EL PASO,TX – Created by the University of Texas at El Paso, the U.S.-Mexico Teaching Collaborative Grants program will support research projects with institutions of higher education in the state of Chihuahua to advance studies on issues that affect the lives of people throughout the Paso del Norte region.
The new program will fund six projects in its inaugural phase. Each will be led by a team composed of UTEP faculty and one or more researchers from a Chihuahua State university. Partner institutions include the Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Juárez (ITCJ), the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) and the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua (UACH).
“This effort is a direct result of UTEP’s recent strengthening of relationships with our strategic partners in the State of Chihuahua,” said Arturo Barrio, assistant vice president for International Relations. “It is also a tangible manifestation of our shared commitment to improving the lives of people throughout our region on both sides of the border.”
One of the projects benefited was “3D Printing,” which will explore new, low-cost methods to fabricate geometrically complex structures, such as tools and spare parts for manufacturing equipment and fixtures, in engineering-grade materials. The results of the research will be directly applicable to the regional manufacturing industry.
Another project, “How do herbicides affect water quality?” will study the impacts of a widely used herbicide on water quality and subsequent impacts on livestock and agricultural products. The results will be relevant to farming and ranching communities throughout the region.
“An interdisciplinary approach to our water scarcity,” is another of the projects benefiting, which, will bring together stakeholders in the region to identify the research needed to address conflicts over limited water supply in this region.
It will also support a program that builds on an existing research collaboration on immigration and asylum in Ciudad Juarez by catalyzing joint learning experiences at both institutions. A hybrid instructional model will be piloted that will allow students on both sides of the border to have more classroom opportunities, learn from a broader group of faculty, and develop their research activities to meet the U.S. and Mexican academic systems.
Another project will build on ongoing collaborative research on domestic violence in Ciudad Juarez, providing training experiences and expanding current research. It includes mental health professional training for UTEP and UACJ students, workshops and joint curriculum development for both institutions. This effort is intended to solidify the long-term relationship between the institutions for the benefit of mental health in the Paso del Norte region.
Pecan nut cultivation and drought stressors on the U.S.-Mexico border is another of the selected projects. This work will investigate water stress in pecan trees due to drought and climate change. The research will sample and monitor four pecan orchards along the Rio Grande corridor in West Texas and in Chihuahua along the Rio Conchos. The goal is to understand the diurnal and long-term responses of the trees to these stressors. The research team will also design a data-driven information system to help farmers in both regions optimize water use, reduce crop stress, and increase yields.
The U.S.-Mexico Teaching Collaboration Grant program is funded by a $120,000 allocation from UTEP’s research enterprise. Several of the projects that received funding this year are already underway, while others will begin in the coming weeks.
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