2023 Discoveries to Impact Conference
featuring the 5th Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium
The 2023 Discoveries to Impact *(DTI) conference, which was held April 11 through 14, hosted more than 1,000 registered participants, featuring students, faculty, staff and community members with a drive to make an impact through community engagement, research and creative activities, or innovations and startups.
The Annual Engaged Scholarship Symposium on April 12 showcased partnerships between Texas Tech faculty, staff, or students and K-12 schools, nonprofit organizations, city governments, children, parents, health care professionals, veterans and other community members – all of them aimed at discovering sustainable solutions to a range of societal issues.
The keynote luncheon featured Dr. Robert Newman, President and Director of the National Humanities Center, who spoke about the vital role the humanities can play in engaging with communities and finding sustainable solutions to national and international issues.
* DTI represents a partnership between the Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences (TrUE), the Center for the Integration of STEM Education and Research (CISER), the Innovation Hub, and the Office of Outreach and Engagement. For further details regarding the events at Discoveries to Impact Week, including the Undergraduate Research Conference and Demo Day, click here.
The 2023 President's Engaged Scholarship
Award Recipients!
The President’s Excellence in Engaged Scholarship Awards Program sponsored by Outreach and Engagement, recognizes Texas Tech faculty for an exemplary and sustainable engaged scholarship project or activity that addresses an important community need and/or discovers solutions to larger societal issues based on mutually beneficial partnership with communities. The winning projects show evidence of significant impact on communities/society, as well as teaching and learning, research and creative activity, and scholarship.
This year, Outreach and Engagement recognized a total of four projects with the President’s Excellence in Engaged Scholarship Award in the following categories: Engaged Teaching, Engaged Research, Engaged Creative Activities, and Engaged Service.
Excellence in Engaged Teaching "South Plains Clothing Design Challenge"
South Plains Clothing Design Challenge (SPCDC) is a service-learning project that provides custom-designed outfits for foster children living in the Children's Home of Lubbock. TTU Apparel Design and Manufacturing students in their third and fourth years work collaboratively with their respective child to determine clothing preferences, preferred functionality of the garment, and any limitations related to design materials. The SPCDC has several goals, one of which is to alleviate the impact of poverty on children living in a group home and create pathways out of poverty through exposure to new information and a potential career path.
TTU Faculty Leader:Ashley Rougeaux-Burnes, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Design, College of Human Sciences
Community Partners: Children's Home of Lubbock
Excellence in Engaged Research "The Importance of Community Engaged Scholarship and Research to Address Ongoing Vietnam War Legacies"
The TTU Institute for Peace & Conflict (IPAC) is dedicated to promoting understanding of the American experience at war, diplomacy, peace, and the impact of postwar legacy issues, and how they affect reconciliation and healing from war for all participants and nations. Together, the IPAC and the Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive (VNSA) have successfully leveraged their engaged scholarship and research to develop programs that address several important community and societal needs regarding legacies of the Vietnam War, especially the international humanitarian effort to find soldiers still missing from the war.
TTU Faculty Leaders:Dr. Ron Milam, Associate Professor of History and Executive Director for the Institute of Peace & Conflict, College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Stephen Maxner, Director, Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive;Dr. Uyen "Carie" Nguyen, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Research Partner Fellow, Institute of Peace & Conflict; Dr. Alex-Thai D. Vo, Research Assistant Professor, Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive; Mike Dutill, Head of Information Technology, VNCA
Community Partners:Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency; Ministry of National Defense, Vietnam; U.S. Vietnam Veterans and Families; Vietnamese War Veterans and Vietnamese American Families in the U.S.; Vietnamese War Veterans and Families in Vietnam
Excellence in Engaged Creative Activity "Social Engagement as Care: The Animation-Making
Workshops (AMW) at TTU"
Since 2019, the Animation-Making Workshops (AMW), part of the J.T & Margaret Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts' Texas Tech NEA Research Lab, services under-or-misrepresented community groups in the context of a research project that seeks to assess the affordances of the animation making process as educational and therapeutic tool. AMW takes advantage of the experiences developed by socially engaged animation practitioners, and benefits from established methodologies used in the areas of Art Therapy, Digital Storytelling, and Filmmaking as Psychotherapy.
TTU Faculty Leaders: Dr. Jorgelina Orfila, Associate Professor, School of Art, J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts; Dr. Francisco Ortega, Associate Professor, School of Art, J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts
Community Partners: The Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research; Bean Elementary School; Parkway Sommerville/Guadalupe Center; The Office of Dispute Resolutions of Lubbock County/Juvenile Justice Youth; Lubbock Arts Alliance; The TTU Center for Collegiate Recovery Communities
Excellence in Engaged Service "Reducing Mental Health Concerns in Family Members with Dementia in Lubbock and Rural Texas"
Recent estimates suggest that Lubbock County could have over 5,000 individuals that are suffering from some sort of dementia, and most of the patients have at least one informal caregiver (e.g., spouse; sibling) who is responsible for their care. Informal caregivers face significant increases in stress and decreases of resources thus leading to an increase in mental health concerns such as depression and generalized anxiety. Dr. Singer along with graduate and undergraduate psychology students work collaboratively with the Garrison Institute of Aging to provide mental health services for informal caregivers.
TTU Faculty Leader:Dr. Jonathan Singer, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychological Sciences, College of Human Sciences
Community Partners: Garrison Institute of Aging
The 2023 President's Emerging Engaged Scholarship Award
The President's Emerging Engaged Scholarship Award recognizes TTU faculty for a relatively new project or initiative that demonstrates high potential for the advancement of engaged scholarship. The project or initiative shows outstanding promise for having a significant impact on communities and the university.
This year, Outreach and Engagement recognized two projects with the President’s Emerging Engaged Scholarship Award.
"Supporting Animals and Veterans Through
Enrichment (SAVE)"
An increasing number of US military veterans are accessing education benefits, but the stress of reintegration compounded with any existing post-traumatic stress can significantly impact their health and wellness. The aim of this project is to develop a program where student veterans can come and interact with and socialize shelter dogs on a routine basis. The project involves brief interactions between student veterans and shelter dogs to explore if student veterans' report an improvement in mood states post-interaction and if shelter dogs display reduced behavioral indicators of stress during the interaction compared to in shelter assessments. The results of this exploratory project will be used to inform future intervention research aimed towards developing a standardized program to concurrently support veteran and shelter dog well-being within the Lubbock community.
TTU Faculty Leaders:Dr. Anastasia Stellato, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Animal and Food Sciences, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; Dr. Katy Schroeder(adjunct faculty), Assistant Professor, Dept. of Counselor Education, University of Iowa; Gracie Guerra, Director, TTU Military and Veterans Programs; Matt Knight, Unit Manager, TTU Military and Veterans Programs; Sara Henly, Director, TTUHSC Veterans Resource Center
Community Partners: Lubbock Animal Shelter and Adoption Center
"Let My People Go: The Old Canaan Cemetery
Bioarchaeology Project"
The Old Canaan Cemetery Bioarchaeology project is a community engaged archaeological field project in partnership with the living members of the New Canaan Missionary Baptist Church community in Marshall, Tx. Drs. Anna Novotny and Tamra Walter are working collaboratively with church deacons and church members to document the church cemetery, including size, number of graves, establish the biological profiles of those buried there as well as creating a better infrastructure to visit and maintain the cemetery. TTU researchers hope to create an archaeological protocol that can be replicated at other endangered historic cemeteries.
TTU Faculty Leaders:Dr. Anna Novotny, Associate Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Tamra Walter, Associate Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences
Community Partners: New Canaan Missionary Baptist Church
President’s Exemplary Program Award
The President's Exemplary Program Award recognizes TTU faculty for projects demonstrating outstanding academic engagement and commitment to addressing a community need or larger social issue. The award recognizes the program's impacts on both the community and the university.
This year, two projects were recognized with the President's Exemplary Program Award.
"The R.E.Y.N.A. (Reducing Encounters with Youth through Neighborhood Alliances) Project, with the Lubbock Police Department"
Dr. Pusch and her Research Assistant, Anish Quenim, established a cross-disciplinary partnership with the Lubbock Police Department Community Engagement Unit (LPDCEU) and proposed R.E.Y.N.A. as a possible intervention project. With faculty, students, LPD, and Community working in unison, Dr. Pusch and Anish hope to establish measures to predict, intervene, and positively influence community youth who are at risk of first-time arrest and re-arrest.
TTU Faculty Leaders:Dr. Natasha Pusch, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Adam Schmidt, Associate Professor, Dept. of Psychological Science, College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Trent Seltzer, Associate Professor, Public Relations and Strategic Communication Management, College of Media and Communication; Dr. Andrea Button-Schnick, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences.
Community Partners: Lubbock Police Department Community Engagement Unit
Cyndie Buckle, an advertising and brand strategy lecturer in the College of Media & Communication, and her students in the Raider Cre8tive Student Advertising Agency developed a partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Southwest (RMHCSW) where they plan, execute, and evaluate campaigns for nonprofit fundraising events to benefit RMHCSW. Since this collaboration began in 2020, students have raised $15,000 in donations from local businesses. The active learning method of teaching advertising campaigns provides TTU students the opportunity to apply learned skills and engage in real world opportunities.
TTU Faculty Leader:Cyndie Buckle, Lecturer, Dept. of Advertising, College of Media and Communication
Community Partners: Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Southwest
Texas Tech Faculty Fellows Mentoring Program
in Engaged Scholarship
Outreach and Engagement is pleased to announce the inaugural cohort of the Texas Tech Faculty Fellows Mentoring Program in Engaged Scholarship! Thanks to grant funding received from the Office of the Provost, faculty in the 2023 cohort will participate in Michigan State University’s Summer Intensive on Community-Engaged Scholarship in Lansing, Michigan, June 5 – 9, 2023. All fellows will be matched with a team of TTU engaged scholarship mentors and partner with communities to collaborate on projects addressing challenges in the South Plains region.
Associate Professor, Kinesiology & Sports Management, TTU College of Arts and Sciences; and Associate Professor, Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Health Professions, TTUHSC
Calendar Year 2022 Raider's Engaged Assessment Results!
Each year, Texas Tech gathers data about its faculty and staff outreach and engagement activities. The results help the institution establish progress towards its strategic goal to "transform lives and communities through strategic outreach and engaged scholarship" (TTU Strategic Plan 2020-2025: A Foundation for the Next Century). Faculty and staff were invited to submit information about any outreach and engagement projects and activities they conducted between January 1, 2022, and December 31,2022.
2022 Result Highlights
During the 2022 assessment cycle, project submissions totaled 2,712. A total of 708 Texas Tech faculty and staff members submitted information either via the Raiders Engaged online survey instrument or the Faculty Success platform. According to the respondents, a total of 3,050 TTU Faculty and staff were involved in these projects/activities, the highest number coming from the College of Arts and Sciences (486), followed by the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts (472), the College of Human Sciences (384), and the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (326).
Projects and activities involved a total of 2,2482 unique community partners including non-profit organizations, government agencies, business and industry, Pre-K-12 schools, other two - or four-year colleges, community organizations, civic groups, and others. Internally, projects involved 297 cross-disciplinary collaborations.
The three primary forms of engagement faculty and staff were involved in were: Technical or Expert Assistance (32%), Public Programs, Events, and Resources (26%), and Program Development/ Delivery/Evaluation (15%). The following map highlights the number of projects impacting various regions in Texas.
Networking and Professional Development Opportunities in Engaged Scholarship!
The Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC) is presenting its 23rd Annual Conference with the theme, "Mobilizing Change through Engaged Scholarship" Hosted by Michigan State University and ESC's Northcentral Region, the conference will be held October 4-5, 2023 (Pre-Conference: October 2-3, 2023) in East Lansing, Michigan.
Engaged Scholarship Lunch and Learn Series Call for Presenters!
The Office of Outreach and Engagement is inviting presentations from TTU engaged scholars for our academic year 2023-2024 Engaged Scholarship Lunch and Learn Series.
If you are interested in presenting on any of the following topics, please submit your presentation idea here.
Community Engaged Teaching and Learning
Community Engaged Research
Community Engaged Creative Activity
Community Engaged Service
Lunch and Learn sessions take place monthly from 12:00 until 1:00 p.m. in the TLPDC to provide informal learning and networking opportunities for any TTTU faculty, staff, or graduate student interested in integrating community engagement into their work. Attendance is free of charge. Fall dates will be announced in mid-August.
As summer approaches, Outreach and Engagement encourages Texas Tech faculty, staff, and the general public to visit Engage at Tech Central for up-to-date information on all summer 2023 activities for K-12 students.
Simply click on the Engage at Tech Central logo above, then visit Public Outreach Programs and Community Events for a listing of 2023 Summer offerings.
Michael Weaver, Associate Professor of History in the Department of Airpower at the United States Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College, and his book The Air War in Vietnam has been selected as a finalist for the Inaugural Air Force Historical Foundation Book Prize.
The Falls of Wichita Falls by by Jahue Anderson
Covering Progressive Era land ethics, water management, boom and bust oil towns, colorful municipal boosters, and many other topics, The Falls of Wichita Falls analyzes a local history with dramatically national implications.
Nothing Followsby by Lan P. Duong
Drawing from memoir and poetry, this debut collection is reappropriated from government documents establishing the beginning of a refugee family’s time in the United States including affidavits, letters, and reams of paperwork as they work to beseech those in power to grant them “family reunification” visas for those they had to leave behind in 1975 after the fall of Saigon.
The Mallet Ranch, from its founding to the present, has followed the arc of most Texas ranches. It has experienced booms and busts, and its owners have fretted over droughts and floods as well as fights in courtrooms. Despite hardships that may have outnumbered successes, the Mallet, headquartered in Hockley County, Texas, perseveres to this day. But More Than Running Cattle is more than just a ranch tale. It is the story of a family both unique and conventional among Texas stock raisers. David M. DeVitt, like many before him, was not “born” to be a Texas cattleman. DeVitt began his career as a reporter in Brooklyn, New York, before he decided to leave that path behind to try his luck on the wide-open ranges of West Texas.
Outreach and Engagement strengthens Texas Tech's ability to
achieve excellence in Outreach and Engaged Scholarship by serving as a Catalyst, Collaborator, and Connector.
