About CURES

CURES is addressing the problems of underserved communities in rural and small urban areas through a multidisciplinary approach that unites sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities.

Lubbock has long served as the economic, educational, and healthcare hub for rural communities in the South Plains region of the Texas Panhandle. Our location gives Texas Tech researchers a unique perspective on the ways secondary or mid-sized cities are connected culturally, economically, and environmentally to our rural neighbors.

Most of the population now lives in secondary, or mid-sized, cities. It is vital that we develop innovative ways to identify and address challenges faced by both small urban and rural areas. Texas Tech researchers are working to advance knowledge and find solutions in areas such as:

• Climate change
• Urbanization and land use change
• Social inequalities
• Missing or aging infrastructure and services
• Reliance on non-renewable energy resources
• Techno-economic development in cities
• Public health of aging and declining population
• Change of the underlying economic model

Leadership

Danny D. Reible, PhD, PE, BCEE, FNAI, NAE

Dr. Danny D. Reible is the Donovan Maddox Distinguished Engineering Chair and Horn Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech University. Dr. Reible holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology, and is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer, a Professional Engineer (Louisiana), a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and in 2005 was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He has more than 200 publications and has attracted more than $40 million in research funding. His research is focused on the fate, transport, and management of contaminants in the environment and the sustainable management of water resources.

Gad Perry, Ph.D.

Dr. Gad Perry is a Professor of conservation biology in the Department of Natural Resources Management at Texas Tech University. He recently completed a Jefferson Science Fellowship with the US Department of State, prior to which he also served as the founding Senior Director for International Research at Development and the Director of the International Center for Arid and Semi Arid Land Studies at TTU. His scholarship focuses on broad ecological issues, including invasive and endangered species and on urban ecology, and is often conducted internationally. His research has resulted in about 200 journal articles, book chapters, and policy papers, among other publications.