Group
CREATE's Science & Technology research area covers hands-on engineering and applied-science projects — from GIS-based environmental risk modeling to robotics communication systems and advanced manufacturing materials. Students design and run their own experiments, then present findings at venues like the Miner Spark Symposium.
Publications & Projects
Soil Corrosion Risk Analysis
G. Yared Rodriguez, Natalia Hernandez, Diego Pena & Luisa Cardoso used GIS interpolation to map soil corrosion risk near a January 2026 water main break in northeast El Paso, applying AWWA C105 standards to 30 field-collected soil samples.
View Poster
Wireless Relay Node Systems for Search & Rescue Robotics
Dominic Hernandez, Jose Osuna, Jesse Rodriguez & Manuel Rodriguez evaluated how relay-node deployment extends reliable wireless communication range for search-and-rescue robots operating through obstructing materials like drywall and concrete.
View Poster
4D-Printed Materials for Manufacturing
Anel Gaytan, Abril Salcido, Oscar Salais & Eduardo Moyer compared shape memory polymers against PLA under thermal and mechanical loading, finding SMP significantly more reliable for repeatable shape recovery in 4D printing applications.
View Poster