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Posted: 9/23/20

Cong. Cuellar Announces $435,020 Federal Grant to TAMIU

 

TAMIU Logo
 

A new federal grant of $435,020 to Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) was announced by Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) in a virtual news conference Wednesday.  

Awarded through the National Institute of Justice’s Investigator-Initiated Research and Evaluation on Firearm Violence grant program, it will be used to map the networks of gang violence in New Jersey and investigate the role of firearm violence within conflicts.

“Gangs are one of the biggest threats to public safety in communities across the country,” said Congressman Cuellar, “This federal investment will allow TAMIU to conduct critical research on the workings of gang violence and their use of firearms, which will inform policy and support law enforcement.

“As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to fund programs that protect our neighborhoods from violent crime, so we all have the opportunity to live safety. I want to thank president of TAMIU Dr. Pablo Arenaz, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Claudia San Miguel, assistant professor and project investigator Dr. Jared R. Dmello, and provost and vice president for Academic Affairs Dr. Tom Mitchell for conducting valuable research that will influence policymakers and law enforcement throughout the United States,” Cuellar said.

“We thank Congressmen Cuellar for his leadership in helping to secure this important Department of Justice grant.  We are tremendously proud of our opportunity to share Texas A&M International University’s research caliber and expertise with the fine people of New Jersey. The scope of this research is profound and we believe it will be of considerable interest to policymakers across our nation,” said Dr. Arenaz.

 Dr. Jared Dmello

 Dr. Jared Dmello

Henry Cuellar

Congressman Henry Cuellar 

He noted that over the past decade TAMIU has worked to build its research strengths and attract top faculty, thus elevating the University’s research profile and the broad impact of its research.

“Our Dr. Jared R. DeMello, who will lead this initiative, is a shining example of this. We commend him for his research expertise and leadership, for we are confident it will  have broad ramifications for our nation’s policymakers. Our multiple TAMIU research initiatives have impact nationally and internationally,” Arenaz said.

In comments, Dr. Dmello noted the timeliness of the announcement.

“This is National Gang Violence Prevention Week, so it’s especially significant that Congressman Cuellar is making this announcement today.  This project will be an innovative, systematic State study focused on data-drive solutions for policy-makers… I am especially looking forward to working with TAMIU students on analytic research skills such as geospatial social network analyses and predictive analytics,” Dmello explained.

TAMIU’s research will explore the structural evolution of inter-group conflict over time, accounting for changes in the victimization of non-gang affiliated community members in New Jersey. Specifically, the University researchers will work to answer two questions:

  1. To what extent does gang use of firearms spillover into public space and terrorize communities?
  2. Among gangs, is the use of firearms imbalanced, and if so, to what extent does networked gun violence vary based on the characteristic of the offending group?  

The researchers will also examine gang networks through a geospatial lens in order to better understand the diffusion of violence throughout New Jersey from urban areas to more rural areas.

Dmello, an assistant professor of Criminal Justice at TAMIU, will lead the study as the principal investigator.  In collaboration with University of Massachusetts-Lowell and California State San at Bernardino, he will bring in TAMIU graduate and undergraduate students to help with the research project. The research team will record podcasts to discuss the research findings.

TAMIU is one of the 11 university members of The Texas A&M University System.  A primarily Hispanic-serving, State-assisted university founded in 1970,  its 300-acre campus is located in northeast Laredo, Texas on former ranchland. 

Home to 8,500 students from around the world, TAMIU offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees in the arts and sciences, business, education and nursing. As its name affirms, TAMIU maintains a special focus on developing an international academic agenda for the State of Texas.

U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 Edition of its popular Best Collegesguide ranks TAMIU as the second highest-ranked Texas public university in its Best Regional Universities West category and the highest-ranked regional campus of The Texas A&M University System.

TAMIU is also ranked second in the nation and first in Texas  for having the lowest student debt, on average $3,477 in loans. TAMIU  also ranks 5th in the nation among the 100 Most Affordable Public Schools with the Highest Return on Investment according to ranking authority Great Value Colleges. 

Additional University information is available at http://www.tamiu.edu