UTRGV Center for Multidisciplinary Research Excellence in Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Systems: Training the Next Generation

National Science Foundation Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology group photo

From left to right (first row): Manuela Cantu (Program Assistant), Constantine Tarawneh (Founding Director, PI), Angela Chapman (Diversity and Education Coordinator, Co-PI), Fatemeh Nazari (Co-PI), Nicholas Dimakis (Senior Personnel), Tohid Sardarmehni (Senior Personnel), Jianzhi Li (Co-PI). From left to right (second row): Mohamadhossein Noruzoliaee (Founding Deputy Director, Co-PI), Madhab Pokhrel (Senior Personnel), Satya Akundi (Senior Personnel) and engineering undergraduate and graduate students.(Photo by David Pike)

By Maria Gonzalez

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS –  Researchers at UT Rio Grande Valley have been awarded a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program to establish a Center for Multidisciplinary Research Excellence in Cyber-Physic al  Infrastructure Systems (MECIS).

“CREST MECIS will raise the research profile of the institution with state-of-the-art research projects in an area that is among the hottest topics in the engineering world and research expenditures of $1 million/year over the next five years,” said Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, Ph.D., principal investigator, Founding Director of the NSF CREST Center-MECIS,  professor in mechanical engineering, and associate dean for research and graduate programs in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

VISION

The center’s multi-disciplinary approach aims to leave a lasting imprint of the quality research performed at UTRGV.

“Over the next five years, MECIS will not only provide a wide range of impactful research and education opportunities for UTRGV faculty and students, but also serve as a catalyst for transformation in UTRGV research merit, Rio Grande Valley, Americas, and beyond by focusing on the next-generation Cyber-physical Infrastructure Systems (CIS), including autonomous ground and aerial vehicles, smart sensors, and artificial intelligence,” said Dr. Mohamadhossein Noruzoliaee, Ph.D., assistant professor in civil engineering, co-principal investigator and founding deputy director of NSF CREST Center-MECIS.

Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, Ph.D., principal investigator and Founding Director of the NSF CREST Center-MECIS (Photo by David Pike)

Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, Ph.D., principal investigator and Founding Director of the NSF CREST Center-MECIS (Photo by David Pike)

MISSION

The CREST grant-funded establishment will meet three major initiatives vital in elevating UTRGV to a (R1) institution, the highest classification of Doctoral Universities, and expand the Cyber-Physical Infrastructure research agenda in a predominantly Hispanic Serving Institute.

  1. CREST MECIS will prepare undergraduate STEM students with cutting-edge cyber-physical infrastructure systems research experience to prepare the next generation of STEM workforce.
  2. CREST MECIS will incorporate research education to develop a pathway from high school through graduate studies for underrepresented students’ groups in STEM.
  3. CREST MECIS will strengthen UTRGV’s educational and research foundation by establishing a platform for a doctoral program in engineering, engage students in journal and conference paper co-authorship, and support their participation in national professional conferences.

INFRASTRUCTURE

MECIS research is articulated into three subprojects, each representing a unique component to collectively guarantee excellence in Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Systems integrity.

1 st subproject: focus on future transportation infrastructure which will be transformed by autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

2 nd subproject: design and embed sensors in cyber-physical infrastructure systems to perform automated tasks and monitor infrastructure health.

3 rd subproject: develop effective information technology architectures for big data management and decision making in the design and operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and infrastructure.

COLLABORATIONS

The center will engage in education research projects and stakeholder collaborations to provide underrepresented students the opportunity to pursue their studies at UTRGV and the partnered institutions in STEM fields relevant to MECIS research focus areas.

“MECIS has partnered with La Joya ISD and Vanguard Academy to offer STEM summer camps that will introduce K-12 students to fundamental engineering and science concepts related to CIS and will encourage these students to pursue their education in STEM fields,” said Tarawneh.

“The center will also offer a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program that will afford undergraduate students the opportunity to travel to the three partner institutions and spend 10-weeks performing joint research between UTRGV and its partners,” he said.

CREST MECIS is a collaborative program between UTRGV co-PI’s, UTRGV colleges and three R1 partner institutions. Together, along with ten UTRGV faculty members, CREST MECIS will emphasize the importance of synergy and student education experience in comprehensive research to train the next generation of workforce in cyber-physical infrastructure systems.

ABOUT UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.

UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.