Research Opportunities

With the full range of graduate programs presently in place, Texas Tech offers advanced study not only in the complete spectrum of basic disciplines, but also in many unique areas. Every department has its own particular strengths with each college possessing special resources, centers of investigation, and research opportunities. For example, Texas Tech's renowned College of Engineering is deeply involved in research and provides exciting opportunities in a variety of areas, through both traditional programs and more specialized initiatives such as the Wind Engineering Research Center, the Center for Hazardous and Toxic Waste Studies, and the Water Resources Center. The college also supports the Center for Research in Industrial Automation and Robotics, the Institute for Ergonomics Research, and the Institute for Disaster Researchall of which have attracted national interest.

The Natural Science Research Laboratory, an archive of representative recent fauna of the American Southwest and other areas, functions as a natural history library for studies of biodiversity, biogeography, ecology, evolution, genetics, molecular biology, parasitology, systematics, and virology. The collections, extensively used for investigations worldwide, include specimens of 72,000 mammals; 4,500 birds; more than 15,000 reptiles, amphibians, and fish; 250,000 insects; and 75,000 cryogenically preserved tissue samples, providing hands-on training for graduate students in biology and museum sciences.

The Plant Stress and Water Conservation research program in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources investigates plant growth and development under conditions of thermal and water stress to aid in creating new crop varieties and management systems which minimize the impact of climatic extremes. Students can explore other specializations through the Agricultural Finance Institute and the Wildlife and Fisheries Management Institute, among numerous additional options.

The Health Sciences Center has developed major research strengths in reproductive biology, neuroscience, hematology and immunology, the mysteries of sleep, and Alzheimer's disease. Texas Tech's innovative Sports Health program combines the resources of personnel from the Health Sciences Center and the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, as well as related sciences.

An internal VAX-11/750 system, microcomputer labs, and a remote-access center linked to the University's central computing facilities permit students to train with state-of-the-art resources located in the College of Business Administration. Research facilities include the Center for Professional Development, the Institute for Banking and Financial Studies, the Institute for Marketing Studies, the Institute for Studies in Organizational Automation, and the Small Business Institute.

The nationally top-ranked College of Human Sciences boasts a spacious and attractive learning environment together with many special research programs and centers. Community support services are offered through the Institute for Child and Family Studies, the Child Development Research Center, and the Marriage and Family Development Center, which in turn enhance ongoing research. Other centers within the College of Human Sciences include the Institute for Nutritional Services, the Home Economics Curriculum Center, the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute, the Leather Research Institute, the Risk-Taking Institute, and the Center for the Study of Addiction.

The Center for Applied Systems Analysis, the Psychology Clinic, and the innovative Institute for Forensic Studieswhich has attracted state and regional media attention for its work in criminologyfigure among a broad spectrum of prominent research endeavors within the College of Arts and Sciences. The Institute for Studies in Pragmaticism is one of two national focal points for investigations of the thought of American philosopher Charles S. Peirce.

Special study and research opportunities in Arts and Sciences include the Center for Public Service and the Institute for Communications Research. Many such programs have their own specialized libraries or collections and nearly all are linked to the professional achievements and scholarly contributions of a distinguished faculty.

The Biotechnology Institute, established to encourage and support multidisciplinary research in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, and related areas, is developing a training program for Ph.D. students interested in interdisciplinary research in plant stress. Research teams are under development in areas of cotton improvement and drug design, and the institute's sophisticated core instrument facility provides services such as DNA sequencing.

ICASALS, Texas Tech's International Center for Arid and Semiarid Land Studies, established over a quarter century ago, encourages study of arid and semiarid environments and the human problems peculiar to such areas. As a part of its special goal, ICASALS hosts numerous international visitors to the Texas Tech campus. The center operates an international data exchange and coordinates research in a variety of regional and global land-use programs.

Other centers of international scope at Texas Tech include the Latin American and Iberian Studies program, the College of Architecture's Institute for Urban Studies International, and the College of Arts and Sciences Center for Applied International Development Studies. The recently inaugurated Vietnam Archives have made Texas Tech a major center for studies of Vietnam, with more dissertations being written on that topic at Texas Tech than anywhere else in the country.

Various unique research opportunities are independent of specific programs. Examples include the Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative, the one-of-a-kind collection of Modernist periodicals in the library of the Instituto de Estudios

Hispánicos, and the nationally known Comparative Literature Symposium, now with more than three decades in existence.

Reflecting many of the University's research strengths, Texas Tech University Press publications appeal to both academic tastes and those of the general reader, and range from cutting-edge scholarship to award-winning popular books.

The Graduate School is justifiably proud of the many outstanding teachers, honored scholars, and internationally known experts who are currently part of the graduate faculty at Texas Tech. Graduate students in every college have the opportunity to work with a distinguished group of professors, to interact with present and future leaders of their respective disciplines, and most importantly, to enjoy the rapport that comes from mutual enthusiasm for learning, research, and shared interests. Comments from present and former students indicate their deep appreciation for faculty whose doors are always open and who are easily accessible for consultation and assistance despite research and editorial involvements, activities in professional organizations, and the daily demands of an expanding curriculum. The quality of graduate faculty-student interaction is enhanced by small class size that allows professors to devote personal attention to each student. Standards for graduate students have been raised in recent years, and many programs have admissions requirements that exceed the University-wide standard.


Return to Main Directory
Page Maintained by: Cheryl Hedlund

Page Administrator: Gale Richardson

LAST UPDATE: 12-8-97