Dean Shares Fall Highlights
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Dear UTEP College of Science Students, Colleagues and Alums,
Welcome back to the College of Science newsletter!
We're delighted to share this semester’s successes, which include impactful research, engaging campus events, and noteworthy student achievements.
New Department Chairs
I am pleased to share the exciting news that after extensive national searches, we successfully appointed two new department chairs. Dr. Kendal Hirschi, from Baylor College of Medicine, became our next chair for the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Hind A. Al-Abadleh, from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada, became our next chair for the Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences.
Each of them brings a wealth of research expertise, leadership experience, and innovative ideas that promise to significantly enhance our departments. I am confident in the bright future ahead under their leadership.
CUSA Honor
Conference USA (CUSA) has several awards that recognize the outstanding achievements of students and student athletes, as well as faculty. The athletic conference selected Dr. Jorge Gardea-Torresdey, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as recipient of its inaugural Professor of the Year award.
For more than 30 years, Dr. Gardea-Torresdey has served our students while significantly contributing to his field of research. It is wonderful to see his successful career in UTEP’s College of Science recognized throughout all the CUSA member institutions. We are proud of you, Jorge!
Meritorious Award
We've had a very eventful few months, starting with University Convocation, at which one of our College of Science research teams was honored with the Meritorious Service Award. Members of the Department of Homeland Security Summer Research Team, led by chemistry faculty member Dr. Hamidreza Sharifan, were recognized for their work to mitigate potential bioterrorism threats through food contamination. They specifically studied different types of rice grains that are imported into the U.S. to determine the grains’ resilience to E. coli bacteria. Congratulations to Dr. Sharifan and his team for this well-deserved honor!
Faculty Promotions
Later in the fall, we gathered to honor the latest cohort of faculty granted tenure and/or promoted. The case for granting tenure and/or promotion focuses on the candidate’s qualifications and contributions in the areas of teaching, research, scholarship, and service to the University and College, as as well as their disciplines. Those honored included:
Promoted to Professor
Michael Moody – Biological Sciences
Son-Young Yi – Mathematical Sciences
Awarded Tenure/Promoted to Associate Professor
Hugo Gutierrez-Jurado – Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences (DEERS)
Hernan Moreno – DEERS
Harikrishnan Nair – Physics
Jason Ricketts – DEERS
Sourav Roy – Biological Sciences
Sreeprasad Sreenivasan - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Homecoming
It’s always fun to welcome back alumni for our traditional Homecoming breakfast, and this year we honored Mr. Lewis Teal, our Gold Nugget awardee.
Lewis has had a distinguished career in geology spanning more than four decades in the mining industry. His contributions to the mining industry have been profound and far-reaching, leading to the discovery of significant gold and copper deposits. Throughout his career, Lewis held multiple leadership positions at mining company Newmont Corporation. Beyond his professional achievements, he has made significant contributions to academic and scientific communities, authoring publications on key mining districts.
Lewis’ career reflects perseverance, innovation, and leadership, embodying the values that UTEP instills in its graduates.
Biodiversity Collections
After our Homecoming breakfast, we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Biology Building. We recognized a transformative gift from Larry Wollschlager to UTEP’s Biodiversity Collections in Honor of Professor Emeritus Dr. Art Harris, Department of Biological Sciences.
Larry has made significant philanthropic contributions to UTEP and the College of Science and I am pleased to share with you that his gift will help to enhance and preserve our Biodiversity Collections, protecting and cataloging the curated collections, including entomology, herpetology, and ornithology.
Thanks goes to Larry Wollschlager—a resolute advisory board member, proud UTEP alumnus, and 2009 Gold Nugget award winner—for his generosity. To continue to share this valuable resource with researchers across the globe, more funding is needed to further enhance and preserve the more than 600,000 priceless specimens in the collection. ?
Hawkins Scholars
We were excited to celebrate two biological sciences undergraduate students who were named the 2024 Hawkins Scholars.
Undergraduate students Brianna Emily Ortega and Eduardo Gutierrez completed a rigorous selection process modeled after competitive graduate scholarship programs like the Rhodes Scholarship. Each Hawkins Scholarship comes with a $10,000 award that can be used toward educational expenses and enriching experiences that help recipients better prepare for graduate school.
Brianna hopes to earn a doctorate and conduct breast cancer research, and Eduardo is preparing to become a physician and has recently completed an internship at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Congratulations to these outstanding students!
El Paso Science Festival
Looking ahead, we are excited to announce our continued involvement with the El Paso Science Festival scheduled for April 5-6, 2025, at the El Paso Convention Center. Highly successful last year, the event will deliver a dynamic showcase of exhibits, demonstrations, and lectures tailored to K-12 students. Our belief in the power of hands-on activities and inspirational presentations is aimed at revealing the potential of science to young minds, with the hope of inspiring future Miners!
For more details about this exciting event, please visit .
Stay connected with the College of Science by following updates on , , and .
¡Hasta la próxima, and Go Miners!
Robert A. Kirken, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Science
Professor of Biological Sciences
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