Energized by its past successes and future plans, The University of Texas at El Paso is undergoing a significant transformation as it pursues its goal of becoming a national research university.

The sense of excitement is palpable, and it is rising all over campus, literally, in the form of state-ofthe- art buildings and laboratories being constructed from one end of the University to the other.

The construction boom is attracting both eager students and gifted professors lured by the superb research facilities the University offers.

Following up on the recent construction of the $45 million Bioscience Research Building, UTEP has broken ground on a $70 million, 140,000-square-foot teaching and research building for the chemistry and computer science departments.

Also under way is a $60 million, 130,0000-square-foot facility that will house the College of Health Sciences/ School of Nursing.

The construction is supported by the Texas Legislature and The University of Texas System, which recognize the need to invest in research infrastructure as a means of making Texas public universities competitive with institutions that boast similar economics and populations in other states.

UTEP received more than $57 million in new grant awards during fiscal year 2009, a reflection of its commitment to research infrastructure, particularly in science, health sciences and engineering.

The National Institutes of Health recently announced a $12 million grant to support the Border Biomedical Research Center on campus.

The BBRC, led by Chairman of the Biological Sciences Department Robert Kirken, Ph.D., enhances research on pathobiological problems in the Hispanic-majority population along the U.S.-Mexico border, including health disparities.

Other strong areas of research include emerging technologies, homeland security and environmental science, all of which have led the Carnegie Foundation to classify UTEP as a “high research activity, doctorate-granting” university.