“This is perhaps the most beautiful time in human history; it is really pregnant with all kinds of creative possibilities made possible by science and technology . . .” Jonas Salk The University of Texas System and its academic and health institutions are a driving force behind such beautiful possibilities. Commitment to “excellence, innovation, integrity, collaboration and focus on results”, as stated in the System mission statement, is reflected in the ongoing creation and development of cutting-edge technologies in the fields of medicine, natural and physical sciences, and information technology, to mention only a few. Programs throughout the UT System, in teaching and research facilities around the State of Texas, are energized by a sense of forward momentum in exploring and refining innovative solutions to difficult and challenging issues.

A recently launched initiative will provide UT institutions with state-of-the-art infrastructure for research and development in the fields of science, technology, engineering and health – work that is guaranteed to keep Texas at the competitive frontier in these fields, as well as attract the best scientists, teachers and researchers from around the world. Current faculty and staff already include seven Nobel laureates in the fields of medicine, chemistry and physics. This bold imperative includes a stunning array of capital projects at a variety of UT campuses and research facilities and, according to Board of Regents Chairman James Huffines, will allow the development of “major advances in cutting-edge research and technology that can, in turn, be applied to real-world applications.”

Current projects include the development of a supercomputer that will increase time and computing power for researchers around the United States, and a nanoelectronics initiative in which UT System will partner with the State of Texas and industry colleagues to develop the Southwest Academy of Nanoelectronics (SWAN), headquartered at UT Austin. New science and technologies exploiting the nanoscale are being developed at the UT Dallas NanoTech Institute, where researchers are engaged in the development of fuel-powered artificial muscles that could allow robotic soldiers to re-power in the field.

Research in the field of medicine is active throughout the UT System. At UT M. D. Anderson’s Red and Charline McCombs Institute for the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer, researchers are collaborating to discover and target genetic and molecular abnormalities that are key to advancing the understanding of the disease. The UT Southwestern Medical Center is working to advance their efforts in cancer cell biology and the molecular basis of cancer, as well as exploring mathematical modeling of cell systems.

UT Medical Branch at Galveston has purchased an advanced microscope to assist in neurological stem cell research and is opening a positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) center which will allow earlier diagnosis of life-threatening conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, dementia and seizure disorders.

With its characteristic commitment to excellence The University of Texas System is forging new pathways to the future, creating beautiful possibilities in classrooms, laboratories, and research facilities, expanding knowledge, discerning new ways to heal, developing exciting solutions to challenging problems – crafting the future through science and technology.