Two Texas Engineering faculty members have received funding awards to work on collaborative research projects with academic institutions and government organizations in Mexico as part of ConTex, a joint initiative of the University of Texas System and Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) to enhance academic and research cooperation between Texas and Mexico.
The 2018 award recipients from the Cockrell School of Engineering are Tan Bui-Thanh, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, and Juan Murcia-Delso, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering.
Bui-Thanh, whose primary research focus is in computational mechanics, will partner with Marcos Capistrán of CONACYT, on a project titled, "High Resolution Magnetic Resonance Elastography with Uncertainty Quantification."
Murcia-Delso, whose primary research focus is in structural engineering, will partner with Sergio M. Alcocer of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), on a project titled, "Assessment of Seismically Retrofitted Concrete Buildings Following the 2017 Earthquake in Mexico City." Alcocer is an alumnus of the Cockrell School, receiving his Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1991. He was also the school's 2015 Commencement speaker.
The ConTex awards are the latest in the state's, UT System's and UT Austin's efforts to continue strengthening academics, research collaboration and program initiatives with Mexico. Established in 2016, the ConTex program represents a long-term commitment to expand cross-border partnerships and create opportunities to share knowledge relevant to issues of common interest to the United States and Mexico. ConTex gives researchers the opportunity to make new discoveries and scientific breakthroughs, offers students a chance to use their knowledge and skills in a real-world environment, and offer outstanding preparation for entering the global workforce.
