UTEP to work with EPA to build culturally diverse workforce

The Environmental Protection Agency and University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have signed a formal memorandum of understanding, pledging their intentions to work together to build a more culturally diverse workforce for the agency.

The new partnership is expected to significantly enhance the university’s capacity to develop environmental specialists for potential employment, while also making important contributions to EPA’s overall research and development programs.

EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene and UTEP President Diana Natalicio signed the memorandum on Aug. 8, 2007, in El Paso.

Under the agreement, EPA will work with the university to provide a significant positive impact on the quality of environmental science and technical education, the relevance of UTEP research projects to EPA’s environmental and public health mission, and the number of culturally diverse students electing to pursue graduate study and research careers in areas including science, engineering, and mathematics.

The memorandum is the product of the Beyond Translation initiative launched by EPA Region 6 in 2006. This effort seeks to provide a comprehensive framework for strengthening the agency’s relationship with the Hispanic community.

Additional information on the Beyond Translation program is available at http://epa.gov/region6/6wq/beyondtranslation/index.htm