NTXIA Announces Urban Resilience Fellowship Program, Partners with University of Texas at Arlington and University of Texas at Dallas to Provide Innovative Solutions to Localized Issues

DALLAS, March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- North Texas Innovation Alliance, a 501(c)3 regional consortium of over 40 municipalities, agencies, corporations and academic institutions across North Texas working to create the most connected, smart and resilient region in the country, has announced the launch of its Urban Resilience Fellowship Program in partnership with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and University of Texas at Dallas (UTD).

This pioneering initiative aims to nurture emerging leaders and equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to address critical challenges facing the North Texas Community. The program connects students from universities and higher education institutions across Dallas Fort Worth with community and industry partners. This inaugural pilot program kicked off this semester at UTA and UTD and is the first of its kind championed by NTXIA.  

"The Urban Resilience Fellowship Program is a unique and transformative opportunity for emerging leaders in the field of urban planning, environmental science, social innovation and related disciplines to gain hands-on experience, mentorship and the tools they need to drive positive change within urban areas. Bringing this new program into our teaching and curriculum opens up an exciting avenue for UTA students to apply their skills and knowledge to tackle real-world challenges through experiential learning, ultimately contributing to the betterment of our communities and enhancing the overall education of student participants," said UT Arlington's Chief Sustainability Officer Meghna Tare. "We're excited to collaborate with NTXIA as the program's initial educational partner."

The program will act as a semester-long engagement for undergraduate, graduate and PhD students from University of Texas at Arlington and University of Texas at Dallas, who will be put into multi-disciplinary groups to work with community partners such as Southern Dallas County Inland Port Transportation Management Association and North Central Texas Council of Governments. The student groups will be guided by a faculty expert who will help define the problem statement of the community partner and advise students on how best to approach challenges and implementation plans. Projects will focus on creating innovative solutions to improve the everyday lives of the public based on key issues identified by each partner across mobility and transportation, cybersecurity, data analytics, environmental and social governance, climate change and sustainability and more.

"This incredible program gives students at University of Texas at Dallas a fantastic opportunity to gain real-world experience before entering the workforce," said University of Texas at Dallas Associate Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management James Harrington. "The flexibility of this program allows us to include this project as part of our capstone for the public policy group so that it fits best to our curriculum while also addressing the issues in local focus areas. We are excited to get our students involved and are looking forward to seeing what the next generation of bright minds can bring to our communities."

"The Urban Resilience Fellowship Program provides a unique opportunity for North Texas to leverage the diverse expertise of our interdisciplinary student teams and the practical insights of partner organizations to tackle significant issues facing our communities," said North Texas Innovation Alliance Co-Founder and Executive Director Jennifer Sanders. "Through this pilot program we hope to combine multiple perspectives and schools of thought from cities, universities and more, and we are hopeful to have 'lightbulb moments' for each of our community partners. This also supports our mission of bringing previously siloed groups together, with the aim of expanding the program to include other partners, universities and colleges in the region, to further support innovation that will benefit residents of North Texas."

Students will finish each semester with a final presentation summarizing the project and their progress. Project summaries may include budgeting, optimization and sustainability strategies, marketing campaigns, research, and policy recommendations.

"Our goal with this program is to cultivate innovative talent in North Texas by engaging students with real-world challenges," said NTXIA Director of Strategic Partnerships Yumna Bham. "By creating a collaborative and innovative environment, we are giving future generations the tools to tackle pressing community concerns while enhancing overall regional resilience. These future-looking solutions will allow our communities to address complex regional challenges that will continue to improve the overall resiliency of North Texas."

Student groups at UTA and UTD will present their final presentations in the Spring of 2024. Find out more about the Urban Resilience Fellowship Program here: https://www.ntxia.org/urban-resilience-fellows.

About the North Texas Innovation Alliance
The North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) is a 501(c)3 consortium of key cross-sector stakeholders working to develop and implement a smart region strategy for North Texas. The NTXIA is building the most connected, smart and resilient region in the country – bringing together government entities on all levels, transit agencies, utilities/infrastructure, public safety, educational institutions and some of the world's top technology developers in the private sector to pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. The organization's mission is to break down silos and drive the collaborative use of data, technology and community to address the most pressing topics and create solutions that will improve quality of life, drive inclusive economic development and promote resource efficiency. For more information, please visit www.NTXIA.org, or follow LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contact: North Texas Innovation Alliance – Communications
310.374.6177
[email protected] 

SOURCE North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA)