The University of St. Thomas Department of Physics and Engineering is beginning to focus on the science of autonomous systems. The new Autonomous Vehicle System (AVS) Lab has received its first externally funded research award since moving to UST—a two-year, $218,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Engineering and Physics Department Chair Dr. Vahid Taghikhani is thrilled by this grant.
“We began establishing our AVS (Autonomous Vehicle Systems) Lab in July/August,” he said. “The lab is still in the process of being established, so this is an exciting milestone for us.”
Dr. Michael Frye, a new faculty member in Electrical Engineering who recently joined the Department of Physics and Engineering from the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), was the Principal Investigator for the grant, alongside Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Steve Provence, associate professor of Electrical Engineering who joined UST in January 2026 after working at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and contributing to the Artemis II mission.
“The project is a collaborative effort with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and will focus on developing drone and AI based algorithms for the remote surveying of Carrizo cane here in Texas,” Dr. Frye said. “The funding will enable us to hire UST students to participate in faculty-guided research in AI modeling and autonomous systems through the AVS Lab.”
Dr. Taghikhani also said plans are underway to conduct even more undergraduate research projects.
“We have developed a UST drone policy in collaboration with our UST Police Department to conduct several undergraduate research projects focused on enhancing public safety on our campus,” he said. “We have also begun discussions about joining Resilience Workforce Collaborative-Houston to make our programs more impactful and strengthen our engagement with the community.”
Much is on the horizon as Engineering and Physics at UST continues to grow. To learn more about the department, visit the UST website.
“I can promise that you will hear more exciting news from the AVS Lab in the near future,” Dr. Taghikhani said.