Education

 

 

 

NSA-Approved: UT Dallas Earns National Designation for Cybersecurity Research & Education

by | Apr 9, 2025
UTD said it's one of about a dozen institutions in the nation and four in Texas to receive all three Center of Academic Excellence cyber designations, which are managed by the NSA’s National Cryptologic School.
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The Last Word: Dreams Experience Academy President on The D.O.C. and What Dallas Needs Now
by | Apr 8, 2025
“Welcome to the private debut of the Dreams Experience Academy—or as we call it, somewhat provocatively, DEA,” said Chris Gannett at the launch event at the Kessler in Oak Cliff last week. The student-powered, purpose-driven nonprofit, co-founded by hip-hop icon The D.O.C., aims to unlock creative talent and open doors into the $3 trillion media, entertainment, and tech economy.
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The D.O.C.’s Prescription for Underserved Dallas Youth: Stay in School, Learn Skills, Help Drive Industry Change
by | Apr 8, 2025
Hip-hop legend and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Tracy “The D.O.C.” Curry starred last week at an Oak Cliff launch event for his Dreams Experience Academy. The pioneering nonprofit hopes to help under-championed students stay in school and lead measurable change in high-growth industries like media, technology, and entertainment. Among its high-profile partners so far are the T.D. Jakes Foundation, the Dallas Regional Chamber, and Taylor Sheridan's Bosque Ranch Productions.
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Researchers Build ‘Blocky” Twin of UTD in Minecraft for Digital Workforce Training
by | Apr 4, 2025
Hollywood's "A Minecraft Movie" killed it with a record $163 million opening weekend. Meanwhile, UT Dallas researchers have created their own world in Minecraft to develop educational games embedded in the blocky "digital sandbox"—and launched a new startup to advance their efforts.
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The Dallas Foundation Funds Innovative Scholarship Program to Address Teacher Shortage

by | Apr 1, 2025
The new program, Corps Member Pathway to Teaching, is funded by The Dallas Foundation and eliminates financial barriers for City Year corps members, allowing them to transition into full-time teaching roles at Uplift Education schools.
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National Medal of Honor Museum Opens in Arlington with Dozens of Recipients at the Ribbon Cutting
by | Mar 24, 2025
Following the ribbon cutting by George and Laura Bush with help from 32 national heroes, a "Mission to Inspire Spectacular" lit up the sky over the National Medal of Honor Museum with fireworks and drones, accompanied by video and musical arrangements to commemorate the milestone.
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The Last Word: DRC’s State of the Region Event Addresses High-Speed Rail and More
by | Mar 18, 2025
At the Dallas Regional Chamber's State of the Region event held in December, regional leaders addressed the opportunities and challenges of growth in North Texas—from mobility and high-speed rail to prioritizing green space over highways to ensuring health care for the uninsured.
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How a Dallas-Based Nonprofit Called Breaking Down Barriers Is Helping Students Soar in the Aviation Industry
Under CEO Dana Donati, the 501(c)(3) co-founded by former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker provides education and opportunities to those lacking the resources to pursue a career in aviation. In some cases, it all starts with a VR headset that puts them in the cockpit of an Airbus or a Boeing.
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The Last Word: The TRA’s Victor Fishman on Why Advanced Mobility Is a Key North Texas Mission

by | Mar 12, 2025
The Texas Research Alliance helps businesses, public agencies, and governments engage with North Texas’ robust higher education research infrastructure to advance a wide range of goals. And yes, that includes mobility—which is why the TRA developed the North Texas Center for Mobility Technologies, a collaboration among industry, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, UNT, UTA, SMU, and UTD to develop advanced mobility technologies in North Texas.
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Dallas Startup DirectH2 Lands Seed Round to Commercialize Rice University’s Breakthrough Hydrogen Tech
by | Mar 12, 2025
DirectH2 said the funding will accelerate the development and commercialization of its cutting-edge hydrogen solutions in collaboration with Houston-based Rice University—addressing critical challenges in the clean energy sector.
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From North Texas to the Moon: NASA-Funded Engineer Tackles Lunar Welding Tech
by | Mar 12, 2025
With a $750,000 innovation grant from NASA, UT Dallas assistant professor Wei Li is rethinking how to weld metal in space for off-world construction—and keep astronauts safe in the process.
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Bringing Outer Space Into the Frontiers of Flight Museum 
 … and celebrating ‘Texas Girls in STEM’ by showing them they can shoot for the moon. This spring, the museum is hosting a hands-on robotics camp, a NASA-led discussion on supersonic flight, and other STEM programs to spark curiosity and open doors to future careers. A new mentorship program launches this summer.
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Game On: UTD Opens One of Nation’s Largest Gaming, Esports Centers

by | Mar 5, 2025
Called Comets LANding, the newly constructed, two-story facility is roughly 16,000 square feet and houses more than 100 PCs. “We may not have football, but we have one of the best esports programs in the country,” a UTD esports manager said.
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Beyond Gaming: How Minecraft Became a Platform for Scientific Learning and AI Research
by | Mar 3, 2025
UT Dallas researcher Dr. Walter Voit transformed Minecraft’s 170-million-player universe into an advanced virtual training ground—for students and for AI agents tested by DARPA. His team’s Polycraft World uses gameplay to turn classroom theory into real-world expertise, covering topics from synthetic organic chemistry to nuclear plants to semiconductor facilities. Their new startup company, Pedegree Studios, has licensed the core technologies from the university to create a scalable digital pipeline for education and workforce development.
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UTA’s Amphibian & Reptile Diversity Research Center Among World’s Largest Herpetology Libraries
by | Feb 27, 2025
UTA's research center features more than 200,000 specimens, including samples of many species that are now extinct. You'll also find tens of thousands of rare books, scientific journals, articles, and reports on "literally anything you can think of that has to do with a reptile or amphibian," says the ARDRC's Gregory Pandelis.
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The Last Word: On the Center for BrainHealth’s Partnership With GoMo Health, 21 Impact Labs, and Virginia’s VHP
by | Feb 27, 2025
The Center for BrainHealth at UT Dallas has announced three "major new partnerships" it says will enhance its mission to empower people at all ages and circumstances with science-backed approaches for proactive brain health and fitness. The center will be working with 21 Impact Labs, Gomo Health, and Virginia High Performance to advance proactive brain health and fitness approaches.
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