University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
AC-9: Academic Research

Anthropology: Dr. Lynn Vincentnathan Dr. Margaret Dorsey Dr. Margaret Graham Dr. Miguel Diaz-Barriga Biology: Dr. Alexis Racelis Dr. Andrew McDonald Dr. Christopher Vitek Dr. Frank J Dirrigl Dr. Frank W Judd Dr. Fred Zaidan Dr. Hudson R DeYoe Dr. Jon Dale Dr. Kenneth R. Summy Dr. Kristine L. Lowe Dr. Luis A Materon Dr. Mohammed Farooqui Dr. Robert Gilkerson Dr. Robert J Edwards Dr. Teresa P Feria Dr. Timothy Brush Dr. Zen Faulkes Chemistry: Dr. Aijie Han Dr. Elamin E Ibrahim Dr. Hassan Ahmad Dr. Jason Parsons Dr. Javier Macossay-Torres Dr. Joanne Ramersad-Ammons Dr. K. Christopher Smith Dr. Phillip DeLassus Dr. Thomas Whelan Dr. Yuanbing Mao Dr. James Bullard Civil Engineering: Dr. Jungseok Ho Dr. Mohammad Azarbayejani Communication: Dr. Jing Liu Dr. Yvonne Yanrong Chang Computer Engineering: Dr. Christine Reilly Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Dr. Xiang Lian Dr. Yul Chu Computer Science: Dr. Andres Figueroa Dr. Dongchul Kim Dr. Richard Fowler Dr. Sunyoung Cho Criminal Justice: Dr. Joseph Appiahene-Gyamfi Mr. George Bowe Mr. Stanley Gonzalez Economics & Finance: Dr. Alberto Davila Dr. Alejandro Serrano Dr. Andre Varella Mollick Dr. Dave Jackson Dr. Diego Escobari Dr. Eduardo Saucedo Dr. James W Boudreau Dr. Marie T Mora Dr. Salvador Contreras Dr. Terrance Martin Dr. Wanling Huang Education: Dr. John Lowdermilk Educational Leadership: Dr. Fransico Guajardo Electrical Engineering: Dr. Hasina Huq Dr. Jaime Ramos Dr. Jun Peng Dr. Weidong Kuang English: Dr. Danika M Brown Dr. David Anshen Dr. Deborah L Cole Dr. Marci R McMahon Dr. Matthew J Christensen Ms. Emmy Pérez Ms. Marlene Galvan Environmental Studies: Dr. Amy Cummins Dr. Aziza Zemrani Dr. George Atisa Dr. Olga Gerhart Dr. Stefanie Herweck Dr. Stephen Leach Dr. William Donner Mr. Erik Anderson Mr. James Gleason Ms. Marianita Escamilla Health and Kinesiology: Dr. Layne Winslow Jorgensen Dr. Paul Villas Dr. Soojin Yoo Mr. Zasha Romero History and Philosophy: Dr. Amy Hay Dr. Brent M.S. Campney Dr. Cynthia Jones Dr. Friederike Bruehoefener Dr. Megan Birk Dr. Olga Stadelmann Gerhart Dr. Christopher L Miller Dr. Dahlia Guerra Dr. Nick Taylor Dr. Russel Skowronek Dr. Sonia Hernandez Dr. Walter Diaz Mr. John Milford Ms. Bobbie Lovett Ms. Roseann Bacha-Garza Management: Dr. Hale Kaynak Dr. John Sargent Dr. Jorge A Gonzalez Manufacturing Engineering: Dr. Alley Butler Dr. Douglas Timmer Dr. Hiram Moya Dr. James Ignizio Dr. Jianzhi Li Dr. Kye Hwan Lee Dr. Miguel Gonzalez Dr. Rajiv Nambiar Dr. Subhash Bose Marketing: Dr. Penny Simpson Dr. Reto Felix Dr. Sharon Schembri Mr. Joe Garza Mathematics: Dr. Dambaru Bhatta Dr. Daniel Riahi Dr. Nam Nguyen Dr. Olga M Ramirez Dr. Virgil Pierce Dr. Xiaohui Wang Mechanical Engineering: Dr. Constantine M Tarawneh Dr. Ernur Karadogan Dr. Isaac Choutapalli Dr. Kamal Sarkar Dr. Karen Lozano Dr. Mataz Alcoutlabi Dr. Waseem Haider Mexican American Studies: Dr. Cathryn Josefina Merla-Watson Dr. Jessica Lavariega Monforti Nursing: Dr. Sandra Sanchez Pharmacy: Dr. Adrian Sandoval Dr. Lydia Aguilera Physics and Geology: Dr. Juan Gonzalez Dr. Mohammad Hannan Political Science: Dr. Angel Saavedra Cisneros Dr. Delina Barrera Dr. James P. Wenzel Dr. Owen F Temby Dr. Paul D Jorgensen Dr. Sergio Bejar Lopez Ms. Kay Ford Psychology: Dr. Grant Benham Dr. James Aldridge Dr. Jason Popan Dr. Joseph Hovey Dr. Maureen Flynn Ms. Liza Talavera-Garza Public Affairs: Dr. Aziz Zemrani Rehabilitation: Dr. Roy Chen Social Work: Dr. Catherine Faver Sociology: Dr. Igor Ryabov Dr. Steven Foy STX Border Health Disparities Center: Dr. Damian Damianov Dr. Glenn Martinez Dr. Grant Benham Dr. Jose A Pagan Dr. Liza Talavera-Garza Dr. Suad Ghaddar Accounting & Business Law: Dr. Andres Bello

In order to complete the research inventory, we accessed our universities FARS (faculty activity reporting system) database, contacted department chairpersons, and Engagement Survey data. Each university faculty member was contacted and their respective vitae were reviewed for sustainability content.

FiberRio Technology Corporation Forcespinning™, a process of creating nanofibers, is a technology created by Dr. Karen Lozano and Dr. Kamalaksha Sarkar, both faculty members in UTPA’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. In this process, fibers spin at the nano level, increasing its strength and efficiency. Forcespinning is significant for sustainability in that the technology can be used in many manufacturing applications including medical and filtration materials, textiles, personal care products including diapers and cosmetics, insulation, and energy storage, making these products more cost effective. UTPA's first regional technology start-up company FibeRio, has manufactured the machines using Forcespinning™ technology to produce nanofibers in greater quantities and materials at a lower cost. This technology is an example of how effectively transferring and leveraging the knowledge and expertise from UTPA can enhance sustainable economic development in the region. Coastal Studies Lab The University of Texas-Pan American Coastal Studies Laboratory is part of the UTPA campus and studies and exhibits marine life such as crustaceans, marine vertebrates and plant life. There are several aquariums and touch tables. This lab is located on South Padre Island, Texas within easy reach of a variety of marine, estuarine and terrestrial habits. Programs at the laboratory focus on understanding the interrelationships that govern the structure and functioning of inshore coastal ecosystems and impact of human activities on coastal resources. Research focuses on the coastal ecosystems of southern Texas and northern Mexico. CSL researchers are conducting a hydrographic survey at critical locations in the Laguna Madre to predict where an oil or chemical spill would travel if it entered the Laguna Madre through the Brazos Santiago Pass from the Gulf of Mexico. The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, founded in 1980, is a nonprofit volunteer-based organization dedicated to the understanding and conservation of marine mammals. The Network rescues and rehabilitates marine mammals that strand along the Texas Coast, providing food, medical treatment and 24-hour-a-day observation. Network volunteers in six regions along the coast respond immediately when a stranding is reported. The UTPA Coastal Studies Laboratory is an active member of the South Padre Island Sea Turtle Salvage and Stranding Network. The Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN) was formally established in 1980 to collect information on and document strandings of marine turtles along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts. The network encompasses the coastal areas of the eighteen state region from Maine through Texas, and includes portions of the U.S. Caribbean. Data are compiled through the efforts of network participants who document marine turtle strandings in their respective areas and contribute those data to the centralized STSSN data base. Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment. The B-WET program aims to promote environmental literacy in society, supporting individuals to understand, protect and restore watersheds and related ocean and coastal ecosystems. NOAA recognizes that knowledge and commitment built from firsthand experience, especially in the context of one's community and culture, is essential for achieving environmental stewardship. Carefully selected experiences driven by rigorous academic learning standards, engendering discovery and wonder, and nurturing a sense of community will further connect students with their watershed, help reinforce an ethic of responsible citizenship, and promote academic achievement. B-WET maintains relevance by responding to regional education and environmental priorities through local implementation Dr. Thomas Whelan is the Coordinator for the American Chemical Society-National Chemistry Olympiad for the South Texas Division. He serves as the Chair of Freshwater and Marine section of the Texas Academy of Science and is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Texas Pan American. As director of the UTPA Coastal Studies Lab, his current research includes investigating the chemical interaction between seagrasses and coastal sediments in the Lower Laguna Madre. The results of his study will help determine highest possible toxicity levels for this unique and environmentally valuable salt water estuary. http://www.gulfbase.org/organization/view.php?oid=coastallab http://portal.utpa.edu/utpa_main/daa_home/cosm_home/csl_home/research UTPA Center for Subtropical Studies The Center for Subtropical Studies is a multidisciplinary research component of the College of Science and Mathematics at The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA). The Center for Subtropical Studies supports the research, education, and community service missions of the university by: focusing on the environmental concerns of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, providing infrastructure and a forum for discussions of, collaboration in, and implementation of research and educational programs and initiatives involving UTPA and non-UTPA entities, enhancing institutional effectiveness by fostering organized interaction with area civic, business, and political leaders and with regional, national and international organizations with an interest in subtropical studies or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and providing opportunities for students in the natural sciences through an organized framework of research excellence. http://faculty.utpa.edu/orgs/css/ Faculty and staff submitted 224 proposals seeking $126.7million dollars and this resulted in 141 awards for $23.3 million dollars during FY 2014. This activity in combination with teaching efforts by our faculty is an indicator that our faculty want to not only advance the knowledge in their respective disciplines but they also want to create opportunities for our students to be engaged in hands-on experience. Dr. John Lowdermilk, the chair of the College of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology, and the former Director of UTPA’s Education Technology Resource Center, won a $50,000 grant from the Sid W. Richardson Foundation of Ft. Worth, Texas. Dr. Lowdermilk wrote an iPad app which demonstrates how it might feel for a special education student with a visual impairment, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a low level autism, or dyslexia who has been assigned to a mainstream classroom. Apple has accepted the app in the iOS App store, and is being distributed by the newly-formed business, L. Lowdermilk Industries. Dr. Marie Mora won the National Science Foundation award for over $492,000 and became the national director of the Economics Mentoring Program. Working with other universities such as the University of Chicago, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Colorado and the University of New Mexico, Dr. Mora will match up experienced economists, most of whom are members of the American Economic Association and/or the black minority-oriented National Economic Association, with minority doctoral students across the country. Dr. Yuanbing Mao is a chemist developing small man-packed devices intended to detect low level radiation which might be a threat to American soldiers on the battlefield. With a four-year grant from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Dr. Mao has been able to hire Dr. Madhab Pokhrel and Dr. Bhupendra Srivastava, both post-doctoral fellows, to work on the project, as well as two graduate students, one of whom has published two papers on the research. While the over-arching goal of the research is to develop a small device that can detect low levels of radiation that might harm American soldiers, the wider results will build the body of knowledge about luminescent core-shell nanostructures. Dr. James Bullard is another chemistry faculty member engaged in biomedical research. Over the years, he’s brought in many grants, including the current one from the U. S. Department of Health & Human Graduate student Lawrence Cano at work on UTPA’s X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer Services and the National Institutes of Health. The four year funding totals $430,800 to examine "A Protein Synthesis from Pseudomones aeruginosa for Screening Antibacterials.” Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common disease-causing bacterium, and Bullard’s goal is to identify compounds that are potential drug candidates intended to fight bacteria that have become increasingly resistant to the usual treatments and to reduce the side effects of those treatments. His work is important in two ways: first to find other ways to combat hospital-borne bacteria that have become drug resistant, and second, to help with basic research in combatting bioterrorism. Dr. Bullard’s other grants include one from the prestigious Robert A. Welch Foundation, which funds research by chemists. His work has direct local impact, such as a grant from the South Texas Border Health Disparities Center for "Development of a Minimum Bacterial Protein Synthesis System for Discovery of New Antibiotics Beneficial to South Texas Inhabitants." Bullard is also organizing his research to include students. At present, he has two graduate students, six undergraduate students and one Master’s level assistant scientist. “It’s our hope that eventually, we will be able to bring new anti-bacterial compounds to market through a new company that will provide jobs and expand the economy of the Valley” says Bullard. “We also want to create an environment of student research.