Faculty News

May 2020

Witmore Publishes “Old Lands: A Chorography of the Eastern Peloponnese”

Christopher Witmore, professor of archaeology and classics in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, takes readers on an epic journey in “Old Lands: A Chorography of the Eastern Peloponnese” (Routledge, May 2020). Witmore weaves the tale of this most-storied region of Greece by following in the footsteps of a Roman periegete, an Ottoman traveler, antiquarians, and anonymous agrarians—reconstituting an untimely mode of ambulatory writing, mindful of the challenges we all face in these precarious times. “Old Lands” ponders the disappearance of an agrarian world rooted in the Neolithic, the transition to urban styles of living, and changes in communication, movement, and metabolism, while opening fresh perspectives on long-term inhabitation, changing mobilities, and appropriation through pollution. Jeremy McInerney, of the University of Pennsylvania, summed up “Old Lands” by saying, “[Witmore's] descriptions tumble off the page like water flowing down a winter rhevma. The best book in recent Greek archaeology.” This volume should be of particular interest to historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and scholars of the Eastern Peloponnese. Also, those interested in the long-term changes in society, technology, and culture in this region will find “Old Lands” captivating.

Popov on COVID-19's Indirect Economics

Latchezar Popov, an assistant professor in the Department of Economics, has conducted a new analysis that highlights the indirect economic effects of COVID-19. Along with colleague Sophie Osotimehin at the University of Quebec at Montreal, Popov finds the economic effects reach beyond the most talked-about groups—the "essential" workers who must continue to do their jobs in person, and the businesses hit hardest by a shortage of in-person customers. "It is very important to think about the indirect consequences of the shutdowns," said Popov. "When a particular sector is shut down, this also affects workers and firms that supply it. Linkages also are important to understand the health risk, as the goods and services produced by essential sectors require goods and services produced by many other sectors. We found more than a quarter of affected workers are in sectors not directly shut down."

Ramkumar on Types of Face Covers

Seshadri Ramkumar, professor and supervisor of the Chemical Countermeasures and Advanced Materials Laboratory at TTU's Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), explains the efficiency of any barrier-type mask—one that covers the nose and mouth—depends on its filtration capability, its fit and its form or comfort; and they all fall into four general categories. 

McIntyre President of Landscape Group

Nancy McIntyre, a professor and associate chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, became president of the International Association for Landscape Ecology-North America (IALE-North America) on May 13 during a virtual version of the organization's annual conference. "I've been a landscape ecologist and member of this organization for more than 25 years," said McIntyre, who also serves as curator of birds for the Natural Science Research Laboratory within the Museum of Texas Tech University. "I've attended every annual meeting, and the people of this organization are my professional family, so it is my honor to be elected president. Texas Tech now has representation on an international scale in this field, putting us on the map for prospective students." 

Long Helps Develop Contact-Free Thermometer

Katharine Long, an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, is helping an engineering alumnus Senay Tewolde, PhD, develop a thermometer that can be both noninvasive and highly accurate. Until now, the thermometers that most accurately measure a person's core temperature are often the most invasive—actually going inside the body—while those that accommodate some degree of social distancing are less accurate because they measure only the body's surface temperature. Although the idea of such a thermometer has been in the works for several years, it has special relevance now because of COVID-19.

April 2020

A&S Professors Named Integrated Scholars

For the 2019-2020 academic year, four professors from the College of Arts & Sciences were named Integrated Scholars. They are (pictured above from left to right): Emily Skidmore, associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of History; Dimitri Pappas, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry; Raegan Higgins, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics; and Tom Maccarone, professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy.

Hase Remembered as Honest, Caring

William "Bill" Hase, a Horn Professor and the Robert A. Welch Chair in the Texas Tech University Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, died March 23, 2020, at the age of 75. When Hase began his career in 1970, he and other scientists had just begun to pioneer computer programs to better understand chemical reactions. Fifty years later, the field has changed dramatically, thanks to scientists like Hase who transformed computerized chemistry from a cumbersome process into a useful research tool. But he will be remembered for more than just his contributions to chemistry. Hase also was known for his directness and honesty, his willingness to engage in intense discussions and, above all, his caring nature.

Currin Says Stay in Touch—At a Distance

Joseph Currin, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, doesn't like the term, social distancing. "It's physical distance, not social," he explained, "because we want to maintain social contact. Yes, we're keeping the physical distance between us, but that doesn't mean you can't still emotionally connect." Not only can people emotionally connect, they should, emphasizes Currin. "The effects of isolation can feel a lot like depression, because what happens when people isolate is they literally withdraw, and that withdrawal is not what we want," he says. We have to be more mindful and intentional about engaging because of what we're doing."

Ramkumar Wipe Might Clean Up Virus

Seshadri Ramkumar, professor and supervisor of the Chemical Countermeasures and Advanced Materials Laboratory at TTU's Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), originally invented the decontamination wipe, FiberTect™, to clean up toxic agents in the environment. Now, the three-layer, nonwoven wipe that features an activated carbon core sandwiched between absorbent top and bottom layers might also clean up bodily fluids contaminated with the coronavirus. FiberTect™ is widely used as the primary dry decontamination method in hospitals and ambulances, said Corey Collings, a training specialist for First Line Technology, which markets FiberTect™. "Hospitals use it in bulk and in rolls, and ambulances use it in a kit called the FastGrab to do immediate decontamination of patients contaminated with a wide variety of substances."

March 2020

Bradley Readied 5 for CDC Careers

Robert Bradley, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and director of the Natural Science Research Laboratory (NSRL) at the Museum of Texas Tech University, has five alumni who work at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two of those alumni, Brian Amman (PhD Zoology, 2005) and Matt Mauldin (BS Biology, 2008; PhD Biology, 2014), research some of the most frightening pathogens on the planet: Ebola, Marburg virus, smallpox and COVID-19. 

Ancell, Lindquist Launch Sustainable Smart Home

Brian Ancell, an atmospheric scientist in the Department of Geosciences, and Carol Lindquist, a sociologist in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work, are two of five co-investigators who have launched the HUMS project (Home Utility Management System). The house, located on the banks of the Llano River, just south of Junction, Texas, features sustainable resources such as a wind turbine, a solar-panel array and a 10,000 gallon rainwater catchment tank—all managed by the home's residents via smart technology. 

Noel Interviewed by FOX-34

Michael Noel, an associate professor in the Department of Economics, was interviewed March 10 in the Fox-34 news segment, "Coronavirus, Oil Pricing War Driving Unstable Stock Market." Regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, Noel told FOX-34, "The bigger it gets, the bigger is going to be the economic slowdown, or even shutdown before it gets better. So investors are taking their bets, and there's a great deal of risk that goes with that." At the same time, Noel noted, the demand for oil has been going down while the Permian Basin substantially increased supply in the United States. "In fact, a couple months ago, the United States became a net exporter of oil. That was unthinkable 20 years ago," Noel said. "So in fact, a lot of the activity that's happening in the Permian Basin is one of the reasons why the prices are low." The news segment went on to report that an oil-price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world's second and third largest producers, sent oil prices into a historic collapse March 9.

Poch Combines Sonnets with Basketball

John Poch, poet and professor in the Department of English, has been writing sonnets about each basketball player on the Texas Tech men's team and publishing them on Twitter. Poch says the make-or-break foul shots at the end of a basketball game are like the final two lines of a sonnet. "If you don't nail that, well, what are you doing?" he asks. Poch takes the art of his work seriously, both in writing and revising. "I find flaws, and I work on them a bit more," he said. 

Taraban Receives Chancellor's Council Award

Roman Taraban (pictured above, center, back row), professor of experimental psychology (Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience) in the Department of Psychological Sciences, has received a 2020 Chancellor's Council Teaching Award from Texas Tech University System Chancellor Dr. Tedd L. Mitchell. Taraban was one of 13 faculty members recognized from the system's four institutions—Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and Angelo State University—as recipients of this year's Chancellor's Council awards.

Ribeiro Elected to Aesthetics Editorial Board

Anna Christina Ribeiro, an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy, has been elected to the Editorial Board of the British Journal of Aesthetics. Ribeiro specializes in the philosophy of aesthetics—particularly in the areas of literature and poetry—and has two books on the subject currently under contract: "Beautiful Speech: The Nature, Origins, and Powers of Poetry" at Oxford University Press and "The Philosophy of Poetry and Literature" at Routledge. A trustee of the American Society for Aesthetics (2017-2020), Ribeiro has been a visiting researcher at the University of Barcelona and a visiting professor at the University of Vienna.

Wylie Editing Special Issue of Biomolecules

Benjamin Wylie, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is editing a special issue of Biomolecules. He will be conducting manuscript review and acceptance for the special issue, "Advances in Membrane Proteins," in the section "Biomacromolecules," through June 30, 2020. In other news, Wylie's research group has been selected as both a user and collaborator of the National High Field NMR Lab (MagLab).  Wylie spent a week running high field SSNMR on site and is approved to run high field instruments remotely.

Casadonte Receives 2 Top TTU Awards

Dominick Casadonte, the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is the recipient of the President's Academic Achievement Award for 2020. He also is a recipient of the 2020 Professing Excellence Award.

Hutchins Gets New Faculty Award

Kristin Hutchins, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is a recipient of the Alumni Association's New Faculty Award from the College of Arts & Sciences for 2020. She also was selected for the Research Spotlight on Texas Tech Women Faculty Initiative for 2020.

February 2020

Ramkumar Receives 3rd Distinction From TAPPI

Seshadri Ramkumar, professor of chemical countermeasures and director of the Advanced Materials Laboratory in the Department of Environmental Toxicology, has been recognized by the Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Association (TAPPI) with its 2020-Nonwoven Divisions' Leadership and Service Award. With this award, Ramkumar becomes only the second academic to have received all three recognitions of the division: the Mark Hollingsworth Prize and Technical Achievement Award (deemed highest in the field; Division Chair (elected); and Division Leadership Award. The other academic is Behnam Pourdeyhimi, the Klopman Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Ramkumar says this new distinction shows that Texas Tech University is being recognized on par with an established research-intensive unit in the field of textiles.

Latham Presents Poster in Bahamas

Michael Latham, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, presented a poster entitled "Adjacent mutations in the archaea Rad50 ABC ATPase D-loop disrupt allosteric regulation of ATP hydrolysis through different mechanisms" at the 4th DNA Repair/Replication Structures and Cancer Conference, held Feb. 16-20 in Nassau, Bahamas.

Tosi Publishes Article on Moral Grandstanding

Justin Tosi, an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy, co-authored an opinion piece on Oscar acceptance speeches that published Feb. 10, 2020, at CNN. In the article, "Oscar acceptance speeches: When moral outrage verges on grandstanding," Tosi and co-author Brandon Warmke of Bowling Green State University, evaluate the virtue-signaling that has become so prevalent among Hollywood's award-winners. Tosi and Warmke also have an upcoming book on the greater issue at hand: "Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk" is slated to be published by Oxford University Press in May 2020.

Wylie Gives 2 Presentations in Ohio

Benjamin Wylie, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, gave two presentations in February at other universities. Wylie presented in a departmental seminar at The Ohio State University - Columbus, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The title of his Feb. 3, 2020, talk was "Functional Interactions between a Kir Channel and its Native Lipids." Then on Feb. 5, 2020, Wylie presented in a special seminar at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The title of that talk was "Functional Interactions between a Kir Channel and its Native Lipids."

Nes Research Lauded in Commentary

W. David Nes, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, and his work on "Steroidal antibiotics are antimetabolites of Acanthamoeba steroidogenesis with phylogenetic implications," published by J. Lipid Res (2019 May; 60(5):981-994), were featured in a commentary published by J. Lipid Res (60, 2019, 919-921). To quote the article: "The contributions of David Nes and his colleagues herein to our current understanding of sterol diversity and the underlying pathways by which such diversity arises represents an artful foray into this topic, and is highly recommended to the reader." Nes and his colleagues on this steroidal research are credited thusly: (Zhou, W., E. Ramos, X. Zhu, P. M. Fisher, M. E. Kidane, B. H. Vanderloop, C. D. Thomas, J. Yan, U. Singha, M. Chaudhuri, M. T. Nagel, and W. D. Nes. 2019.)

Mechref Co-Chairs NCI Steering Committee

Yehia Mechref, Horn Professor and chair in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been elected co-chair of the Steering Committee of the National Cancer Institute Alliance of Glycobiologist for Cancer Research.

January 2020

Currin Analyzes Sexting

Joseph Currin, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, and doctoral student Kassidy Cox have found that sexting is extremely common among adults—but maybe not for the reasons people might think. New research from Texas Tech University's Sexuality, Sexual Health & Sexual Behavior Lab shows that two-thirds of people who sext do so for non-sexual reasons. 

Hutchins Gives Seminar at UTA

Kristin Hutchins, an an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, gave an invited seminar at the University of Texas at Arlington entitled, "Dynamic molecular motion, phase transitions, and thermal expansion properties of organic crystals," on Jan. 24, 2020.

Poirier Gives Presentation in Brazil

William Poirier, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, gave an invited presentation entitled, "Quantum Mechanics Without Wavefunctions," at the Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas (Brazilian Center for Physics Research) in Rio de Janeiro on Jan. 21, 2020.

Shu Gives Panel Presentation in Seattle

Yuan Shu, associate professor and director of Asian Studies Program in the Department of English, attended the 2020 MLA Awards Ceremony Jan 9-12 in Seattle. While at the conference, Shu showcased his work in the MLA Innovation Room and gave a presentation at the panel entitled, "World Orders and Geopolitics of the Transpacific."

Latham Gives Seminar at Boise State

Michael Latham, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, gave an invited seminar to the Biomolecular Sciences Program at Boise State University in Idaho. The title of the talk was "NMR Studies of a Large DNA Repair Complex."

Korzeniewski Joins 2 Advisory Boards

Carol Korzeniewski, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been invited to serve on the editorial advisory board for the journal ACS Applied Energy Materials. Korzeniewski also has become a member of the advisory committee for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Chemical Transformations Initiative.