PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (August 15, 2025) — Ali Fares, Ph.D., endowed professor of water security at Prairie View A&M University, has received more than $18,000 in research funding from The University of Texas at Austin. The grant will support his work on reducing energy barriers to using alternative water sources in sustainable agriculture.
Ali Fares, Ph.D.
Ripendra Awal, Ph.D., will serve as co-principal investigator.
PVAMU will join UT Austin on a joint research project titled “NRT-INFEWS: Graduate Education—Reducing Energy Barriers for Novel Water Supply Use in Sustainable Agriculture.” Fares and his team from the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences will lead PVAMU’s efforts.
As part of the initiative, the university will establish a dedicated field site at its Research Farm. The site will feature seasonal plantings—such as leafy greens—and be equipped with a weather station, soil moisture sensors and drip or sprinkler irrigation systems to support hands-on learning and data collection.
The collaborative effort aims to prepare the next generation of scientists with the tools and training needed to drive energy-efficient, data-informed practices in modern agriculture.
By Joe McGinty