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Centers of Excellence
Fueling Advancements at the Crossroads of Discovery
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Working collectively and across disciplines toward common goals is a surefire way to fuel discoveries that boost the economy. UT Arlington has built new laboratories and launched new initiatives that create an environment where our researchers, teachers, and students can thrive. These centers promote collaboration and encourage partnerships. They offer spaces for exploration and experimentation. They attract even more world-class faculty and bright students. And they help the University continue to personify excellence.  

Rhonda Prisby, Kinesiology assistant professor
Boning up on circulation

Everyone knows the leg bone’s connected to the knee bone, and the knee bone to the thigh bone. But Rhonda Prisby knows the essential connections the children’s song leaves out: blood vessels. The kinesiology assistant professor and director of the Bone and Microcirculation Laboratory is researching the link between bone deterioration and poor circulation. She believes that if medicine or exercise can improve blood circulation, then bone deterioration can be reduced. “I’m doing experiments now with PTH (parathyroid hormone) administration to see how it can not only treat osteoporosis but also potentially alter bone blood vessel function,” Dr. Prisby says. Her research also could address challenges associated with other diseases that affect the skeleton, such as Type 2 diabetes and post-menopausal osteoporosis. “We know the small blood vessels determine where the blood goes,” she says. “The hope is that we can somehow help patients by also treating the bone blood vessels.” 

an elderly woman sets a disc onto a peg

PROMOTING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Convincing people to make changes that can lead to healthier, longer lives isn’t always easy. Researchers at UT Arlington’s new Center for Healthy Living and Longevity think they can help. The center is led by the College of Education and Health Professions’ Department of Kinesiology, in collaboration with the College of Nursing and School of Social Work. Studies aimed at keeping senior citizens active and decreasing incidence of potentially deadly conditions like hypertension are among the research priorities.

a lab worker is seen behind vial of liquid

TOWARD ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

An innovative multidisciplinary initiative is bringing new energy to campus—literally. The Center for Renewable Energy, Science, and Technology (CREST) works to develop efficient, affordable, and eco-friendly alternative energy processes. CREST researchers are pioneering ways to capture and convert carbon dioxide to fuel, refining the conversion of natural gas to liquid fuel, and creating more efficient solar cells, among other projects. The center has received more than $2.4 million in external funding.  

woman displays a mechanical device

TECHNOLOGY GOES TO MARKET

UT Arlington is committed to advancing the economy by commercializing technology-based research. TechComm, a technology transfer arm of the Center for Innovation, aims to do just that. It shows promise in generating new technology, processes, and products and provides a marketplace for bioengineering, energy, medical imaging, electronics, security, and other UT Arlington high-tech discoveries. The Center for Innovation is a partnership between the University and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

close-up view of a microbot

A SMALL SENSE OF SECURITY

People may never see the bugs being manufactured at UT Arlington’s Automation and Robotics Research Institute (ARRI). But they’ll feel more secure because of them. Researchers at ARRI, a leader in micromanufacturing research, are developing the newest generation of sensors—some as small as fleas—that can transmit important data to a home base. Some can even walk and crawl toward locations that need to be evaluated. The devices could have applications in the military and the security industry.