Located on the U.S.-Mexico border in far West Texas, The University of Texas at El Paso is undergoing a significant transformation as it pursues its goal of becoming a national research university.

The unmistakable momentum can be seen and felt throughout campus as state-of-the-art buildings and laboratories are constructed, and new faces join the talented faculty and staff at UTEP.

Following on the recent construction of the $45.1 million Bioscience Research Building, the University is breaking ground on an $80 million, 140,000-square-foot teaching and research building for the chemistry and computer science departments. Also underway is a $60 million, 130,000- square-foot facility that will be the new home for the College of Health Sciences and School of Nursing.

The new construction is supported by funding from The University of Texas System and the Texas Legislature, which have recognized the need for investment in research infrastructure to make Texas' public universities competitive with states with similar economies and population.

UTEP scientists have received numerous awards of $1 million and more from prestigious research programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the departments of Defense and Energy, and other public and private agencies.

Among them is assistant psychology professor Laura O'Dell, an El Paso native and UTEP alumna who recently was one of 12 outstanding young researchers across the nation to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. O'Dell received an NIH grant of $1.5 million to study the eff ects of nicotine on the adolescent brain.

Overall, UTEP boasts a portfolio of more than $50 million in annual research spending, ranking among the top UT System academic institutions. UTEP makes the most of its strengths in the areas of biomedicine, Hispanichealth disparities, border and homeland security, environmental and Earth science, emerging technologies, and borderland arts and humanities. The Carnegie Foundation classifies UTEP as a "high research activity" doctorate-granting university.

The number of doctoral degrees awarded each year also is a factor in defining a national research university. To this end, UTEP has expanded its Ph.D. programs, which now total 16. Others are in the works, including a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Doctors of Nursing Practice, Physical Therapy and Public Relations.

As UTEP's research capacity grows, the university is working with government and business leaders to address important regional issues, such as water resource management. The university recently established the Center for Inland Desalination Systems, a research facility that will collaborate with El Paso Water Utilities on developing costeffective and environmentally friendly desalination technologies.

UTEP's border location and proximity to Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range also positions the university to be a hub for homeland security and defense research. The university is home to the National Center for Border Security and Immigration, and the Center for Defense Systems Research. The Border Security and Immigration center is working on projects that focus on surveillance and tracking technologies, border inspection processes and migrant population flows. Initial projects at the Center for Defense Systems Research include research on miniature tracking sensors and software for visual sensing and image dissemination.

Another emerging research area at UTEP is biomedical engineering. New master's and doctoral programs in biomedical engineering are in the works as UTEP leverages a century-old engineering legacy with the strength of its biological sciences research portfolio. The programs are being developed under the leadership of College of Engineering Dean Richard Schoephoerster, who established biomedical engineering programs at Florida International University before coming to UTEP in 2007.

At the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, engineers and biological scientists are teaming up to investigate ways to heal damaged nerves and bone, using implantable "scaffolds" on which cells are grown into healthy tissue.

And in the Laboratory for Human Motion Analysis and Neurorehabilitation, engineering expertise is improving diagnosis and treatment for people suffering from nerve disorders and injuries. More and more opportunities to make an impact in this discipline are expected, thanks to the opening of the Paul Foster School of Medicine at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, and the region's strong manufacturing sector.