$4.7 Million White House Grant Awarded to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The White House recently awarded Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi a $4.73 million grant. It’s part of recent action from the Biden Administration to help bolster Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), which are defined as institutions that have at least one-quarter Latinos enrolled. TAMU-CC was one of five institutions to receive a grant related to White House Executive Order 14124.

“We are deeply honored by this prestigious recognition, which not only supports the growth of our academic programs, but also strengthens our commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in the fields of engineering and computer science,” said Dr. Ahmed Mahdy, TAMU-CC Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation. “This grant will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our students and our community.”

The four-year grant will help fund graduate research assistants, faculty, laboratory operations, field experiments, administrative support, and travel for faculty and students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (COECS). The project’s main focus will be on supporting the development of a Ph.D. program in engineering with an emphasis on innovation and solutions for coastal communities.

“This new Ph.D. program will drive technology development and innovation in the region, sparking economic growth and scientific advancement,” said Dr. David Ma, COECS Dean. “The student research assistants will be encouraged to conduct impactful research and formulate innovative solutions.”

The main areas of research will include coastal resilience, marine energy, the blue energy economy, and biomedical devices.

“The potential of renewable blue energy generated from marine and aquatic sources is immense with significant opportunities for sustainable energy production that can contribute to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change,” said Dr. Lea-Der Chen, COECS Professor and Associate Dean and the grant’s Principal Investigator. “The resources of this funding will lead to groundbreaking research.”

Over the grant’s duration, six faculty members, 60 graduate fellows, 72 undergraduate research assistants, and administrative staff will be supported.

“As an engineering and computer science college within an HSI, this program aligns with our mission to address critical challenges in coastal resiliency and sustainability while fostering locally grown talent in advanced educational research,” Ma said. “This initiative represents a significant step in empowering underrepresented communities and preparing the next generation of leaders in coastal engineering for the Coastal Bend region and beyond.”