The Prospector

Editor's Note: This is part two in a three-part series about border security measures and how they affect the region. In 2005, the U.S. Congress approved the Real ID Act, which provided several guidelines for states to comply with recommendations by the Department of Homeland Security, particularly in regards to state-issued forms of identification.

With a 12 percent increase in purchases of fresh vegetables, and an increased awareness of the effects humans have on the environment, it has now become more common for people to turn to vegetarianism or veganism for a more environmentally and physically healthy way of living, according to a New York Times article.

With the nationwide nursing shortage also affecting the El Paso region, UTEP is now offering a 15-month curriculum designed to produce more nurses more quickly. The Fast Track Nursing program is aimed at students with bachelor's degrees, who are considering a career in the field of nursing or interested in pursuing a completely different occupational path.

The BIG Transportation Lab is not necessarily the biggest among UTEP's many research labs, but the projects taking place there have significant meaning to local commuters and people who frequently cross the U.S.-Mexico border. BIG stands for Border Intermodal Gateway, which was established in 2006 under the Department of Civil Engineering to conduct research related to transportation on the border, including planning, traffic simulation, traffic operations and management and intelligent systems.