In the last year, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, swept through chicken coops across the nation, killing egg-laying hens and contributing to rising egg prices. The outbreaks underscored how vulnerable food systems can be to rapidly spreading biological threats and how urgently new predictive tools are needed to help producers respond.
That's why the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) partnered with The University of Texas at Arlington to develop solutions through the Smart Agriculture Research Center (SARC), a new research hub using artificial intelligence and data science to tackle agriculture's most pressing challenges.
"Agriculture is essential to society, yet it has historically seen less AI integration than other industries," said Jianzhong Su, professor of mathematics and co-director of SARC. "UTA has tremendous strength in technology and data science, and that positions us to help modernize agriculture in Texas and beyond."
Opened in August 2025, SARC serves the entire UTA campus through four core pillars: providing AI capacity and data discovery tools for agriculture research projects; serving as a resource hub for faculty pursuing agriculture-related research; securing major USDA and external training and center grants; and serving as UTA's institutional gateway for external partners focused on sustainability and global environmental impact. Dr. Su and Co-Director Gautam Das, professor of computer science and engineering, work together with more than 20 faculty members in science and engineering.
On Feb. 9, the center hosted a grand opening that included UTA and USDA officials.
"The work done by SARC will turn abstract knowledge into practical solutions that strengthen our region and drive progress worldwide," said Kate Miller, vice president for research and innovation at UTA, at the grand opening event. "It is a testament to our 130-year legacy and our bold future."
Backed by growing federal investment, the center brings together UTA faculty, students and USDA-ARS scientists to apply machine learning to real-world agricultural problems—from predicting plant disease and modeling soil health to forecasting outbreaks of HPAI.
"This center is UTA's direct response to the national call for climate-smart agriculture and resilient food systems," said Scott Miller, associate vice president for research and innovation at UTA, during the grand opening event. "We are here to ensure that the innovations born in Arlington scale to support the entire nation."
Students at the core of the research
A major engine behind the center's work is a USDA-supported summer research program that immerses UTA students in federal agricultural research projects.
Each year, 20 to 25 undergraduate and graduate students—primarily from mathematics, computer science, engineering and science—participate in an eight- to 10-week summer research experience. Students are grouped into small research teams, each paired with a UTA faculty mentor and a USDA-ARS scientist, to tackle real agricultural data challenges using artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Projects span a wide range of agricultural issues, including predicting plant diseases, modeling the effects of weather on crop resilience, assessing the environmental effects of fertilizers and pesticides, and developing data-driven tools for livestock and poultry health monitoring.
One of the newest research directions focuses on predicting HPAI outbreaks. UTA researchers and USDA scientists are developing models that automatically collect publicly reported outbreak data and generate short-term forecasts. These tools can help poultry producers take preventive measures—such as enhancing biosecurity, increasing sanitation or modifying facility management—to reduce the risk of virus spread.
Although students conduct their research on UTA's campus, they collaborate remotely with USDA scientists located across the country and participate in site visits to observe agricultural research operations firsthand. The experience provides students with direct exposure to national research networks, which helps build a highly skilled workforce in AI-enabled agriculture.
Building national research capacity
Additional collaborative USDA projects total over $5.5 million in external research investment connected to UTA faculty and ARS partners.
By connecting North Texas talent with national agricultural research networks, the Smart Agriculture Research Center aims to train the next generation of AI-enabled agricultural scientists, strengthen food and environmental resilience, and help producers respond to emerging biological and climate threats.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation's top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.
