A&S Student News

Spring 2021

Heck Led Student Body Amid COVID-19

Senior Hunter Heck served as Student Government Association President during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the story of her leadership, and the confirmation of her calling to be a social advocate. 

Emmy Noether Mathematics Day 2021

The 18th Emmy Noether High School Mathematics Day went virtual on May 12, 2021. The Department of Mathematics & Statistics has made this mathematical outreach event a Texas Tech University tradition, where young women from local high schools, middle schools and home schools are encouraged to expand their interest in math and careers in the sciences. This year, because of the pandemic, the panel was shared—live and recorded—with more than 100 students and teachers. Six women professors served as panelists, describing their own experiences and outlining the educational and vocational opportunities open to women through mathematics. Looking toward next year, the 2022 Emmy Noether High School Mathematics Day will return to its traditional, face-to-face home on the Texas Tech University campus in Lubbock. The enthusiastic energy surrounding the event will be contagious! 

Two A&S Grad Students Awarded for Outstanding Research

Faith Scanlon, left, and Iroro Tanshi, right, each received the Horn Distinguished Professors Graduate Achievement Award.

This year, two graduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences were selected to receive the Horn Distinguished Professors Graduate Achievement Award. The award was established by the Paul Whitfield Horn Professors at Texas Tech to recognize and reward outstanding research or creative activity performed by graduate students while at the university. Faith Scanlon is pursuing her doctoral degree in counseling psychology through the Department of Psychological Sciences. She is involved in state-of-the-art counseling research and delivers professional services to individuals in the justice system, including those with mental illness and substance abuse issues. Scanlon has 10 publications, many in the top research journals in her field; a book chapter in print through Oxford University Press; and eight manuscripts in preparation, most as first author. She has given numerous presentations at national and international conferences and is actively pursuing federal funding for her research. Iroro Tanshi is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences. Her international award-winning research focuses on tropical bat research and conservation with focus on Nigeria and Cameroon. She is an emerging leader in African biodiversity conservation and has secured her own research funding. Tanshi has published several original papers in scholarly journals as well as a book chapter. She also has presented her work at multiple international conferences and has won the Woman in Conservation award (2017), the Karl Koopman Award (2019), the Future for Nature Award (2020) and is a nominee for the Whitley Fund for Nature Award – also known as the “Green Oscars.” Read more.

Physics Students' Newletter Featured Nationally

Texas Tech University's Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapter publishes a monthly newsletter, The Quark, that was featured in the national organization's Winter 2021 SPS Observers Magazine. SPS has published Quark since 2017.

Ayodeji Publishes Research Analysis in International Journal

James Ayodeji, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Environmental Toxicology, has published a research analysis in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Ayodeji's work shows shows that, in the three to four weeks after enacting a mandate to wear masks, roughly two-thirds of the United States saw a reduction in COVID-19 cases. Seshadri Ramkumar, professor of chemical countermeasures and advanced materials, is Ayodeji's faculty adviser. More.

Anyssa Barbosa: In My Own Words | J.D./M.S. Sport Management

As a college softball player in Oklahoma, Anyssa Barbosa developed a passion for collegiate athletics. Now, she's a grad student at Texas Tech University pursuing a dual degree: J.D./M.S. in Sport Management.

Society of Physics Students Named Outstanding Chapter

Texas Tech University's Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapter visits Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas.

For the third consecutive year in a row, Texas Tech University's Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapter has been selected as an Outstanding SPS Chapter for the 2019-2020 academic year by the American Institute of Physics (AIP). This prestigious award is only granted to SPS chapters that demonstrate their success by promoting and getting involved in a variety of activities. Brad R. Conrad, director of the SPS national program for the AIP, awarded this honor to the Texas Tech SPS chapter based on the depth and breadth of SPS activities conducted in such areas as physics research, public science outreach, physics tutoring programs, and hosting and representation at physics meetings, among others. Sung-Won Lee, professor and chair of the the Department of Physics & Astronomy, congratulated those contributing to the chapter's success: Andrew Whitbeck, SPS Advisor; Cheslee Hibler, current SPS president; David Palmore, former SPS president and now a graduate student at Texas State University; and all SPS students.

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