Student Archive

2014-2015

Student in the College of Arts & Sciences have a solid history of advancements, accomplishments, appointments and progress. From the 2014-2015 academic year, here is a sampling:

Miles is RRC Scholar Athlete for May

Her approach at the plate mirrors her approach toward academics. The social work major and Spanish minor feels the knowledge she gains in the classrooms gives her the power to make her as successful in her career as it has on the diamond. KIERRA MILES, a Social Work Sophomore in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work, has been named Red Raid Club's Scholar Athlete of the Month for May 2015. Miles plays softball for Texas Tech and currently leads the team RBI and is second in doubles and home runs. "All throughout high school, I've always wanted to get good grades and do my very best," Miles said. "I feel like I've brought that to Tech."

Honum Wins Award for 1st Poetry Book

CHLOE HONUM, a PhD student in the Department of English, has been awarded the 2015 Bob Bush Memorial Award For First Book of Poetry from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her book, “The Tulip-Flame” (Cleveland State University Poetry Center; 2014, contains several poems written at TTU and also won the 2013 Cleveland State University Poetry Center First Book Prize

Shewmaker Lands Stanford Appointment

MICHAEL SHEWMAKER, a PhD student who has just defended his dissertation in the Department of English, has been appointed a Jones Lecturer at Stanford University. 

Gonzalez to Spend 8 Days at Olympic Center

AGUSTIN GONZALES, a graduate teaching assistant who is seeking an MS in Sport Management in the Department of Health, Exercise & Sport Sciences, has been chosen to participate in the FLAME program (Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere). FLAME provides an eight-day curriculum conducted by the U.S. Olympic Committee at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in May. The program is designed to increase knowledge of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements.

Labriola Addresses Symposium

JACK LABRIOLA, a second-year Master's student in the Technical Communication and Rhetoric program in the Department of English, was among almost a score of speakers at the 2015 Graduate English Symposium, hosted by TTU's Department of English March 5-6. Labriola spoke on: "Social Media & Content Strategy."

Morgan Speaks at TTU Symposium

LUKE MORGAN, who is completing his MA in English with a focus in Literature, Social Justice and Environment in the Department of English, was among almost a score of speakers at the 2015 Graduate English Symposium, hosted by TTU's Department of English March 5-6. Morgan spoke on: "Academic Serendipity & Interdisciplinarity."

Thorne Speaks at TTU Symposium

LEAH THORNE, who is finishing her Master's in the Department of English, was among almost a score of speakers at the 2015 Graduate English Symposium, hosted by TTU's Department of English March 5-6. Thorne, who upon graduation will pursue a PhD in Medieval Literature at TTU, spoke on: "Going Medieval at Texas Tech."

Looten Receives Travel Award for Poster

KALLI LOOTEN, a student of Eunhee Chung, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Exercise & Sport Sciences, received a $700 Travel Award from the Center for Active Learning and Undergraduate Engagement (CALUE). She will use the award to present her research poster, "Cardiac adaptation to exercise during pregnancy," at the National Council on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), to be held in Cheney, Wash., in April.

O'Bryan Receives Research Award

SEAN O'BRYAN, a first-year graduate student in the Experimental–Cognitive program in the Department of Psychological Sciences, recently won the Graduate Student Award from the Cognitive Neurosciences Society (CNS). O'Bryan presented his winning research findings, on the subject of selective attention and base-rate neglect, during a special session at the 2015 CNS Annual meeting in San Francisco in March.

Lindsey Wins $1,000 Academy of Science Award

LARAMIE LINDSEY, a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences, won a $1,000 student research award at the 118th Annual Texas Academy of Science, held March 5-8 in San Antonio at The University of the Incarnate Word. Lindsey, who also is a teaching assistant, won with her project titled, “Molecular systematic approach to determining evolutionary relationships of Molossus molossus and related species.”

A&S Grad Students Awarded at Competition

GRADUATE STUDENTS from the College of Arts & Sciences took awards in the 14th annual Graduate Student Research Poster Competition. They are:

Biology

• AMANDA HICKS - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category IV – 1st Place
  “Etp-like toxin gene expression and toxin detection in batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.” Co-authors: S. San Francisco, J. Zak, M. San Francisco
• SCOTT STARR - Doctor of Philosophy Science Category IV – 2nd Place
  “Damsels in distress!  Proximal effects of climate change on the development and survivorship of a model organism (insecta, odonata: enallagma civile).”
• CHRISTINE PRATER - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category IV – 3rd Place
  “Activity of tectal CRF neurons is modulated depending on energy status and stressor exposure in Xenopus laevis.” Co-authors: B. N. Harris, C. Garcia, J. A. Carr

Biotechnology

• SANDHIYA ARUN - Master of Science: Agricultural Science Category II – 2nd Place
  “Transcriptomics of drought stress acclimation response in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.).” Co-authors: K. R. Kottapalli, P. Payton

Chemistry

• BALAPITIYAGE SOMAWEERA - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category I – 1st Place
  “Generation of Concentration Gradient across 256 Cell Culture Array in Microfluidic Device and Mathematical Simulations.” Co-authors: S. Haputhanthri, A. Ibraguimov, D. Pappas
• MUHAMMET CETIN - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category I – 2nd Place
  “Synthesis of a [2] Rotaxane via Dynamic Ring-Chain Equilibration.” Co-authors: D. B. Cordes, M. F. Mayer
• SURESHBABU MUMMADI - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category III – 2nd Place
  “An ‘Inverse' Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) Approach toward the H2 Cleavage and related acid-base chemistry of Verkade's superbase.” Co-author: C. Krempner
• DONALD RAMIREZ - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category I – 3rd Place
  “ZnO-SnO2 photocatalyst: an in-depth study on morphologies affect on photocatalytic activity.” Co-author: L. Hope-Weeks

Clinical Psychology

• SARAH DAVID - Doctor of Philosophy: Psychology – 2nd Place
  “Network Analysis of Lead-Lag Relations in an Individual with Comorbid Mood and Anxiety Disorders.” Co-authors: A. Marshall, E. Evanovitch

Environmental Toxicology

• LOGESWARI PONNUSAMY - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category II – 1st Place
  “Effect of acute and chronic oxidative stress on survival, growth, and tumorigenicity of breast cancer cells.” Co-authors: P. K. S. Mahalingaiah, K. P. Singh
• HEATHER LANZA - Master of Science: Science Category II – 2nd Place
  “Implications of Tissue Specific Partitioning of Perfluorinated Compounds on Fish Condition in Individuals Collected Near Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana,” Co-authors: R. S. Cochran, J. F. Mudge, A. D. Olson, B. R. Blackwell, C. J. Salice, T. A. Anderson
• EVELYN GABRIELA REATEGUI ZIRENA - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category II – 3rd Place
  “A bioenergetics-based perspective on understanding sublethal effects of toxicants in the freshwater snail, Lymnaea stagnalis.” Co-authors: B. N. Fidder, C. J. Salice

Exercise & Sport Sciences

• JACOB MOTA - Master of Science: Multidisciplinary Science – 3rd Place
  “Lean Leg Mass Adaptations Following Short-Term Barbell Training in Women.”

Languages & Cultures

• EVAN LEVINE - Master of Arts: Multidisciplinary Category II – 3rd Place
  “Re-envisaging the past: Preserving and presenting three-dimensional and geospatial archaeological data in a searchable database.”

Mathematics

• PRATHEEPA JEGANATHAN - Doctor of Philosophy: Multidisciplinary Category I – 2nd Place
  “Multivariate saddlepoint approximation of the Yule-Walker estimators.” Co-authors: A. A. Trindade, R. L. Paige

Museum Science

• JESSICA STEPP - Master of Arts: Multidisciplinary Category II – 2nd Place
  “3D Imaging, Modeling, and Printing of a Soup Can for Museum Exhibition”

Physics

• TARA SCARBOROUGH - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category III – 1st Place
  “The Design and Fabrication of Novel Thin Films for Ultra-Fast Optical Switching.” Co-author: A. Kaye
• JAMES FAULKNER - Doctor of Philosophy: Science Category III – 3rd Place
  “A Search for WWγ and WZγ Production and Physics Beyond the Standard Model in pp Collisions within the CMS.” Co-author: S-W. Lee

Technical Communication & Rhetoric

• SARAH MARTIN - Doctor of Philosophy: Distance – 1st Place
  “Birth Imagery through a Cultural Lens:  Examining Visuals in U.S. and Japanese Healthcare Brochures.”

Watersheid Receives TTU Parents Assoc. Award

BROOKE WALTERSCHEID, a Cell & Molecular Biology senior in the Department of Biological Sciences, received the Student Achievement Citizenship Award from the Texas Tech University Parents Association on March 28. The Student Achievement Citizenship Awards was established in 1974 and honors one student in each of the academic colleges for superior achievement in both scholarship and service to the community.

McLelland is TTU's Newest Masked Rider

RACHEL MCLELLAND, a pre-med undergraduate in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work, is Texas Tech University's new Masked Rider. The junior anthropology major, who hails from Tijeras, New Mexico, took the reins to Fearless Champion on April 17.

Jarrett Wins Top Poster Presenter at Conference

PHILIP JARRETT, a Biology Senior in the Department of Biological Sciences, won Top Poster Presenter, Biological and Chemical Sciences, during the 2015 Texas Tech University Undergraduate Research Conference.

Forensics Students Produce Research Abstracts

FORENSICS STUDENTS who joined the 2014 Cyprus Summer Field School, conducted by Forensic Anthropologist ROBERT PAINE, Director of TTU Forensic Sciences Program, produced research abstracts in January and presented posters at the American Association of Physical Anthropology symposium in March. They are:

• CAITLIN MAYER - Anthropology Undergrad (2014)
  2015. “Vertebral lesions from a Geriatric sample exhumed from the St. Nicholas Cemetery, Limassol, Cyprus.”  CE Mayer, RR Paine and, X-P Kyriakou. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. [Abstract]  S. Poster Presentation. St. Louis, MO. March 25-29.
• LIZZIE RODRIGUEZ - MA Candidate, Anthropology
  2015. An assessment of degenerative joint disease of the hip and shoulder in a Cypriot community from Limassol, Cyprus.”  L Rodriguez, RR Paine and, X-P Kyriakou. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. [Abstract]  S. Poster Presentation. St. Louis, MO. March 25-29.
• WILLIAM CAWLEY - BA Candidate May 2015, Anthropology
  2015. “Lurking in the genes: A case study of reactive arthropathy in comparison to other HLA-B27 related conditions and DISH.”  WD Cawley, RR Paine and, X-P Kyriakou. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. [Abstract]  S. Poster Presentation. St. Louis, MO. March 25-29.
• SEWASEW HAILESLASSIE - BA Candidate May 2015, Anthropology
  2015. “Abnormal healing of a femoral spiral fracture and its functionality in a Cypriot Geriatrician.” S Haileslassieand RR Paine.  American Journal of Physical Anthropology. [Abstract]  S. Poster Presentation. St. Louis, MO. March 25-29.
• LISA HIGHSMITH - MA Candidate, Anthropology
  2015.  “Degenerative Joint Disease in the Hands and Feet Relative to Sex and Body Mass: A Study of Skeletons from St. Nicholas Cemetery in Limassol, Cyprus”. LS Highsmith, RR Paine, X-P Kyriakou. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. [Abstract]  S. Poster Presentation. St. Louis, MO. March 25-29.

Another of Paine's students also produced a research abstract:

• MELANIE HIGHSMITH - MA Candidate, Anthropology
  2015. “Experimental Assessment: Heavy Bladed Tool Mark Analysis in Relation to Dismemberment and Its Implications for Forensic Identification”. M Highsmith, RR Paine. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. [Abstract]  S.

Langston Receives DACOR Fellowship

MELISSA LANGSTON, a Master's student of French in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, is the first TTU student to receive a Foreign Affairs Fellowship from the DACOR Bacon House Foundation, an organization of foreign affairs professionals. The $10,000 tuition-only fellowship is available only to students at 11 schools each year.

Defferari, Gonzales Publish Gerontology Work

Graduate student ELIZABETH DEFFERARI and undergraduate student MATTHEW WIBERG, in collaboration with Assistant Professor Joachin Gonzalez, all from the Department of Health, Exercise & Sport Sciences, have published an article, titled: “Arterial stiffness is higher in older adults with increased perceived fatigue and fatigability during walking.” The article appeared in the January 2015 issue of the journal Experimental Gerontology.

Dabbakeh Receives Kulkofsky Scholarship

NADEEM DABBAKEH, a Psychology major and undergraduate researcher in the Department of Psychological Sciences, has been chosen as the 2015-2016 recipient of the Dr. Sarah Kulkofsky Scholarship. Dabbakeh will receive a $500 scholarship to assist with research efforts and will be recognized during the annual TTU Undergraduate Research spring banquet, Thursday, April 2, 2015. The scholarship was created in memory of Dr. Sarah Kulkofsky, an assistant professor of Human Development & Family Studies from 2007 until her passing in January 2011. During her time at TTU, "Dr. K," as many students often called her, instilled her own thirst for knowledge in her students.

Young Among This Year's Epicenter Fellows

VICTORIA YOUNG,a Biology major in the Department of Biological Sciences, has been named a University Innovation Fellow by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter), a program funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and VentureWell (formerly NCIIA). Young is among 123 students from 52 institutions of higher education to be chosen as a Fellow this year.

Roberts Awarded for Best Oral Presentation

EMMA ROBERTS, a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences, received the award for best oral presentation on studies pertaining to mammalian cytology, evolution, and systematics at the Texas Society of Mammalogists (TSM), during the group's annual meeting in Junction, Texas. Roberts, a graduate teaching assistant from Spring, Texas, presented Evolution of the zonadhesin gene depicts a unique history during the origin of Eutherian mammals.

Dunn Earns Clyde Jones Poster Award

CHRISTOPHER DUNN,a Master's student in the Department of Biological Sciences, received the Clyde Jones award for best poster presentation on studies pertaining to mammalian cytology, evolution, and systematics during the annual meeting of the Texas Society of Mammalogists (TSM) in Junction, Texas. Dunn, who is from Rockwall, Texas, presented Morphometric and genetic variation in eight breeds of Ethiopian (Camelus dromedarius).

Lindsey Takes Top Honors in Mammal Challenge

LARAMIE LINDSEY, a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences, won the Mammal Challenge during the annual meeting of the Texas Society of Mammalogists (TSM) in Junction, Texas. Lindsey, who is from Del Rio, Texas, came in first during the Mammal Challenge, the Society's time-honored contest that tests one's ability to identify mammals.

Dominguez Plays 2 Rounds in Masters Tourney 

MATITAS DOMINGUEZ, a General Studies student in the College of Arts & Sciences and a member of the Texas Tech Men's Golf team, played in the 2015 Masters Tournament, shooting just six strokes shy of advancing to a third round. Dominguez became the first Red Raider to qualify for and play in The Masters after he won the inaugural Latin America Amateur (Golf) Championship.

Reátegui-Zirena Awarded for Presentation

EVELYN REÁTEGUI-ZIRENA, a third-year PhD student in the Department of Environmental Toxicology, received an award for 2014 Outstanding Oral Presentation at the 2014 conference of the Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). The award was for the presentation of the first part of her thesis, "Interactive effects of cadmium and diet on bioenergetic endpoints in the freshwater snail, Lymnaea stagnalis". "My goal is to detect ecologically relevant effects of chemical stressors in gastropods based on their energy allocation patterns," Reátegui-Zirena said in a statement. Her research advisor is Todd Anderson, Chair of the Department of Environmental Toxicology.

Dawson Lands EPA STAR Fellowship

DANIEL DAWSON, a third-year doctoral student at the Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), has received the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) fellowship. The fellowship lasts until August 2016 and provides Dawson with a stipend and tuition so he can conduct his research. “I'm pretty darn excited about it,” Dawson said. His research includes building spatially explicit modeling tools used to predict and manage mosquito-borne disease risk. His main goal involves the modeling tools developed from his research becoming useful to organizations responsible for disease vector control. “Because the fellowship is funded by public dollars and in a program aimed at funding applied research,” Dawson said, “I fully intend for the results of my work to either become or lead to applications that are publicly available.”

Leon Awarded by SACNAS for Presentation

STEPHANIE de LEON, an undergraduate in the Department of Biological Sciences, was selected to receive a 2014 Student Presentation Award from the Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). She was selected for her presentation, “Synergistic Interactions of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Staphylococcus Aureus in an in Vitro Wound Model,” which she recently delivered at the 2014 SACNAS National Conference in Los Angeles. In layman's terms, de Leon, a Biology senior from Tahoka, is studying the two most common bacteria found in wound-care patients, and says she is humbled to receive this recognition. DeLeon's research advisor, Kendra Rumbaugh, is an Associate Professor of Surgery at TTUHSC.

Wyland Wins Undergraduate Essay Prize

HEATHER WYLAND is one of only eight students from the United States and Canada to receive the North American Conference on British Studies (NACBS) Undergraduate Essay Prize.

10 A&S Grad Students Won Scholarships

TEN STUDENTS from the College of Arts & Sciences won scholarships during the fourth annual Arts and Humanities Graduate Student Research Conference. Sixteen A&S students and five A&S faculty and staff also played supporting roles as judges, moderators and volunteers.

$125 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

• Dora Aranda – Spanish
• Josh De La Rosa – Applied Linguistics
• Morgan Keller – Museum Science
• Abel Rios – History
• James Sandy – History
• Amber Thompson – Sociology

$100 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

• Neil Gohl – Philosophy
• Nazmus Sakib – Political Science
• Mahmoud Salari – Economics
• Macy Skipworth – English

Love Serves as Texas Tech President for a Day

TAYLOR LOVE, a senior Exercise & Sport Sciences major from Sugar Land, steps into the daily routine of TTU President  M. Duane Nellis, tending to a schedule full of meetings and appointments. A winning raffle ticket put her in the president's chair for a day.

Leos Lands Congressional Internship

VANESSA LEOS, who earned her BA in Political Science at Texas Tech and now is a graduate student in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work, has been selected for a congressional internship. She will work for a U.S. senator during Spring 2015.

Nafees Named White House Ambassador

SABA NAFEES, a TTU alumna and first-year graduate student in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, was selected to be an E3! Ambassador to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI). Nafees is one of three ambassadors responsible for Region VI, which covers Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. She is one of only 32 to be chosen nationwide for the 2014-2015.

Hogan Studies Abroad in Zimbabwe on Grant

ASHLEY HOGAN, an Economics senior, studied abroad in Zimbabwe this summer, thanks to her winning a Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant. She is one of 50 students nationwide to receive the $1,000 grant. While in Zimbabwe, Hogan, an international economics major, completed an applied agricultural economics course. “I went specifically because this is something I'm interested in doing with my career,” she said. “Texas Tech really opened that opportunity for me to explore what life as an environmental economist could look like.”

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