The Center for Multidisciplinary Applied Research (CMAR) connects faculty expertise, student talent and external partner needs to address complex challenges facing government agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations and communities. Housed within University College at UT San Antonio, the CMAR serves as a hub for applied research, program evaluation, analytics and consulting that turns scholarly knowledge into actionable outcomes.
About The Center
Today's most pressing challenges rarely fit within a single discipline. Organizations increasingly need solutions that draw from multiple areas of expertise, combining research, data, technology and human-centered approaches to solve complex problems.
The Center for Multidisciplinary Applied Research was created to meet that need.
CMAR brings together faculty and students from across UT San Antonio to collaborate on applied research projects that generate meaningful results for external partners. The Center supports multidisciplinary teams working in areas such as data analytics, environmental systems, organizational performance, workforce development, policy analysis and decision support.
Through sponsored research, consulting engagements and strategic partnerships, the CMAR advances University College's commitment to innovation, student success and community impact while expanding opportunities for faculty scholarship and experiential learning.
What We Do
The CMAR supports a broad portfolio of activities, including:
- Applied research and consulting
- Program evaluation and organizational assessment
- Data analytics and visualization
- Predictive modeling and decision-support tools
- Workforce and organizational studies
- Systems integration and process improvement
- Government, industry and community partnerships
Projects may range from short-term consulting engagements to long-term sponsored research collaborations designed to address critical operational, technological, and policy challenges.
Center Leadership
Tim Ball, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired)
Director
Faculty Affiliates
The Center’s work is supported by faculty from multiple colleges across UT San Antonio:
- Anthony Rios, PhD, College of AI, Cyber and Computing
- Saugata Datta, PhD, College of Sciences
- Drew Johnson, PhD, PE, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
- Vikram Kapoor, PhD, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
- Wenbo Wu, PhD, Carlos Alvarez College of Business
- Rodrigo Velez, PhD, Carlos Alvarez College of Business
Current Projects
U.S. Army Installation Management Command Partnership: The CMAR's inaugural research portfolio is anchored by a 10-year partnership with the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM). Through this Intergovernmental Support Agreement, multidisciplinary teams from across UT San Antonio are applying expertise in national security and intelligence, environmental science, data analytics, engineering, and economics to support Army installations worldwide.
This project focuses on environmental regulatory compliance by analyzing PFAS and other chemical data across Army installations. Researchers are integrating large-scale datasets and developing analytics, predictive models, and interactive dashboards to help IMCOM monitor and ensure environmental regulation compliance.
Faculty Team
- Anthony Rios, PhD (Principal Investigator)
- Vikram Kapoor, PhD (Co-PI)
- Saugata Datta, PhD (Co-PI)
- Wenbo Wu, PhD (Co-PI)
This project analyzes more than 70 Army datasets to evaluate environmental funding strategies and risk models. The research team is using data integration, cost analysis, and performance trend evaluation to identify process improvements and support more effective environmental planning and resource allocation.
Faculty Team
- Wenbo Wu, PhD (Principal Investigator)
- Anthony Rios, PhD (Co-PI)
- Rodrigo Velez, PhD (Co-PI)
- Drew Johnson, PhD, PE (Co-PI)
Contact Us
Interested in working with us or learning more about the CMAR's initiatives?
Opportunities for Students
The CMAR is committed to supporting student success through meaningful, hands-on research experiences. Undergraduate and graduate students have opportunities to work alongside faculty on applied research projects that address real-world challenges for government, industry, nonprofit and community partners. Students will be identified and recruited by affiliate faculty and compensated with tuition assistance and stipends.
Through participation in sponsored projects, students develop skills in analysis, communication, teamwork, data interpretation and problem-solving while gaining exposure to professional research environments. These experiences help prepare students for careers in industry, government, public service and advanced study.
By integrating students into multidisciplinary project teams, The Center connects classroom learning with practical application and advances University College's commitment to experiential learning, workforce readiness and student success.
Research Updates & News
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June 30, 2026
New 10-year partnership with the U.S. Army creates a pathway for students to advance impactful researchPublished by UT San Antonio Today
UT San Antonio researchers will analyze datasets to find solutions to issues that impact military installations worldwide.
