UTEP president responds to aerospace NSF investigation clearing UTEP professor

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 has received a response from UTEP after we reached out to the university following an NSF investigation clearing UTEP professor Ahsan Choudhuri and the 2024 aerospace grant application.

UTEP President Heather Wilson sent us this statement:

"I stand by our May 2024 finding that a former UTEP faculty member said we have a test range, buildings, and equipment to make available for an NSF research project that the university did not have. The faculty member’s statements were not true.  It’s not clear which investigation the NSF is referring to in its letter, but we remain confident in our personnel decision and our decision to disclose the truth to the NSF.  

This wasn’t the only issue that caused the university to remove this former faculty member from his leadership position.  Dr. Natalicio reprimanded him and removed him from his tenure track position at the university for plagarism on an NSF proposal in 2006, audit findings of his center in April 2023 found non-compliant procurement card purchases and significant financial issues, and he also was found to have violated the university nepotism policy in 2022.

He is no longer employed by UTEP."