UTA Opens AI-driven Smart Agriculture Research Center

New hub aims to tackle agriculture's most pressing challenges using artificial intelligence and data science.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The University of Texas at Arlington has opened a new Smart Agriculture Research Center (SARC) in partnership with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service. The center will use AI and data science to address issues like predicting plant disease, modeling soil health, and forecasting outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. It will also provide research opportunities for UTA students to work alongside USDA scientists.

Why it matters

The SARC is a direct response to the national call for climate-smart agriculture and resilient food systems. By combining UTA's strengths in technology and data science with USDA expertise, the center aims to develop practical solutions that can strengthen regional agriculture and drive progress worldwide.

The details

The 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. The center's work includes predicting plant disease, modeling the effects of weather on crop resilience, assessing the environmental impacts of fertilizers and pesticides, and developing data-driven tools for livestock and poultry health monitoring.

  • The SARC opened in August 2025.
  • On February 9, 2026, the center hosted a grand opening event.

The players

Jianzhong Su

Professor of mathematics and co-director of SARC.

Gautam Das

Professor of computer science and engineering, and co-director of SARC.

Kate Miller

Vice president for research and innovation at UTA.

Scott Miller

Associate vice president for research and innovation at UTA.

USDA-ARS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, which partnered with UTA to develop the SARC.

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What they’re saying

“Agriculture is essential to society, yet it has historically seen less AI integration than other industries. UTA has tremendous strength in technology and data science, and that positions us to help modernize agriculture in Texas and beyond.”

— Jianzhong Su, Professor of mathematics and co-director of SARC

“The work done by SARC will turn abstract knowledge into practical solutions that strengthen our region and drive progress worldwide. It is a testament to our 130-year legacy and our bold future.”

— Kate Miller, Vice president for research and innovation at UTA

“This center is UTA's direct response to the national call for climate-smart agriculture and resilient food systems. We are here to ensure that the innovations born in Arlington scale to support the entire nation.”

— Scott Miller, Associate vice president for research and innovation at UTA

What’s next

The SARC plans to continue expanding its research projects and securing additional USDA and external funding to support its work in developing AI-driven solutions for agriculture.

The takeaway

By leveraging its strengths in technology and data science, UTA is positioning itself as a leader in the modernization of agriculture through the SARC. The center's focus on using AI and machine learning to tackle pressing agricultural challenges has the potential to drive significant advancements in sustainable and resilient food production.