Staff reports
SAN MARCOS — Texas State University received more than $21 million through HR 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, passed by Congress.
The bill provides year-round funding through September 30 for federal government projects and activities as well as authorizations and extensions for a wide variety of government-sponsored programs and activities.
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment received $2 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the Impact of Climate Change on Water initiative. U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett facilitated the grant.
The Meadows Center project analyzes climate factors, including dramatic increases in extreme weather events and drought projections, for Texas to assess how the state’s climate projections can better meet the needs of Texas stakeholders. ‘water. Cutting-edge research will provide actionable insights into climate impact to spur policymakers and decision makers. The project will develop climate change models aimed at analyzing the impact on surface water and groundwater at the local level. This will allow the Meadows Center to provide a policy roadmap for individual stakeholders, communities, and public officials to prepare Texas for future challenges related to water resources, the environment, and the economy.
Melinda Villagran, director of the Center for Community Health and Economic Resilience Research, received $2 million to improve mental health training and technology through the State of Texas Community Mental Health Surveillance Collaborative. Doggett also facilitated this grant.
“The pandemic has left more and more of our neighbors with depression, anxiety and more serious issues that can lead to serious harm,” Rep. Doggett said. “During the pandemic, we benefited from our local COVID dashboards, which mapped our community to show where new infections were occurring. This new funding I secured is designed to facilitate similar action for the growing number of mental health issues in central Texas. This funding will allow mental health experts and data scientists to develop a mapping tool to help us respond to and prevent mental health crises. A Central Texas mental health map should be a useful tool for public health planners, school counselors, and veterans’ aid groups. This can help match the needs of neighbors in certain areas, age groups and other factors with the resources available for assistance in times of crisis or challenge.
“Building resilience after the pandemic requires a fresh look at the most pressing mental health challenges in central Texas,” Villagran said. “This funding obtained by Representative Doggett will enable our data scientists to create a virtual one-stop-shop for clinicians, non-profit organizations and government agencies to better understand and address the changing landscape of mental health in our region.”
The Round Rock Campus was awarded $1 million for the STEM-for-All Partnership (RRSAP) and Research Initiative, overseen by Leslie Huling, a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Rep. John Carter facilitated the grant.
RRSAP is a public/private initiative that will combine a workforce research initiative with a well-integrated portfolio of STEM engagement and educator professional development opportunities for learners of all ages in the 31st Congressional District from Texas. Research data will be collected and analyzed from area employers and education providers regarding current and future workforce needs to identify gaps and promote collaborative planning to better meet needs local.
Collaboration on STEM engagement and professional development for educators includes engineering summer camps for elementary students, STEM internship programs for high school students, monthly STEM nights at area schools, engineering summer institutes for teachers-in-training, Saturday teacher professional development sessions for K-12 teachers, a community speaker series, and STEM exhibits and interactive activities during community events in the region.
The State of Texas Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERT) center received $11 million through the Protecting Our Lives through Initiating COPS Expansion (POLICE) Act sponsored by Rep. John Carter.
The grant will support ALERRT’s Integrated Response Training Program, which provides multidisciplinary scenario-based training to first responders across the country to improve rapid response to active shooter events. A significant portion of the funding will go towards training first responders on how to be instructors, so they can return to their communities and train others in the Integrated Response Training program. ALERRT is also expanding and developing more e-learning capabilities.
Weston Nowlin, a professor in the Department of Biology, was awarded $5.6 million for the multi-year, multi-researcher collaborative project to study populations of native and invasive species in Texas waterways.
The ongoing research project investigates how variable river conditions, such as flooding and drought, combine with landscape-level factors, such as climate and land use patterns, to affect the distribution and l abundance of organisms in and across state watersheds. The research will examine the response of a wide ecological range of species, including bacteria, fish, freshwater mussels and invertebrates.
