TTU Graduate School - Special Features

Amalyssa Johnson - Clinical Psychology

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:38:16 GMT

Amalyssa Johnson completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2006. During her tenure as a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program, Amalyssa studied the relationship between children identified by their peers as rejected and aggressive; and their social reasoning skills, emotionality, and emotion understanding. Amalyssa completed her research under the supervision of Drs. Gary Fireman and Jim Clopton. It was an externship during her second year in the Clinical program at Lubbock Independent School District, though that sparked Amalyssa’s interest in her current passion of psychological assessment and treatment of children with psychological disorders. Amalyssa worked for the Lubbock Independent School District under the supervision of Dr. Fireman for 2 years where she was trained in the assessment of psychological disorders and report writing. This training prepared Amalyssa for her internship during her final year of the Clinical program in the Department of Psychological Services at Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Houston, Texas. Amalyssa conducted assessment and therapy at the elementary, middle, and high school level during her internship. Amalyssa also received specific training in the assessment of children with autism spectrum disorders at Cypress-Fairbanks. Once entering into the workforce after graduate school, it was clear that the training Amalyssa had received in assessment and treatment of psychological disorders was more than sufficient to allow her to be successful in these domains.

The Clinical program at Texas Tech not only offered Amalyssa experience in psychological assessment but it also offered her clinical experiences working at the Canyon Lakes Residential Treatment Center, Texas Tech University Counseling Center, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Lubbock. Amalyssa was also the recipient of the nationally-recognized Lilly Endowment, an Incorporated Scholarship of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, in San Francisco, California; as well as departmental scholarships each year as a student in the Clinical program. After the completion of her doctorate degree, Amalyssa pursued licensure as a Specialist in School Psychology and as a Psychologist. Amalyssa was licensed as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychologist (the license required to practice psychology in public schools in Texas) in 2006 and as a Licensed Psychologist in 2008. In 2008, Amalyssa and her husband moved to Abilene, Texas where her husband teaches at Hardin-Simmons University in the Holland School of Math and Sciences. Amalyssa's training and qualifications allowed her to work in private practice after moving to Abilene. She presently is the Clinical Director at a private counseling center. Amalyssa has worked in private practice since 2008 where the majority of her work continues to be the psychological assessment of children, namely of children with autism spectrum disorders. Her present job also allows her the freedom to conduct therapy with children and their families as well as with adolescents and adults. Amalyssa presently consults with her supervising professor Dr. Clopton regularly, as she continues to hold her training and the insight of her professors, who are now her colleagues, in the highest esteem.

Teresa Gaus - Plant and Soil Science

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:13:26 GMT

I completed a Master of Science program in Plant, Soil, and Environmental at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX August 2010. I graduated May 9, 2008 from Southern Arkansas University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Science, and a minor in Plant Science. I am originally from Beaumont, TX (Gulf Coast region) and grew up showing animals and competing in horse shows. I showed pigs since middle school, and once in high school I competed in the San Antonio Livestock Show and Exposition calf scramble and caught a calf, which got me involved in the cattle industry.

In August 2010 I began working toward a Ph.D. at Texas Tech University in the Plant and Soil Science Department with an emphasis in Crop Science, specifically Plant Breeding. Dr. Wenwei Xu is my major advisor. My research focus is evaluating teosinte derived lines and testcrosses for drought, aflatoxin, and fumonisin tolerance through allelic diversity.

I am a recipient of The CH Foundation Doctoral Fellowship. Upon completing a Ph.D., my short term career goal is to work for Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. as a plant breeder. My goal includes working with other plant breeders to identify unique sources of drought and fumonisin tolerance and enhancing agronomics and yield potential in corn hybrids. My long term career goal is to become a lead plant breeder or research director within Pioneer, and perhaps teach at the university level.

Beverly D. Johnson - Personal Financial Planning

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:15:24 GMT

Beverly has over 20 years of professional working experience as an officer in the military, a corporate manager, a partner in a private marketing firm, and currently as a college instructor and doctoral student. She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy, an M.S. in Engineering Management from Missouri School of Science and Technology, and an M.B.A from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Il.

Her professional career consists of serving as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an engineer and business consultant at John Deere Waterloo Works, Waterloo, Iowa, as Finance and General Manager at Frito-Lay, Plano, Texas, and as the Vice President at a private marketing company that specializes in snack foods. Currently she has been teaching for three years in the Department of Marketing and Management at Winston Salem State University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Additionally, she is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX.

She devotes time to the mentoring and development of youth through a program called, “Team-Up” at WSSU, where she works with high school students in Foster Care and teaches them about leadership in addition to working with teenagers from a district in Texas to help motivate, inspire, and guide them toward preparation and acceptance to the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York. She spends her free time reading, writing, and spending time with her two teenage sons, Cole and Randy.

Scholarships:
- AT&T Endowed Fellowship and Helen Jones Foundation
Poster Presentation:
- Aragon, S. J., Johnson, B., Joseph, S., Tobias, K., & McGuinn, L. (February 2011). The influence of nursing patient-centered behaviors on African American and Black female Medicare patient satisfaction. Poster presentation at The Health Disparities/Health Equity Research Summit, The WSSU Center of Excellence for the Elimination of Health Disparities and the WFUBMC Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, Winston-Salem, NC.
Oral Presentation:

Aragon, S. J., & Johnson, B. D. (November 2009). The influence of nursing patient-centeredness on African American and Black female Medicare patients’ satisfaction. Oral presentation at the Faces of a Healthy Future, National Conference to End Health Disparities II, Winston-Salem, NC.

Research:
- Retirement Planning, Financial Counseling, Target-Date Funds
Career Goals:
- Pursue a career as an educator and administrator
Awards & Recognitions:
- Sr. Teaching Assistant to Chancellor Hance, Chancellor, Texas Tech University; West Point Admissions Representative, Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson, 30th District, Texas.

Oscar Rosales Jr. - Interdisciplinary Studies

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:17:57 GMT

At the age of 44, I am a part-time master’s degree candidate at Texas Tech in Interdisciplinary Studies, Forensics Science Department, and a full time professional. I am currently employed with the U.S. Government, Department of Homeland Security as a Criminal Investigator.
I am a native Texan born in Dallas, Texas and raised in West and North Texas. I call Mesquite my home-town as I graduated from North Mesquite High School in Mesquite Texas. I then went on to graduate from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.

Upon completion of a Bachelor of Arts Degree where I studied Criminal Justice and Sociology I was employed with the Dallas County Adult Probation Office where I worked as a court Probation Officer. I then went on to work for the Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service where I served for 3 years on the Southern Border, Laredo, Texas. I applied to my current position in Homeland Security and was hired in San Antonio. After approximately 10 years I have ended up back in Texas via our nation’s capital Washington DC.

My wife, two kids, and I have been a part of the Lubbock community for the past 5 years and I have become a part of the Texas Tech community since the fall semester of 2011. As a part time master’s degree candidate I aspire to earn this degree in the Forensic Science field and apply it to my current work in Federal Law Enforcement. I hope to continue in my education and one day earn a doctorate degree in a related field. My hopes are to be able to teach and give back to the people of Lubbock and West Texas. I am honored to be a Graduate Student at Tech and look forward to the challenges and rewards it has to offer in both my personal and professional life.

Tasnuva Chaudhury - Business Administration

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:08:33 GMT

A few years ago, I was working on a project called the 'Kafe Mukti.’ 'Kafe' is of course short for cafeteria and 'Mukti' is a Bengali word which means freedom. It was a project initiated for creating employment, generating income and self reliance for vulnerable women and victims of human trafficking. We worked for months on the various facets of the project. We started with collaborating with donors and getting the proposal approved. Our team communicated with the vulnerable women and assisted in training them to sell coffee, snacks and groceries to the public. Many of the women were apprehensive of social stigmatization but they eventually felt this opportunity to be their freedom and means of self independence. We worked on the design and logo of the 'Kafe,' and it was designed to be like a small cubicle store from where two women will sell the goods. As for the location of the store, we partnered with my college! After months of hard work, we finally launched the first 'Kafe Mukti' in the library of North South University (NSU), Bangladesh. It felt unbelievably good when I bought my first cup of coffee from the girl nearly my age and see her smile.

To me, a job is just more than just a job if you are rewarded to see someone smile. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in business with a Marketing concentration from NSU, I was privileged to get more of such great opportunities to work on various socio-economic causes of Bangladesh. One of those was when I worked as a free lance consultant and monitored three most food insecure district of Bangladesh to assess whether communities and poor households in the target areas are better able to protect children from harmful work. It was a moving experience to learn and see children working in factories under hazardous work condition but still striving to get education.

Working with various non-profit and international organizations proved to be tremendous learning experience but for a business major, working in a publication company as a portfolio manager was what tested my theoretical knowledge from the classroom. It was a challenging experience preparing marketing plan for my portfolio, analyzing product life cycle, coordinating export-import with foreign publications and working in collaboration with non-profit organizations to provide more teaching materials accessible in classrooms for the underprivileged children and suburban schools.

Working with different layers of society and getting to know people from all walks of life and their struggles, taught me to rise against difficult challenges and never give up in times of hardships. It was a daunting idea to leave my family and friends behind in Bangladesh and pursue my master’s abroad but I just felt it was time to challenge my horizons. I realized that an MBA will help me tremendously to pursue my career goal. It would broaden my knowledge and present me with challenges which will give me the opportunity to develop myself as a better leader.

It has been an amazing experience so far at Texas Tech. I am currently doing my MBA with a concentration on Management and Leadership Skills and was privileged to receive the prestigious Rawls Scholarship based on academic merit. I participated in the Big 12 MBA case competition and was endowed a scholarship for it. Most recently, I completed my summer internship with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. My main project was on improving company profitability and suggesting ways to be more cost efficient. In addition to learning day to day operations and inventory management, I also worked on a project on improving associate health and wellness with the Vision Center team. Working with the biggest retailer was one of the most significant and learning experiences. Currently, I am working as a graduate assistant in the Graduate Services Center in the Rawls College of Business.

The past few semesters at Tech has taught me to think strategically and solve business and social problems which I can relate to with my work experience. It also provided me a big platform to spread my ideas and network with young business professionals with a thirst to contribute to society. In the short-run, I intend to work in the non-profit organization. Apart from my work experience and voluntary work, the various workshops on non-profit organizations and the courses taught at class gave me a better understanding to work in such an environment. In the long-run, I believe I can start my own non-profit organization in Bangladesh dedicated to improve the lives of the underprivileged women and children by generating employment and improving their level of education. As Texas Tech students we like to say, “From here, it’s possible.” Yes! I believe it is possible to see another girl smile as I was able to make a difference.

Sydney Knobel - Animal and Food Science

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:40:33 GMT

As the daughter of a ranch manager, I grew up on ranches located primarily in southern California. As a newly accepted undergraduate at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo my primary intentions were to study beef production. However, through a twist of fate I became highly involved with the Cal Poly Meat Science program, managing the meat lab by my fourth year as an undergraduate. In 2008 I graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Animal Science and minors in Meat science and Agribusiness. I attended Oklahoma State University shortly thereafter under the advisement of Dr. Deb Vanoverbeke and graduated in December 2009 with a M.S. in Animal Science concentrating in Meat Science. My thesis entitled “The impact of post-harvest interventions on the color stability, and subsequently, the palatability, of beef from cattle fed wet distillers grains” started me down a path of research which focuses primarily on beef quality.

I chose to attend Texas Tech University to earn my doctorate because of its renown for research in meat science and, more specifically, its involvement in the beef industry. Here I am able to participate in a diverse array of meat science research. Currently, my research involves looking at different supplements, additives, and implants that beef cattle receive in the feedlot and evaluating how they impact the tenderness of meat from those animals. Using a wide variety of equipment in our labs we are able to look at several factors which affect tenderness such as mRNA expression, protein degradation, muscle fiber size and area of specific muscle fiber types, sarcomere length, and amount or types of collagen present in the muscle. In addition, I am able to assist with a wide variety of research throughout our department such as consumer taste panels and collection of samples for microbial research.

My other responsibilities here at Texas Tech also include working as a teaching assistant and substitute lecturer for any classes that require assistance. Currently I help with ANSC 3404, a meat science class for non-majors which works to educate students on the science involved in production of animal based foods. Our department is also highly involved in hosting a number of events such as beef short courses designed to educate people in industry and different youth events such as 4-H and FFA conventions. Thus, graduate students in our department all act as volunteers and help where needed to host these events.

Both the University and the Animal and Food Science Department have always been extremely supportive financially throughout my graduate studies. I have received the Presidential Fellowship by the University for my first two years as a doctoral student and have been awarded a variety of scholarships by both the university and the department (TTU ARRA VPR Scholarship, TTU Glazier Meat Science Scholarship, TTU Graduate Research Scholarship, and TTU SALE Meat Science Graduate Scholarship). I was also fortunate enough to receive the Meat Science Outstanding Graduate Student Award this past year along with nominations for the Horn Graduate Achievement Award and AFS Outstanding Graduate Student.

After graduating I hope to find a job in the meat, food, or beef industry which will allow me to use my meat science knowledge in a manner which benefits the agriculture industry as a whole. Helping supply nutritious, high quality, cost effective products can only be beneficial to a world in which population size is rapidly increasing and the need for such products is also growing rapidly. I hope to return to academics in the future in order to share my love of meat science and to continue educating others about our industry.

TTU Scholarship Group

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:37:00 GMT

Congratulations to the first recipients of the United Supermarkets Graduate Fellowship Endowment

A total of $2 million endowed this fellowship to provide research support for graduate students at Texas Tech University. These monies are eligible for an additional $2 million of matching funds from the Texas Research Incentive Program, created by the state of Texas. Once matching funds are received, the endowment will support up to 36 graduate students with awards of $5,000 per year.

These fellowships are awarded to students who attended high schools within the United Supermarkets trade area.

For more information: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/scholarships/United.php

Pictured:

Back row from left: David Tombs and Cameron Oliver

Front row from left: Valeria Hernandez, Samantha Chavez, Emily Hammer

Molly M. McDonough-Department of Biological Sciences

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:57:39 GMT

Molly M. McDonough is a PhD student pursuing a degree in biology within the Department of Biological Sciences. Her specialization in molecular systematics has enabled her to travel the world in pursuit of knowledge pertaining to the evolutionary relationships of small mammals such as rodents and bats. Such work includes recent trips to the African countries of Botswana and Kenya, where she worked with the Smithsonian Institution and the Natural Science Research Laboratory of the Museum of Texas Tech University to document regional biodiversity patterns using molecular genetic approaches. Her research will assist a number of scientists from various national and international universities working in these regions to contextualize their data in terms of recent and past changes to rodent diversity in these areas. Through established collaborations with Batswana scientists, she is also helping to develop the infrastructure necessary to create a world-class Natural History division for the Botswana National Museum, which will serve as a major source of educational information on biodiversity for the Batswana people.

Before attending TTU, McDonough received a Bachelor of Science degree from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. After her B.S., McDonough worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as the program director at the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area, where she led community demonstrations about the large colony of roosting Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) inhabiting the tunnel. Given her interest in bats, McDonough’s transition to the Master of Science program at Angelo State University in 2005, working under renowned Texas bat expert Dr. Loren Ammerman, made perfect sense. It was here at ASU, that McDonough was given opportunities to conduct research involving both fieldwork and DNA laboratory work. This project also led to her first international field experience, culminating in a two month field expedition to Ecuador to collect bats for her thesis project. The resulting publication led her straight to Texas Tech University in general, and to Dr. Robert J. Baker’s laboratory in particular. Dr. Baker’s long history of research with bats in the neotropics and in applying molecular systematics to understanding evolutionary relationships of small mammals would provide McDonough with the foundations necessary to compete in the systematic world. TTU’s Museum also provided the ultimate resource in terms of genetic and morphological samples of mammals from around the world, including Africa. This massive resource, combined with opportunities to conduct field work in various African countries helped McDonough shift her focus to studying the evolutionary relationships of African rodents. TTU’s long-history of international fieldwork and focus on mammalian systematics provided McDonough with opportunities that otherwise would have remained unrealized. In combination with fellowship support through programs such as the DBS Research Assistantship Program, AT&T Chancellor’s Scholarship, Helen Hodges Educational Charitable Trust Scholarship, J. Knox Jones Memorial Scholarship and Explorers Club Exploration Fund Grants, McDonough has been able to actively pursue her research interests across the globe.

While McDonough’s particular area of focus is studying the evolutionary relationships of African small rodents through the use of morphological and molecular datasets, the diverse faculty of the DBS PhD program has allowed her to explore diverse topics including: genomics, computational biology, and quantitative evolution. Consistent hiring of new and top-notch faculty continues to improve the DBS faculty repertoire, providing students with opportunities in a wide-range of research topics and coursework. Transitioning into the age of genomics requires an integrative Department with communication among all existing and incoming faculty, and McDonough feels that DBS is doing an excellent job of creating such an environment.

McDonough was recently asked to join the Texas Academy of Science Board of Directors to help them construct their 2016 strategic position statement on membership. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the TTU Association of Biologists, serving as the organizations secretary in 2010. McDonough has been working with the American Society of Mammalogists International Relations committee to help establish the African Graduate Student Research Fund, a program designed to fund independent research by African students in their home countries Upon graduation in December of 2013, McDonough plans to pursue a research position at a national museum while simultaneously continuing her investigations into the evolutionary relationships of small mammals. Her motivation and inspiration are fueled by the TTU faculty and academic community as well as by a personal passion for understanding small mammal biodiversity.

Joseph Acaba - Curriculum and Instruction

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:39:32 GMT

Acaba is currently on a tour of duty aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft while also pursuing his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Science Education

For more information on Joseph Acaba please visit:

Joseph Acaba - Curriculum and Instruction

Dr. Christina Dimitriou - Hospitality Administration

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:45:45 GMT

My name is Christina K. Dimitriou, I am originally from Greece and I have devoted almost all my life to hospitality. I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Tourism Business Administration from the technological Educational Institute (T.E.I.) of Larissa, Greece and my Master of Social Sciences Degree in Tourism Policy and Management from the University of Birmingham in Birmingham, England. I have worked several years in the hotel industry in many different departments and positions in Europe. I have also been teaching tourism and hospitality classes for over a decade in Europe and the United States ranging from Introduction to Hospitality Management and Lodging Operations, to Guest Services Management and Tourist & Hotel Marketing. I am a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) and speak fluently English and French.

My love for the hospitality industry started many years ago and coupled with my passion for teaching, led me to keep wanting to improve myself, advance in my career and fulfill my life-long dream of obtaining a doctoral degree in the United States, so as to have a global teaching and working experience and education. When I started my research in choosing the right University for me, I wanted to make sure that it would be a University that has a good reputation, high level of instruction, and an atmosphere that welcomes new ideas. My goal was to obtain the kind of education that would equip me to develop to a reputable faculty in my area, convey my passion and enthusiasm for this industry to younger generations, and continue to serve the educational sector successfully and professionally. When I came across Texas Tech University and learnt about the Nutrition, Hospitality, and Retailing department and the RHIM program, I knew this was the one. As I do love hotels very much and my area of specialization is lodging, I was really excited that I would have the opportunity to work with Dr. Shane C. Blum who is a great hotel expert in our field. In addition, the curriculum of courses in the RHIM program of Texas Tech University also matched very closely the subjects I was interested in. While I was a Texas Tech student, I have been awarded a number of very prestigious and honorable awards and had the opportunity to teach two of my favorite classes: RHIM 2308- Hotel Operations and RHIM 4316 – Hospitality Management Marketing. Moreover, I was blessed to have all the support, advice, and guidance from the graduate school of Texas Tech University. The opportunities and the help that our graduate school offers to Texas Tech students are tremendous and truly commendable. But, above all, I am so glad that I had the opportunity to become a part of such a wonderful university and meet and work with some amazing faculty members who had so many things to offer through their knowledge and personal experiences.

Since my area of specialization and greatest passion is in lodging, I knew from the very beginning that my dissertation would be related to hotels. However, as I was researching its many different aspects I discovered a strong need for focusing on business ethics due to the various scandals and forms of injustice and discrimination that have been reported in recent years. Furthermore, my working experience and continuous research has shown me that one of the most difficult challenges for the hotel industry is the increased turnover rates and the difficulty of finding highly trained and qualified employees to provide guests with top quality service. Therefore, I decided to research on how business ethics can influence hotel employee job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention.

I graduated in August 2012 with a Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality Administration and moved to Philadelphia, PA where I have accepted the position of Assistant Professor in the Hospitality Management Program in the School of Technology and Professional Studies within the Goodwin College of Professional Studies at Drexel University. Drexel is the nation's 14th largest private university and ranked 6th among national universities in the most recent U.S. News & World Report list of “Up-and-Comers”. When I get there, I am planning to continue researching and exploring issues related to hotels and contribute to those efforts that aim to bridge the gap between the academia and the hotel industry. My top priority is to publish articles that will help people better understand several critical aspects of hotel management, hotel operations, and business thinking that will be useful and practical. I would also love to work with other faculty in hospitality and other areas to conduct meaningful research studies. Moreover, I will continue to stay current and bring all this research back into the classroom. The fact that I have been a hospitality student, hospitality employee, general manager, and hospitality instructor in many different parts of the world has given me the opportunity to experience many situations from different perspectives and cultures. Thus, I can share some valuable information and useful tools with students and professionals that will assist them in becoming more successful and, in turn, improve and promote the hospitality industry.

Talkington Graduate Fellowships

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:49:52 GMT

Officials from the Texas Tech University System and J.T. and Margaret Talkington Foundation Board announced today a $12 million gift that will establish the J.T. and Margaret Talkington Graduate Fellowship Endowment.

The gift will fund approximately 135 graduate fellows per year and is eligible for state matching funds by the Texas Research Incentive Program, which could double the gift’s impact for Texas Tech. In honor of this gift, the facilities committee of the Board of Regents approved renaming the new Boston Avenue Residence Hall as the J.T. and Margaret Talkington Hall.

Click here to read the full story.