UTRGV School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences

09/28/2026

🎓 SMSS Student Workshops: Preparing for Graduate School & Beyond

Are you thinking about graduate school or preparing for your next academic or professional opportunity? Join us for two upcoming workshops designed to help you take the next step.

Wednesday — Overview of the General GRE Test for Graduate School
Presented by Dr. Josef Sifuentes, this workshop will provide an overview of the GRE, including its purpose, structure, and important considerations for students planning to pursue graduate school.

Thursday — Seeking Strong Letters of Recommendation
Learn how to identify potential recommenders and how to effectively request and support strong letters of recommendation. This workshop will be especially helpful for students preparing applications for graduate school, scholarships, internships, and other academic or professional opportunities.

💻 Join via Zoom:
https://utrgv.zoom.us/j/3218014855

Whether you are preparing an application now or simply planning ahead, these workshops can help you better prepare for your next opportunity. We encourage all interested SMSS students to attend!

09/23/2026

🏆 Congratulations to Gifty Duah on First Place at Tapia 2026!

The School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences is proud to celebrate Gifty Duah, MS in Applied Statistics and Data Science student, who earned First Place in the Graduate Poster Competition at the Tapia 2026 Conference in Atlanta!

Gifty’s research explores the use of artificial intelligence for retinal disease detection. Her study developed a Bayesian-optimized ensemble deep learning framework using optical coherence tomography (OCT) images collected at WATBORG Eye Services in Ghana. The framework evaluated multiple convolutional neural network architectures and combined their predictions to classify glaucoma, macular edema, posterior vitreous detachment, and healthy eyes.

Her stacked ensemble achieved 97.37% accuracy, a 97.85% F1-score, and a 0.9993 ROC-AUC, highlighting the potential of AI-based tools to support retinal disease screening, particularly in settings where access to eye-care specialists may be limited.

The peer-reviewed study was conducted jointly by Gifty Duah, Eric Nyarko, Gideon Nana Amo, Theophilus Dwamena Frimpong, and Anani Lotsi, and was published in Applied Computational Intelligence and Soft Computing. The research also highlights the importance of using locally collected data to improve representation of African populations in retinal AI research.

Gifty acknowledges Dr. George Yanev, her program coordinator, for his continued academic guidance, encouragement, and supervision in preparing for the conference.

Congratulations, Gifty, on this outstanding achievement and on representing SMSS at Tapia 2026!

🔗 Learn more about the Tapia Conference: https://tapiaconference.cmd-it.org/

09/14/2026

STEM Students: SMART Scholarship Applications Now Open

Are you a high school senior or current undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a STEM degree? The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program may be an opportunity worth exploring.

The program provides:

Full tuition
Annual stipend
Summer internships
Mentorship and research opportunities
Civilian employment with the Department of War after graduation

SMART supports students pursuing bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in STEM fields while providing opportunities to gain hands-on experience and contribute to important national security challenges.

Application deadline: December 4, 2026.

Interested students are encouraged to review the eligibility requirements and learn more about the program, including student testimonials and videos.

Learn more and apply: smartscholarship.org

08/27/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Tenchita Elizondo on receiving a National Science Foundation grant!

The School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences is proud to announce that Dr. Elizondo has been awarded an NSF grant for the project:

“Collaborative Research: Designing for All – An Inquiry-Oriented Approach to Calculus Sequences and Series with Universal Design for Learning.”

This three-year collaborative project is being conducted with Dr. Vroom at Michigan State University, with Dr. Elizondo serving as the sole UTRGV Principal Investigator. The UTRGV portion of the award totals $183,000.

The project focuses on designing inquiry-oriented curricula for sequences and series in Calculus II that attend to students’ unique strengths and needs while supporting greater participation and engagement in the classroom.

Congratulations to Dr. Elizondo on this outstanding achievement and important work to advance inclusive and engaging mathematics education!

08/26/2026

Welcome back, Vaqueros! 🤠🎉 Happy first day of the Fall 2026 semester!

As you begin a new semester, this may also be a great time to take your mathematics journey to the next level.

The Accelerated Math Honors Program offers motivated and high-achieving students opportunities to pursue additional challenges and earn Honors credit through advanced coursework and Honors by Contract options.

Already in the Honors Program? You may be able to earn Honors credit through an Honors by Contract in a mathematics course. The Accelerated Math Honors Program Committee can also provide support with the process.

If you are a motivated student looking for an additional academic challenge, consider applying to the Accelerated Math Honors Program. The interest form is available through the QR code on the flyer.

Start the semester strong, Vaqueros. We look forward to seeing what you accomplish this Fall! 📚

08/25/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Tamer F. Oraby on his promotion to Professor, effective Fall 2026!

The School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences is proud to celebrate this well-deserved milestone in Dr. Oraby’s career.

Since joining UTRGV in 2014, Dr. Oraby has demonstrated a sustained commitment to teaching, student mentorship, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration. He has taught courses across the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels and has developed innovative courses in areas including statistical simulation, linear models, and machine learning for dynamical systems.

His research spans infectious disease modeling, behavioral game theory, machine learning, causal inference, and applied probability, with applications in public health, medicine, and engineering. His recent work has addressed important topics such as COVID-19, vaccination decisions, disease control, health disparities, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Oraby has also made a significant impact through mentorship, supporting students at every academic level, from undergraduate research to master’s theses and doctoral studies. He has further contributed to research initiatives supported by organizations including the National Science Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and NIH/AIM-AHEAD, helping expand research opportunities and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Adding to this exciting milestone, Dr. Oraby was recently appointed as an AI Faculty Research Fellow by the UTRGV Division of Research. In this role, he will help support university-wide AI research by collaborating with and mentoring faculty, helping integrate AI into research, participating in AI research and strategic initiatives, and contributing to the development of interdisciplinary research teams.

Dr. Oraby expressed his gratitude to his students, colleagues, mentors, and collaborators whose support has been an important part of his journey.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Tamer Oraby on his promotion and these exciting accomplishments. We wish him continued success in teaching, research, mentorship, service, and advancing AI research across UTRGV!

08/24/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Alexey Garber on receiving the Excellence in Research/Scholarship/Creative Activity Award!

Dr. Garber’s research is in Combinatorics, with a particular interest in Discrete and Computational Geometry. His work contributes to the advancement of mathematical research through the study of discrete structures and geometric problems.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Garber on this well-deserved recognition and celebrating his contributions to research and scholarship at SMSS and UTRGV!

08/21/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Eleftherios Gkioulekas on receiving the Undergraduate Coordinator Excellence Award!

Dr. Gkioulekas has served as the SMSS Undergraduate Program Coordinator since 2019, working closely with students and helping address a wide range of academic and administrative needs, including transfer credits, registration overrides, scheduling conflicts, and course availability.

Reflecting on the recognition, Dr. Gkioulekas shared:

“Winning this award was an unexpected but pleasant surprise. I have been serving the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences as undergraduate program coordinator since 2019. It has been an assignment that I came to enjoy very much.”

He added that one of the most rewarding aspects of the role has been working directly with students and helping find solutions to the challenges they encounter along their academic journeys.

Dr. Gkioulekas also expressed his gratitude to the SMSS Director for his confidence and for nominating him for the award.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Gkioulekas on this well-deserved recognition and thanking him for his dedicated service to our students and the SMSS community!

08/19/2026

08/19/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Cristina Villalobos and the C-STEM team!

The UTRGV Center of Excellence in STEM Education (C-STEM) has received a $50,000 grant from the H-E-B Tournament of Champions Charitable Trust.

The grant will primarily support C-STEM’s 2027 summer camps, as well as mobile planetarium and mobile lab visits to local K–12 schools, helping bring engaging STEM experiences directly to students in our community.

We are proud to celebrate this support for STEM education and outreach across the Rio Grande Valley. Congratulations to Dr. Villalobos and the entire C-STEM team!