Six standout students have been tapped to receive a 2026 Undergraduate Research Grant. Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources leaders took a moment this week to recognize these talented participants.
There was broad representation across Davis College, and all the projects were aimed at research questions of regional, national, and global importance, according to college officials. These research opportunities are designed to enrich the experiences of students and expand their understanding of quality science, as well as their chosen fields.
“Involving graduate students as mentors to the undergraduate students will not only give them a chance to learn how to advise and guide research but also to develop their communication and management skills,” said Texas Tech Associate Vice President for Research & Innovation and Davis College Associate Dean for Research Noureddine Abidi.
The college is thankful for the generous gift of Dr. and Mrs. Gordon Davis and the TrUE Scholars undergraduate research experience fund that both support this program, Abidi added. Without these types of funding programs, it would be difficult to fund undergraduate research opportunities, he said.
The funding for the undergraduate grants supported wages for research activities or for supplies to conduct research projects. After completing the project, the students submitted an abstract to a professional society meeting or to a symposium or research conference supported at Texas Tech.
The 2026 Undergraduate Research Grant recipients are:
Alexandria Hunter (AFS) Junior | Animal Science | El Paso, Texas. Effect of Soil Moisture Content and Compound Solubility on Dog Detection Accuracy of Buried Odor. Graduate Student Mentor: Glenna Cupp. Faculty Mentor: Nathaniel Hall, Associate Professor of Campion Animal Science, Department of Animal & Food Sciences
Anna Garcia (PSS) Second Degree | Food Science | Austin, Texas. Longevity of Vitamin C in Biofortified Broccoli Microgreens. Graduate Student Mentor: Kaitlyn Stubbs. Faculty Mentor: Catherine Simpson, Associate Professor of Sustainable/Urban Horticulture, Department of Plant & Soil Science
Tyler Nihem (AFS) Senior | Animal Science | Frisco, Texas. Canine Olfactory Detection of Firearms. Graduate Student Mentor: Madalyn Bower. Faculty Mentor: Edgar Aviles-Rosa, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal & Food Sciences
Jacy White (AEC/AFS) Senior | Animal Science | San Antonio, Texas. Sustainability for Sale: Examining the Alignment of Retailer Sustainability Websites with Consumer Priorities. Graduate Student Mentor: Hannah Gustin. Faculty Mentor: Laura Fischer, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Education & Communications
Kennedy Surratt (AFS) Junior | Animal Science | New Braunfels, Texas. Determination of the Prevalence of Sand-Cracks in Beef Herds and Their Association with Native Forbs in the Texas Plains Region. Graduate Student Mentor: Emma Fukuda. Faculty Mentor: Whitney Crossland, Associate Professor, Department of Animal & Food Sciences
Lucas Calderon (PSS) Senior | Animal Science| Rowlett, Texas. Identification of Gene Targets for Cold Tolerance Through Screening of Sorghum Mutants. Graduate Student Mentor: Guanyun Cheng. Faculty Mentor: Yinping Jiao, Assistant Professor, Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance - Department of Plant & Soil Science
CONTACT: Noureddine Abidi, Associate Dean for Research, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or noureddine.abidi@ttu.edu
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