REP Awards

UTA faculty awarded $156,000 to spark new research

To help research teams at The University of Texas at Arlington launch new investigative projects, the Office of Vice President of Research and Innovation has awarded 13 faculty teams more than $156,000, increasing the number of awards by 30% over 2024.

The Research Enhancement Program (REP) offers seed funding to investigators to help them test new initiatives so that they have stronger research proposals when applying for funding from external sources, such as federal agencies or non-profit foundations.

“Our faculty have so many great ideas for research advancements that can improve lives, but sometimes they need seed funding to get a project off the ground,” said Sergio Espinoza, Professor of music at UTA and chair of the REP selection committee. “Funding from our REP awards give researchers the freedom to initiate creative endeavors.”

“Once researchers have the results from their pilot projects, they are better able to compete for additional resources,” said Todd Castoe, Professor of biology and co-chair of the REP committee. “In just the few short years since UTA created this award, the University is already dividends from this investment.”

The 13 awarded projects are:

• Kinesiology faculty Shikha Prashad and Ziyad Ben Taleb: The pair received $15,963 to study how individuals using cannabis and nicotine at the same time can affect brain function and motor skills. As more municipalities change their laws around marijuana consumption, it is becoming more important for clinicians to understand the impact of using these two substances together.
• Kinesiology assistant professor Chueh-Lung Hwang and psychology assistant professor Crystal Cooper: The multidisciplinary duo received $15,900 to map how brain function is impacted by binge drinking. While earlier studies have focused on the effects of alcohol during the first two hours of after consumption, this research will look at brain function for a full three-days (72 hours) after the onset of binge drinking.
• Biology associate professor Cara Boutte: Dr. Boutte received $12,000 for her project to study the evolution of polar cell wall growth across bacterial clades. Her work aims to shed light on bacterial behavior, which could aid in the development of new antibiotic treatments.
• Electrical engineering assistant professor Liwei Zhou: Dr. Zhou received $12,000 to research ways to integrate renewable energy sources into the electric grid. Currently, the power generated from wind and solar sources is often stored in a “micro-grid” that is not connected to the main electric grid that powers most homes and businesses. Zhou’s work would propose solutions connect those micro-grids so the energy could be used by more individuals.
• Economics assistant professor Yutong Chen: Dr. Chen received $12,000 to study the effects of an equal pay law passed by the U.S. Congress for civil servants in 1872. Chen also plans to digitize historical personnel records for federal employees from the late 19^th century, linking them to published U.S. Census records that can be used by other researchers and genealogists.
• Computer science and engineering assistant professor Dianqi Han: With his $12,000 award, Dr. Han will develop ways to remotely diagnose problems with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), also called drones. As demand for UAVs continues growing, technology to detect and correct problems quickly is becoming more and more important.
• Mechanical and aerospace engineering assistant professor Shiyao Lin: Inspired by tough objects in nature like the shells of conch and shrimp, Dr. Lin received $12,000 to create stronger, more damage-resistant materials. His research could lead to better materials for airplanes, cars and sports gear.
• Assistant professor of architecture Mahmoud Bayat: Dr. Bayat plans to use his $11,956 grant to use artificial intelligent (AI) tools to improve evacuation routes using real-time data about traffic, weather and road conditions. By combining machine learning and optimization algorithms, the aim is to create a model that municipalities can deploy to reduce the chaos that often happens during crisis situations, such as hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes.
• Assistant professor of social work Maryam Rafieifar: Dr. Rafieifar will use her $11,904 grant to study the experiences of women who were tricked into moving to a foreign country with fake job promises only to be exploited. The information obtained aims to help improve support for victims while creating new ways to protect others from human trafficking.
• Assistant professor of political science Mark Hand: With a grant of $11,873, Dr. Hand will research how companies owned by purpose trusts—organizations that are designed to prioritize values like employee well-being or environmental goals over profit—operate and make decisions. His work will explain how this practice impacts employees, company culture, and society.
• Assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice Fangzhou Wang and associate professor of communications Shelly Wigley: The rapid growth of the Internet over the past several decades has created avenues for friends and family to connect, as well as new opportunities for criminals, leading to billions of dollars in losses for victims. Drs. Wang and Wigley will use their $11,674 grant to test a technique called “inoculation messaging” to help individuals better detect and avoid online scams.
• Associate professor of education Jin Liu: The rapid introduction of AI tools has made it easier than ever for students to cheat on school assignments. Dr. Liu will use her $11,303 award to develop and test a scale to help teachers better understand and detect academic dishonesty with the goal of improving ethics training and strengthening academic integrity policies in schools.
• Professor of history Sam W. Haynes: With his grant of $5,510, Dr. Haynes will expand upon his earlier work studying Texas history. Specifically, he will improve the search capabilities and interactive tools with his “Texas in Turmoil” project to help other researchers studying Texas’ unique history.