Ferialab Biosafety Laboratory

Mari Perez

Executive Director of Research Administration

mari.perez@utrgv.edu

Mari Perez

---

Mari Perez
Executive Director of Research Administration
Edinburg, TX
Email: mari.perez@utrgv.edu

---

Ms. Mari Perez is a legacy graduate from the University of Texas Pan American. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in International Business. Ms. Perez started her career in the Office of Sponsored Programs as a student assistant, she was assigned to work with the post-award staff and work initially assist with sending out reporting requirements to PIs/PDs. MS. Perez since then has served in multiple roles in the Office of Sponsored Programs from proposal development to award processing and negotiation. Her most recent role was serving as Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs which lead a group of staff that performed outstanding results at the university. In the last fiscal years during her leadership, the Office of Sponsored Programs has submitted a record number of submissions and in the last two years, UTRGV has received over $100 million in external funds.

Currently, Ms. Perez is now serving as the Executive Director of Research Administration and oversees the Offices of Sponsored Programs, Grants & Contracts, and Grants Accounting. The goal in the capacity is to ensure all departments are exceeding their previous years goals, whether it is securing additional external funds, ensuring funds are exhausted on funds in compliance to grant requirements, and ensuring the university is recovering all expenses, ultimately increasing research expenditures, and ensuring UTRGV becomes a Tier 1 Research Institution.

Close

Kristine Lowe

Chair; Professor

kristine.lowe@utrgv.edu

Kristine Lowe

---

Kristine Lowe
Chair; Professor
Department of Biology
Email: kristine.lowe@utrgv.edu

---

Dr. Kristine Lowe is originally from Illinois but her science journey has included living in Michigan, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi and finally Texas. She received her PhD in Applied Biology from Georgia Tech, received a MS degree in Environmental Biology from Governor’s State University in Illinois and completed her BS degree in Ecology from the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign. After completing her PhD, Dr. Lowe conducted postdoctoral work with the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC and the Naval Research Laboratory at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. She was the Principal Microbiologist at the Gas Technology Institute near Chicago prior to moving to Texas in 2004 and joining the Biology faculty at UTRGV’s legacy institution, the University of Texas – Pan American. 

Dr. Lowe is the Chair for the Department of Biology and manages the largest department in the College of Sciences and the largest department at UTRGV with regards to student majors. In her role as department Chair, Dr. Lowe leads the academic and research vision for the department; teaches, mentors and advises students; mentors and supervises faculty and staff; determines the department’s course offerings; and maintains the day-to-day operations of the department. She works closely with the college dean and other academic administrators to increase the rigor, standards and achievements of the department and to ensure that the department fulfills its mission to serve the Rio Grande Valley and train the next generation of biologists.

Close

M. Jasim Uddin

2020 COS Faculty Excellence Award in Research Awardee

mohammed.uddin@utrgv.edu

M. Jasim Uddin

---

M. Jasim Uddin
2020 COS Faculty Excellence Award in Research Awardee
Department of Chemistry
Email: mohammed.uddin@utrgv.edu

---

Dr. M. Jasim Uddin (h index 29) obtained his PhD degree (Materials Science) from University of Turin, Italy. He is currently working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Prior to joining in University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; he worked at Tulane University, LA and Florida State University, FL. He discovered Self-cleaning and antimicrobial textiles during his doctoral research. He is recently awarded: Outstanding and Sustainable Research in Science Award 2016 (UTRGV), High Scholar Research Competition Award (First Prize) 2016 (UTRGV), United Group Research Award 2016 (International), NASA Texas Space Grant Award (2016), UGC Award in 2010 (International), etc. He was awarded $1.5M external research grant to support his research. Dr. Uddin’s research focuses on fictionalization of organic and inorganic nanostructured materials for advanced structural and energy application. We successfully bridged in between the graphene/MWCNT and conductive polymer, semiconductor nano phase etc. The modified structures are capable in harvesting renewable energy with three-dimensional feature and is applicable to be used as self-powered artificial muscle. We propose this self-powered muscle for Naval Vessel's Hull, with integrated energy conversion capability and ultra-strong and light wight-structural feature. His current research group consists of 8 graduate, and 10 undergraduate research assistants.   

Close

Volker Quetschke

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs

volker.quetschke@utrgv.edu

Volker Quetschke

---

Volker Quetschke
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs
College of Sciences
Email: volker.quetschke@utrgv.edu

---

Dr. Volker Quetschke is an Associate Professor in Department of Physics and Astronomy at UTRGV. He earned his doctoral degree in 2003 at the Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany working on identifying and reducing the noise of laser systems for gravitational wave detectors. Subsequently he joined the University of Florida in 2003 and became first a post-doctoral researcher and later a Research Assistant Professor. In 2009 he joined UTB/UTRGV.  Dr. Quetschke’s research mainly focusses on the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) where he is involved in improving the laser and input optics as well as designing the next generation detector. He chairs the Lasers and Auxiliary Optics working group of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) and is a council member of the LSC. Dr. Quetschke holds two patents and has published more than 240 peer reviewed articles and is a co-recipient of the Breakthrough Prize 2016 for detection of Gravitational Waves 100 Years after Albert Einstein predicted their existence and a co-recipient of the 2016 Gruber Cosmology Prize for pursuing a vision to observe the universe in gravitational waves, leading to a first detection that emanated from the collision of two black holes. While he maintains a strong research agenda in experimental gravitational wave detector physics, he has also been extremely active in service and leadership activities.

He has served as the Associate Chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy and is now serving as the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Programs of the College of Sciences at UTRGV. He is representing the interests of the faculty as a member of the Faculty Senate at UTRGV, served as President of the Senate for two terms and is currently an officer of the Faculty Senate Executive Council as Past-President. Statewide he is representing the faculty as one of the founding members and co-chair of the Research Committee of the University of Texas System Faculty Advisory Council (FAC).

Close