UTA launches center to tackle water challenges
As communities across Texas face growing pressure on water supply and increased flood risk, Nick Fang is working to ensure research does more than sit on a shelf. With the launch of the Water Engineering Research Center (WERC) in the basement of Nedderman Hall, The University of Texas at Arlington is reinforcing its focus on applied impact—connecting science, policy and practice to deliver real-world solutions. In this Q&A, Dr. Fang explains how the new center aims to turn water research into tools, systems and decisions that help protect communities and guide Texas’ water future.
What makes today’s grand opening so special for UTA?
Fang: WERC is not just another research center. It is built around the idea that research should move into practice, into operations and into policy where it can actually make a difference. For UTA, it represents a clear commitment to applied impact, taking the strength of an R1 university and directing it toward solving real water challenges across Texas and beyond. It signals a shift from knowledge generation alone to knowledge applications at scale. WERC focuses on turning water science into solutions that people can actually deploy. That includes flood forecasting, water supply planning, infrastructure resilience and environmental health. This makes WERC a dedicated home for applied water research that connects the University directly to the agencies, utilities and communities making decisions about Texas' water future.
How will WERC support student learning?
Fang: Students will not just study theory here, but also connect with industry in applied research that provides access to real sponsored projects. They will work on real problems with real partners, using real data and real systems. That experience is fundamentally different. It prepares them to step directly into roles in consulting firms, agencies and utilities with a clear understanding of how water systems actually operate. Students who come through WERC will understand not just the technical side of water engineering, but how decisions actually get made at the agency level. They will graduate not just as engineers, but as professionals ready to contribute on day one.
What excites you most about this center’s opportunities?
Fang: The ability to close gaps that have existed for a long time between research and implementation. There is a lot of good science being produced, but too often it does not make its way into practice. What excites us most is building a place where that translation and transformation is intentional and consistent, where ideas move from concept to deployment. Research that stays on a shelf does not protect anyone. Additionally, technology is changing so rapidly that engineers and scientists will struggle to keep up with and ingest these new technologies. With WERC, the community will benefit from actionable solutions integrated with new science and technologies for mitigating flood risk and water supply challenges. It becomes a bridge not just between research and practice, but between innovation and adoption.
How will this center benefit North Texas?
Fang: North Texas is growing rapidly and facing increasing pressure on both water supply and flood risk. WERC brings the capability to support better decisions, whether that is improving flood-warning systems, helping plan infrastructure investments or advancing understanding of long-term water availability. We work on flood forecasting, radar rainfall technology, reservoir operations, flash flood risk-mapping and stormwater management. And we're not just writing papers about these topics; we're building tools, training engineers and working directly alongside the agencies that protect people and manage water infrastructure. The goal is to provide tools and insight that help communities reduce risk and plan with more confidence. Ultimately, this translates into safer communities, more resilient infrastructure and more informed long-term planning.
Why is now the right time for this center?
Fang: Texas has had a series of hard water lessons in recent years. The July 2025 Hill Country floods were a tragic reminder that flash flood warning infrastructure is not where it needs to be across large parts of the state. The challenges are accelerating. This center opens at a moment when it can immediately contribute to things that matter; in fact, it has already contributed by being a key player in the Texas response to the July flooding tragedy. The center produced regulatory mapping products that show which communities will be required to install siren systems. We are seeing more variability in rainfall, increasing flood impacts and growing demands on water supply systems. At the same time, the tools available through data, modeling and computing have advanced significantly. This is the moment where those capabilities can be brought together and applied in a way that was not possible even a decade ago.
What partnerships do you hope to build?
Fang: The center is already partnering with the Texas Water Development Board, North Central Texas Council of Governments; Trinity River Authority; DFW International Airport; federal agencies including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, FEMA, and NOAA; and private engineering firms. Going forward, we want to deepen relationships with these groups and also connect with more river authorities and other groups who have a pressing need to integrate research to save costs and improve resiliency for the state of Texas and beyond. The common thread is working with organizations that are responsible for real decisions and real outcomes, so the research is shaped by actual needs and can be implemented. These partnerships ensure that our work remains grounded, relevant and actionable.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 300,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.