UT Tyler Announces Partnership with University of Sonora

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler has officially initiated collaborations with the University of Sonora (UNISON), located in Hermosillo, Mexico. The announcement comes from Dr. James Nelson, College of Engineering and Computer Science dean and lead UT Tyler partner. Nelson says the agreement is designed to inspire departmental collaborations as well as increase student mobility between both institutions. Nelson and Dr. Jose Rafael Benito Noriega Luna, former visiting faculty from UNISON, initiated the international collaboration in January 2012.

“This partnership presents an outstanding opportunity for The University of Texas at Tyler and the University of Sonora to pool faculty expertise in a manner that will offer students at both institutions academic and research opportunities they would not otherwise have,” Nelson said. “The engineering faculties at both schools complement each other but have expertise not available at the other. This will result in stronger research programs and elective areas of study our students would not have otherwise.This is truly a win-win situation, and our students will be the beneficiaries.”

Nelson and Noriega organized a meeting of more than 20 UNISON representatives including its president, provost, deans, directors, and professors, together with representatives from the UT Tyler College of Nursing and Health Sciences and UT Tyler Office of International Programs. “As a result of this strategic meeting, we are currently working together on a comprehensive action plan for collaboration between our universities,” said Dr. Teresa Kennedy, UT Tyler Office of International Programs executive director. “In order to promote active communication, a Spanish immersion program for UT Tyler faculty and students and bilingual teachers in Tyler, is currently being designed to take place at UNISON in the near future.”