As part of an innovative initiative aimed at exploring international collaborative research opportunities between the National University of Costa Rica (Universidad Nacional Costa Rica) and Texas Tech, officials within the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources are hosting six experienced academic researchers and administrators from the Central America educational leader.
The program will run from Oct. 14-18 and will include a series of detailed presentations and tours of Tech’s leading scientific facilities.
“This is an excellent opportunity to build bridges, create networking opportunities, and strengthen our international research and educational programs,” said Davis College Associate Dean for Research Noureddine Abidi. “Texas Tech Costa Rica Campus has been instrumental in facilitating these connections. Scientists from both universities will engage in scientific exchange and brainstorming to map research proposals and students exchange.”
Among the National University of Costa Rica participants on the Lubbock campus are:
- Jorge Herrera Murillo | Vice-Rector for Research. An active member of numerous high-level committees and projects in the field of environmental quality, both nationally and internationally, Murillo has proven leadership skills, combined with his expertise in institutional management and negotiation, enable him to effectively contribute to the development of strategic proposals and initiatives aimed at advancing research and environmental sustainability.
- Felipe Araya Ramírez | Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences. a professor within UNA’s School of Human Movement Science & Quality of Life, Araya Ramírez has been working as a professor and researcher for more than 25 years in the fields of exercise physiology and cardiac rehabilitation. He has authored 49 publications, including 21 papers, 3 book chapters, and 25 abstracts in exercise physiology and cardiac rehabilitation in both English and Spanish.
- Ana Francis Carballo | Professor, School of Chemistry. Carballo teaches courses on the isolation and characterization of secondary metabolites, organic chemistry. In addition, she is the coordinator of the Biorefinery Research Laboratory. Currently, she is the chair of the scientific committee of the biomaterials Hub of CINDE, the representative for UNA in the Latin-American bioeconomy network, the industrial cluster of biosciences CRbiomed and advisor for CENAT.
- Luis Roberto Villegas-Peñaranda | Professor, School of Chemistry. Villegas-Peñaranda works within the Biorefinery Research Laboratory where work focuses on finding innovative uses for waste from the Costa Rican agroindustry. He also oversees the Teaching, Research & Production Support Laboratory and an industrial bioprocess instrumentation facility, where he manages analysis and research equipment. His teaching centers on industrial chemistry and bioprocess engineering courses.
- Ana Gabriela Navarro Alpízar | Professor, School of International Relations. As a researcher, she concentrates on trade policy, multilateral and regional trade, China’s economic rise, regionalism in the Asia-Pacific, market access, and entrepreneurship. Currently a member of the WTO Chair in Costa Rica, she leads research on trade fragmentation, re-globalization, and the disruption of global value chains. Additionally, she is part of the Latin American Association of Asian & African Studies-Costa Rica Chapter.
- Silvia Camacho Delgado | Advisor, Office of International Affairs. With more than 16 years of experience in international cooperation and project management, she has expertise from her time at the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Costa Rica. Her professional journey includes extensive international experience, having lived, studied and worked in Japan, New Zealand, United States, and Costa Rica, with knowledge of several other countries.
Scheduled activities for the visitors are a tour of the Texas Tech Innovation Hub, along with an introduction and tour of the Davis College Fiber & Biopolymer Research Institute (FBRI) and the Texas Tech International Cultural Center. There will also be research presentations by FBRI faculty and graduate students, followed by research presentations by the visiting scientists.
Next on the agenda is a presentation by the Texas Tech Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance and tour of the research group’s laboratories, as well as a tour of the Texas Tech Center of Biotechnology & Genomics and a discussion highlighting the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing & Systems Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Separately, there are several meetings on tap, including a discussion of potential research collaborations, student exchange, outreach and engagement with Davis College’s Associate Dean for Research Noureddine Abidi, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Assessment Darren Hudson, Associate Dean for Academic & Student Programs Robert Cox, and Associate Dean for Outreach & Engagement Erica Irlbeck, followed by sessions concerning specific research collaborations between the National University of Costa Rica and Texas Tech, along with meetings with Texas Tech Vice President of Research & Innovation Joe Heppert and later with Davis College Dean Clint Krehbiel.
CONTACT: Noureddine Abidi, Associate Dean for Research, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or noureddine.abidi@ttu.edu
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