A guest walks up the amphitheater staircase of UTSA's new San Pedro I facility in downtown San Antonio.
FEBRUARY 2, 2023 — From exploring what’s possible with artificial intelligence to uncovering how data science can identify vulnerabilities in a smart home, there’s plenty going on at San Pedro I, the newest addition to UTSA’s campus in downtown San Antonio.
The new high-tech facility, which opened earlier this month, houses the School of Data Science, the first of its kind in Texas, and the National Security Collaboration Center (NSCC), the state’s largest hub for government, academia and industry partners in national security. The facility houses programs in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, data analytics and statistics as well as 16 UTSA research centers, institutes and labs including the MATRIX: AI Consortium for Human Well-being and the Open Cloud Institute.
Other lab spaces make room for research and teaching in bioinformatics, cyber-informed engineering, data engineering, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, smart transportation and more.
Here are eight unique projects underway at San Pedro I.
SAY HOLA TO YOUR NEW LANGUAGE TEACHER
Carry on a conversation in Spanish using the VR/AI Language Learning App developed in collaboration between the NSCC, Leidos Inc. and the Sixteenth Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The app, whose software was developed by a UTSA computer science student, is designed to help military service members brush up on their linguistic skills during training without an instructor present. The app also helps tackle the issue of cybersickness when using virtual reality.
CAN YOU TRUST YOUR SMARTWATCH?
Researchers in the UTSA SPriTELab (Security, Privacy, Trust & Ethics in Computing) are studying how sensors on consumer electronic devices can be exploited to capture sensitive and personal information about users.
ROBOTIC TEAMWORK
Researchers are working to control thousands of robots simultaneously, known as swarm robotics, to preform complicated tasks that could benefit different areas in the community from law enforcement to drone deliveries.
DISCOVER AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
Visiting one of Peru’s oldest temples and walking through a museum of Andean artifacts is all possible with digital anthropology. UTSA researchers are using virtual and augmented reality to enrich our understanding of ancient societies.
HOW SECURE IS YOUR SMART HOME?
As homes become smarter, researchers in the Internet of Things (loT) and Digital Forensics lab are conducting vulnerability analyses and digital forensic analyses on smart home and commercial security devices.
WHEN BIOLOGY AND COMPUTER SCIENCE MEET
UTSA researchers in Computational Biology are exploring how complex, massive biological data sets are being converted into discoveries and improved cancer outcomes.
BECOME A HACKER TO BEAT A HACKER
To protect computing and manufacturing devices, researchers in the UTSA Cloud Lab for Applied Engineering are first learning how to attack or hack them.
CYBERSECURITY PROBLEM SOLVERS
How do Texas non-profit organizations protect themselves and their donors from ransomware and cyber-theft? The NSCC National Security Collaboration Center in coordination with MITRE and the UTSA Department of Computer Science have created a unique academia-public-private program called Project Xander for San Antonio to address threats against non-profits, including youth and faith-based organizations. The initiative is giving UTSA students hands-on learning experience to make them more competitive job candidates for employers.
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A fun night for UTSA students to relax and play loteria. Student Success Centers will also have recourses for students to learn more about programs and services.
Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28,) Main CampusCome play a game of Loteria sponsored by the UTSA College of Education and Human Development (COEHD), UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) and UTSA Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Willow Room (SU 2.02.12,) Main CampusJoin in on the fun and celebrate the beginning of High School Voter Registration Week & National Voter Education Week! This FREE event is open to high school students, UTSA students/faculty/staff, and the greater San Antonio community.
UTSA Downtown CampusJoin us for a culinary celebration on the lawn at UTSA’s Westside Community Center. UTSA Libraries will be collecting recipes and food memories and food trucks will be on hand selling bites inspired by UTSA's Mexican Cookbook Collection.
UTSA Westside Community Center, 1310 Guadalupe St San Antonio, TX 78207Participants will discuss this pervasive problem in academic publishing and how to spot the red flags through real-life examples. You will learn about legitimate open access publishing practices and how to find a high-quality open access journal.
Virtual EventDon’t miss this great opportunity to network and recruit students and alumni from 14 of the leading Hispanic Serving Institutions in the country.
Handshake (virtual fair platform)Are you on ResearchGate or Academia.edu? Do you need an ORCID? Join us for this hands-on session for early career scholars on how to communicate the impact of your research online, find collaborators, and ensure correct attribution of your work.
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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