UTEP and Brookhaven to create research opportunities for border faculty and students

EL PASO, TX – The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory to create new research opportunities for faculty and students, as well as internship and employment options in critical fields such as energy, data science and quantum information.

“Long-term partnerships with national labs like Brookhaven are increasingly important as we expand UTEP’s research portfolio and graduate more and more Ph.D. students,” said UTEP President Heather Wilson.

Brookhaven Lab, located on Long Island, New York, is one of 10 national laboratories overseen and funded primarily by DOE’s Office of Science. It opened in 1947 and employs seven Nobel Laureates and more than 2,500 people.

The signed agreement stems from the shared interests of UTEP and Brookhaven in advancing discoveries in science, technology and engineering, officials from both institutions said.

“It is an honor for Brookhaven to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UTEP. We look forward to leveraging the facilities and expertise of our two institutions, identifying areas where we can collaborate to solve national challenges, and developing the next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Doon Gibbs, Director of Brookhaven’s Laboratory.

To foster collaboration and help develop professional relationships, UTEP and Brookhaven will implement exchange visits, field trips and short courses offered at both campuses so that Brookhaven team members can learn about the work being done at the university and vice versa.

For UTEP faculty and students, this plan will offer the added advantage of access to advanced research facilities and specialized equipment not widely available at universities nationally.

Also, both institutions will work proactively to identify opportunities for UTEP students to work in or with the lab on projects that could lead to future employment opportunities.

One of the first products of the agreement, which is already underway, is a research collaboration between UTEP faculty and members of Brookhaven’s chemistry department on sustainable energy.