By Maria Gonzalez

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – MARCH 21, 2025 – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has been awarded a $2.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the ExpandAI Program to lead a new partnership with Georgia Institute of Technology’s AI Institute for Advances in Optimization (AI4OPT).

The project, ARISE (AI Research and Innovation for Smart Environments), will focus on expanding UTRGV’s artificial intelligence (AI) research and education capacity through courses, training and interdisciplinary collaborations.

As part of ARISE, UTRGV will introduce specialized AI courses, strengthen its new doctoral program in computer science with interdisciplinary applications, and provide hands-on training for students and junior faculty.

“This partnership allows us to significantly grow our AI capacity and develop advanced technologies that improve the safety and reliability of infrastructure,” said Dr. Constantine Tarawneh, principal investigator, Louis A. Beecherl Jr. Endowed Professor and director of the NSF CREST Center for Multidisciplinary Research Excellence in Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Systems (MECIS) at UTRGV.

“These initiatives aim to train participants with essential skills and experience, creating a pipeline of professionals to meet industry demand in AI, robotics and infrastructure monitoring,” Tarawneh said.

Additionally, UTRGV will develop robots and AI systems to monitor critical transportation infrastructure—such as highways, railways and bridges—and share the data collected from these systems with Georgia Tech to enhance AI models for predictive maintenance.

Tarawneh said the AI capacity established by the NSF CREST MECIS helped UTRGV compete successfully for the NSF ExpandAI program.

“This foundation will help ensure the success of project ARISE, expanding the AI capabilities at UTRGV and providing research, education and workforce development opportunities to students in the STEM and AI fields,” he said.

Through ARISE, researchers will develop AI-driven solutions for proactive infrastructure monitoring, enabling early detection of structural concerns before they escalate into major issues, ensuring the safety and reliability of these infrastructures.

“It’s a forward-looking approach that will allow us to shift from reactive monitoring to more proactive and reliable practices,” Tarawneh said.

REFINING AI MODELS AND INDUSTRY IMPACT  

The project's success will be measured by the development of scalable AI models, the provision of AI training and the expansion of educational programs. Data from UTRGV's autonomous systems will refine AI4OPT's models and advance infrastructure monitoring research.

Dr. Pascal Van Hentenryck, A. Russell Chandler III chair and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, director of Tech AI, the AI hub at Georgia Tech and co-principal investigator, emphasized the project’s collaborative potential and its role in advancing AI research for critical infrastructure.

“This partnership exemplifies how universities can collaborate to solve real-world problems by integrating AI innovation with infrastructure monitoring,” Van Hentenryck said.

“The data collected from UTRGV's autonomous systems will enhance AI4OPT's research, helping create more reliable predictive models for infrastructure health monitoring that will directly improve safety and economic efficiency.”

Van Hentenryck also noted the broader commercial and technological implications of the project.

“Our collaboration with UTRGV through ARISE is not only advancing AI technologies but also creating a platform for meaningful industry partnerships. By integrating research outcomes into practical, real-world applications—such as autonomous robots for infrastructure monitoring—we aim to drive both academic and commercial innovation,” he said.

Dr. Can (John) Saygin, senior vice president for research and dean of the Graduate College at UTRGV, emphasized ARISE’s role in bridging academic research with industry needs.

“ARISE demonstrates that UTRGV is on the right path to becoming a leading regional research university by advancing AI research that addresses critical infrastructure challenges,” Saygin said. “This project strengthens UTRGV’s leadership in AI innovation, supports workforce development, and enhances the safety and reliability of essential infrastructure, creating a significant regional impact.”

The ARISE research team includes:

• Constantine Tarawneh, Louis A. Beecherl Jr. Endowed Professor and Director of UTRGV’s NSF CREST Center for Multidisciplinary Research Excellence in Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Systems (MECIS).
• Mohsen Amjadian, assistant professor of structural engineering at UTRGV, co-principal investigator.
• Qi Lu, assistant professor of computer science at UTRGV, co-principal investigator.
• Pascal Van Hentenryck, Russell Chandler III Chair, and professor of industrial and systems engineering at Georgia Tech, and director of AI4OPT, co-principal investigator.
• Ping Xu, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at UTRGV, co-principal investigator.

Together, through ARISE, the research team aims to advance artificial intelligence (AI) research, strengthen UTRGV’s capacity in AI innovation, and provide new educational and professional opportunities, fostering growth in AI, robotics and infrastructure monitoring.