engineering Boasts Record Number of Spring 2020 Graduates

The engineering industry has a multitude of talented new recruits in its hiring pool after The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Engineering celebrated a record number of spring graduates, marking a major milestone for the college.

UTEP to Offer New Doctoral Degree in Data Science

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently approved a new doctoral degree in data science that The University of Texas at El Paso will “soft launch” with some initial courses during the spring 2021 semester. The program’s full introduction will be the fall of 2021.

UTEP Advising and Enrollment Services Go the Extra Mile for Students During the Pandemic

The University of Texas at El Paso, like many U.S. universities, has undergone operational changes since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Providing services such as advising and enrollment assistance in a remote environment has been an undertaking that UTEP faculty and staff have approached with dedication and creativity.

UT System Chancellor Tours UTEP to Learn About Campus’ Preparations for Fall Semester

J.B. Milliken, Chancellor of The University of Texas System, visited UTEP Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, where he viewed campus preparations for the fall semester, including UTEPs proactive testing program.

UTEP Expands Partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

The University of Texas at El Paso and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have signed an agreement to create new research and internship opportunities for University faculty members and students.

Town Hall for Faculty, Staff This Friday

Colleagues, please join us for a virtual town hall at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14 through Microsoft Teams.

Town Hall for Students This Friday

Students, please join us for a virtual town hall at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 14 through Microsoft Teams.

Extended Enrollment Services Hours and Registration Deadlines for Fall 2020

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Office of Enrollment Services is extending its hours in the days before the Fall 2020 semester to better serve students.

UTEP to Launch Tech Writing Degree Plan in Fall 2020

The need to communicate complex information clearly and concisely in layman’s terms continues to grow in science, industry and government, so The University of Texas at El Paso will launch a new degree plan during the fall 2020 semester to fill that niche.

UTEP September Commencement Will be Virtual

After thoroughly reviewing the current community health conditions due to the coronavirus pandemic, The University of Texas at El Paso has made the decision to host a single virtual Commencement ceremony for Spring and Summer 2020 graduates at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020.

UTEP Alum from ’66 Team Challenges Others to Work Toward Racial Equality

At 17, Dick Myers knew he was too small to play basketball at a major college. So, the Kansas native enrolled at nearby Hutchinson Junior College to gain height, weight and skill – hoping to eventually catch the eye of recruiters and coaches. The year was 1963 and two years later, Don Haskins came calling.

UTEP Professors, Alumni Discuss Aug. 3 Shooting Anniversary in National Media

This week, the El Paso community marks one year since the Aug. 3, 2019, tragedy that took the lives of 23 people at the Cielo Vista Walmart. Faculty members, alumni and students from The University of Texas at El Paso appeared in a number of national publications sharing their expertise and unique border experiences with reporters across the nation.

Miners on a Mission: UTEP’s cSETR Helps Launch Successful Aerospace Careers

Growing up, Rene Miranda dreamed of becoming a firefighter or a paramedic. Despite his early fascination with constructing objects out of Legos and a natural curiosity for mechanics, becoming an engineer was far from his mind. But during a visit to a college open house while a high school senior, Miranda discovered The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Engineering and quickly altered his career aspirations.

UTEP Partnership to Advance Electric Transportation and Sustainability on a Global Scale

The University of Texas at El Paso is partnering with Utah State University (USU) on an innovative collaboration involving a consortium of universities working to transform the automotive, transportation and electrical grid industries on an international scale.

Year 2: Full ‘STEM’ Ahead for UTEP’s Noyce Scholars

Several members of a second-year program at The University of Texas at El Paso created to prepare the next wave of proficient science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers are ready to share their newfound know-how with high school pupils.

Information on Fees, Additional UTEP CARES Funding

The Distance Education Fee is only being assessed for those classes that were scheduled to be online prior to the pandemic and which are shown as online in the Fall 2020 course catalog. Many of these courses are associated with our fully online degree programs offered through UTEP Connect.

UTEP Undergraduates Secure Prestigious Gilman Scholarship

Seven undergraduate students at The University of Texas at El Paso have secured the opportunity to study abroad through the U.S. Department of State's Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, one of the nation’s most prestigious scholarship programs.

UTEP’s Center for Accommodations and Support Services Launches ‘Virtual Front Desk’

As the United States recognizes the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, The University of Texas at El Paso continues to innovate its accommodations process to create a more inclusive environment where all students can thrive.

As Good as Gold: 2020 Gold Nugget Award Recipients

The University of Texas at El Paso and the UTEP Alumni Association are proud to announce the 2020 Gold Nugget recipients.

UTEP Selects 2020 Distinguished Alumni

Every year, The University of Texas at El Paso and the UTEP Alumni Association honor a group of men and women whose achievements stand out as monuments to dedication, integrity and hard work – they are the UTEP Distinguished Alumni.

UTEP Appoints Luis Hernandez as Vice President for Information Resources

The University of Texas at El Paso has appointed Luis Hernandez as vice president for information resources, effective July 27, 2020.

English Professor to Close Book on 55-Year Career

For the better part of the past 55 years, Tony Stafford, Ph.D., has spent part of his summers in preparation to teach English courses at The University of Texas at El Paso. He continued that tradition in 2020 although this year’s effort had a COVID-19 twist.

Ann Gates Appointed Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Ann Quiroz Gates, Ph.D., a nationally recognized computer science scholar with an extensive background in higher education administration, research and education in science, has been named vice provost for faculty affairs at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), effective Aug. 1, 2020.

UTEP Lab Studies How Happiness Benefits Veterans

Physical disabilities, feelings of isolation and mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder are some of the unique challenges student veterans face in higher education. Researchers in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Veteran VVell-Being Lab (V 3) suggest that hope and positivity can help former service members successfully transition to college life.

UTEP Wins International Award for Endowment Management System

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recently awarded The University of Texas at El Paso a Circle of Excellence Grand Gold Award for its Endowment Management System (EMS).

UTEP Sees Record Summer Enrollment Despite COVID-19 Impact

The University of Texas at El Paso has seen record enrollment for Summer 2020, with 12,981 students enrolled in both Summer I and Summer II terms taking a total of 87,365 semester credit hours.

UTEP Pharmacy Professor Receives Grant to Continue Research to Develop COVID-19 Antiviral Drug

Suman Sirimulla, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso School of Pharmacy, was awarded $80,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through UTEP’s Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) Center for Advanced Materials Research (CMR) to support his research to develop antiviral drugs that will target COVID-19.

UTEP Launches New Resource to Help Paso del Norte Region Successfully Navigate Economic Trends

EL PASO, Texas – The University of Texas at El Paso is launching a new resource for local economic analysis that will help local leaders, business owners and regional stakeholders make more informed decisions.

Journal Interviews UTEP Professor for Series on Prominent Statistics Educators

The Journal of Statistics Education (JSE) interviewed The University of Texas at El Paso’s Larry Lesser, Ph.D., professor of mathematical sciences, in its spring 2020 issue as part of its series on prominent statistics educators.

UTEP Ranked No. 20 Among Most Affordable Accounting Programs

The University of Texas of El Paso houses the nation’s No. 20 most affordable accounting program, according to Discover Accounting, a notable online information provider that offers career advice and education resources for students interested in accounting.

UTEP Awarded $1.3M to Research How Neural Circuits Regulate Specific Cognitive Functions

EL PASO, Texas – The University of Texas at El Paso was awarded $1.3 million from the National Institutes of Health to shed light on how the combined function of neural circuits impacts specific behaviors in humans.

UTEP, EPCC Biology STEMGrow Program Pushes Ahead Amid Pandemic Obstacles

The STEMGrow Program, a groundbreaking initiative between The University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community College (EPCC) that has successfully stewarded students between the two institutions, continues to bridge gaps between faculty and students forced to be physically distant this summer by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Geological Sciences Doctoral Student Awarded Diana Natalicio Fellowship

Since Amanda Labrado was a young girl, she has been passionate about rocks and the great outdoors.

UTEP Social Work Graduate Program Ranked No. 2 in Texas

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Master of Social Work program in the College of Health Sciences has been ranked No. 2 for best graduate social work program in Texas by SocialWorkDegree.org, an online resource focused on social work education and career advancement.

UTEP Art Students Earn Templeton Honor

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Art recently announced that Jill Font, Ashley Urueta and Gabriela Alvarado were its recipients of the 2020-21 Arleigh B. and Maxie G. Templeton Endowment for Three Dimensional Fine Arts.

UTEP Alumni Association Offers Free Membership to Alumni

The University of Texas at El Paso Alumni Association is offering free memberships to all UTEP alumni, a shift that opens doors for more than 100,000 Miners throughout the world to stay engaged with their alma mater.

UTEP School of Nursing Faculty Member Selected for NIH Scholars Program on Aging

Franchesca E. Nuñez, Ph.D., assistant professor in The University of Texas at El Paso’s School of Nursing, has been accepted into the 2020 Butler-Williams Scholars Program from the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institutes of Health.

UTEP Research Reveals More About Path Bacterial Pathogen Travels to Cause Tuberculosis

Biology students and faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso have discovered a new target for tuberculosis drug development. Their study recently was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, a publication of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB).

UTEP MBA Optimized: New Professional MBA, Hybrid Executive Programs Roll Out

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Master of Business Administration (MBA), long recognized for its high quality and great value, is optimizing its programs to meet the needs of the modern business professional. Rolling out in Fall 2020 are two streamlined delivery formats: the Professional MBA (PMBA) and the hybrid Executive MBA (EMBA).

UTEP Nursing Faculty Named Fellows of American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Kathleen Cox, DNP, and Guillermina R. Solis, Ph.D., assistant professors of nursing at The University of Texas at El Paso, have been inducted as Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP).

UTEP Connect Celebrates Five Years

Alejandra Vasquez-Macias’ higher education journey was lengthy, filled with uncertainties and instability.

The “Texas Breather”: TTUHSC El Paso and UTEP Develop a Low-Cost, 3D-Printed Ventilator for Hospitals

EL PASO, Texas – Nationwide, hospitals are concerned about a possible shortage of ventilators as more Americans require treatment for COVID-19, the novel coronavirus disease that can cause life-threatening respiratory problems such as pneumonia.

UTEP Researchers Uncover New Brain Mechanisms in Fruit Flies That May Impact Future Learning and Memory Research

A research team from The University of Texas at El Paso has made strides in understanding how memories are formed through the brain mechanisms of fruit flies, findings that could enhance our understanding of brain disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and substance addiction, according to an article published in the highly renowned Journal of Neuroscience.

State Association Taps UTEP Counseling Professor as Leader

Paul Carrola, Ph.D., associate professor and coordinator for The University of Texas at El Paso’s Mental Health Counseling program, will become the first president-elect of the Texas Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (TACES) from UTEP when his position becomes official July 1, 2020.

UTEP Hybrid Program Produces First Ed.D. Graduate

The first fruit was harvested this spring from a highly innovative off-site doctoral program that The University of Texas at El Paso initiated three years ago in collaboration with El Paso Community College (EPCC) and the Socorro Independent School District (SISD).

UTEP College of Health Sciences Collaborates on LGBTQ+ COVID-19 Texas Study

As a queer Latinx immigrant, William Campillo Terrazas, a pharmacy student at The University of Texas at El Paso, understands full well the unique challenges facing the LGBTQ+ population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UTEP, TTUHSC El Paso, NMSU, EPCC and DACC Unite to Encourage Community Blood Donations

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso), New Mexico State University, El Paso Community College and Doña Ana Community College are uniting efforts to encourage the community to donate blood and save lives.

UTEP Professor Helps Identify How Coronavirus Transmits from Animals to Humans

Chuan Xiao, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, is contributing his expertise to research on the transmission of the novel coronavirus from animals to humans.

UTEP Names Andrea Cortinas as Vice President and Chief of Staff

The University of Texas at El Paso announced today that El Paso native Andrea Cortinas will be promoted to the position of Vice President and Chief of Staff effective July 1, 2020. She will succeed Richard Adauto, who is retiring after 32 years of service to the University.

Miners Forever, Stronger Together: UTEP Alumni Come Together for Worldwide Virtual Reunion

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of many in-person events, but that hasn’t hindered efforts by The University of Texas at El Paso’s Alumni Association to create a way for alumni, students and friends from throughout the world to share their Miner spirit and strengthen their bond with the University through its UTEP Alumni Virtual Reunion, which is scheduled for noon MST Saturday, June 20, 2020.

UTEP to Offer Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program in Fall 2020

A new nurse practitioner program in psychiatric mental health at The University of Texas at El Paso’s School of Nursing will help to address the sharp increase in mental health problems and psychological distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Satiric Drawings Picked ‘Best’ at 2020 UTEP Student Art Show

Alfredo Ortega shared with great pride that the money his parents used to pay the hospital for his birth came from proceeds of his father’s art. The recent graduate of The University of Texas at El Paso said art has been part of his life ever since.

Resources Available for Students Starting Summer Courses

The University of Texas at El Paso welcomes students starting summer courses as they continue to adapt and grow as online learners.

UTEP’s OLLI Offers Array of Online Summer Courses

Lifelong learners age 50 and older who welcome the experience of an online education are encouraged to register for courses offered through The University of Texas at El Paso’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) that start Monday, June 8, 2020.

UTEP Researchers Help Pave Path for Biofriendly Materials to Aid Drug Design Delivery for Neurodegenerative Disorders

The contributions of researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have yielded the first indication that carbon quantum dots, a class of nanoparticles, can be utilized to combat neurological disorders, according to a paper published in the journal Processes as part its special issue on protein biosynthesis and drug design and delivery.

University Library Hours, Rules for Summer Sessions 2020

The University Library will be open during the summer sessions from June 8 to Aug. 4, 2020, to serve students, faculty and staff.

UTEP Committee Picks Art Student as Tom Lea Fellow

The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Liberal Arts recently announced the selection of Cristina R. Mayagoitia as its 2020 Tom Lea Research Fellow who will study the noted 20th century artist/writer and the influence of his global travels.

UTEP Study Examines COVID-19 Stress, Coping Strategies, and Well-Being

Active coping, denial, emotional support, humor and religion are among the coping strategies that help people with chronic conditions and disabilities deal with stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recently published study written by researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP to Use University Labs for City Coronavirus Testing

A new agreement between The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), the City of El Paso and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) will enable UTEP to help the city Department of Public Health with COVID-19 testing.

UTEP’s Tech Teams’ Diligence Leads to Online Success

As the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent in March, officials at The University of Texas at El Paso quickly strategized how to help thousands of their students to become online learners for the second half of the 2020 spring semester.

UTEP Art Students Participate in Virtual Juried Exhibit

Scores of art students from The University of Texas at El Paso dealt with unusual circumstances to complete their projects for the 2020 Annual Juried UTEP Student Virtual Art Exhibition that will open with an awards ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 28, on the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts Facebook page.

UTEP Grad Student Earns Top Mark in National Exam

Claudia Escajeda, a graduate student in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Mental Health Counseling Program (MHCP), earned the highest score in the country on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination in spring 2020.

UTEP to be Closed for Memorial Day

In observance of Memorial Day, The University of Texas at El Paso’s remote offices will not be staffed Monday, May 25.

UTEP, UT Austin to Study Enhanced Asphalt Production Processes for Longer-Lasting Roads

A trio of researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso’s Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems (CTIS) will partner with The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Transportation Research on a $494,000 award from the Texas Department of Transportation to create realistic conditions for assessment of asphalt mixtures in an effort to enhance their durability.

TMAC UTEP Assists Nationwide Effort to Identify Medical Equipment Suppliers to Support COVID-19 Response

The Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC), a manufacturing consulting center based at The University of Texas at El Paso, is leveraging its relationship with a stable of partners to outfit the El Paso community and others with critical supplies, such as medical masks and gowns, needed in the fight against COVID-19.

UTEP RISE Program Fostering Scientific Potential

The Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program at The University of Texas at El Paso Department of Biological Sciences is at the helm of biomedical and behavioral research on the border, utilizing 21st century technology to promote biomedical research that includes anti-cancer drug discovery, vaccine development against infectious agents, drug addiction, health disparities, and other basic research.

Virtual Interface Allows UTEP University Career Center to Help Students with Job Searches, Preparation

When it became clear that the spring 2020 semester would deviate from its traditional conclusion, the staff at the University Career Center acted quickly to shift their valuable services to a virtual format after UTEP transitioned to distance learning in March.

Department of Defense Names UTEP Winner of 2019 Mentor-Protégé Nunn-Perry Award

The University of Texas at El Paso was awarded the 2019 Mentor-Protégé Nunn-Perry Award by the Department of Defense (DoD) and Office of Small Business Programs through its industry collaboration with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Marvin Engineering Corporation. The agreement between Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Marvin Engineering was one of six Mentor-Protégé teams chosen to win the award.

UTEP Hosts White Coat Drive-In Ceremony for Clinical Lab Science Graduates

Twenty graduates from The University of Texas at El Paso’s Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) program received their white lab coats during a special drive-in ceremony at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 16, 2020, on the UTEP campus.

9 UTEP Cadets Earn Army Commission at Ceremony

EL PASO, Texas – Nine ROTC cadets from The University of Texas at El Paso raised their right hands and became commissioned officers in the U.S. Army during a ceremony Friday, May 15, 2020, at UTEP’s Centennial Plaza.

UTEP Welcomes 2020 Terry Scholars

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing guidelines, UTEP hosted a virtual event Friday, May 15, 2020, to recognize the newest recipients of the Terry Foundation Scholarship.

UTEP Spring Commencement Rescheduled for September 12 Sun Bowl Ceremony

The University of Texas at El Paso will celebrate its more than 2,300 spring graduates with a 7 p.m. ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020 in Sun Bowl Stadium. Each graduate will be permitted to bring up to two guests to the outdoor venue.

UTEP President Heather Wilson Joins University Leaders in Discussion with VP Mike Pence, Education Secretary DeVos

UTEP President Heather Wilson was one of 14 university presidents who joined Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Dr. Deborah Birx from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a teleconference call Wednesday, May 13, 2020, to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s institutions of higher education and plans to reopen campuses.

Students Stay Linked to Campus Through Virtual Events

Despite the physical distance created by the COVID-19 outbreak between members of The University of Texas at El Paso’s campus community, University leaders have found innovative ways to remain proactive, supportive and linked to students through virtual events.

Alzheimer Chapter Partners with UTEP for Workshops

The coronavirus pandemic has increased anxieties among caregivers of people with forms of dementia, so the West Texas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association decided to offer a few virtual workshops to ease those fears with some help from The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Celebrates Spring Class of 2020

The University of Texas at El Paso will celebrate spring graduates with remote activities in honor of the Class of 2020 during what would have been the University’s Commencement weekend, May 16-17, 2020.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting Commemorates UTEP's Class of 2020

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at The University of Texas at El Paso's Sun Bowl-University roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange from Wednesday evening, May 13, through Sunday evening, May 17, to commemorate UTEP's Class of 2020.

UTEP to Provide More Than $12 Million in Emergency Assistance Grants to Help Students Continue Their Education

The University of Texas at El Paso is now able to provide additional financial support to students who have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The University has received $12.4 million through the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide emergency financial assistance grants to eligible students.

UTEP Nursing Students Finish Clinical Rotations During Pandemic

After two years of rigorous coursework, Steven Applegate was not about to let the coronavirus pandemic hold him back from his dream to become a nurse.

UTEP Researcher Earns NSF Grant for COVID Study

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has approved a $114,000 RAPID award to The University of Texas at El Paso’s April Gile Thomas, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, to conduct research related to COVID-19.

UTEP Announces 2020 Top 10 Seniors

The Top 10 Seniors Awards are presented annually by The University of Texas at El Paso’s Alumni Association to the most zealous and distinguished future alumni.

UTEP Surprises El Paso-Area High School Seniors with Special Deliveries

Dozens of area high school seniors are receiving a special delivery of congratulatory balloons and branded gifts this week and next from The University of Texas at El Paso, accompanied by a message commending them for their achievements and welcoming them into the University.

UTEP Computer Science Students Participate in Google Tech Exchange

Computer science students from The University of Texas at El Paso are part of a contingent from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities that are working remotely during the final month of Google’s Tech Exchange program.

UTEP Social Work Professor, Students Publish Human Rights Report

A report on human rights in North America co-written by Mark Lusk, Ed.D., professor of social work at The University of Texas at El Paso, and a group of UTEP undergraduate and graduate students has been posted as an official statement on the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) website.

UTEP Researchers Develop Nanohybrid Vehicle to Optimally Deliver Drugs Into the Human Body

Researchers in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry have developed a nanohybrid vehicle that can be used to optimally deliver drugs into the human body.

UTEP Center to Study How Men Overcame Alcohol Abuse

National statistics show that Hispanics — who comprise 82% of the population in El Paso — largely abstain from alcohol. However, when they do drink, they drink in ways that are more likely to adversely impact their lives.

UTEP College of Health Sciences Attracts Top Research Faculty

The University of Texas at El Paso’s R1 designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has raised UTEP’s national research profile and attracted highly competitive research faculty to the University. These faculty engage in meaningful academic exploration to enhance the quality of life in the Paso del Norte region and beyond.

UTEP Places 2nd in National Competition for Asphalt Mix Design

A team of civil engineering undergraduate and graduate students from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) earned second place out of 10 universities renowned for their asphalt teaching and research at the inaugural National Asphalt Mixture Design Competition sponsored by CRH Materials Americas Inc.

UTEP Announces Jake Logan as New Vice President for Advancement

EL PASO, Texas – The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has appointed Jake Logan as the new Vice President for Institutional Advancement starting May 18, 2020.

UTEP Awarded More than $1 Million from NSF to Design Engineering Leadership Academies

EL PASO, Texas – Meagan Kendall, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education and Leadership at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been awarded the majority of a $2 million collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to design engineering leadership academies as part of an effort to enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

‘Confined’ Artists Part of Virtual Exhibit at UTEP

EL PASO, Texas – With social distancing rules in place to protect the public from the spread of COVID-19, people developed their own ways to share their lives with each other. One popular method was to “meet” on adjoining balconies to perform music or to acknowledge others.

UTEP Music Students Collaborate in Confinement

Ever since New York City native Chris Beroes-Haigis moved to El Paso two years ago to study cello as a graduate student at The University of Texas at El Paso, he has sought opportunities to share his love of music.

Traffic update: TXDOT Road Project - North Mesa Street

Construction crews will begin work on a rehabilitation project for State Highway 20 (North Mesa Street) on Monday, April 13, 2020, with placement of signs along the work zone. The project consists of a full-depth (10-inch) repair of the stretch of roadway from Baltimore Drive/Glory Road to Sunland Park Drive.

UTEP Partners with Local Health Care Professionals to Fit Test Personal Protective Equipment

EL PASO, Texas – The University of Texas at El Paso’s Environmental Health and Safety department (EHS) is working with local health care professionals to fit test their personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure that they are properly protected while working amid COVID-19 patients.

UTEP Costumers Sew Face Masks to Assist Others

A request for fabric face masks to assist elderly residents at an assisted living facility in Washington state became a call to action for several costume makers at The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Theatre and Dance, and their efforts have expanded to benefit border agencies.

Kennedy Center Honors Two UTEP Theater Students

Two theater majors from The University of Texas at El Paso earned first-place honors at the 2020 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival regional competition in February in Abilene, Texas.

UTEP School of Pharmacy Developing COVID-19 Vaccine, Drug Treatments Using Supercomputing

Research is underway at The University of Texas at El Paso’s School of Pharmacy to develop vaccines and antiviral drugs to combat the novel coronavirus within 15 months to two years.

UTEP Nursing Clinical Instructor Recognized by University Medical Center

Mary Leon, clinical nursing instructor at The University of Texas at El Paso’s School of Nursing, was awarded University Medical Center’s (UMC) inaugural 2019 Faculty of the Year Award.

UTEP, City of El Paso Sign Agreement to Allow Employees to Assist with Coronavirus Testing

A new agreement between The University of Texas at El Paso and the City of El Paso will enable UTEP faculty and staff to assist the city’s Department of Public Health in identifying cases of the novel coronavirus.

The University of Texas at El Paso Names John Wiebe Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP President Heather Wilson announced today that accomplished University administrator and longtime faculty member John Wiebe, Ph.D., will be promoted to the position of Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Wiebe has held the position in an interim capacity since January 2019.

NIH Group Appoints UTEP Psychology Professor to Prestigious Post

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recently appointed The University of Texas at El Paso’s Laura O’Dell, Ph.D., to a four-year post on its advisory council.

Student Profile: Zarena Dominguez

As a member of The University of Texas at El Paso marching band, Zarena Dominguez is comfortable with the concept of working hard and staying focused. She hopes that attention to detail will lead to a career in veterinary medicine.

March Celebrates Contributions of Women to UTEP History

The month of March, which is nationally devoted to recognizing the contributions of women throughout history, also presents a time to acknowledge the significant achievements of women in science and engineering who have helped the nation advance.

Faculty Profile: Georgina Hernández Escobar

The impact Georgina Hernández Escobar has made on The University of Texas at El Paso was on display this spring.

Third UTEP Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19

On Thursday, March 26, a third male employee of The University of Texas at El Paso tested positive for COVID-19. The employee traveled to the same out-of-town event as the first two employees who tested positive and returned to El Paso on Thursday, March 12.

UTEP Spring Commencement Postponed Until Fall

In accordance with the guidance of The University of Texas System, The University of Texas at El Paso will postpone spring Commencement ceremonies.

Two UTEP Employees Test Positive for COVID-19

On Tuesday, March 24, two male employees of The University of Texas at El Paso tested positive for COVID-19. The employees traveled to an out-of-town event and returned to El Paso on Thursday, March 12.

Special Lighting of 'Mining Minds' to Honor 1966 Championship Team

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at UTEP's Sun Bowl-University Roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Thursday evening, March 19, 2020, to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the Texas Western College (now The University of Texas at El Paso) men's basketball team winning the NCAA championship.

UTEP Student Who Returned from Overseas Tests Positive for COVID-19

A female student at The University of Texas at El Paso who returned from extended overseas travel Saturday night, March 14, went directly into self-isolation as directed by UTEP’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety. On Monday, she tested positive for COVID-19.

UTEP Mechanical Engineering Professor Awarded $550K to Help NASA Develop Early Stage Innovations

A mechanical engineering professor from The University of Texas at El Paso will lend his expertise to early-stage space exploration technology research through a $550,000 grant from NASA to investigate the viability of power sources in the extreme temperatures of space.

UTEP Receives National Honor for Commitment to First-Generation Student Success

The University of Texas at El Paso has been named to the 2020-21 cohort of First-gen Forward Institutions by the Center for First-generation Student Success.

Patricia Nava Appointed Interim Dean of the College of Engineering

Patricia Nava, Ph.D., has been named interim dean of The University of Texas at El Paso College of Engineering, effective March 4, 2020.

'Mining Minds' Special Lighting to Honor 100 Years of TCM Day Tradition

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at the Sun Bowl-University Roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Friday evening, March 13, 2020, in honor of TCM Day, The University of Texas at El Paso's longest-running tradition.

NSF Grant to Help UTEP Team Study Sleep Patterns in Adolescents

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded more than $28,000 to The University of Texas at El Paso's April Gile Thomas, Ph.D., to support undergraduate researchers who will recruit and survey participants for her two-year Adolescent Social Development and Sleep Study.

UTEP Hosts CubeSat Workshop on Small Satellite Design, Testing and Operation

Faculty and staff from The University of Texas at El Paso's Department of Mechanical Engineering and NASA MIRO Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR) learned about the intricacies of the CubeSat - miniaturized satellites used in space research - during a workshop presented by members of the California Polytechnic State University's (Cal Poly) PolySat laboratory Friday, March 6, 2020, in the Undergraduate Learning Center.

UTEP Workshop to Focus on Productivity Theory of Liberating Structures

Examples of methods experts use to address complex challenges in halls of power throughout the world will be part of a Liberating Structures Workshop offered from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7, 2020 in the Blumberg Auditorium on the first floor of the University Library.

Military Student Success Center Celebrates New Location in Academic Services Building

The Military Student Success Center (MSSC) at The University of Texas at El Paso welcomed the community to its new location on campus with an open-house celebration Thursday, March 5, 2020, at the Mike Loya Academic Services Building, Room 130.

UTEP Ready to Celebrate 100th TCM Day, the Longest-Running Student Tradition

TCM Day, The University of Texas at El Paso's longest-running student tradition, returns next week. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the event.

Link Up, Picks Up: New-and-Improved MinerLink Globally Connects UTEP Alumni

In an effort to provide an outlet where all alumni can stay connected, no matter when they graduated or where they live, The University of Texas at El Paso has relaunched MinerLink, a free online platform aimed at maximizing alumni connection to UTEP and each other.

UTEP Service Awards Recognize Dedication of Faculty, Staff

The devotion of dozens of faculty and staff of The University of Texas at El Paso was recognized Tuesday, March 3, 2020, during the campus' annual Service Awards ceremony at Magoffin Auditorium.

UTEP President to be Appointed to National Science Board

Heather Wilson, President of The University of Texas at El Paso, will be appointed to serve a six-year term on the National Science Board, which provides advice and oversight for the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Faculty Profile: Soheil Nazarian, Ph.D.

Soheil Nazarian, Ph.D., sees value in straying from textbooks as part of his teaching method in order to provide opportunities for his students to solve real-world engineering problems. The 35-year teaching veteran maintains that a good engineer is one that understands nuance in addition to the ability to solve equations.

Student Profile: Jessica Carreon

Jessica Carreon didn't shy away from the challenge that was presented to her by The University of Texas at El Paso's School of Nursing. In two years, Carreon has learned from accomplished professors, student organizations and her own persistence.

Moroccan Student is UTEP College of Business Administration's First Fulbright Student Scholar

Sokaina El Bekri is near the midway point of a high-profile second semester at The University of Texas at El Paso's College of Business Administration (COBA).

UTEP Professor to be Inducted into UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers

Martine C. Ceberio, Ph.D., professor of computer science at The University of Texas at El Paso, will be inducted as a fellow into The University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers during a ceremony Friday, April 3, 2020.

UTEP Awarded $1.1M NASA Cooperative Agreement to Develop Aerospace Manufacturing Workforce and Supply Chain

The University of Texas at El Paso's NASA MIRO Center for Space and Exploration Technology Research (cSETR) has significantly enhanced opportunities for UTEP engineering students through a new cooperative agreement with NASA that will benefit 23 UTEP graduate and undergraduate students and provide internships at NASA centers for six of them.

UTEP Faculty Teams Asked to Submit IDRB Proposals

It could be the start of a joke: “An engineer, a chemist, a psychologist and an accountant walk into a room.” It also could be how some faculty members at The University of Texas at El Paso start a collaborative effort to utilize space in UTEP’s new Interdisciplinary Research Building (IDRB).

UTEP, TTUHSC El Paso Increase Opportunities for Collaborative Research and Education

The University of Texas at El Paso and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso have renewed their commitment to work collaboratively and expand opportunities for biomedical and health science research between both institutions.

National Group Honors UTEP Sociology Professor

Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS) presented The University of Texas at El Paso's Ophra Leyser-Whalen, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, with its SWS 2020 Feminist Activism Award during the group's recent winter meeting in San Diego, California.

UTEP Announces Scholarships for High School Math Teachers with Support from Microsoft

The University of Texas at El Paso is launching a new program – the Microsoft Teacher Computer Science Academy – to increase the number of high school students who take computing courses by increasing the number of computer science teachers, with financial support from Microsoft Corp.

UTEP and EPCC Study Focuses on Antibiotic Resistance in Rio Grande

A 1,260-mile portion of the Rio Grande flows between the United States and Mexico along the entire length of Texas' southern border, providing water for drinking, irrigation and recreational activities to communities on both sides of the border.

Texas 2036 CEO Margaret Spellings Underscores the Importance of Higher Education at UTEP Centennial Lecture

Margaret Spellings, CEO of Texas 2036, visited The University of Texas at El Paso to deliver a Centennial Lecture on the topic "The Future of Higher Education" on Feb. 18, 2020, at the Undergraduate Learning Center.

UTEP Selected to Host Workshop that Tackles Disinformation

First Draft, an international network created in part to combat the spread of disinformation, has organized a workshop for journalists and others who collect and disseminate news, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Achieves National Community Engagement Distinction

The University of Texas at El Paso has earned the Community Engagement Classification - the Carnegie Foundation's highest standard of recognition for reciprocal, sustainable and mutually beneficial scholarly partnerships with local, regional and national communities.

El Paso Recognizes UTEP's Zuill Bailey for Artistic Impact

El Paso Mayor Dee Margo presented Zuill Bailey, one of the world's premier cellists and a music instructor at The University of Texas at El Paso, with a Conquistador Award during the El Paso City Council's regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, at City Hall.

NY Playwright Helps UTEP Students Create 'Monsters'

Georgina Hernandez Escobar, a visiting professor of practice and a playwright in residence with the Department of Theatre and Dance, worked on a script for "Monsters We Create" with UTEP students.

President and CEO of Texas 2036 to Speak at UTEP Centennial Lecture

Margaret Spellings, the president and CEO of Texas 2036, will be the guest speaker at The University of Texas at El Paso's Centennial Lecture at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, in the Undergraduate Learning Center, Room 106, on the UTEP campus.

New UTEP Certificate to Benefit Nonprofit Agencies

In response to a community need, The University of Texas at El Paso's Master of Public Administration (MPA) program has launched a new 15-hour graduate-level certificate in nonprofit administration and governance targeted to individuals who want to work for or lead nonprofit agencies.

New UTEP Exhibit Shows How Ants Contribute to World Ecosystems

Unbelievably, fewer than 1% of ants are pests. The rest are valuable members of the Earth’s environment. Those 99 percenters are the basis of “Tiny Tunnels, Big Connections: Ant Relationships Shape the World,” that opens Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens.

UTEP Urges Community to Make Census 2020 Count

Students at The University of Texas at El Paso will have a key role in the Miner Counts initiative, which is touting the importance of the 2020 U.S. Census and its impact on the economy and well-being of the community.

UTEP Awarded $375K from Prudential Financial to Advance Risk Management Program

The College of Business Administration at The University of Texas at El Paso has been awarded $375,000 from Prudential Financial Inc. to further advance the University's Prudential Risk Management Academy and its associated programs. The overarching goal of the collaboration between Prudential Financial Inc. and the College of Business Administration is to provide career pathways into the actuarial profession for UTEP students and to increase diversity in the actuarial workforce.

UTEP Successfully Communicates With Satellite to Cap Monumental Project

The NASA MIRO Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR) at The University of Texas at El Paso has successfully communicated with its Orbital Factory-2 (OF-2) satellite project, a significant feat that highlights UTEP’s position as a national leader in technological research and its implementation.

UTEP Inaugurates Student Business Accelerator Center Studio G

UTEP President Heather Wilson and NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu announced Friday a collaboration between their universities to inspire and increase entrepreneurship in the region. The creation of Studio G at UTEP, a student business accelerator, is a partnership between The University of Texas at El Paso's Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce and the Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University (NMSU), where Studio G originated.

UTEP Announces Private Nursing Pod for Breastfeeding Moms on Campus

UTEP President Heather Wilson debuted The University of Texas at El Paso's first lactation pod during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in UTEP's Union Building East. The lactation pod is the latest addition to a series of lactation rooms located across campus that can be utilized by University students, employees and campus guests.

UTEP Announces New Scholarship to Increase Opportunities for Top Students

The University of Texas at El Paso will offer a new scholarship for top undergraduate students to help them finish their last semesters at UTEP. President Heather Wilson announced the establishment of the Hawkins Scholarship at UTEP's inaugural Honors, Scholars and Fellows Day on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The new scholarship will be awarded for the first time during the Fall of 2020.

UTEP Student Health and Wellness Center Offers Mental Health Services

Among the school supplies in Elisa Dobler's office at The University of Texas at El Paso's Student Health and Wellness Center is a basket full of pink, yellow and green Play-Doh that sits in the middle of her coffee table.

Student Profile: Nathalie Prieto

Nathalie Prieto chose to attend The University of Texas at El Paso for its exceptional education offered at a great value. She has not been disappointed. As a student, she has taken part in research and student employment opportunities that have helped prepare her for law school and a future career as an attorney.

Leslie Robbins Appointed Dean of the UTEP School of Nursing

Leslie K. Robbins, Ph.D., has been appointed Dean of the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at El Paso, effective Feb. 1, 2020. Robbins has served in the role in an interim capacity since September 2019. As dean, she holds the Charles H. and Shirley T. Leavell Endowed Chair II in Nursing.

Top Honors: University Honors Program Gives Top UTEP Students an Exceptional Experience

Throughout high school, Daniela Morales was a model student. She studied diligently, was an active member in numerous honors and student organizations and frequently volunteered in the community. When the class valedictorian and self-described "overachiever" enrolled at The University of Texas at El Paso, she challenged herself to continue building off the momentum she created for academic success.

Faculty Profile: Cory M. Smith

Cory M. Smith, Ph.D., enjoys seeing students comprehend and apply the lessons they have learned as part of his courses in The University of Texas at El Paso's College of Health Sciences. Smith is grateful to work on a campus that encourages students to pursue research and topics they are passionate about.

Two Closures Impacting UTEP Campus

The UTEP community should be aware of the following closures that will impact the campus for several weeks.

UTEP's Rubin Center Earns Warhol Foundation Grant

Officials with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts announced Jan. 16, 2020, that it awarded $100,000 to The University of Texas at El Paso's Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts to assist with future programs and exhibitions.

UTEP Professor Named Fellow of International Society for Optics and Photonics

Raymond C. Rumpf, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso, was promoted to Fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), an educational nonprofit established to advance light-based science, engineering and technology.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Urges Healthy Skepticism During Centennial Lecture at UTEP

Thomas B. Modly, the Acting Secretary of the Navy, emphasized the importance of a discerning mind Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, while delivering the first Centennial Lecture of the year at The University of Texas at El Paso's Undergraduate Learning Center.

UTEP Introduces Bachelor’s Degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Science opened the spring 2020 semester with its newest undergraduate degree offering – a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). The new degree is the campus’ latest effort in an ongoing mission of providing competitive academic and research opportunities at one of the most reasonable prices for a U.S. top tier university.

Pulitzer Prize Winner, Ex-Poet Laureate to Visit UTEP

An accomplished academic whose accolades include a Pulitzer Prize and the title of former U.S. Poet Laureate will share her thoughts about race, inclusion and society’s shared responsibility toward a common future at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Students Gain Real-Life Experience in the Business of Music

Sweet sounds made by several student musicians from The University of Texas at El Paso blended with the reverberations of quiet conversations, the clanking of ceramic coffee cups and other expected noises inside West El Paso's Hillside Coffee and Donut Co. on a recent weekday morning.

Ariana Taylor on a Fast Break Toward Personal Victory

Ariana Taylor has big dreams for personal success on and off the court, both of which she said are possible thanks to her Miner Athletic Club scholarship.

Nominations Sought for UTEP’s Prestigious Alumni Awards

The University of Texas at El Paso Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Relations are calling for nominations of excellent alumni for the University’s prestigious Distinguished Alumni and Gold Nugget awards. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, Feb. 21, 2020.

Acting Secretary of the Navy to Speak at Free UTEP Lecture

Thomas B. Modly, the Acting Secretary of the Navy, will be the guest speaker at a Centennial Lecture at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, in Room 106 of the Undergraduate Learning Center on The University of Texas at El Paso campus.

UTEP Professor Admitted as Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Luis Echegoyen, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, was recently inducted as a 2019 Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

UTEP Awarded $40K for Groundwater Monitoring Program

The University of Texas at El Paso's Department of Geological Sciences was awarded $40,000 from the Western States Petroleum Association to review and evaluate work by the California State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Geological Survey to study impacts of well stimulation related to oil and gas development in California.

Students Invited to Spring 2020 Miner Welcome Activities

The Student Engagement and Leadership Center is hosting Miner Welcome activities during the first week of the spring 2020 semester each day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 21-24, in The University of Texas at El Paso's Union Plaza.

UTEP Professor, Smithsonian Researchers Make Genetic Discoveries Related to North American Ducks

A recent study published in the journal Molecular Ecology presents significant findings related to the genetic makeup of two North American iconic ducks: mallards and American black ducks.

UTEP Receives $1M to Develop System to Increase Number of Students Who Pursue Graduate Engineering Studies

The University of Texas at El Paso's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department was awarded $1 million from the National Science Foundation to help low-income, academically talented undergraduate students in engineering successfully advance to graduate studies.

UTEP Awarded $171K to Develop Cyber Security Network for U.S. Department of Energy

Researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso's Computer Science Department will have a hand in bolstering the safety of cybersecurity operations conducted by fossil fuel power generation plants thanks to a $171,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Register For Spring Classes!

The University of Texas at El Paso is preparing to welcome students back for the spring 2020 semester. As classes draw closer, the campus is ready to assist students who are interested in registering for classes. Students may visit goldmine.utep.edu to register, add/drop classes, or view/print class schedules.

UTEP Professor to Assist Study as Part of Quest Against Chagas Disease

A professor from The University of Texas at El Paso will lend his expertise and record of significant advancements against Chagas disease to an $84,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded to the Research Development Foundation (Fundep) of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil.

Student Profile: Katherine Espinoza

Katherine Espinoza saw The University of Texas at El Paso as a wise investment. It is one that has paid off. The senior linguistics and creative writing major has taken part in research, literary readings and seen performances at UTEP’s Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall. Being on campus has imbued Espinoza with confidence that she hopes will lead her to a job as a professor, translator or both.

Faculty Profile: Nigel Ward

Nigel Ward, Ph.D., revels in the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of computer science students at The University of Texas at El Paso. The campus, which recently announced it surpassed the $100 million threshold in research expenditures, is a place where students can think big, Ward said. It also provides a scenic setting for the 34-year teaching veteran, who enjoys the outdoors.

KTEP GM to Retire after 36 Years with NPR Station

Pat Piotrowski, general manager of KTEP-FM (88.5), joked that one of the main things that he looks forward to in retirement is the opportunity to enjoy inclement weather because the specter of lightning, snowstorms and high winds have weighed on him since he took over the station in 1999.

Longtime UTEP Official Ready for Next Role: Retiree

Steve Riter, Ph.D., came to The University of Texas at El Paso in 1980 with expectations to stay for about five years and then move elsewhere to find his next professional opportunity. Instead, UTEP provided him with enough challenges across the academic spectrum to keep him interested and on campus.

UTEP Recognized for Innovation in Lifelong Learning and Serving Community

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Professional and Public Programs (P3) recently won the Learning Resources Network’s (LERN) Best Management Practice award. The international award recognizes innovation in the field of lifelong learning and serving communities. It was presented last month at LERN’s annual conference in San Diego, which was attended by 800 professionals in lifelong learning from five countries.

UTEP Professor Named a 2019 National Academy of Inventors Fellow

Ryan Wicker, Ph.D., director and founder of The University of Texas at El Paso’s W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, has been named a National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellow.

UTEP 2019 Winter Holiday Schedule

The University will begin its winter holiday schedule Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019. The campus will be closed on Dec. 24-26 and Jan. 1, 2020.

UTEP's Dr. Skateboard Pictures Novel Way to Teach

A longtime professor at The University of Texas at El Paso known for his academic creativity has taken a two-dimensional approach to make STEM concepts relevant and relatable to middle school students.

UTEP Students Find $100 Solutions to Address Challenges

For a little more than $100, students in The University of Texas at El Paso's Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences (BS-RHSC) program made the lives of children affected by intimate partner violence a little brighter.

Director of Engineering Ethics Organization Delivers UTEP Centennial Lecture

Rosalyn W. Berne, Ph.D., visited El Paso for the first time Friday, Dec. 13, 2019. She spent her inaugural stop in the Sun City discussing the intricacy of ethics in contemporary society as part of her Centennial Lecture address at The University of Texas at El Paso's Undergraduate Learning Center.

UTEP Receives $155K From Federal Aviation Administration to Strengthen Airfield Pavements

The University of Texas at El Paso's Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems (CTIS) has been awarded a $155,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to investigate non-nuclear alternative methods and devices for quality management of earthwork of airfield pavements.

UTEP Research Unit Publishes Regional Economic Forecast

The University of Texas at El Paso's Border Region Modeling Project (BRMP) has released its projections for the region's labor markets, commercial activity, economic performance and more in "Borderplex Economic Outlook to 2021."

UTEP Awards First Interdisciplinary Bachelor's Degree in Neuroscience

Nina Beltran capped an undergraduate degree milestone for The University of Texas at El Paso during last weekend's 2019 Winter Commencement festivities.

Army Futures Command General Visits UTEP to Learn About Research Capabilities

Gen. John M. Murray, commanding general of the U.S. Army Futures Command, and other Army representatives visited The University of Texas at El Paso on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, to learn more about the University’s capabilities in engineering and science research.

Former Top Intelligence Official Delivers Centennial Lecture

Susan M. Gordon, the former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence chronicled the trials and successes of her extensive career in the intelligence community (IC) in her Centennial Lecture, titled "How I Joined the CIA," on Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, to a captivated crowd in the Undergraduate Learning Center.

UTEP Health Sciences Students Offer $100 Solutions

Students in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences (BS-RHSC) and social work programs will present $100 Solutions they developed to address health-related quality of life issues in the community during a poster presentation from 1 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10, in the second-floor lobby of UTEP’s Health Sciences and Nursing Building.

UTEP Ceremonies to Honor about 2,500 Graduates

For native El Pasoan Karina Rodriguez, the 2019 Winter Commencement at The University of Texas at El Paso signifies the end of a long, arduous journey. But as with many of her fellow graduates, part of success is reaching the finish line.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting Commemorates UTEP’s Class of 2019

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at The University of Texas at El Paso's Sun Bowl-University Roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange from Wednesday evening, Dec. 11, through Sunday evening, Dec. 15, to commemorate UTEP's Class of 2019.

UTEP Celebrates 2019 Winter Commencement

Nearly 19,000 family members and friends filled the UTEP Don Haskins Center to celebrate the achievements of more than 2,500 new graduates during The University of Texas at El Paso’s four Commencement ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 14, and Sunday, Dec. 15.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting to Celebrate UTEP's Major Research Milestone

The University of Texas at El Paso will illuminate the "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at the campus' Sun Bowl-University Roundabout in blue and orange on Thursday evening, Dec. 5, in celebration of the University surpassing $100 million in annual research expenditures for the first time in its history.

UTEP Tops $100 Million in Research

The University of Texas at El Paso has surpassed the $100 million threshold in annual research expenditures for the first time in its history.

UTEP Center Receives $590K from TxDOT to Assess Cracking Potential of Asphalt

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems (CTIS) has received a $590,000 grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to investigate and implement a test protocol for evaluating the cracking potential of asphalt mixes before they are placed on the roads.

UTEP Awarded $120K from Lockheed Martin to Develop Artificial Intelligence Based Non-Destructive Testing

Students from three departments within The University of Texas at El Paso College of Engineering will be poised for future employment opportunities thanks to a $120,000 pledge from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to support interdisciplinary research involving artificial intelligence.

UTEP Encourages Generosity Through 'Pick a Project' Crowdfunding Platform

The University of Texas at El Paso is providing the community with a new way to come together to support a specific cause. Similar to crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe and KickStarter, UTEP's Pick A Project platform supports an array of campus initiatives through crowd-based giving.

UTEP Receives $1M Grant to Develop Advanced Materials to Withstand Extreme Environments

The University of Texas at El Paso was awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop advanced high-electrical strength materials for extreme environment applications.

Israel Honors UTEP’s Singhal for Role in Positive Deviance Research

The State of Israel’s Ministry of Health and its National Center for Infection Control presented a Special Recognition Award to a research team that included The University of Texas at El Paso’s Arvind Singhal, Ph.D., the Samuel and Edna Holt Marston endowed professor of communication.

UTEP Communication Professor Earns National Honor

The Latina/o Communication Studies Division and La Raza Caucus of the National Communication Association recently recognized The University of Texas at El Paso’s Frank G. Pérez, Ph.D., associate professor of communication, for his outstanding scholarship and contributions to his field to include a recently published book that he co-authored.

Student Profile: Jaleen Avila

When it came time for Jaleen Avila to choose where to pursue her higher education aspirations, she jumped at the chance to be near her family at The University of Texas at El Paso. She has made the most of her decision, earning her bachelor's degree with honors and now working towards completing a master's in public health. Once her academic journey is complete, Jaleen hopes to promote all aspects of women's health.

Alumni Profile: Michelle Sandoval Villegas

Michelle Sandoval Villegas said earning her bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at El Paso changed her life. The first-generation college graduate has since used the lessons learned during her time on campus to change the lives of others.

UTEP Social Work Students Learn About Substance Abuse and Road to Recovery

Nearly 20.3 million people in the United States struggled with a substance use disorder in 2018, yet only 2.1 million of them received treatment, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Lifelike Mannequins Prepare Nursing Graduate Students for Real-Life Emergencies

The University of Texas at El Paso's School of Nursing is using high-fidelity mannequins to simulate real-life emergency care situations.

Grant to Provide Scholarships to UTEP MRC Students

The U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) has awarded The University of Texas at El Paso’s Master of Rehabilitation Counseling (MRC) program $1 million to increase the number of rehabilitation counselors in the Paso del Norte region.

UTEP School of Nursing Earns Maximum CCNE Reaccreditation

The University of Texas at El Paso’s School of Nursing recently received the maximum 10-year reaccreditation for its baccalaureate, master’s and postgraduate APRN (advanced practice registered nurse) certificate programs from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program was granted initial accreditation for the maximum period of five years.

UTEP Awarded $225K Grant to Develop Advanced Manufacturing for Defense

The University of Texas at El Paso’s W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation was recently awarded a $225,000 grant from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) for the acceleration and development of metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology for defense applications.

UTEP Researcher Publishes Regional Economic Projections

Research published by a UTEP economics professor shows the effects that the depreciation of the peso has had on the region’s economy as it braces for the holiday shopping season.

Regents Approve $70 Million Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace at UTEP

The University of Texas System Board of Regents today approved $70 million in funding for a major new facility at The University of Texas at El Paso that will house its growing research and teaching program in additive manufacturing. The funding also will improve UTEP’s test facilities for rocket engines and drones currently located in East El Paso County.

UTEP Center Signs Interagency Cooperative Contract with TxDOT to Develop Sustainable Street Surfaces

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems (CTIS) recently signed a $600,000 interagency cooperative contract with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to implement the concept of balanced mix design (BMD) in the construction of flexible street surfaces throughout the state.

UTEP to Screen ‘Witness at Tornillo’ Documentary

The story of the native New Yorker who traveled to El Paso to protest the government-sponsored incarceration of migrant teenagers will be told in “Witness at Tornillo,” a documentary that will be shown at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the Blumberg Auditorium on the first floor of the University Library.

UTEP Receives Department of Education Grant to Create Professional Leadership Courses

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Computer Science was awarded a $742,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop courses designed to challenge students while positioning them to thrive in the workforce. The program also will focus on professional development for faculty and learning assistants.

Creating Champions: Nigel Hawkins Aims High for Athletic, Academic Success

Nigel Hawkins has ample motivation to achieve success on the court and in the classroom. With the help of a Miner Athletic Club scholarship, Hawkins is imbued with opportunities that allow him to move closer to his athletic and academic goals.

UTEP, EPCC Program Plans Whale of a Read-a-thon

An ambitious effort to bring people together to enjoy what many experts consider one of the greatest American novels ever written was the reason organizers scheduled the "Moby-Dick Read-a-thon" Nov. 14-16 in El Paso.

'Mining Minds' Special Lighting to Celebrate UTEP Student's Athletic Success

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at The University of Texas at El Paso's Sun Bowl-University Roundabout will be illuminated blue and orange Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 in honor of UTEP student Tobi Amusan, a former UTEP track champion who finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles during the 2019 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Athletics Championships.

UTEP Computer Science Receives $7K Grant to Conduct Advanced Software Analysis

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Computer Science Department in the College of Engineering has received a $7,000 grant from Nuba Solutions for students to conduct statistic code analysis on open source repositories. The study will analyze large segments of industrial software codes to understand their evolution and quality. The results of the analysis will help organizations reduce maintenance efforts and improve their software sustainability.

UTEP Receives Grant to Support Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault in Rural Counties

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Minority AIDS Research Center (MARC) has received federal funding to collaborate with the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence (CASFV) on a program to support victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in five West Texas rural counties.

UTEP Researchers to Engage Hispanic Female Students in STEM Fields

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) recently awarded a three-year, $700,000 grant to a research team from The University of Texas at El Paso that will benefit Hispanic female students. The project started in October 2019 and will continue through September 2022.

UTEP Performers to Nourish Community with Music

Musicians with ties to The University of Texas at El Paso will perform at various locations around the region the week of Nov. 4, 2019, as part of Nour·ish, a national effort to engage communities through music.

UTEP Biology Professor Chronicles Toad's Ability to Mimic Lethal Viper

Eli Greenbaum, Ph.D., an associate professor of biological sciences and director of The University of Texas at El Paso’s Biodiversity Collections, is the senior author of a study recently published in the Journal of Natural History that documents a newly discovered natural defense against predation by the Congolese giant toad.

UTEP Professor Promotes Peace at WWII Ceremony

Z. Anthony Kruszewski, Ph.D., professor emeritus of political science at The University of Texas at El Paso, recently participated in a pair of ceremonies in Berlin, Germany, to mark the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II on Sept. 1, 1939.

Faculty Profile: Deidra Hodges, Ph.D.

Deidra Hodges, Ph.D., draws on her military background and experience in private industry to create impactful lessons for her engineering students. She hopes to harness El Paso's sunny weather for her research into solar energy.

Student Profile: Anahí Ponce

Anahí Ponce is a senior English and American literature major who aspires to enter politics after completing her degree. She feels enriched by her experiences at UTEP and is elated to see the campus' rise in national stature.

UTEP Drone Program Receives FAA Distinction

During a week devoted to educating the nation about drone safety, The University of Texas at El Paso's unmanned aerial systems program marks its ascent in national stature with a new distinction from the Federal Aviation Administration.

UTEP Receives Award from NASA to Characterize Martian Soil

The University of Texas at El Paso's Department of Civil Engineering received an award from NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) to investigate the strength and settlement properties of Martian soil, or regolith.

UTEP Art Student Writes Grant for Rubin Center Assessment

Jasmine Flores, a senior art major who expects to graduate in December 2019, has spent the early part of the fall semester finishing pieces for her one-woman show that will be on display Nov. 25-27, 2019, in the Fox Fine Arts Center's Glass Gallery. This will complete a busy few months for the El Paso native who helped prepare the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts for a grant-funded assessment of its permanent collection this past summer.

UTEP Professor Awarded 2019 Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science

Renato Aguilera, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been named the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

UTEP Professor's Book Promotes Guadalupe Mountains

The National Parks Service has awarded Jeffrey Shepherd, Ph.D., associate professor of history at The University of Texas at El Paso, a two-year, $80,000 grant to study Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

UTEP In the Spotlight: Inside Higher Ed

Crystal G. Herman, associate dean for curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at El Paso, offers advice for mid-level faculty administrators on how to most effectively deal with student concerns in an article published in Inside Higher Ed.

UTEP and EPCC Presidents Pledge to Continue Collaborating to Promote Student Success

For nearly three decades, faculty and staff at both El Paso Community College (EPCC) and The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have made a strong commitment to the residents of the Paso del Norte region, developing strategies to provide access to exceptional higher education along with raising the educational aspirations, degree attainment, and overall academic excellence of area students.

UTEP In the Spotlight: Newsweek

Eli Greenbaum, Ph.D., an associate professor of biological sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, is the lead author of a study recently published in the Journal of Natural History that explores a newly discovered natural defense against predation displayed by the Congolese giant toad.

UTEP President Named Recipient of Prestigious Eisenhower Award

UTEP President Heather Wilson has been named a recipient of the Eisenhower Award, a recognition of prominent leadership given by the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC).

UTEP Researcher to Study Benefits of Online Learning

Many college students juggle their academics with other responsibilities such as jobs and family. For those reasons, more of them may consider it necessary to register for online courses to complete their degree plans.

UTEP Nurse Practitioner Students Practice on Virtual Patients

For more than a year, nurse practitioner students in UTEP's Master of Science in Nursing program have practiced their communication, physical assessment, and documentation skills on human-like avatars through Shadow Health Digital Clinical Experiences.

Article Published on UTEP Educators' NSF Project

The Journal of Statistics Education recently published "Developing Interactive Educational Songs for Introductory Statistics," an article about how a team of researchers created a highly innovative collection of statistics songs that students can interact with as part of pre-song learning activities that will lead to the song's completion.

UTEP Awarded $551K Grant to Research Effects of Solar-Induced Fluorescence to Monitor Arctic Vegetation

The University of Texas at El Paso Department of Biological Sciences was awarded a $551,000 grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Biological Sciences to research the relationship between solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) and vegetation photosynthetic capacity.

Texas Gas Service to Begin Construction on Schuster Avenue

Texas Gas Service and the City of El Paso will begin work to replace a gas line on Schuster Avenue on Monday, Oct. 21.

Microsoft Leaders Laud UTEP at Centennial Lecture Speech

Microsoft President Brad Smith said that when he envisions a prototypical student from The University of Texas at El Paso, he imagines a person who is multiskilled, multitalented and very adaptable.

Creating Champions: Family Support, Self-Determination Sets Briana Arellano on Path to Success

When Briana Arellano joined the UTEP volleyball team as a walk-on in 2016, she did not have an athletic scholarship, but she did have determination. Armed with that, Arellano set a goal for herself to work hard in the classroom and on the court. Her grit was recognized and eventually rewarded by the Miner Athletic Club.

$1.5M Grant to Physics Professor Bolsters Cancer-Centered Research at UTEP

The Department of Physics at The University of Texas at El Paso was recently awarded a $1.5 million grant to research kinesins as potential targets for cancer drug development.

UTEP Assistant Professor Published in Latin American Journal

Mexico’s antipoverty conditional cash transfer (CCT) program has increased political and civic participation in the country, according to Gregory S. Schober, Ph.D., assistant professor of rehabilitation sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP’s Special Collections Earns Statewide Honor

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board recently announced that it would present its 2019 Archival Award of Excellence to The University of Texas at El Paso’s C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department for its Casasola Studio Photo Identification Project done in collaboration with the El Paso Times.

UTEP Engineering Partner LIMBS International Awarded the 2019 Drucker Prize

LIMBS International, a local nonprofit organization with a partnership with The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Engineering, was awarded the 2019 Drucker Prize from more than 400 nationwide nonprofits.

UTEP Receives $19M to Study Cancer Affecting Mexican-Americans

The University of Texas at El Paso's Border Biomedical Research Center (BBRC) will accelerate its quest to understand and identify the reasons for Hispanic cancer health disparities and its ultimate impact on the people of the Paso del Norte region thanks to a five-year, $19.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Microsoft President to Speak at UTEP

Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer of Microsoft, and Carol Ann Browne, Microsoft’s senior director of communications and external relations, will present a free public lecture at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Room 106 of the Undergraduate Learning Center as part of The University of Texas at El Paso’s Centennial Lecture Series.

UTEP Professor Offered Keynote at International Conference

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Maria Socorro Tabuenca, Ph.D., professor of languages and linguistics, was the keynote speaker at the 8th annual Crossing Over International Symposium on Oct. 5, 2019, at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio.

NSF Awards Grant to UTEP and EPISD for CS Study

The National Science Foundation recently announced that it awarded a nearly $312,000 grant to a team from The University of Texas at El Paso and the El Paso Independent School District led by UTEP’s Katherine Mortimer, Ph.D., associate professor of teacher education, and EPISD’s Scott Gray, director of New Tech Network Programs.

UTEP Pharmacy Student Awarded National LGBTQ Scholarship

UTEP student-pharmacist William Campillo Terrazas has been awarded a scholarship from the Point Foundation (Point), the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students.

UTEP and Lockheed Martin Sign Agreement to Employ Students in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas - The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) President Heather Wilson and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Vice President of Engineering & Technology Travis Coomer signed a Memorandum of Agreement today that will employ UTEP students as interns with Lockheed Martin in El Paso. In addition to Wilson and Coomer, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo and El Paso County Judge Ricardo A. Samaniego participated in today's announcement and signing ceremony.

Student Profile: Aaron Rodriguez

Aaron Rodriguez is a senior computer science major who wants to enhance the tech industry's footprint in El Paso.

Faculty Profile: Hector M. Enriquez

Hector M. Enriquez is a curious man. He asks questions to build relationships. Those relationships generally have helped drive his interests, his career path and his social mobility. They helped him to drive a cab, learn how to fly airplanes, get him enrolled at UTEP, and, as an instructor, develop new ways to enhance the accumulation of knowledge.

Q&A with Laura Biggs, the New President for the UTEP Alumni Association

Laura E. Biggs, a retired civil employee of the Department of Defense, began her term as president of The University of Texas at El Paso Alumni Association on Sept. 1, 2019.

UTEP Alumni Association Announces New President, Board Members

Laura E. Biggs, a retired civil employee of the Department of Defense, began her term as president of the UTEP Alumni Association on Sept. 1, replacing outgoing president Bonny Schulenburg.

NIH Awards $15.2M Grant to UTEP for Biomedical Training

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded The University of Texas at El Paso BUILDing SCHOLARS program a $15.2 million grant to train the next generation of biomedical researchers in the U.S. Southwest and to enhance the diversity of the biomedical research workforce.

Celebrate Homecoming 2019 at UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso welcomes alumni, students, friends and fans to campus for Homecoming Week activities including reunions, tailgating, a pep rally, and a Conference USA football game on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting Commemorates First Day in 1914, Homecoming

The “Mining Minds” pickaxe sculpture at UTEP’s Sun Bowl-University roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange beginning Saturday, Sept. 28, through Saturday, Oct. 5, in honor of two special occasions at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Launches Miner Teacher Residency Program

Community partners joined leaders from The University of Texas at El Paso on Sept. 26, 2019, to announce a “game changer” idea that they believe will revolutionize UTEP’s teacher preparation program and eventually benefit K-12 students throughout the Paso del Norte region and beyond.

UTEP Theater Department Lines Up ‘Latinx’ Season

Cristina Goletti had heard talk within the national arts community for several years about an effort by some of the bigger theater companies to embrace the works of minority artists to draw attention to their talents and underrepresented stories.

UTEP and Community Leaders Launch New Teacher Residency Program With Local School Districts

Today, the College of Education at The University of Texas at El Paso and community leaders unveiled the Miner Teacher Residency Program, a full-year teacher placement designed to boost the readiness of aspiring teachers to better serve diverse students throughout the El Paso region.

UTEP Ph.D. Students Earn Stanford University Honor

UTEP doctoral students Juan Aguilera, M.D., and Amy R. Nava were selected for Stanford University’s PRISM (Postdoctoral Recruitment Initiative in Sciences and Medicine) postdoctoral interview opportunity.

UTEP Awarded $400K Grant to Support Graduate Students in Nuclear Science and Engineering

The University of Texas at El Paso was awarded $400,000 from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to facilitate graduate student success in nuclear science and engineering.

UTEP Honored for Supporting Minorities in Computer Science

The University of Texas at El Paso has been named the third recipient of the University Award given by the Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in Information Technology.

UTEP Among Best Universities for Social Mobility

The University of Texas at El Paso is one of the best institutions in the country for helping students realize the American Dream, according to MarketWatch, a U.S. financial news website.

UTEP Fall Enrollment Increases for 21st Consecutive Year

The University of Texas at El Paso’s enrollment has increased for the 21st consecutive year.

UTEP in the Spotlight: MarketWatch

In a column published Sept. 21, 2019, MarketWatch highlights The University of Texas at El Paso’s standing as one of the best institutions in the country at helping students realize the American Dream.

Gratz College President Opens 2019 Centennial Lecture Series With Argument Against Electoral College

Paul Finkelman, Ph.D., presented an argument to abolish the Electoral College during the first Centennial Lecture address of the fall 2019 semester at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP President Heather Wilson Delivers First State of the University Address

In her first address to The University of Texas at El Paso community since leaving her role as Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, newly minted UTEP President Heather Wilson laid out the remarkable path that lies ahead for the campus and the efforts it will undergo to keep the cost of a college degree affordable, including a plan to offer low-cost or no-cost textbook options, and advocate for continued public support for higher education.

UTEP Student Government Association Receives $10,000 from UT System Board of Regents for Aug. 3 Tragedy Relief Efforts

Inspired by the response of The University of Texas at El Paso community and the city to the Aug. 3, 2019, shooting in El Paso, The University of Texas System Board of Regents presented the UTEP Student Government Association with $10,000 to assist with relief efforts.

UTEP Educators Earn Hispanos Triunfadores Awards

Organizers of the 2019 McDonald's Hispanos Triunfadores announced that three employees from The University of Texas at El Paso will be among the honorees at this year's event at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, in the El Paso Community College Administrative Services Center auditorium, 9050 Viscount Blvd.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting to Celebrate UTEP President Heather Wilson’s 1st Fall Convocation

The University of Texas at El Paso will illuminate the “Mining Minds” pickaxe sculpture at the campus’ Sun Bowl-University Roundabout in blue and orange Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019, to celebrate UTEP President Heather Wilson’s first Fall Convocation.

UTEP Joins Research Center Effort to Innovate Financial Aid

The University of Texas at El Paso has joined a select group of Texas colleges and universities in a project designed to develop effective and innovative approaches to financial aid.

UTEP Dean Ends Term as UT System Academy Chief

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Beth Brunk-Chavez, Ph.D., dean of Extended University, recently stepped down as president of The University of Texas System’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers. She led the organization for two years.

Fueling Research Diversity: A Peek Inside UTEP's Doctoral Pipeline

Nina Marie Beltran made several key discoveries while working in a UTEP research laboratory. Chief among them was an epiphany — a desire to pursue a doctoral degree after completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology.

School of Nursing Names Interim Dean

The University of Texas at El Paso has named Leslie K. Robbins, Ph.D., professor of nursing at UTEP, the interim dean of the School of Nursing.

Alumna Profile: Cameasha Turner

Cameasha Turner made the most of her time as a member of The University of Texas at El Paso women’s basketball team.

Student Profile: Angel Moises De La Rosa

Angel Moises De La Rosa is a graduate student in electrical engineering. He said UTEP’s feeling of a tight-knit community has helped him throughout his academic journey.

UTEP Student Health and Wellness Center Offers New Services for Fall Semester

As The University of Texas at El Paso kicks off the fall 2019 semester, the Student Health and Wellness Center (SHWC) has rolled out enhanced services to help students remain healthy Miners.

UTEP School of Pharmacy Awarded NIH Grant to Study Thirdhand Smoke

Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso's School of Pharmacy have been awarded $1.8 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the effects of thirdhand smoke on platelet function and cardiovascular disease such as heart attack and stroke.

UTEP Initiative Seeks Low-Cost Options for Textbooks

An interdisciplinary cohort of faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso will work with select UTEP staff from fall 2019 through fall 2020 to develop Open Educational Resources (OER) or other affordable instructional materials that eventually could save students millions of dollars.

UTEP Ranked Among Top Schools for Hispanics

The University of Texas at El Paso is ranked highly in four categories of a national publication’s list of top colleges and universities for Hispanics.

Global Learning Experiences Take Miners Beyond the Classroom

After trips to help people in Kenya, Panama, Guatemala and Kyrgyzstan, Natassia Lozano was no stranger to world travel.

Event Offers UTEP Community Opportunity to Heal

The University of Texas at El Paso presents "Trauma, Resilience and Resistance," an interdisciplinary response to the recent gun violence in El Paso, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 28 and 29, 2019, at UTEP's Blumberg Auditorium.

UTEP Civil Engineering Professor Unveils Portable Charging Station Designed to Help Hurricane Victims

Ivonne Santiago, Ph.D., clinical professor of civil engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso, has continually sought ways to help her home state of Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria barreled through the Caribbean in September 2017. Her latest effort was showcased on the UTEP campus this week.

UTEP Football Fan Experiences, Tailgating Revamped for 2019 Season

As The University of Texas at El Paso's football team prepares to open its season at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, at Sun Bowl Stadium against Houston Baptist University, fans and students are eager to cheer them on and participate in tailgating as well as other game day festivities.

UTEP Professor Awarded $36K to Improve Linear Algebra Cognition

A professor in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Mathematics has been awarded a $36,000 grant from ConTex to improve the knowledge and understanding of linear algebra.

UTEP Faculty Member Contributes to Climate Change Article in PNAS Journal

Jennie McLaren, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, is a co-author of an article on climate change published Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019, in the official publication of the National Academy of Sciences.

UTEP Welcomes Students Back to Campus

For the first time in more than three decades, The University of Texas at El Paso begins the 2019-20 academic year not only by welcoming more than 25,000 students, but by introducing a new President.

Minerpalooza 2019 Kicks Off New School Year, Weekend of Celebration for El Paso Community

The University of Texas at El Paso is celebrating the new academic year with Minerpalooza, the annual event that brings together UTEP and the El Paso community.

UTEP Journal Article Flips the Classroom in Nursing Education

Franchesca Nuñez, Ph.D., assistant professor at The University of Texas at El Paso’s School of Nursing, is the first author on a journal article that examines the flipped classroom teaching model to enhance student engagement, learning outcomes in nursing education, and application challenges.

UTEP Engineering Workforce Program Awarded $200K Grant on Nuclear Facility Development

The University of Texas at El Paso Nuclear Engineering Workforce Program (NEWP) was awarded a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop the workforce needed for the design, construction, operation and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials.

UTEP Professor Awarded $1.5M Grant to Research Inflammatory Responses in Immune System Diseases

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Biological Sciences was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research how natural killer T (NKT) cells regulate uncontrolled inflammatory responses in immune system diseases.

UTEP MPH Student Films to Screen at Public Health Film Festival

Three films produced by Master of Public Health (MPH) students at The University of Texas at El Paso will be screened at the American Public Health Association's (APHA) Global Public Health Film Festival in November.

Student Profile: Jacqueline Lechuga

Jacqueline Lechuga is a first-generation college student who didn't think she could afford to get a degree. Now, she's working toward a Ph.D. in psychology.

Faculty Profile: Alejandra Valenzuela

Alejandra Valenzuela is an experienced nurse with a passion for her field and a desire to pay it forward.

NIH Awards $2.7M Grant to UTEP Biology Professor to Study AIDS-associated Fungal Meningitis

The National Institutes of Health recently awarded a $2.7 million grant to Luis R. Martinez, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, to study a potentially life-threatening fungus and suggest possible treatments.

UTEP Earns NSF Grant for Student Researchers

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded a $27,000 grant to The University of Texas at El Paso’s Wendy Francis, Ph.D., professor of psychology, who will use the funds to support students who will conduct research on bilingual language and memory processes for her ongoing NSF research grant.

UTEP Professor Awarded $100K Grant to Develop Fast Electromagnetic Simulation Algorithms

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Engineering has received a $100,000 grant from IERUS Technologies to develop numerical techniques that will be incorporated into a high-performance computing (HPC) platform suitable for simulating and optimizing advanced photonic devices.

UTEP President Named America Makes Ambassador

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.

UTEP's Chihuahuan Desert Gardens Involved in National Competition

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Chihuahuan Desert Gardens is a participant in the Lark Label Loves Gardens Sweepstakes that continues through the end of August.

UTEP In the Spotlight - Dallas Morning News

UTEP President Diana Natalicio offers a personal reflection about El Paso, its people and its relationship to neighboring Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, in a column published in The Dallas Morning News online on Aug. 10, 2019.

UTEP Marks 150th Anniversary of Periodic Table of Chemical Elements

UTEP's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry hosted a special event Friday, Aug. 9, 2019, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the creation of the periodic table of chemical elements.

Undergraduate Research Talent on Display at 2019 COURI Summer Symposium

Josue Martinez, a sophomore computer engineering major who was a visiting student at The University of Texas at El Paso in summer 2019, has a very clear idea of what he would tell any fellow undergraduate student who is pondering a research experience.

UTEP In the Spotlight - Time Magazine

Yolanda Leyva, Ph.D., director of the Institute of Oral History and associate professor of history at The University of Texas at El Paso, describes the prejudice faced by Mexican-Americans in Texas throughout history in an opinion piece published Aug. 8, 2019, on Time magazine’s website.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting to Celebrate UTEP President Diana Natalicio's Tenure

The University of Texas at El Paso will illuminate the "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at the campus' Sun Bowl-University Roundabout in blue and orange each evening from Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 12-14, 2019, to celebrate the 31-year leadership tenure of UTEP President Diana Natalicio and the 93,500 degrees awarded during that time. Each second the sculpture is illuminated in orange and blue will represent one of those degrees.

UTEP Professor Wins 2019 Great Minds in STEM Hispanic Engineer Award

Natalia Villanueva Rosales, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been named a recipient of the 2019 Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC) Education Award.

Homeless Shelter Offers Community of Learning for UTEP Social Work Students

After earning a bachelor's degree in digital media, Rivyann Blount produced stories about social issues such as poverty and immigration that affected vulnerable populations. But rather than write about people's unfortunate circumstances, Blount felt the need to help them turn their lives around.

UTEP Receives $400K to Study Converting Wastewater to Potable Water

The Center for Inland Desalination System (CIDS) at The University of Texas at El Paso has received a $400,000 Desalination and Water Purification Research grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to study desalination of water for direct potable reuse, or converting municipal wastewater to drinking water.

UTEP President Receives Conquistador Award from City of El Paso

UTEP President Diana Natalicio has received the City of El Paso’s highest honor for her significant contributions to the community throughout her 31 years in the campus’ highest leadership position.

Support Services Offered to UTEP Community

UTEP is offering support to our students, faculty and staff as they cope with the tragic events that took place Aug. 3 in El Paso.

Statement from UTEP President Diana Natalicio Regarding Aug. 3 Events in El Paso

All of us at UTEP share with our fellow El Pasoans the pain of recent horrific events in our community, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families whose lives have been most directly affected.

UTEP In the Spotlight: Inside Higher Ed

The University of Texas at El Paso was the weeklong focal point of the Academic Minute, an audio series from Inside Higher Ed that features professors from top institutions throughout the country as they delve into current research topics.

Holding Court: Former UTEP Women's Basketball Stars Begin Law Careers

As former standouts for The University of Texas at El Paso's women's basketball team, Cameasha Turner and Marissa Rodriguez recognize the importance of court awareness.

College of Business Administration Will Offer Minor in Commercial Real Estate

In response to student interest, The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Business Administration (COBA) will offer a new minor in commercial real estate for undergraduate students starting in the spring 2020 semester.

UTEP Professor Provides Crisis Training in Egypt

Rick Myer, Ph.D., chair and professor in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Educational Psychology and Special Services, spent part of his summer in northeast Egypt to train about 100 religious volunteers about crisis intervention.

Virtual Reality Study Explores Health Benefits of Nature

A new research program at The University of Texas at El Paso's School of Nursing (SON) is using immersive virtual reality (IVR) to test how natural environments affect health and well-being.

UTEP Fellows Conclude Intensive Summer Training

A cohort of a national program created to increase the number of Hispanic professors in the humanities recently concluded an intensive summer session at The University of Texas at El Paso that left participants eager to continue their academic journeys this fall.

Summer Dance ‘Intensive’ Embodies Improvisation

A half dozen or so pairs of bodies set in a circle moved in tandem though almost never in sync during impromptu conversations that ranged from the silly to the mundane to the flirtatious. The goal of this dance exercise at The University of Texas at El Paso was to weave a person’s reason, instincts and imagination.

A Few Words from New UTEP President Heather Wilson

When I was in first grade, I had a bank made out of a tin Crisco can with a slot cut in the top. It had pennies and nickels and a few quarters I had earned or been given. One day, my mother told me that I could go to YMCA camp the following summer. I could use the coins I had saved in my can and she would pay the rest.

New UTEP Research Center to Target Opioid Abuse on the Texas-Mexico Border

A road trip through West Texas' border counties last summer exposed Thenral Mangadu, M.D., Ph.D., to the challenges that rural communities face to combat opioid use disorder (OUD).

UTEP Plays Host to NEH Border History Institute

The National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) awarded a $132,000 grant to a faculty member from The University of Texas at El Paso to conduct a two-week course about aspects of the border for 25 secondary education teachers from around the country.

UTEP Professor Awarded $1.7M Grant to Decipher Molecular Assembly Mechanism of Giant Virus

Chuan Xiao, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, was awarded a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences to continue research of the giant marine virus Cafeteria roenbergensis (CroV).

UTEP Professor’s Prostate Cancer Detection Test Could Limit Blood Tests, Unnecessary Biopsies

Wen-Yee Lee, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, has developed an affordable early screening test for prostate cancer. The test uses a small urine sample and, in the future, could be developed as a kit similar to the home pregnancy test.

UTEP In the Spotlight - The New York Times

Reporter Patricia Leigh Brown shares images and stories of the UTEP Centennial Museum’s “Uncaged Art” exhibit in a July 19, 2019, article published in The New York Times.

UTEP Faculty Consider Podcasts to Engage Students

Sue Stanfield, Ph.D., has taught in higher education for almost 20 years - the past three at The University of Texas at El Paso - and one of her main concerns has been to keep students engaged, especially when she conducts lessons in one of UTEP's largest classrooms for more than 200 students at a time.

PayDirt Promise Reaffirms UTEP's Continued Support and Commitment to El Paso Students

The number of students able to attend The University of Texas at El Paso without worrying about the cost of tuition is poised to grow significantly.

UTEP Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Mission with Former NASA Astronaut, Alumnus Danny Olivas

The University of Texas at El Paso College of Engineering marks the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 mission with a celebration event Friday, July 19, at the Union Cinema.

Gilman Scholarship to Support UTEP Students Abroad

A group of UTEP undergraduate students have been given greater access to study abroad opportunities for the Summer and Fall 2019 semesters through the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.

UTEP Technology Teams Earn International Honors

Blackboard Inc., one of the world's leading educational technology companies, will present two of its prestigious Catalyst Awards to The University of Texas at El Paso during its annual BbWorld conference July 23-25, in the Austin Convention Center.

UTEP Announces 2019 Gold Nugget Award Recipients

The University of Texas at El Paso and the UTEP Alumni Association are proud to announce the 2019 Gold Nugget recipients.

Student Profile: Azlyn Briana Calvillo

Azlyn Briana Calvillo began her academic journey outside El Paso, but The University of Texas at El Paso's respected nursing program drew the Franklin High School graduate back to the Sun City.

Faculty Profile: Tom Fullerton

Tom Fullerton is renowned for his ability to pore over colossal amounts of numbers and use them to paint a picture of the economic health of the Paso del Norte region every year.

UTEP Announces 2019 Distinguished Alumni

Annual UTEP Employee Benefits Enrollment Continues Through July 31

Faculty, staff and retirees of The University of Texas at El Paso can change or update their employee benefits packages this month.

Gov. Abbott Appoints UT System Student Regent from UTEP

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed UTEP doctoral student Daniel R. Dominguez to a one-year term as Student Regent on The University of Texas System Board of Regents. He is the first UTEP student appointed to this position.

Greg Long Seeks Return to Field for UTEP Football

Greg Long relishes the opportunity to take the field this fall as part of the UTEP football team.

UTEP Offers Tech-E to Students from Migrant Families

Randy Anaya has a quick smile and friendly demeanor. But in a lab where he is responsible for the safety of 30 young students, that disposition can give way to stern direction. Such was the case recently when Anaya led a Tech-E summer camp at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Wins Prestigious Award for 'Thank You for 30' Campaign

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), a global association for professionals in educational advancement, awarded The University of Texas at El Paso a gold-level Circle of Excellence Award for the campus' "Thank You for 30" campaign case statement.

5 UTEP Faculty Members Recognized for Earning National Credential for Teaching Excellence

A quintet of faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso were among 22 honorees from The University of Texas System institutions who were recognized for earning a national teaching credential through a UT System initiative to support student success.

UTEP Grant Targets Opioid Abuse in Rural Texas Counties

Thenral Mangadu, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of public health sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, has received federal funding to collaborate with a consortium of community partners on a plan for opioid use disorder (OUD) response in rural communities along the Texas-Mexico border.

UTEP Teacher Earns Grant to Promote Latinx Stories

Humanities Texas recently awarded a $5,000 grant to Kim McKean, assistant professor of theater at The University of Texas at El Paso, to present “En La Frontera: A Latinx New Works Festival” in spring 2020 in partnership with the Chamizal National Memorial.

Creating Champions: Cayla Payne Revels in Spotlight for UTEP Soccer

Cayla Payne wants to be on television one day. The redshirt-junior on the UTEP soccer team hopes to parlay her multimedia journalism degree into a career interviewing the highest-profile figures in sports.

UT System Regents Honor 2 UTEP Faculty as Outstanding Teachers

The University of Texas System Board of Regents announced July 1 that two UTEP faculty members will receive the group's Outstanding Teaching Award for their extraordinary performance and innovative instruction in the classroom.

UTEP Partnership with University at Albany Underscores Importance of Undergraduate Research Experiences

Arshad Khan, Ph.D., holds student researchers in high regard. The associate professor of biological sciences and director of The University of Texas at El Paso's Systems Neuroscience Laboratory currently oversees 27 personnel in his lab, including nine graduate students and 17 undergraduates.

UTEP In the Spotlight - Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

In a June 26, 2019 story, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education celebrates outgoing UTEP President Diana Natalicio and her adherence to the University’s long-standing tenets of access and excellence.

Creating Champions: Pate Cathey Finds Comfort, Success With UTEP Softball

Pate Cathey was unfamiliar with UTEP until 2016. That year, Cathey's sister, Blaine, was in the midst of her collegiate soccer career at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, which shares membership with UTEP in Conference USA. That introduced Cathey to El Paso's top tier research university.

UTEP and El Paso Community Foundation Collaborate on Binational Survey

Despite an 18-foot-high steel bollard fence that separates El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, residents on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border consider each other neighbors and friends.

UTEP College of Business Administration Receives Bizzell Award

UTEP’s College of Business Administration (COBA) has been named the winner of the Southwestern Business Deans’ Association (SWBDA) 2019 Bobby G. Bizzell Innovative Achievement Award.

UTEP Social Work Student Awarded Hogg Foundation Scholarship

Anthony Tellez, a graduate social work student at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been selected to receive the 2019 Ima Hogg Scholarship from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.

UTEP EM Lab’s Work on 3D/Volumetric Circuits Recognized on Cover of IEEE

For nearly a decade, Raymond C. Rumpf, Ph.D., and his EM Lab team have seen several revolutionary ideas to fruition. Their latest advancement received recent recognition from IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

Pedestrian Detour Near Interdisciplinary Research Building Begins Monday

Several stretches of sidewalk between the Undergraduate Learning Center, the Centennial Museum and the Interdisciplinary Research Building construction site will temporarily be closed to pedestrians starting Monday, June 24, 2019.

UTEP Earns Inaugural Seal of Excelencia for Commitment to Latino Students

Excelencia in Education, the Washington, D.C.-based organization that promotes Latino student success, picked The University of Texas at El Paso to be among the first recipients of its Seal of Excelencia honor.

NEA Grant to Help UTEP Promote Latinx Literature

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded a $15,000 grant to The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Theatre and Dance for activities tied to the annual Big Read on the Border set for spring 2020.

UTEP Team to Collect Data for Children’s Museum Design

EPCM Construction awarded a $46,000 grant to Beverley Argus-Calvo, Ph.D., associate dean in UTEP’s College of Education, to lead a team that will conduct focus group meetings to benefit the design of the planned El Paso Children’s Museum for All.

Border Scholars Discuss Binational Solutions at UTEP

As conditions such as population growth and climate change evolve, residents of the U.S.-Mexico border region, home to over 12 million people, face new challenges. A group of binational researchers recently met at UTEP to offer possible solutions.

UTEP In the Spotlight: The Dallas Morning News

In its June 16, 2019 issue, The Dallas Morning News pays tribute to how outgoing UTEP President Diana Natalicio has “shown how education can transform a community.”

UTEP Student Profile: Juan Aguilera

Juan Aguilera, an interdisciplinary health sciences doctoral student, is a campus leader who has seized the opportunities UTEP provides.

UTEP Faculty Profile: Sang Min Shin, Ph.D.

Students who take Sang Min Shin's master's-level courses are sure to experience plenty of hands-on learning, including sand play and being paired with a "play buddy" for the semester.

UTEP Awarded Grant to Expand Men’s Diabetes Program

The Diabetes Garage, a men’s diabetes management and self-care program, will offer men in Texas who have the disease the gift of health to last a lifetime.

NEH Selects UTEP Professor as Summer Scholar

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced that The University of Texas at El Paso’s Zita Arocha, associate professor of practice in the Department of Communication, will be one of 30 NEH Summer Scholars to participate in a four-week study seminar at the University of Tampa in Florida.

UTEP Research to Map Conditioned Fear Responses in Brain Circuits

A partnership between researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso and the University at Albany (UAlbany) in New York will attempt to understand how neural circuits that encode learned responses to fear develop in mammalian brains.

UTEP Receives $1.2M Grant to Prepare Future STEM Teachers

The University of Texas at El Paso will partner with the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) to foster the next generation of highly skilled STEM teachers through a five-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

UTEP President Closes Final Year with Multiple Awards

Many recent graduates from The University of Texas at El Paso continue to revel in their achievements, and rightly so, but they are not the only Miners who earned honors from groups at the local to national levels.

UTEP Celebrates Last Cooperative Pharmacy Program Graduates

When her son was young, Erick Romero's mom would ask the neighborhood pharmacist for advice to treat a runny nose or an upset stomach.

UTEP In the Spotlight: Texas Monthly

In its June 2019 issue, Texas Monthly pays tribute to Diana Natalicio’s 31-year tenure as President of The University of Texas at El Paso in a unique way.

UTEP Postdoctoral Researcher Receives Microsoft’s AI for Earth Grant

Microsoft has awarded a postdoctoral researcher at The University of Texas at El Paso with a grant to extend the efforts of the College of Science’s Systems Ecology Laboratory in understanding how widespread and ongoing change in Arctic terrestrial ecosystems might threaten not only local natural landscapes and Arctic native communities but also global Earth system processes.

U.S. Group Honors UTEP Geography Professor’s Work

The Political Geography Specialty Group, which is part of the Association of American Geographers, recently announced that it selected The University of Texas at El Paso’s Jeremy Slack, Ph.D., assistant professor of geography, to receive its Richard Morrill Award for Public Outreach.

UTEP Professors to Participate in Regional Book Fair

One of the biggest book fairs in the region is underway in Juárez, Mexico, and organizers invited faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso to provide a different perspective on a common topic – writing.

Miners Assist Refugees in El Paso

The thousands of refugees from Central America and Mexico who have crossed into El Paso since late 2018 strained the capabilities of the area's social service agencies. There was a need for community volunteers, and some UTEP employees and students answered that call.

UTEP Event Flavors History with Dash of Humanities

When The University of Texas at El Paso’s Meredith E. Abarca, Ph.D., professor of English, began to research the history of the Paso del Norte region, she decided to use a universal language: food.

UTEP Ph.D. Student Awarded with Department of Defense SMART Scholarship

David Guenaga, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Geological Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, was awarded the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship by the Department of Defense.

UTEP Mathe-musician’s Project Earns NSF Accolade

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced that a team of researchers co-led by The University of Texas at El Paso’s Lawrence Lesser, Ph.D., professor of mathematical sciences, had won a grand prize at the NSF’s inaugural “We Are Mathematics” video competition.

UTEP Educator’s Video Promotes STEM Education

A faculty member with The University of Texas at El Paso helped create a video that is part of a weeklong National Science Foundation (NSF) video showcase of innovative strategies to enhance STEM education.

New Scholarship Strengthens UTEP’s Efforts to Create Opportunities for Students on Both Sides of Border

More students from the Paso del Norte region will now be able to obtain a top-tier college education thanks to an agreement between The University of Texas at El Paso and a new private sector partner from across the border.

UTEP Educator Inspires Children at Groundbreaking

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Josefina V. “Josie” Tinajero, Ed.D., shared words of wisdom and gratitude before turning over a shovel full of dirt on May 10, 2019, at Henderson Middle School, 5505 Robert Alva Ave., at a ceremonial groundbreaking for a school that would bear her name.

UTEP Celebrates 2019 Spring Commencement

Katia Ochoa was understandably riveted Sunday, May 19, 2019, as she filed into the Don Haskins Center with nearly 800 graduation candidates for the last of four spring Commencement ceremonies at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Leader, Family Share Notable Commencements

Wallace Hardgrove recalled being excited to graduate from The University of Texas at El Paso with a bachelor's degree in accounting in December 1988. One of the things he looked forward to was shaking the hand of the University's new leader, Diana Natalicio, who took office the previous February.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting Commemorates UTEP's Class of 2019

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at The University of Texas at El Paso's University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange from Wednesday evening, May 15, through Sunday evening, May 19, to commemorate UTEP's Class of 2019.

UTEP Announces 2019 Top Ten Seniors

The Top Ten Seniors Awards are presented annually by The University of Texas at El Paso Alumni Association to UTEP's most promising future alumni.

Global Group Honors UTEP’s Kathleen Staudt for Life’s Work

The Association of Borderland Studies (ABS) presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to The University of Texas at El Paso’s Kathleen “Kathy” Staudt, Ph.D., professor emerita of political science, during its annual meeting on April 26 in San Diego.

UTEP to Use Music to Build Civic Communication

The University of Texas at El Paso will be part of a national consortium of conservatories, music institutions and college music departments to use artistic experiences to enhance communication within U.S. communities.

UTEP RN-to-BSN Program Celebrates 30 Years

Thirteen years after earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, Raul Guevara took his first step toward becoming a family nurse practitioner: he returned to school in 2016 for a bachelor's degree in nursing.

Exhibit Exemplifies Novel Approach to UTEP History Class

The benefits of using different technologies and art forms to engage students in an entry-level history class at The University of Texas at El Paso is the basis of "History in 3D," an exhibit that opens May 8, 2019, in UTEP's Centennial Museum.

UTEP Civil Engineering Professor, Student Researchers Help Improve Airport Checkpoints

Ruey (Kelvin) Cheu, Ph.D., sees opportunity where others might see encumbrance.

New Master's in Criminology, Criminal Justice to Enhance Opportunities for UTEP Students

Fatima Ceniceros has a reputation for being honest. The only person she tried to fool was herself when she started at The University of Texas at El Paso as a civil engineering major. It took her two years to realize that she was on the wrong path.

UTEP Student Earns Full-Ride to Rutgers Ph.D. Program

Rutgers University - Newark recently announced that Ana Sandoval, a University of Texas at El Paso Master of Public Administration student, had earned one of four fully paid slots into its doctoral program in Global Urban Studies.

UTEP Psychology Professor Earns Fellowship

The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) and the Americans for Medical Progress (AMP) announced their selection of The University of Texas at El Paso’s Katherine M. Serafine, Ph.D., as their ACNP-AMP BRAD Fellow.

UTEP Students, Alums Receive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

A pair of current students and three former students from The University of Texas at El Paso who will pursue research-based doctoral degrees earned fellowship offers from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

UTEP Students Win 19 Awards in Advertising and Journalism

The Student Media and Publications department at The University of Texas at El Paso earned a national honor with a second-place win for Best Video or Underwriting Spot, “Residence Life,” created by students Michaela Roman, Rene Delgadillo and Claudia Flores in the College Media Business and Advertising Managers 2019 Awards.

UTEP Awarded Physical Therapy Grant

A grant from the Health Policy and Administration (HPA) Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) will enable researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Health Sciences to validate a language assessment that measures Spanish proficiency of students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program.

Win a T-Shirt in the #UTEPFunWithTheBun Selfie Contest

Own a piece of UTEP history by taking a selfie with President Natalicio's likeness!

El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence Announces Next Phase of Work

Members of the board of the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence (EPCAE), a regional leadership council, unveiled a unified vision of a future in which all El Pasoans have access to the highest quality education that leads to ample career pathways and supports a vibrant local economy and enhanced quality of life.

UTEP In the Spotlight: Austin American-Statesman

The Austin American-Statesman published a profile on UTEP President Diana Natalicio in which she reflects on her years of leadership.

Mining Minds Special Lighting Commemorates Honors Convocation

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at UTEP's University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Sunday evening, April 28, 2019, in honor of The University of Texas at El Paso's Honors Convocation.

UTEP's Academy of Distinguished Teachers Established to Promote Academic Excellence

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the The University of Texas System's Regents Outstanding Teaching Awards, and in an effort to share awardees' deep commitment to teaching with the campus community, UTEP's Academy of Distinguished Teachers was founded in 2019. The academy's primary purpose is to recognize, promote and support excellence in teaching at the University.

2019 COURI Spring Symposium Pushes Culture of Undergraduate Research Forward

Evelyn Tovanche, a senior biomedical sciences major in The University of Texas at El Paso's College of Science, said her research experience in the summer of 2018 was life changing.

UTEP Student Team Ready to Compete at Drone Design Competition

For eight students in The University of Texas at El Paso's College of Engineering, being part of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program offered by the NASA MIRO Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR) represents the realization of lofty academic research aspirations.

Military Ball Honors Traditions, Builds Camaraderie

UTEP military science cadet Jose A. Herrera stood at attention in the middle of a cavernous white tent ready to recite the Soldier's Creed at the program's annual Military Ball on April 5, 2019, at Grace Gardens Event Center. Little did the audience know that they would live out part of the creed that evening.

UTEP Doctoral Student Selected for U.S. Department of Energy Graduate Student Research Program

Carlos Manuel Diaz, a doctoral candidate in computational science at The University of Texas at El Paso, is one of 70 graduate students from across the country selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to take part in the agency’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program.

UTEP Team Wins 2nd Place at Global Health Technologies Design Competition at Rice University

A student team comprised of a trio of undergraduates from The University of Texas at El Paso won second place for its presentation of low-cost health technologies during the Rice 360° Ninth Annual Undergraduate Global Health Technologies Design Competition at Rice University.

UTEP to Host Inaugural U.S. Army Drone Design Competition

The University of Texas at El Paso will host the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s (CCDC) inaugural student unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design competition Tuesday, April 23 and Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at Sun Bowl Stadium.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting to Celebrate Establishment of the School of Mines

The University of Texas at El Paso will illuminate the "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at the campus' University Avenue roundabout in blue and orange Tuesday evening, April 16, 2019, to commemorate the establishment of the School of Mines, now UTEP.

Department of Energy Official Praises UTEP’s Commitment to Advanced Manufacturing Research

A research leader from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lauded The University of Texas at El Paso’s research capabilities during the Southwest Emerging Technology Symposium (SETS) and Regional Small Business Summit, an event hosted by UTEP’s NASA MIRO Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR) on March 26 and 27.

Bhutan Ambassador Talks about Gross National Happiness at UTEP

Happiness is serious business in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Since 1972, Bhutan has ranked Gross National Happiness (GNH) above gross domestic product and based the country's economic and social policies on the collective happiness and well-being of its 800,000 citizens.

UTEP Set to Serve Community at 10th Project MOVE

Organizers of The University of Texas at El Paso's Project MOVE have long echoed the sentiments shared by volunteers that participation in UTEP's annual day of community service can be a life-changing experience. Junior business major Lizbeth Vargas agreed with that assessment.

UTEP Theater Student Earns National Recognition

Judges from the U.S. Institute for Theatre Technology named The University of Texas at El Paso’s Constanza Romero as its national winner in the Allied Crafts and Technology Design competition during its Conference and Stage Expo, March 20-23 in Louisville, Kentucky.

UTEP Assistant Vice President Honored by TAMACC at Annual Women of Distinction Awards

The Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) honored Diane De Hoyos, Ph.D., assistant vice president for purchasing and general services at The University of Texas at El Paso, at its annual Women of Distinction Awards luncheon.

UTEP Student Awarded Global Fellowship

Daniela Quinones, a sophomore at The University of Texas at El Paso, is one of 10 students in the United States selected for the prestigious Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship.

UTEP Exhibit Gives Voice to Tornillo’s Silenced Teens

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens will host an exhibit showcasing art created by teenagers from various Central and South American countries who were held in a secured tent city in Tornillo, a small town of about 1,600 people about 40 miles southeast of El Paso.

Assistant Secretary for Health Says All Students Can Contribute to Public Health

When Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D., first stood up in front of an audience at the Undergraduate Learning Center, it was clear that he was prepared to deliver a message that was very important to him. It was simple, straightforward, but also ambitious: he said there was a need to transfer our public health system from a sick care system to a health promotion system.

Professional Development Course Gives UTEP Faculty Teaching Edge

Faculty at The University of Texas at El Paso have found that the key to student success is their own lifelong learning. As a result, many UTEP instructors have continued to strengthen their teaching and practice through professional development.

UTEP to Observe César Chávez Day

UTEP will recognize César Chávez Day on Friday, March 29, 2019. No classes will be held, but key University offices will remain open and functional with reduced staffing.

El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame Welcomes UTEP Social Work Associate Professor

Eva Moya, Ph.D., associate professor of social work at The University of Texas at El Paso, will be inducted into the 2019 El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame.

UTEP Faculty Member Appointed to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Committee

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has selected Lorraine Torres, Ed.D., UTEP Clinical Laboratory Science clinical assistant professor, to serve on the Health Services Field of Study Advisory Committee.

UTEP, AT&T Collaborate to Offer Master of Science in Systems Engineering to AT&T Employees

The University of Texas at El Paso's College of Engineering is partnering with AT&T to offer qualified AT&T employees the opportunity to enroll in the fully online Master of Science in Systems Engineering program, which will be facilitated by UTEP Connect and Extended University beginning in summer 2019.

Special Lighting of 'Mining Minds' to Honor 1966 Championship Team

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at UTEP's University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Tuesday evening, March 19, 2019, to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the Texas Western College (now The University of Texas at El Paso) men's basketball team winning the NCAA championship.

El Paso City Council Proclaims Social Work Month

The El Paso City Council proclaimed the month of March as Social Work Month in the City of El Paso during its regular public meeting on Tuesday, March 19, at City Hall, 300 N. Campbell.

NSA Grant Funds UTEP Summer Language Program

The National Security Agency awarded a $90,000 grant to The University of Texas at El Paso’s Maissa Khatib, Ph.D., clinical associate in the Women’s and Gender Studies program and director of the Department of Languages and Linguistics’ Arabic Program, for “Local to Global: STARTALK 2019.”

UTEP Graduate School Dean Named Council of Graduate Schools Dean-in-Residence

Charles Ambler, Ph.D., associate provost and dean of the Graduate School at The University of Texas at El Paso, was named the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Dean-in-Residence for 2019-20.

UTEP Study to Target Work-Related Injuries

Gabriel Ibarra-Mejia, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of public health sciences at UTEP, has received a grant to identify strategies to prevent upper extremity disorders in the workplace, such as tennis elbow, which occur when tendons degenerate or wear out from long-term overuse.

UTEP Geological Sciences Team to Discuss Antarctic Research During Free Public Event

Researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Geological Sciences who took part in a multimillion-dollar, joint-research program initiated by the National Science Foundation and the United Kingdom’s Natural Environment Research Council to analyze a receding Antarctic glacier will discuss their work during a free event on campus this week.

UTEP In the Spotlight: New York Times Features Rubin Center Exhibit

The University of Texas at El Paso is at the forefront of emerging 3D printing technologies. Several UTEP students and faculty involved in this work recently collaborated with a pair of architects who were featured in The New York Times.

For UTEP Doctoral Student, Bumpy Paths Offer Trajectory to Success

The rocky fluctuation of the stock market and the intense tremors of an earthquake seem like disparate forms of disruptive movement. But for Masum Bhuiyan, a doctoral candidate in The University of Texas at El Paso's computational science program, the two events share similar behavior, and the study of those patterns can help predict future events and mitigate their adverse effects.

'Mining Minds' Special Lighting to Honor TCM Day Tradition

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at UTEP's University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Friday evening, March 15, 2019, in honor of TCM Day, The University of Texas at El Paso's longest-running tradition.

Kennedy Festival Recognizes UTEP Theater Students

UTEP junior theatre performance major Larissa Arzate won the Irene Ryan Acting Competition at the Region 6 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Feb. 25-28 in Abilene, Texas.

UTEP Safety Manager Elected to Southern Biosafety Association Board

Berenice Arriaga, biocontainment safety manager with UTEP’s Environmental Health and Safety department, recently was elected to the Southern Biosafety Association (SBA) leadership team because of her exemplary work in safety.

UTEP’s Oldest Fraternity Turns 100, Stays Relevant

In 1919, the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy, now The University of Texas at El Paso, enrolled 138 students. A handful of them decided to start a local chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) Engineering and Geology Social Fraternity, the first fraternity at the five-year-old institution.

Share a Student’s Story: May 2019 Graduation Candidates

Do you know outstanding students with inspiring stories who will graduate from UTEP this spring? If so, we want to hear from you!

UTEP In the Spotlight: Issues in Science and Technology

The University of Texas at El Paso is the top institution in the continental United States for producing Hispanic bachelor’s graduates who continue on to earn doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, according to an article published in Issues in Science and Technology.

Sun Bowl Drive Lane Reduction Begins Wednesday

Beginning Wednesday, March 6, traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on Sun Bowl Drive between the Interdisciplinary Research Building (IDRB) construction site and Sun Bowl 2 (SB2) parking lot.

UTEP Student Invited to Top Trombone Competitions

Christopher Terrazas speaks softly and carries a big horn. The UTEP senior music education major said he lets his trombone do most of his talking, and right now people all over the world want to hear what he has to say.

UTEP Senior Selected to VICE Media National Fellowship

Vania Castillo, a student in the UTEP Department of Communication currently working on a double major in digital media production and journalism, is one of four college students from across the country chosen for the Vice Fellowship for Collegiate Reporting (VFCR).

UTEP Lecturer Earns Statewide Honor for Dissertation

The National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies - Tejas Chapter recently recognized The University of Texas at El Paso’s Miguel Juárez, Ph.D., with its annual Dissertation Award during the group’s annual meeting on Feb. 15 in Houston.

UTEP Counseling Program Earns Top Accreditation

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) recently granted The University of Texas at El Paso's Mental Health Counseling Program accreditation through 2027.

UTEP Occupational Therapy Students Teach Children Mindful Ways to Ease Stress

Instead of dribbling basketballs or running drills, 40 third graders at Robbin E.L. Washington Elementary School in the Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) quietly practiced yoga's mountain pose in the school's gymnasium.

UTEP President Named Conservation Award Recipient by El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society

UTEP President Diana Natalicio is being recognized for successfully guiding the development of a wetlands park – an invaluable contribution to environmental conservation in the Paso del Norte region – by the El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society.

Stephen Crites, Ph.D., to Lead UTEP Graduate School in May

The University of Texas at El Paso has announced the appointment of Stephen Crites, Ph.D., as dean of the Graduate School effective May 1.

EPSO Director Steps in to Conduct UTEP Symphony

The acting conductor of the UTEP Symphony Orchestra has taught and performed music throughout the world, and the lesson he most wants to share with his students comes down to two words: respect and professionalism.

UTEP Students, Faculty Discuss Connection Between School and Life

For Rosa Escalante, a health promotion major at The University of Texas at El Paso, engaging people in disease prevention and wellness education at health fairs and other public events has enabled her to jump-start her career as a health educator while also making a difference in the community.

President Natalicio's Tenure Fashioned through Hundreds of Graphic Tees

The newest exhibit at The University of Texas at El Paso's Union Gallery fits the institution's President to a T … make that a T-shirt, adult small.

Mining Minds' Special Lighting to Honor Women's Track and Field Champions

The "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at UTEP's University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in orange and blue Friday evening, Feb. 22, 2019, to celebrate The University of Texas at El Paso women's track and field team, which claimed the 2019 Conference USA Indoor Track and Field Championship on Sunday, Feb. 17, in Birmingham, Alabama.

UTEP’s Project MOVE Schedules Partner Sign-up Day

Organizers of The University of Texas at El Paso’s annual day of community service will help the area’s nonprofits register for this year’s Project MOVE (Miner Opportunities for Volunteer Experiences) from 8 a.m. to noon, Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, in Union Building East, Templeton Suite, Room 313.

Think Inside the Box During E-Week on UTEP Campus

A colossal object will greet students, faculty and others who visit the Undergraduate Learning Center (UGLC) on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019, on The University of Texas at El Paso campus. The monolith in question is the Challenge Box, a unique exhibition from Lockheed Martin that will serve as one of the showcases of E-Week, the College of Engineering’s salute to National Engineers Week, which is celebrated this year from Feb. 17 to 23.

UTEP Program Predicts Regional Economic Outlook

UTEP's Border Region Modeling Project (BRMP) has released its projections for the region's labor markets, demographics, commercial activity and more in “Borderplex Economic Outlook to 2020.”

UTEP Doctoral Student’s Research Recognized by American Geophysical Union

A doctoral candidate from the College of Science at The University of Texas at El Paso continued a string of successes for UTEP students at the annual meetings of the American Geophysical Union.

UTEP Creative Writing Professor Named NEA Fellow

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently announced that Sasha Pimentel, associate professor from UTEP’s Department of Creative Writing, was among its 35 Creative Writing Fellows for FY 2019. The award-winning author, poet and educator will receive $25,000 to help with her creative pursuits.

UTEP Celebrates 'Topping Out' of Interdisciplinary Research Building

On the heels of its recent designation as an R1 research institution, The University of Texas at El Paso reached a major construction milestone for a facility that will support the continued growth of UTEP's research agenda for decades to come.

UTEP Civil Engineering Professor Named El Paso’s Engineer of the Year

Ivonne Santiago, Ph.D., clinical professor of civil engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been named the 2019 El Paso Engineer of the Year by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) El Paso Chapter.

UTEP Professor to be Inducted into UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers

Giulio Francia, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been selected to be a Fellow in The University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He is one of only two UT System faculty members selected this year to join this distinguished group of educators. The new members will be inducted at a ceremony in April in Austin.

Smoking Alternatives Concern UTEP Researchers

Since electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, first came on the market in 2007, tobacco manufacturers have been touting their vaping products as a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes.

UTEP Series Uses Language to Bond with Community

There are many examples of communication gaps in the world. A source of these rifts is the words that speakers and writers choose to use, whether in the political, social or academic arenas.

UTEP to Host Annual History Day Competition

Melissa Avila has fond memories of her El Paso History Day participation at The University of Texas at El Paso, even though part of it involved getting lost in the Liberal Arts Building minutes before her presentation.

TEDxUTEP Message of Access and Excellence Hits Home with Attendees

The University of Texas at El Paso's inaugural TEDxUTEP event Feb. 2, 2019, featured inspiring speakers, an enthusiastic crowd and the promise of another event next year.

UTEP Receives Tree Campus USA Designation for Third Straight Year

The University of Texas at El Paso has earned its Tree Campus USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation for the third straight year, validating UTEP’s continuous efforts to be a sustainable green space.

UTEP Nursing Professor Earns Lifetime Achievement Award

UTEP School of Nursing Professor Diane B. Monsivais, Ph.D., is the recipient of the 2019 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles.

UTEP Public Health Assistant Professor Appointed President of International Ergonomics and Safety Organization

Gabriel Ibarra-Mejia, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in UTEP’s Department of Public Health Sciences, will serve a second term as president of the International Society for Occupational Ergonomics and Safety (ISOES), effective June 2019.

UTEP Study Offers Guidance for School Choice Policy in El Paso

Open enrollment policies in the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) are not causing greater student segregation by race/ethnicity or poverty, according to a new study by The University of Texas at El Paso’s Center for Education Research and Policy Studies (CERPS). But the authors caution that these school choice policies are relatively new and could introduce inequities if district administrators do not monitor student enrollment and transfer patterns.

UTEP Book Frames Academic Ethics in Black, White

Academically, Ozzy was an average high school student. He could live with that, but he knew he needed to work harder to improve his grades so his parents would approve his going on a much-desired out-of-town summer vacation. Instead, he took the quicker, easier approach. He cheated.

UTEP CLS Program Prepares Medical Detectives

Efren Narvaez watched as the grieving family of a woman who disappeared years ago cautiously approached the stainless steel table that held her remains in Ciudad Juárez' municipal morgue.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting Commemorates UTEP's Top Tier Ranking

The University of Texas at El Paso will illuminate the "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at the campus' University Avenue roundabout in blue and orange Tuesday evening, Jan. 29, 2019, in honor of UTEP's R1 designation (top tier doctoral university with very high research activity) in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UTEP Names New Business Administration Dean

James E. Payne, Ph.D., has been named Dean of the College of Business Administration at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He also will hold the Paul L. Foster and Alejandra de la Vega Foster Distinguished Chair in International Business. Payne joins UTEP from Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., where he currently serves as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Seeking Nominees for President's Meritorious Service Awards

The University of Texas at El Paso seeks nominees for the 2019 President's Meritorious Service Awards. Community members, UTEP students, faculty, staff and alumni may submit nominations. The deadline for nominee submissions is Friday, March 1, 2019.

UTEP Ph.D. Student Earns Stanford University Honor, Research Published in Prestigious International Journals

UTEP doctoral student Francisco Morales-Acuña, M.D., was selected to participate in Stanford University’s PRISM (Postdoctoral Recruitment Initiative in the Science and Medicine) program in February 2019.

Curves, Kindness Inspire UTEP Student’s Public Art Project

Sparks and screeches jumped from a hand-held grinder as UTEP senior graphic design major Denisse Ortega smoothed out the welds on her large steel public art project that will be on display in the roundabout at Rim and Hague roads starting in January 2019.

3D Printer Gives UTEP Art Students More Options

About 20 students from The University of Texas at El Paso have put a 21st century spin on ceramics, one of civilization's oldest art forms, and their creations will be part of an exhibit that opens Jan. 24, 2019, at the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts.

Immigration Research Part of UTEP Summer Program

When Jeremy Slack, Ph.D., planned his initial Immigration and Border Community - Research Experience for Undergraduates (IBCREU) program, the assistant professor of geography at The University of Texas at El Paso thought his 2018 summer interns would study efforts to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

UTEP History Professor Earns NEH Research Grant

The National Endowment for the Humanities recently awarded a one-year grant to The University of Texas at El Paso’s Sandra McGee Deutsch, Ph.D., to develop a book about Victory Board experiences that will engage scholars interested in global antifascism, fascism, populism, democracy, feminism and women’s social movements to include a Latin American case.

Registration Begins for Continuing Education Courses for Older Adults

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is taking applications for adults over the age of 50 who wish to take classes that aim to excite and stimulate their minds. Classes include art, current events, history, foreign languages, literature, music, science and more.

Vision Magazine Features UTEP Engineering Dean

UTEP College of Engineering Dean Theresa Maldonado, Ph.D., is highlighted in a recent online magazine feature as a Hispanic woman who overcame the odds to become an engineering leader and now encourages and supports other Hispanic students interested in pursuing similar fields.

New Partnership Offers UTEP Students Pharmacy Access in the Community

Alfred Hijar's ability to collect his diabetes medication from a pharmacy during the day was previously impacted by his loaded schedule.

UTEP Commencement Involves Many Moving Parts

Before the first of three Commencement ceremonies Dec. 15, 2018, Frank Montes de Oca III walks the floor of The University of Texas at El Paso's Don Haskins Center (DHC). He carries a small black plastic coffee cup in one hand as he greets colleagues with smiles, hugs and handshakes. He gets updates and answers questions from members of the Commencement production team.

UTEP Winter Holiday Schedule to Start

The University of Texas at El Paso will be closed on Monday, Dec. 24, Tuesday, Dec. 25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2019 as part of its winter holiday schedule.

UTEP Physics Professor to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Nature Journal for Mentoring in Science

A UTEP professor's momentous year will close with a monumental honor. Jorge A. Lopez, Ph.D., the Schumaker Professor in The University of Texas at El Paso's Department of Physics, has been named a recipient of the lifetime achievement in mentoring award as part of the 2018 Nature Awards for Mentoring in Science.

UTEP Research Assistant Professor Selected for Summer Fellowship in Tanzania

A research assistant professor at The University of Texas at El Paso will strengthen curriculum and ties to African institutions of higher learning through a fellowship that will take him to Tanzania in summer 2019.

UTEP Participating in Nationwide Collaborative to Improve College Access

The University of Texas at El Paso is participating in the largest ever collaborative to improve college access, equity and degree completion.

UTEP’s Bus Tour of YISD Provides Valuable Insights

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Clifton Tanabe, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education, came to UTEP in July 2018 with a mission to enhance the impact of the college and its graduates among the regional school districts and the surrounding community. He took a big step in that effort Dec. 4, 2018.

UTEP Health Care Students Get a Dose of Real-World Collaboration

When a car struck Joe Martinez, a 59-year-old man who is homeless, UTEP students who are nursing, pharmacy and health sciences majors engaged with medical students from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine to assess his injuries and develop a plan of care.

UTEP Celebrates 2018 Winter Commencement

The final leg of The University of Texas at El Paso’s 2018 Winter Commencement — which acknowledged the accomplishments of candidates from the colleges of Science, Engineering and Health Sciences — capped a day in which more than 2,500 graduation candidates were celebrated throughout three ceremonies.

'Mining Minds' Special Lighting Honors Class of 2018

The “Mining Minds” pickaxe sculpture at UTEP’s University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange from Wednesday evening, Dec. 12, through Sunday evening, Dec. 16, to commemorate UTEP’s Class of 2018.

UTEP Professor is Campus’ 1st National Academy of Inventors Fellow

Russell Chianelli, Ph.D., a professor and research faculty member at The University of Texas at El Paso who holds more than 60 U.S. patents, has been named a National Academy of Inventors Fellow.

TEDxUTEP Puts Access and Excellence in Spotlight

In February 2019, The University of Texas at El Paso will host TEDxUTEP.

UTEP Employees Donate More Than $100,000 for Annual Charity Campaign

After an immense amount of outreach that took the form of emails, a volleyball tournament and trying to boot a soccer ball past a University dean manning a goal, faculty and staff at The University of Texas at El Paso raised more than $100,000 to benefit charitable organizations throughout the state, nation and world.

UTEP Welcomes National Institutes of Health’s ‘All of Us Journey’

The University of Texas at El Paso and the National Alliance for Hispanic Health will host the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program traveling exhibit — the “All of Us Journey.” The event will be in front of the Undergraduate Learning Center and starts Thursday, Dec. 6.

UTEP Production Gives Holiday Staple a Border Twist

A couple of theater professors from The University of Texas at El Paso have added a regional essence to “A Christmas Carol” and hope their unique adaptation resonates with audiences during its limited run that begins Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, in UTEP’s William and Marie Wise Family Theater.

Support Continues for ADP MaST Academy at UTEP to Bolster Science and Math Teacher Education

The quality of secondary mathematics and science teachers who graduate from The University of Texas at El Paso’s ADP Math and Science Teachers (MaST) Academy continues to be bolstered by a 12-year commitment from ADP, a global leader in human capital management.

UTEP to Honor Teaching Partners at Football Game

The University of Texas at El Paso will honor the contributions of teachers, administrators and support staff at public and private schools throughout Region 19 during the UTEP football game against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. The game is 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24 at Sun Bowl Stadium.

UTEP In The Spotlight: BBC Features UTEP’s Institute of Oral History Collection

A recent BBC World News "Witness" podcast highlighted the complex history of the Bracero Program that brought millions of Mexican guest workers to the United States from 1942 to 1964.

Annual Interdisciplinary Research and Education Symposium Signals Growth of Collaborative Culture at UTEP

Change is apparent throughout The University of Texas at El Paso campus. New buildings and updated roads are in the works with plans for more. There are also new facilities, new deans and new coaches. But one particularly profound change has quietly been taking place in classrooms, labs and offices across the University for several years now.

UTEP Professor Receives TIAA Difference Maker Award

Roger Gonzalez, Ph.D., finds inspiration in supporting others. The professor and chair of the Department of Engineering Education and Leadership at The University of Texas at El Paso abides by that notion not only through teaching but enhancing the lives of individuals who have lost limbs.

Progress of Unmanned Aerial Systems Program at UTEP is Soaring

Michael McGee, Ph.D., is comfortable with the pursuit of lofty goals.

UTEP Students Can Find Comfort at Food Pantry

Students in need at The University of Texas at El Paso now have greater access to nonperishable and nutritious food. And the best part is the food is free. The UTEP Food Pantry has expanded and relocated to Memorial Gym to provide food access to undergraduates and graduate students, faculty and staff.

Binational Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit Coming to UTEP

The University of Texas at El Paso will co-host RESET, the largest binational innovation and entrepreneurship summit on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Prominent Leader in Regional Water Issues Celebrated through New UTEP Lecture Series

One of the region’s most renowned leaders on water issues was celebrated as The University of Texas at El Paso opened a new lecture series to educate the public on challenges affecting the future of the precious resource.

UTEP Recognized as Tree Campus USA by Arbor Day Foundation

The University of Texas at El Paso was recognized as a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the second year in a row.

UTEP President Named STEM Champion Award Recipient by Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

UTEP President Diana Natalicio has been named the recipient of one of the most prestigious honors awarded by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), a national organization representing Hispanic professionals and students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

UTEP Will Be Leader in 3D-Printing Data Collection under Expanded Partnership with America Makes

The University of Texas at El Paso will be a pivotal leader in the collection of critical performance data for the 3D-printing industry while offering immense benefits to students through an expanded agreement with America Makes. The announcement was made Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, at a joint press conference with America Makes held at the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation at UTEP.

UTEP Researchers Collaborate to Prevent Lead Exposure in Children

Whether it is due to chipped paint on 40-year-old windowsills or lead-glazed ceramic cookware, millions of children in the United States each year are at risk for lead exposure, usually in their own homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

UTEP Professor Elected President of The American Chemical Society

A UTEP professor has been elected to the highest leadership position of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific organization.

UTEP Announces New Binational Academic Partnership

The University of Texas at El Paso is taking another decisive step in its commitment to access and excellence in education with the launch of a new partnership with one of the leading educational institutions in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico.

Partnership Offers UTEP Health Sciences Students Learning Opportunities in Hungary

A new partnership between The University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Physical Education (UPE) in Budapest, Hungary, will create global opportunities for their students and faculty members who want to expand their knowledge and research of coaching, sports science and physical education through real-life experiences.

UTEP Bilingual Online Magazine Launches Funding Campaign

Borderzine, The University of Texas at El Paso’s bilingual online magazine, will kick off a major dollar-match funding campaign Nov. 1 to raise more than $100,000 for training and placement of job-ready bilingual student journalists who report on the life and culture of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.

Binational Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit Coming to UTEP

At a time when the national conversation is focused on the U.S.-Mexico border, preparations are underway for an event aiming to explore the complexity and uniqueness of border culture.

UTEP Receives $13M Grant for GEAR UP Program

Jaime Regis, a doctoral candidate in The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Engineering, is everything the campus’ GEAR UP program represents.

Mining Minds’ Special Lighting to Honor Women’s Golf and Cross Country Teams

The “Mining Minds” pickaxe sculpture at UTEP’s University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in orange and blue Thursday evening, Nov. 1, 2018 and Friday evening, Nov. 2, to celebrate The University of Texas at El Paso women’s golf team, which recently won its third consecutive tournament title, and the UTEP women’s cross country team for claiming its first conference championship.

UTEP, NSF Mark Establishment of Center for Materials Research with Kickoff Event

The University of Texas at El Paso's role in shaping the future of energy and biomaterials research was highlighted this week as the campus marked the establishment of its new Partnerships of Research and Education Materials (PREM) Center for Advanced Materials Research.

UTEP Receives $13M Grant for GEAR UP Program

The University of Texas at El Paso's GEAR UP program has received a $13 million, six-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will help more than 2,700 students get more out of high school and navigate the path to college. (File photo)

UTEP Awarded HUD Grant to Reduce Lead Exposure in Children

Christina Sobin, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences in UTEP’s College of Health Sciences, has been awarded a $699,911 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to prevent and respond to elevated blood lead levels in children by educating their caregivers on identifying and mitigating lead hazards in their homes.

Student Input, Testing Behind Evolution of MyUTEP

MyUTEP, the helpful online hub that provides Miner students, faculty and staff with an array of academic, social, financial and technological resources, received subtle upgrades this summer that launched officially in the fall 2018 semester.

UTEP Promotes Voter Outreach; Early Voting Available on Campus

As Election Day nears, faculty and staff at The University of Texas at El Paso are offering their time to promote voter outreach and ensure that students are equipped with the tools they need to cast their ballots for the Nov. 6 election.

UTEP EM Lab Develops World’s First 3D Volumetric Circuit

Raymond C. Rumpf, Ph.D., and his EM Lab team are motivated by extreme challenges that others may consider to be impossible.

UTEP's Public Health Sciences Program Achieves CEPH Reaccreditation

The University of Texas at El Paso's Master of Public Health Program (MPH) has been fully reaccredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for the maximum period of seven years.

UTEP, Drexel University Plan Online Collaboration to Increase Minority, Women Graduates in Green STEM Fields

The University of Texas at El Paso is collaborating with Drexel University to increase the number of graduates - particularly minorities and women - who enter green STEM fields through the development of cyber-enabled courses and mentoring between the campuses.

$5 Million in New Grants, Partnerships Promote Community Health

Talking publicly about reproductive health, HIV and substance abuse can intimidate most people, but not Victor Cornejo, especially if what he has to say can save a life.

UTEP President Named Leadership Trailblazer Award Recipient by CommUnity en Acción

UTEP President Diana Natalicio has been recognized as one of El Paso’s most pivotal leaders by CommUnity en Acción, a group of business and civic leaders who work to bolster the region’s Hispanic community.

UTEP President Reflects on Campus’ Path to Access, Excellence

In her first State of the University address since announcing the close of a chapter in her higher education story, UTEP President Diana Natalicio drew on the campus’ history during her tenure as an outline for the path the University must navigate to move forward successfully.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting Commemorates Fall Convocation

The University of Texas at El Paso will illuminate the "Mining Minds" pickaxe sculpture at the campus' University Avenue roundabout in blue and orange Thursday evening, Oct. 11, 2018, in honor of UTEP's Fall Convocation.

UTEP Professor Co-Authors Study on Time Poverty and Parenthood Among Students

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Alyse C. Hachey, Ph.D., associate professor of early childhood education, co-authored a research paper that for the first time uses data to show that students with preschool-aged children, despite having higher GPAs on average, are at risk because they have significantly lower quantity and quality of time for college than their peers with older or no children.

Member of 1st Peace Corps Cohort at UTEP Returns

The Peace Corps’ promise of overseas travel and adventure excited Arthur Young, a Pennsylvania native who was unsatisfied with his life.

Race, Racism Topic of Upcoming UTEP Roundtable

“Race, Racism and Resistance: The Social, Individual and Communal Impact of Practiced Racism” is the topic of a free panel presentation from 10 a.m. to about noon Saturday, Oct. 6 in UTEP’s Union Cinema inside Union Building East.

UTEP’s Ability Awareness Week Offers Empowerment

A series of seminars, presentations and a wheelchair basketball game are among the activities scheduled during the 10th annual Ability Awareness Week celebration that starts Monday, Oct. 8 at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Doctoral Student Will Help Map Pacific Ocean Seafloor Aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus

A NOAA CREST Scholar and an environmental science and engineering doctoral student from The University of Texas at El Paso will set sail on a mission to help map the Pacific Ocean seafloor this week.

Vocation Vacations: A Summer of Discovery

Summer vacation has long been synonymous with relaxation and long days of fun in the sun, but for some students at The University of Texas at El Paso it was an opportunity to expand their horizons and knowledge by taking part in internships, study abroad programs and research experiences locally, nationally and abroad.

Texas Instruments Internship is Rewarding Experience

This summer I had the privilege of interning at one of the top global semiconductor design and manufacturing companies in the world — Texas Instruments (TI).

Doctoral Student Broadens Learning in Peru, Hawaii and New Mexico

I had the opportunity to visit three very different locations this summer. These places were filled with vibrant culture, biodiverse habitats and landscapes, but all had brilliant environments for imagination and learning.

Rehab Sciences Student Experiences Spain as the Classroom

I had no idea what to expect studying abroad. This was my first time, and I didn’t think I would ever study abroad given my circumstances. I am a single, working mom trying to do better for my kids and myself.

Student Realizes Dream With London Trip

It always was my dream to visit London, England, to see such iconic landmarks as Big Ben, the London Eye Ferris wheel and London Bridge. I am a junior history major who had never gone outside the country, not even to Juárez, Mexico.

Marketing Student Discovers Purpose at the Better Business Bureau

This summer I was lucky enough to intern at the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Paso del Norte as a marketing associate. We started at the end of spring with a big event called the Torch Awards, where small and big businesses all around El Paso got together to celebrate ethics and trusted marketplace.

Student Embraces the Arts at American Dance Festival

This summer I participated in the American Dance Festival (ADF) in Durham, North Carolina. This festival has played an important role in the advancement of modern dance since its inception, and it continues to promote the development of emerging artists. I understood the festival’s reputation when I applied for the internship, but I never anticipated the impact ADF would have on my perspective of the industry and my own career path.

Biological Sciences Student Expands Research Experience

Driven by curiosity and in search of more knowledge, I wanted to get outside UTEP this summer and explore new laboratories. North Carolina State University provided me with this unique opportunity, and the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program made it happen.

Student's Summer Experience is Immersion in Public Policy at the Nation’s Capital

I am a doctoral student with UTEP’s Educational Leadership and Foundations Program, which has prepared me to conduct research in critical education issues such as the traumatic effects of family separation on learning.

Finance Student Learns about Risk Management in the Big Apple

As part of the Prudential Risk Management Academy in the UTEP College of Business Administration, I had the opportunity to visit Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey, as well as New York Life Insurance Company in New York, New York, this summer.

Master's Student Explores the Arctic

Dimly lit with the morning sun, the Arctic Ocean is a place full of peace and mystery. I feel the cold air on my face and each rumble of the sea ice splitting beneath me with the immense weight of the icebreaker steaming at 14 knots deeper into the chilly unknown.

Student Works with Mosquito Team in Panama

This summer I had the opportunity to participate in research in Panama City, Panama, thanks to the Minority Health International Research Training (MHIRT) program. My research focused on the interaction between Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, two mosquitoes that transmit dengue, zika, and chikungunya.

Summer Experience Helps Doctoral Students Better Understand World Religions

The main academic purpose of the Peer Summer Institute at Yale University was to learn about the historical development of African and Middle Eastern religions, and about how ancient and contemporary religious practices influenced and continue to influence the daily lives in those regions.

Hooray for Homecoming: UTEP Celebrates with a Week of Miner Pride

The University of Texas at El Paso will have a lot to sing about during Homecoming week, which begins Friday, Sept. 28, and concludes Saturday, Oct. 6.

Mining Minds: Special Lighting Celebrates Homecoming, Anniversary of First Day of School

The “Mining Minds” pickaxe sculpture at UTEP’s University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange beginning Friday, Sept. 28, through Saturday, Oct. 6, in honor of two special occasions at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Ranked a Top Degree Producer for Hispanic Students

The University of Texas at El Paso has been recognized as one of the top minority degree producers by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine, validating UTEP’s successful efforts to bolster degree attainment of underrepresented minorities, primarily Hispanic students.

UTEP Celebrates Hispanic Heritage with Full Calendar of Events

Organizers of this year’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration at The University of Texas at El Paso have compiled more than 40 activities, exhibits, presentations, conferences, screenings and more that should be of interest to academics and the community.

UTEP Alumna's Nanotechnology Work Featured in White House Budget Supplement

For Nubia Zuverza-Mena, Ph.D., the little things make a difference.

UTEP Fall Enrollment Increases for 20th Consecutive Year

For the 20th consecutive year, enrollment at The University of Texas at El Paso has increased. Fall enrollment figures for the 2018-19 academic year hit a new record of 25,151, compared with last year's all-time high of 25,078 students.

UTEP Employees Score A Goal for Charity

When College of Health Sciences Dean Shafik Dharamsi, Ph.D., was a freshman in Canada, he was offered a shot at his dream to play professional soccer.

UTEP to Celebrate Constitution Day with Area Students

Approximately 800 students from area high schools will get multiple perspectives on the importance of the U.S. government on its 231st birthday through a Constitution Day performance and presentations on Sept. 17, 2018, at The University of Texas at El Paso.

New Education Dean Ready to Serve Students

Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Clifton Tanabe knew about The University of Texas at El Paso from its days as a Western Athletic Conference rival to the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH).

New Liberal Arts Dean Excited about UTEP’s Mission

Denis O’Hearn, Ph.D., said UTEP’s commitment to access and excellence for its students and its genuine connection with the Paso del Norte region were among the key factors in his decision to join the institution as dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

University Heights Early Learning Academy Prepares for a New Year

The foundation to student success in college is laid at centers such as the YWCA University Heights Early Learning Academy.

Mentor. Advocate. President.

Diana Natalicio has spent three decades leading The University of Texas at El Paso through scores of higher education milestones. Her formidable efforts have rendered a campus with raised expectations and an upward trajectory.

UTEP Launches Comprehensive Events Calendar

As The University of Texas at El Paso continues to grow, so do the number of campus events and activities. UTEP officially launched a new and easy way to keep track of it all with the UTEP Events Calendar.

UTEP College of Business Administration Names Interim Dean

The University of Texas at El Paso has named Stephen Crites, Ph.D., associate dean of the Graduate School, as the interim dean of the College of Business Administration (COBA).

A Fan’s Guide to UTEP Football Game Day

Throngs of sports fans will descend on The University of Texas at El Paso campus Saturday, Sept. 1, as the Miner football team kicks off its 2018 season against the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks. What those fans will find is a fresh game-day experience.

Interactive Map Points UTEP in Right Direction

The University of Texas at El Paso’s interactive campus map has earned rave reviews for its layers of information that engage the user and for its potential to showcase the campus and its attributes to a global audience.

Fall 2018: What’s New, What’s Changed, What You Need to Know

As a new semester begins, The University of Texas at El Paso warmly welcomes every member of the Miner family, but especially new and returning students. The University has greeted new leaders, launched some programs, and enhanced its infrastructure since last May.

UTEP Helps Student Build Confidence for Law School

Samantha “Sam” Natera never had use for the old adage, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” The Chihuahua City native grew up in a caring and supportive family believing that people achieved their success independently. Her perspective changed as an undergraduate at The University of Texas at El Paso.

New UTEP Certificates to Help Students, Community

Maria Fernanda Ramos lives in two linguistic worlds – English and Spanish – and she is part of a new program at The University of Texas at El Paso that she believes will help her in both of them.

UTEP Alumnus Joins Ranks of Award-Winning Faculty

Since it was established in 2008, 70 faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso have been named recipients of one of the nation’s most competitive teaching recognition programs in higher education — The University of Texas System Board of Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award (ROTA).

UTEP Physics Professor Galvanized by White House Mentorship Honor

Jorge A. Lopez, Ph.D., enters his 29th year as a physics professor at The University of Texas at El Paso with no intention of changing the way he runs his classroom.

UTEP Directors Edit Book on Community Engagement, High-Impact Practices

More than ever, students and faculty from institutions of higher education have used civic engagement to move beyond their traditional confines. Two directors at The University of Texas at El Paso have prepared a guide for those eager to make the community their classroom.

Bridging the Gender Gap in Nursing

Wesley Stonell was two semesters shy of graduating from The University of Texas at El Paso with a bachelor’s degree in biology when he switched his major to nursing.

New UTEP Degree Plan Offers Value, Flexibility

The University of Texas at El Paso takes another step in support of its access and excellence mission with the upcoming fall 2018 launch of a versatile undergraduate degree that should speed up degree completion at a fraction of the cost for some students.

Two UTEP Professors Recognized as UT Regents' Outstanding Teachers

One was a contrarian as an undergraduate while the other was a driven and meticulous learner at the same point in her life. The two became faculty members at The University of Texas at El Paso. Both said they draw on their pasts to prepare courses that engage their students — and their strategy has proven successful.

Summer Symposium Showcases Emerging Researchers, Scholars and Artists

Among the general public, scientific research is not typically thought of as a team activity. Most of us can rattle off names such as Darwin, Einstein and Hawking, but it takes a more thorough knowledge to be able to recite the names of any of these icons’ collaborators. After this year’s UTEP Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives (COURI) Summer Symposium, however, it appears the days of the ‘lone scientist’ myth are numbered.

Diabetes Garage Puts Men on Track to Manage Disease

Looking after your health is like doing routine maintenance on your car. If you do not change the oil in your vehicle or you skip doctor’s appointments, your car and your body will begin to break down.

UTEP Volleyball Receives AVCA Team Academic Award

The UTEP Volleyball team received the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2017-2018 season, as recently announced by the organization, which is based in Lexington, Kentucky. This marks the second consecutive year in which the Miners have earned this coveted award.

Cleft Clinic Enhances Abilities of UTEP SLP Students

In the El Paso Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic, students from The University of Texas at El Paso’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program gain a deeper understanding of the evaluation, treatment and care of individuals born with clefts, or holes, in their lip or palate, the roof of the mouth.

Cultivating Values in El Paso, Juárez Public Schools

You are a student in the schoolyard and you witness a group of kids bullying one of your classmates. You want to help, but you’re hesitant because the aggressors are bigger than you. What do you do?

NASA Camp Empowers UTEP Education Students

Samantha Martinez liked the concept of chemistry before she knew what it was. When visiting her grandmother as a youngster, she would head to the bathroom to mix different cleaning products with the hope that it would produce a chemical reaction.

Miners Make Mark as Boston University Med School Graduates

Daniella Sisniega, M.D., enjoyed very little time with her newly acquired diploma after graduating from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) earlier this year.

Regents’ Honor Outstanding UTEP Faculty Members

The University of Texas System Board of Regents announced that UTEP faculty members Giulio Francia, Ph.D., and Irma Montelongo, Ph.D., were among the 2018 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award recipients.

Three Professors Compete for Technology Startup Funds

Three UTEP professors will learn this week if local investors and the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation will fund their health-related inventions and accompanying business plans. They are among 11 technology startup companies involved in a proof-of-concept contest.

New UTEP Faculty Lounge Caters to Collaborations

A newly renovated campus building that got its start as a fraternity house in the 1950s has been transformed into a faculty retreat that will promote camaraderie and collaboration at The University of Texas at El Paso.

Retiring UTEP Professor ‘Seduced’ by Speech, Debate

Mary Trejo’s introduction to forensics in high school was crushing and volatile.

UTEP Athletics Director Provides Updates at #EPMAD Press Conference

Director of Athletics Jim Senter briefed the media on numerous UTEP Athletics initiatives at the Every Person Makes a Difference (#EPMAD) news conference Wednesday at Albertsons, 3100 N. Mesa St.

Raise the Pick: Aaron Terrazas

After playing one season of golf at the University of Oklahoma, Aaron Terrazas wanted a mulligan.

Diana Natalicio, President of The University of Texas at El Paso, Announces Plans to Retire Once a Successor is Appointed and Assumes the Office

With the recent commemoration of two major milestones in my long and very happy relationship with The University of Texas at El Paso—45 years as a faculty member and 30 years as UTEP’s president—I have concluded that this may be an appropriate time to begin bringing to a close this chapter in my higher education story, nearly all of which I have joyfully spent at UTEP.

UTEP's LSPI Earns Texas Bar Foundation Grant for Law Internships

The Texas Bar Foundation awarded The University of Texas at El Paso’s Patricia and Paul Yetter Law School Preparation Institute (LSPI) a $20,000 grant to support summer internships for seven UTEP graduates who participated in the LSPI and are enrolled in law school.

Annual Binational Film Festival Starts This Week at UTEP

Ivan Guardado does not consider himself a victim, but he holds The University of Texas at El Paso responsible for his current predicament. The El Paso native originally was interested in a forensic science career, until he took an introduction to film class and he was bitten by the movie bug.

Best Student Artwork to Shine at Annual UTEP Show

When her work was included in the 2017 Annual Juried UTEP Student Art Exhibition, Sarah Aguilar said she was surprised. When she learned that two of her pieces were accepted for the 2018 show, her reaction was more of relief.

UTEP Celebrates 2018 Spring Commencement

The largest crowd in recent memory to attend a single graduation ceremony at The University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center – 10,163 – turned out to cheer for just over 1,000 graduation candidates during the 2018 Spring Commencement evening ceremony on Saturday, May 12, 2018.

Health, Air Quality Study Seeks Pollution Solutions

The Paso del Norte Institute for Healthy Living (IHL) promotes healthy eating and active lifestyles, but it also engages in interdisciplinary research with The University of Texas at El Paso and dozens of other groups to enhance its ability to address public health needs.

At the Top of their Game: UTEP Announces 2018 Top Ten Seniors

Every spring, The University of Texas at El Paso Alumni Association presents the University’s most promising future alumni with the Top Ten Seniors Award.

Article by UTEP Finance Professor, Former Student Recognized

A work co-authored by Zuobao Wei, Ph.D., professor of finance in The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Business Administration, and Barkat Ullah, Ph.D., now an assistant professor of finance in the Graves School of Business and Management of Morgan State University, was designated as one of two outstanding articles published in 2017.

UTEP Geological Sciences Team to Study Receding Antarctic Glacier

Researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Geological Sciences are part of an international team participating in a multimillion-dollar, joint research program between the United States and the United Kingdom that seeks to understand how quickly a massive Antarctic glacier could collapse.

COURI Spring Symposium Highlights Undergraduate Research

This spring's Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives (COURI) Research Symposium on April 21, 2018, was the biggest yet, featuring 172 students representing all colleges.

UTEP Quintet Wins UT Regents’ Student Award

The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced that five UTEP students earned the Regents’ Outstanding Student Award (ROSA) in arts and humanities. They will be recognized at a regents’ meeting on Monday, April 30, 2018, in Houston.

Job Well Done: 2 UTEP Employees Honored by UT System Regents

A pair of UTEP employees are among the recipients of the Regents’ Outstanding Employee Award handed out annually by The University of Texas System Board of Regents.

Raise the Pick: Alyssa Palacios

Not everybody is built to face an object traveling upwards of 50 mph aimed at them repeatedly over 90 minutes.

Food Ordering App Now Available on UTEP Campus

With a busy schedule and limited time between classes, it can be difficult to make time for a quick meal on campus. But thanks to a new app, UTEP students, faculty and staff can order their food with a tap.

Scholarship For Service Graduates Ready to Serve

Not all college graduates have professional plans laid out before receiving their diplomas. But a pair of software engineering students at The University of Texas at El Paso knows exactly what lies ahead for them after Commencement.

Center for Arts Entrepreneurship Celebrates First Year

UTEP graduate student Amy Miller is a cellist who previously saw herself strictly as an orchestra or chamber music performer. But The University of Texas at El Paso’s Center for Arts Entrepreneurship has expanded how she sees what she can do – and she is not the only one.

Kennedy Center Theatre Fest Honors UTEP’s 'Lydia'

Members of The University of Texas at El Paso’s cast and crew of “Lydia” were recognized in multiple categories by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 14, 2018.

UTEP Partnership Offers Dose of Cancer Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are 31,500 newly diagnosed cases of cancers caused by human papillomavirus, or HPV, infections each year in the United States. But adults have a shot at preventing HPV-related cancers if they get vaccinated against the infection during childhood or adolescence.

UTEP's Heritage House Shines Light on Institution's Past

With all the hustle and bustle of college life, it is understandable if students, faculty and staff at The University of Texas at El Paso ignore the nondescript two-story, sand-colored stucco building “hidden” in the center of campus. Understandable, but unfortunate.

UTEP Clinical Laboratory Science Students, Director Honored

A UTEP faculty member and two students in the Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) program were recognized at the TACLS: Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science annual meeting March 22-24 in El Paso.

FHAR Program Recognized During Community Development Week

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Foster Homeless Adopted Resources (FHAR) program was recognized by the City of El Paso on April 2, 2018, for its commitment and dedication in providing services to the University’s students.

Area K-12 Students Invited to Session with STEM Industry Experts

The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Engineering invites students from the region to learn more about careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by attending a free, educational session.

UTEP Welcomes Harvard Fellows

Twelve environmental health fellows from universities and government agencies across the United States spent their spring break at The University of Texas at El Paso learning about critical health challenges facing vulnerable populations along the United States-Mexico border.

UTEP Names Dean of College of Liberal Arts

The University of Texas at El Paso is pleased to announce that Denis O’Hearn, Ph.D., has been appointed Dean of the College of Liberal Arts effective July 1, 2018.

Pulitzer Winner to Speak at UTEP’s Literature Lecture

Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Matteson, Ph.D., distinguished professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, will be the keynote speaker at UTEP’s 33rd annual Literature Lecture at 7 p.m. April 5, 2018, in Room 106 of the Undergraduate Learning Center.

Building a Better Community: UTEP Students Perform 1.5 Million Hours of Service

Half a century ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed the notion that everybody could achieve greatness through service. Every day, students at The University of Texas at El Paso are investing in their community by taking part in the many service learning and community engagement opportunities the University has to offer.

UTEP Joins National Initiative to Support Teaching and Learning

Beginning in fall 2018, The University of Texas at El Paso’s Center for Faculty Leadership and Development (CFLD), in partnership with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), will offer a cohort of faculty an opportunity to take part in an academic year-long program that will enhance those instructional skills shown to best promote student motivation, learning and persistence.

UTEP Earns Texas Rain Catcher Award for Rainwater Harvesting System

Research in an arid area of Texas has yielded a statewide rainwater harvesting award for a group at The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Ready to Celebrate TCM Day, the Campus’ Longest-Running Student Tradition

TCM Day, The University of Texas at El Paso’s longest-running student tradition, continues this week.

‘Mining Minds’ Sculpture to be Lighted for Track Champion and TCM Day

The “Mining Minds” pickaxe sculpture at UTEP’s University Avenue roundabout will be illuminated in blue and orange Friday evening, March 23, 2018, in honor of NCAA track and field champion Michael Saruni and TCM Day, The University of Texas at El Paso’s longest-running tradition.

UTEP Team Finds How Wind Moves Microinvertebrates Across Desert

The work of faculty and students from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has yielded the first evidence of how waterborne microinvertebrates move across vast expanses of arid desert.

UTEP Names Rodney Terry Men’s Basketball Coach

Rodney Terry, who led Fresno State to the 2016 Mountain West Conference Tournament title and three postseason bids in the last five years, was appointed the 19th head coach in UTEP men's basketball history on March 12, 2018.

Saruni Captures 800M NCAA Championship

UTEP's Michael Saruni wins his first NCAA Championship in the 800m clocking a time of 1:45.15 on March 10, 2018 in College Station, Texas.

Raise the Pick: Tobi Amusan

Soccer may be the No. 1 sport in the world, but it just wasn't for Tobi Amusan.

UTEP Expands Dual Master’s Degree Partnership with Czech Technical University

A trio of leaders from The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Engineering expressed gratitude for the past and optimism for the future after a recent weeklong visit to the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague.

BBRC Scientist is First at UTEP to Receive NIH Research Development Award

For Anita Quintana, Ph.D., one of the draws of working at The University of Texas at El Paso is what the campus offers students.

UTEP to Host Student Leadership Conference

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Student Engagement and Leadership Center (SELC) will host a universitywide, student-planned and student-driven leadership conference intended to engage students at the University.

UTEP Researcher to Study How Brains Seek Out Rewards

The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation awarded UTEP School of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Ian Mendez, Ph.D., a two-year, $70,000 grant to study the role that a neurotransmitter called enkephalin plays in cue-induced, reward-seeking behavior.

UTEP Ranked Among Safest U.S. Colleges

The National Council for Home Safety and Security has listed The University of Texas at El Paso as one of the Top 100 Safest Colleges in America. UTEP, which is ranked 41, is also placed highest among all University of Texas System institutions.

'University Life is a Wonderful Life'

One of the most unprecedented university presidencies was in question almost immediately after it began.

Chemistry Assistant Professor Awarded UTEP’s First Sloan Research Fellowship

Skye Fortier, Ph.D., was working with a student in late January 2018 when the sharp chirp of his cell phone interrupted their discussion.

Education Policy Expert Lauds UTEP Efforts to Help Low-Income Students

Sara Goldrick-Rab, Ph.D., has spent much of the last decade examining the plight of college students struggling to pay for their education.

A Path Forward: Unique Programs Address Students' Financial Challenges

UTEP is the best in the country at moving its graduates from the lowest income quartile to the upper echelons. Now, it is leading the way in efforts to keep students mired in financial struggles enrolled and on track for graduation.

Grad Student Named Social Work Student of the Year

The Rio Grande Branch of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Texas Chapter has named UTEP graduate student Julissa Corona the 2018 Social Work Student of the Year.

Keck Center Awarded $900K to Bolster Metal Printing Processes

Researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso's W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation were awarded an Army Research Laboratory grant worth $900,000.

Chemistry Assistant Professor Awarded UTEP’s First Sloan Research Fellowship

Skye Fortier, Ph.D., was working with a student in late January 2018 when the sharp chirp of his cell phone interrupted their discussion.

UTEP Employees Run Into Fitness

Longtime UTEP staff member Terry Weber was 57 years old when she trained for her first 5K run with support from fellow Miners in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Couch Potato to 5K training program.

Raise the Pick: Courtney Clayton

Raise the Pick: This is the fourth article in a series about UTEP student-athletes who share their unique stories and how athletic scholarships have made a difference in their lives.

UTEP Students Stand Up for Gender Equality at Uruguay Conference

As a Panamanian woman educated in the United States, UTEP social work graduate student Julissa Corona has always felt a strong connection to the country where she was born, and the country where she has lived since she was 16 years old.

Nobel Laureate Captivates Audience During Centennial Lecture

When Sir Fraser Stoddart was a young boy growing up on his parents’ farm in Edinburgh, Scotland, he often found himself in precarious situations.

New Center to Improve Mental Health in Region

A new mental health and emotional wellness initiative at The University of Texas at El Paso will bring together experts in psychology, social work, educational psychology, counseling and rehabilitation counseling to improve behavioral health systems in El Paso, Juárez, and southern New Mexico.

UTEP Awarded Grant to Improve STEM Education at HSIs

An engineering professor at The University of Texas at El Paso has been awarded a first-of-its-kind grant to enhance STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

Saruni Sets World Record at Albuquerque Track and Field Meet

UTEP sophomore Michael Saruni is improving on his impressive freshman season.

UTEP Professor Instrumental in Bringing Nobel Laureate to Centennial Lecture Series

Luis Echegoyen, Ph.D., has invited his dear friend to deliver a speech at a university before. But it’s never been this momentous.

Welcome Back: Your Guide to the Spring 2018 Semester

Jessica Morales formed a new outlook while serving a fall internship.

Mellon Foundation Awards UTEP, EPCC $2M Humanities Grant

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a more than $2 million grant to The University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community College (EPCC) to establish The Humanities Collaborative. UTEP will receive nearly $1.4 million and EPCC will receive $651,000 in support of the program.

Kennedy Theater Festival Selects UTEP’s ‘Lydia’

The University of Texas at El Paso’s production of “Lydia” has been selected to be performed at the Region 6 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in San Angelo, Texas.

UTEP Public Health Graduates Impact Local Alcohol Policy

A survey by two public health graduate students at The University of Texas at El Paso found that alcohol and baseball don’t mix at the El Paso County Sportspark.

Media Contact

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Call or email one of our media contacts with your name, outlet, deadline, and story idea or request to start an inquiry.

Victor R. Martinez
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