El Paso leaders criticize UTEP president over NSF grant handling

El Paso’s top elected officials criticized UTEP President Heather Wilson in a letter Wednesday, saying her actions this week involving the university’s Aerospace Center “will impact the economic future of our entire region and jeopardize a once-in-a-generation opportunity.” Mayor Oscar Leeser, County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar sent the letter two days after the University of Texas at El Paso announced that the National Science Foundation had suspended a major economic development grant. Wilson also removed Ahsan Choudhuri as head of the Aerospace Center he founded.

“We are extremely concerned with the announcement regarding the removal of Dr. Ahsan Choudhuri as the head of the Aerospace Center at UTEP. Dr. Choudhuri’s involvement and leadership (have) been instrumental in moving this initiative forward. His removal will impact the economic future of our entire region and jeopardize a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We cannot even fathom what would lead you to take such a negative action toward our community given that the National Science Foundation’s Office of Inspector General investigation is ongoing,” the letter said. University of Texas System officials issued a statement Thursday supporting Wilson’s actions regarding the NSF grant and the Aerospace Center. “The University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson has fully briefed us and the entire UT System Board of Regents on matters regarding UTEP’s Aerospace Center and the facts regarding the removal of Dr. Choudhuri as its leader. We are unwavering in our support of her decisions on the matter, and we know they were guided by the highest ethical standards that we expect of our university presidents,” said the joint statement from UT System Board of Regents Chair Kevin Eltife and UT System Chancellor James Milliken.