NASA official praises the work of Brownsville’s Expanding Frontiers program

MISSION, Texas – A top NASA official has praised the work of Dr. Rick Jenet and his Expanding Frontiers program in Brownsville.

Walt Ugalde works in NASA’s business development and technology integrity office at the Johnson Space Center. He gave an in-depth presentation on the work of the agency at an event hosted by the Council for South Texas Economic Prosperity (COSTEP). The event was held at the Center for Education & Economic Development in Mission.

Ugalde said NASA is pleased to help fund the NASA Tech Trek, which is powered in Brownsville by Expanding Frontiers.

In answer to a question from COSTEP’s economic development director, Rick Carrera, Ugalde said: “Expanding Frontiers is a rare thing. (NASA helped fund the NASA Tech Trek in Brownsville) because the agency saw that investment in this region was in the national interest, to develop talent in underserved communities and underrepresented individuals.”

Expanding Frontiers, founded by Dr. Jenet, is a non-profit organization that provides novel educational experiences and hands-on training for students, veterans, and aspiring entrepreneurs in order to create and accelerate the growth of an innovation ecosystem in Brownsville, with emphasis on space and energy technologies.

According to Expanding Frontiers, NASA Tech Trek is “an initiative designed to ignite the spirit of innovation in South Texas by empowering entrepreneurs to forge impactful startups around cutting-edge NASA technologies.”

Its website says NASA Tech Trek is a “unique” program that, through a series of hackathons, workshops, and pitch competitions, “strategically leverages NASA’s T2X Program, not just to catalyze regional economic growth but to weave a vibrant tapestry of technological advancement and community upliftment, ensuring that the benefits of space exploration touch the lives of people on Earth.”

The Rio Grande Guardian secured an interviewed Ugalde after his presentation. He was asked to elaborate on the importance of Expanding Frontiers.

“The work that Dr. Rick Jenet has done down in Brownsville… my colleagues and I were talking about this the other day. His holistic approach to literally incubating a kid, sticking with them through college, helping him or her postgraduate and move into a business, he’s a true what I call, back in the day, a Renaissance Engineers, a Renaissance Innovator. He’s not only anchored to people and kind of giving them a hand up through his programs, but he’s also willing to launch them,” Ugalde told the Guardian.

“I think his unique background not only as an educator, but as a former JPL (jet propulsion laboratory) NASA astrophysicist, and as an entrepreneur kind of blends as well.”

Ugalde continued: “So, we at the agency have recognized the work that Dr. Jenet has done. He runs such a small kind of unit, but the work that he’s done from an agency perspective has been really impactful.

“So, yes, we were happy to work with him on the NASA Tech Trek program. He’s spun out quite a few companies leveraging NASA technology, not just for space, but in other industries.”

Asked about NASA wanting to make sure Hispanic students interested in the STEM field know about the opportunities in the agency, Ugalde said:

‘So, we’re always looking to an inclusive approach of the US space program in human exploration. It’s for all humankind. And so, there is a recognition that there’s a lot of talent here in the Rio Grande Valley that can be leveraged. And it’s kind of like, someone’s finally kind of opened up the curtain. They’re like, hey, there’s talent in this region.”

In his presentation, and in answer to another question, Ugalde said the Rio Grande Valley is at a key inflection point. He said that as a student in San Antonio in the late 1980s and early 1990s he was able to witness the rapid development of the city under Mayor Henry Cisneros. He said the Valley is now where San Antonio was then.

So, the Guardian asked Ugalde later, NASA is aware of the Rio Grande Valley?

“Yes, we are. Especially locally at the Johnson Space Center. We love coming down here. Love the people. Like I said (in my presentation) lots of talent. So, we’re willing to do our part to engage that ecosystem and just make people aware of programs and services and things that they can leverage to better their community.

“As I alluded to (in my presentation), the Valley is at this cool inflection point.”

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