did ya'll hear? UTSA receives federal funding

[tonylongoriafan]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-01/uota-urf012309.php

UTSA receives federal funding for fossil fuel research
San Antonio -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has received another boost toward top tier status. UTSA's College of Engineering has been awarded a $199,884, 24-month grant by the U.S. Department of Energy to study energy combustion.

"This is one of the first grants we have received at UTSA to study clean combustion, gasification and energy efficiency," said Efstathios Michaelides, mechanical engineering professor, department chair and the study's principal investigator. "Our research will directly affect the U.S. Department of Energy, but we suspect utilities will also be interested in our findings because they will have implications for the design of future energy plants."

Currently, the U.S. Department of Energy and their contractors use a computer code called Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges (MFIX) to describe the behavior of particles during combustion. MFIX calculations are general and all-inclusive, and they provide information about pressures, temperatures and reaction rates in boilers, gasifiers and Fluidized Bed Reactors (FBR), which represent the next generation of coal utilization equipment.

Using a Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) code developed previously by Michaelides and his students, researchers will simulate the flow and interactions of particles with gases in reactors, gasifiers, etc. Their findings will allow them to deliver "boundary conditions" to the Department of Energy, variables that will improve the ease of computations and accuracy of the MFIX code. The improved code will lead to the development of more efficient reactors, which are designed to trap pollutants and other products of combustion.

Energy has been a significant focus for UTSA in the past year. In April 2008, the university began foundational work to form the Institute for Conventional, Alternative and Renewable Energy (ICARE), a consortium of industry, government and academic leaders to explore new directions, policies and best practices for the energy industry. The new institute is expected to debut in the late spring of this year.


###

The University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Texas and the second largest of nine academic universities and six health institutions in the UT System. As a multicultural institution of access and excellence, UTSA aims to be a premier public research university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA serves more than 28,400 students in 64 bachelor's, 46 master's and 21 doctoral degree programs in the colleges of Architecture, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Honors, Liberal and Fine Arts, Public Policy, Sciences and Graduate School. Founded in 1969, UTSA is an intellectual and creative resource center and a socioeconomic development catalyst for Texas and beyond.

[degenerate_gambler]

i'm gonna sleep better tonite knowing this..

[to21]

"They're still gonna suck at football"

-Steven

lol

[Trainwreck2100]

OoOTSAH FUTBOL POR VIDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[2centsworth]

this UTSA pride/irritation is the weirdest thing to hit spurstalk since I've been here. I seriously don't get it. In fact, every time i hear one of these disturbed posters overdoing the UTSA spirit thing, I'm tempeted to give them a referral to my psychiatrist friend.

[Melmart1]

You really just can't let this shit go, can you? :rolleyes

[FreeMason]

Seriously dude haha.

It's UTSA. You've already locked up the "UTSA wins big game, I was first on ST to give them love" card.

[tlongII]

WTF is wrong with being proud of your school??? I don't get the ass-clowns in here that have to take a dump on UTSA every time a thread pops up. I graduated from Portland State University and I feel it's somewhat similar to UTSA given that it's an urban school and the sports program is in the background compared to Oregon and Oregon State. I'm still a huge PSU jock-rider though.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

WTF is wrong with being proud of your school??? I don't get the ass-clowns in here that have to take a dump on UTSA every time a thread pops up. I graduated from Portland State University and I feel it's somewhat similar to UTSA given that it's an urban school and the sports program is in the background compared to Oregon and Oregon State. I'm still a huge PSU jock-rider though.

Could you link me to your last post about a $200K grant?

[tlongII]

Could you link me to your last post about a $200K grant?

Is there a problem with posting an article related to a grant for their engineering program? The purpose is to establish legitimacy.

[Blake]

Is there a problem with posting an article related to a grant for their engineering program?

yes

[Melmart1]

Is there a problem with posting an article related to a grant for their engineering program? The purpose is to establish legitimacy.

No, the purpose is to silently pick at the scab over the bullshit in the College Sports forum, because some people can't let shit go. Now people may lose their jobs and livelihoods over a couple of idiots who couldn't stand someone disagreeing with them over a football program that has yet to even field a team.

There is a big difference between 'establishing legitimacy' and trying to destroy the lives of those who disagree with you.

[JoeChalupa]

For as much as UTSA gets bashed I'm surprised any students attend at all.

[stretch]

gold jacket, green jacket, who gives a shit?

[greywheel]

I agree the way this was presented as flame bait but Texas does need more research schools. Texas has 3 to California's 9.

link (http://http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-tierone_24edi.ART.State.Edition1.4e01560.html)

Editorial: Texas needs to grow more research schools

06:57 AM CDT on Thursday, July 24, 2008

A handful of state senators heard an earful yesterday from Texas college executives about why the state needs more national research universities. Commonly called Tier One schools, these campuses with large research portfolios receive a significant share of money from out of state to do their work. In turn, that money attracts the investment capital that grows their states' economies.

All members of the Legislature should remember that point when they get down to business next year. Investments in research now will yield enormous dividends for the state later. As Bill Powers, president of the University of Texas at Austin, told the Senate higher education subcommittee, 25 years from now the leading states will have serious, robust research universities. Will Texas be in that game?

Currently, UT-Austin, Texas A&M and Rice are the only Texas universities that meet the common definitions of a national research university. Those parameters include how much research money a school spends, how many of its faculty members are recognized in their fields and how many graduate degrees the school awards in a range of subjects.

California has nine Tier One universities. Its list includes mostly public institutions. Thanks to those schools, California hauls in billions of dollars more in federal research money than Texas does.

The question: How does Texas produce more national research universities?

The Legislature needs to start the process by rewarding only those schools that are close to qualifying. Treating all universities equally will mean that we won't get any more schools into the Tier One category.

David Daniel, president of the University of Texas at Dallas, presented a plan to the senators yesterday that would target the state's seven "emerging research universities." He would have legislators reward them when they take the steps to get into the top rung of research schools.

For example, if one of the campuses raises money for a new research facility, the state would match some of the university's expense. That way, the seven schools and their alumni could compete to see which becomes a research powerhouse. (Those seven are UT-Dallas, UT-Arlington, the University of Houston, the University of North Texas, Texas Tech University, UT-San Antonio and UT-El Paso.)

UT-Dallas certainly is close to becoming a Tier One school, and we think that Dallas-Fort Worth, the nation's largest metropolitan area without such a research university, could support one.

As Dr. Daniel explained, his school is fourth among Texas' public universities with faculty members who have earned membership in the National Academies of Science. It also has the third-ranked graduate engineering program among our state's public universities.

Legislators are probably looking at close to $70 million a year to grow the next Tier One schools. As Dr. Daniel points out, that money would be one of the best investments the state could make. Until we push more universities to the top tier, we leave federal research dollars on the table – and shortchange our economy in the bargain. Economic impact on Texas


•Texas has 8 percent of the U.S. population but only:


–5 percent of federal research and

development dollars.


–5 percent of venture capital investment

in 2007.


•If Texas had its proportional share of federal research and development and venture capital investment, it would gain $3.7 billion per year.


•In 2007, Austin had more venture capital investment than Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio combined.


SOURCE: David Daniel's testimony to the state Senate, July 23

[pkbpkb81]

so now this utsa crap has moved in to the club great.

[ShoogarBear]

From what I've seen recently, if UTSA wants to become a national research university, it's going to have to increase the quality of its students by a couple of orders of magnitude.

[tlongII]

No, the purpose is to silently pick at the scab over the bullshit in the College Sports forum, because some people can't let shit go. Now people may lose their jobs and livelihoods over a couple of idiots who couldn't stand someone disagreeing with them over a football program that has yet to even field a team.

There is a big difference between 'establishing legitimacy' and trying to destroy the lives of those who disagree with you.

I disagree. I don't think that's what it's about at all. I could be wrong though. Also from what I read it was one of the UTSA critics that posted the phone number of a UTSA alum/student and that is what started the BS.

[ClingingMars]

this UTSA pride/irritation is the weirdest thing to hit spurstalk since I've been here. I seriously don't get it. In fact, every time i hear one of these disturbed posters overdoing the UTSA spirit thing, I'm tempeted to give them a referral to my psychiatrist friend.

I mean, I really love JMU, but even on the JMU boards, I don't make a new thread every time something new happens here.

[ClingingMars]

I disagree. I don't think that's what it's about at all. I could be wrong though. Also from what I read it was one of the UTSA critics that posted the phone number of a UTSA alum/student and that is what started the BS.

he got the phone number because the idiot called him at work. serves him right

[lebomb]

I mean, I really love JMU, but even on the JMU boards, I don't make a new thread every time something new happens here.


Then why arent you OVER at the JMU boards? Why comment? in an area you arent interested in? Unless you really are interested.... If the title of a thread does not interest me, I avoid it. Its real easy.

:rolleyes

[tonylongoriafan]

No, the purpose is to silently pick at the scab over the bullshit in the College Sports forum, because some people can't let shit go.

i started this thread, just like i started the i will not stop thread. that was more of not letting it go. this is more kinda big important news. getting funding to do fossil fuel research is a big deal and another step toward UTSA becoming a top research university...this is good news :toast

[tonylongoriafan]

Now people may lose their jobs and livelihoods over a couple of idiots who couldn't stand someone disagreeing with them over a football program that has yet to even field a team.

There is a big difference between 'establishing legitimacy' and trying to destroy the lives of those who disagree with you.

what the hell are you talking about? like i've posted before, i don't really care if anyone gets hired, fired, promoted, demoted, or jerked off during their lunch hour.

[2centsworth]

WTF is wrong with being proud of your school??? I don't get the ass-clowns in here that have to take a dump on UTSA every time a thread pops up. I graduated from Portland State University and I feel it's somewhat similar to UTSA given that it's an urban school and the sports program is in the background compared to Oregon and Oregon State. I'm still a huge PSU jock-rider though.

Great, be proud of PSU. However, if every thread you ever started was about PSU and how they are better than every other school, I would call you a loon too. btw, this is the first I ever heard you went to PSU, but if it makes you feel any better, you're still an ass in my book.:lol

[Jekka]

From what I've seen recently, if UTSA wants to become a national research university, it's going to have to increase the quality of its students by a couple of orders of magnitude.

Noooo shit.

The sad thing is that I know some really smart people that went there, but they are so outnumbered by idiots that it devalues their degrees.

It would also help if my diploma didn't look like it was created on fucking Printshop and run off on Romo's home ink-jet printer. It just LOOKS cheap.

The good news, though, is that if you want a cheaper place to do undergrad and plan on going to grad school later, the profs there really appreciate people that actually want to learn and possess a decent amount of ambition, and you can get some really great recs. There are a lot of awesome faculty members there in certain departments, you just have to do the research to find them.

[BlackSwordsMan]

When does SAC get a football team?

[boutons_]

$200K? :lol

That wouldn't buy a investment banker's toilet.

[J.T.]

inb4 that 200 grand gets reallocated to athletics. gotta have those nice Nike football jerseys.

[spursfan09]

Whoa. I didn't know so many people hated UTSA. :lol Anyways I'll be graduating from there this year with my bachelors in accounting. I apologize in advance.

[ATRAIN]

You really just can't let this shit go, can you? :rolleyes


No, the purpose is to silently pick at the scab over the bullshit in the College Sports forum, because some people can't let shit go. Now people may lose their jobs and livelihoods over a couple of idiots who couldn't stand someone disagreeing with them over a football program that has yet to even field a team.

There is a big difference between 'establishing legitimacy' and trying to destroy the lives of those who disagree with you.

Yeah I agree. The idiots in the College forum has made any UTSA references annoying to me now. I get being proud of your school and all but the UTSA fan base has established themselves as the biggest tools this board has ever seen. For those of you not involved in the UTSA nut huggng this of course does not include you.

[ATRAIN]

Whoa. I didn't know so many people hated UTSA. :lol Anyways I'll be graduating from there this year with my bachelors in accounting. I apologize in advance.

congrats on that and no need to apologize.

[mrsmaalox]

:wakeup...:sleep

[peewee's lovechild]

I'm still a huge PSU jock-rider though.

:lmao

[peewee's lovechild]

I disagree. I don't think that's what it's about at all. I could be wrong though. Also from what I read it was one of the UTSA critics that posted the phone number of a UTSA alum/student and that is what started the BS.

I'm a critic of UTSA football, not UTSA in general. Although, the UTSA alumni that post here leave much to be desired.

However, we were called first.
Your account of the story is not accurate.

[peewee's lovechild]

what the hell are you talking about? like i've posted before, i don't really care if anyone gets hired, fired, promoted, demoted, or jerked off during their lunch hour.

Apparently, you don't care at all.

[JudynTX]

When does SAC get a football team?

:lol Nevah!

[peewee's lovechild]

:lol Nevah!

Or, the same year UTSA football gets a BCS National Championship.

[tonylongoriafan]

I'm a critic of UTSA football, not UTSA in general. Although, the UTSA alumni that post here leave much to be desired.

However, we were called first.
Your account of the story is not accurate.

sooooooo, federal funding...good news! :bang

[peewee's lovechild]

sooooooo, federal funding...good news! :bang

UTSA Football!!!!!!!

[peewee's lovechild]

Let's all tailgate!!!

[tonylongoriafan]

Let's all tailgate!!!

hell yeah library aide, i tailgate anytime, any place
:danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub
:danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub
:danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub

[peewee's lovechild]

hell yeah library aide, i tailgate anytime, any place
:danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub
:danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub :danceclub


:lol:lol:lol

"I call up peoples bosses to try to get them into trouble because I obviously don't know the difference between a message board and real life"

:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao

[peewee's lovechild]

I'm cowardly because I get people into trouble when they make me cry on the interwebs :depressed

[Destro]

$199,884, 24-month grant by the U.S. Department of Energy to study energy combustion.

that is a tiny ass grant, especially a federal grant. I'm at UT-Austin and i wouldn't even bother applying for something that small, the funds are not worth the paper work and administrative time.

[peewee's lovechild]

that is a tiny ass grant, especially a federal grant. I'm at UT-Austin and i wouldn't even bother applying for something that small, the funds are not worth the paper work and administrative time.


UT San Antonio >>>> UT San Antonio at Austin

[Destro]

$200K? :lol

That wouldn't buy a investment banker's toilet.

you mean the one's that haven't been laid off yet right?

[Jekka]

that is a tiny ass grant, especially a federal grant. I'm at UT-Austin and i wouldn't even bother applying for something that small, the funds are not worth the paper work and administrative time.

That's not that small a grant if they are mainly using it to pay research assistants and the like - it would be small if they were going to use it to buy lab equipment, but I haven't seen anything specific about spending breakdowns.

[CubanMustGo]

not to mention UTSA doesn't have UT's multi-billion dollar endowment. Any money is good money when you're starting out and it could be the first step towards getting larger grants.

[MannyIsGod]

You know Pee Wee, after this shit caused you trouble you think you'd learn a lesson and maybe just keep your mouth shut instead of pissing off people who do that kind of thing. I don't like UTSA and I think this dude is annoying, but you're like a child a lot of the time too.

[tonylongoriafan]

:lol:lol:lol

"I call up peoples bosses to try to get them into trouble because I obviously don't know the difference between a message board and real life"

:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao

whatever man, i wouldn't waste my breathe and the time talking to the people i know about you and your meaningless opinions...u must have some fans :lmao

[Kermit]

You know Pee Wee, after this shit caused you trouble you think you'd learn a lesson and maybe just keep your mouth shut instead of pissing off people who do that kind of thing. I don't like UTSA and I think this dude is annoying, but you're like a child a lot of the time too.


Eh. It's funny when Pee-Wee goes bananas.

[PakiDan]

Noooo shit.

The sad thing is that I know some really smart people that went there, but they are so outnumbered by idiots that it devalues their degrees.

It would also help if my diploma didn't look like it was created on fucking Printshop and run off on Romo's home ink-jet printer. It just LOOKS cheap.

The good news, though, is that if you want a cheaper place to do undergrad and plan on going to grad school later, the profs there really appreciate people that actually want to learn and possess a decent amount of ambition, and you can get some really great recs. There are a lot of awesome faculty members there in certain departments, you just have to do the research to find them.

It's a STATE University... not a private school like RICE, that can afford and is ALLOWED to be more selective. For what it is, UTSA is a great school with HUGE potential. Haters will always keep on hating.

I went to BYU and UTSA and I must say, UTSA's curriculum is nothing to sneeze at. I'm glad they are moving up in both the sports and academic arenas.

-Paki

[Jekka]

It's a STATE University... not a private school like RICE, that can afford and is ALLOWED to be more selective. For what it is, UTSA is a great school with HUGE potential. Haters will always keep on hating.

I went to BYU and UTSA and I must say, UTSA's curriculum is nothing to sneeze at. I'm glad they are moving up in both the sports and academic arenas.

-Paki

I'm not saying that my education at UTSA was worthless - I got a good education because I worked my ass off for it, and it ended up getting me into Michigan largely because of my recommendations rather than the school's name (or so says the admissions counselor that I talked to). I never wanted to knock the faculty, because there are some really brilliant people teaching there.

That being said, the way the administration works at UTSA, faculty gets rewarded for good reviews in the class-end assessments that everyone fills out. Those reviews decide salary increases and make or break the track to tenure. As positions in academia are getting harder and harder to come by because more and more people are getting advanced degrees, a lot of faculty tend to teach in a way that makes the students happy rather than making them learn/use critical thinking as much as they could.

Not ALL faculty, but many do this.

The end result is a largely commuter school that accept more than 90% of their applicants and holds their hands until they finish with their degree if the student wants to do it that way. I spent a lot of time in classes surrounded by people who would willingly admit that they had no fucking clue what was going on, somehow manage a C in the class, and skate by to the next semester.

Also, I don't know if you have ever seen a budget break-down for the school, but it's pretty fucking skewed against the liberal arts, which is one place where a school can earn a lot of prestige. I took a class my senior year from a prof that had us examine and analyze the school's budget, and something like 3% of the school's funding was going to the liberal arts - and that included any sort of funding for research on the part of faculty, etc. That's pretty paltry. And yet there's money to dump into a football program.

I am glad that UTSA is getting a little more selective, and with the top 10% of high school classes overwhelmingly going to UT because they have automatic admission, a lot of people are turning to UTSA as their alternative, and it's making things a little better. I'm not going to pretend that there aren't some major issues with the school, though.

[johnsmith]

lol, UTSA.



lol, Pee Wee

[PakiDan]

I'm not saying that my education at UTSA was worthless - I got a good education because I worked my ass off for it, and it ended up getting me into Michigan largely because of my recommendations rather than the school's name (or so says the admissions counselor that I talked to). I never wanted to knock the faculty, because there are some really brilliant people teaching there.

That being said, the way the administration works at UTSA, faculty gets rewarded for good reviews in the class-end assessments that everyone fills out. Those reviews decide salary increases and make or break the track to tenure. As positions in academia are getting harder and harder to come by because more and more people are getting advanced degrees, a lot of faculty tend to teach in a way that makes the students happy rather than making them learn/use critical thinking as much as they could.

Not ALL faculty, but many do this.

The end result is a largely commuter school that accept more than 90% of their applicants and holds their hands until they finish with their degree if the student wants to do it that way. I spent a lot of time in classes surrounded by people who would willingly admit that they had no fucking clue what was going on, somehow manage a C in the class, and skate by to the next semester.

Also, I don't know if you have ever seen a budget break-down for the school, but it's pretty fucking skewed against the liberal arts, which is one place where a school can earn a lot of prestige. I took a class my senior year from a prof that had us examine and analyze the school's budget, and something like 3% of the school's funding was going to the liberal arts - and that included any sort of funding for research on the part of faculty, etc. That's pretty paltry. And yet there's money to dump into a football program.

I am glad that UTSA is getting a little more selective, and with the top 10% of high school classes overwhelmingly going to UT because they have automatic admission, a lot of people are turning to UTSA as their alternative, and it's making things a little better. I'm not going to pretend that there aren't some major issues with the school, though.

We miss you Jekka.

[ShoogarBear]

It's a STATE University... not a private school like RICE, that can afford and is ALLOWED to be more selective. For what it is, UTSA is a great school with HUGE potential. Haters will always keep on hating.

I went to BYU and UTSA and I must say, UTSA's curriculum is nothing to sneeze at. I'm glad they are moving up in both the sports and academic arenas.

-Paki

There are plenty of state university that are nearly as selective as the best privates, so that's no excuse.

However, my original comment was not about UTSA itself, since I know next to nothing about the institution, but about the douchbaggery that got the College Forum shut down.