Author: Robyn Boren

In today’s rapidly progressing healthcare landscape, a hands-on education is vital to ensure our nation’s future health professionals are ready to tackle any challenge that comes their way. That’s why the West Coast University-Texas campus was designed inside and out on the principle that innovation and technology can be harnessed to provide real-life, career-ready preparation.  

What makes WCU-Texas so unique? From the initial design stages, the focus of the 136,000-square-foot campus has been hands-on learning and student success. This includes an atrium that puts all student resources within easy reach, a library and various study areas for both groups and individuals. However, the real differentiator lies in the classrooms and labs.  

Nursing Labs That Build Confidence 

At the heart of the WCU-Texas campus are its simulation centers. More than mere classrooms, they are immersive hospital-like rooms where students step into the shoes of healthcare providers and prepare for a myriad of real medical scenarios. Students practice on lifelike manikins that can do nearly everything a patient can. They sneeze, cough, bleed, have seizures, show dilating pupils, exhibit rising blood pressure and even give birth.  

From educating patients to administering treatments, simulations replicate every aspect of nursing practice using the actual medical equipment students will encounter on the job. Students learn to think critically, make sound judgments and collaborate effectively.  

As testament to WCU’s commitment to hands-on learning, the clinical simulation program received accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. This accreditation ensures students get a quality learning experience that truly prepares them for the challenges of the healthcare field.  

Harnessing Technology to Elevate Physician Assistant Learning 

It’s not just nursing students who receive a hands-on education at WCU-Texas. Physician assistant students get to enjoy their own simulation room as well as a virtual dissection table that allows them to view anatomy lessons through a new lens.  

The virtual dissection tables allow students to wield their anatomy knowledge to uncover medical histories and identify signs of disease. Through this interactive and immersive experience, students explore the human body without the time constraints and limiting logistics of traditional cadaver-based dissection. They can virtually manipulate and view anatomical structures, gaining a deep understanding of human anatomy and physiology.  

Putting It All Together: Interprofessional Opportunities 

The WCU-Texas campus takes simulation learning one step further with an annual event called Interprofessional Simulation Education Day.  

Nursing and physician assistant students at WCU-Texas are brought together in practice exercises aimed at improving interdisciplinary communication and teamwork. Students learn about each other’s roles as part of a collaborative healthcare team, developing skills that will help them excel on the job.  

Elevating the Learning Experience 

West Coast University-Texas understands that the healthcare industry is constantly evolving. West Coast University’s continued drive for improvement and investment in emerging technologies helps students thrive in the ever-changing medical field. The WCU-Texas campus is a place where technology and education converge, fostering a spirit of exploration and discovery. Graduates are not only skilled practitioners; they are critical thinkers, problem solvers and compassionate caregivers ready to make a significant impact on the health and well-being of communities around the nation.  

Explore degree programs at WestCoastUniversity.edu and join WCU-Texas in shaping the future of healthcare.  

Two institutions from the University of North Texas System are working together to create a seamless pathway to produce more nurses to help address the state’s nursing shortage.  

The partnership will allow UNT Dallas students to pursue a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (UNTHSC). This agreement leverages the strengths of both institutions to provide students with a comprehensive and accessible nursing education. 

Dr. Cindy Weston, founding dean of the UNTHSC College of Nursing, said the partnership is a natural extension of the UNT System’s commitment to providing quality education and meeting the needs of the community. The initial phase of the collaboration has already started. 

“This opportunity with UNT Dallas came about with the inception of UNTHSC’s College of Nursing program,” Weston said. “We’ve been in the planning phase since about 2022, and it was approved by the UNT System Board of Regents in 2023 to launch the college in 2024.” 

Weston also said that the partnership will expand access to nursing education and meet the growing demand for skilled health care professionals.  

“This is an incredible opportunity to create a seamless transition for students who want to enter the nursing profession,” she said. “This partnership will provide students with a strong foundation in nursing fundamentals and prepare them for success in their future careers.” 

The initial phase of the partnership involves aligning degree paths at UNT Dallas to ensure that students meet the prerequisite requirements for UNTHSC’s traditional BSN program. This will allow for a smooth transition to UNTHSC after students complete two years of coursework at UNT Dallas. 

“This is a great opportunity for students who are passionate about health care and want to make a difference in their communities,” said Dr. Mario Casa de Calvo, dean of the UNT Dallas School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “By partnering with UNTHSC, we are able to continue offering our students a high-quality education that will prepare them for a rewarding career in nursing.” 

The collaboration between UNT Dallas and UNTHSC is expected to have a significant impact on the region. By providing students with a clear pathway to a BSN, the partnership will help address the critical nursing shortage and improve health care outcomes in the region, Weston said. 

In addition to the academic pathway, the partnership between UNT Dallas and UNTHSC will include opportunities for students to participate in research projects and clinical experiences. These experiences will help students develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed as nursing professionals. 

As the partnership between UNT Dallas and UNTHSC continues to evolve, the collaboration may expand to other UNT System institutions. The goal is to create a comprehensive and accessible pathway for students interested in pursuing a career in nursing. 

“We are just getting started with this partnership, and there is much more to come,” Weston said. “We believe that this collaboration has the potential to have a great cross-regional impact.” 

The latest cohort of the innovative University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) Aspiring STEM Principals Program (ASP) will graduate in May 2025. Since its inception in 2018, the program has made significant strides in preparing future leaders in STEM education.  

Over the summer, ASP students participated in a three-day STEM Summer Institute featuring keynote speakers, interactive robotics engagements, and best practice support using AI and various innovative technologies.  

As part of their advanced coursework, these students were enrolled in a pivotal course titled “The Externship.” This hands-on learning experience allowed them to apply leadership principles within a STEM-focused framework in various real-world settings, including non-profits, corporations and governmental agencies.  

The most recent iteration of the program launched in the Fall 2023 semester, offering educators who want to become principals the opportunity to specialize in leading STEM schools. The program comes with a bonus: free tuition and no fees through a Texas Instruments (TI) Foundation grant. 

The UNT Dallas School of Education developed the first-of-its-kind Master of Educational Leadership program with a STEM concentration. It combines a rigorous curriculum with professional field study, ensuring participants are uniquely qualified and prepared to become STEM principals. 

The $651,000 grant from the TI Foundation pays all tuition and fees for candidates accepted into the graduate-level program. This is the second grant from the TI Foundation for the program. 

“Principals play a significant part in student learning outcomes, which begins with attracting and retaining great teachers,” said Andy Smith, executive director of the TI Foundation. “During the five years since this program began, we have been pleased with its success in developing STEM school leaders skilled at creating STEM campuses. Their commitment benefits teachers, who are integral to student success, which in turn helps students be better prepared for a future in which STEM skills are necessary.” 

The program focuses on Southern Dallas County, where UNT Dallas is located. Candidates for the program’s inaugural cohort are current educators with at least two years of teaching experience in the Cedar Hill, Dallas, DeSoto, Duncanville, and Lancaster independent school districts.   

“The UNT Dallas Educational Leadership Department is building a pipeline of future STEM-focused principals. STEM leaders are crucial to the success of innovative and transformational schools; more importantly, their work will directly impact students by creating pathways to meet future career challenges,” said Dr. Shelia Brown, UNT Dallas Lecturer and Program Coordinator of Educational Leadership. “Thanks to the generosity of the TI Foundation, the work of these STEM leaders will directly impact students by creating pathways to meet future career challenges.” 

This is one of several STEM-focused initiatives underway at UNT Dallas. In late 2025, a new, state-of-the-art $100 million STEM building will open, featuring multiple classrooms, laboratories, and a green learning environment that brings campus landscaping inside.  

As STEM and STEAM-related careers (STEAM education includes studying the arts) expand widely across many businesses and industries and demand for such positions grows rapidly, K-12 principals with this master’s degree concentration will shepherd tomorrow’s inventors and innovators. 

STEM and other Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are vital in DFW-area school districts. There is a growing demand for new programs to ensure students are educated in ways that improve their engagement and achievement. The need inspired the creation of the UNT Dallas/Texas Instruments partnership for the Aspiring STEM Principal Program. 

When the 28 students of the program graduate  spring 2025, it will mark a significant milestone in their journey toward becoming impactful leaders in STEM education. 

A UNT program for students with intellectual disabilities is giving educational access to a population that has been historically excluded from higher education. 

The decision about Lauryn Woolfolk’s future came wrapped in a standard envelope. As she tore it open and began reading the letter, her grandma let out a holler of excitement as soon as Woolfolk read the words, “You have been accepted.” Woolfolk’s reaction took a few more seconds to register. Finally, she lifted her arms above her head in celebration as her family members continued their gleeful screams. Then came the tears of joy and hugs as the news really sank in — she was going to the University of North Texas for a true university experience. 

Similar sentiments of happiness have been felt by other students accepted into UNT ELEVAR, which stands for Empower, Learn, Excel, enVision, Advance and Rise. Since the program debuted in fall 2021, ELEVAR has given students with intellectual disabilities a rare path forward in their education. Beginning with five students and with 27 students currently enrolled, the program serves a population that has been historically excluded from higher education. 

Traci Walker didn’t think her son Jaylen would fulfill his goal of going to college until she heard about UNT ELEVAR, which is one of the first postsecondary education programs of its kind at a Hispanic-Serving Institution in the U.S. Jaylen was born prematurely and diagnosed with an intellectual disability, a speech impediment and hearing loss. When he was a baby, doctors said he may never walk, talk, feed himself or even learn. Now, he does all of those things and is a thriving member of ELEVAR.  

“I believe people can have dreams like I have dreams,” Walker told NBC 5. “I don’t care what nobody says; if I can do it, you can, too.” 

Inclusive education for students with disabilities is widely available in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, but once students age out of high school programs, opportunities to continue education drop significantly. Lack of educational access can build disparities in the workforce as well as decrease the quality of life for these individuals.

That reality didn’t sit well with Brenda Barrio. The three-time UNT College of Education alumna (’06, ’08 M.S., ’13 Ph.D.) has spent her career advocating for students with disabilities, especially those from under-championed communities. When an opportunity arose to come back to her alma mater to teach, she had a very specific goal in mind.  

“In my interview, I shared my plan to create an inclusive program for individuals with intellectual disabilities here on campus,” says Barrio, associate professor of educational psychology and assistant vice president for research and innovation at UNT. “I knew it was ambitious, but the need is great for this population. They deserve the chance to go to college, pursue a career of their choice and live independent lives.”

In 2020, Barrio and other faculty collaborators earned a $2 million seed grant from the U.S. Department of Education to officially begin development of ELEVAR. Now, in its fourth year, the program will soon celebrate the graduation of its first cohort in spring 2025.

ELEVAR students attend UNT for four years and take both traditional zero credit college courses in disciplines that align with their career aspirations along with ELEVAR specific courses in financial literacy, life skills and health education. Each student is given a personalized plan which accounts for their career goals, where they want to live after graduation and their support system. The plan then guides students toward classes and internships that help further their dreams. 

The program’s success has gained notice around the state and country. In fall 2023, ELEVAR earned the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Star Award, which recognizes higher education institutions that contribute toward the board’s “Building a Talent Strong Texas” initiative. The Think College Coordinating Center considers ELEVAR one of the most inclusive postsecondary programs in the country and has called on its students, faculty and staff to help raise awareness about educational opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Even other higher education institutions have reached out to UNT for guidance in establishing similar programs, Barrio says. High school students with intellectual disabilities, along with their teachers, visit UNT once a semester to learn more about UNT and the program. ELEVAR also hosts open houses for interested families and potential students.

“These families get really excited because they see that their student can pursue higher education and get the support they need to succeed. Something that a few years ago was unknown or unheard of for individuals with intellectual disability, but UNT and other programs across the nation are making it possible.” 

Perhaps at no time in modern history has the airline industry’s pilot shortage been so acute. Retirements and pandemic-era layoffs led to a mass exodus of pilots, and the country desperately needs to train more. 

According to Boeing, a leader in the airline industry, an estimated 674,000 new pilots will be needed to meet global demand through the year 2043. A significant portion of that pilot demand would be needed for carriers at DFW International Airport, which currently competes with Dubai as the second-busiest airport in the world. 

Texas Woman’s University is addressing that shortage with the fall 2024 launch of the Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences, making TWU the only four-year university in North Texas to offer a bachelor’s degree in aviation. The program offers two tracks, one that prepares pilots to obtain commercial licenses and another that prepares them for jobs in aviation management. 

Women make up only about 5% of commercial pilots, but the Doswell School will provide a consistent presence and source of female aviators. 

The school has an advisory committee of industry representatives, including members from regional airlines, and the aviation program is in the process of obtaining permanent certification and restricted Airline Transport Pilot exemption. At that point, the school will apply for cadet program memberships with various airlines to send TWU aviation graduates into the industry. 

While classroom instruction takes place on the TWU Denton campus, flight training is provided by the US Aviation Academy at the Denton Enterprise Airport. 

The initial class in fall 2024 maxed out at 24 students, just near the cohort target of 25.  

Clint Grant, the director of the aviation program, said 25 students is an optimal class size, considering the need to offer one-on-one flight instruction.  

“It’s a tough, long road,” Grant said. “It goes beyond just four years of college.” 

Grant noted that, besides the expense associated with flight training, a deep commitment from the student is essential to complete what is considered a lengthy process to gain all the essential certifications on the way to becoming a pilot for a commercial airline. Even with a a bachelor’s degree through Texas Woman’s aviation program, a prospective pilot would need to log a required 1,000 hours of flying time before he or she could obtain an air transport pilot’s certificate, which is the certification required to become a commercial pilot for a major airline.  

Before the program’s first class met, one class member secured the largest scholarship in the history of Texas Woman’s University, a $140,000 full, four-year ride funded by TBMOPA, the TBM Owners and Pilots Association. The scholarship was awarded to Danah Alramahi, a freshman from nearby Coppell. 

Like her classmates, Alramahi was undeterred by the challenges to overcome before she taxis an aircraft onto a runway. Although TWU is one of the most affordable universities in the nation, the price of learning to fly far exceeds the cost of tuition and fees. Over four years, the price tag just for flight training is more than $100,000. 

“That’s something you learn very early on when you’re looking at schools, to factor in cost,” Alramahi said. “You don’t just look at the tuition. You have to search up their specific flight program, what planes you’ll be flying, how long it’ll take, their cost of gas for the plane, the instructor cost. 

“It all adds up to quite a big sum. But this was my dream, my passion, the only thing I ever talked about wanting to do, so I knew I was going to pursue it no matter what. Even if it meant taking different jobs, taking out loans, applying for whatever student aid there was, I was willing to do it as long as it meant I would get to fulfill my dream.” 

East Texas A&M University (formerly known as Texas A&M University-Commerce) is at the forefront of competency-based education (CBE), offering flexible, career-focused programs that empower busy adults to transform their careers. These accessible, affordable programs are a powerful tool for developing a pipeline of talented professionals for the industries that power today’s regional and global economies. 

The value of competency-based education 

Focusing on what students already know and can do, CBE offers four major benefits for experienced working professionals:  

1.  Skill mastery 

CBE shifts the focus from classroom time to skill mastery. Where traditional classes require that students complete a set number of hours, CBE allows students to advance through courses by demonstrating mastery of required competencies.  

To demonstrate mastery, students complete assessments at various stages in their coursework. They also complete projects that utilize real-world scenarios to prove what they can do. 

After successfully passing all assessments and projects, students can progress to the next course regardless of time spent on the material. Therefore, students with professional experience or who previously studied a subject can quickly advance and potentially graduate in less time than a traditional program. 

2. Flexibility 

CBE programs are a flexible option well-suited for busy professionals. Since CBE courses are fully online and asynchronous, students can earn their degree while keeping up with work, family and other commitments. 

The web-based delivery, which includes access to digital textbooks, allows students to study from any computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone with an internet connection. They can work on their degree at night, on weekends, or even during lunch breaks. 

3. Affordability 

Adult learners benefit from the affordability of CBE programs at East Texas A&M. For just $1,000 per seven-week term, students start with two courses and can advance to additional courses at no extra cost if they finish early. This flexible model, combined with textbook savings, allows students to lower their overall tuition and potentially complete more courses than they would in a traditional 16-week semester. 

Additionally, CBE degree programs qualify for financial aid, making them more accessible for adult learners on a tight budget. 

4. Career advancement 

Perhaps the most tangible benefit of CBE for working professionals is its focus on career advancement. Many professionals without degrees hit a ceiling that blocks their path into advanced roles or management. Therefore, a flexible, affordable path to earning a degree can be a game-changer. 

East Texas A&M’s partnerships with state and national organizations, like the Competency-Based Education Network and the American Institute for Research, ensure that its CBE programs meet workforce needs and position graduates for career advancement and increased earnings.  

Industry-aligned degree programs 

East Texas A&M’s CBE programs are designed to address skills gaps in key industries, including education, healthcare and law enforcement. 

For instance, the Pride Pathway program helps teachers’ aides and other school paraprofessionals earn a  bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate, addressing teacher shortages in Texas. 

In law enforcement, it’s increasingly common for agencies to require a degree for officers to advance into leadership. In response, East Texas A&M developed a competency-based criminal justice degree emphasizing law enforcement leadership. In the six years since its launch, nearly 500 officers across Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana have earned their degrees through the program. 

Other workforce-aligned CBE programs at East Texas A&M include health services administration, human resource development, city planning, an RN-to-BSN program, and  safety and health. 

For additional workforce alignment, the university recruits industry professionals who can share their insights and practical knowledge as instructors. These professionals also advise the university on potential program updates based on industry trends, legal changes in the field, or recent case studies that can reinforce students’ learning. 

Powering the future of work 

Looking ahead, East Texas A&M plans to introduce a broader range of CBE offerings, including graduate programs and industry-recognized micro-credentials and certifications to meet emergent industry needs. The university also intends to launch a dedicated center for competency-based education to serve as a hub for incubating and refining CBE initiatives in Texas and beyond. 

East Texas A&M is committed to shaping the future of education to meet the demands of tomorrow’s workforce. As the future of work evolves, these industry-aligned programs aim to connect talented professionals with the skills, certifications and degrees they need to thrive in an interconnected, global marketplace. 

When Dallas College chancellor Dr. Justin H. Lonon says he’s in the “barrier-busting business,” he sums up the purpose of the college’s innovative Learner Care Model.  

Community college students are often inundated with challenges that can force them to decide between pursuing an education and providing for their families. However, Dallas College’s learner care integrated approach ensures that students’ needs are met outside the classroom so they can succeed inside the classroom.

Dallas College has reimagined every student touchpoint and created a system that looks at the whole student, from academic support to physical, mental, financial, social and family needs.  

MEETING BASIC NEEDS 

Students need housing, food, and clothing to survive. Without their basic physiological and safety needs being met, students are neither ready nor able to focus on their academic goals and complete their credentials.  

Enter the Dallas College Student Care Network, which offers resources at all seven Dallas College campuses including health care, clothing closets, family services and products (diapers, feminine hygiene, car seats, etc.), transportation and transit passes, food pantries, SNAP assistance, childcare, counseling, financial literacy, technology loans and emergency aid money. 

In the 2023-2024 academic year, the Dallas College Student Care Network: 

• • Received 6,018 student care referrals 

• • Had 12,931 students visits to its health care centers  

• • Provided 4,045 vaccines 

• • Held 6,331 therapy sessions  

• • Had 163,526 student visits to its food pantries 

• • Provided 511,235 pounds of food, equal to 426,029 meals, from the Food Pantry 

SUPPORTING STUDENT-PARENTS WITH CHILD AND FAMILY CARE RESOURCES  

To lessen the expense of childcare as a barrier to parents attending college , Dallas College has increased childcare options on its campuses. As of Fall 2024, childcare is available on five campuses: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro and Mountain View. Other community resources are available through the Student Care Network as well as childcare vouchers for qualified students through the Working Wonders Program.  

Meanwhile, the Dallas College Family Care Initiative provides support in English and Spanish to current students in good standing who are also parents (or expectant parents) by offering wrap-around services via a three-tiered approach. 

• • The first tier provides basic needs support and childcare safety equipment.  

• • The second tier focuses on financial literacy and nutritional education support. 

• • The third tier focuses on academic support, ensuring the student parents stay connected to their success coach. 

Parents approved for Family Care are provided with a support team of caring Dallas College staff, including a student care coordinator, success coach, licensed professional counselor and academic tutor.  

COACHING STUDENTS TO SUCCESS 

In addition to offering support for students’ basic needs, Dallas College has elevated the advisor experience by transforming its system of academic advisors into success coaches.  

Success coaches act as case managers, supporting students’ holistic needs from their first day of college through graduation.  

Specifically, they help students: 

• • Develop a comprehensive education plan, including selecting a program of study that fits their personal career goals. 

• • Connect to academic support and nonacademic resources on campus, including the Student Care Network, based on their individual circumstance and needs. 

• • Identify their strengths and challenges to create a personal action plan to successfully accomplish their goals. 

To better meet the needs of Dallas College’s large population of nontraditional students living complex and busy lives, success coaches offer extended virtual evening hours, in addition to traditional in-person hours. 

At Dallas College, the Learner Care Model is key to empowering students to reach self-actualization — fulfillment of their full potential. Removing barriers and breaking the cycle of inter-generational poverty enables Dallas College students to build self-worth and find a means to a better life.  

Artificial intelligence (AI) catapulted into the public consciousness in 2023 with the introduction of ChatGPT, a form of generative AI that astounded the public with its ability to churn out Shakespearean-style sonnets and surrealistic visuals in a matter of seconds. While much of the media attention surrounding AI has focused on these parlor tricks, its ability to accelerate biomedical research cannot be overstated. 

AI’s impact is already being felt at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where the technology is propelling research discoveries forward in laboratories, clinics, and classrooms across campus.  

In 2021, UTSW researchers used artificial intelligence and deep machine learning to analyze 1.7 million raw images of patient-derived tumor samples, pinpointing a key distinction between skin cancer cells with high and low potential to metastasize – a discovery that could ultimately mean the difference between life or death for patients with melanoma. 

With AI assisting, UTSW physician-scientists are zeroing in on the most effective medications for depression, predicting insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes, and grading medical students on simulated encounters with patients. AI is also playing a vital role in advancing personalized radiotherapy and cancer treatments as well as putting complex and costly genetic research well within reach. 

“Medicine is one of the fastest-growing areas of AI research, and its effects could be life-changing,” said Gaudenz Danuser, Ph.D., Chair and Professor in the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics and Professor of Cell Biology, who led the study on metastatic skin cancer. 

AI is broadly defined as technology that autonomously reasons within machines and thus can come up with insights alternative to human thinking. But what individual researchers consider “true AI” can vary from algorithms trained to perform sophisticated pattern recognition to programs that mimic the neural wiring of human brains, said Steve Jiang, Ph.D., Professor, Vice Chair for Digital Health and AI, and Chief of the Division of Medical Physics and Engineering in the Department of Radiology Oncology at UTSW. Dr. Jiang is also Director of the Medical Artificial Intelligence and Automation (MAIA) Lab. 

“I have no doubt,” Dr. Jiang said, “AI in health care will impact millions of lives.” 

On the institutional level, UT Southwestern is involved in state and national efforts to establish best practices for the application of artificial intelligence in health care.  

In March 2024, UT Southwestern joined more than a dozen of the country’s top academic medical centers and Microsoft to form the Trustworthy & Responsible AI Network (TRAIN), a consortium designed to set quality and safety standards for the use of AI in health care and explore frameworks for collaboration and knowledge sharing. 

And in May 2024, UTSW hosted the inaugural UT System AI Symposium in Health Care, which brought to campus more than 700 scientists, clinicians, educators, students, and researchers representing all University of Texas health institutions and seven medical schools to explore AI’s revolutionary potential. Speakers included AI experts from Stanford Health Care and tech giants Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. 

“We are just beginning to see how much artificial intelligence can speed up the pace of scientific discovery,” said Eric Peterson, M.D., M.P.H., Vice Provost and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research at UT Southwestern, who moderated the symposium. “At UT Southwestern, every day we’re finding new ways to harness AI to analyze vast amounts of data, enhance our biomedical research, and, ultimately, deliver the most advanced treatments to our patients.” 

Electronics that will be launched into space or used in military operations need to operate reliably under the most challenging conditions. The University of Texas at Dallas has opened a new research center to advance semiconductor technology and test electronics in this highly specialized field. 

The Center for Harsh Environment Semiconductors and Systems (CHESS) addresses a demand for materials and devices that can withstand extreme temperatures, radiation and challenging mechanical conditions. CHESS is the first initiative of UT Dallas’ new North Texas Semiconductor Institute (NTxSI), which aims to accelerate semiconductor innovation, entrepreneurship and workforce development in North Texas. Dr. Ted Moise, a semiconductor veteran, is the founding director of NTxSI.  

Dr. Manuel Quevedo-Lopez, director of CHESS, said microelectronic devices capable of operating in harsh environments are vital for national defense in applications such as quantum computing, resilient networks and communication systems, resilient electrical grids, autonomous vehicles, space exploration and hypersonic weapons, which travel beyond Mach 5, five times faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1). 

“Harsh-environment electronics research has become key in industry and national security, and the demand for expertise in this area is growing. CHESS brings together experts who can advance the technology and solve challenges in this highly specialized area,” said Quevedo-Lopez, department head of materials science and engineering and the TI Distinguished University Chair in Nanoelectronics in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. 

Semiconductor chips — also called semiconductors, microchips or integrated circuits — process, store and receive information. Typically made from thin slices of silicon, one chip can include tens of billions of transistors, or electrical switches, in an area smaller than a fingernail. Extreme heat or radiation can cause a semiconductor to fail. 

The effort to develop the NTxSI began more than a year ago to address the need for a coordinated effort in semiconductor research in North Texas and to help alleviate the shortage of skilled employees for the growing semiconductor industry in the region, Quevedo-Lopez said. The new institute positions UTD to contribute to the goals of the recently enacted federal CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. The CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) Act provides $52.7 billion in incentives over five years for American semiconductor research, development, manufacturing and workforce development. 

While the U.S. is a leader in semiconductor design, most manufacturing has shifted out of the country over the past 30 years, leaving the country vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, according to an April 2021 study by the Semiconductor Industry Association. In North Texas, Texas Instruments (TI), Coherent and Globitech Inc. are constructing new semiconductor manufacturing plants in Sherman. The new plants, along with an expanded Richardson TI facility, are expected to boost the region’s position in the industry. 

In addition to its focus on workforce development and harsh-environment electronics research, the NTxSI plans to develop a venture startup accelerator and an advanced prototyping facility to help entrepreneurs in the semiconductor industry. These future initiatives will address the high capital costs facing startups and small businesses in the industry and the lack of access to fabrication facilities. 

University of Texas at Dallas researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind, handheld electrochemical sensor that can accurately detect fentanyl in urine within seconds. 

The proof-of-concept technology can detect even trace amounts of fentanyl with 98% accuracy using a small portable device without costly and time-consuming lab analysis. A study demonstrating the device was published in the Jan. 10 print edition of American Chemical Society Applied Materials & Interfaces. 

Researchers use a mix of substances, including gold nanoparticles, to detect fentanyl with an electrochemical sensor. 

The prototype, which could be used to test for fentanyl via urinalysis, is a precursor to a test to detect the drug in saliva, said Dr. Shalini Prasad, professor and department head of bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. The technology also could be used to test substances for fentanyl by mixing a sample with water and dropping the liquid onto the sensor. 

“There is an urgent demand for an easy-to-use, portable, miniaturized device that can detect fentanyl with high specificity and share results immediately to an internet-connected device,” said Prasad, corresponding author of the study and a Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science. “Our study demonstrates the feasibility of a highly accurate sensor to detect fentanyl within seconds.” 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Illegally made fentanyl is commonly mixed with other drugs, and an amount as small as 2 milligrams — equal to 10 to 15 grains of table salt — can be lethal. More than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. 

Research has determined fentanyl is detectable in urine for up to 72 hours. UT Dallas researchers are working to advance the technology to detect fentanyl in hair. Their ultimate aim is to develop a test to detect fentanyl in saliva. A saliva test could help first responders make treatment decisions for someone who has overdosed, Prasad said. 

The device contains an electrochemical sensor, which generates electrical signals based on chemical reactions. Developing a sensor to detect fentanyl posed a challenge, however, because the synthetic opioid is a nonvolatile compound, which means it does not produce an electrochemical signature. 

To capture fentanyl with an electrochemical sensor, researchers used a molecular cage-like structure they compared to a mousetrap. The trap consists of several substances, including gold nanoparticles. For the “cheese,” researchers had to get creative. 

Bioengineering researcher Dr. Anirban Paul, first author of the paper, used reverse engineering to find a solution. Paul, who moved from India to work with Prasad, decided to try using naloxone, a lifesaving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. The researchers conducted computational tests to understand how the compounds interact so they could determine how to deploy naloxone to draw fentanyl to it like a magnet. 

“Naloxone is used to decrease the power of fentanyl,” Paul said. “I had the idea to use naloxone to capture fentanyl, like cheese to catch a mouse.” 

Researchers tested urine from a lab that was spiked with low, medium, and high levels of fentanyl. The urine is dropped onto a test strip. If the drug is present, the naloxone interacts with it and generates a signal. The device detected fentanyl up to 100 parts per million in spiked urine samples. 

Imagine running late for a flight, only to be flagged by a facial recognition (FR) system at the airport. You’ve done nothing wrong, but the system mistook you for someone else who isn’t allowed to fly. Unfortunately, by the time everything is sorted, you’ve missed the plane.   

FR systems are increasingly showing up in airports, stadiums, at borders and more. Their rapid expansion is increasing the need for ethically-sourced synthetic datasets that improve how FR algorithms recognize race and gender and mitigate the model performing better for specific demographics than others. 

At SMU’s Intelligent Systems and Bias Examination Lab (ISaBEL), researcher Corey Clark and his team are generating facial image datasets from text descriptions with the university’s NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD, a high-performance computing platform specifically designed for AI.  

ISaBEL was founded as a partnership between the foremost commercial developers of AI systems and the leading scientists, faculty, and students at SMU. The lab’s goal is to understand and mitigate bias in AI systems using the latest research, standards, and other peer-reviewed scientific studies. Pangiam, a global leader in artificial intelligence, is ISaBEL’s first industry partner. 

Clark and his group are currently producing datasets containing millions of facial images that include underrepresented racial groups. This methodology gives FR systems a greater chance of being more fair and accurately balanced. 

“There are constraints in trying to create a real-world based dataset to train any artificial intelligence model,” said Clark, assistant professor of computer science in the Lyle School of Engineering and deputy director for research at SMU Guildhall. “To ethically source it you must solve challenges like consent, fairness, and legal compliance. Synthetic data, generated by the SuperPOD, removes those obstacles.” 

Existing FR technology has struggled to match the same face with different angles and poses. Using an existing stable diffusion model (an open-source AI algorithm that anyone can use), the SMU researchers have generated large, diverse datasets with pose variations. 

Their customization of the stable diffusion model is unique due to the sheer magnitude of images created – millions so far – and the special tuning of the model to specifically process facial recognition.  

“Facial recognition is here and not going away,” Clark said. “The demand for these larger training datasets is crucial for improving FR systems so they provide equitable results. Through our methodology and use of the of the SuperPOD, we’re generating datasets not previously easy to obtain, and doing so quickly and ethically.” 

In 2021, SMU announced its collaboration with NVIDIA, a trailblazer in the field of accelerated computing, through the University’s acquisition of an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD, which expanded SMU’s supercomputer memory capacity and led to a 25-fold increase in the speed and efficiency of AI and machine learning.  

Clark stressed that the massive number of images created for their datasets would not be possible without the SuperPOD, and its capabilities will have a significant role to play in further FR development. Moving forward, Clark and his team plan to create one of the largest balanced facial recognition data sets for research use. 

By addressing fairness and bias issues found in FR technology, Clark and his colleagues also plan to create a bias certification process that could evaluate existing companies’ AI and be used to develop future models specified to need. 

Deepwater divers who monitor and maintain underwater transmission lines and cables for offshore wind turbines face hazards such as subfreezing temperatures, low visibility, jellyfish and sharks. 

A new project at The University of Texas at Dallas’ Wind Energy Center, known as UTD Wind, is designed to make the divers’ jobs safer through the development of remote-monitoring technology for offshore wind farms. 

The $500,000, one-year project is part of a $2.7 million federal initiative funded through the Ocean Energy Safety Institute, a consortium of industry, national labs, nonprofits and academic institutions, including UT Dallas, to support the development of critical safety and environmental improvements for offshore energy activities, including traditional and renewable energy.  

The project, which began in March 2024, expands UTD Wind research into a new area focusing on safety. Researchers will develop digital twins, or virtual models, to simulate wind turbines and algorithms to extract information about failures from simulation data. 

“We’re focusing on something very important: safety. In every industry, you want zero accidents,” said Dr. Mario Rotea, professor of mechanical engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and principal investigator. “We’re working to develop technology to reduce human exposure to hazardous conditions in the ocean environment.” 

Working with Rotea are co-principal investigators Dr. Todd Griffith, professor of mechanical engineering, and Dr. Jie Zhang, associate professor of mechanical engineering. The UTD researchers are working with collaborators from NEC Laboratories America and Texas A&M University. 

There are two types of offshore wind turbines: fixed platform and floating platform. Fixed platform turbines are built closer to the coast in more shallow water, while floating platform turbines can be miles from the coast, with cables and mooring lines connected to a seabed more than 100 feet below sea level. The power transmission lines connect to a transmission center, which transfers power to the electrical grid. The water can be as deep as 200 feet. Fixed and floating wind turbine platforms pose risks to personnel and vessels that are not seen at wind power projects on land, Rotea said. 

“If we can use technology to provide early warnings and prevent a diver from having to inspect an underwater cable, that would be excellent,” said Rotea, who is also the director of UTD Wind. 

The researchers’ goal is to place sensors in accessible locations to detect damage and transmit early alarms about any problems. The technology will provide information about the conditions and improve safety for offshore wind energy personnel if they need to intervene, Rotea said. 

The project also will provide research opportunities for students. Student interest in wind technology has grown at UTD, which is home to a Wind Energy Club and a Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, funded by the National Science Foundation, that focuses on wind energy systems. UTD Wind recently received $1.6 million through the Consolidated Appropriations Act to establish a central headquarters for its growing wind energy research programs. 

In 2023, wind energy represented nearly 29% of energy generation in Texas, which has more wind turbines — 15,300 — than any state in the country, according to the state comptroller’s office. 

Globally, nearly 800 million people don’t have access to electricity, and more than 2.6 billion people, largely in sub-Saharan Africa, rely on fuel like biomass, kerosene, or coal for cooking, the International Energy Agency reports. 

Energy poverty and economic poverty often go hand in hand. Limited access to energy can mean children don’t have adequate lighting to do homework at night, which may hinder their education and subsequent employment opportunities. It may contribute to unhealthy living conditions and health issues like malnourishment caused by not having enough cooking fuel. 

The Ralph Lowe Energy Institute at the TCU Neeley School of Business aims to equip its students to become leaders in the energy field and fight the global energy crisis. 

“We’re in the midst of a critical transition in one of the largest commodity markets in the world — and talking about how this affects access to energy,” said Ann Bluntzer, the institute’s previous director who developed the Energy MBA program and now sits on the institute’s board of advisors. “We will need more energy, all types: fossil fuels, renewables, nuclear and hopefully new technologies that haven’t been invented yet in order to move to a clean energy future.” 

The answer may lie in a hybrid model of legacy and renewable energy sources, according to Bluntzer.  

“For some highly populated countries like India, look at how many people are still burning wood for basic needs like cooking food or providing heat,” she said. “In India, going 100 percent renewable would take a long time.” 

A mix of options might improve energy access for nearly 1 billion people, providing a route to being able to power a laptop or refrigerate food. 

The institute’s curriculum expanded to address energy poverty, climate and other broad topics, and the school added a second certificate focused on sustainability and environmental and social governance (ESG). 

Bluntzer and Mike Slattery, chair of environmental sciences in the College of Science & Engineering and now acting director of the institute, worked together on an Energy MBA curriculum that includes courses on energy poverty and on how energy companies are transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainable and renewable energy. 

The duo agreed on the importance of adding undergraduate classes on renewables and climate. 

“When you look at energy consumption, delivery and production, you really can’t ignore energy poverty because access to energy is not equally distributed around the globe,” Slattery said. “Students are surprised when first exposed to these statistics … but they’re also ready to make a difference.” 

Students aren’t just learning about energy poverty on a global scale but also closer to home. 

While most Americans have access to electricity, one-third of U.S. households, about 37 million, experience energy poverty, Nature Energy reported in 2020. Research also shows that low-income households — those with annual income of $24,998 or less — spend up to three times more of their income on energy as households that make up to $90,000 annually, and many have had to forgo food and medicine to pay utility bills. 

Hoping to establish a better understanding of these situations, TCU is preparing students through the Energy Innovation Case Competition. Teams from universities across the nation have a few hours to propose innovative solutions to an oil and gas industry problem, applying theory to real global situations. 

The goal is to “give students an opportunity to tackle a problem that energy companies are currently facing,” said Le’Ann Callihan ’90, vice president of Fort Worth-based AAPL/NAPE, an oil and gas industry professional alliance that co-sponsors the competition with TCU. “Many companies are increasing their efforts in the environmental and social governance realm and finding solutions to energy poverty is a part of that responsibility.” 

Gamebird populations, including quail, are sharply declining across the United States. Texas has been hit especially hard, with the population of native bobwhite quail plummeting by 80% since 1967. The sharp decrease has tipped the balance of Texas’ ecosystem and eradicated a multi-million-dollar quail-hunting industry in the state.  

Gamebird Research at East Texas A&M: A Beacon of Hope 

The Quail Research Laboratory at East Texas A&M University (formerly known as Texas A&M University-Commerce) is tackling this crisis head-on. Led by Dr. Kelly Reyna, founding director, the nationally renowned program uncovers sustainable solutions for quail populations through innovative research, education and collaboration. While current research focuses on all four U.S. quail species, Reyna also plans to address species like pheasant, grouse and waterfowl with the development of a new research center.  

Thanks to a generous donation from alumnus Ted Lyon and his wife, Donna Lyon, construction has begun on a new gamebird research complex at East Texas A&M. The 35-acre Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research is scheduled to open by spring 2026. The facility will expand the university’s gamebird research program, including a state-of-the-art quail research and production center, a wetland research pavilion, nature trails and classrooms. A key feature, the interactive Quail Encounter, will offer visitors the chance to hold, feed and interact with quail—providing a hands-on way to connect with nature. 

At the inaugural Lyon Center Luncheon in April, Chancellor John Sharp of The Texas A&M University System predicted that the facility would soon be the leading gamebird research center in the United States. 

The Importance of Gamebirds 

Gamebirds are crucial to the economy and the ecology of Texas, so bringing them back—and keeping them—is a priority for the state.  

“Gamebirds are the foundation of a multi-billion-dollar hunting industry,” Reyna said. “But their habitat also plays a vital role in filtering our air, cleaning our water, recharging aquifers and sequestering carbon.” 

Reyna dubs quail “the canary of the prairie.” “If you hear quail in the spring, your ecosystem is properly functioning. But if the quail are silent, their absence is telling you something is wrong,” he said.  

Uncovering the Causes of Quail Decline  

Understanding why quail populations are declining is crucial to reversing the trend, and East Texas A&M is at the forefront of this effort. The university’s Quail Research Station program spans millions of acres across the United States. Partnering with ranchers nationwide, researchers are compiling large-scale research stations (>100,000 acres each) of contiguous quail habitat to discover causes for their decline. In the lab, they have successfully mapped quail chick development, recreating field conditions and applications to pinpoint threats to survival. 

Several key factors have been identified as contributing to quail decline. These include habitat loss due to human encroachment, extreme weather events, and agricultural practices like overgrazing and pesticide use. In particular, the Texas beef industry has created competition for grass, leaving quail without adequate nesting cover and protection from predators.  

“Quail need a habitat greater than 18 inches tall, and thousands of acres of it,” said Reyna. “This allows them to hide from predators and spread their genes across the landscape to non-relatives.” 

Finding Sustainable Solutions

The East Texas A&M gamebird research team has employed a comprehensive strategy to repopulate Texas with quail, including habitat conservation and translocation efforts. 

One important solution involves the profitable integration of agriculture and gamebird management. Researchers are working with ranchers to implement Grazing for Bobwhites, a program that involves rotational cattle grazing on a schedule that complements the bobwhite quail’s life cycle. The initiative reduces overgrazing and maintains quail habitat during critical life stages, like nesting and brooding.  

In addition, the Super Quail Project will soon launch at the new Lyon Center for Gamebird Research. This initiative aims to produce a pen-reared bobwhite quail that possesses wild-type predator avoidance behavior and is more resilient to harsh environments like drought. The Super Quail Production Facility is under construction as Phase I of the center. 

A Future of Sustainable Gamebird Populations 

The Lyon Center for Gamebird Research at East Texas A&M is developing solutions for sustainable gamebird populations while training the next generation of gamebird professionals. By fostering large-scale habitat, integrating agriculture with gamebird management, and leading efforts in gamebird restoration, the Lyon Center is paving the way to restore quail and other gamebird populations across Texas and the United States.  

Learn more at tamuc.edu/LyonCenter. 

University of Texas at Dallas researchers who adapted vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to improve the effectiveness of physical rehabilitation after a stroke have been recognized by the journal Molecular Medicine for their fundamental discoveries that have led to ongoing advances in clinical care. The vagus nerve travels up the neck from the chest and abdomen, regulating processes like digestion, heart rate, and respiratory rate. In VNS, a small, implanted device used electrical impulses, synchronized with physical rehabilitation, to accelerate changes to the brain.  

The journal’s Anthony Cerami Award in Translational Medicine was awarded to Dr. Michael Kilgard, the Margaret Fonde Jonsson Professor of neuroscience in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences; Dr. Robert Rennaker, professor of neuroscience and the Texas Instruments Distinguished Chair in Bioengineering; and Dr. Seth Hays, associate professor of bioengineering, Fellow and Eugene McDermott Professor in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.  

More than a decade ago, Kilgard, Rennaker and Hays conceived a therapy involving VNS to rewire circuits in the brain. Scientists have since been refining the technique to treat a variety of disorders, including stroke. A pivotal double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial published in 2021 in The Lancet showed that pairing VNS with rehabilitation exercises in patients with arm and hand weakness after stroke led to improvements that were two to three times greater than the control group receiving rehabilitation alone.  

In August 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved the rehabilitation system for chronic ischemic stroke survivors, making it the first such treatment of its kind. Time magazine selected the MicroTransponder Vivistim Paired VNS System, which utilizes the method conceived at UT Dallas, as one of its 200 Best Inventions of 2023. 

“Many things we produce in our research are promissory notes: ‘In the future, this is going to work great,’” Kilgard said. “This award is validation from the community of scientists in the nonpharmacologic treatment space that this technology has come through.”  

New research published in the August 2023 issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation demonstrated that the gains produced through one year of stroke rehabilitation using the UT Dallas team’s method of paired VNS upper-limb therapy were not only maintained, but also improved in years two and three. The investigators concluded that long-term VNS therapy integrated into a home exercise program was safe, well-tolerated and resulted in substantial improvements in arm and hand function of chronic stroke survivors. 

“There are few easy problems to solve when it comes to neuroscience,” Kilgard said. “UT Dallas has been working on this for a long time, and it’s very gratifying that it’s continuing to work — not just during the sessions in clinic, but also in the years after people take this technology home. 

“We still want to see if we can do even better, but right now, the idea that you can continue to make additional gains over a period of years — not just keep the gains but make additional gains — is exciting and unprecedented. Typically, people decline after a stroke; at best, patients stabilize. Seeing them get better is the best-case scenario,” he said. 

Ongoing studies are evaluating the use of VNS to treat patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and spinal cord injury. 

“There are no other treatments for people who have chronic stroke impairments, but we’re not in it for one shot and done,” Kilgard said. “We’re creating a platform from which multiple issues can be treated. This is a story that keeps telling itself, keeps adding more progress. To me, this is a wonderful example of how our ideas can end up helping people, and that’s something we should be proud of.” 

UNT is constructing a Science and Technology Building to support its growing research enterprise. 

To support its historic growth as a Carnegie-ranked Tier One public research university, the University of North Texas is constructing a multidisciplinary research building on its Denton campus set to be completed in late 2026. 

The 111,000-square-foot UNT Science and Technology Building, at the southwest corner of West Mulberry Street and Avenue C, is designed by SmithGroup and being constructed by Skanska. It will fulfill an expanding need for more modern facilities that support collaborative and interdisciplinary research while creating experiential learning opportunities for students. The project is possible thanks to $103.4 million in tuition revenue bonds authorized by the 87th Texas Legislature in 2021.  

“This building has been a dream for many of us at UNT for a while,” says Pamela Padilla, UNT’s vice president for research and innovation. “As we continue our rise as a Tier One research university, we’re excited to see how facilities like this one will open up new opportunities for technological innovation to drive our economy and bring about impactful research that will make a difference in our society.” 

UNT has experienced unprecedented growth for its research enterprise in recent years. In fiscal year 2024, UNT had over $124 million in total research expenditures of which $49.3 million are federal and private funds for research. The growth builds on an impressive fiscal year 2023, when researchers garnered a record high total of sponsored project awards with more than $86 million in funding from top national agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. National Institutes of Health and U.S. National Science Foundation.  

UNT’s research initiatives also drew investment from the state. In 2023, Texas lawmakers approved more than $3 billion in a new research endowment, the Texas University Fund (TUF), for emerging research institutions across the state, including UNT. The investment from the state will deliver more than $20 million in additional annual research funding to UNT.  

Through these investments, UNT researchers are advancing fields critical to growing the U.S. economy like semiconductors and additive manufacturing, supporting future space exploration through more resilient equipment for extreme environments and helping solve pressing environmental and health issues in the state and beyond. 

This growth underscores the demand for increased facilities dedicated to research on campus. UNT already is updating existing spaces, including improvements to the university’s three greenhouse complexes — two on the main campus and one at UNT’s Discovery Park. A $14 million renovation inside its Science Research Building has transformed the building’s second floor into a more collaborative space for researchers with open-concept laboratories, research support spaces, faculty offices, workspaces for graduate students and collaborative meeting rooms. UNT’s Materials Research Facility already offers a suite of powerful analytical instruments used for true 3D characterization and processing, and with support from TUF, it will significantly enhance its electron microscopy capabilities over the next year. 

The new Science and Technology Building will offer more space for expanding research areas such as biomedical engineering, physics, biology, chemistry, data science and computer science and engineering. Building components will include flexible wet and dry open computational laboratories; support lab spaces; core facilities to enhance research capacity and data analysis capabilities; clinical research labs; research offices and workstations and collaborative meeting spaces to support interdisciplinary research initiatives.  

“To solve really challenging questions that society faces or to develop new technologies, it takes people from different areas and different fields,” Padilla says. “If you put them together in the same building in the same space, which universities are set up to be able to do, you are more likely to have much more creativity come out and more projects that wouldn’t have been envisioned otherwise.” 

Construction of the new Texas Behavioral Health Center at UT Southwestern, the first state mental health hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is on schedule for its adult wing to be completed by late summer 2025 and its pediatric wing by early 2026.

Depending on the timing of state funds appropriated for its operations, the hospital could start treating adult patients as early as December 2025, said Hicham Ibrahim, M.D., associate vice president and chief medical officer of Ambulatory Services at UT Southwestern Medical Center. 

UT Southwestern has partnered with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to design and construct the facility as part of the state’s comprehensive plan to expand inpatient psychiatric beds. The project brings together the expertise of both organizations, along with community stakeholders, to create an enhanced mental health system for the region. 

UT Southwestern and HHSC hosted a groundbreaking for the hospital in December 2022. The facility will have 292 beds – 200 reserved for adults and 92 for pediatric patients. It’s located at the corner of Medical District Drive and Harry Hines Boulevard near Zale Lipshy Pavilion – William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, Children’s Medical Center Dallas and Parkland Memorial Hospital. 

The closest state mental health hospital is currently in Terrell, more than 30 miles east of Dallas. 

“In addition to providing much-needed access to inpatient care for those suffering from serious mental illness, this new hospital will provide an opportunity to develop innovative models of care and in parallel provide a training ground for the full spectrum of health care professionals needed for a comprehensive mental health workforce,” said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, President of UT Southwestern. 

Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature approved $282.5 million in 2021 for construction and design of the adult wing of the psychiatric hospital. Children’s Health generously donated $261 million to support the added construction of a pediatric wing, where UT Southwestern pediatricians will exclusively treat children and adolescent patients. Without this donation from Children’s Health, this new hospital would have no pediatric beds. In 2023, the Legislature approved an additional $102 million to complete construction. 

“With one in three children in Texas experiencing a mental health disorder each year, the construction of the pediatric wing and development of appropriate mental health services are critical for the well-being of the children of our community,” said Chris Durovich, President and CEO of Children’s Health. “This collaboration with UT Southwestern and HHSC is an important partnership in our work to address the rising pediatric mental health epidemic.” 

Since 2017, the Legislature and Gov. Abbott have appropriated more than $2.5 billion in funding for the replacement, renovation or expansion of state hospitals in Dallas, Amarillo, Austin, El Paso, Harlingen, Houston, Kerrville, Lubbock, Rusk, San Antonio, Terrell and Wichita Falls. Replacement facilities for the Austin State Hospital and San Antonio State Hospital opened in early 2024, with a total of 540 inpatient psychiatric beds. 

“Texas is making an unprecedented investment in helping people with serious mental illness,” HHSC Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young said at the groundbreaking for the Dallas hospital. “Throughout the state, we are expanding, renovating and rebuilding our state psychiatric hospital system from the ground up. When complete, this much-needed hospital will offer hope, healing and recovery for the most vulnerable Texans living in the surrounding metroplex.”

Over 3.3 million people in Texas – more than three times the population of Austin – had a mental health condition as of 2021, and 796,000 had a serious mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Of the 314,000 Texans ages 12-17 who suffered from depression, 65% received no treatment in the previous year, NAMI said. According to the same report, 3,930 Texans’ lives were lost to suicide and 756,000 adults had thoughts of suicide. 

To promote the health and healing of patients, the new hospital will include abundant natural lighting, several landscaped outdoor courtyards and an open-air balcony with tables. Dr. Ibrahim, also a UTSW Professor of Psychiatry, said a broad community engagement campaign was key to the facility’s design process. The design team sought input from patients, families, behavioral health providers and other community stakeholders and, from there, began creating a hospital with private patient rooms and bathrooms, as well as ample access to daylight and nature. 

Dr. Ibrahim said the Texas Behavioral Health Center at UT Southwestern will provide several high-quality clinical programs that will be innovations in the state hospital system. The two most unique elements are a Medical/Psychiatric Unit , also known as a Complexity Intervention Unit , designed to deliver optimum hospital care to patients who have concomitant medical and psychiatric needs; and a Partial Hospitalization Program for individuals stepping down from inpatient care but still needing intensive, sustained support and therapy.  

For more information about state hospital construction projects throughout Texas, visit the Changes to Texas State Hospitals page on the HHSC website. 

UNT faculty and students bring parks, trees to an underserved Lewisville neighborhood. 

From a young age, Jose Marines knew he wanted to make the world a better place. When UNT introduced its undergraduate urban policy and planning degree program in 2019, Marines was among the first to enroll.  

“I’ve been interested in urban planning for a long time,” Marines said. “I always knew I wanted to improve public spaces.” 

 As a research assistant for UNT’s Advanced Environmental Research Institute (AERI), Marines had the opportunity to fulfill that calling. He worked on a team of AERI researchers — including faculty and other students in Public Administration and Geography and the Environment — to help plan and develop a new park for the city of Lewisville, which officially opened in summer 2024. 

It’s one of many ways AERI research has brought environmental solutions to communities. The interdisciplinary research institute unites faculty, staff, and students from across the university to work together on projects focused on mitigating environmental problems ranging from air and water quality to urban planning, public health, and conservation biology. Ongoing research for the institute has helped promote healthy watersheds in Texas, educated about sustainable water use, and supported biodiversity conservation both in the region and abroad through efforts to restore native prairies and advance the understanding of bird species and pollinators. 

 AERI has long worked with the city on the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area, a nature preserve that serves as a living lab for environmental research and offers educational opportunities to the public. At a 2020 meeting, AERI faculty and city leadership discussed a new collaboration that would help Lewisville’s desire to improve access to greenspace and infrastructure for its residents. Plans to build a park in the high-density Triangle neighborhood quickly took shape.  

Marines conducted walkability studies and environmental monitoring — research that became his passion. Marines also helped a team of other students host community engagement events in Lewisville to gather direct input from residents on possible improvements to city parks and trails.  

“I was excited by the opportunity to provide baseline data on environmental conditions and look at how it progressed,” Marines said. “Looking at real change and tracking environmental health was interesting to me.” 

The 2.85-acre Parque la Gloria, or Glory Park, in Lewisville’s Triangle neighborhood, which previously had limited access to greenspace, includes a playground and open play space, fitness equipment, shade structures and benches, free Wi-Fi, and an onsite food market. 

Impressed by AERI’s thoughtful expertise, Lewisville city leadership invited AERI faculty and students to collaborate on the city’s Explore More Lewisville Healthy Infrastructure Plan adopted in 2023. The master plan has won awards from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the Texas chapter of the American Planning Association, and the Texas Recreation and Park Society. 

For City Manager Claire Powell, the Explore More Lewisville plan is a way to show residents that they matter.  

“Neighborhoods that don’t have healthy infrastructure can experience poor health outcomes and greater poverty levels,” Powell said. “Adding greenspaces like Glory Park — this jewel right in the middle of the community — can lift everyone up.” 

Using the same environmental monitoring practices that were implemented for Glory Park, the plan includes an equity index to improve infrastructure in areas of the city that need it most. The index was developed by AERI with citizen-led committees to identify areas with a history of underinvestment that could be enhanced by planting trees, adding new sidewalks, and more.   

Marines’ commitment to helping others has only begun. He now works for Lewisville’s parks and recreation department while pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at UNT.  

“Urban planners are problem solvers. We look at situations and see how we can do better,” Marines said. “UNT gave me the tools to take on these problems.” 

When Dallas County launched a major public COVID-19 vaccination site at Fair Park in 2021, thousands of people a day were inoculated against the virus. However, some residents living just two blocks away from the site could not register for the vaccine because they lacked the required internet access. 

According to a five-year research project led by SMU civil engineer Barbara Minsker, the area around Fair Park is one of 62 Dallas infrastructure deserts, highly deficient in the  assets – like internet availability – that create a safe, livable and economically viable neighborhood.  

A new National Science Foundation (NSF) grant will help Minsker and other researchers learn more about life in an infrastructure desert from those who know best – the residents. 

“We’re trying to understand how infrastructure affects well-being in neighborhoods,” says Minsker, a nationally recognized expert in environmental and infrastructure systems analysis. “By gathering data from residents about how they use infrastructure and how it impacts their everyday lives, we can better predict how they’ll be affected by changes to that infrastructure.” 

The NSF Smart and Connected Community planning grant will enable researchers to design a smart toolkit that combines crowd-sourced data and ideas, machine learning, social and infrastructure network analysis, agent-based modeling, and community-engaged infrastructure decision making to improve neighborhood equity and well-being. 

“Driving through Dallas, you see people with wheelchairs or moms pushing strollers in the street because sidewalks are not available,” Minsker said. “In low-income areas, it’s very common to see a busy road running right through the middle of a neighborhood. Historically, residents didn’t have the political power to fight it.” 

Toolkit researchers will rely on Minsker’s ongoing work creating interactive reports  that help explain the extent of the neighborhood disparities experienced in these infrastructure deserts.  

Minsker and her team have rated nearly 800 Dallas city neighborhoods on the condition of their streets, sidewalks, internet access, crosswalks, noise walls, street tree canopy, public transportation access, hospital or medical service access, bike and pedestrian trails, community gathering places and food access. Each neighborhood was rated excellent, good, moderate, deficient or highly deficient. 

Much of the data used in the mapping was publicly available, but other data was generated by machine learning using aerial images to detect crosswalks and the assessment of Google Street View images to identify noise walls. Undergraduate and graduate researchers used technology such as drones, smart phone applications and artificial intelligence to gather data. They also used feet-on-the-ground methods such as observations from their car windows and brainstorming sessions with community leaders to define the concept of infrastructure deserts. 

The NSF grant-funded toolkit  will give residents a new way to share feedback about the infrastructure in their neighborhoods with researchers through cellphone apps and cellphone data that shows how residents navigate their neighborhoods. Researchers also plan to interview residents and mine data from minutes of past community meetings. 

“We want to learn from residents about all the places that are unsafe and how it is affecting their lives,” Minsker says. “These are the stories that will help guide infrastructure investments.” 

The City of Dallas already relies on Minsker’s infrastructure research. In January, 2023, the City Council unanimously approved and amended the City of Dallas Economic Development Policy and approved a new Economic Development Incentive Policy – both of which cite Minsker’s studies. 

“We are already seeing influence in the City of Dallas policy, which is very exciting,” Minsker says.  

Additionally, several other City of Dallas department directors have indicated to Minsker that they would be interested in partnering on proposals that may lead to various streams of funding to address these urban infrastructure deserts. Nonprofits have also used the information provided by the study to understand how they can better allocate their efforts and resources. 

“Often infrastructure funding is used for major investments, like freeways or airports,” Minsker says. “These studies demonstrate the importance of funding for smaller scale infrastructure at the neighborhood level.”