A YEAR-END SERIES OF ARTICLES HIGHLIGHTING UTSA’S ADVANCE TO A BOLD FUTURE
JANUARY 4, 2021 — Editor’s note: Students will have the opportunity to participate in novel approaches to laboratory, field and modeling-based studies as they learn more about water science. [Originally published September 22, 2020.]
UTSA has launched the Institute for Water Research, Sustainability and Policy. Led by Saugata Datta, the Weldon W. Hammond Jr. Endowed Distinguished Professor in Hydrogeology, the institute brings together faculty across UTSA to collaborate in the areas of water quality, water quantity, flood control and water policy.
Researchers will study the effect of climate change on water resources in the San Antonio area, South Texas region, I-10 corridor and the United States-Mexico border. Eventually, they will expand their studies to include national and international water issues and solutions.
“An institute based on water research is absolutely needed, based on the part of Texas where we live,” said Datta. “There was a need for understanding water availability, quantity and various aspects of water in terms of public health and economics because water plays a big role in terms of the economy of the city and state. The societal impact of water issues is significantly important in a state like Texas.”
The institute will investigate multidisciplinary water issues, such as hydro-terrorism and the food-water-energy nexus across regional, national and international political boundaries.
“UTSA is in a very pivotal geographical and political junction as well as the future sustainability scenario,” said Datta. “UTSA is playing a big role and one of the roles that can bring multiple scholars, researchers and students together is the theme of water. Water permeates every aspect of the disciplines at UTSA. I couldn’t imagine anyone better than UTSA to take a lead on water.”
In addition to geopolitical water research, members of the institute will seek to understand the resiliency of San Antonio’s drinking water resources as well as coastal water resources. Researchers from various disciplines will study the effects of hydrological processes, flood control, water quality, human behavior, remediation, and impacts on human and ecosystem health arising from stressors on coastal water resources.
“Since its very inception this institute has been designed as a comprehensive and highly collaborative unit, with members across all disciplines representing every college at UTSA,” said Jose Lopez-Ribot, associate dean for research in the College of Sciences. “As such, the new institute is truly transdisciplinary in nature. The institute places UTSA in a unique position to address water challenges in San Antonio, Texas and beyond—both in the present and the future.”
The institute’s core faculty includes researchers from the College of Sciences; College of Engineering; College for Health, Community and Policy; College of Liberal and Fine Arts; and College of Education and Human Development.
“UTSA has a rich history of interdisciplinary collaboration in all areas related to water, which has strengthened our ties to the San Antonio community, our region and poised us to guide water policies in similar regions,” said JoAnn Browning, dean of the College of Engineering. “This institute bridges multiple administrative structures to enable cross-cutting research that will shape the future of our cities and hometowns.”
Students will have access to cutting-edge technology in various laboratories across campus that are now part of the center’s umbrella of water research. They will also have the opportunity to participate in novel approaches to laboratory, field and modeling-based studies as they learn more about water science.
“We will be bringing in students from different disciplines,” said Datta. “We will also be reaching out to local community colleges as well as other universities around San Antonio.”
The institute plans to offer certificate-level courses and will implement masters and Ph.D. programs in the near future.
“The Institute for Water Research, Sustainability and Policy is an essential resource for the San Antonio community,” said David Silva, dean of the College of Sciences. “Our growing population and ongoing drought issues demand creative, science-based solutions. I am confident that the collaborative research coming out of this institute will positively impact San Antonio’s future.”
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Covidence is a systematic & scoping review tool used to streamline the process of screening and reviewing articles. Using this software, research teams can easily import studies, perform automatic deduplication, and extract data using templates. This workshop will show attendees how to start a review in Covidence, add collaborators, and get started on screening.
Virtual (Zoom)In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to Pandas, a Python tool for working with data easily. It makes it simple to organize and analyze information when data is organized and categorized, like spreadsheets or tables.
Group Spot B, John Peace LibraryEach fall and spring semester, students convene at the Main Campus at UTSA with booths, ideas and prototypes. A crowd of judges, local organizations, students, faculty and sponsors walk around and talk to the students about their projects and ask questions. Students get the real-life experience of "pitching" their project with hopes of getting funding or support to move to the next level.
UTSA Convocation Center, Main CampusJoin the doctoral candidates for the Doctoral Conferreal Ceremony and celebrate their accomplishments.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusCelebrate the graduates from the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the graduates from the College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and College of Sciences.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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