A&S Student News

Spring 2019

Gilman Scholars Head Abroad

Carla Barnes, Caleb Cash, Kaevyn Maple and Malik White-Williams, all undergraduates in the Department of Political Science, are among the 15 Texas Tech University students awarded nearly $50,000 in scholarships from the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. Winners were published June 10 at Texas Tech Today. To read more about them and their study destinations, follow this link.

Falco Wins Leadership Award

Adrian Falco, a graduating biochemistry senior, is this year's winner of the Texas Tech Parents Association Student Academic Leadership Award representing the College of Arts & Sciences. The native of Friendswood, Texas, leaves Texas Tech behind—at least the main campus—with a prodigious list of accomplishments to his credit: He is outgoing president of the Honors College Bayless Elementary Mentoring Program. H his Honors thesis concerns the challenges of delivering medical supplies and services to Haiti. And he plays a pretty mean saxophone. As a student on the pre-med track, Falco will continue his studies at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He wants to be a physician. A detailed story about Falco may be found by following this link.

Highest-Ranking Graduates Spring 2019

The following are the College of Arts & Sciences' highest-ranking students for Spring 2019 Graduation, which took place May 17. Biochemistry major Blake Aaron Ferguson carried the Arts & Sciences banner.

Department of Biological Sciences

• Oscar Almazan, biology major
• Rodie Wayne Brister, biology major
• Ethan Gregory Johnson, biology major
• Shree Ashish Patel, microbiology major
• Nandini Arunava Ray, microbiology major
• Sparsh Pratik Ray, microbiology major
• Tucker McAaron Wise, microbiology major

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

• Stephan Brian Azatian, biochemistry major
• Adrian Nguyen-Si Falco, biochemistry major
• Blake Aaron Ferguson, biochemistry major
• Quoc Trieu Nguyen, biochemistry major

Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures

• Rivir Scott Berry, Spanish major
• Molly Taylor Gilmore, Spanish major
• Jessica Elizabeth Nichols, Spanish major
• Abigail Eleanor Raef, languages and cultures major

Department of English

• Destiny Alyse Doran, English major
• Yoana Duran, English major
• Pauline L. Franklin, English major
• Karina Ocanas, English major
• Michael Lawrence Tagliabue, English major
• Jordan Taylor White, English major
• Kristen Dene' York, English major

Degree in General Studies

• Hannah Asha Daniel, general studies major
• Breelin Noelle Shafer, general studies major

Department of History

• Emily Ann Gideon, history major

Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management

• Amanda Michelle Burton, kinesiology major
• Jesse Robert Perez, kinesiology major
• Riley Benjamin Reich, kinesiology major
• Christian Rodriguez, kinesiology major
• Brandon Richard Spencer, kinesiology major
• Jenna Leanne Townsend, kinesiology major

Department of Mathematics & Statistics

• Kip Keith Fletcher, mathematics major
• Adam Lee Harper, mathematics major
• Abdou Khadim Sakho, mathematics major

Department of Political Science

• Olivia Marie Copeland, political science major

Department of Psychological Sciences

• Caitlin Jane Boyle, psychology major
• Bailey Jo Gomez, psychology major
• Claire Marie Linenberger, psychology major
• Kara Beth Pepper, psychology major

Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work

• Aliyah Destinie Acuña, sociology major
• Hannah Sabine Hughes, anthropology major
• Marissa Jean Medina, sociology major
• Haley Renee Stevers, sociology major

Wu Wins Goldwater Scholarship

Oscar Wu, above right, a junior majoring in cell and molecular biology in the Department of Biological Sciences, has been awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in the United States. Wu's research interest is in the field of cancer immunotherapy. "Whether it's the National Institutes of Health or companies like Merck, there is a huge public and private interest in cancer immunotherapy," Wu says. "In fact, the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was awarded for developing the first immune checkpoint inhibitor drug, ipilimumab. This is because decades of basic science research in this field has finally allowed us to utilize that data for drug development and translate them to patients." Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec praised Wu's hard work and dedication to research, saying that the scholarship speaks to Wu's commitment and talents as an undergraduate researcher and exemplifies the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit the university encourages in all its students. "I started conducting research when I was a sophomore," Wu says of his high school days. "I emailed 50 laboratories when I was 15 years old, and I was accepted into only one, at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. After that, everything was history."

Dinan Recognized as Fulbright Finalist

Nancy Dinan, a Ph.D. student in the Department of English, was recognized as a Fulbright finalist May 6 during Texas Tech University's annual Prestigious Scholarship Reception, hosted by the Office of National and International Scholarships & Fellowships (NISF), the Graduate School and the Honors College. The ceremony recognizes applicants for the months of work that go into applying for highly competitive and prestigious educational awards and programs, including writing and revising essays and recommendation letters, serving on selection committees, and participating as interviewers and applicants in mock interview panels. "Applying for prestigious awards is no easy feat," said Wendoli Flores, director of NISF. "Only the students who are willing to sacrifice a good deal of their time end up going through the process of a complete application. Many of these scholarships require university endorsement and must be applied for internally through the NISF office so a review committee has the opportunity to assess the candidates and endorse the most competitive students." Flores added that even when a student does not receive a scholarship, the mere act of applying is an impressive accomplishment that must be recognized and celebrated."

Perkowski Recognized for Research

Evan A. Perkowski, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biological Sciences, received an Honorable Mention for his application to the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program. He was recognized for his application May 6 during Texas Tech University's annual Prestigious Scholarship Reception, hosted by the Office of National and International Scholarships & Fellowships (NISF), the Graduate School and the Honors College. The ceremony recognizes applicants for the months of work that go into applying for highly competitive and prestigious educational awards and programs, including writing and revising essays and recommendation letters, serving on selection committees, and participating as interviewers and applicants in mock interview panels. "Applying for prestigious awards is no easy feat," said Wendoli Flores, director of NISF. "Only the students who are willing to sacrifice a good deal of their time end up going through the process of a complete application. Many of these scholarships require university endorsement and must be applied for internally through the NISF office so a review committee has the opportunity to assess the candidates and endorse the most competitive students." Flores added that even when a student does not receive a scholarship, the mere act of applying is an impressive accomplishment that must be recognized and celebrated."

Wilkerson Receives President's Award

Kabl Wilkerson, a history and political science major in the College of Arts & Sciences, received the President's Excellence in Diversity & Equity Award for Undergraduate Students during a ceremony on April 30. Wilkerson, a member of the Citizen Band Potawatomi, founded the Raiderland Native American Student Association to address the deficit of support and awareness of the Native American community, According to a Jan. 30, 2019, article in the Daily Toreador. Wilkerson also is an Honors Arts and Letters major in the Honors College. The awards celebrate faculty, students and staff who exemplify Texas Tech University's commitment to advancing diversity and promoting equity and inclusiveness. The program was held in the Hall of Nations at the International Cultural Center, with Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanec addressing the nominees and winners. "A commitment to diversity not only grows the pool of talent on a campus, but supports an environment that makes greater use of our human resources," Schovanec said. In addition to recognition at the ceremony, Wilkerson will receive a $500 scholarship. The awards were created by the Office of the President and administered by the Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

English Students Recognized in Ceremony

More than 50 graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of English were recognized with awards and scholarships at the English Department Awards Ceremony, held April 26. For a complete list of winners, follow this link.

Pati Wins People's Choice Award

SivaTeja Pati, above center, a biology major in the Department Biological Sciences, is the founder of a new, non-profit company that designs and produces customized 3D-printable prosthetic hands for children. During Texas Tech University's inaugural "Discoveries to Impact Week," Pati won the $500 Spark Conference Poster Showcase People's Choice Award for developing the adaptive grip mechanism with gross- and fine-grip switchability for 3D-printed prosthetic hands. A detailed story about Pati may be found by following this link.

Chemistry Students Present at Meeting

Students of Michael Latham, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, presented at the 27th Texas Protein Folding and Functions meeting. the meeting was held April 12-14 at The Retreat at Artesian Lakes, near Cleveland, Texas.

• Zachary Boswell presented the talk, "Cancer associated mutations perturb Rad50 D-loop to circumvent allosteric regulation."
• Elahe Masoumzadeh presented the talk, "Characterizing the structure and dynamics of CstF-64 RRM-RNA complexes using NMR spectroscopy."
• Mahtab Beikzadeh presented the poster, "Investigating the mechanism of Mre11 nuclease activities."
• Stephan Azatian presented the poster, "Synthesis of multi-part Pf Rad50 for NMR spectroscopy analysis of coiled-coil domain of full-length Rad50."

Smith Play Staged by School of Dance

Jessica Smith, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English, authored a play that opened April 1 at the Creative Movement Studio. Smith's work, "Cub," was staged by Texas Tech University's School of Theater & Dance as part of "Raider Red's One-Act Play Spectacular/Raider Red's Awesome Dance Spectacular 2019" (RROAPS/RRADS). Plays are chosen through a contest, and English professor Jill Patterson encouraged Smith to enter "Cubs" when the call for submissions was announced. "Dr. Patterson pointed out that English students had entered the RROAPS contest in the past, and she knew I wrote a lot of dialogue into my poetry," Smith says. "Since the play was accepted, I feel like the English department has been really excited for the crossover, and I hope other students will send in their scripts next year. I've learned so much from watching the artists in the School of Theater & Dance, and I've definitely got the playwriting itch now." Smith's play is described as tracing the rapid escalation and demise of a romantic relationship, exploring the ways in which power dynamics are established early and calcify quickly. Its story charts how people can slowly subjugate themselves to an abusive partner, and the long shadow that trauma can cast on an individual's life. Smith noted that the writing process was fun, but daunting: "It was fun insofar as I got to practice a new craft, but it was daunting because the subject matter is quite painful. I wanted to be sure, when writing about an abusive relationship, to resist tropes or gestures that might reinforce myths about intimate partner violence."

Cardenas Wins Teaching Award

Zachary Cardenas, a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, received the 2019 Professing Excellence Award, presented by Texas Tech University Student Housing and announced in March. Recipients are nominated by students for having demonstrated exceptional educational skills. Mechanical engineering sophomore Grant Tekell, who nominated Cardenas, described in a YouTube video how Cardenas gets to know the students in his lab by asking about how their week is going or what sports they like, for example. "I forget exactly what he said to me, but I remember he made me feel genuinely cared for." Tekell said Cardenas answers student's questions in a way that makes the subject matter easy to understand. "To teach it well, you have to understand it well. And he teaches and makes things clear."

Chang Receives Horn Professors Award

Yu-Wei Chang, from the Department of Environmental Toxicology, has won the Horn Professors Graduate Achievement Award for 2019. Chang's national award-winning research focuses on the adverse effects of environmental contaminants in kidney diseases and cancer. Most recently, she has been conducting research on the adverse affects of small amounts of arsenic in tap water. Her creative and impressive work not only looks at cause, but it also examines therapy approaches to reduce or prevent the negative effects of certain environmental contaminants. Her ground-breaking research is directly relevant to clinical patient care. The Horn Professors Graduate Achievement Award was established by the Paul Whitfield Horn Professors at Texas Tech University to recognize and reward outstanding research or creative activity performed by graduate students while here. She was was nominated by her research mentor Kamaleshwar Singh. A detailed story about Chang's research may be found by following this link.

Dinan Receives Horn Professors Award

Nancy Dinan, from the Department of English, has won the Horn Professors Graduate Achievement Award for 2019. Dinan is working on her doctoral dissertation in English Literature with a creative writing specialization in the Department of English. Her first novel, "Things You Would Know if You Grew Up Around Here," is under contract with Bloomsbury for an expected publication in the summer of 2020. Two more novels are nearing completion, with subtle links to the first book. Her three-book project is described as significant because of the unique way it combines journalistic and historical facts with a fictional narrative, focusing on both environment and history, and thereby addressing a global issue, humanity's stewardship of nature. She was nominated by her mentor Katie Cortese. A detailed story about Dinan's work may be found by following this link.

6 From A&S Win Grad School Competition

Six graduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences won awards at the 18th Annual Graduate Student Research Poster Competition. The event was hosted by Texas Tech University's Graduate School and took place March 26. Winners were announced at a luncheon on April 9. Arts & Sciences students placed in the following three categories:

Biological Sciences

• Emma Roberts, Department of Biological Sciences — First Place 
• Malik Abdul, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry — Second Place 

Environmental Sciences

• Naveen Kumar, Department of Environmental Toxicology — First Place
• Narayan Acharya, Department of Environmental Toxicology — Second Place

Physics

• Hira Farooq, Department of Physics & Astronomy — First Place
• Deven Bhakta, Department of Physics & Astronomy — Second Place

Andrews Speaks at National ACS Meeting

Chemistry Ph.D. student Mrianda Andrews, above, in a TTU chemistry lab.

Miranda Andrews, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, gave a talk entitled "Effects of photochromic moieties on pendant groups that participate in secondary bonding interactions" at the American Chemical Society's Spring 2019 National Meeting in Orlando on April 4. Andrews coauthored the research with Anthony Cozzolino, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Undergrad Chemists Present at Conference

Student chemists in the lab of Gerardo Gamez, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, gave the following presentations at the 11th Annual Texas Tech Undergraduate Research Conference, held April 2-3:

• "Glow Discharge Optical Emission Elemental Mapping Method Development for Thin Sections and Solutions" — Cody Baker, Yue She, Gerardo Gamez
• "Development of Laser Rayleigh Scattering Plasma Diagnostic Instrument for Characterization of Plasma Gas Kinetic Temperature Maps in Plasmas Used for Chemical Analysis" — Lee Jong Min, Kevin Finch, Gerardo Gamez
• "Characterization of the Flowing Atmospheric Pressure Afterglow Ambient Mass Spectrometry Desorption/Ionization Source for Performing Real-Time Derivatization Reactions" — Zachry Kempf, Yinglei Pu, Gerardo Gamez

A&S Grad Students Receive Support Awards

This Texas Tech University Graduate School recently presented its 2019 Graduate Student Research Support Awards to 13 College of Arts & Sciences graduate students, six in the Arts & Humanities, seven in the STEM disciplines. The program is for Texas Tech University graduate students pursuing a master's or doctoral degree full time. The funds, which range between $500 and $1,000 per recipient, are earmarked only for expenses directly related to research (e.g., supplies, software, research-related training, etc.).

Spring 2019 Arts & Humanities Recipients

• Iliana Gonzalez — Counseling Psychology
• Leah Heilig — Technical Communication & Rhetoric
• Olivia Kuljian — Experimental Psychology
• Samodh Porawagamage — English
• David Robledo — Technical Communication & Rhetoric
• Gretchen Williams — History

Spring 2019 STEM Recipients

• Phoenix Crane — Experimental Psychology
• Meijun Dong — Biology
• Susan Leib — Geosciences
• Theresa Nguyen — Psychology
• Kalin Skinner — Environmental Toxicology
• Zhixing Wang — Physics
• Emily Wright — Biology

Farooq Receives Dissertation Fellowship

Hira Farooq, a Ph.D. candidate in Condensed Matter Physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been awarded a Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship from Texas Tech University.

Srivatsav Awarded Hazlewood Fellowship

Chitranjan Srivastav, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been awarded a competitive James D. and Mary Hazlewood Memorial Graduate Fellowship by the Graduate School. Srivatsav is a chemistry tutor and is the second author of the research article "Scientific validation of medicinal plants used by Yakkha community of Chanuwa VDC, Dhankuta, Nepal" published December 2016. The Hazlewood award is for $3,000 in the upcoming academic year.

 

Bennet Receives Dissertation Fellowship

Paul Bennet, a Ph.D. candidate in Astrophysics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been awarded a Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship from Texas Tech University.

Smith Places 3rd at Research Conference

Cecila Smith, an undergraduate in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, placed third out of 288 entrants at Texas Tech University's 2019 TrUE Undergraduate Research Conference. The conference was held April 2-3 on the TTU campus at Lubbock. Smith is mentored by Michael Findlater, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, and her entry was a poster, "Conversion of Imines to Secondary Amines Using Iron-Catalyzed Hydrosilylation."

Miller is Outstanding Undergrad Researcher

Sarah Miller (pictured above, second from left), a biology senior, has won the 2019 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award at the conclusion of the TTU Undergraduate Research Conference. The week-long conference, titled "Discoveries to Impact: A Celebration of Research, Innovation, & Startups," was directed by TrUE (the Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences) and took place April 1-5 this year. Each year, TrUE recognizes outstanding undergraduate researchers, nominated by faculty, who demonstrate exemplary performance and dedication to their work. Miller's research mentor is Andrey Karamyshev, assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology & Biochemistry at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). A detailed story about Miller's research may be found by following this link.

5 From A&S Earn Graduate Teaching Award

Five graduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences have received the 2019 Helen DeVitt Jones Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. This award, administered by the Graduate School, supports graduate part-time instructors at Texas Tech University by recognizing outstanding scholarly activity and excellence in teaching. To be eligible for the award, students must be nominated by a graduate faculty member, should have at least 18 hours of graduate work in their field of teaching responsibility, have full responsibility for the class or classes they teach, and have been a graduate part-time instructor during the academic year that they are being nominated to receive the award. In addition to the recognition, each awardee receives a $1,000 honorarium.

• Zachary Brander — Spanish
• Maya Edwards — Romance Languages, Spanish
• Vicente Iranzo — Spanish
• Arturo Ramirez Martinez — Spanish
• David Winograd — Counseling Psychology

Wang Receives Dissertation Fellowship

Tyler Wang, a Ph.D. student in High Energy Physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, has received a Graduate Student Research Support Award of $1,000 from Texas Tech University Graduate School.

Borges Runner Up for Research Award

Pablo Hernandez Borges, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science, was recognized as the first runner-up for the Student International Research Award, which recognizes international scholarship by a graduate student and is based on the annual Graduate School poster competition. His recognition came during the Global Vision Awards, held April 4, 2019, at the International Cultural Center. Borges was recognized for his research "Playing the Musical Chairs: A case study of corruption and cabinet rotation in Venezuela." His research examines the relationship of the high rotation of government ministers, a larger gross domestic product and the party in power running counter to the stability of the executive branch in government while at the same time increasing the level of governmental corruption. Winning the award was Grace Hyunjung Lee, a graduate student in Nutritional Sciences, for her research and cross-sectional study conducted in the Somali region of Ethiopia.

Gard Lands Graduate Fellowship

Shipra Gard, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and a member of associate professor Clemens Krempner's research group, has been awarded a Helen DeVitt Jones Graduate Fellowship. The Fellowship award is $3,500 per year for three years to pursue a doctoral degree starting fall 2019.

Brar Gets Dissertation Fellowship

Amandeep Brar, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and a member of associate professor Clemens Krempner's research group, has been awarded a Texas Tech University Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship through the Graduate School. The award provides monthly salary and tuition/fee waivers beginning fall 2019 through graduation in Summer 2020.

Tahmouresilerd Gets Dissertation Fellowship

Babak Tahmouresilerd, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and a member of assistant professor Anthony Cozzolino's research group, has been awarded a Texas Tech University Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship through the Graduate School. The award provides monthly salary and tuition/fee waivers beginning fall 2019 through graduation in Summer 2020.

Rajkumar Gets International Internship

Priyadarshini Rajkumar, an undergraduate in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been accepted into the Caltech GROWTH international summer internship project, where she will spend the summer of 2019 conducting research with data from the Liverpool Telescope. The Liverpool Telescope, while physically located in the Canary Islands, is owned and operated by the Astrophysics Research Institute of Liverpool, John Moores University, in Liverpool, England. Texas Tech University is one of 14 institutions and multiple observatories around the world that have created a network of telescopes that can observe fast changing cosmic events. Called the GROWTH project for short, the acronym stands for Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen.

Elmassry Wants to Nip Sepsis in the Bud

Microbiology Ph.D. student Moamen Elmassry, above, wants to combat sepsis.

Moamen Elmassry, a graduate teaching assistant and doctoral candidate in microbiology in the Department of Biological Sciences, is focusing on the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can lead to sepsis if it gets into a patient's blood. Sepsis is one of the most troubling conditions in the medical community today. It's the leading cause of death in intensive care units, with an estimated 1 million new cases in hospitalized patients each year in the United States alone. The condition, in which the body's immune system goes into overdrive trying to kill a blood-borne bacterial infection, is easily treated with antibiotics—the trouble is that the detection time has, in the past, taken longer than it takes for sepsis to kill a patient. So why not just treat every patient with antibiotics to prevent sepsis before it happens? Because overuse of antibiotics leads to increased drug resistance, which makes antibiotics less effective in the future. It's a tricky situation that researchers the world over have been trying to address in a variety of ways, including a novel, faster-detection device developed in the Texas Tech University Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. But many of these methods focus on detection and treatment. What if you could know, ahead of time, why certain patients are more likely to get sepsis? That is the basis of Elmassry's new research, which he is conducting in collaboration with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. More about Elmassry's sepsis research may be found at this link.

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