AUGUST 15, 2024 — Beginning this fall, UTSA will embark on a transdisciplinary effort to bring together intellectually diverse researchers by strategically hiring clusters of faculty scholars to augment existing UTSA expertise in six key areas.
This effort will allow UTSA to grow its research enterprise, create new knowledge and further position itself as a Tier One public research university. During the 2024-2025 faculty recruitment cycle, the university anticipates hiring 26 scholars in the following areas:
These focus areas are the outcome of the Clustered and Connected Hiring Program (CCP), which is a program within the university’s Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative. Since 2019, the CCP has been the mechanism to recruit and hire researchers in targeted areas addressing some of today’s most significant challenges.
Notably, these new cluster hires will be funded in part by The University of Texas System Board of Regents' Research Excellence Program, which was created to help UTSA and other Emerging Research Universities within the UT System recruit researchers to dramatically grow their national prominence and federal funding opportunities.
UTSA will receive an allocation from the UT System that is expected to result in about 40 new faculty positions over the next several years. Its intent is to attract new, mid- to senior-level faculty who will add expertise in research areas that will enhance competitiveness, help solve societal needs and advance the university’s capacity to meet UT System and state goals as outlined by the Texas Legislature.
“UTSA has experienced great success using the clustered and connected hiring process to assemble diverse groups of remarkable scholars dedicated to collaborating in new and exciting ways to drive genuine transdisciplinary innovations,” said Heather Shipley, UTSA provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “We are grateful to the UT System for this dedicated funding to hire additional research-focused faculty in areas that will enhance UTSA’s competitiveness and align our capabilities with research opportunities from federal agencies.”
The CCP process engages current UTSA faculty members to propose concepts for the concurrent hiring of multiple positions across colleges. In February, Academic Affairs and the Office of Research asked UTSA faculty to submit proposals for transdisciplinary cluster hires. It received 29 proposals.
A collaborative group comprised of members from the Office of Research and Academic Affairs, including the college deans, reviewed the proposals.
Submissions were evaluated on many factors, including the ability to enhance national or international preeminence and campus leadership in a priority area; multi-college, cross-disciplinary composition and diversity of backgrounds and perspectives; ability to increase funding to meet UT System and State goals; and ability to concretely link together existing scholarly and program capacities along with demonstrated commitment to utilizing collaborative and convergent research approaches.
“The quality of each proposal was outstanding,” said JoAnn Browning, UTSA interim vice president for UTSA of Office of Research. “These clusters exhibit a strong transdisciplinary focus and align seamlessly with federal funding priorities. We look forward to being able to recruit additional exceptional researchers from transdisciplinary fields to help innovate, discover, and enact impactful work for our communities.”
UTSA’s Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative includes five complementary programs that provide support mechanisms for academic colleges to recruit and hire some of the best and brightest minds with unique backgrounds and experiences, providing intellectual prowess to help the university address society’s grand challenges.
The Clustered and Connected Hiring Program builds upon past faculty cluster hiring initiatives which focused on strengthening UTSA’s expertise in analytics and data sciences, artificial intelligence, brain health, cybersecurity, human performance, quantum information science, social and environmental challenges in Latin America and virtual and augmented reality.
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The Roadrunner Pantry/Whataburger Resource Room has joined efforts with the campus community for the Move-In Market! Come shop for some great items for your room or apartment to get you started and set up for success. The best part about it--everything is free! Bring your UTSA student ID to receive shopping credits.
Student Union Annex (BK Lot 5 next to Campus Garden)UTSA parents and family members are invited for appetizers and drinks to meet other Roadrunner families following Move-In Week. Students are encouraged to attend Comedy Night and Late Night at the Rec, while family members celebrate their student’s next chapter.
Willie's Roadhouse, 4051 N Loop 1604 W, San Antonio, TX 78257Late Night at the Rec features an evening of fun, games, giveaways, and excitement. It's also a great way to learn about the facilities, recreation programs, and wellness services offered at the Main and Downtown campuses.
Campus Rec Center, Main CampusCome show your Roadrunner Spirit by joining our very own Rowdy, The Spirit of San Antonio Marching Band (SOSA), your fellow students, as we light the Monument at our Main Campus entrance at the stroke of midnight to mark the start of a new academic year.
Main CampusAnnual Giving will host a First Day of School celebration to welcome students back to campus. We will have giveaways and photo opportunities.
Sombrilla PlazaA sweet start to the Semester. Join the University College to customize your own sugar cookie while enjoying connecting with other UTSA students.
Airport Lounge (SU 2.02.00D,) Student Union, Main CampusJoin us for a tabling event with the UTS Bold Careers Program! Start the academic year off right with our team to discuss experiential learning and career development.
In front of the Rowdy Campus StoreThe 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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We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
