• Special Programs

• Publications and Collections

• Academic Information

• College of Agricultural Sciences

• College of Art and Sciences

• College of Business Administration

• College of Engineering

• Interdisciplinary Programs

RCSE is a consortium of the major institutions of higher education on the island, which includes the University of Puerto Rico, Inter-American University, Ana G. Méndez University System, Sacred Heart University, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, and Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico in partnership with the Puerto Rico Department of Education. RCSE’s mission is to achieve excellence in science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) education in order to promote full participation of Puerto Rican students in these fields and to develop the human resources and research base needed to support the island’s economic and technological development. Created in 1980 with joint funding from the National Science Foundation and the University of Puerto Rico, RCSE has been extremely successful in pursuing its goals and has experienced a sound and steadfast growth in the scope of its programs.

The high level of success at RCSE is in great part due to its development as a consortium based on a collaborative network among major institutions of higher education, while providing access to a broad pool of resources by promoting excellence. Its goals range from efforts to improve science and mathematics curricula from grades K-12 in the island’s schools to the establishment of research and development capability on the island. Due to the multi-institutional nature of its structure and complexity of its goals, RCSE was established as an administrative unit of the University’s Central Administration, and it is under the direct supervision of the President of the University. As a special institute which is not identified with any particular academic program, level or unit, the RCSE has effectively promoted maximum collaboration among all institutions, facilitating a synergistic effect through the improvement of SEM education on the island. RCSE has acted as an intermediary among consortium institutions, bringing them together to identify major problems and needs in SEM education and to develop innovative programs to address these needs. Key academic and administrative officials from all member institutions participate actively in the planning and implementation of the RCSE programs. Offices for RCSE are located on Río Piedras and Mayagüez Campuses.

The Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) serves as the technology transfer effort of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Professional Development. The LTAP mission is to stimulate active, progressive, and cost effective transfer of bridge/highway technology and to provide technical assistance to local and urban governments. A network of 57 LTAP centers (one in each State, one in Puerto Rico, and six that serve Native American Tribal Governments), through its National Association of Transportation Technology Transfer Center (NATTTC) has implemented a Strategic Plan with emphasis on technology transfer services, products, and educational resources to the local level. Throughout the years, LTAP continues to be a significant avenue for providing training and new technology to the countries, urban areas, small cities and the tribal governments.

The Puerto Rico LTAP Transportation Technology Transfer Center was established in 1986 as part of FHWA Region 1 in order to promote research and development and technology transfer in highway related activities in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. In 2002, the PR LTAP was moved from Region 1 to Region 4 as part of FHWA Reorganization. The Puerto Rico LTAP Center joined the Southeastern LTAP Centers that include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Throughout the years more than 10,000 transportation officials of the 78 Municipalities, Department of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have benefited from our products and services. Partnerships with several professional organizations such as the College of Engineers and the Land Surveyors of Puerto Rico (CIAPR), American Public Works Association (APWA), and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) have been made to offer seminars on critical issues of interest to professionals and technicians in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Co-sponsorship with local and internationally recognized scientific and research organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Center for Hemispherical Cooperation in Research and Education in Engineering and Applied Science (Co-Hemis), Civil Infrastructure Research Center (CIRC) and transportation affiliates such as Northeast Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (NASTO) have been used to promote research and development symposiums in transportation related areas. It is the intention of the Center to continue sponsoring a variety of seminars to meet the transportation needs of the municipalities as well as the Department of Transportation and Public Works officials of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The Puerto Rico LTAP Transportation Technology Transfer Center has had nineteen (19) successful years since its establishment in April 1986. The success can be attributed to the full support of the Civil Engineering and Surveying Department of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, the Department of Transportation and Publics Works, the Federal Highway Administration, the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority, the US Virgin Islands Public Works Department, municipality officials as well as the cooperation and assistance of all the members of the Advisory Committee.

Among the latest accomplishments, the Center has:

• Developed new courses in 2003 and 2004 to address the need of local municipalities as well as state transportation officials from the HTA.
  
  
• Participated in web conferences.
  
  
• Collaborated with the Federal Highway Administration by participating in activities of the Border Technology Exchange Program (BTEP).
  
  
• Organized and host of the 2002 Regional Meeting for Region 4. The Centers that belongs to this region and attended the Region 4 Meeting in Puerto Rico were Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
  
  
• Established a partnership with the College of Engineers and Land Surveyors of Puerto Rico (CIAPR). As part of the partnership, the technical seminars offered by the PR LTAP Center were accredited for Continued Education Units (CEU) for all the CIAPR members.
  
  
• Continued update of the web page www.prt2.com with emphasis on the Center activities in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. It includes the latest version of the editions of the newsletter El Puente, published in English as well as in Spanish. It also maintains links with the 57 LTAP Centers as well as local, state and federal transportation agencies that have useful information for locals.
  
  
• Participated in the Annual Southeastern Local Roads Conference (SELRC) held every year in different locations in which technical presentations associated with Highway Safety, Parking Studies, Pedestrian Accidents, Public Transportation, were presented by the Center Directors.
  
  
• Collaborated with programs recognized by FHWA, FTA and international organizations, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower Hispanic Serving Institutions Fellowship Program, University Transportation Research Center, and Pan-American Institute of Highways.
  
  
• Continued to be an active member of national and international organizations such as American Publics Works Association (APWA), National Association of County Engineers (NACE), National Association of Transportation Technology Transfer Centers (NATTTC), and the Pan-American Highway Institute (PIH).
  
  
• Continued to be an active member of the T2ALL electronic mailing list, managed by the New Hampshire LTAP Center. This list is for open discussion among people who are associated with LTAP.
  
  

PRSMP is under the administration of the Civil Engineering and Surveying Department. Among the main objectives are to develop a Quake Map immediately after an earthquake strike and make it available to the emergency agencies, to determine the critical earthquake ground motion for which structures in Puerto Rico should be designed. The program includes a strong motion network of 88 free field stations with digital accelerographs distributed throughout a 13 strong motion stations in the San Juan Metropolitan Area, 11 stations for the Mayagüez Metropolitan Area, 12 stations for the Ponce Metropolitan Area, and 32 stations around the Island. The network also includes 12 joint stations where an accelerograph and a broadband seismograph, from the PRSN, are collocated. Lately, eight free field stations have been installed, mostly in UPR-campuses and are transmitting in real time to the ANTELOPE Network Administrator.

Another phase of the program is the seismic instrumentation of structures. There are already eight structures instrumented including two buildings, three bridges, and three dams. Within one year the program will be expanded to the neighboring countries installing three strong motion programs at the east side of the Dominican Republic, and to the American Virgin Islands. Strong Motion Records are available upon request, and soon will be available from IRIS and from COSMOS.

Since 1980, the University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant College Program has been working to promote the conservation, sustainability and wise use of the coastal and marine resources of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is one of 31 programs which conform the National Sea Grant Program created in 1966 with the signing of Public Law 89-688, the National Sea Grant and College Program Act. The aim of UPR Sea Grant is to better inform public policy makers, change resource user attitudes and practices, develop educational curricula and promote conservation and sustainable economic development. The UPR Sea Grant program achieves its mission through a multifaceted approach which includes research, outreach and formal(K-12) education programs.

UPR Sea Grant links the university setting, which focuses on the development of theoretical and applied research, with regional and national agencies, and stakeholders producing a better understanding of marine technologies, seafood production (including marine aquaculture), coastal ecosystem health, and coastal economic development (including human environmental impact, and public safety). Sea Grant provides research and educational opportunities to graduate and undergraduate students of all fields related to conservation of marine resources. The information produced by research activities is organized and disseminated through workshops and activities developed by the Marine Outreach Program and the education component of our program.