A&S Student News

Fall 2018

Masoumzadeh Presents at TTUHSC Symposium

Elahe Masoumzadeh, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, gave a presentation at the 10th annual Center for Membrane Protein Research Symposium, held Oct. 15-16 at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Masoumzadeh is a member of professor Michael Latham's research group and presented on her research topic, "Exploring the role of a single mutation of the RRM CstF-64 on the cleavage and polyadenylation process."

Rahman Presents at TTUHSC Symposium

Samiur Rahman, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, gave a presentation at the 10th annual Center for Membrane Protein Research Symposium, held Oct. 15-16 at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Rahman is a member of professor Michael Latham's research group and presented on his research topic, "Studies of an Mre11 cancer mutation give inside into the mechanism of double-stranded DNA damage repair."

Sprouse Presents at LSJE Luncheon Series

Sarah Sprouse, a PhD candidate in the Department of English, discussed her current research at a recent TTU English Literature, Social Justice, and the Environment (LSJE) luncheon. Sprouse's work stems from her dissertation, "Fantasies of Wales: Some Paleographic Evidence for the Mediating Role of Gerald of Wales." Her research examines the medieval and early modern afterlives of the 30 manuscripts containing the 12th-century Itinerarium Kambriae and Descriptio Kambriae by Gerald of Wales. a departmental news brief posted Oct. 9. "The reader reception and interaction with these manuscripts demonstrates the ongoing instability of these texts despite their early appearance in print," Sprouse was quoted as saying in a departmental news brief dated Oct. 9. "My LSJE presentation [traces] the movement of marginal annotations from a 13th-century manuscript to a 16th-century printing and beyond."Sprouse is a winner of numerous grants and fellowships, the most recent of which include the 2018-2019 Tech University Dissertation Completion Fellowship, which frees Sprouse from teaching obligations to focus on dissertation research and writing; the 2018-2019 Huntington Library Exchange Fellowship to Trinity College-Dublin, which provides for research at Trinity College-Dublin; and the 2017 Robert and Janet Lumiansky Dissertation Grant from the Medieval Academy of America, for dissertation research. Also speaking at the LSJE luncheon was Julie Nelson Couch, associate professor in the Department of English, who said of her presentation: "In our project, Gaming the Medieval English Text: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Cotton Nero A.x. Manuscript, my collaborator, Kimberly Bell and I apply contemporary cultural game theory to a medieval manuscript. The unique visual layout of the late 14th-century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, adds another interactive layer to the games that abound in the narrative."

Skinner-Ramos Receives NSF Internship

Sueli Skinner-Ramos, a graduate student and research assistant for Condensed Matter Physics  in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, has received the National Science Foundation's Non-Academic Research Internship for Graduate Students. Her internship began Oct. 1 and provides for Skinner-Ramos to spend three months at Sandia National Laboratories, where she will conduct research toward her Ph.D. "This internship will allow me to test the skills I have learned, not only from my research in optics but throughout my physics career, in a high-level research environment," Skinner-Ramos said. "It is not easy as an international graduate student to obtain an opportunity like this. This internship will expose me to the rigors, expectations, and day to day demands in the research and development workforce. Also, this activity will give me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with scientific leaders of their fields, and will be a great way to expand my professional network." According to an Aug. 27 NSF announcement, the Non-Academic Research Internship is meant to foster the growth of a globally competitive and diverse STEM research workforce for the private sector, recognizing that graduate students have the potential to make important contributions in careers outside academia. In fact, NSF's 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators report show that 79 percent of master's level STEM graduates and 57 percent of doctoral degree holders work in industry or government.

5 from Chemistry Present Posters at TACCSTER

Five students in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry attended TACCSTER 2018 (Texas Advanced Computing Consortium Symposium for Texas Researchers) Sep 20-21. The event was held at the University of Texas at Austin. All five are members of professor Bill Poirier's research group:

• J. Jerke presented on "Exact 3-body quantum calculations: simulating any interaction in vacuum or solid state."
• A. Pandey presented on "Using wavelets to compute the vibrational states of OCHCO+."
• J. Sarka presented on "Rovibrational quantum dynamics of the Ne4 tetramer.
• P. Kumar presented on "Rovibrational bound states of SO2 isotopologues: an application to sulfur mass-independent fractionation."

Smith Gives Reading at Series Launch

Jessica Smith, a PhD student in English & Creative Writing, read from her recent works on Sept. 6, as the Department of English began its 2018-19 TTU Creative Writing Program Reading Series. Smith co-founded and curates the LHUCA Literary Series. Her poetry, essays, and criticism can be found in Prairie Schooner, Waxwing, 32 Poems, The Rumpus, and other journals. She received her MFA in poetry from The New School and is the recipient of scholarships from the Sewanee Writers' Conference and the Vermont Studio Center. Robby Taylor, a PhD student in Literature & Creative Writing, also gave a reading, as did Lubbock's first poet laureate, William Wenthe, professor in the Department of English and author of four books of poems: God's Foolishness (2016); Words Before Dawn (2012); Not Till We Are Lost (2003); and Birds of Hoboken (1995).

Taylor Reads Recent Work at Series

Robby Taylor, a PhD student in Literature & Creative Writing, read from his recent works on Sept. 6, as the Department of English began its 2018-19 TTU Creative Writing Program Reading Series. Taylor received his MFA in Fiction from Arizona State University in Tempe, where he was the Theresa A. Wilhoit Fellow. Jessica Smith, a PhD student in English & Creative Writing, also gave a reading, as did Lubbock's first poet laureate, William Wenthe, professor in the Department of English and author of four books of poems: God's Foolishness (2016); Words Before Dawn (2012); Not Till We Are Lost (2003); and Birds of Hoboken (1995).

Miller Receives TrUE Fellowship

Lauren Miller, a Biology major working in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, was awarded a fellowship to conduct research work in professor Kristin Hutchin's lab. The fellowship came from TrUE, the Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences (formerly know as CALUE, or the Center for Active Learning and Undergraduate Engagement). TrUE provides project funding—based on a competitive review process—to undergraduate students who are conducting original research, scholarship, or creative activity under the mentorship of a faculty member. In addition to providing support and funds for undergraduate research, TrUE works to develop innovative programs and activities that enhance undergraduate research. 

Trubenstein Wins 2 Undergraduate Awards

Henry Trubenstein, an undergraduate in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, received $1,000 to support his undergraduate research work in professor Anthony Cozzolino's group. The funds came from TrUE, the Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences (formerly know as CALUE, or the Center for Active Learning and Undergraduate Engagement). TrUE provides project funding—based on a competitive review process—to undergraduate students who are conducting original research, scholarship, or creative activity under the mentorship of a faculty member. Trubenstein also received the 2018 Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry from the Division of Inorganic Chemistry of the American Chemical Society.

David Awarded Covenant Fellowship

Sarah Jo David, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychological Sciences' Clinical program, has been awarded the Covenant Health and Social Services Graduate Fellowship, according to an Aug. 29 departmental news item. The Covenant Health and Social Services Graduate Fellowship is a competitive fellowship that was established in 1997 to assist graduate students pursuing fields including clinical psychology, counseling psychology, human development and family studies, sociology, health organization management, and marriage and family therapy. 

Grad Students Start TTU Net Impact Chapter

Darin Williams, Luke Morgan, and Shayla Corprew, all graduate students in the Department of English, have created a Texas Tech chapter of Net Impact. Net Impact is an international program dedicated to creating effective communication among students, staff, and faculty across all disciplines. Williams appreciates Net Impact for its tangible tools for social and environmental involvement for young professionals, according to a departmental news item posted Aug. 23. "As a student, teacher, and professional, it's difficult to find the time to plan, develop, and execute impactful activities," says Williams. "Net Impact provides more 'off the shelf' activities than any organization I've ever been involved with." Plans for the Texas Tech chapter include hosting webinars, panel discussions, and workshops centered around interdisciplinary dialogue and environmental and social impact. "My work at TTU as a technical communication scholar is focused on implementing practical methods of effective communication," Corprew says. "Net Impact complements this work well and will be a great asset to the university community."

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