Texas Tech officials announce strategic hiring of noted animal science researcher
As Texas Tech continues its journey toward Tier One status, administration officials announced this week strategic hirings of seven respected researchers who will help grow the university's research capabilities. Among the newly added faculty members is Guy Loneragan, now a professor with the university's Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
Loneragan, who joined the Tech faculty in July, was formerly an epidemiologist and associate professor at West Texas A&M University. He also served in adjunct faculty roles at Texas Tech, Colorado State University, Kansas State University and Texas A&M University.
"Texas Tech is very attractive to me," Loneragan said. "I have worked with people at the university for the better part of the last ten years and I've always been impressed by the quality of the researchers on this campus. They really are of international renown, and now Texas Tech clearly has world-class facilities, and ultimately the whole package coming together provided just such an exciting opportunity."
His research focuses primarily on epidemiological approaches to food safety, specifically filling data gaps concerning pre-harvest ecology and mitigation of E. coli O157, Salmonella and antimicrobial drug resistance. In addition to food safety, he works on epidemiological aspects to animal health and well being.
Mindy Brashears, director of Texas Tech's International Center for Food Industry Excellence, said Loneragan brings a track record of successful research to Texas Tech. "Guy and I have worked extensively together for the past nine years," she said. "He will play a very significant role at Texas Tech with the International Center for Food Industry Excellence and our research program."
Hiring of these researchers is one of the key elements in becoming a Tier One research institute, university officials stressed. "To reach Tier One status, we cannot take small steps forward," said Texas Tech President Guy Bailey. "We must make a quantum leap."
Attracting new, high-profile faculty members is one way to increase not only the caliber of research that Texas Tech can do in the future, but also the quality of education students can receive, he said. Taylor Eighmy, vice president of research, added that through the strategic hiring process, the university will increase its national research visibility.
"Texas Tech has a wonderful opportunity to strategically expand externally funded research, promote economic development and further its creative activity," he said. "Hiring top-level researchers such as these will ensure Texas Tech's future credentials as a top public research university."
Other new hires included
"Juske Horita, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
"Craig Grimes, Pennsylvania State University
"Matt Olson, University of Alaska-Fairbanks
"Bill Resetarits, National Science Foundation
"Yehia Mechref, Indiana University-Bloomington
"David Richman, University of Illinois-Urbana
Achieving National Research University designation, or Tier One, would put Texas Tech into an elite category of universities. National research universities have annual research expenditures of at least $100 million. They offer more than 50 doctoral degree programs and have more than 1,000 tenure track faculty. They also usually have large undergraduate populations and offer a wide-range of undergraduate degrees.
CONTACT: Kevin Pond, Department Chair and Professor - Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University at (806)742-2805 ext. 223 or kevin.pond@ttu.edu
0811NM10 / Photo: Rik Andersen - West Texas A&M
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