³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ

Bianca Alvarez Receives the Claudia Casas Spirit Award

Bianca Alvarez, Computer Science Student Engagement Coordinator, received the Claudia Casas Sprit award representing ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ during the CAHSI Luncheon at the 34th Great Minds in STEM Conference in Pasadena, California.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Faculty Win Prestigious Texas Teaching Accolade

Two faculty members from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ have earned one of the top teaching awards in Texas – The University of Texas System Board of Regents’ 2022 Outstanding Teaching Award (ROTA).

  Adeeba Raheem, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, and Diego Aguirre, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, are among 14 faculty members representing many of the UT academic and health institutions who received the award.

34th Great Minds in STEM Conference

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Computer Science students participated in the 34th Great Minds in STEM Conference in Pasadena, California.

Students had the opportunity to network, attend professional sessions, showcase their latest research to STEM professionals, and participate in technical competitions such as the CAHSI Data Analytics challenge and the Cyber Security Hackathon.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ'S SFS Cohort 2022

On September 9, 2022, the 2022 ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ CS SFS Cohort was announced. The CyberCorps® Scholarship For Service (SFS) program is designed to increase and strengthen the cadre of federal information assurance professionals that protect the government’s critical information infrastructure.

2022-2023 ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Provost's Faculty Fellows

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s Office of the Provost has selected four outstanding faculty members to participate in the 2022-23 Provost’s Faculty Fellows program. The 2022-23 cohort of Provost’s Faculty Fellows are:

Martine Ceberio, Ph.D., professor of computer science;

Noell Birondo, Ph.D., professor and department chair of philosophy;

Jesus Cisneros, Ph.D., associate professor of educational leadership and foundations;

Adriana Domínguez, Ph.D., assistant professor of theater and dance.

Three Engineering Students Named Scholars at Great Minds in STEM Conference

As the world celebrates the contributions of women to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields throughout the next month, ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ College of Engineering recognizes its efforts as a national leader in shaping the future of higher education with an introduction to a trio of students who collected significant accolades during the fall semester and who continue to work to impact broader student success.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Computer Science Students Participate in Google Tech Exchange Finale

CS students visited Google's Sunnyvale campus in California for the Google Tech Exchange Finale. Participants spend a semester taking virtual computer science courses co-taught by Google instructors and HBCU/HSI faculty.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Expands Research Capabilities with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Partnership

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have signed a memorandum of understanding that will create new opportunities for students and faculty to participate in high-impact research in areas such as data science, cybersecurity and geological science. The agreement is also designed to lead to job opportunities for ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ graduates with the national lab.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Names Kenith Meissner Dean of the College of Engineering

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ has named Kenith Meissner, Ph.D., as the new dean of the College of Engineering. He will begin his role on Aug. 3, 2022.

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³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ to Advance Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline with $4M Grant

This project aims to increase the graduate degree completion of Engineering students by encouraging and supporting low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need to pursue a Fast-Track Master’s degree in Engineering. The project focuses on the critical transition between undergraduate and graduate education.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Receives $1M to Develop System to Increase Number of Students Who Pursue ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Engineering Studies

A team of researchers at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ will enhance the success of undergraduate Hispanic students in STEM disciplines through a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Receives $5 Million to Promote Computer Science through Training K-12 Teachers

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ announced today a $5 million grant from the Hopper-Dean Foundation to endow its computer science teacher education initiatives.

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³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Receives $3M NSF Grant to Enhance STEM Education for Hispanic Undergrads

A team of researchers at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ will enhance the success of undergraduate Hispanic students in STEM disciplines through a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program.

Former U.S Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Officer impressed by ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s research program in cyber security

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Kimberly Crider, former United States Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and former Air Force Chief Data Officer and a national leader in cybersecurity, came to campus on October 4 to share her expertise in cybersecurity and  encourage female engineering students to continue to pursue careers in science and engineering.

Blue Origin board member and ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ President Heather Wilson reacts to historic flight

University of Texas at El Paso President Dr. Heather Wilson, who is part of the board of advisors for Blue Origin, spoke with KTSM 9 News about the company’s successful space launch on Tuesday and ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s involvement in space exploration.

CS ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõs Recipients of the ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Student Leadership Awards

Jennifer Sims, CS Senior and the President of the student organization Women in Cybersecurity, was recognized with the   Agent of Change Award   . The award recognizes student leaders who have led their student organization through change brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to meet the mission and vision of their organization. 

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Alumnus and Researcher, Dr. Jaime Acosta, Awarded Prestigious Army Service Award

Jaime C. Acosta, Ph.D., an alumnus and researcher at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, earned the Department of the Army Civilian Service Achievement Medal for his commitment to improving workforce diversity from October 2018 through December 2020.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s Ann Gates Receives Top Leadership Award from AAHHE

Ann Gates, Ph.D., vice provost at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ (³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ), has been awarded the 2021 Alfredo de Los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award – a prestigious honor by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE). Gates will accept the award March 2 during the 2021 AAHHE National Conference.

Dr. Kreinovich Among ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Faculty Making the List of Top Researchers in the World

When ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ announced it was awarded an R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education in 2019, the distinction signaled ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s arrival on the national stage as one of the premier research institutions in the country. That reputation was cemented further thanks to a recently published study of the world’s top researchers.

CS Faculty Lead a $1.5M NSF-Funded Project to Improve Quality of Life for Senior Citizens through Technology

A team of interdisciplinary researchers from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ in collaboration with the City of El Paso and El Paso Community College (EPCC) recently was awarded nearly $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop and sustain the social connectedness of seniors to improve their quality of life through technology, community engagement and social sciences.

Ann Gates Ph.D Named one of the 2020 women of imapact by El Paso Inc.

The 2020 Women of Impact – six women who have made the community a better place, inspired others to do good and are role models to the next generation – were honored at El Paso Inc.’s 10th Women of Impact Ceremony.

PBS documentary, Roadtrop Nation ft. Ann Gates

Follow along as Megan, Sage, and Devohne - three young adults eager to explore the opportunities available to them in the computer science industry travel across the country to talk with software engineers, data scientists, professors, product managers, and more. Fueled by the National Science Foundation, “At Your Fingertips” follows these three young people on a journey to carve out their unique space in the world of computer science. Their stories and those of the inspiring people they meet are proof people underrepresented in the computer science field are a key part of driving the industry forward as a whole.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ CAHSI Scholars Help Students and Community Amidst COVID-19 Health Crisis.

Students from the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) Scholars program at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ have been actively contributing to ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ and the El Paso community amidst the COVID-19 health crises.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Launches Virtual Research Experience for Undergraduates

This summer marked the first time a group of faculty and students at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ were able to engage in meaningful research opportunities while staying safe amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through the launch of the Virtual Research Experience for Undergraduates (vREU)..

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s College of Engineering Boasts Record Number of Spring 2020 ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõs

The engineering industry has a multitude of talented new recruits in its hiring pool after ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s College of Engineering celebrated a record number of spring graduates, marking a major milestone for the college.

Engineering Students Adjust to Research and Internship Experiences amid COVID-19 Pandemic.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s College of Engineering students are keeping busy this summer, as they forge ahead with in-person and virtual summer internships despite the coronavirus outbreak.

Google Sponsors Professor Nigel Ward’s Research in Detecting Activity Types in Spoken Dialog

Google is supporting ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ to research Vocal Indications of Feelings and Stance in Spoken Dialog.

Ann Gates Appointed Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Ann Quiroz Gates, Ph.D., a nationally recognized computer science scholar with an extensive background in higher education administration, research and education in science, has been named vice provost for faculty affairs at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ (³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ)

College of Engineering Creates Model-Based Systems Engineering Boot Camp

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s department of Industrial, Manufacturing and Systems Engineering (IMSE) is creating a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) boot camp, focused on training and improving the technical skills of the institution’s emerging engineers.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Computer Science Students Participate in Google Tech Exchange

Computer science students from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ are part of a contingent from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities that are working remotely during the final month of Google’s Tech Exchange program.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Professor to be Inducted into UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers

Martine C. Ceberio, Ph.D., professor of computer science at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, will be inducted as a fellow into The University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers during a ceremony Friday, April 3, 2020.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Announces Scholarships for High School Math Teachers with Support from Microsoft

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ is launching a new program – the Microsoft Teacher Computer Science Academy – to increase the number of high school students who take computing courses by increasing the number of computer science teachers, with financial support from Microsoft Corp.

Transforming Dreams into Reality

Cohen Cruz never imagined that she would be the first in her family to graduate from college, but she surprised herself. She received her bachelor’s degree in computer science from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ in December 2019, as well as a job offer from Google.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Awarded $171K to Develop Cyber Security Network for U.S. Department of Energy

Researchers from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's Computer Science Department will have a hand in bolstering the safety of cybersecurity operations conducted by fossil fuel power generation plants thanks to a $171,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Faculty Profile: Nigel Ward

Nigel Ward, Ph.D., revels in the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of computer science students at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Awarded $120K from Lockheed Martin to Develop Artificial Intelligence Based Non-Destructive Testing

Students from three departments within ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ College of Engineering will be poised for future employment opportunities thanks to a $120,000 pledge from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to support interdisciplinary research involving artificial intelligence.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Receives Department of Education Grant to Create Professional Leadership Courses

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s Department of Computer Science was awarded a $742,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop courses designed to challenge students while positioning them to thrive in the workforce. The program also will focus on professional development for faculty and learning assistants.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Computer Science Receives $7K Grant to Conduct Advanced Software Analysis

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s Computer Science Department in the College of Engineering has received a $7,000 grant from Nuba Solutions for students to conduct statistic code analysis on open source repositories. The study will analyze large segments of industrial software codes to understand their evolution and quality. The results of the analysis will help organizations reduce maintenance efforts and improve their software sustainability.

Student Profile: Aaron Rodriguez

Aaron Rodriguez is a senior computer science major who wants to enhance the tech industry's footprint in El Paso.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Honored for Supporting Minorities in Computer Science

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ has been named the third recipient of the University Award given by the Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in Information Technology. The award recognizes U.S. universities that have retained students from underrepresented groups in computer science programs. It was presented Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, in San Diego, California.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Professor Wins 2019 Great Minds in STEM Hispanic Engineer Award

Natalia Villanueva Rosales, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, has been named a recipient of the 2019 Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC) Education Award. Villanueva Rosales joins 26 other scientists, engineers, educators and STEM professionals who will receive awards that recognize the achievements of the country’s top engineers and scientists within the Hispanic community during the 31st annual Great Minds in STEM Conference Sept. 25-28 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

UT System Regents Honor 2 ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Faculty as Outstanding Teachers

The University of Texas System Board of Regents announced July 1 that two ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ faculty members will receive the group's Outstanding Teaching Award for their extraordinary performance and innovative instruction in the classroom. The recipients of this year’s Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award (ROTA) are Martine Ceberio, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science, and Denise Lujan, director of developmental math.

ExciTES

The end of the 2018-2019 academic year heralds the arrival of another learning opportunity on ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ campus that is available to all area students. The annual Excellence in Technology, Engineering, and Science (ExciTES) Summer Institute, which offers inquiry-based and team-oriented projects and activities to students in grades third through 11th, begins offering sessions June 3, 2019, on the ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ campus.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Celebrated the Second Annual E-Week College of Engineering Awards Banquet

In preparation for the E-Week celebration in 2018, Theresa A. Maldonado, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering, came up with the idea of doing a banquet to celebrate the achievements of the individuals in the College. During this year’s E-Week, which was celebrated from Feb. 17–23, the E-Week College of Engineering Awards Banquet was held on Feb. 21, where professors, staff, and students were recognized for their accomplishments.

Annual Interdisciplinary Research and Education Symposium Signals Growth of Collaborative Culture at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ

Change is apparent throughout ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ campus. New buildings and updated roads are in the works with plans for more. There are also new facilities, new deans and new coaches. But one particularly profound change has quietly been taking place in classrooms, labs and offices across the University for several years now.

Computer Science Associate Professor Awarded Google ExploreCSR Grant for 35K

Martine Ceberio, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, is among 15 recipients nationwide to receive a $35,000 grant from exploreCSR: Google Grant Pilot Program for Undergraduate Computer Science Research Focused Workshops for Women. The award is geared toward better informing undergraduate students in computer science and related fields about the prospects of attending graduate school.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ to Help Increase Hispanics in Computing With $10M Grant

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, with a consortium of more than 40 other institutions and organizations from the public and private sector, is at the forefront of a national effort to increase the number of Hispanic students who participate in computing.

World Reacts to ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Professor's Optical Illusions

David Novick is a computer scientist by trade whose work in human-computer interaction at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ has drawn its share of oohs-and-aahs, but a recent tangent into optical illusions has made him an internet sensation.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ College of Engineering Receives Special Recognition Due to Outstanding Levels of Research Productivity and Leadership

At the past annual Grant Recipients Reception held on Tuesday June 19, 2018, the College of Engineering was recognized for being awarded 42 percent of all awards at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ for this past year.

Engineering and Computer Science Students Develop Unmanned Systems Technology

Engineering and computer science students have had a hand in ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's ascent to the forefront of unmanned systems technology. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) experts from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's NASA MIRO Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR) have leveraged the efforts of 30 computer science and electrical and mechanical engineering students to develop very long range unmanned aircraft systems technology.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Professors, Students Introduce Method to Migrate Brain Mapping Data Across Different Atlases

A quartet of two ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ professors and two students who represent two colleges from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ has taken a valuable step in creating a data migration method to utilize mapped data between different brain atlases.

Scholarship For Service ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõs Ready to Serve

Not all college graduates have professional plans laid out before receiving their diplomas. But a pair of software engineering students at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ knows exactly what lies ahead for them after Commencement.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Awarded 100K to Develop Crawler Robots to Aid with Aircraft Inspections

Lockheed Martin has funded a project in the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering (IMSE) at the University of Texas at El Paso for a method to remotely inspect difficult-to-reach areas with high levels of quality requirements. The project currently funds four undergraduate students from the Department of Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and IMSE and a graduate student from IMSE.

New Collaboration is Cornerstone for Cybersecurity

Through in-kind contributions of equipment, construction costs, furniture, mentorship and manpower, ARL and ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ established the cybersecurity center and laboratory at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ. The main function of the center is to conduct research and design and deliver cybersecurity-related workshops for the El Paso area community.

Engineering Professor Recognized for Dedication to Fuzzy Systems

Vladik Kreinovich, Ph.D., professor of Computer Science, has been recognized for his contributions and research in Fuzzy Systems by The International Fuzzy System Association (IFSA). The IFSA is a worldwide organization dedicated to the support, development and promotion of fundamental fuzzy theory issues related to: sets, logics, relations, natural languages, concept formation, and linguistic modeling. These systems control the decision support in management and administration of human organizations in manufacturing and process industries.

Smart Cities Grant Fosters International Collaborations

An interdisciplinary team from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ led by Natalia Villanueva Rosales, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to fund an Interdisciplinary Research Experience for Students (IRES) Program.

Maldonado Named Dean of ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's College of Engineering

Theresa Maldonado, Ph.D., has been named Dean of the College of Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ (³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ). Maldonado most recently served as founding senior vice president for research, innovation and economic development at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her role there was to build a comprehensive research administration infrastructure for the new school, blending existing structures and transforming institutional culture to support basic, applied and translational research in all disciplines.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Photo Earns Top Design at Cyber Conference

Angelica Marquez, a freshman computer science major, won best photo design at the recent Women in Cyber Security (WiCyS) Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Marquez was one of 11 ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ students to attend the March 30-April 1, 2017, conference that included a variety of talks, workshops and poster sessions focused on cyber security.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, EPCC Partner with California Institutions to Strengthen Cyber Security Pipeline

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ and California State University Stanislaus have formed a consortium with their community college counterparts, El Paso Community College and Merced College, under a $3.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The group will utilize the funding over five years to increase enrollment and diversity in cyber security through a scholarship program called S-STEM.

College of Engineering to Host Homecoming Breakfast

Engineering alumni from the University of Texas at El Paso will celebrate their 2016 with their Alumni and Gold Nugget Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, October 29 in the Tomas Rivera Conference Center, room 308, in the Union East Building.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Students Collaborate on U.S.-Mexico Smart Cities Study Abroad Program

Students from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ (³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ) and The University of Guadalajara (UdeG) in Jalisco, Mexico, came together for the U.S.–Mexico Study Abroad Program on Smart Cities, which began Spring 2016 as a part of President Obama's 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative.

NSF Awards ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ $1.9 Million to Prepare New Generation in Computer Science

The National Science Foundation has awarded ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ $1.9 million to prepare more computer science professionals over the next five years. The funds will be used to address a 2012 report on undergraduate education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from President Barack Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

NSA Designates ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Operations

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ recently earned recognition as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Operations. The designation from the National Security Agency is for academic years 2016–21. The prestigious classification requires institutions to meet highly rigorous academic and programmatic criteria. There are only 16 designated CAEs across the U.S., and ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ is one of two in Texas.

ExciTES Offers Experience to Students

The College of Engineering will be offering the annual ExciTES Summer program for students in 3rd to 11th grade. Students will have the opportunity to be introduced to a variety of engineering fields including electrical engineering, materials engineering, civil engineering, and computer science through inquiry-based, team-oriented projects.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Computer Science Department Develops Award-Winning Interactive Agent System

University of Texas at El Paso Professor of Computer Science David Novick, Ph.D., and his students have developed a system for virtual agents and an immersive interactive application titled "Survival on Jungle Island."

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ CAHSI Selected by White House as Bright Spot in Hispanic Education

The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ has recently been selected as a Bright Spot in Hispanic Education in honor of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics' 25th anniversary.

Computer Scientist Receives Fulbright Research Fellowship

Nigel Ward, Ph.D., a computer science professor at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research at Kyoto University in Japan for two semesters.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Moves Forward With Proposed Research Building

Negishi, a second year graduate student in biology with a focus on neuroscience, said he hoped his research would help contribute to the creation of a complete connectional map of the brain that pinpoints circuits that control appetite. Such a map could lead to new medications and therapies that would specifically target parts of the brain to treat eating and metabolic disorders. Part of his work, which is being done under the supervision of Arshad Khan, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences, will be enhanced by student peers led by Olac Fuentes, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Computer Science Chair Wins National Education Award

Professor and Chair of Computer Science Ann Gates, Ph.D., is the recipient of the 2015 Great Minds in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Education award. Gates was selected for the honor from about 200 nationwide nominations.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Computer Science Alumnus Earns Top Navy Honors

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Computer Science Alumnus George Moreno Pineda received the 2014 Research, Development and Acquisition Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers of the Year Award from the Assistant Secretary of The Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition at the Pentagon in June.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Does Heavy Lifting in Conferring STEM Credentials to Latinos

In a report released by Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit organization based out of Washington, D.C., ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ is among the top two percent of all U.S. institutions teaching one-third of the Latinos who earn degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

Students, Alumni Earn Prestigious NSF Grad Fellowships

This year the National Science Foundation (NSF) offered six University of Texas at El Paso students and alumni the prestigious ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Research Fellowship – a record number of recipients for the University. More than 16,000 students across the nation applied to the program, while only 2,000 fellowship were awarded.

Happy or Sad? Recognizing Emotion Through Facial Skin Color

Computer scientist Olac Fuentes, Ph.D., is keenly interested in subtle facial changes like these and how they offer clues about what a person is feeling. ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ researcher is particularly focused on how the human face fluctuates between colors depending on the emotion being felt

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, Collaborators Develop Cyber Security Curriculum

The cyber attack that started in November 2014 against Sony Pictures Entertainment was the latest high-profile example of computer hacking, and another reason ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ continues to ramp up its Secure Cyber Systems course track.

B.S./M.B.A. Program Readies Students for Leadership Positions

One alum's generous gift keeps on giving back to ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ. This time, it's via the establishment of a course of study that can mean big career success for the ambitious students who undertake it. The B.S./M.B.A. program currently offers combinations with three Bachelor of Science degrees: computer science; electrical engineering; and industrial, manufacturing and systems engineering.

Computer Technology Played Important Role in ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s Evolution

The first true computer arrived at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ — then Texas Western College — in 1958 when the research arm of the school took delivery of a 950-pound Bendix G-15 to be used for defense-related research. That same year, the engineering and drawing department — predecessor of the computer science department — began offering three courses on computers and computer circuitry.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ’s Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce Presents Weekend Startup Challenge

The Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce announces its annual Weekend Startup competition, an entrepreneurship education initiative that gives university students an opportunity to acquire hands-on experience with the different aspects involved in the creation of a company.

Undergraduate Research in the Spotlight at Summer COURI Symposium

As part of the University's commitment to offer greater opportunities for students to gain cutting-edge research experience starting the moment they enroll, the Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives (COURI) works to promote hands-on guidance from professors and to engage students in investigation and innovation on a regular basis.

Canoes, Bridges and Flappy Birds Build ExciTEment

The cardboard canoe competition, a highlight of ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's 2014 ExciTES Summer Institute in the College of Engineering, is one of several inquiry-based, team-oriented projects that introduces middle and high school students to different engineering fields such as electrical engineering, materials engineering, civil engineering and computer science through activities developed by ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ faculty and graduate students.

Mentorships Helped ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Student Reach Full Potential

Small actions reverberate and amplify, like ripples in a pond after a rock has been tossed in. Mentors can have this same positive effect in the life and career of their mentees. Roya Edalatpour's experience with her mentors at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ is proof of how the dedicated professors and staff of the University have a major impact on students' lives.

Researchers Cross Boundaries to Address Real-World Problems

In order to solve some of the world's most complex problems in areas such as climate change and global health, researchers at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ have been engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations with experts from different disciplines.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ to Offer Software Engineering ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Degree

The growing need to supply industry with competent software engineers in a spectrum of fields is behind ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's decision to offer a new Master of Science degree in Software Engineering in fall 2014.

New Joint Degree Program Benefits Students, Industry

Amber Gomez had her post-undergraduate future mapped out until she heard two presentations this past spring semester about a new degree program at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ that will save her time and money, and make her more marketable.

New ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Degree Takes Hard Look at Software Engineering

From an early age, Rebekah Gruver was the kind of child who liked to take things apart to see how they worked. Her tinkering was nurtured by family members who were educators and engineers.

Students Place 2nd in IBM Challenge

David Hasselhoff's sidekick, K.I.T.T, a talking car from the television series Knight Rider, is possible today thanks to 21st century technological development. This spring, the Watson Technical Edition of TGMC asked participants to develop an algorithm to help better sort data and inquiries, much like how K.I.T.T. could communicate as naturally as a human with Hasselhoff.

Computer Scientists Improve Popular Smartphone Operating System

You've probably experienced it before while running a game on your Android smartphone. All of a sudden, you experience some lag. The angry bird you've just launched pauses in midair for a brief moment and then continues on its way — like nothing happened. Or, while scrolling through your Twitter feed, the screen does not seem to keep up with how fast you're going.

Computer Scientist Studies the Human Gaze to Improve Video Chat Quality

Nigel Ward, Ph.D., professor of computer science at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, has patented an idea that may drastically improve the quality of mobile video chat.

Reducing Video Chat Bandwidth by Modeling User Gaze Behaviors

If you're not hooked up to WiFi, video chatting on your smartphone can be a pretty choppy experience. Users often run into frustrating problems like highly pixelated or frozen frames, lagging video or audio, and connection losses.

GM Challenge to Give ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Students Real-World Conundrum

Close to 100 ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ business and engineering students will participate in the first Information Technologies Innovation Challenge that will involve finding solutions to real-world problems in information technologies and the automotive industry.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Launches Effort to Recruit More Women into Computer Science and Engineering Majors

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ is partnering with the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) to launch a new strategic plan for recruiting more women into their majors in Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering.

STEM students represented ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ at the 2013 HENAAC Conference

Nine College of Engineering students were selected from a handful of 600 applicants, to attend one of the nation's most prestigious conferences— the 2013 HENAAC: Great Minds in STEM Conference that was held on Oct. 3-5 in New Orleans, LA. The HENAAC conference is designed to keep America technologically strong by promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers especially in undeserved communities.

Summer Interns Make Their Mark

For several students at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, the summer months were more than a vacation from early morning classes, final exams and research papers. These Miners participated in the time-honored tradition known as the summer internship. Whether they conducted leukemia and stem cell research at Harvard, studied energy sources in Colorado, or traipsed through the rainforests of Central and South America, these internships offered undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to earn valuable work experience and grow personally and intellectually.

Danny Olivas, ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ to Improve Human Spaceflight Safety

Former NASA astronaut John "Danny" Olivas, Ph.D., has landed at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ as director of space initiatives. He will also lead the newly established Center for the Advancement of Space Safety and Mission Assurance Research

Danny Olivas, ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Unite to Advance Space Research

CASSMAR will serve as a cross-functional, multidisciplinary center focused on risk reduction research to make commercial human spaceflight safe and successful. Research will primarily focus on materials behavior issues that have been observed in specimens of the Space Shuttle Columbia. However, CASSMAR will involve disciplines from across campus, including the colleges of Engineering, Science, and Business Administration.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ PhD Student Awarded Google HSF Scholarship

Competing against students from the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam, ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student Salvador Melendez is one of the few who was awarded a $10,000 Google Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) Scholarship, which will be used for his fall semester 2013 studies.

Engineering students host Internship Seminar Series

The College of Engineering Tau Beta Pi, Malone Engineering Leadership Program, the Entering Student Program and the ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Career Center presents the Internships: Connections to Your Future Seminar on Friday, November 16, 2012 at 12:30pm in the Undergraduate Learning Center (UGLC) room 128. This seminar consists of a series of student-driven initiatives that intent to emphasize the importance of pre-professional experiences among engineering students helping them to reach their educational and professional goals thru experiences beyond the classroom.

Google Seeks Computer Science Students at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ

On Friday, Nov. 9, Googlers from all over the country gathered at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ for a two-day retreat to get to know computer science and engineering students. "Google is pretty committed to making sure that we are hiring a diverse workforce," said Raquel Romano, Ph.D., a senior software engineer at Google. "As a company we believe we will create better products if the people who are creating them come from all different walks of life."

New Google/³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Program to Inspire Future Engineers

As a founding member of the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI), ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ has teamed up with Google to inspire future engineers. The program is called Google DIVE, which stands for Developing Innovative Engineers. Officials with Google DIVE will be on the ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ campus working with students from ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's computer science and computer engineering departments Friday, Nov. 9 and Saturday, Nov. 10. This immersion program was designed specifically to strengthen freshmen students' commitment to and knowledge of the computer science field.

Interdisciplinary Research Conducted to Understand Why Latinas Pursue Engineering and Computer Science Degrees

The National Science Foundation awarded a $525,000 grant to the Center for Research in Engineering and Technology Education (CREaTE) at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ to conduct an interdisciplinary research project titled Latinas in Computer Science and Engineering: A Qualitative Study Examining Identity and Agency for Resilience and Persistence. For the past 20 years, there has been a steady increase in outreach programs both at the national and local levels to attract females to STEM fields of study. Engineering and computer science are two professions that have not yet reached gender parity, and the findings of this research at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ will inform stakeholders of ways to modify and extend outreach approaches to broaden participation of Latinas in these fields.

$5 Million Awarded to ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Cyber-ShARE Center of Excellence

The National Science Foundation has awarded a continuing five-year grant of approximately $5 million to the Cyber-ShARE (Cyberinfrastructure for Sharing Resources to Advance Research and Education) Center of Excellence at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ. "The Cyber-ShARE Center researchers are honored to have received an additional five years of funding from the NSF," said Ann Gates, Ph.D., the center director and ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's associate vice president of research.

Fun + Math + Programming = Learning

iMPaCT-Math is a new approach for introducing students to high school math concepts that playfully engages students with computer programming. iMPaCT-Math, an approximate acronym for "Media Propelled Computational Thinking for Math Classrooms," has enjoyed initial success in El Paso high schools and continues to be refined by an interdisciplinary team of ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ faculty members led by Eric Freudenthal, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science.

Computer Science Students Create App for USA Science and Engineering Festival

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's IEE Computer Society LEAD Student Chapter and i-Application students organization in partnership with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and IBM's students for a Smarter Planet developed a Grand Challenges Passport mobile application for the Second Annual USA Science and Engineering Festival (USASEF) in Washington, D.C. held April 28-29.

Award Recognizes Computer Science Professor

Christopher Kiekintveld Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Computer Science has been awarded the 2011 David Rist Prize by the Military Operations Research Society (MORS). The David Rist Prize is named for and in honor of Mr. Rist, an early Director of the Society.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Unveils Building, Students Unveil Future

In the next 10 years, the demand for scientists and engineers is expected to increase at four times the rate of any other occupation. The technology-geared world is calling for more brilliant minds to fill the need. "The demand for scientists and engineers far exceeds the available pool of qualified candidates," said Paul L. Foster, vice chairman of The University of Texas System Board of Regents, speaking at the grand opening of ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ's Chemistry and Computer Science Building.

Director of Research Computing Named

Pat Teller eases herself into the conversation, responding to the visual cues of her interviewer – a furrowed brow, a blank stare, a twisted tongue that can't quite grasp the cyber terminology. And just before the listener sets in to being overwhelmed, Teller maneuvers as though she's riding a horse and pulls back on the reins. The computer science professor shuffles her red cowboy boots in front of her, clasps her hands together and says "OK, let me explain it to you this way."

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Engineering Wins National Award for Third Consecutive Year

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ (³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ) Civil Engineering has been named a 2013 winner of the NCEES Engineering Award for Connecting Professional Practice and Education. The 2013 Award is the third consecutive year the College has been recognized with this prestigious award. ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ and Seattle University are the only universities to have won in three consecutive years.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ to Promote Research Computing

Patricia Teller, Ph.D., has been appointed as the first director of research computing at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ. The newly created position comes as the University begins to install hardware for its High Performance Computing Virtual Research Laboratory – for which Teller is the coordinator. ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ also continues to take advantage of the University of Texas Research Cyberinfrastructure (UTRC) initiative – providing opportunities for high-performance computing, networking, data storage, education and training within the UT System.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Engineering hosts National Center for Women & Information Technology Award

The College of Engineering at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ will host the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) award ceremony at the new Chemistry and Computer Science Building on Friday February 10, 2012 from 5:00 - 7:30pm. The award ceremony recognizes El Paso-Las Cruces region girls who won the NCWIT "Award for Aspiration in Computing" competition.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Computer Science Professor Elected to IEEE Systems Board

Vladik Kreinovich Ph.D. Professor of Computer Science at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ has been elected to the Board of Governors of the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society (SMCS) as a member-at-large, for a three-year term beginning January 2012.

National Science Foundation Awards $600,000 to ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Engineering

The College of Engineering in collaboration with the ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ School has received a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to implement a Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) project that builds a direct bridge to the Ph.D. for outstanding undergraduate engineering and computer science students.

State Farm and ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Working Together to Bolster Student Progress

With a new year and the start of a new semester under way, a generous gift is paving the way for a new program at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ that will be a model for how engineering is taught around the country. State Farm Insurance has been one of those ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ partners. Company representatives will present University leaders with a check for $65,000 to benefit the College of Engineering and the College of Education.

CS Summer Program Trains Students for Research Career

Students from across the nation participated in the ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program in Applied Intelligent Systems. The 10-week summer program, which was sponsored by a grant from the National Science Foundation, provided training for students interested in research careers. The program was directed by Dr. Olac Fuentes, Associate Professor of Computer Science and included weekly seminars and myriad opportunities for hands-on research experience.

$700,000 NSF Award to Support MS Programs in Systems Engineering and Software Engineering

Dr. Steve Roach, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of the Department of Computer Science at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ (PI) and Dr. Shamsnaz Virani (Co-PI) have been awarded nearly $700,000 from the National Science Foundation to encourage development of professional master's degree programs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Professor Wins Prestigious Borg Institute Social Impact Award

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Professor Eunice Santos Recognized for Pioneering Contributions in Computer Science

Eunice Santos, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, has been selected to receive the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society’s 2010 Technical Achievement Award for pioneering contributions to computational social network systems.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Student Selected as a 2010-2011 Google Scholar

Jaime Nava, a Computer Science doctoral student at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ has been selected to receive a prestigious Google scholarship in the amount of $10,000. Nava, who expects to complete his PhD in the fall of 2011, earned both this undergraduate and master ’s degrees at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ in the field of Computer Science.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Receives Premier Designation from Department of Homeland Security, NSA

The National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have designated ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education. The designation is given to four-year colleges and universities that have extensive coursework in information assurance as a means to increase the number of professionals with computer security experience and to help protect the national information infrastructure.

Coordinating Board Approves Two New Masters Programs at ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ

The MS in Information Technology will begin this fall with more than 40 students enrolled in the program. ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ is in the only university in the region that offers this program, which combines graduate-level computer science with MBA courses for management skills.

Engineering Students Named NACME Scholars

The College of Engineering is proud to announce that 14 ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ engineering students have been named 2008 National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) Scholars. More than 200 graduating students from across the country were chosen. Recipients must have demonstrated academic excellence by achieving and maintaining an average grade point 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.

ExxonMobil Corporation Gives $17,000 to ³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ, $8,000 to Engineering

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ will receive $17,000 from ExxonMobil Corporation, as part of a company program that provides grants to universities and academic programs. The grant will allow the departments of materials engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, computer science and computer information systems to allocate money for various educational purposes including scholarships, visiting speakers, equipment purchases, student and faculty travel, and other education projects. ExxonMobil awards the grants based on schools that offer degrees in subjects from which it recruits employees.

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ Research to Better Engage Public in Transportation Planning

³ÉÈËÍ·Ìõ has received a $100,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration to study the effectiveness of visualization to improve public participation in transportation planning. Because it is required that the public take part in the transportation decision making process, project managers must provide presentations to the public and allow them the opportunity to voice their concerns.