Monday, Oct 14, 2024 • Katherine Egan Bennett : contact

From the internet and cellphones to weather radar and navigation tools, satellite technology is used every minute of every day. Satellites help collect and transmit the data we need to predict the weather, plan our driving routes, text a friend and pay for an item with a credit card. And as society’s reliance on satellites grows, so does our need to understand the space weather that can impact us.

To help improve our knowledge of space physics, the National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.5 million grant to The University of Texas at Arlington to train the next generation of scientists to study space weather. The grant will pave the way for a new faculty member to develop undergraduate and graduate courses in space physics and data science. The grant also will help UTA create a space physics specialization for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in physics.

“Space physics is a hot topic these days, as small activities in space have the potential to make a big difference in our everyday lives,” said Yue Deng, professor of space physics at UTA. “We’ve already seen how small solar flares can release charged particles into space, bringing down the power grid and damaging consumer electronics. This grant will help us train new leaders about these natural phenomena and how to predict them.”

The grant will also allow UTA faculty to integrate space science into other disciplines, including the natural sciences and engineering.

“In addition to teaching students, this grant will help us create space physics teaching tools to share with other educators,” said Ramon Lopez, professor of physics and co-principal investigator on the project. “This grant will help bolster many of the initiatives we launched over the years to improve science curricula, including adding quantum physics to K-12 schools. It’s exciting to be able to take educational our efforts to the next level.”

“Adding a track for space physics is a great addition to the already outstanding physics offerings we have at UTA,” said Alexander Weiss, distinguished professor and chair of the Physics Department. “Plus, as a Hispanic-Serving and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, we are poised to bring new professionals into the space physics field who have historically been underrepresented.”

The five-year NSF grant starts in 2024 and runs through 2029.

About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)

Located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work. With an enrollment of approximately 41,000 students, UT Arlington is the second-largest institution in the UT System. UTA’s combination of outstanding academics and innovative research contributes to its designation as a Carnegie R-1 “Very High Research Activity” institution, a significant milestone of excellence. The University is designated as a Hispanic Serving-Institution and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education and has earned the Seal of Excelencia for its commitment to accelerating Latino student success. The University ranks as the No. 1 national public university in the U.S. for veterans (Military Times, 2024), No. 4 in Texas for advancing social mobility (U.S. News & World Report, 2025), and No. 6 in the United States for its undergraduate ethnic diversity (U.S. News & World Report, 2025). UT Arlington’s approximately 270,000 alumni occupy leadership positions at many of the 21 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in North Texas and contribute to the University’s $28.8 billion annual economic impact on Texas.