Student Archive

Spring - Summer 2015

CMLL's Langston Speaks at United Nations

MELISSA LANGSTON, Master's student in French in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, was one of 70 students selected to make a presentation to the United Nations General Assembly on the UN's Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda in July. Langston was chosen from a pool of more than 1,200 entrants, based on her essay, and subsequent Skype interview, for the Many Languages, One World International Student Essay Contest and Global Youth Forum. Carole Edwards, Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies, sponsored Langston for the essay contest and described Langston's UN project as innovative and one that offered a significant contribution to the development of women in Africa. Students were required to submit their essays in one of the six official United Nations languages, which was not the student's first-language, or the principal language of instruction in their primary or secondary education. Langston, an Amarillo native, traveled to New York to speak, in French, before the United Nations General Assembly on July 24, the highlight of the Many Languages, One World Global Youth Forum at Adelphi University July 20-26. The contest was organized by ELS Educational Services, Inc. and the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI).

English's Palmer Wins 1st for Dissertation

MICHAEL PALMER, doctoral candidate in the Department of English, received a First Place 2015 Graduate School Award for his dissertation, titled "Baptizing the Dead: Creative Nonfiction Essays." Plamer was nominated by Dennis Covington, Professor of English. In addition, his dissertation was nominated for the Council of Graduate Schools annual CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, which recognizes dissertations that represent original work and make unusually significant contributions to their disciplines.

CMLL's Wing Takes 2nd for Dissertation

HEATH WING, doctoral candidate in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, received a Second Place 2015 Graduate School Award for his dissertation, titled "States of Exception on American Frontiers: Biopolitics, Violence, and Nation in Martin Fierro, Os Sertaes and Blood Meridian." Wing was nominated by John Beusterien, Professor of Spanish.

History's Gonzalez Takes 1st Place

TIFFANY GONZALEZ, Master's candidate in the Department of History, received a First Place 2015 Graduate School award for her thesis, titled "Chicana Politics: Maria Cardenas and La Raza Unida Party, 1935-1993." Gonzalez was nominated by Julie Willett, Associate Professor of History.

English's Hash is Featured Writer

ELIZABETH HASH, a TTU undergraduate in the Department of English (and pursuing a double major in Environment and the Humanities) is one of the featured writers in the spring 2015 issue ISLE (Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment), the leading journal in the field. Hash's piece, titled "Adventure in Our Bones: A Study of Rick Bass's Relationship with Landscape," was part of the journal's special section featuring Texas Tech's Sowell Collection.

Biology's Barnes is Featured Writer

EMMA BARNES, a major in the Department of Biological Sciences (and pursuing a minor in Environment and the Humanities) is one of the featured writers in the spring 2015 issue ISLE (Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment), the leading journal in the field. Barnes' piece, titled "Desert Rooting: Edward Abbey Calls Your Name," was part of the journal's special section featuring Texas Tech's Sowell Collection.

A&S Congressional Interns Summer 2015

FOUR OF summer 2015's Texas Tech's Congressional Interns hailed from the College of Arts & Sciences. They were:

• EVONNE HEREDIA, an undergraduate majoring in sociology and criminology
• NORA JAN, a senior majoring in English, political science, and sociology
• DENZEL MAXWELL, a master's student pursuing a public administration degree
• ASHLEY MELERO, a senior majoring in social work and sociology

Math's Nafees Joins Dream Riders

SABA NAFEES, a graduate student in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, is participating in the Dream Riders Across America national campaign where young representatives travel the United States telling their stories and encouraging young people to become agents for social change and racial justice. Participants are either undocumented, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients or come from hard working, low-income families. Nafees originally is from Lahore, Pakistan, and more recently from Fort Worth.

ESS's Livergood Lands Scholarship

MADELINE LIVERGOOD, who earned her bachelor's in the Department of Health, Exercise & Sport Sciences and is now a grad student in the department, has received the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship for CC/Track & Field from the Big 12 Conference. The Gautt scholarships go to undergraduate students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have participated in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics, and intend to enroll in graduate/professional schools within two years of graduation.

Environmental Toxicology's Ponnusamy

LOGESWARI PONNUSAMY, a PhD student in the Department of Environmental Toxicology, has received a Daphne Purvis Grant from the 2014 International Federation of University Women Fellowships and Grants competition. Ponnusamy's winning project, "Role of gene-environmental interaction (epigenetics) in acquired chemotherapeutic drug resistance in breast cancer and reversal of resistance using epigenetic drugs," was selected from a competitive, multi-disciplinary field of international candidates. Ponnusamy's academic research advisor is Kamaleshwar P. Singh of The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH).

ESS's Tyler Gets Baseball Scholarship

TYLER FLOYD, an undergraduate in the Department of Health, Exercise & Sport Sciences, has received the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship for Baseball from the Big 12 Conference. The Gautt scholarships go to undergraduate students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have participated in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics, and intend to enroll in graduate/professional schools within two years of graduation.

Dissertation Completion Fellows 2015-16

The TTU Graduate School has announced recipients of the Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship Program for the 2015-16 academic year. Those from the College of Arts & Sciences are:

• Amanda Cano, in the Department of Environmental Toxicology
• Omar Corral, Spanish, in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures
• Chase Dearinger, in the Department of English
• Elizabeth Farley-Dawson, in the Department of Biological Sciences
• Eshan Gurung, in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
• Chloe Honum, in the Department of English
• Howard Huynh, in the Department of Biological Sciences
• Narayan Kandel, in the Department of Biological Sciences
• Bennett Kimbell, in the Department of Biological History
• Neelam Mishra, in the Department of Biological Sciences
• Bereket Okbu, in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
• Neha Phadke, in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
• Kendra Phelps, zoology, in the Department of Biological Sciences
• Erin Pumroy, in the Department of English
• Donald Ramirez, in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
• Scott Starr, in the Department of Biological Sciences

Math's Nafees Aces MSNBC Interview 

SABA NAFEES, a graduate student in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, was interviewed by MSNBC during a trip to Washington, D.C., about why so many undocumented students don't seek government aid.

Biology's Ordóñez-Garza Awarded

NICTE ORDONEZ-GARZA, a Doctoral Candidate in Zoology and a Research Assistant in the Department of Biological Sciences, received the Outstanding Woman Leader Award from the West Texas Association for Women in Science. Ordóñez-Garza is quickly becoming a role model for women scientists, having published 24 scientific papers and having already received the prestigious Shadle Award from the American Society of Mammalogists. Further, she has been elected President of the Guatemalan Society of Mammalogists and has actively participated and attained leadership positions in programs aimed at student success in the classroom and lab setting, both in Central America and the United States. She was nominated by Emma Roberts, a Doctoral Student and Teaching Assistant in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Biology's Young an NSF Fellow

VICTORIA YOUNG, a Senior Cellular and Molecular Biology Student in the Department of Biological Sciences, was one of five TTU students recognized as a University Innovation Fellow by the National Science Foundation. The University Innovation Fellows is a nonprofit program designed to increase innovation in higher education. Its administrator, the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter), is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and the nonprofit VentureWell.

English Undergrads Land $10K Grant

FOUR UNDERGRADUATES in the Department of English wrote a Recovery Success grant that will provide $10,000 to help former substance abusers to make a fresh start in life. The proposal team of Holly Warren, Margaret Nelson, Graciela Gallegos and Jacob Deslongchamps are all students in Christiana Christofides' ENGL 2311 class. Christofides, Assistant Director of TTU Online Graduate Studies and Instructor of Technical Communication and Rhetoric, directed the team.

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