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Welcome to Research & Innovation

 

Message from the Vice President for Research & Innovation

VPRI - Ahmad Itani


Ahmad M. Itani Ph.D.
Vice President for Research & Innovation
University of Texas at El Paso
 

The University of Texas at El Paso is home to experts who are leaders in their fields and creators of new research thrusts. From Computing to the Arts, our faculty, students, and staff are shaping the future, finding practical answers to complex problems. Supported by state-of-the-art research facilities, we have demonstrated a long-term commitment to preparing students to thrive in a time of fusion of the digital, physical, and biological worlds. Our researchers are creating technologies that will change the world.

With more than $146 million in research activity, UTEP is ranked among the top public research universities nationwide. The Research & Innovation division supports this world-class research enterprise by advancing transformative research excellence across campus and nurturing an innovative, cross-disciplinary culture. In all our work, we maintain a constant focus on our public mission of increasing access to excellent higher education and advancing discovery that positively impacts the health, culture, education, and economy of our region, the State of Texas, the nation, and the world. We do so by enabling the research success of our faculty and students through supporting the university research mission by providing research development, stewardship, compliance and safety services, and securing strategic external partnerships.
 

Events & Learning Opportunities


Lunch & Learn  

Bring your lunch and laptop and join our interactive sessions designed to enhance your grant writing skills. All sessions will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, where experts will share their insights, strategies, and best practices. Gain valuable tips, feedback, and networking opportunities to elevate your grant proposals.

June 2024 - May 2025

NSF Division of mahematical sciences virtual office hour monthly series

Thursday, August 15th
Tuesday, September 17th
Tuesday, October 15th
Friday, November 15th

View Details

NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Teams Q&A Webinar Series

Thursday, July 11, 2024
Thursday, August 1, 2024
Thursday, September 5, 2024

NSF CASA-Bio workshop

Various dates in August 2024

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICE OF SCIENCE BER OFFICE HOURS: WORKING WITH A PROGRAM MANAGER BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER AN AWARD

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Learning opportunity: nsf prospct tool

DoE Office of Energy Justice and Equity - Community of Change Leaders: HSIs

August 22, 2024

learning opportunity: nsf's updated policies on the use of ai

learning opportunity: creating  proposal budget and budget narrative for the cdc

View Details

FEATURED NEWS


The University of Texas at El Paso has hired dozens of new faculty members in anticipation of the 2023-24 school year, including Pedro Cortes, Ph.D., a new professor in the College of Engineering.

UTEP Welcomes New Faculty Members for 2024-25 Academic Year

The University of Texas at El Paso welcomed a new cohort of tenured, tenure-track, and instructional faculty members to begin the 2024-25 academic year. The new faculty members come to UTEP with a breadth of expertise that ranges from science, health sciences, pharmacy, and the performing arts to humanities, education, engineering, social sciences, and business.

Image of UTEP President Wilson at the podium delivering the State of the University Address at Fall Convocation. Research at UTEP is getting a game-changing, historic boost thanks to support from the Regents’ Research Excellence Program. The program will allow UTEP to recruit 69 new researchers to advance discovery in multiple fields. UTEP President Heather Wilson announced the annual $12 million research allocation at the University’s Convocation Ceremony Friday. Image of Mining Minds pickaxe sculpture on UTEP campus.

President Wilson Announces New Research Program, Hiring 69 More PhDs

State of the University Highlights:
• Regents Excellence most significant advancement in UTEP research since achieving R1 status
• UTEP brings in record fundraising haul for fourth year in a row
• New campus master plan envisions new student housing, union, student success center, parking

Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso will undertake a new study that could lead to improved nicotine cessation treatments for women. The work is supported by a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. Principal Investigator Laura O'Dell, Ph.D. (left), a professor in the Department of Psychology at UTEP, will lead the multidisciplinary project. Her team includes (from left to right) Veronika Espinoza, graduate student; Priscilla Giner, graduate student; Luis M. Carcoba, M.D., Ph.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Psychology; Tiffany Gonzalez-Gutierrez, graduate student; Sebastian Ortegon, graduate student; Omar Lira, program manager; Arshad Khan, Ph.D. (not pictured), professor in the Department of Biological Sciences; and Ian Mendez, Ph.D. (not pictured), associate professor in the School of Pharmacy.

UTEP Awarded $2.5 M NIH Grant to Study Nicotine Dependence in Women

EL PASO, Texas (Aug. 15, 2024) — Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso will undertake a new study that could lead to improved nicotine cessation treatments for women. The work is supported by a new $2.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

UTEP has announced six new research projects that will receive funding from the U.S.-Mexico Collaboration Fellowship, a program that aims to strengthen relationships between researchers on both sides of the border and, ultimately, foster academic work that benefits the entire Paso del Norte region. The principal investigators of the newly funded projects are (clockwise from top left): James B. Chapman, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences; Giulio Francia, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences; Vicente Mata-Silva, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Biological Sciences; David Zubia, Ph.D., professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Hamidreza Sharifan, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Elisa Robles-Escajeda, Ph.D., assistant professor of research, Department of Biological Sciences.

UTEP Awards Six New U.S.-Mexico Collaboration Fellowships

EL PASO, Texas (Aug. 8, 2024) – The University of Texas at El Paso has announced six research projects that will receive funding as part of a program aimed to strengthen relationships between researchers on both sides of the border and, ultimately, foster academic work that benefits the entire Paso del Norte region.

UTEP biologists Paul Sabandal, Ph.D., left, and Kyung-An Han, Ph.D., right, stand in the laboratory next to an experiment that exposed fruit flies to ethanol vapor. The experiment was created to replicate humans drinking in solitary versus group settings. The team has taken a key step in understanding the neurobiological process behind social drinking and how it boosts feelings of euphoria. Credit: The University of Texas at El Paso

What Happens to Your Brain When You Drink with Friends?

EL PASO, Texas (Aug. 6, 2024) – Grab a drink with friends at happy hour and you’re likely to feel chatty, friendly and upbeat. But grab a drink alone and you may experience feelings of depression. Researchers think they now know why this happens.

The High School Equivalency Program's Class of 2021-22 celebrates their graduation. The UTEP program supports migrant and seasonal farmworkers in their pursuit of a High School Equivalency Certificate. Photo credit: Luis Andres Gomez

UTEP Receives $2.3 Million to Help Migrant Farm Workers Complete High School

EL PASO, Texas (Aug 13, 2024) – The University of Texas at El Paso is continuing its work to support migrant and seasonal farm workers in their pursuit of a High School Equivalency Certificate (HSE). The effort is supported by a new grant of $2.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education.

New research from the College of Health Sciences demonstrates that employment is key to veteran's social and emotional wellbeing. Photo description: A veteran in uniform fills out an employment application.

Employment Key to Veteran Wellbeing, UTEP Study Finds

EL PASO, Texas (July 9, 2024) – For veterans with mental illness, employment is key to emotional wellbeing, a new study shows. The study was published in the June issue of the journal Stress and Health and led by two researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Health Sciences.

Members of the Sun City Rocket Team stand behind their rocket, Outlander, before final assembly. The team competed in the 2024 Spaceport America Cup at Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, NM.

UTEP Rocket Team Soars to New Heights in Third Year at Spaceport America Cup

Many qualities — including engineering skill, teamwork and flexibility — matter to a team’s success in the Spaceport America Cup, a collegiate rocket competition held each year near Truth or Consequences, NM. But one quality was particularly necessary this year for UTEP’s Sun City Summit Rocket Team: patience.

Conference USA has selected Jorge Gardea-Torresdey, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, as the inaugural recipient of the Professor of the Year Award for the entire conference. The new annual award honors professors from conference member institutions who demonstrate a record of outstanding teaching, research, service and/or scholarly activity within their academic discipline. Credit: The University of Texas at El Paso.

CUSA Honors UTEP Researcher with Inaugural Professor of the Year Award

EL PASO, Texas (June 25, 2024) – Conference USA (CUSA) has selected Jorge Gardea-Torresdey, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, as the inaugural recipient of the Professor of the Year Award for the entire conference.

UTEP has named Shery Welsh, Ph.D., as the next leader of UTEP’s Aerospace Center. Welsh is the former Director of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and most recently served as Director of the Air Force Research Lab Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base.

UTEP Names Shery Welsh Executive Director of Aerospace Center

EL PASO, Texas (June 20, 2024) — The University of Texas at El Paso has named Shery Welsh, Ph.D., as the next leader of UTEP’s Aerospace Center. Welsh is the former Director of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and most recently served as Director of the Air Force Research Lab Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base. With 37 years of federal service in aerospace science and engineering, she has had multiple leadership roles including Director of Science and Technology for the Missile Defense Agency and Chief Engineer for the Airborne Laser Program.

UTEP and Texas Tech Health El Paso have announced the second cohort for MedFuture, a joint initiative that allows qualified local students to be admitted right out of high school to attend college and medical school in their hometown. They joined the presidents of both institutions on June 7 for the official announcement. Picture here are (L-R): Heather Wilson, Ph.D., UTEP president; Gerardo Garcia; Rayce Shamaley Korz; Crystal Armenta; Lonzo Shelley; Grethel Olvera and Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A., president of Texas Tech Health El Paso and dean of the Foster School of Medicine. Credit: The University of Texas at El Paso.

Texas Tech Health El Paso, UTEP Announce New MedFuture Cohort, Part of Our Region’s Next Generation of Physicians

Texas Tech Health El Paso and The University of Texas at El Paso today announced the second cohort for MedFuture, a joint initiative creating pathways for qualified students to be admitted right out of high school to attend college and medical school in their hometown of El Paso.

UTEP School of Pharmacy students Mila Biswas (left) and Anushareddy Gangavarapu are part of a research team that is developing a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of skin and lung fibrosis. The team is lead by Md Nurunnabi, Ph.D., is an associate professor in School of Pharmacy, who recently published two studies on fibrosis.

UTEP Pharmacy Researchers Develop Potential Treatment for Fibrosis

EL PASO, Texas (June 4, 2024) — Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are developing a new therapeutic approach that uses nanoparticles for the treatment of skin and lung fibrosis, conditions that can result in severe damage to the body’s tissues.

Four recent graduates from The University of Texas at El Paso have been chosen to participate in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. They are (clockwise from top left): Ashley Delgado, Melanie Escobar, Elena Reyna and Andrea Núñez. Known as one of the most prestigious international exchange programs in the world, UTEP’s Fulbright Scholars will have the opportunity to conduct research, study and teach abroad in Brazil, Argentina, Taiwan and Spain. Credit: The University of Texas at El Paso.

Four UTEP Graduates Selected for Prestigious Fulbright Program

EL PASO, Texas (May 29, 2024) – Four recent graduates from The University of Texas at El Paso have been chosen to participate in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Known as one of the most prestigious international exchange programs in the world, UTEP’s Fulbright Scholars will have the opportunity to conduct research, study and teach abroad in Brazil, Argentina, Taiwan and Spain.

The University of Texas at El Paso announced the establishment of UTEP Health, a renewed focus on meeting the health needs of the Paso del Norte region by educating more healthcare workers to a high standard. The effort is backed by a $4.5 million matching grant from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation. From left: UTEP School of Pharmacy Founding Dean José O. Rivera, UTEP College of Health Sciences Dean William Robertson, UTEP College of Nursing Dean Leslie K. Robbins, UTEP Provost John Wiebe, UTEP President Heather Wilson, Paso Del Norte Health Foundation Board Member Joseph Bocanegra, Paso Del Norte Health Foundation CEO Tracy J. Yellen, Paso Del Norte Health Foundation Board Chair Annette Cordova-Hoy, Paso Del Norte Health Foundation Board Vice Chair Carlos Fernandez, Paso Del Norte Health Foundation Board Member Amy Marcus, Paso Del Norte Health Foundation Vice President of Programs Michael Kelly, Paso Del Norte Health Foundation Board Member Linda Lawson (board member), President of Burrell College John Hummer, Paso Del Norte Health Foundation Board Member Susan Melendez.

$4.5M Grant to UTEP Health Increases Nurses, Health Professionals

EL PASO, Texas (May 15, 2024) – Today, The University of Texas at El Paso announced the establishment of UTEP Health, a renewed focus on meeting the health needs of the Paso del Norte region by educating more healthcare workers to a high standard. The effort is backed by a $4.5 million matching grant from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation.

Jorge Gardea-Torresdey, Ph.D., second from left, received the Outstanding Researcher – Distinguished Career Award. He is pictured with, from left, Ahmad Itani, Ph.D, vice president for research; John Wiebe, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs; and UTEP President Heather Wilson.

Research and Innovation Honors 2024 Awardees at Annual Research Ceremony

From nanoparticles and additive manufacturing to health sciences supporting historically underrepresented populations, UTEP researchers are making names for themselves in a wide range of fields. These individuals – all at different points in their careers – were honored at UTEP Research and Innovation’s Annual Research Awards Reception and Ceremony.

Ramón Sánchez (pictured right), a doctoral candidate within UTEP's chemistry program, has identified a novel method for treating bacteria in 'produced water' through the use of bacteriophages. Ricardo Bernal, Ph.D., (pictured left) is an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UTEP and Sánchez' doctoral advisor.

A Virus Could Help Save Billions of Gallons of Wastewater Produced by Fracking

EL PASO, Texas (April 30, 2024) – An estimated 168 billion gallons of wastewater — or produced water — is generated annually by the Permian Basin fracking industry, according to a 2022 report by the Texas Produced Water Consortium. The major waste stream has proved both difficult and costly to treat because of the chemical complexity of the water.

Seven current students and recent UTEP graduates have received two of the most highly competitive national scholarships for research in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) — the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. They are (clockwise from top left): Paulina Vargas, Dylan Díaz-Infante, Ivana Hernandez, Sergio Olivas, Martin Quintana, Kajaya Pollard and Alexis Lupo (not pictured). Credit: The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Students, Alumni Earn Prestigious STEM Fellowships

EL PASO, Texas (April 29, 2024) – Seven current students and recent graduates from The University of Texas at El Paso have received two of the most highly competitive national scholarships for research in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) — the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP).

Sergio Iñiguez, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychology at UTEP, stands with his team of student researcher in front of the Psychology Building on the UTEP campus. Top row, from left: Daniel Calvo, Israel Garcia-Carachure, and Christopher Frausto. Middle row, from left: Anapaula Themann, Dr. Sergio Iñiguez, Joselynn Reyes, and Jessica Garcia. Bottom row, from left: Minerva Rodriguez, Paulina Vargas

UTEP Study: Prairie Voles Display Signs of Human-like Depression

EL PASO, Texas (April 4, 2024) – Psychology researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are making progress towards understanding the biological underpinnings of depression, a leading cause of disability that affects approximately 280 million people around the world.

Three faculty members at The University of Texas at El Paso have become senior members of the National Academy of Inventors’ Class of 2024. Marc Cox, Ph.D., Eric Freudenthal, Ph.D., and Raymond C. Rumpf, Ph.D. join a class of 124 academic inventors worldwide that are being recognized for their invention and innovation.

UTEP Faculty Named Senior Members of National Academy of Inventors

EL PASO, Texas (March 19, 2024) – Three faculty members at The University of Texas at El Paso have become senior members of the National Academy of Inventors’ (NAI) Class of 2024.

UTEP students Gloria Chavez, Laura Tovar, Carla Irigoyen, Karen Gonzalez, Alejandra Martinez, Valeria Velarde, Prajina Edayath along with UTEP professors and researchers Priyadarshini Pennathur, Ph.D., and Arunkumar Pennathur, Ph.D., are conducting a wide range of industrial engineering and health research in one of UTEP's newest labs: Physical, Information and Cognitive Human Factors Engineering Research Lab, housed in the College of Engineering.

Faculty Launch Research Lab Exploring Human Performance Engineering

Through a $350,000 STAR grant awarded by the State of Texas, professors at The University of Texas at El Paso have launched a new industrial engineering lab focused on supporting human performance and behavior in a wide range of application areas.

Students in a somatics class taught by Melissa, Melpignano, Ph.D. (not pictured), share their knowledge with community members. Melpignano, an assistant professor of dance in the College of Liberal Arts, is the principal investigator in a project supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that will examine the impact of a movement-based and somatics cross-training intervention on health care providers in the Paso del Norte region.

UTEP Researchers to Design Movement-Based Training to Support Local Health Providers

EL PASO, Texas (Mar. 12, 2024) – Burnout among health care workers is a well-documented problem that can exacerbate health disparities and limit access to care.

Jorge Gardea-Torresdey, Ph.D. examines a chile grown in an on-campus greenhouse used for research

UTEP Leaps into the Future with New X-ray Facility at Cornell

El Paso, TEXAS (March 7, 2024) – Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are collaborating with the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) on the development of a precision X-ray beamline that will significantly advance the two universities’ agricultural and environmental research.

When not hiking or traveling together, husband-and-wife research duo and UTEP professors Emre Umucu, Ph.D. and Beatrice Lee, Ph.D. conduct valuable research on supporting student veterans. Their work received the ARCA Research Award from the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association.

UTEP Professors Receive Award, Recognition for Veteran Research

Husband-and-wife UTEP professors Emre Umucu, Ph.D., and Beatrice Lee, Ph.D., have earned a prestigious recognition from the American Counseling Association (ACA). The Research Award from the ACA’s American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA) recognizes their work evaluating stress’s effect on the well-being of veterans with and without chronic conditions.

The University of Texas at El Paso has broken its record for annual research conducted. UTEP reported $145.7 million in research and development expenditures for fiscal year 2023, topping fiscal year 2022 by more than $15 million.

UTEP Breaks Research Expenditures Record

EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 22, 2024) – The University of Texas at El Paso has broken its record for annual research conducted. UTEP reported $145.7 million in research and development expenditures for fiscal year 2023, topping fiscal year 2022 by more than $15 million.

The first-ever photograph of the Yellow-crested Helmetshrike, or Prionops alberti, was taken during a recent expedition led by scientists at The University of Texas at El Paso. Credit: Matt Brady / The University of Texas at El Paso

First Known Photos of ‘Lost Bird’ Captured by UTEP Scientists

EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 20, 2024) – For the first time, scientists have captured photos of a bird long thought lost.

Leaders from the Department of Energy's Office of Science and National Laboratory Leadership Council visited UTEP on Feb. 13, 2024, touring labs conducting DoE-funded research and sharing information about career development opportunities within the department. The event was led by Asmeret Berhe, Ph.D., director of the Office of Science with the U.S. Department of Energy, who poses here with President Heather Wilson.

Department of Energy Leaders Visit Campus, Share More About Research Partnerships

Leaders from the Office of Science and the National Laboratories Leadership Council with the Department of Energy (DOE) traveled to the Sun City and visited campus on Feb. 13, 2024. The goal was to increase visibility of programs available to faculty and students, and to learn more about their funded research taking place on campus.

Today, officials from The University of Texas at El Paso and Sundt Construction celebrated a major milestone in the dvanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center building’s progress — the Topping Out Ceremony. Officials including, (from left) UTEP Student Government Association President Andrea Nunez, President Heather Wilson, Sundt Project Manager Daren Mieles and Sundt Vice President Joseph Riccillo, signed a construction beam at today's ceremony.

UTEP Celebrates Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center Construction Milestone

EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 14, 2024) – The new $80 million Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center (AMAC) on campus is progressing toward completion. Today, officials from The University of Texas at El Paso and Sundt Construction celebrated a major milestone in the building’s progress — the Topping Out Ceremony.

Zifeng Feng is just one of many faculty members at UTEP contributing to important real estate research - helping UTEP earn its ranking in the REAL Estate Rankings list, making the top-ten list at number six for institutional research and number four for faculty research.

UTEP Ranked 6th in World for Real Estate Research

EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 8, 2024) – The University of Texas at El Paso is home to some of the top real estate researchers, and their work is being recognized on a global scale in the latest Real Estate Academic Leadership (REAL) Rankings.

A group of researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are behind an emerging lithium extraction technology that won the inaugural Hill Prize from the Texas Academies of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology on Monday. The $500,000 prize will support a joint research effort by Alma Energy and UTEP to extract lithium from hydrothermal waters. From left: Eva Deemer, Ph.D, and Benjamin Brunner, Ph.D., celebrate receiving the Hill Prize along with Dr. Hermann Lebit and Natalya Kharitonova of Alma Energy. Credit: The University of Texas at El Paso.

UTEP Researchers Win Inaugural Award to Support Lithium Extraction Technology

EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 6, 2024) – A group of researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are behind an emerging lithium extraction technology that won the inaugural Hill Prize from the Texas Academies of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST) on Monday. The $500,000 in prize funds will support a joint research effort by Alma Energy and UTEP to extract lithium from hydrothermal waters.

NSF Engines Inaugural Award

UTEP Wins Inaugural NSF Regional Innovation Engines Award for up to $15M Over Two Years

EL PASO, Texas (Jan. 29, 2024) – The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced that El Paso and The University of Texas at El Paso is one of the 10 inaugural NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) awardees. The Paso del Norte Engine will initially receive up to $15 million for the next two years.

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