Cong. Cuellar Joins TAMIU to Announce New NSF, DE Grants Totaling $3.5 Million
Grants totaling $3.5 million that target scientific research and increasing the number and quality of well-prepared Hispanic students completing Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) undergraduate degrees were announced Monday at TAMIU by Congressman Henry Cuellar and University president Dr. Pablo Arenaz.
Dr. Arenaz said both grants support visionary work that can advance students and their futures.
“We are truly appreciative of the leadership and partnership provided by Congressman Cuellar in helping secure these. We know that our students have tremendous capacity to succeed in all fields, and especially STEM fields. These grants provide them with innovative research and lab training opportunities and also provide them with support activities and resources that can help them to earn their degrees and drive a brighter future for them, our community, state and country,” Dr. Arenaz said.
Congressman Cuellar concurred, noting the importance of encouraging the participation and success of Hispanics in all fields, including the dynamic STEM area.
“This funding will create critical opportunities for Hispanic students in STEM and work to increase student wellness and retention at TAMIU,” said Congressman Cuellar, a senior member on the House Appropriations Committee, “The research opportunities and programs are extremely valuable to our students' professional and educational development. Giving every student a chance to succeed and grow is one of my top priorities and I am excited to see what these young people accomplish.”
The first grant, for $500,902 over three years, is from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its Building Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology (BRC-BIO) Grant, and is awarded to principal investigator Dr. Ruvini U. Pathirana, TAMIU assistant professor of Microbiology in the College of Arts and Sciences, department of Biology and Chemistry.
Dr. Pathirana’s research is focused on select fungi in which positively charged molecules modify the shape of cells from oval to elongated shapes. The research has the potential to help identify drug targets that control human and plant disease-causing fungal growth. The grant also provides TAMIU students a rare opportunity to be involved in training in biochemistry, bioinformatics, genetics and molecular microbiology, further broadening the diversity and inclusivity of the students’ TAMIU experience and the STEM workforce.
The second grant, for $2.9 million over an anticipated five-year period, is from the U.S. Department of Education’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program. It was awarded to principal investigator Dr. Alfredo Ramírez, Jr., interim director and superintendent of TAMIU’s Julieta & Frank Staggs Academy of International and STEM Studies.
The grant supports a Title V initiative, the TAMIU Advanced Recovery and Data Analysis (ARDA) program. ARDA targets providing a supportive learning environment that meets students’ holistic needs. The research is centered on enhanced data analysis at the classroom, institutional and programmatic levels, narrowing in on student success metrics like enrollment, retention and graduation rates. The program’s activities and goals focus on student wellness, retention and degree completion through transformational development, technology and expanded strategic STEM outreach.
For additional information, contact the University’s Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu, click on tamiu.edu, or call 956.326.2180.
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