UTEP President Heather Wilson makes announcement of $12M going to research purposes

Update (August 26, 2024): The $12M that UTEP is receiving for the Regents' Research Excellence Program will be a contribution made annually.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Today, UTEP President Heather Wilson announced the university is getting $12 million dollars to expand research efforts.

Wilson spoke during the University’s Convocation Ceremony about expanding research efforts at the university that will benefit students and El Paso. Wilson says this sum is part of the Regents’ Research Excellence Program. UTEP says this sum will also allow them to employ 69 new researchers, including 22 tenured faculty, 29 research faculty, and 18 postdoctoral researchers. This will also double the number of research faculty at UTEP.

These areas of research include Advanced Manufacturing, Cancer Therapeutics, Artificial intelligence, Intelligence and National Security, Quantum Computing, Water Scarcity, Rehabilitation Engineering, and Hispanic Student Success.

During the event, President Wilson discussed the 10-year Master Plan, including completion of the advanced manufacturing facility, and Texas Western Hall. Wilson says students will be moving forward with deciding whether or not they want to renovate the Student Union.

UTEP's current student union fee is $30 per semester. If students want the university to renovate the union, that fee will jump to $70 per semester.

UTEP students can vote on whether they want the university to revitalize the union from September 16th through the 19th.