UNT Research Magazine 2016

UNT RESEARCH

VOL. 25 | 2016 KNOWLEDGE. RESEARCH. INNOVAT ION.

R E S E A R C H . U N T. E D U

THE ART OF

INNOVATION

PAGE 20

WATER RESEARCH PAGE 12

LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS PAGE 30

BIOBASED INNOVATION PAGE 36

INSTITUTES OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE AERI features a thriving interdisciplinary research team exploring fascinating questions about our environment and uses basic and applied research to find solutions to the complex problems that we face. The team conducts ongoing research in a wide array of areas related to local, regional, national and international environmental problems.

940-369-5555 | AERI@unt.edu | 1155 Union Circle #310559, Denton, Texas 76203-5017

ADVANCED MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING PROCESSES INSTITUTE AMMPI brings together a diverse group of faculty members who are focused on structural materials, functional materials, computational tools and advanced manufacturing processes. The strength of the institute’s members lies in designing high-performance materials for the aerospace, automotive and energy sectors.

940-565-2316 | AMMPI@unt.edu | UNT Discovery Park, 3940 N. Elm St. #E132, Denton, Texas 76207-7102

BIODISCOVERY INSTITUTE BDI delivers research solutions to underpin the utilization of plants, forest products and other biomass for production of biopolymers, new bio-based materials for construction and transportation, biofuels and bioactive small molecules with applications in both agriculture and health care.

940-565-2491 | BDI@unt.edu | 1155 Union Circle #305220, Denton, Texas 76203-5017

JIM MCNATT INSTITUTE FOR LOGISTICS RESEARCH The institute research team provides the capability to develop effective solutions to complex problems confronting public and private organizations. Specialties include business logistics, economics, information technology, transportation and operations research.

940-565-2367 | LSI@unt.edu | 1155 Union Circle #311396, Denton, Texas 76203-5017

RE SE A RC H . U N T. E DU

TABLE OF CONTENTS 12 | WATER RESEARCH

30 | LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS

36 | BIOBASED INNOVATION

Scientists predict Texas could face one of its worst water crises in a few decades — and researchers in the Advanced Environmental Research Institute are ready to help.

Experts at UNT are among the nation’s leading resources for collaborating on innovative logistics systems to help companies — and consumers — save time and money.

UNT researchers explore using biotechnology to create everything from construction and transportation materials to cosmetics and fabrics.

20 | THE ART OF INNOVATION

The idea — Art of Innovation — embraces da Vinci’s principles of the “complete mind,” expressing the importance of engaging the left and right sides of the brain while stressing that connectivity across disciplines brings greater results. Intertwining disciplines to embrace discovery and innovative thought isn’t a new concept at the University of North Texas. It is part of the university’s DNA, going back 125 years.

16 | GLOBAL RESEARCH Students trace Darwin’s Path in a course that blends environmental philosophy and biology with the study of art and culture.

40 | FACULTY PROFILE Meet Costas Tsatsoulis, the dean of UNT’s College of Engineering — one of the fastest-growing colleges that is quickly emerging as a pacesetter.

DEPARTMENTS

2.. . . . V I C E P R E S I D E N T ’ S L E T T E R 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N E W S B R I E F S 18.. . . . . S T U D E N T R E S E A R C H E R S 34.. . . . . . . A L U M N I R E S E A R C H E R S

RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | UNT RESEARCH

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RESEARCH OFFICE Vice President for Research and Economic Development Tom McCoy Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development David Schultz Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development Michael Rondelli

URCM Vice President for University Relations, Communications and Marketing Deborah Leliaert

PATH TO PROMINENCE

A

t UNT, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our university and find ways to meaningfully impact the world around us. We’re strengthening our research culture by investing in our people, programs and spaces, building on 125 years of excellence.

Most recently, UNT has been named a top-tier research university. This recognition was granted to UNT in accordance with the 2015 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education™. UNT is classified as an R1 Doctoral University with the highest research activity. We are one of only 115 institutions nationwide — only 81 public universities — in this highest Carnegie tier (see page 4).

For us, achieving status as a top-tier university is an important milestone, but it is not mission accomplished, it’s mission ready. We have a vision to be recognized around the world for our research and education, and our new ranking gives us more momentum to forge ahead.

“Tier One” universities attract top students and faculty, drive innovation through high-level research and scholarship, and positively impact the region's economy through deployment of intellectual capital — graduates to technology.

Increased investments in programs and research at UNT are fostering an environment of innovation and creativity. This is nothing new to UNT. This university has long embraced “creativity”, and is leading the STEAM movement in equally valuing and investing in arts and science. We believe this is the best way to drive innovation. Read more about this in our cover story beginning on page 20.

Tom McCoy Vice President for Research and Economic Development tom.mccoy@unt.edu

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UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | VICE PRESIDENT’S LETTER | 2016

Associate Vice President for University Relations, Communications and Marketing Kelley Reese

FOR

MORE

Editors Julie Elliott Payne Randena Hulstrand Matthew Zabel Designers Nola Kemp Sean Zeigler Photographers Michael Clements Ahna Hubnik David Minton Gary Payne Angilee Wilkerson Writers Monique Bird Ernestine Bousquet Jessica DeLeón Nancy Kolsti Leslie Minton Adrienne Nettles Courtney Taylor Margarita Venegas Online Communications Brian Kucharski Stephen McMinn Catherine Parkinson Project Traffic Erica Blount Donald Wilson

INFORMATION

UNT Research is published for the Office of the Vice Presi­ dent for Research and Economic Development by the Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing, University of North Texas. The research office can be reached at 1155 Union Circle #310979, Denton, Texas 76203-5017, 940-369-7487.

Articles may be reprinted in their entirety with acknowledgment unless they are published in UNT Research by permission of another source. Requests for photographs or illustrations should be addressed to the editors at URCM, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311070, Denton, Texas 76203-5017, 940-565-2108.

The University of North Texas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, political affiliation, disability, marital status, ancestry, genetic information, citizenship, or veteran status in its application and admission process, educational programs and activities, employment policies and use of university facilities. Direct questions or concerns to the equal opportunity office, 940-565-2759, or the dean of students, 940-565-2648. TTY access is available at 940-369-8652.

AA/EOE/ADA The UNT System and the University of North Texas are the owners of all of their trademarks, service marks, trade names, slogans, graphic images and photography and they may not be used without permission. © 2016 UNT

URCM 02/16 (16-338)

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING Technology has disrupted “traditional” manufacturing for nearly two decades. Today, robots, automated factories and 3D printing are changing the way manufacturers do business. These same technologies and processes also are influencing today’s materials. UNT's Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Processes Institute (AMMPI) is at the forefront and is leading the discovery of next-generation materials from aviation to biomedical materials.

NEWS BRIEFS

RANKED AMONG NATION’S TOP-TIER UNIVERSITIES LATEST CARNEGIE CLASSIFICATION RANKS UNT AMONG THE NATION’S TOP 115 RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES

UNT is now ranked among the nation’s 115 top-tier research universities, according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education™.

This marks a key milestone in UNT’s

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KNOWLEDGE. RESEARCH. INNOVATION.

commitment toward national prominence, UNT President Neal Smatresk says.

“We moved up in the Carnegie classifications by staying true to our roots as an institution focused on creativity as expressed through our research, scholarship and educational activities,” Smatresk says.

“All along, we’ve paid attention to what matters most, providing our students a great education and helping to build tomorrow’s workforce and the next generation of global scholars.”

UNT officials noted that the latest Carnegie rankings give strong consideration to UNT’s impact as a broad-based research institution that awards a large number of doctoral degrees each year. UNT consis-

UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | NEWS BRIEFS | 2016

UNT is focused on innovative, high-impact research to address scientific, environmental and societal problems.

tently ranks among Texas’ top universities for the number of doctoral degrees it awards annually.

Tom McCoy, UNT’s vice president for research and economic development, says the ranking is a result of UNT’s comprehensive focus on its level of research activity and helping doctoral students succeed.

“UNT’s official Carnegie Classification as a Doctoral University: Highest Research Activity (R1) matters for many reasons,” McCoy says. “Tier One universities attract top students and faculty, drive innovation and technology through high-level research and scholarship, and contribute significantly to the region and state through intellectual capital and economic development.”

LEADING CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH UNT RECOGNIZED AS A LEADER IN VOIP SECURITY

UNT’s Center for Information and Computer Security is a hub for interdisciplinary programs and research from business, criminal justice and engineering that focuses on network security and human behavior in relation to cybersecurity.

IMPROVING MUSICIANS’ HEALTH TEXAS CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS HEALTH OFFERS RESEARCH, EDUCATION ABOUT THE FIELD

UNT’s College of Music’s Texas Center for Music and Medicine, a team of musicians, music educators, clinicians and researchers, is collaborating with the UNT Health Science Center to become the Texas Center for Performing Arts Health. The center will be a premier destination for excellence in performing arts injury prevention, care, research and education. The expansion responds to a

PRESERVING WEST AFRICA’S HERITAGE

Ram Dantu, professor of computer science and engineering and director of the center, has emerged a leader for innovative research using smartphone technology, Voice over Internet Protocol security and cybersecurity to help people and organizations effectively and safely store information. National Science Foundation Director France A. Córdova recently noted in a speech at the Texas Research Summit that Dantu’s research in VoIP security is an example of how cybersecurity research like his has led to products, services, startups and innovative solutions in the marketplace.

Dantu’s work through the center also was instrumental in the National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security designating UNT as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research in 2015.

And since January, he has played an integral role in expanding the center’s facilities to UNT’s New College at Frisco, an off-site instructional facility where undergraduate and graduate courses in cybersecurity will be offered. Faculty in computer science and criminal justice also are working together on cutting-edge research in a new forensics laboratory.

Drums can do more than just provide a beat. For the Anlo-Ewe people in Ghana, West Africa, they can tell stories, cure diseases, promote fertility and summon spirits. College of Music Professor of Percussion Gideon Alorwoyie received a grant to study and record their traditional ritual drum language to help develop a better understanding of the music, also known as Brekete, and to preserve its history. Alorwoyie, who is from Anlo-Afiadenyigba in the Volta Region of Ghana, also is a high priest of the Yewe religion and a chief master drummer. He says that having these designations gives him the connections needed to conduct his research about the drumming language.

“Each drum has its own language — the way it’s played determines its story,” he says. “I want to figure out what the drums say and what’s behind the stories — what’s in the drummers’ heads. I want to put it all together.”

statewide mandate that all fine arts teachers at the middle and high school levels teach students health and safety related to their craft.

“The Texas Education Agency now requires all public school band, choir and orchestra directors to instruct student musicians about hearing, vocal and musculoskeletal health,” says Kris Chesky, co-director of the center. “This state-wide educational mandate is the first of its type in the nation and will help all musicians understand and avoid these problems.”

The center combines the skills of physicians, engineers, speech pathologists, audiologists and psychologists. Research at the center already has led to advancements in hearing loss and musculoskeletal injury prevention, and faculty plan to continue to expand their scope.

“We have big goals for the North Texas

region as a performing arts community — expanded clinical resources, screening protocols, training opportunities for clinicians, therapists, biomedical engineers, and public health professionals just to name a few,” says Sajid Surve, co-director and physician from the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth.

Learn more about the Texas Center for Performing Arts Health at tcpah.unt.edu.

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LEARNING WHAT VETERANS NEED

DEVELOPING CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS Yan Wan, associate professor of electrical engineering, conducts innovative research using cyber-physical system technology that could help industries and emergency management agencies save lives. Wan, who has researched Wi-Fi capable drones for disaster recovery missions, received a National Science Foundation 2015 Early Career Development (CAREER) award, a prestigious honor for junior faculty members who demonstrate outstanding research, education, and the integration of education and research within their organizations.

As part of the award, the foundation is providing funding support for Wan’s research over the next five years. She will develop an innovative theoretical framework for cyberphysical systems, which enable airborne networking, using direct flight-to-flight communication for flexible information sharing, safe maneuvering and coordination of time-critical missions.

Her research also contributes to safer airspace by equipping unmanned aerial vehicles with low-latency communication and situational awareness capabilities.

Wan’s research findings have broad applications to include smart power grids, smart transportation systems and smart health systems.

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Military veterans who deny or minimize their distressing thoughts, experiences and emotions are more likely to show symptoms of depression and anxiety, UNT researchers found. But emotional support from family members reduces the negative impacts of these conditions.

The research team, led by Shelley Riggs, associate professor of psychology, recommended that more outreach to veterans’ families — including couples counseling — is warranted.

The team surveyed 165 veterans who were enrolled in a university. Most had served either in Iraq or Afghanistan.

In addition to being asked about PostTraumatic Stress Disorder and other psychological symptoms, the student veterans responded to questions about their academic, emotional, personal and social adjustment to college, coping styles, social support and romantic relationship functioning, as well as their sense of being connected to their universities.

The team found that those avoidant coping strategies appear to interfere with veterans’ successful adaption and psycho­ logical functioning in a university setting.

UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | NEWS BRIEFS | 2016

RECOGNIZED FOR GAME PROGRAMMING PROFESSOR AND LAB DIRECTOR RECOGNIZED BY ASSOCIATION FOR COMPUTING MACHINERY

Ian Parberry, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering was named the 2015 Association for Computing Machinery distinguished scientist.

The association draws distinguished members from leading academic institutions, as well as corporate and national research laboratories around the world. Distinguished members must have 15 years of professional experience and have significant accomplishments or impact within the computing field.

Parberry directs UNT’s Laboratory for Recreational Computing and leads a research group in computer and video game development.

He is one of 49 educators, scientists and engineers from several countries to receive the award. The 2015 distinguished members include experts in curriculum design, systems design and architecture, critical systems security, internet structure and security, high performance computing, humancomputer interaction, programming languages, mobile and wireless networks, database management and software engineering.

EVALUATING SPECIES: GULF OIL SPILL IMPACTS THREE BIOLOGISTS ARE STUDYING HOW EXPOSURE TO OIL AFFECTS THE EARLY LIFE OF FISH

Biology researchers Aaron Roberts, Warren Burggren and Dane Crossley (pictured, left to right) are studying the impact of oil on the cardiovascular function in different fish species from the Gulf of Mexico with the help of a $2.7 million grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.

Awarded in January 2015, the grant supports their research over three years.

Crossley is evaluating how juvenile fish thrive and recover after oil exposure, and whether the physical stresses of living in a spill environment affect the ability of those fish to swim, eat and reproduce.

“This research will help future scientists better understand the impact on fish and respond to oil spills, whether they occur in the Gulf of Mexico or elsewhere in the world’s oceans,” Crossley says.

Burggren is examining the cardiovascular impact of exposure to components of oil in the early life stages of mahimahi and red drum.

“When oil spills happen, there are almost always biological consequences,

but the deleterious effects on embryonic and larval forms of life may not be apparent in a stroll along the beach,” Burggren says. “We hope to learn more about the long-term biological effects of oils on these species so that responders and researchers will be better prepared for future spills.”

Roberts is studying the chemical breakdown, toxicology and interactions of sunlight and oil in the upper column of the Gulf, where many embryos of various species live.

“Natural conditions such as UV light in combination with oil results in negative effects at lower concentrations than we might normally expect,” he says.

“This type of work will help translate laboratory-based research into assessments of real-world effects.”

UNT RESEARCH

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CREATING FIELD TOOLS — AIR QUALITY TO CRIME SCENES MOBILE DEVICE CAN HELP SCIENTISTS MONITOR AIR QUALITY OR HELP AUTHORITIES BETTER PROCESS CRIME SCENES

Environmental scientists and crime investigators now can more readily collect data on the spot, in real time.

Guido Verbeck (pictured below, and center at right), an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has created yet another real-world solution: mobile mass spectrometers that support chemical analysis in the field. Whether mounted in an electric hybrid car or carried as a backpack, the equipment can be used to more readily — and accurately — check air quality and provide a list of chemicals in the air.

“We are creating portable mass spectrometers that can be fitted onto vehicles for environmental research or transported for use at crime scenes,” says Verbeck, who also collaborates with researchers at Cardiff University’s School of Bioscience, UT Southwestern and the University of

Liverpool. “This helps scientists and researchers collect data on the spot in real time, eliminating the need to revisit the site. Portable mass spectrometers will also be cheaper, making them available to scientific fields that have limited budgets.”

In December 2015, Verbeck and a group of his students traveled to UNT’s sub-Antarctic field station in Chile. The group brought along a 40-pound mobile mass spectrometer that allowed them to take air and water samples throughout the region — the first-ever recorded data

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UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | NEWS BRIEFS | 2016

set. The data is important because the areas tested have not yet been impacted by humans. Industry, mainly tourism and energy, is expected to begin moving into the area over the next several years. Verbeck’s readings, tagged with GPS, provide a baseline for future researchers to revisit the area and evaluate industry affects.

Verbeck has created and patented modified parts for mass spectrometers for private companies like Inficon and 1st Detect. He also patented his nanomanipulator in 2012.

SAVING THE WORLD’S RIVERS

HELPI N G MI N ORI TY S CIE NTI S TS SUCCEED

HOLISTIC HYDROPOWER PLANNING REQUIRED TO BALANCE BIODIVERSITY AND DEVELOPMENT

David Hoeinghaus, an assistant professor of biology at UNT, is part of an international team of researchers calling attention to the possible consequences of rapid hydropower expansion in the Earth’s most biodiverse rivers — the Amazon, Congo and Mekong.

The three rivers hold about one-third of the world’s freshwater fish species, many of which are found nowhere else but their respective river basins. While the rivers have existing hydropower dams in place to create electricity, more than 450 additional dams are planned or already are under construction.

Hydroelectric dam projects can address important energy needs, but planners often greatly overestimate the economic benefits and underestimate the far-reaching impacts on biodiversity and the ecosystem.

“Our article calls for a holistic perspective on the cumulative impacts across the watershed and the critical consideration of dam siting — not just for maximizing hydropower potential but also for balancing environmental impacts,” Hoeinghaus says.

PROMOTING FEMALE ENGINEERS REGENTS PROFESSOR NAMED A DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR

Nandika D’Souza, Regents Professor of mechanical and energy engineering and associate dean of undergraduate studies in UNT's College of Engineering, has been named the 2015 Society of Women Engineers Distinguished Engineering Educator. The award is presented to educators who make significant contributions to the engineering field.

“The Society of Women Engineers has enabled students and professional engineers to develop the needed leadership skills to complement their educational excellence,” says D’Souza, who advises the student organization at UNT. “Ensuring academic excellence and personal confidence in diverse populations can change the demographics of our leaders.”

D’Souza has worked with undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of failure analysis, viscoelasticity and material reliability. She is a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers for her contributions to the field of polymers, composites, fibers, films and coatings.

Her teaching and research focuses on mechanics and materials and how best to incorporate them reliably in design. Her recent work includes studies on microelectronic packaging, biomedical surgical mesh, the creation of plant-based building materials and plant-based carbon fiber.

Pamela Padilla, associate professor of biology at UNT, was elected to the board of directors for the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science.

The society supports Chicano/Hispanic and Native American scientists — from college students to professionals — as they attain advanced degrees, careers and positions of leadership in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.

The society serves nearly 20,000 members with more than 100 chapters at colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

“I am proud and honored to be part of the SACNAS organization that assists thousands of individuals from across the country reach their academic and career goals,” Padilla says. “It is my goal to work with UNT students by encouraging and facilitating their participation in this important STEM organization.”

Padilla uses model systems to understand how living organisms at the cellular, genetic and molecular level respond to environmental stressors such as oxygen deprivation and high sugar diets.

Both of these stresses are very relevant to human conditions such as heart problems, diabetes and obesity. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health as well as the National Science Foundation.

UNT RESEARCH

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RESURRECTING THE HEATH HEN

LINKING FLU TO CHRONIC INSOMNIA UNT researchers have found that the influenza vaccine may be less effective in otherwise healthy people who suffer from chronic insomnia. About 15 percent of adults in the U.S. suffer from the condition.

Daniel Taylor, professor of psychology and director of UNT’s Insomnia Research Laboratory, and Kimberly Kelly, associate professor of psychology, and psychoneuroimmunology researcher, tracked college students before and after they received the influenza vaccine for the 2011 and 2012 flu seasons. All the students in the study were determined to be healthy. Half had clinically diagnosed chronic insomnia, which Taylor defines as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep several nights a week for at least three months.

They found that students with chronic insomnia had lower amounts of flu antibodies before and after the immunization.

After controlling for age, gender, body mass index, nicotine and alcohol use, insomnia significantly predicted worse overall antibody response. The study results suggest that people suffering from insomnia may be more vulnerable to infection. Their findings are important to understanding influenza risk in people who are less healthy and also have insomnia. A grant from the National Institutes of Health funded the research.

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The heath hen, which was an important food source for early settlers along the east coast, is now the subject of a genomic study backed by the organization Revive & Restore. The study could be a first step in the resurrection of the extinct species.

Roughly the size of a domestic chicken and known for its elaborate stomping courtship dance, the heath hen was last seen in the spring of 1932 in Martha’s Vineyard. Jeff Johnson, associate professor of biology and the project coordinator, is working with more than a dozen scientists to revive the species and reintroduce it.

The process would involve the use of gene editing technology, known as CRISPR-Cas9, to exchange unique genomic regions between the extinct health hen and its closest living relative, creating offspring more similar to the heath hen. Johnson’s research on the heath hen, scientifically known as Tympanuchus cupido, is due to recent advances in biotechnology and genetic engineering that allow scientists to imagine what it would be like to bring a species back from extinction. Learn more at longnow.org/revive.

UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | NEWS BRIEFS | 2016

COLLABORATING ON 3D MANUFACTURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING IS BRINGING ARTISTS, SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS TOGETHER

UNT engineering students are preparing to solve many of today’s problems through hands-on learning in labs.

Students work with some of the most modern equipment in the country.

Costas Tsatsoulis, dean of the UNT College of Engineering, says today’s students need to be on the cutting edge of adaptive manufacturing, or three-dimensional printing.

While 3D printers are relatively expensive today, Tsatsoulis says, they may cost only $300 to $400 in the near future.

“We will all have them in our homes — maybe in three years for some, five years for most of us,” he says. “Imagine if we could be our own artist — if we could make our own jewelry or a dog chew toy at home.

Adaptive manufacturing will revolutionize everything in our society.”

Engineers, scientists, social scientists and artists must all work together, he says.

“Design is as important as functionality,” he says. “If engineers can work with artists who have no pre-conceived notions about the manufacturing process, we can come up with new ways to design and manufacture objects.”

MARILYN WILEY Dean of the College of Business

INNOVATING BUSINESS UNT’s College of Business is home to nationally recognized programs, including logistics and supply chain management, accounting and its top-quality M.B.A. UNT is innovating how we do business — and creating opportunities for students to have real-world experiences. · Logistics and supply chain program ranked 3rd in the nation by Software Advice and 6th in North America by Gartner Inc. · Online M.B.A. program ranked 15th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is a Top 25 by The Princeton Review and a Top 15 Best Buy by GetEducated.com. · Accounting program ranked among the nation’s top 50 by Public Accounting Report.

cob.unt.edu

WATER RESEARCH

WATER: IS THE WORST YET TO COME? Scientists predict Texas could face its worst water crises in a few decades — and researchers in the Advanced Environmental Research Institute want to help get the state prepared BY: JESSICA DELEÓN

I

t’s 2045 and water is scarce. It begins with a few restrictions. People cannot water their lawns or wash their cars.

Then it becomes worse. People have to store water in their homes. Municipalities must spend more money for reservoirs.

At its most dire, governments will have to distribute water. Dust storms will become a regular occurrence. Some species will become extinct.

This is not the latest apocalyptic movie.

It’s a very real possibility for Texas.

Why? Scientists predict that the nation will experience a “megadrought,” and Texas faces a series of circumstances — including a rapidly growing population and its location in the South — that may lead it to one of the greatest water crises ever. Texas already plans for a repeat of the drought of record, the worst drought in the past 100 years. How would Texas respond to a megadrought?

“Similar to recent droughts we’ve seen, reservoirs would start to dry up, people would have to really conserve water, aquifers would start to struggle and there would be a strong push to find alternative water

supplies,” says Robert Mace, deputy executive administrator of water science and conservation for the Texas Water Development Board.

WORST CASE SCENARIO

Texas’ population is expected to skyrocket from 28 million to 54 million people by 2050, with eight of the nation’s 15 fastest growing cities located in Texas.

Seventeen different climate change models predict that the 2040s or 2050s will see a megadrought in the Southwest and Plains that will last a decade or longer.

Texas falls in the center of those hot spots. And the state wants to get prepared now. In 2013, the state legislature set up a fund that would allow local governments to borrow money for water infrastructure projects over the course of 50 years. The fund, which was approved by voters as the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, could allow the state to loan up to $27 billion to pay for reservoirs and conservation efforts.

“Water will become one of our most treasured commodities,” says Sam Atkinson,

UNT RESEARCH

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“Water will become one of our most treasured commodities.”

— Sam Atkinson, Director of AERI

INDUSTRY SECTOR: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING SERVICES DFW

Texas

U.S.

Employment

6,150

29,003

435,864

Output

$ 730M

$ 3.4B

$ 41.4B

Employee Compensation

$ 447M

$ 2.1B

$ 24.8B

Proprietor Income

$ 143M

$ 675.5M

$ 6.6B

Compiled by Michael C. Carroll, director of the Economics Research Group at UNT

Regents Professor of biology and director “Texas has faced significant drought of the Advanced Environmental Research conditions for several years, and with Institute (AERI) at the University of more than 1,000 people moving to TexNorth Texas. as every day, there is a growing need for new water sources,” says Mark Ellison of BUSINESS SOLUTIONS IDE Americas, who previously served as Businesses also are thinking ahead to manager of strategic water initiatives for find innovative solutions in their use of Gov. Rick Perry. water. Major manufacturers are looking “For decades, IDE has partnered with at zero discharge manufacturing. Pla- customers and adapted to their specific no-based Frito Lay, for example, is a global needs to solve water problems worldwide. leader in sustainable water use and compa- Now with a continued drought in Texnies such as Alcoa are trying to reuse water as, there is an even greater demand and through constructed wetlands. These com- growth potential for water treatment solupanies aren’t alone in looking for solutions. tions. Research and development of prod-

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UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | WATER RESEARCH | 2016

ucts and solutions are critical to protecting our water as an important resource.”

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

AERI is at the forefront in examining water issues such as megadroughts and other water crises brought on by extreme weather and climate changes. Its researchers are creating solutions that have won international prizes, and they are working with public and private partners to maximize the benefit of a $9 billion water business in Texas.

AERI is exploring research questions to help guide cities and counties on how they can best prepare for a future that may involve extreme water shortages.

Researchers are beginning to use metrics, including studying the source of water per capita consumption, water restrictions, infrastructure and how the sewer and water systems are linked to understand how to best prepare for our future water environment.

“We are working through the challenges and want to help Texas solve this issue in the wisest ways possible,” Atkinson says.

UNT’s long legacy in water studies and reputation as a leader in supporting water conservation and restoration projects makes it a prime partner to help.

“UNT is among the forefront of institutions focused on water sustainability

JOSH LIPTON Division vice president for environment and natural resources for Abt Associates

Courtesy Abt Associates

issues, including both water development and conservation challenges facing our state and region,” says Brian Trusty, executive director of Audubon Texas.

“That kind of expertise in partnership with industry, communities and investors is no longer an option, it’s crucial if we are to prepare for the future,” Trusty says.

GLOBAL SOLUTIONS

The problem is not unique to Texas.

Issues of water shortage and drought are worldwide. In fact, as it stands now, onesixth of the human population does not have reliable access to decent food.

An international team led by UNT’s Miguel F. Acevedo, Regents Professor of electrical engineering and researcher in AERI, is working to solve water shortage problems with sustainable solutions such as conditioning brackish groundwater for irrigation and drinking that can be used by farmers without damaging soil.

Acevedo’s team created an international award-winning desalination system for brackish groundwater that is completely off the grid and powered by solar and wind energy.

“Water is essential for life on Earth,” Acevedo says. “If we have no water, we have no life.”

INDUSTRY EXPERT Q&A Josh Lipton, Abt Associates

The Advanced Environmental Research Institute (AERI) has partnered with one of the top global business leaders in innovation — Abt Associates, a global leader in cutting-​ edge research and program implementation in the fields of environment, health, social policy, and international development. Josh Lipton, the division vice president for environment and natural resources who also serves on AERI’s advisory board, talked about the partnership.

WHAT ARE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ABT IS FACING? Some of the environmental issues we are tackling include: developing a better understanding of the effects of toxicants and other anthropogenic stressors on organisms, ecosystems, and ecological processes; assessing environmental vulnerabilities and adaptation to climate change; developing new methods for successful ecological restoration; and evaluating water quantity-quality interactions and optimal water use planning.

HAVE UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS BEEN BENEFICIAL TO ABT? University/academic partnerships are an important part of Abt Associates’ work.

Partnerships enable us to broaden our research scope and impact, provide access to academic experts and student technicians, and undertake high-quality, multidisciplinary research targeted at many of the world’s most pressing problems.

WHAT ARE SOME SOLUTIONS UNT HAS HELPED ABT WITH? We have been working collaboratively with UNT on issues and cutting-edge solutions in the environmental sciences for the past five years. One example is our collaboration on creating solutions related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This has been highly successful, resulting in high-quality research outcomes that will help make a difference in the environment.

IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU BELIEVE DRIVES INNOVATION IN SCIENCE? I have always been drawn to multidisciplinary analyses that enable us to draw connections. The ability to work collaboratively across disciplines plays an important role in both theoretical and applied environmental research.

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GLOBAL RESEARCH

RETRACING DARWIN’S FOOTSTEPS

BY: MATTHEW ZABEL

Cape Horn, on Chile’s southern tip, features some of the most diverse and plentiful biological systems in the world.

Its pristine landscape invites the same type of exploration, discovery, thought and innovation that inspired naturalist and geologist Charles Darwin.

Since 2006, students from UNT and various other U.S. and South American universities have participated in Tracing Darwin’s Path, a study abroad program in the UNESCO Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve that blends environmental philos-

BY: RICARDO ROZZI

ophy and biology with the study of art and culture. The Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation Program at UNT, the Universidad de Magallanes and the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity in Chile coordinate this interdisciplinary program.

“In conducting ecological research to address the effects of global climate change, it’s critical to involve ethics issues,” says Ricardo Rozzi, a UNT philosophy professor and the director of the scientific committee of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve. “This cannot be done by philoso-

phers in their offices. It must be done by people in the field.

“We believe, like Pascal and others believed, that the meaning of life cannot be understood with only scientific reasoning. It needs the presence of feelings and affection.”

In the field, students have direct encounters with birds and freshwater invertebrates under the lead of UNT biology professors Jaime Jimenez and James Kennedy. This is just one more innovative experience that can be found at UNT.

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STUDENT RESEARCHERS WASTE NOTHING

PRESERVING BEES Jessica Beckham, who recently defended her dissertation for an environmental science doctorate, collects bumblebees and studies how to mitigate the impact of urban sprawl on the insects’ declining populations in Texas. As part of her research, she also observes how urban green spaces such as parks and community gardens can preserve these important pollinators, which are a key link in our food chain. Tomatoes, chili peppers and blueberries are a few of the many crops that rely on bumblebees for pollination. Bumblebees also are important pollinators for several wildflower species, such as sunflowers, that grow to become food sources for birds and small mammals.

Beckham has spent years researching Texas bumblebee populations and tracking their decline. She hopes her research will help communities create open spaces that both serve as a habitat for the declining insects and counteract the effect of urban sprawl.

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Some may view a pile of plastic containers as recycling waste or even trash, but Nonso Chetuya sees opportunities for new materials and products. A senior in UNT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, he began researching how waste can improve performance and extend the life of materials during his freshman year. For one project, he used fly ash and furnace slag to increase the mechanical and chemical properties of concrete. In the process, he found that not only did the new concrete mix decrease crack propagation, but it also would also be a cheaper option for builders and consumers. He also has incorporated fillers into polypropylenes, and created a polymer coating for semiconductors that can withstand high temperatures for extended periods of time.

UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | STUDENT RESEARCHERS | 2016

SIEMENS HONORS Colleen Dai, Shoshana Zhang and Amber Lu, (above, from left) are students in UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, and earned scholarships as regional finalists in the 2015 Siemens Competition, the nation’s leading original research competition in math, science and technology for high school-aged students.

For her research, Lu used matrices to model hypergraphs, which are complex versions of normal graphs. The work has applications in social networking integrated circuits and neurological modeling. Dai and Zhang conducted research in computational and organic chemistry research with chemistry professor Bill Acree to find alternatives to common carcinogenic and toxic substances used in industrial settings. By identifying alternatives for industrial use, the duo hopes their research can positively impact human and environmental health.

NASA AWARD

REPORTING CRIME Lisa Mercer, a December 2015 graduate of the College of Visual Arts and Design with a Master of Fine Arts in design research, created the smartphone app Operation Compass to help truck drivers report incidents of human trafficking. Her innovative app that allows truckers to submit tips anonymously, auto-populates the time, date and location and features an auto-record feature so that truck drivers can submit tips easily and efficiently. Since earning her degree, Mercer’s research continues to evolve to ensure the app can be used for the general public to submit tips of human trafficking. Operation Compass has partnered with the Dallas-based nonprofit organization Mosaic Family Services, a social services advocate for victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking. Mosaic will follow up on the incidents submitted through the app specific to the North Texas region. The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play. In January, she presented her app research as the keynote speaker to the Unfrozen Design Research Winter Summit hosted by the Swiss Design Research Network symposium in Brienz, Switzerland.

In June, she also will present her research at the Design Research Society International Conference in Brighton, United Kingdom.

Maria Moreno, a senior computer engineering major, was intimidated when she first enrolled at UNT because she was one of only a few female Latino students in her engineering classes. After leading a team of fellow students in a successful NASA design challenge this spring, she’s more confident in her ability to take on challenges and leadership roles. Her team designed a system that will make space feel more like home for astronauts to become one of four UNT teams to capture the Spring 2015 NASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge. As a result of their work, Moreno's team earned several awards, attended a dinner at Johnson Space Center in Houston, and even met Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise.

An engineering ambassador in the College of Engineering, Moreno will graduate in 2016. A native of Pachuca, Hidalgo, she hopes to work for a company that will allow her to use her engineering skills to help improve the quality of life for people in many third-world countries.

AMORPHOUS MATERIALS Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. candidate Jessica Rimsza is one of the Diamond awardees of the American Ceramic Society’s (ACerS) 2015 Graduate Excellence in Materials Science winners.

ACerS Basic Science Division sponsors the award as part of the annual Materials Science and Technology conference and ACerS Annual Meeting events each year.

The awards recognize the outstanding achievements of up to 10 graduate students in materials science and engineering and is open to all graduate students who are making an oral presentation in any symposium or session at the conference.

Other awarded students include graduate students from John Hopkins University, Pennsylvania State University and Purdue University. Rimsza works with Jincheng Du, associate professor of material science and engineering, to research the structure and properties of amorphous materials using computational methods.

She also is a recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

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ART MEETS SCIENCE “ Principles for the development of a complete mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses — especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”

— Leonardo da Vinci

THE ART OF

INNOVATION The idea — Art of Innovation — embraces da Vinci’s principles of the “complete mind,” expressing the importance of engaging the left and right sides of the brain while stressing that connectivity across disciplines brings greater results. And UNT has long been a place that eschews the left brain vs. right brain divide, knowing that the most powerful breakthroughs happen when disciplines converge.

BY: ERNESTINE BOUSQUET BY: MICHAEL CLEMENTS & DAVID MINTON

rom the assembly line that led to mass producing cars to more recent inventions like the microchip, the Internet or the biotechnology revolution, the U.S. has led innovation for decades. But in today’s ever — and even faster — changing marketplace, innovation across disciplines and industries is key to finding the next big breakthrough that propels society forward.

Today’s companies that embrace innovation are those that are not only surviving, they are thriving. Google, General Electric, Tesla and Apple, to name a few. They are leading in information technology, engineering, materials and transportation — because each is highly adept at embracing multidisciplinary thought to come up with the best — and most innovative — solutions for their business models.

Intertwining disciplines to embrace discovery and innovative thought isn’t a new concept at the University of North Texas. It is part of the university’s history, going back 125 years.

“The more we develop scholarly and individual thinking in all of the disciplines, the greater our nation will be in these realms of activity. We should not base our hopes on science alone; it is the means to an

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end. But social science, art, music and the humanities are equally important in solving the complex riddle of humanity’s future,” said UNT biologist J.K.G. Silvey in a 1959 speech.

INNOVATION: A NEW RENAISSANCE

In his more than 40 years at UNT, Silvey carved out a career as a scientist of the first order. Known around the world as a pioneer in the study of freshwater conditions, he held patents to improve the palatability of water and conducted some the institution’s earliest funded research in the 1930s. But something else drove Silvey — the humanities.

Silvey embraced “creative thought” and a “spirit of inquiry” as tools of his trade as much as he did beakers and microscopes.

Silvey believed that mankind’s future lay at the intersection of art and science, specifically he believed in an innovative culture of research and scholarship built on principles dating to the Renaissance times — a time when art and science were not viewed as opposite ends of a spectrum, but viewed as disciplines that informed each other.

It was an era of discovery when art and science were valued equally as forms of knowledge and exploration. Leonardo da Vinci — artist, engineer, inventor — best

embodied how art and science converge, and ultimately how that convergence leads to a greater understanding of the world.

Today, that concept of convergence is very much alive at UNT. This is evident with the launching of UNT’s collaborative Institutes of Research Excellence, the university’s investment in arts technology programming and in UNT’s leadership in the STEM to STEAM movement, in which art — alongside science, technology, engineering and math — are part of the innovation equation.

As a hub of creativity and innovation in all forms, UNT is championing the arts-meets-science approach to increase understanding and discovery. Faculty members are encouraging students to use art, science, technology and engineering in their general studies, projects, research and creative endeavors. Students at UNT are encouraged to develop new knowledge, create innovative solutions and shine a light on large amounts of data while bringing greater meaning to the world.

“The da Vinci model is not about left brain vs. right brain or art vs. science. It’s about engaging the whole brain and all the tools of exploration and discovery,” says Tom McCoy, vice president for research and economic development at UNT. “That’s

what we’re doing at UNT — breaking down the barriers of linear thinking and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations to push innovation and breakthroughs.”

INNOVATION: INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS

Creating opportunities for more collaborative, interdisciplinary work is a top priority, and university leaders are investing in spaces — labs, studios and classrooms — designed to spur the synergy between art and science. This includes an increasing focus on designing classes and programs that provide interesting intersections of disciplines.

The synergy in these recent endeavors stems from a creative spirit and a passion for independent thought that has been part of UNT’s DNA from its start. The school’s first course catalog in 1890 billed the school as a place where “students become independent thinkers and investigators.” Every generation of researchers and scholars at UNT since then has embraced this forward-looking mantra.

As a university with a strong foundation in the core arts and science programs and growing strengths in areas such as plant science, materials science and engi-

“ The da Vinci model is not about left brain vs. right brain or art vs. science.

It’s about engaging the whole brain and all of the tools of exploration and discovery. That’s what we’re doing at UNT.” — Tom McCoy, Vice President for Research and Economic Development

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GREGG WATTS Dean of the College of Visual Arts and Design

STEM TO STEAM: It’s not left brain OR right brain …

BY: GREG WATTS

Many of us are familiar with the educational focus on learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, commonly known as the STEM disciplines. This “movement” in education has helped parents and students to better understand the importance of market-ready skills.

Full ‘STEAM’ ahead More than a decade ago, state-supported initiatives at the Rhode Island School of Design pushed an ‘A’ into the STEM game.

The addition of Art(s) was not a self-serving move — it was a building of awareness. It recognized a shift toward an era of collaborative practice that would include creativity: STEAM. Read about Leonardo da Vinci or watch the great film Tim’s Vermeer and you can see that embracing ‘art’ into invention and innovation is not anything new — it’s simply a renewed appreciation.

A Google search for ‘STEM to STEAM’ produces 22,400,000 results in under a second.

It would appear then that there is a keen awareness of this proposition. How then does this shift to STEAM apply in the ‘real’ world?

For parents, businesses and educators there is a marvelous opportunity at hand: an opportunity to change, to adapt. Or to use the vernacular … innovate.

The application for this jazzy little phrase, ‘STEM to STEAM’ is important. A confluence of all areas of study has the potential breadth to spark a multitude of collaborations that can lead us to as yet indiscernible places. When

the sole inventor, researcher, artist is asked to collaborate and share pioneering investigations in an open-source environment, innovation will happen.

My experience As a studio artist myself who has dabbled in the mechanics of printmaking, and in-turn the use of photography, I have used facets of STEM to achieve and create artworks. Those artworks are better because I embraced and included the curiosity of others, from multiple disciplines.

Educators too must innovate. We exist within a globally competitive environment. CEO’s surveyed by The Conference Board for ‘The CEO Challenge’ recently stated that continuous innovation is THE business skill that is most sought after. Those of us in education have a responsibility to evolve our curriculum to provide an education that fashions ‘qualified applicants.’

Embracing STEAM The STEM to STEAM movement is being widely adopted by institutions, businesses and individuals. From the Dallas-area Boys & Girls Club adding ‘education’ to ‘recreation’

with programs that include music, to Sesame Street launching in-program segments that embrace the arts, we must encourage youth to create early and collaborate often — and not quit.

Everyone can apply creativity in their workplace. A textile weaver using engineering to enhance the fabric’s durability can certainly be as valuable as an engineer using art to imagine a helicopter’s rotor blade. Neither is better. AND together they may spot something entirely ‘new.’ Innovation through collaboration.

Left brain AND right brain If we aspire to be a society that maintains and grows our cultural assets, then we will concurrently meet today’s marketplace and employment challenges. Let’s celebrate the so-called differences — it’s not left brain OR right brain, it’s THE brain. Let’s put our brains to work, together. Incorporate opposing ideas … innovate … collaborate … and see what we can produce. No discovery or innovation is made without risk AND creativity.

Greg Watts is the dean of the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas.

neering, UNT makes room for artists, biologists, musicians, engineers and everything in between. A musically driven engineering student, for instance, chooses UNT because he or she can study both engineering and music in world-class programs. Faculty often form seemingly unexpected collaborations across disciplines in their research and scholarship.

This collaborative, interdisciplinary approach has fueled UNT’s rise. UNT now is ranked among the nation’s 115 top-tier research universities, according to the 2015 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education™. UNT moved to the top tier “by staying true to its roots as a place that embraces creativity as way to understand, discover and solve,” McCoy says.

“These top-tier universities have a leg up in creating innovative breakthroughs,” he says. “They attract top students and faculty and are able to drive innovation and technology through high-level research and scholarship while contributing significantly to the region and state through intellectual capital and economic development.”

INNOVATION: INSPIRED BY NATURE

Like many of UNT’s researchers, Zhenhai Xia, associate professor of material science and engineering, looks beyond his own discipline to find solutions. He considers the complexity of the natural world and turns to nature to better understand the nanomechanics of structured and functional composite materials.

The ability of the gecko to run across any surface — smooth or rough, clean or dirty, vertical or inverted — has long fascinated scientists. Now a team of researchers from the U.S. and China, led by Xia, have developed a micromanipulator, fabricated from polyester microfibers. Tiny wrinkled graphene thin layers are glued onto the ends of microfibers to mimic gecko foot hairs. The micromanipulator

can pick up microspheres from various substrates, move and release wherever required.

This UNT-led research was recently published in Nature Communications and could be used to create dry synthetic adhesives that would be strong and reusable.

The advanced adhesion technology could be used for applications such as bonding material in the biomedical field or electrical components.

“As scientists, we are working to solve big problems for society and industry,” Xia says. “Our goal is to make life easier across the board while helping protect the environment.”

“As scientists, we are working to solve big problems for society and industry.”

— Zhenhai Xia, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

INNOVATION: A BRIDGE

Bridging the gap between art and science is nothing new. In fact, art and science are more intertwined than ever before in this new digital age. UNT faculty members such as Ruth West and David Stout are visually showcasing big data, information and sound to develop new understandings of big ideas.

A noted interactive video-music performer, Stout coordinates one of UNT’s most dynamic programs: UNT’s Initiative for Advanced Research in Technology and the Arts (iARTA).

An internationally acclaimed program at UNT, iARTA embraces a variety of collaborations with artists, musicians, dancers, engineers, physicists and more to create a wide spectrum of software solutions, technical demonstrations and interdisciplinary art works that challenge ideation. iARTA brings diverse disciplines together to create compelling expressions: dancers wired with sensors perform an interactive concert; media artists incorporate robotics and surveillance hardware in a social context; musicians compose scores based on math equations; computerartists animate visual models from biological data.

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“ I am interested in the creations and breakthroughs in technology that can be found across such diverse disciplines.”

— Marco Buongiorno Nardelli, University Distinguished Research Professor of Physics and Chemistry

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“I have a dual focus here at UNT. In one instance, I am an active creative researcher, developing both performance and installation works that explore the dramatic potential of real-time audiovisual computational systems. And simultaneously, I have nurtured iARTA’s evolution into its present form as a nexus or network, where creative researchers, including both faculty and students, can share information, cocreate classroom experiences, projects and exhibitions. We are expanding these opportunities to include international exchange as well,” says Stout, a professor of composition studies in UNT’s College of Music.

University Distinguished Research Professor of physics and chemistry, Marco Buongiorno Nardelli is a collaborator with iARTA and one of its biggest advocates.

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“I am interested in the creations and breakthroughs in technology that can be found across such diverse disciplines,” says Buongiorno Nardelli, who also is a composer and uses data from his research as a component of his music. “Working with the ever-changing dynamics found at iARTA is challenging and rewarding.”

Ruth West, an associate professor in the colleges of Engineering, Information, and Visual Arts and Design, uses art to push the boundaries of science. Her work combines emerging technologies that can help scientists see problems from new perspectives through imagery and virtual experiences. The work led by West is being fully embraced by Corporate America with businesses looking to her to analyze and understand problems.

Most recently, she joined some of the nation’s most innovative thinkers at a con-

MICHAEL RONDELLI Associate Vice President in the Office of Research and Economic Development

“ To be stewards of the public’s trust, universities must find ways to ensure that new ideas, new solutions — music therapy to materials technology — find a way to market …”

— Michael Rondelli, Associate Vice President in the Office of Research and Economic Development

ference — Art and Science, Engineering and Medicine Frontier Collaborations: Ideation, Translation and Realization — sponsored by the National Academies of Science Keck Futures Initiative. She also was one of only 14 to present a “creative engagement,” an art-science exhibition.

West showcased her artwork ATLAS in Silico, an interactive installation that displays data from the Global Ocean Sampling Expedition with virtual reality, audio, graphics and full-body interaction. West was inspired to create the artwork when she saw a 50-foot-long glass wall with a massive computational cluster with one tiny sign that explained the Global Ocean Sampling Expedition and its impact.

“I thought, ‘Wow, that is just amazing that it is changing our understanding of life on earth,’” West says. “It would be

beautiful if you could see the data repre- “put the science behind the puzzle,” comsented and interact with it with your body puter science and engineering students so it wouldn't be locked in the computer.” worked on the programming. The graphics designers created the aesthetics.

INNOVATION: “For the game, we wanted to attract ENGINEERING, MEET ART a broad background of players,” she says.

To design more energy-efficient elec- “It’s not just for engineers. To keep players trical devices, the likely place to start is motivated, we needed to really concentrate with the electrical components. on aesthetics, the visual, the art.”

Gayatri Mehta, associate professor Untangled received the People’s Choice of electrical engineering, starts with a Award in the Games and Apps category of web-based computer game, created by the 2012 International Science and EngiUNT students in engineering and com- neering Visualization Challenge conductmunication design. The game, Untangled, ed by the National Science Foundation requires players to unlock a series of and Science. Mehta’s NSF-funded reblocks on a graph. search continues on the same scienceMehta’s students analyze how players meets-art axis. While the gamers solve the solve the puzzles and use the information game puzzles, the engineers analyze how to gather ideas on improving technology. they solved it. They look for the strategies The roles of artists and engineers were that help the players score higher. This inequally important. Electrical engineers formation is helping engineers design faster,

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“ New media involves combining two things together and making something new.”

— Liss LaFleur, Assistant Professor of New Media Art

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INNOVATION: more efficient low-energy devices. And all of this “arts meet technology” could lead to CREATING SOLUTIONS UNT’s researchers aren’t alone in the next generation chip designs for cell phones, medical devices and other their efforts. Taking the spark of an idea to make something from nothing is the electronics.

American way. Statistics show that from INNOVATION: 1948 to 2012 more than half of the total ART, MEET TECHNOLOGY increase in U.S. productivity growth — a All forms of art — visual and perfor- key driver of economic growth — came mance, music, dance, sculpture — often from innovation and technological change, are appreciated mostly on an aesthetic according to a White House fact sheet. level as a medium that uses visuals to Universities can — and should — lead express creativity, fuel imagination and innovation. It’s critical that public univerprovoke thought. Artists such as UNT’s sities like UNT provide programming for Martin Back and Liss LaFleur are taking students to explore their potential while that one step further. They are using tech- ensuring there is enough space for faculty nology to reinvent art, find new meanings to partner with industry leaders to grow in the world and spark critical thinking. the market, create solutions for society’s Back, a senior lecturer, and LaFleur, an biggest issues, and launch desired services assistant professor, are part of an emerging and products consumers can’t imagine new media art field that combines multiple lives without. This has never been clearer. disciplines with digital forms — mashups UNT is doing its part. UNT is entering such as software and hardware, video, into its own renaissance, and opening its sound, performance and sculpture. They doors further to interdisciplinary collaboare leading the way for UNT’s new media rative research — in all areas from the arts art program, transforming a classroom to the sciences and everything in between. into a hub for their students where collab“It’s imperative that we help students oration drives an even higher level discover and faculty innovate through of creativity. their interdisciplinary settings and work,” As artists, Back and LaFleur thrive says Michael Rondelli, UNT’s new associate on mixing up things. LaFleur is creating vice president for economic development. a performative reenvisioning of Surrealist “To be stewards of the public’s trust, uniartist Claude Cahun’s 1925 manuscript, versities must find new ways to ensure HEROINES. Back designs systems com- that new ideas, new solutions — music prising of custom software so they can therapy to materials technology — find a generate new material — whether it be way to market so that communities and video or sound. people who live in these dynamic commu“We’re not purists,” LaFleur says. nities thrive.

“Students who come to our program are “Universities like UNT are working to curious about multiple forms. New media do just that.” involves combining two things together and making something new.”

UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | THE INNOVATION ECONOMY | 2016

MICHAEL C. CARROLL Director of the Economics Research Group

THE INNOVATION ECONOMY

BY: MICHAEL C. CARROLL

Economic success depends on the ability to continually reinvent through a steady process of innovation.

Where is the future of our economy going?

networks within an organization — transforming “knowledge” into “innovation.”

The U.S. economy has seen significant change over the past few decades. Global competition and new production technology have displaced thousands of U.S. manufacturing workers. As a result, economic activity shifted away from large scale capital accumulation to a knowledge-based economy. Today, it is more about organizing leaner firms that deliver added value at every stage in a global supply process.

A firm’s shared values has a large influence on their innovation process. Corporate culture defines the firm. Apple’s emphasis on design and General Electric’s 1990s commitment to Six Sigma quality strategies are examples.

Top firms realize that knowledge can be harvested from a variety of sources. Successful project teams now include engineers, designers, market analysts, policy analysts and social scientists. Leading firms are consciously orchestrating employee interaction to be a conduit for the creation of innovative ideas.

Knowledge to innovation The pace of technological change has accelerated to a point where many product lifecycles are now measured in months not years. Successful firms demonstrate the ability to create new technology or apply existing technologies to new market segments. Economic success depends on a firm’s ability to continually reinvent itself through a steady process of innovation. In short, the knowledge economy has become an innovation economy.

Today, successful firms are those designed to quickly diffuse information through collaborative work teams and cooperative social

The Innovation Economy The same social dynamics that shape successful firms also shape regional economic systems.

Local economic activity is embedded in a region’s social fabric just as a corporate ethos is reflected in the individual decisions of the firm.

Only those regions that fully embrace and drive innovation will prosper in the current economy.

Innovation as a culture. Successful firms require a focus on innovation to survive and to thrive. Innovation is typically more prominent

in regions also rich in cultural amenities.

Creative industries and cultural offerings provide a synergy that underpins the formation of competitive corporate projects.

Private sector firms that are enriched by university research assets drive market change.

Universities in turn increase investment in research programs that benefit from the economic success. Interactions between industry and the academy drive increased opportunities for innovation.

Collaboration. Regional collaborations that bring together education and industry resources will help create an innovation economy. The region will enjoy the benefits of a pipeline of new talent and an ever-evolving sense of community. In an innovation economy, collaboration underpins the strategic formation of corporate and individual success stories. Collaboration and knowledge exchange is the seed of innovation and global economic advantage now depends on it.

The university’s economist, Michael C. Carroll is the director of the Economics Research Group at the University of North Texas and a professor of economics.

CREATING EFFECTIVE LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS Experts at UNT are among the nation’s leading creators of innovative logistics systems that help companies — and consumers — save time and money BY: MONIQUE BIRD

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North America and No. 1 in Texas. Roughly 80 percent of the north-south flows of freight between U.S. and Mexico come through the North Texas region, and much of that is married with product from the east and west coasts, says expert Terrance Pohlen, director of UNT’s Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research and the Center for Logistics Education and Research.

“DFW International Airport is a major player in our economy and allows us to plug and play in global trade with about $70-$80 billion worth of imports and exports,” he says. The question is how competing interests can optimize a vast network of airports, freight railway, pipelines and interstate highways to make DFW and Texas a global gateway for logistics.

“The problems of businesses and governments are different but intertwined,” adds Pohlen, who was recently named one of North Texas’ 500 most influential people

by D CEO magazine’s Dallas 500 edition.

“Companies come to us for unbiased experDFW AT THE CENTER tise in the ever-growing complex field of Much is at stake. The Dallas-Fort logistics, transportation and supply chain.”

Worth area is the No. 3 distribution hub in

es, everything in Texas is big. And Texas is a big business state. And transportation is a big piece of it.

With projections that freight transport in the state will increase to 3.8 billion tons by 2040, logistics impacts span the global marketplace to the local consumer. Data from the first-ever Texas Freight Mobility Plan, and supporting reports from the World Trade Organization, underscore the need for a blueprint to maximize Texas’ potential and global competitiveness.

“Transportation is a necessity of life, and our whole economic system depends on the ability to either move or move an object from point A to point B,” says Jeff Hathcock, principal transportation planner for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. “Goods movement is a major driving force in our economy, and with the future growth that is forecasted for our region and the state, it is critical to our continued economic success that we ensure adequate infrastructure for future growth.”

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LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS

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“ Companies come to us for unbiased expertise in the ever-growing complex field of logistics …”

— Terrence Pohlen, Director of UNT’s new Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research

WORKING LOGISTICS LAB A Global supply chains — and all the different ways you can move products — are incredibly complex because of the tremendous amount of data involved, experts say.

“In this technology-driven age, the consumer has access to more information; thus, they are more empowered,” says Brian Sauser, director of UNT’s Complex Logistics Systems Lab. “This is causing a greater demand on the supply chain.”

UNT’s logistics lab is helping to meet that demand. In the state-of-the-art lab, researchers use interactive simulation and 3-D modeling software to test theories and to use big data to drive decisionmaking for companies like BNSF, Greyhound, PepsiCo, Lockheed Martin and First Group of Scotland.

“We believe in a North American approach to the harmonization of freight regulations and policies, addressing barriers to free trade and complex compliance challenges and streamlined cross border transactions,” says Tiffany Melvin, president of Dallasbased North American Strategy for Competitiveness.

INDUSTRY EXPERT Q&A Jim Corrigan, Trinity Logistics Group

Faculty researchers with the Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research at UNT are among the most knowledgeable logistics systems experts in the nation. Jim Corrigan, president of Trinity Logistics Group, spoke about his company’s partnership with UNT and how industry collaborations are exposing students to realistic challenges while helping industry leaders find innovative solutions.

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WHAT BIG TRENDS ARE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY LEADERS TRACKING?

HOW DO YOU SEE THESE TRENDS PLAYING OUT IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA?

Several trends are labor shortage, fuel costs, and business intelligence. The truck driver population continues to age and shrink as fewer young people join this career. The driver shortage will limit growth. Fuel costs are lower due to lower oil prices and more efficient newer trucks. The role of business intelligence continues to grow. Today’s customer expects optimal solutions and a high degree of near real-time visibility of material flow through the supply chain.

Supply chain leaders continue to migrate both company headquarters and production to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Logistics and transportation companies have new opportunities to partner with these customers.

UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | LOGISTICS SYSTEMS | 2016

HOW ARE CHANGES IN THE LOGISTICS FIELD IMPACTING CONSUMERS? Suppliers are paying more attention to shipment miles and modes, and how that impacts overall costs, even if inventory costs increase. Consumers may even notice product packaging that is more “shippable” rather than “marketable.” The emphasis on reducing ship-

“UNT is one of the country’s leading resources for helping companies meet this objective,” Melvyn says.

One of the features that make the UNT logistics program so successful is the faculty engagement, says Jim Corrigan, president of Trinity Logistics Group, the logistics arm of Trinity Industries supporting the supply chains of Trinity’s many manufacturing businesses.

“Not only does the faculty have expertise in the field, but more importantly, they are genuinely invested in the success of the program and the success of their students,” Corrigan says. “The program also spends a great deal of effort in collaborating with the logistics industry to both expose students to realistic challenges as well as to provide the talent the industry needs.”

LOGISTICS: IT'S PERSONAL

Logistics and supply change management is everywhere, impacting every facet of business — and now it could be improving the quality of health care. One of UNT’s newest collaborations is with the UNT Health Science Center in Fort

Worth and Johns Hopkins University on a grant proposal for National Institutes of Health and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The goal of this collaboration is to use production and operations simulations to create cost benefit analysis based upon determining the impact that changing resources — specialized health professionals, more time with the doctor or additional medication and test-

ing options — has on cost and patient pain and suffering as patients navigate through the health care system.

“We have seen tremendous success using these models with other complex systems,” says Wesley Randall, associate professor of logistics. “Health care is a natural fit. We know we can achieve similar success here.”

INDUSTRY SECTOR: TRANSPORTATION AND WAREHOUSING DFW

Texas

U.S.

Employment

124,531

370,492

3,693,950

Output

$ 26.0B

$ 77.0B

$ 722.1B

Employee Compensation

$ 7.7B

$ 20.0B

$ 194.9B

Proprietor Income

$ 908.0M

$ 4.5B

$ 35.4B

Compiled by Michael C. Carroll, director of the Economics Research Group at UNT

ping costs, and subsequently overall cost can ultimately be passed on to the consumer.

HOW DO UNIVERSITY AND INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS BENEFIT THE CONSUMERS AND GREATER COMMUNITIES? The university provides industry with the research capability to solve complex problems through rigorous modeling and analysis while the industry provides the university with real-world problem sets. Each party benefits; the university provides the student an education that better prepares them for the industry.

The industry receives a better educated, more prepared employee. Together, they break new ground and develop better methods, reducing costs, environmental impact and resource use.

JIM CORRIGAN President of Trinity Logistics Group

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ALUMNI RESEARCHERS PROTECTING DFW TRAVELERS

CALCULATING FOR NASA Laurie Y. Carrillo, a thermal engineer at NASA, traces her career at the space agency to her time as a student in UNT’s Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, a two-year residential program for talented high school students with an interest in science, technology, engineering or math. At NASA, Carrillo creates the calculations so hardware — such as payload experiments on the International Space Station — can withstand the extreme hot and cold temperatures in orbit.

She also teaches at Rice University and the University of Houston at Clear Lake and often speaks to high school students about her career. Carrillo holds a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Rice.

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Dan Glass earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance and a master’s degree in information technology management at UNT. He serves as the chief information security officer for American Airlines at the airline's global headquarters in Fort Worth, where he’s responsible for identifying and briefing the airline’s board of directors about potential security breaches, including cyberattacks on flight controls, passenger information and the equipment used by ground crews. He also protects the airline’s massive networks, data and computer systems from attack to keep customer and company information secure. Working with the U.S. Department of Defense, Glass monitors travelers flagged as threats and is privy to classified information from federal agencies.

UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | ALUMNI RESEARCHERS | 2016

GUIDING BNSF,S IT ADVANCES A computer science graduate, Lettie Haynes is guiding the technology that helps Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway train cars deliver goods through the U.S. and Canada. As BNSF’s assistant vice president of technology services, Haynes oversees IT initiatives involving the company’s customer web and customer relationship management systems, leveraging cloud applications that will help streamline marketing business processes. Her group supports systems that enhance revenue management processes and software that supports BNSF’s environmental, safety and legal processes. She also leads teams that are creating mobile applications and are researching how large amounts of data from transactions, events and other sources can be leveraged to gain insights and help predict trends for the company.

ENSURING SAFETY AT LOCKHEED

STUDYING CLIMATE CHANGE While studying environmental science as a UNT graduate student, Marius Necsoiu shared his knowledge and learned about other science disciplines. Today, he is using this same interdisciplinary approach as a principal scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, where he conducts research on climate change in the mountains of Eastern Europe. With the help of a National Science Foundation grant, he traveled to his native Romania twice in 2014 to investigate the movements of rock glaciers. Working with other scientists from the West University of Timisoara in Romania, Necsoiu and the interdisciplinary team tested remote sensing techniques — analyzing high-resolution optical and radar satellite imagery — to measure rock glacier movement in the Southern Carpathian Mountains. Investigating rock glacier dynamics will help Necsoiu and researchers understand the evolution and movement of permafrost-related formations under changing climate conditions. An environmental scientist and electrical engineer, he has worked at NASA and is an expert in remote sensing systems, GPS and geospatial technologies.

As a program planner at Lockheed Martin — one of the world’s largest defense contractors — Connie Hyun Hong is part of a fleet of people responsible for keeping the company’s military aircraft safe and in the sky. A graduate of UNT’s logistics program with a specialization in aviation, Hong works with suppliers and manages staffing for aircraft repairs helping to minimize down time, improve efficiency and reduce costs.

UNT’s supply chain management undergraduate program is ranked No. 3 in the nation on Software Advice’s 2015 list, and after two consecutive wins of the Intermodal Association of North America’s annual challenge and expo, a UNT team took the top prize at the IANA-University of North Florida annual case competition this year for the first time. She says with the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s seven interstate highways, seven freight rail lines and three big airports UNT logistics learners are poised for their careers in an ever-expanding logistics hub.

TURNING SCIENCE INTO LAW David Visi is advancing and advocating for science and microbiology through a very unusual petri dish — the U.S. Congress. He’s the 2015-16 Congressional Science Fellow sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He advises New York Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, on matters of health, agriculture, and antibiotic resistance. One area that he helps guide policy is within the context of antibiotic resistance and how the use of antibiotics in food production is contributing to the problem. His background in science helps him to understand the intricacies of the issue and contribute an empirically and scientifically based view to the conversation. As a student at UNT, Visi worked in Michael S. Allen’s lab on an interdisciplinary project with professors Nandika D’Souza and Brian Ayre.

He studied the microbial constituents of kenaf, a fibrous plant that shows a strong potential for use as an environmentally friendly biocomposite.

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BIOBASED INNOVATION

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UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | BIOBASED INNOVATION | 2016

THE ‘NATURE’ OF INNOVATION Biotechnology has consumer applications beyond drugs — everything from construction and transportation materials to cosmetics and fabrics BY: LESLIE MINTON

S

elective plant breeding has for many decades given scientists and commercial farmers the ability to solve problems and create new products such as seedless watermelons and sweet corn.

Today, advances in technology and biochemistry are helping solve some of the world’s biggest problems. From food shortages to growing energy prices — science is helping create more economically and environmentally sound bio-based products to meet customer demands such as Ford’s polycotton seat covers and Coca-Cola’s plant-based drink bottles.

According to the world’s largest biotechnology association, BIO, “many products consumers purchase and use on a daily basis are made from petroleum, natural gas or petrochemicals. The availability and affordability of these products contributes to improved standards of living for consumers in countries around the world.”

“Businesses across the board are trying to solve the issue of ‘good for the environment’ while balancing the cost and interest of a product for the consumer,” says Robert C. Richardson, director of business development at Lubrizol Corporation’s Advanced Materials business and a member of the Advisory Board for UNT’s BioDiscovery Institute.

“Finding the solutions and the middle ground is definitely a collaboration between scientists and industry leaders.”

PLANTS MAKE IT BETTER

Industry leaders indicate that bioprocesses are inherently cleaner than petrochemical or thermochemical processes, producing fewer byproducts.

As leaders in plant science, UNT researchers are recognized internationally for their leading-edge research in the emerging technology area of bio-based products.

A world-renowned specialist in plant biochemistry, Distinguished Research Professor Richard Dixon, conducts research in numerous areas of plant secondary metabolism from basic research studies on enzymes and metabolic pathways to applied research.

“Our increased understanding of genetics, biology and chemistry is suggesting new ways to modify plants to make the kinds of products that will be necessary for a carbon-based, sustainable society,” says Dixon, who is director of UNT’s BioDiscovery Institute and who founded the Plant Biology Division at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation before coming to UNT.

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SUPPORTING INDUSTRY USE

Industrial biotechnology includes bio­ based products, biobased technologies, green chemistry research and products.

In 2014, Dixon, along with UNT Research Professor Fang Chen and UNT Regents Professor of Engineering Nandika D’Souza created a new, stronger plantbased carbon fiber. The new carbon fiber is made from C-lignin, a linear polymer discovered by Chen and Dixon in 2012.

Lignin is the substance that makes plants firm, allowing them to stand upright. C-lignin is a lignin derived from different building blocks that are found in high concentrations in the seed coats of plants, including vanilla orchids and many species of cactus.

Dixon indicates that C-lignin may be able to be converted and used for biorefining.

He also led UNT’s effort in becoming one of three U.S. Department of Energy BioEnergy Science Centers in 2013.

INDUSTRY SECTOR: BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DFW

Texas

U.S.

Employment

3,886

15,733

294,512

Output

$ 785.9M

$ 3.1B

$ 65.4B

Employee Compensation

$ 296.9M

$ 1.1B

$ 23.3B

Proprietor Income

$ 32.8M

$ 136.5M

$ 3.5B

Compiled by Michael C. Carroll, director of the Economics Research Group at UNT

ROBERT C. RICHARDSON Director of business development for Lubrizol Corporation’s Advanced Materials business

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UNT RESEARCH | RESEARCH.UNT.EDU | BIOBASED INNOVATION | 2016

The center, headquartered at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is a consortium of 300-plus scientists from 18 universities, industrial and private foundation partners producing the next generation of biofuels and bioproducts.

The center supports multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research supporting the fundamental scientific breakthroughs needed to produce biofuels and bioproducts from nonfood plant fiber.

“Our abilities to improve the capacity and yield of advanced sustainable bio­products and biofuels is an important long term mission for the nation and indeed the world,” says Paul Gilna, director of the BioEnergy Science Center. “We are privileged to have Dixon and his staff as part of our team in this endeavor.”

Dixon says, “We are constantly pushing the boundaries of plant science at UNT and leading in the development of biobased technologies that provide significant environmental and economic benefit.”

“We are constantly pushing the boundaries of plant science at UNT …”

– Richard Dixon, Director of BDI

INDUSTRY EXPERT Q&A Robert C. Richardson, Lubrizol Corporation’s part of serving a growing consumer demand Advanced Materials business

Researchers with the BioDiscovery Institute at UNT are among the most knowledgeable plant scientists in the world. Robert C. Richardson, director of business development at Lubrizol Corporation’s Advanced Materials business and a member of the institute’s Advisory Board, spoke about his company’s partnership with UNT to find innovative solutions for his company.

HOW ARE ADVANCES IN PLANT SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY BENEFITTING YOUR INDUSTRY? Advances in plant science are an important

in a variety of markets Lubrizol serves. In the personal care markets, products with or based on natural ingredients continue to grow at double-digits, well in excess of the base market growth.

WHAT PLANT-BASED PRODUCTS INTEREST CONSUMERS MOST? Probably the easiest to understand — and with a high visibility to consumers — is the trend toward organics, or plant-based, ingredients in personal care products.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE FUTURE OF YOUR INDUSTRY? The current generation is very savvy and will continue to drive trends toward natural and

sustainable products (including packaging) that are tailored for their needs and desires.

Regional socioeconomic factors will challenge the specialty chemical market, which has for the last 30 years been driven by global scale manufacturing and supply chain infrastructures largely based on petrochemical derived processes and feedstocks.

HOW DO CONSUMERS BENEFIT FROM BUSINESSACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS? We base everything we do on a foundation of science. The consumer experience is based on trying to connect value with science to ensure that we are delivering a profitable unique product experience that is sustainable for the consumer.

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FACULTY PROFILE

MEET THE DEAN COSTAS TSATSOULIS, DEAN OF UNT’S

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING SINCE 2008

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“A thrilling time ahead; be on your guard.” — from a fortune cookie

WHY I DO WHAT I DO

I enjoy watching students blossom from freshmen into graduate students, and I enjoy watching junior faculty members grow as researchers. It is rewarding to see faculty members and students achieve their full potential.

MY COLLEGE’S LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT

Our college is one of the fastest growing at UNT, and we are working hard to establish ourselves as a pacesetter with cutting-edge facilities, faculty who are pioneering technologies and students who have the opportunity to work with corporations to solve industry problems. And if all that weren’t enough, the college’s computer science degree now is ranked fourth in the nation as a “top return on investment”

by PayScale.com. We have a lot going on.

WORLD’S BEST INVENTION IN THE LAST 20 YEARS

Social networking. Not only has it changed how we communicate across the world but it has opened up tremendous opportunities for engineers in data mining. For example, researchers can track the spread of diseases with information from social networking.

ONE TREND I SEE IN ENGINEERING

Additive manufacturing. It already is impacting the design of airplanes, cars, machines and engines.

MUSIC GENRE I LISTEN TO MOST Eclectic

FAVORITE HOBBY

Music collector (600 vinyl records; 1,200 compact discs)

Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development 1155 Union Circle #310979, Denton, Texas 76203-5017

PRESERVING CULTURAL LANDSCAPES Photographer Dornith Doherty, University Distinguished Research Professor of art, was named the 2016 Texas State Visual Artist 2D by the Texas Legislature. Doherty was selected for the honor from a pool of more than 600 nominated artists. Her award-winning projects include documenting “the culturally inflected landscape� of the Rio Grande River valley in a series called Agua Quemada.

Museums around the world have exhibited her works.

Gaillardia, from her project Archiving Eden, is pictured.