Catalyst Spring 2023 - COS

CATALYST

Dean: David R. Silva, Ph.D.

Editor: Ryan Schoensee

Contributing Editor: Lauren Crawford

Graphic Designer: Coral Díaz

Copyeditor: Ashley Festa

Student Writers: Alex Roush, Gabriela Maldonado, Kane Sandoval, Md Mohsin, Mariana Suarez-Martinez, Pelle Munoz, Sara Timmons

Contributing Writer: Taylor Bird

Student Artists: Kayla Calderon, Ziqi Yu

COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION

Associate Dean for Faculty Success: Kelly Nash, Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Associate Dean for Research: Jose Lopez-Ribot, Pharm.D./Ph.D.

Assistant Dean for Operations: Tracy Beasley, Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies: Timothy Yuen, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean for Fiscal Administration: Mike Findeisen

Assistant Dean for Remote Instruction: Terri Matiella, Ph.D.

Data Plot Creator: Marcella Cornejo The

Student Writers

Alex Roush Environmental Science

Gabriela Maldonado Microbiology and Immunology

Kane Sandoval Environmental Science

Md Mohsin Physics

Mariana SuarezMartinez Biology

Pelle Munoz Environmental Science

Sara Timmons Biology

Student Artists

Kayla Calderon Art

Message from the Dean

Greetings from the College of Sciences. As classes began this spring, I was grateful for all the opportunities I had to witness the buoyant school spirit that returned to labs and classrooms across campus. It is always invigorating to see faculty and students come back at the start of a semester to do phenomenal work that will advance the sciences.

We started this year on a high note by celebrating the grand opening of San Pedro I. This $91.8 million, worldclass facility houses the university’s National Security Collaboration Center and the School of Data Science and will usher in a new era of high-tech education, research and innovation. I’m excited for this issue of Catalyst to spotlight how our college will play an integral role in this new facility, especially in the areas of artificial intelligence, computer science and mathematics.

One reason we are eager to utilize this new space to serve our students is because it offers a unique opportunity to grow diversity in the field of data science. UTSA’s School of Data Science is the first school of its kind in the country that will be offered at a Hispanic-serving institution. This important distinction will empower our college to help diversify the nation’s current generation of data science professionals, a cohort that will shape this emerging industry for decades to come.

Our college is contributing to several industries and disciplines by producing the next generation of leaders and scientists. During the 2021-22 academic year alone, nearly 1,000 students graduated from the College of Sciences—our largest number yet. Additionally, college enrollment broke new records this spring and exceeded 4,700 students, the highest ever recorded for a spring semester.

I also have to mention the amazing quality of faculty talent we are bringing on board to the College of Sciences. We have had a remarkable group of candidates apply for our open faculty positions, and I am very impressed with their skills and experience. I can’t wait to see what they will achieve and the scientific contributions they will make. Under their guidance and mentorship, our students are poised better than ever to discover tangible, real-world solutions and address society’s greatest challenges.

Ziqi Yu Chemistry

Data Plot Creator

Marcella Cornejo Computer Science

Lastly, I am incredibly thankful for the continued support we have received from our community of donors and alumni. Your contributions are paving the way for new discoveries that will advance science. Thank you again for helping us create secure, bold futures for our students and our community.

Sincerely,

DAVID R. SILVA, PH.D.

Distinguished Professor, Physics and Astronomy Dean, College of Sciences

u Students Samantha Oviedo (Chemistry), Jeff Dong (Computer Science), Tiffany Barker-Edwards (Earth and Planetary Sciences), Carli Peterson (Mathematics), Brianna Faz (Molecular Microbiology and Immunology) and Isabella Sarno (Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology) were announced as recipients of the 2022 Dean’s Fund for Excellence Awards. The awards recognize outstanding students from each department who best exemplify excellence in their given fields.

u Chiung-Yu Hung (Molecular Microbiology and Immunology) was named Innovator of the Year at the 2022 UTSA Innovation Awards. She is an expert in the field of Coccidioides, which causes San Joaquin Valley fever, an infectious fungal disease that affects the respiratory system. Focused on the development of therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines against Coccidioides infections, she is currently developing a human vaccine with recombinant antigen and mRNA technologies with recent funding from the National Institutes of Health.

u Jeffrey Hutchinson (Integrative Biology) is serving as principal investigator for a UTSA-led research coalition selected to receive a four-year, $1 million grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to establish the #EcoJEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) program, a citywide collaboration facilitating career readiness in food and agriculture sciences.

u Elizabeth Sooby (Physics and Astronomy) hosted researchers from partner institutions in Fundamental Understanding of Transport Under Reactor Extremes (FUTURE), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences that is studying the coupling effect between irradiation and corrosion.

u Lorenzo Brancaleon (Physics and Astronomy) received a two-year, $229,891 grant from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Minority Leaders Research Collaborative Program. The funding will support Brancaleon’s research into the molecular aging process and UVinduced damage of retinal melanin, a pigmentation that plays an important role in the health of the retina.

u Aimin Liu (Chemistry) and his research team embarked on National Institutes of Health-funded research that could contribute to antibiotic and anticancer drug development. The biochemistry that the researchers learn from this study will enhance the understanding of a group of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of natural products with antibiotic and anticancer properties.

u The UTSA-led Consortium on Nuclear Security Technologies (CONNECT) received a five-year, $5 million renewal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration to educate and train the next generation of scientists and engineers, to provide innovative solutions to challenges related to nuclear security and to bolster the nation’s pipeline of underrepresented students prepared for research careers. College of Sciences CONNECT team members include Elizabeth Sooby (Physics and Astronomy), Kelly Nash (Physics and Astronomy) and Amanda Fernandez (Computer Science).

u The College of Sciences announced a new Ph.D. program named Developmental and Regenerative Sciences that will premiere in Fall 2023 and prepare students for careers in basic research in academia, clinical research in regenerative medicine or applied research in the biotechnology industry. The program is led by John McCarrey (Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology) and will provide new insights into fundamental mechanisms of embryonic and fetal development, how different cell types form and function, and how diseases develop when the biological mechanisms required to perform these normal bodily functions are disrupted.

u Stanton McHardy (Chemistry) along with Karinel Nieves-Merced and Michael Tidwell, special research associates at the Center for Innovative Drug Discovery (CIDD) and staff chemists at UTSA, are partnering with researchers from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Mays Cancer Center, both at UT Health San Antonio, to make compounds that may one day treat Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumors. The team recently was awarded $3 million by the National Cancer Institute.

Good to Know: Diqui LaPenta

One Microbiologist’s Path to Success

I was born in San Antonio and lived here until I graduated with my B.S. in biology from Trinity University and left for grad school to get my Ph.D. in microbiology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

I had a fantastic undergraduate experience. Not only did I get a good education, but I also met the people who became my lifelong friends. I tell students all the time that their coursework is just one part of the college experience.

In grad school, I became a teaching assistant for labs in dental and medical school microbiology courses. I spent three years doing postdoctoral research, during which I discovered that I require much more people interaction in my work than bench science allows.

During my last post-doctoral year, I accepted a part-time position teaching microbiology for nursing students at a private university. That confirmed that college biology teaching was where I needed to be.

My first full-time teaching job was at Colorado College as a one-year sabbatical replacement. That was definitely a trial-by-fire experience; I’d never been fully responsible for all components of a course. My time at Colorado College taught me the most about being efficient with my time and how to be very choosy about which concepts were critical to each course.

That experience provided me with the skills I needed to have options for my next job. I chose College of the Redwoods, a community college in Eureka, California, because I could focus entirely on teaching biology to first- and second-year students. From 2016 to 2022, I was also the associate dean for the Math, Science, Behavioral and Social Science Division at College of the Redwoods.

After I arrived on UTSA’s campus in July 2022, I found out that I would be the biosciences II coordinator in addition to teaching the course. This is among my proudest moments with the College of Sciences. It was a great feeling to know that Janis Bush, chair of the Department of Integrative Biology, appreciates my years of teaching and administrative experience and trusts me to help move the new curriculum forward.

I really enjoy being part of introducing students to the topics of biology. I am part of their foundational coursework, and it’s my job to spark their interest in whichever particular aspect they will focus on for their major. Each section of students has its own collective personality. Even when I have multiple sections of the same course, my interactions with students

can be quite different between sections. The content remains the same, but I sometimes have to adjust my delivery to suit the needs of the different groups.

I am inspired by faculty who use innovative teaching techniques, especially in larger classrooms. They aren’t afraid to try new things to get their students involved with the subject matter.

I am inspired by my students who bring their talents and curiosities to class and keep it interesting. I am also inspired by students who are getting their education despite having various personal challenges such as work, kids, illness, learning differences and more.

In my personal life, I am inspired by people who strive to live lives that do good and reduce harm.

Required Reading

My Beloved World by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor “I love that Justice Sotomayor is so open about the struggles of firstgeneration college students and how she navigated that unfamiliar world to great success.”

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot “An eye-opening and gut-wrenching account of Henrietta Lacks, the involuntary source of the HeLa cells I worked with in grad school.”

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows by Dr. Melanie Joy

“This book explains the fallacy that tells us meat is nice, normal and necessary, and it is what inspired me to go vegan.”

Diqui LaPenta is an assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Integrative Biology.

The College at a Glance

UTSA’s emphasis on getting students involved in research early on, as well as helping them define their career goals, is something that sets the university apart. As someone who has a really hard time defining those things myself, I really appreciate all the resources and opportunities I had on campus.

ISABELLA SARNO MARIN ’22 is the first student to graduate from the College of Sciences with a B.S. in neuroscience.

Fall Graduation Facts

The number of students graduating with a science degree grew from 969 in academic year 2020-2021 to 993 in 2021-2022.

Degrees awarded in academic year

2021-2022

Bachelor ’ s: 833

Master ’ s: 118

Doctoral: 42

From Fall 2021 to Fall 2022

Includes undergraduate and graduate students

5,828 COS students enrolled for Fall 2022 , up from 5,532 in Fall 2021.

LIFE SCIENCES

2,791 Integrative Biology

201 Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

190 Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology

Infographics: Kayla Calderon

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

351 Chemistry

114 Earth and Planetary Sciences

205 Physics and Astronomy

COMPUTER SCIENCE

1,761 Computer Science

MATHEMATICAL SCIENCE

214 Mathematics

Make Your MARC as We RISE into Research

By Mariana Suarez-Martinez

As one of the country’s earliest implementers of the MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers) and the RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) programs, UTSA is a known innovator in creating undergraduate research opportunities and encouraging students’ personal and professional growth. Since 1979, MARC and the precursor of RISE have paved the way of UTSA’s undergraduate-inclusive research culture and have spurred the development of the university’s Office of Undergraduate Research.

this award due in part to the strength and effectiveness of its most recent MARC program: 97% of the 31 participants who graduated began graduate-level education, and 87% of these pursued a Ph.D.

MARC will continue as a training program centered on guiding and supporting undergraduate students seeking a doctorate in the biomedical or behavioral sciences. All MARC trainees are admitted to the UTSA Honors College and have the option of completing Honors College requirements. RISE, which funded both undergraduate and Ph.D. student research, will spend its remaining funds by Spring 2024, supporting its final cohort of undergraduates.

Although UTSA has long hosted both programs, recent policy changes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) limited all institutions to just one program and required that these programs reorganize into a new structure. With UTSA’s recent designation as an R1 top-tier research university, and the associated increases in prestigious NIH research funding, UTSA became eligible for only MARC. UTSA submitted a new grant proposal for a new program that competed for funding against the top schools in the nation and was awarded the program. UTSA received

At the same time, the College of Sciences is pleased to announce the recent award of a new Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) grant that will replace RISE. IMSD will support future UTSA doctoral students in the biomedical and behavioral sciences in select programs in the College of Sciences; College for Health, Community and Policy (HCAP); and the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design. IMSD is awarded to institutions with high NIH research funding and is a testament to UTSA’s high-caliber research programs and the success of its RISE program and trainees. IMSD is UTSA’s first Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) (T32) program, which is designed to prepare qualified doctoral students for careers that have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation.

A recent reorganization of two key research programs offers increased opportunities for students interested in research.

WHAT IS MARC? MARC is a training program that prepares students to continue their education into a doctoral program and later into a research career. When a student enters MARC, the program helps them find training opportunities for the next two years.

“Major thanks and gratitude to the many faculty, staff and administrators who were essential for the development of the program, and to the UTSA La Raza Faculty and Administrators Association for their enthusiasm for our proposal,” said Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, program director for IMSD and MARC.

Students develop more than just research skills in the new MARC program. “Students put a heavy focus on academics to graduate, but what are those essential life skills necessary to succeed in life?” said Barea-Rodriguez. The MARC program helps students engage in intentional and personal growth and development, gain leadership skills, increase financial literacy, form beneficial budgeting habits, and learn how to present themselves professionally. Both MARC and the IMSD program help students find their strengths and develop confidence as individuals, and the programs also provide students with the opportunity to present their work at conferences every semester and to participate in networking events.

MARC provides a monthly stipend, funds part of trainees’ tuition and can provide $1,000 toward conference travel. MARC students work 15 hours a week in a laboratory of their choice. “Participating in labs helps students gain research experience as well as essential skills including communication, problem-solving, critical thinking and even writing proposals or grants,” said Barea-Rodriguez. “When you work in a lab, you also learn about the culture of science and develop a science identity.”

When a student is admitted to MARC and does not already have a faculty research mentor, MARC provides an extensive list of pre-approved

mentors in different fields of interest whom students can contact for potential research opportunities. Each lab’s principal investigator (PI) will work with students’ course schedule to ensure they can dedicate about 15 hours weekly to their research projects. “Make sure to work with your PI to understand the expectations for behavior and work you will be producing and aiding in the lab,” advises Gail Taylor, assistant MARC and IMSD program director.

MARC students also prepare and present a thesis proposal to become distinguished MARC Scholars; when their thesis proposal is approved, they become candidates for doctoral studies. MARC Scholars continue their professional development and are encouraged to mentor less experienced students. MARC Scholars then finish the program as MARC graduates with an Honors distinction in their specific college. MARC trainees are also admitted to the UTSA Honors College and may graduate with Honors distinctions, becoming stronger applicants to doctoral programs.

“As UTSA has grown to Tier One status, so, too, have its programs grown and evolved. But, like UTSA, these new MARC and IMSD programs have great foundations, a culture of student inclusion and success, and hardworking people who will guide the programs and their trainees,” said Taylor. “We predict great things and many years of student support from the new MARC and IMSD programs at UTSA.”

UTSA MARC trainee Hope Msengi presents at the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science fall 2022 national conference in Puerto Rico.

The College’s Premier Research Spaces: Part Two

Students and faculty in the College of Sciences have access to multiple research centers and institutes that offer state-of-the-art

facilities and instrumentation.These spaces provide the environment, resources and guidance students and researchers need to make meaningful scientific contributions to our world.

Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security

The Brain Health Consortium

The Brain Health Consortium (BHC) is a collaborative, transdisciplinary team committed to discovering the inner workings of the brain and promoting brain health in all its forms. Across six colleges, the BHC integrates researchers with expertise in stem cells/precision medicine, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, psychology, behavior and learning, with the common goal of applying their discoveries to prevent and treat neurological disorders. Using cutting-edge technologies, researchers work with students to identify strategies to restore and improve brain function while educating and training the next generation of innovative thinkers. In February, UTSA’s Neurosciences Institute (NI) and Bank of America Child and Adolescent Policy Research Institute (BOA-CAPRI) joined the BHC in order to further expand research opportunities, academic efforts and community outreach.

Established in 2001, the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) delivers research, training, K-12 education, and competition and exercise programs to advance organizational and community cybersecurity capabilities and collaboration. The center conducts scenario-based cybersecurity preparedness exercises to test an organization’s communication, incident response, disaster recovery, business continuity and security awareness. It initially received $5 million from the U.S. Department of Defense through a grant sponsored by then-Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to research cybersecurity topics like hardware-based intrusion detection, elliptic curve cryptography, detection of steganography and biometric access control methods.

GREG WHITE is the director of the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security and a professor in the Department of Computer Science.

In 2020, the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) was awarded a grant by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to develop a method for state, local, tribal and territorial governments to determine their High Value Assets (HVAs) so they can focus their cybersecurity efforts where they are most needed. The CIAS developed guidance based on best practices to address the identification, categorization and prioritization of IT systems to enable increased protection of HVAs across various jurisdictions. This included the development of scalable guidelines, templates and tools that can be used to facilitate implementation of identified processes within the context of each community’s risk management framework, available resources and authorities.

JENNY HSIEH is the director of the Brain Health Consortium.

Institute for Cyber Security

The Institute for Cyber Security (ICS) conducts basic and applied research in partnership with academia, government and industry. ICS operates two world-class academic research laboratories—the ICS FlexCloud and the ICS FlexFarm—designed to study current and emerging cybersecurity issues. Composed of several production clouds, the ICS FlexCloud offers significant computation capacity and similar design features adopted by cloud computing providers. It is one of the first dedicated academic research environments focused on studying security challenges surrounding cloud computing. The ICS FlexFarm is an internet-connected environment providing researchers with a dedicated platform to conduct academic research on malware programs and methods for improving malware detection as well as faster response times to malware infections and effective malware removal techniques with a focus on botnets. (Botnets are networks of hijacked computer devices used to carry out cyber crime.)

Center for Innovative Drug Discovery

The Center for Innovative Drug Discovery (CIDD), a joint venture between The University of Texas at San Antonio and UT Health San Antonio, facilitates the translation of basic scientific discoveries into tangible, pre-clinical candidate drugs that can be further developed into clinical therapies for human disease. The CIDD is composed of two facilities: a High-Throughput Screening (HTS) Facility located at UT Health San Antonio and a Medicinal Chemistry and Synthesis Core Facility at UTSA. Located on the west campus of UTSA, the Medicinal Chemistry and Synthesis Core Facility is a 2,000-square-foot, stateof-the-art technological center that performs all necessary chemistry and synthesis services to support a large range of small molecule drug discovery efforts in all therapeutic areas.

INSTRUMENT HIGHLIGHTS

RAVI SANDHU is the ICS executive director, the Lutcher Brown Endowed Chair in Cyber Security and a professor of computer science.

Dell Technologies Grant

Last year, UTSA received a grant from Dell Technologies to support advanced technologies and a new research infrastructure platform at the university. With the grant, UTSA invested in a hybrid cloud approach that uses solutions from Dell to help deliver research in data science and cybersecurity.

With the support of the technology grant, UTSA invested in a broad range of Dell infrastructure solutions, which include servers, storage, networking and data protection. These solutions also include several of the latest Dell innovations ranging from a high-performance computing (HPC) system for data- and compute-intensive projects, storage for big data workloads, software-defined networking, and disaster recovery and business continuity.

This grant has provided reliable services, reduced operating expenses, transformed procedures and operating models as well as offered supercomputing resources as a service. Several research programs at UTSA have directly benefited from the grant, including the Open Cloud Institute, the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute and the MATRIX AI Consortium for Human Well-Being.

u 12 fully functional synthesis hoods with N2/high vacuum manifolds, stir plates, JKem controllers and block reactors, and Buchi R-210 Rotovaps with V-700 vacuum pumps

u Biotage Selekt and Isolera One purification systems with UV detection and automatic fraction collections

u Agilent DD2 400 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer

u Agilent 1290 HPLC with Agilent 6150 MS

u Agilent SCF CO2 1260 Infinity HPLC with variable wavelength UV detection and auto sampler

u Agilent 1260 Prep HPLC with variable wavelength UV detection, auto sampler and fraction collector

u Anton Paar Monowave 300 microwave reactor with auto loader

STAN McHARDY is the director of the Center for Innovative Drug Discovery and a professor of research in the Department of Chemistry.

Advancing Data Science

UTSA’s School of Data Science is the first of its kind in Texas and is a significant addition to an emerging industry.

By Alex Roush

UTSA’s newest addition to the Downtown Campus—the 167,000-square-foot, six-story San Pedro I—opened its doors this semester to welcome the School of Data Science (SDS). Established in 2018, the SDS supports UTSA’s mission of inclusion and opportunity, and it enables students to pursue advanced degrees to contribute to today’s data-rich society. The school is the first of its kind in Texas, helping UTSA maintain a competitive edge in the world of data science.

“By assembling a team of core UTSA faculty members from diverse disciplines and housing them under one roof, the SDS provides the perfect platform needed to solve important data science challenges with significant societal and economic impact,” said Murtuza Jadliwala, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and a core faculty member in the SDS. “Being located in downtown San Antonio, the SDS also brings UTSA data science faculty and students closer to local government and industry partners, opening new and unique collaboration opportunities, which have the potential for directly impacting the health, economy and progress of our city and state.”

“By locating so many faculty from different departments with similar research interests and complementary skills under one collaborative roof, the School of Data Science provides lots of opportunities for research collaboration and student training,” says Jianhua Ruan, a professor in the Department of Computer Science. “I believe collaborations between SDS faculty and domain experts, including those at UTSA’s National Security Collaboration Center and the College of Sciences, will lead to more largescale, data-driven scientific discoveries and technology innovations in many fields ranging from natural science, public health and policy to medicine, engineering and business.”

The SDS is comprised of core faculty from three different colleges: the Alvarez College of Business, the College of Sciences, and the Klesse

College of Engineering and Integrated Design. With the help of COS faculty, the SDS currently offers multiple undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees related to math and computer science in subject areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, data analytics and applied statistics.

The SDS features multiple research areas including the MATRIX AI Consortium for Human Well-Being, the Open Cloud Institute and other labs that will enable research and teaching in bioinformatics, cyberinformed engineering, data engineering, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, smart transportation and more. The Human Mobility Lab is a lab shared among faculty from the College of Sciences; the Alvarez College of Business; the College of Education and Human Development; the College of Liberal and Fine Arts; the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design; and the College for Health, Community and Policy.

“This lab will enable highly accurate human motion data sets that can be used to advance many data-driven applications, such as rehabilitation, accessibility, entertainment, education and training,” said John Quarles, a professor in the Department of Computer Science who is leading the creation of the Human Mobility Lab. “I expect the School of Data Science will strengthen my existing collaborations and expand them significantly.”

“Both the students and faculty in these programs will generate the necessary momentum to enhance San Antonio’s expanding digital economy with greater diversity and more discoveries,” said David Mongeau, director of the School of Data Science. “The SDS will attract numerous students who will earn advanced degrees in diverse disciplines, all of which are highly in demand in downtown San Antonio and beyond.

Even though the SDS is in its initial stages, it is already impacting the lives of students such as Carly Schneider. Schneider recently completed an internship with Victory Capital, an investment management firm headquartered in San Antonio. UTSA’s education prepared her for the opportunity, helping her feel relaxed and comfortable in her interview. Schneider landed a position as one of the firm’s first data science interns. “I was very much a hard worker and pushed through any challenges that we came across to complete what I set out to do,” said Schneider. “And that showed me how driven I was and how ready I was for the workforce.”

The SDS is already playing an important role in the San Antonio community and is positioned to make a great impact on the field of data science. “It’s quickly becoming undeniable that data science is greatly impacting our lives in so many positive ways,” said Rocky Slavin, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science. “The School of Data Science is seizing this opportunity by bringing scientists and industry professionals from various backgrounds together under one school. Not only does this put UTSA at the forefront of data science innovation through collaborative research, but it also creates an ideal environment for educating and training, as well as a way to engage with the San Antonio community at the heart of the city.”

Student Spotlight

SDS BY THE NUMBERS

32

Core Faculty

GABRIEL MORALES

Born in Puerto Rico and a Texas resident since the age of 5, School of Data Science and computer science Ph.D. student Gabriel Morales is multilingual, speaking not only English and Spanish but also the languages of music theory and software. Software, he says, is a language that invigorates his creativity. “I hope I can contribute as much to my field and community as UTSA has to me!” says Morales.

5 Undergraduate Degree Programs

Graduate Degree Programs

7

5 Certificate Programs

POP QUIZ ANSWER: 7

An image from inside the San Pedro I building, home of the School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center, taken in November 2022

What Is Data Science?

“Data science integrates statistics, computer science and domainspecific information to turn noisy and voluminous data into advanced knowledge, valuable products and better decision-making processes,” explains Jianhua Ruan, a professor in the Department of Computer Science. “Data scientists working in different domains also face the same challenges associated with characteristics of real-world data, which are often noisy, incomplete, sparse and high

dimensional, and not a representative sample of the population. For many problems, we may also have heterogeneous data sources from different types of measurements or different resolutions that need to be integrated into a single model. Conversations across different disciplines can foster radical ideas to address these critical challenges across a wide spectrum of fields and provide innovative solutions.”

Marcella Cornejo, a computer science major, created this graphic for the college’s “Show Us the Data” student competition where students designed graphics to showcase the college’s enrollment over the past 10 years. It serves as the inspiration for our illustrated cover image. The data demonstrates student enrollment in the College of Sciences from 2012 to 2022.

UTSA COS Student Enrollment

2012-2022

Science Students Giving Back Take an active role in social issues through volunteerism

By Sara Timmons

Coordinated by Leadership and Volunteer Services, alternative spring break is an opportunity for students to actively address social issues such as hunger, homelessness and environmental restoration on a week-long break.

In 1994, 20 students departed to Reynosa, Mexico, to participate in UTSA’s first alternative spring break hosted by the Volunteer Organization Involving Community, Education and Service (VOICES). Today, students from the College of Sciences and other areas around UTSA uphold this tradition of service during their alternative spring break and partnered with other organizations around the world.

Natalie Martinez is a first-year environmental science major who is passionate about sustainable living. Through more awareness and education, Martinez says, Texans can learn how sustainable living impacts all of our daily lives and reduces our carbon footprint. Martinez participated in this year’s Environmental Alternative Spring Break to learn new ways to bring her goal of educating others about sustainable living practices to fruition.

“This trip opened my eyes to more ways that we can help people here in Texas learn more about sustainability,” she says. Not only did participation in this program help Martinez learn how to make an impact in the community,

but it also enriched her academic career. “This will benefit my academic journey because I saw how my studies and field can impact people and how people can impact it.”

Additionally, in November 2022, Martinez volunteered for the empty bowl experience with the Najim Center for Innovation and Career Advancement at UTSA. At this annual event, participants receive soup and bread with the purchase of an empty bowl, which brings attention to hunger in the community.

Madeline Morales is a senior environmental science major and a member of UTSA’s Top Scholar scholarship program for academically talented and exceptional servant leaders. Morales led the Environmental Alternative Spring Break and looked forward to playing an active role in an issue that she is passionate about—the impact of climate change on minority communities, which are often not adequately represented in climate policy and action. “As a Hispanic woman, advocating for climate justice for my community and for other disproportionately impacted people is my ultimate motivation for any undertaking in my future plans and career,” she said.

Morales was a campus director for the United Nations Millennium Fellowship in which she led students as they were developing social impact projects. This leadership role

Madeline Morales was recently featured in the UTSA episode of the popular series The College Tour available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. Hosted by Emmynominated storyteller Alex Boylan, the series highlights universities and colleges across the nation to showcase what college life is like at each university through some of the unique student stories at each location. UTSA will be part of Season 7.

prepared her for the Environmental Alternative Spring Break leader position she fulfilled this year. “I have had numerous opportunities at UTSA to advocate for causes I believe in and to apply what I was learning in the classroom,” she said.

During her junior year, Morales conducted research in New Mexico with the National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC) STEM Institute through the UTSA Department of Integrative Biology (formerly the Department of Environmental Science). For 10 days, Morales and her fellow students conducted wildlife and plant assessments as well as soil-, air- and water-quality testing.

Morales also founded Plant the Future, a student organization at UTSA that has planted over 3,000 trees at no cost to the San Antonio community, as it was funded by the City of San Antonio Tree Fund. In the summer of 2022, Morales worked as an English language intern for two months at the Life Skills Development Foundation, a child rights nonprofit in Chiang Mai, Thailand. While in Thailand, she assisted in writing and revising grants and project reports. “I have been lucky to find my path and to be able to pursue challenging opportunities that have fostered growth in myself as a person and as a student, and I hope the same for my fellow Roadrunners,” she said.

Faculty Spotlight: Melanie Carless

By Gabriela Maldonado

Melanie Carless is an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology (NDRB). Her laboratory specializes in identifying genetic and epigenetic factors associated with complex diseases such as diabetes. “I am continuing to work on identifying such signatures associated with obesity and energy expenditure in Hispanic children,” she said. “Because science and technology are advancing so rapidly, my lab can sequence entire genomes in a matter of days.” These genome sequences allow Carless and her laboratory to see all the genes present in an organism.

Carless’ research is focused on understanding what genetic and epigenetic factors might contribute to disease risk and be leveraged as potential innovative therapies. She is currently developing a novel method to identify hydroxymethylation signatures in single cells or cell types. This method offers a unique opportunity to understand psychiatric, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Originally from Australia’s Gold Coast, Carless earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Griffith University in South East Queensland. She completed her postdoctoral studies at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Florida and at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio. In 2019, Carless joined UTSA.

Carless enjoys working in a university environment. “I enjoy the freedom of being able to do the research that I am interested in,” she said, adding that the academic environment allows her to serve as a mentor and share her research vision with students who are excited to learn.

OFFICE

“It is a wonderful experience to see your students mature and develop a research vision of their own.”

As a part of NDRB, Carless enjoys the collegiality and collaborative atmosphere, and she serves on several university committees. “I am proud that my peers are supportive of others, open to new ideas and working together to achieve a common goal,” she said.

When Carless is not in the laboratory, she loves to spend time with her kids—her family is currently watching all of the Avengers movies in order. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing Krav Maga and teaching taekwondo.

HOURS

“Research can be highly rewarding, but requires hard work and dedication. If you have a passion for research, try to find a lab and a mentor who match your passion.”

Awesome Alum: Dr. Chirag Buch

By Pelle Munoz

Meet Chirag Buch MD, a third-year internal medicine resident at UT Health San Antonio and an esteemed UTSA alum.

In 2003, Buch and his family moved to the United States from India. Buch witnessed the importance of a physician’s role in the community and the lifesaving care they administer during a medical emergency. He decided to pursue a career in medicine and attended Health Careers High School, a magnet school in San Antonio. The seven-year accelerated B.S./M.D. program co-created by UTSA and UT Health San Antonio to facilitate acceptance and train more physicians in Texas—coupled with Buch’s admittance to the prestigious Terry Foundation Scholarship Program—brought Buch to UTSA. In 2016, he graduated with his Bachelor of Science in biology with Leadership Honors. Shortly after, he continued his education at UT Health San Antonio.

Buch appreciates UTSA for its diversity and culture. The university fosters an academic melting pot, with first-generation college students making up 45% of its student body and with its second-place national ranking for bilingual, multilingual and multicultural education by Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine

“Each student at UTSA comes with unique perspectives, stories and background, each with their own drive and passion, but most importantly with a strong sense of work ethic,” said Buch. “My parents gave up everything in India so that my brother and I could have an opportunity to be successful in the USA. This sentiment was something I could relate to with nearly every one of the students I met at UTSA. They were all extremely humble, motivated and willing to work hard to be successful.”

During his first year at UTSA, Buch pursued a research opportunity at UT Health San Antonio with the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. This area of study sought out surgical reconstructive options for patients with esophageal cancer resulting in partial or complete removal of the esophagus. Buch worked part time at UTSA as a teaching assistant for the First-Year Experience (FYE) course and served as a mentor to a cohort of freshmen with the Honors College.

Buch studied abroad in Amsterdam and London during his second year. Buch studied various topics pertaining to public health and the delivery of health care in a number of countries.

WISE WORDS

Buch encourages new students to meet with their adviser and create a roadmap for their college journey to maximize their success. “Thoroughly planning prevents any unnecessary delays and anxiety in meeting graduation requirements,” said Buch.

“This also allows students to take advantage of studyabroad programs and various other internships if planned appropriately.”

“I learned about the importance of strong primary care and the various roles government can play in the payment of health care,” he said. “Through the program, I was able to travel to Spain, Northern Ireland, Germany and France.”

During Buch’s third year, he was accepted into the UT System Archer Fellowship, a program that provides undergraduate students from across The University of Texas System with an opportunity to live, learn and intern in the nation’s capital. As an Archer Fellow, Buch worked in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the Surgeon General and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Human Response. In this role, he responded to the opioid epidemic and the Flint, Michigan, water crisis.

Using his specialization in cardiology, Buch aspires to serve the community and mentor the next generation of health care professionals. Buch hopes to utilize the knowledge and experience he gained at UTSA to optimize the delivery and improve the quality of health care.

#ThisIs WhatA Scientist Looks Like

Analisa Rojas

By Kane Sandoval

Analisa Rojas is a computer science (CS) undergraduate who embodies community involvement. Raised and homeschooled in San Antonio, she was active in the Civil Air Patrol, which is the volunteer civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The Civil Air Patrol hosts the Cyber Defense Training Academy, where the 33rd Network Warfare Squadron from Lackland Air Force Base taught cadets about cybersecurity. Learning from mentors with CS backgrounds and careers in cybersecurity showed Rojas the varied paths the degree could take her. Rojas is also a lab assistant for a National Science Foundation-funded project that aims to increase Latinx representation in computer science through high school teacher professional development led by Timothy Yuen, associate dean of undergraduate students and a professor in the Department of Computer Science.

Rojas found CS intriguing—the multiple coding languages, the ability to easily know when it works or not and the need for creative solutions. She earned her associate degree at Northwest Vista. To begin her bachelor’s, UTSA was the best option for her because of its proximity and affordability, the simple transfer process, and the cybersecurity program’s status. In 2020, Rojas became a Roadrunner.

Eventually, Rojas came across the College of Sciences’ Student Success Center (COS SSC), which helps students develop a science identity. Rojas marveled at the students’ stories and admired how the program provided support. In Spring 2022, she headed a committee that implemented professional development activities. A fellow mentor, Elijah Moya, alerted Rojas of an opportunity to serve as the director of the Rowdy Creators. The Rowdy Creators, a subgroup of UTSA’s Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), promotes student projects and learning new technology from the pre-idea to pre-seed project development phase through mentoring, organizing project groups, and providing software and hardware.

After learning about the director position through her connections with the COS SSC, Rojas campaigned in an ACM election where

members vote every spring for officer and director positions. Candidates are required to create a presentation and speak on their qualifications and ideas for the coming year. During her presentation, Rojas promoted a new mission for the Rowdy Creators that involved preparing students to be the next generation of scientists to lead the way in the workforce by providing them with the best training, opportunities and projects. She landed the role, and now she helps students improve their computer science skills and encourages them to connect with like-minded peers and professors.

The COS SSC helped Rojas solidify her choice of major, form connections with professors and become the director of the Rowdy Creators. She is thankful that the COS SSC genuinely wants to help people. “I appreciate just having people be around who try to bring you up and a community that understands it’s okay to have a rough semester,” she said.

Rojas recently accepted a summer internship offer from USAA to work as a product management analyst, where she will analyze and interpret complex data to influence regional product strategy. She recommends fellow Roadrunners branch out and learn as much as they can across multiple disciplines. “Say yes to anything and everything because you never know what might mold you into your next life decision,” said Rojas, who will graduate with her B.S. in computer science in December. Rojas hopes to work in a nonacademic setting and aid others in developing computer skills that will grant them access to new opportunities.

Raul Montes

by Md Mohsin

Raul Montes works in the MEMS research lab at UTSA, under the guidance of Arturo Ayón, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Montes is helping Ayón investigate an innovative photovoltaic technology, the conversion of light into electricity, to increase the theoretical energy conversion efficiency of solar cells using quantum dots, which are light-emitting semiconductor nanoparticles. Montes presented his initial findings at the 49th Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photovoltaic Specialists Conference in Philadelphia, where he won the best poster award.

Montes is from Hermosillo, a city in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. Initially, he chose to pursue an engineering technology degree in mechatronics, as he always liked photovoltaics.

“In my head, I needed to be an engineer to work in the field of solar energy,” recalled Montes. But Montes was fascinated by a presentation from a physics professor at his technology-focused high school about a sun-tracking technique for high-efficiency solar panels. “His approach was totally different from what I was aware of,” said Montes. “I learned I could work on applied science and technology by studying physics.” He studied physics for his undergraduate degree at the University of Sonora.

During the University of Sonora’s Nanotechnology Week in 2015, Ayón presented research from UTSA’s MEMS lab. “I really liked what he was doing,” said Montes, a sophomore at the time. Montes talked to Ayón and stayed in touch with him over the next few years. Montes visited the MEMS lab in 2018, and the next year, he joined the physics Ph.D. program at UTSA, where he now works as a teaching assistant in addition to his research.

Montes says UTSA’s main strength is its diversity, both cultural and in the variety of research being performed. “At the Department of Physics at UTSA, there is a lot of nanotechnology, astronomy and biophysics research,” he said. “If you like any one of these, you are in the right place.”

WISE WORDS

One of the best pieces of advice Raul Montes received from UTSA professor

Arturo Ayón is to not try to solve problems that don’t exist yet. “Don’t get discouraged from trying something new at the lab because you think it may not work,” elaborated Montes. “Instead, go to the laboratory, do it, and see what happens. Sometimes it’s better to be wrong.”

Samantha Oviedo

By Ryan Schoensee

Samantha Oviedo joined UTSA as a freshman in Fall 2019, majoring in biochemistry. Oviedo has made the most out of her undergraduate career–being recognized for many distinguished academic achievements, joining several student organizations that align with her interests and participating in numerous research studies.

“The opportunities offered at UTSA have immensely helped me through my journey as an undergraduate, and I know so many students who have received great support from different departments and faculty,” said Oviedo. “In addition, UTSA has such a welcoming environment that champions its diverse population.”

Oviedo is a first-generation college student and the daughter of parents who immigrated to the United States from Mexico. Before becoming a Roadrunner, Oviedo had limited guidance on charting her path through higher education. However, she found several exceptional faculty and research mentors at UTSA. Oviedo listened to their advice and encouragement to try new things, which helped her excel as both a student leader and researcher.

UTSA was always a top choice for Oviedo, who grew up in San Antonio. Her decision was reinforced when she was accepted into the first cohort of the Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Educational Diversity (ESTEEMED) program, which offers undergraduates numerous opportunities to get involved in research early in their academic careers. Although the idea of joining a lab was new to Oviedo, she still decided to apply to the program, which altered the trajectory of her undergraduate career.

“My very first research lab at UTSA profoundly changed the way I perceived science and sparked my passion for pursuing a career path as a researcher,” said Oviedo. “Since I began my journey conducting scientific research three years ago, I have become enamored with the prospect of discovering something new that will make a positive impact on improving human health.”

After participating in a wide array of research programs, Oviedo developed a passion for helping other students discover research that aligns with their interests. She served as an undergraduate coordinator

for the Rising Researchers Pre-Research Training Program to introduce first- and second-year students to research at UTSA. She expanded this passion further and worked with other UTSA students to cultivate a new external program called RAYS (Research Awareness for Young Scholars), which aims to expose high school students in the greater South Texas region to early-career research opportunities.

Oviedo hopes to continue the cycle and provide high school and earlycollege students with access to the same kind of support, community and research opportunities that she’s found at UTSA. In addition to wanting to become a principal investigator in a biomedical research lab, Oviedo hopes to engage in STEM initiatives after graduation that aid in making science more accessible to underserved communities.

Samantha Oviedo is a Barry Goldwater Scholar, president of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Student Affiliate UTSA Chapter and a recipient of the 2022 Dean’s Fund for Excellence Award.

My very first research lab at UTSA profoundly changed the way I perceived science and sparked my passion for pursuing a career path as a researcher.

GIVING

Inspiring the Next Generation

By Taylor Bird

The pipeline of a STEM-educated workforce depends on the success of universities like UTSA, programs such as UTeachSA and strong partnerships with K-12 schools to inspire and train the next generation.

“UTSA and the College of Sciences are key components of our community’s ability to produce new STEM-educated professionals. We recognize the value of the programs we support in meeting the demand for the STEM workforce,” said Christopher Lyon, vice president of Scholarships and Grants and president of the Alamo Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) STEM Education Foundation.

The foundation provides funding to expand and cultivate interest in STEM-related disciplines at all academic levels, supporting educators, institutions and activities that foster awareness, understanding and the pursuit of STEM careers throughout San Antonio and the South Texas region.

“UTSA and the College of Sciences have well-developed and mature academic programs that produce high-quality talent, so it is a beneficial outcome to the problem we seek to address,” Lyon said.

One of the areas in the college supported by the foundation is UTeachSA, the STEM training program that develops students into highly qualified math and science teachers in grades 6 through 12. Students earn a science degree and teaching certificate simultaneously, and they graduate prepared to enter the classroom with confidence and specialized expertise in STEM education.

“Supporting exposure [to STEM education] at earlier ages allows us to build the workforce pipeline and shape the outcomes of the next generation,” said Hollis Cantrell, assistant vice president of Scholarships and Grants and vice president of the foundation.

AFCEA funding places UTeachSA students in the classrooms of current teachers, many of whom are alumni of the program. UTeachSA students benefit from the experience of a current teacher, teachers benefit from extra support and the students in the classroom benefit from additional attention from individuals passionate about STEM.

“If we partner with the teachers, it’s a force multiplier with educating their students,” explained Cantrell.

In addition to their support of teaching assistants, the foundation has brought together UTeachSA with local nonprofit Youth Code Jam to provide educators and future teachers with technology and training to incorporate coding into after-school programs.

“We are excited to partner with the university to measure and study the impact of this program and to measure the relationship between student interest before and after,” Lyon said.

As a Tier One research institution, UTSA has faculty who are leaders in STEM education research, improving curriculum and enhancing educational outcomes in K-12 schools. In addition to strengthening programs like UTeachSA, philanthropy is critical to funding research and generating knowledge to improve STEM education and more.

The foundation’s investment is ensuring UTeachSA students and alumni have access to opportunities that can spark their students’ interest and excitement in STEM as early as possible, improving the outcomes of the next generation in San Antonio, South Texas and beyond.

“We are establishing and supporting the catalyst to exponentially scale this opportunity for both students and teachers, and we are excited to do it,” said Cantrell. “We feel that [this partnership] is really going to be a game changer.”

Development

Peek Inside San Pedro I and San Pedro II

San Pedro I and the future San Pedro II are part of UTSA’s efforts to revitalize San Antonio’s historic downtown, which includes the recent redevelopment and addition of the surrounding San Pedro Creek Culture Park. The buildings will connect interior classrooms and meeting spaces with the park’s outdoor venues and public art.

SAN PEDRO I includes the School of Data Science and the National Security Collaboration Center as well as at least 16 UTSA research centers, institutes and college-level labs, such as the MATRIX AI Consortium for Human Well-Being and the Open Cloud Institute. Other labs enable research and teaching in bioinformatics, cyber-informed engineering, data engineering, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, smart transportation and more. San Pedro I has 84,500 square feet of classroom, laboratory and research space for the more than 400 data science students. Thirty core faculty members in science, engineering, technology, business, math, health, social sciences and humanities are located in San Pedro I, enabling more frequent collaborations with nearby government, industry and community partners. Designed with both students and the community in mind, San Pedro I features a large public event space for workshops and conferences.

This summer, construction begins on the new Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Careers (IEC) building, SAN PEDRO II. San Pedro II will introduce additional interdisciplinary and collaborative programs in business, engineering and sciences to prepare students for fulfilling careers through immersive, hands-on learning experiences. The new building is supported by investments of more than $52 million from Texas Tuition Revenue Bond proceeds and $72 million from The University of Texas System Permanent University Fund bond proceeds. San Pedro II is expected to be 180,000 square feet and will offer space for community programs as well as meeting and conference areas available for public use.