HOUSTON, Feb. 19, 2002 – A new computation, visualization and educational facility unveiled today at the University of Houston will connect UH researchers with scientists worldwide and provide state-of-the-art tools to aid environmental studies, biological and biomedical research, and the development of energy exploration technologies.
More than $22 million in research funding is associated with programs, institutes and centers supported by the Texas Learning and Computation Center, or TLC2. Area lawmakers, led by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land and Texas Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, as well as representatives from NASA, the EPA and the Texas Natural Resource and Conservation Coalition attended the event in Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall on the UH campus.
TLC2 is dedicated to designing and delivering advanced research and learning techniques. The center houses high-tech classrooms, research facilities, high-speed computers and computer modeling experts who investigate complex scientific problems. In addition to supporting research and the education of UH students, the center’s resources also will be utilized by industry and government partners, such as NASA and oil companies, to provide workforce development through distance learning.
“This outstanding research center exists because of the extraordinary support we have received from federal and state governments working in partnership with private industry,” said Arthur K. Smith, chancellor of the UH System and UH president. “The results of the center's collaborative research projects will take us farther into the frontiers of new knowledge and will further stimulate the economies of Houston and Texas. TLC2 provided the seed funding for an air quality modeling project that will establish the hard science upon which sound public policy decisions can be made. Early results from this effort have already provided indications that differ significantly from previous modeling efforts. “We are greatly appreciative of the support from our congressional delegation – led by Congressman Tom DeLay – and likewise our state legislative delegation – led by Senator Rodney Ellis and Representative Garnet Coleman – in bringing this important research center to life.”
TLC2 was established in September 1999 with funding from the Texas Legislature and nearly $4 million from NASA. Other federal, state and private agencies also support individual projects and the center’s infrastructure.
The center includes facilities that feature high-performance networking and videoconferencing equipment, which allows UH scientists to interact with colleagues worldwide on both computational and visualization research data.
“In the new age of research and education, data from sensors, scientific instruments, and databases are integrated with computers and visualization for simulation and analysis,” said Lennart Johnsson, director of TLC2. “The new facilities are a first step towards establishing such an environment accessible to University of Houston faculty and students, enabling them to take part in national and international collaborations regardless of the location of the resources and the participants. These new collaborations with no boundaries, assembled on needs and excellence, will place the center in the best possible position to address the most rewarding and pressing problems in the life sciences in the decade, and it will aid in further preserving and enhancing our environment.”
In the center’s visualization laboratory, two highly sophisticated pieces of immersive technology allow users to view and interact with 3-D images on high resolution, large format monitors. Using this technology, scientists from various disciplines can rotate and manipulate images of molecules used in medical research, or geologists and geophysicists can view actual formations within the earth to assist in oil and gas exploration. Other University of Houston-based projects benefiting from the use of this technology focus on the environment, medical imaging and interpretation of seismic data.
“TLC2 will connect the University of Houston with the most advanced academic researchers around the world,” DeLay said. “The center’s cutting edge facilities, computers and scientists will allow UH research to address some of the most sophisticated scientific challenges under study. We fully expect TLC2 to spark additional economic opportunities within the Houston community as businesses and government researchers form partnerships that will push the boundaries of advanced scientific research.” State Senator Ellis said: “As a member of the Senate Finance committee, I am very aware of the benefits that can result when state funding is provided for higher education research initiatives such as TLC2.
Projects like this attract a variety of additional funding from the federal government, and from industry and foundations, resulting in a stronger Texas economy. In the case of TLC2, there will also be untold benefits in terms of an improved environment, more efficient drugs to fight disease, and in general, improved quality of life for all Texans.”
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 33,000 students.
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