EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — University of Texas at El Paso’s (UTEP) President Dr. Heather Wilson commended university researchers and major research successes in her State of the University address during the 2025 Convocation.
According to the news release by the university, Wilson touted various research projects with critical topics, including dust storms and their growing impact, improved desalination techniques for water supply and diagnosing devastating illnesses like Chagas disease.
“Deep-rooted in the excellence of our faculty, our research at UTEP is strong. Even in storms of change, we continue to build upon our research success, creating meaningful knowledge that improves the lives of those in El Paso and around the world,” Wilson said.
Additionally, Wilson highlighted other major research successes, including the following:
- The Regents’ Research Excellence Program has hired 33 research faculty, including four tenured professors, three associate professors, 15 research professors and 11 postdoctoral researchers.
- The program, established in 2024, provides funding for UTEP to recruit senior research faculty who are prominent in fields like advanced manufacturing and quantum computing.
- Launching the Applied AI Innovation Institute, UTEP’s first-ever artificial intelligence institute, with support of the Regent’s Research Excellence fund.
- The institute will address pressing regional and national challenges like water scarcity and Hispanic health disparities.
- Over 500 doctoral students have their tuition fully covered through UTEP’s Tuition Remission Program.
- This allows the university to recruit students for grad school who may not have the financial means, retain students whose tuition was an added stressor, and ultimately produce more productive and skilled graduates who get to focus on their programs.
- In April of 2024, UTEP opened a new $80 million facility known as the Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center.
- With 29 laboratories housed in the building, researchers will study things like moon habitation, space robotics and exotic-material 3D printing.
- Earlier this year, UTEP received funding from the Texas Legislature to conduct high-priority research with NASA.
Wilson added that facility upgrades will be coming soon to campus after the University of Texas System Board of Regents allocated $118 million to the university on Thursday, Aug. 21 for campus improvements and for the Student Union project.
As well, Wilson foreshadowed the opening of Texas Western Hall in January 2026, a $110 million learning complex building featuring a “21st century learning environment, equipped with instructional classrooms, computer rooms, collaboration spaces and offices.”
“The next several years on campus will see the opening of our next beautiful, modern classroom building, restoration of the arroyo where the Liberal Arts building now stands, dozens of building improvements that have been deferred for too long, and revitalization of the Student Union because of the great leadership of our student body,” Wilson said. “We will also be adding more housing for the increasing number of students who want to live on campus — including those from other regions of Texas and beyond.”
During her speech, Wilson also announced the 2025 President’s Meritorious Service Award winners:
- Staff Award: Maryam Zarei, Ph.D., outreach coordinator, Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences
- Faculty Award: Hilda Ontiveros Arrieta, Ph.D., Women’s and Gender Studies
- Team Award: Consultation, Advocacy, Resources and Education (CARE) team, Division of Student Affairs
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