Research Opportunities
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With a 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 through both traditional programs and more specialized initiatives such as the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center, the Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics, and the Water Resources Center. The college also supports the Nano Tech Center, the Space Science Research Institute, and the National Institute for Engineering Ethics—all 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 that will minimize the impact of climatic extremes. Students can explore other specializations through the Thornton 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, Exercise, and Sport Sciences, 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, and the Institute for Banking and Financial Studies.

The 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, and the Child Development Research Center, which in turn enhance ongoing research. Other centers within the College of Human Sciences include the Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Sciences, the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute and the Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery.

The Center for Environmental Radiation Studies and the Psychology Clinic are among programs providing 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. The Center for Public Service in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Institute for Communications Research in the College of Mass Communications provide opportunities for special study and 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.

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 and Genomics Center, established to encourage and support multidisciplinary research in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, and related areas, offers a training program for Ph.D. students interested in interdisciplinary research in plant stress, including research teams in areas of cotton improvement and drug design. 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, was established over a quarter century ago and encourages study of arid and semiarid environments as well as 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.

The Vietnam Center has become an internationally recognized research center. The Vietnam Archives have made Texas Tech a major center for studies of that country, with Texas Tech having become a focus for doctoral dissertations on Vietnam studies.

Some 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, which has existed for nearly four decades.

Reflecting many of the university’s research strengths, the publications of the Texas Tech University Press appeal to academic tastes and those of the general reader. They 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 part of the graduate faculty at Texas Tech. Graduate students in every college have the opportunity to work with a distinguished group of professors; interact with present and future leaders of their respective disciplines; and, most importantly, 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 a small class size that allows a professor to devote personal attention to each student. Standards for graduate students are continually rising and many programs have admissions requirements that exceed the university-wide standard. At the same time, the Graduate School uses a holistic process for determining admission into the various programs.

Research Centers and Institutes (Back to Top)

In addition to extensive research activity on the part of its individual faculty, the university sponsors the following institutes and centers that conduct both basic and applied research and provide various services to the public:

Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

• CASNR Water Center
• Center for Agricultural Technology Transfer
• Center for Feed and Industry Research and Education
• Cotton Economics Research Institute
• Fire Ecology Center
• International Center for Food Industry Excellence
• International Textile Center
• Pork Industry Institute for Research and Education
• Thornton Agricultural Finance Institute
• Wildlife and Fisheries Management Institute

Architecture

• Architecture Research Center

Arts and Sciences

• Center for Environmental Radiation Studies
• Center for Geospatial Technology
• Center for Historic Preservation and Technology
• Center for Public Service
• Institute for Studies in Pragmaticism
• Leather Research Institute
• Southwest Center for German Studies
• The Vietnam Center

Business Administration

• Center for Advanced Analytics and Business Intelligence
• Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business
• Center for Healthcare Innovation, Education and Research
• Center for Professional Development
• Institute for Banking and Financial Studies
• Institute for Internet Buyer Behavior
• Institute for Leadership Research
• Texas Center for Innovative Organizations

Education

• The Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research
• Center for Research in Leadership and Education
• Center for the Integration of Science Education and Research
• Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Visual Impairment

Engineering

• Center for Advanced Intelligent Systems
• Center for Engineering Outreach
• Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Transportation
• Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics
• Center for Space Sciences
• Institute for Ergonomics Research
• Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism
• Nano Tech Center
• National Institute for Engineering Ethics
• Water Resources Center

Human Sciences

• Center for Prevention and Resiliency
• Center for Financial Responsibility
• Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery
• Child Development Research Center
• The Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Sciences
• Institute for Child and Family Studies
• Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute

Law

• Center for Biodefense, Law and Public Policy
• Center for Military Law and Policy
• Center for Water Law and Policy

Mass Communication

• Center for Communications Research
• Institute for Hispanic and International Communications
• Survey Research Institute

Other

• Center for Biotechnology and Genomics
• Institute for the Development and Enrichment of Advanced Learners (IDEAL)
• The Institute of Environmental and Human Health
• International Center for Arid and Semiarid Land Studies (ICASALS)
• Northwest Texas Small Business Development CenterTeaching, Learning, and
  Technology Center
• Wind Science and Engineering Research Center

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