A&S Student News

Summer 2020

Juneja Wins Chemistry Poster Award

Navkiran Juneja, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, won an award for outstanding poster presentation at the Crystal Engineering & Emerging Materials Workshop of Ontario & Quebec. The workshop was held virtually May 30-31, 2020. Juneja is a member of Kristin Hutchins' research lab and has been working on the synthesis of boronic acid functionalized polymers and thermal expansion of materials. Another research interest is co-crystals of the drug, Dapsone, which sometimes is used in treating leprosy. She was the lead author of the research project, "Effects of dynamic pedal motion and static disorder on thermal expansion within halogen-bonded co-crystals," which published in the New Journal of Chemistry. Juneja earned her B.S. and her M.S. in chemistry at Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.

Ghandour Kindles Hope for Local Children

Gabriella Ghandour, a first-year political science student, has a passion for two things: music and helping others. She combined these two passions to found Kindle Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides funding and time to enrich the lives of underprivileged children in the Lubbock community. "We use the universal languages of music and art to fundraise and teach children how to express themselves through creative, non-violent outlets," Ghandour said. At the age of 11, Ghandour became aware of the hardships that children her age were facing—especially those in Syria, where Ghandour's family is from. "In 2012 … I was watching kids my own age, my own blood, my own ethnicity literally broken in the streets of Damascus, catching fire. In that moment, I realized how truly blessed I was and decided to create an afterschool group to raise money and send it to Syrian children. Unfortunately, it was, and still is, too dangerous to send this aid to Syria, so I focused on helping children locally instead." Kindle Hope hosts the "Kindle Pop Benefit Concert" to raise money for the cause. The first concert, in September 2018, consisted of Ghandour and a friend playing guitar. The organization raised more than $7,500 that year and now partners with the Guadalupe Parkway Center and students from the East Lubbock School of Music. Follow this link to learn how Gabriella Ghandour plans to take Kindle Hope's efforts worldwide.

Commitment Plan Means Safe Return to Campus

As we look to return safely to campus this fall, the Texas Tech Commitment is a comprehensive University plan that includes new procedures and our pledge to do everything we can to provide a safe environment for every Red Raider. Across campus, you will notice enhanced sanitization efforts, resources for health screenings, access to personal protective equipment, workplace and classroom wellness guidance, and social distancing protocols. With the addition of these new procedures, along with attention to personal hygiene, proper social distancing, and self-care, we can all do our part to protect our campus community. Follow this link to learn more about the Texas Tech Commitment in the College of Arts & Sciences. 

Tipton Researches Genetics of Chronic Wounds

Craig Tipton, a doctoral student, and biologist Caleb Phillips, an assistant professor, both in the Department of Biological Sciences, led a first-of-its-kind study that shows genetics may play a role in how wounds heal—or not, especially chronic wounds that are often associated with other chronic diseases or conditions like diabetes, decreased circulation and neuropathy. The study, "Patient genetics is linked to chronic wound microbiome composition and healing," published June 18, 2020, in the open-access, peer-reviewed medical journal PLOS Pathogens. Tipton, who completed his bachelor's degree in biology at Angelo State University before arriving at Texas Tech, said the project has been a significant part of his dissertation, which focuses on learning more about why a person's wounds are infected by different types of microbes. Though there is still work to be done before the research directly benefits patients, Tipton said the study is an important and promising step in that direction. "Personalized medicine is a current hot topic in modern healthcare, where the goal is to identify inherent differences within individuals that may cause them to be impacted differently by disease and finding treatments that are well-suited and tailored to the individual and may contribute to better patient outcomes," Tipton said. "Our project furthers two equally-interesting avenues of research with potential translation to the clinic." Follow this link to read the full account of Craig Tipton's research. 

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