Faculty News

March 2019

Williams, Higgins Get $1.1 Million for Math Teachers

Brock Williams, professor, and Raegan Higgins, associate professor, both of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, are co-principal investigators on a team that has received a $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The money will fund their proposal that responds to the local shortage in qualified mathematics teachers. Over the five-year duration of the award, their proposal, "Leveraging Learning Assistantships, Mentoring, and Scholarships to Develop Self-Determined Mathematics Teachers for West Texas," aims to produce 27 new, certified mathematics teachers who will teach in high-need school districts in West Texas. The work will be done by a partnership that includes Texas Tech University, South Plains College, Midland College, and the Lubbock Independent School District. The project will recruit first- and second-year undergraduates and provide them with an early teaching experience through work as learning assistants in college-level math classes. By providing the learning assistants with financial support, near-peer mentoring, and direct classroom experience, the recruitment strategy is expected to encourage students to pursue a career in secondary mathematics teaching. This new NSF grant begins June 1, 2019, and is supplemental to an already existing Noyce Scholarship program that fosters high-quality STEM teacher recruitment. Other faculty on the team are principal investigator Jerry Dwyer, professor in the College of Education and director of CISER; and co-principal investigators Michael Galyean, TTU Provost, and Jill White, associate program director of STEM outreach for CISER.

Surliuga Speaks in Dallas

Victoria Surliuga, an associate professor of Italian Studies and Italian Program Coordinator in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, spoke about contemporary Italian artist Ezio Gribaudo on March 29 at the University of Dallas. Surliuga has written extensively about Gribaudo, having authored several publications in both Italian and English about his works. In 2016, Surliuga curated the exhibition "Ezio Gribaudo's Theaters of Memory" held at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts in Lubbock. And her book, "Ezio Gribaudo: The Man in the Middle of Modernism" (New York-London: Glitterati, 2016), won First Place in the Texas Tech University President's Faculty Book Award for 2017-2018.

Gittner Awarded by Lubbock YWCA

Lisa Gittner, an associate professor in both the Texas Tech Department of Political Science and the TTU Health Sciences Center Julia Jones Matthews Department of Public Health is recipient of the 2019 Women of Excellence Award for Science from the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Lubbock. The presentation took place during an awards dinner March 19 at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. Gittner is a member of The American Society of Public Administrators and The American Public Health Association and an associate member of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health within TTUHSC. She is an expert on peer social support to improve health outcomes. Her research focuses on the management of life-course disease risk through networks. She currently is working on a collaboration with the Lubbock County Detention Center, funded by a U.S. Department of Justice grant, to analyze trends in and reduce incarceration of individuals with serious mental illness. 

Scaringi Awarded International Grant

Simone Scaringi, assistant professor of astrophysics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, was awarded an International Research and Development Seed Grant 2019 from TTU's Office of International Affairs. His country of interest is The Netherlands and his project is " Data Discovery Within the BlackGEM Survey." The International Research and Development Seed Grants were awarded March 15 and are intended to enhance international research and development activities at Texas Tech University and support faculty in developing new, long-term international relationships that are interdisciplinary and multi-institutional.

Wong Receives Award for Excellence

Aliza Wong, associate professor in the Department of History and associate dean of the Honors College, 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. Electrical engineering senior Ryan Clark nominated Wong, remembering in a YouTube video the time she invited a prince for lunch with the class. "It was the first time and only time I've ever met a prince, and we just all sat down and I think we either ate pizza or lasagna with him," Clark said pf the prince. "He just kind of talked about the EU and how Brexit was affecting everything, and that was amazing." Clark also studied abroad in Italy with Wong, saying, "I learned to speak Italian to Italians, and I'm someone who's not necessarily (comfortable) speaking English to people who speak English. She really helped me through that, and she helped me pursue leadership opportunities and pushed me to the best person I could be." Clark said he now has roots at Texas Tech: "And one of those is definitely Aliza Wong."

Pal Named Editor, Awarded R&D Grant

Sandip Pal, assistant professor of atmospheric sciences in the Department of Geosciences, was awarded an International Research and Development Seed Grant 2019 from TTU's Office of International Affairs. His country of interest is Bulgaria and his project is "Impact of Advected Urban Boundary Layer on the Atmospheric Dynamics and Convection Initiations over the Adjacent Sub-urban and Rural areas." The International Research and Development Seed Grants were awarded March 15 and are intended to enhance international research and development activities at Texas Tech University and support faculty in developing new, long-term international relationships that are interdisciplinary and multi-institutional. Pal also recently was named associate editor for Atmospheric Sciences Letters, published by the Royal Meteorological Society.

Carbone Presents at Annual AAAS Meeting

Dario Carbone, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C. The AAAS annual meeting offers a unique, exciting, interdisciplinary blend of more than 120 scientific sessions, plenary and topical lectures, flash talk sessions, e-poster presentations and an international exhibit hall. Each year, the community of leading scientists, educators, policymakers, and journalists gathers to discuss cutting-edge developments in science, technology and policy.

Weaver Wins Teaching Award

Justin Weaver, instructor of Atmospheric Sciences in the Department of Geosciences, 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. Graduating journalism senior David Lucero told in a YouTube video why he nominated Weaver. "Senior year comes around, and I have a project where I have to interview someone in a job I want and also go to their workplace and take B roll," Lucero said. He said Weaver welcomed his interview request without hesitation and set himself apart by providing numerous resources and keeping the door open for future correspondence, even to the point of offering information on internships. "He embodies the spirit of Texas Tech just perfectly," Lucero said.

Ancell, Lindquist Receive Seed Grant

Brian Ancell, associate professor of atmospheric sciences in the Department of Geosciences and Carol Lindquist, assistant professor of practice of sociology the Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work, were awarded an International Research and Development Seed Grant 2019 from TTU's Office of International Affairs. Their country of interest is Costa Rica and their project is "Assessing the Livability and Technological Compatibility of Independent, Interactive, and Sustainable Water and Power Home Utility System." The International Research and Development Seed Grants were awarded March 15 and are intended to enhance international research and development activities at Texas Tech University and support faculty in developing new, long-term international relationships that are interdisciplinary and multi-institutional.

Christensen Receives Excellence Award

Lars Christensen, professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, 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. Mathematics senior Samantha Keltner described in a YouTube video why she nominated Christensen. "I don't know of many professors who would be OK with someone taking their class twice," she said, elaborating on Christensen's patience with students who have hit a rough patch. "I was having so much trouble I just wanted to leave the class and that was actually one of the days he made us turn around and talk to everybody," she said. Keltner described Christensen as a professor who doesn't talk down to his students but rather treats them with respect. "He was there (for me) without really knowing he was there for me," she said. 

Whitbeck Awarded International Grant

 Andrew Whitbeck, assistant professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, was awarded an International Research and Development Seed Grant 2019 from TTU's Office of International Affairs. His country of interest is India and his project is " Advanced Particle Detectors for Glimpsing Dark Matter." The International Research and Development Seed Grants were awarded March 15 and are intended to enhance international research and development activities at Texas Tech University and support faculty in developing new, long-term international relationships that are interdisciplinary and multi-institutional.

Hetherington Wins R&D Grant

Callum Hetherington, associate professor of mineralogy and geochemistry in the Department of Geosciences, was awarded an International Research and Development Seed Grant 2019 from TTU's Office of International Affairs. His countries of interest are the Republic of South Africa and Norway, and his project is "Application of Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Trace Element Analysis to Understating Magnetite-Growth Processes in Layered Igneous Intrusions." The International Research and Development Seed Grants were awarded March 15 and are intended to enhance international research and development activities at Texas Tech University and support faculty in developing new, long-term international relationships that are interdisciplinary and multi-institutional.

Godard-Codding Studies Endangered Whales

Céline Godard-Codding, associate chair of the Department of Environmental Toxicology and an associate professor of endangered species toxicology at The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), is leading a worldwide research effort to study the health of the western gray whale, a critically endangered species found only along Russia's Pacific coast, and has developed a new method that could impact her entire field along the way. Her part in the research began five years ago after ExxonMobil asked the Russian government for permission to drill in the waters where the western gray whales feed. As part of the subsequent government-mandated environmental assessment, which examines how such activity might impact the already endangered species, Godard-Codding was hired to lead a study of whether the whales also reproduce in those waters. "There are only about 300 or so left, so there's a lot of concern about that population of whales," Godard-Codding said. The trouble is, western gray whales are extremely shy and avoid human interaction, so it's difficult to obtain information about them. In contrast, their so-called "sister" population, the eastern gray whales, found all along the Pacific coast of the United States, are much more comfortable around humans. "It started as only whether the whale was pregnant or not; that's it," Godard-Codding said. "I've since expanded that part of the program because, with hormone analysis, you could potentially look at more than just if the whale is pregnant or not. The more information we have about these animals, the better we can have science-based conservation efforts." 

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."

Harris Develops 'Science in Cinema' Guide

Breanna Harris, a research professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, has developed a new discussion guide that uses a major motion picture as a classroom tool for talking in-depth about science in cinema. "Is it Reel? Using Cinema to Explore Science," takes on the challenging subjects of death, dying and decay. The guide is based on the movie "To Dust," which won the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award. Starring Matthew Broderick and Géza Röhrig, this dark comedy explores a man's obsession with how a loved one's remains will decay. Harris's guide, subtitled "Case Study #1: To Dust—A Story of Love, Loss, and Decomposition," contains movie scenes along with scientific discussion questions that introduce topics—death and decomposition—that Harris says are seldom approached in American society and are often glossed over in biology courses. By combining a movie with questions ranging from basic science (e.g., What is apoptosis?) to philosophy (e.g., What is death?), the guide brings critical thinking to bear on the subject matter. Harris designed the guide for use in high school and introductory college-level courses. She says this case study would be appropriate for a variety of courses, including introductory biology, forensic science, research method, gerontology, anatomy and physiology, aging/lifespan, religion, media communication, and film study. To help instructors guide students, a list of resources is included; but instructors are free to add whatever other sources they deem relevant to their course, syllabus, and learning goals.

Findlater Receives 2nd Welch Grant Renewal

Michael Findlater, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, for a 2nd renewal of his Welch Foundation Grant entitled "Base Metal Catalyzed Transformations." The grant will be funded at $195,000 for three years beginning June 1, 2019.