Latest Happenings at the Oden Institute

Today, Mars is largely dry, at least at the surface. But 3 to 4 billion years ago — at around the time that life was getting started on Earth — oceans, lakes and rivers carved valleys through Mars’ mountains and craters and imprinted shorelines in the rocky surface. Researchers hope to build a model to better understand Mars water cycle.

The Oden Institute celebrated its 2025 graduates with a reception following the university’s commencement ceremony. The event honored students who completed M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

A research team led by The University of Texas at Austin has developed a breakthrough method for designing magnetic confinement systems in fusion reactors, solving a 70-year-old challenge. The findings, published in Physical Review Letters, represent a major step toward making clean, sustainable fusion energy a reality.