Research and Centers

The UTRGV Agroecology Program combines student-centered research and community engagement in various projects that investigate soil health, invasive species, sustainable agriculture, and the promotion of local food systems in South Texas and beyond.

The Lab of Avian Ecology is committed to understanding how birds survive and thrive in their natural environments. We use empirical, experimental and phylogenetic comparative approaches to understanding behavior in free-ranging birds.

The goals of the Center are focused on strengthening STEM academic programs and increasing the number of STEM graduates, particularly those from underrepresented groups. We provide academic and professional development resources to undergraduate/graduate students pursuing degrees in STEM fields to prepare them for their professional or graduate careers.

The purpose of the UTRGV Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement (SARA) is to improve agricultural sustainability and advance rural communities through multidisciplinary approaches that involve the environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability, while engaging UTRGV faculty and students in research, education, and experiential-learning.

The UTRGV Center for Vector-Borne Disease is a multi-disciplinary, multi-departmental institute at UTRGV, focused on studying vector-borne disease. Vector-borne diseases can include human, animal, and plant pathogens. Faculty in the center study all aspects of disease transmission, including interactions between the host-disease-vector, epidemiological aspects, and methods for prediction and control.

The Coastal Studies Laboratory, located on South Padre Island, was established in 1973, and is dedicated to providing educational opportunities, enhancing research, engaging in public service, and providing community outreach related to coastal and marine concerns in the Gulf of Mexico with special emphasis on the South Texas region.

The MSA is an award-winning program where 11th and 12th-grade high school students learn from UTRGV faculty, alongside UTRGV students, and gain invaluable university experience with heightened supervision and guidance than traditional UTRGV students receive.

We are an interdisciplinary space science institute that spans multiple departments within UTRGV, including The Department of Physics & Astronomy, The School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, and The School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences. We encompass two internationally recognized research centers - the Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy (CGWA) and the Center for Advance Radio Astronomy (CARA).

The project goal is to foster and train a knowledgeable, engaged, and empowered underrepresented Hispanic workforce in sustainable biomanufacturing.

UTRGV UTeach is the secondary teacher preparation program for science and mathematics majors at UTRGV. The purpose of the program is to prepare highly qualified science and mathematics teachers according to the UTeach model developed at The University of Texas at Austin.