Partnerships Foster Student Research    

Since 2019, Texas A&M University at Galveston has collaborated with the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM) on the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) program. Students participating in the most recent cohort conducted case study research on flood risk reduction in the Netherlands.

“Leveraging this partnership, we received the NSF IRES collaborative research grant, providing six weeks of international research experience for participating students each year,” said Dr. Yoonjeong Lee, Associate Research Scientist for IDRT and adjunct faculty member in the Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science at the Galveston campus. 

“The PIRE projects are expected to be driven by a bold vision for high-impact use-inspired basic research along with a strategy to leverage the PIRE opportunity to integrate diverse perspectives from different disciplines, international partners and stakeholder groups into the research,” according to the NSF. “It is expected that this effort will enhance societal benefits and increase potential to scale up and expand the partnerships beyond the PIRE funding period, catalyzing center-level activities in the future.” 

Christian Padilla Ortiz, a graduate student at UPRM studying environmental and water resources, found out about the program from his mentor, Dr. Walter Silva. “Working with students from other universities was a very enriching experience,” said Padilla Ortiz. “We were all from different backgrounds and specialties, which helped in expanding one’s horizons in terms of knowledge and perspectives.”

The trip to the Netherlands gave students time to meet with mentors, take field trips to key areas of the country and attend lectures by local experts, in addition to allowing time for independent research for each student’s projects and presentations.  

Padilla Ortiz said the program was “a great research and learning experience” and that he would suggest it to other students.  

“With the intention of expanding this partnership to the researcher and faculty level, we have applied for the NSF Global Center proposal, including UPRM as one of our partner institutions,” said Lee. “We are currently awaiting the results.