Monument sign at the entrance of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde
Newswise — A new joint venture between Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M University-San Antonio aims to foster interdisciplinary partnerships, provide valuable learning opportunities for students and promote groundbreaking research initiatives.
Faculty from the San Antonio campus and AgriLife Research will conduct cross-institution research and teaching. The campus and the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde will serve as hubs for student and faculty collaborations.
“This exciting venture is part of a broader effort within AgriLife Research to integrate research activities across The Texas A&M University System,” said G. Cliff Lamb, Ph.D., director of AgriLife Research. “Our strategic priority to conduct leading-edge research and our commitment to developing future research leaders are bolstered by far-reaching collaborations like these.”
Research and teaching faculty of both institutions aim toward mutual advancement of their respective missions and visions. Both institutions seek to establish pipelines for undergraduate and graduate students to gain research experience in agricultural, natural resources and life sciences.
San Antonio faculty will have access to research opportunities at Uvalde, while AgriLife Research faculty will join teaching initiatives connected to the San Antonio campus. Organizers expect the collaboration to support new and existing research at both campuses.
Research collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife center at Uvalde
An early step in the new venture is the hiring of Jose Rodolfo Valdez, Ph.D., who has accepted a joint associate professorship of biology between Texas A&M-San Antonio and AgriLife Research. Valdez’s research in Uvalde will begin in summer 2024.
Valdez focuses on plant-vector-microbe interactions — the role microbes play in affecting plant communities — and the transmission of pathogens by insects.
AgriLife Research is renowned for its dedication to serving agricultural communities through applied research. The center at Uvalde specializes in horticultural and agronomic research on crops of importance to the region surrounding the center.
Daniel Leskovar, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M AgriLife center at Uvalde, said the joint venture represents an “exciting opportunity to enhance our research portfolio across disciplines, with Uvalde serving as a hub for fundamental research.”
Leskovar cited soil health, plant stress responses, food systems and agricultural ecology as research areas that stand to benefit from the new partnership. The center’s research projects also focus on pest management and training for professionals and farmers.
The joint venture will provide Texas A&M–San Antonio students with opportunities to work alongside faculty members from both institutions, gaining hands-on experience and contributing to research.
Other opportunities
In addition, Valdez said he hopes to offer students research courses, providing opportunities to conduct fieldwork and laboratory experiments. The collaboration also aims to secure funding for scholarships, student travel, internships and new research relevant to careers in agriculture, natural resources and the life sciences.
“It is literally a wish come true,” Valdez said. “Texas A&M-San Antonio and I will greatly benefit from this collaboration to support research, scholarships and the staff to help us run the student research program. These projects could help improve and strengthen current programs, support our graduate students and support other faculty associated with this venture.”
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