Bringing together more than 2,900 attendees, Texas Tech’s month-long celebration connected research, entrepreneurship, and community to drive real-world impact.
Bringing together more than 2,900 attendees, Texas Tech’s month-long celebration connected research, entrepreneurship, and community to drive real-world impact.
Innovation doesn’t happen all at once.
It builds, quietly at first… through late nights in labs, early-stage ideas sketched in notebooks, and conversations that challenge what’s possible. Then, over time, those moments begin to converge.
At Texas Tech University, these ideas have time to shine during the month of April.
The eighth annual Discoveries to Impact (DTI) Month brought together students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and community members to explore what happens when discovery is given direction and when ideas are pushed beyond theory into real-world impact.
What makes DTI Month unique is the collaboration behind it. The Texas Tech Innovation Hub, the Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences (TrUE), the Center for Integration of STEM Education & Research (CISER), STEM CORE, and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Research & Innovation came together to bridge traditionally separated spaces into one connected experience. By aligning their efforts, these partners created new opportunities for students, faculty, and West Texans to move ideas forward, faster, and with greater impact.
Where Discovery Becomes Impact
At the Museum of Texas Tech University, discovery took center stage.
From April 8th–9th, 586 undergraduate researchers presented their work at the 18th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference, hosted by TrUE, representing disciplines that spanned from English literature and the humanities to cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence and computing.
Attendees moved through the conference engaging directly with students whose work reflects the breadth and depth of Texas Tech’s research ecosystem.
That ecosystem extended even further.
Earlier in the month, STEM CORE hosted a Special Session Panel focused on mentoring undergraduate researchers, moderated by Senior Director Dr. Jessica Spott. Graduate students shared real-world experiences and practical strategies for guiding undergraduates through research across disciplines—offering attendees tangible ways to strengthen mentorship and expand their impact.
For the first time, TTUHSC Research & Innovation joined DTI Month as a partner, hosting ten graduate researchers from TTUHSC Student Research Week for a special awardee session. Their work highlighted innovation in health and biomedical sciences, further expanding the reach of student-led discovery.
For the second consecutive year, the Commercialization Poster Competition brought a different lens to research—one focused not only on discovery, but on what comes next. Finalists, mentored by the Texas Tech Innovation Hub, presented ideas with strong potential for venture creation to local entrepreneurs, iTTU Mentors, and leadership from the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance.
Next door at the National Ranching Heritage Center, the Department of History Special Session offered a different kind of impact, one rooted in perspective. Students explored events, ideas, and cultures across time and region, demonstrating how understanding the past continues to shape innovation in the present.
The month also extended beyond traditional venues. Through the CISER Scholar Retreat—an annual experience established in 2004—students engaged in field-based learning, exploring regional biodiversity, participating in herpetology excursions, and conducting research at the Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area. The retreat continues to foster community among scholars while reinforcing the connection between academic research and real-world environments.
The week culminated in the 34th annual CISER Banquet, where students and alumni gathered to celebrate not only academic achievement and $55,000 in awarded scholarships, but a community built on mentorship, curiosity, and shared purpose.
From Ideas to Enterprise
If research is where ideas begin, Startup Week is where they accelerate.
Hosted at the Texas Tech Innovation Hub, DTI Startup Week brought founders, investors, and community members together to experience innovation in motion.
At the Startup Expo, 18 startups—ranging from Accelerator graduates to incubator members—showcased technologies and ventures that reflect the diversity of West Texas innovation. From organizational software platforms to collapsible outdoor equipment to drone-enabled rural healthcare solutions, each company represented a step forward in translating ideas into tangible impact.
But the energy didn’t stop at the Expo.
A Keynote That Captured the Moment
The Discoveries to Impact Keynote Luncheon brought together city leadership, including Mayor McBrayer and City Council members, alongside Texas Tech Red Raiders men’s basketball players, university leadership, and the broader community; all engaged in the growing momentum of innovation across West Texas.
Taking the stage was Matt Mooney, a former Texas Tech basketball player and member of the 2019 Final Four team, who has since transitioned into entrepreneurship as the founder of AthletIQ, an AI-powered sports technology company.
Mooney’s journey—from the court to building a startup—reflected the evolving nature of impact itself. He spoke to discipline, adaptability, and the willingness to rethink assumptions—lessons drawn from both athletics and entrepreneurship. His story underscored a central theme of DTI Month: that innovation is rarely linear, and that skills developed in one arena can unlock opportunity in another.
A New Era of Investment in West Texas
As Discoveries to Impact Month has grown, so has the opportunity to connect innovation with the resources needed to scale it.
This year, that evolution took shape through the addition of the first-ever West Texas Investor Showcase, an intentional expansion of the conference designed to bring capital directly into the region’s innovation ecosystem.
The experience began with an evening social at the Cotton Court Hotel, where more than 46 investors from across the country (and around the globe) gathered alongside founders and ecosystem leaders. What followed was more than networking; it was the foundation for long-term partnership and capital flow into West Texas innovation.
The next day, that momentum translated into action.
Twelve investment-ready startups took the stage, pitching their ventures to a room of engaged investors. Together, these moments signaled a shift, one where West Texas is not only producing innovation, but attracting the attention and resources needed to scale it.
Fueling the Next Generation of Startups
To close out Discoveries to Impact Startup Week, the Texas Tech Innovation Hub hosted its annual Accelerator Competition, where high-growth startups pitched for the funding and support needed to scale. In total, more than $480,000 was awarded during the competition, with winning teams each receiving $40,000 in seed funding.
The selected ventures reflected the breadth of innovation emerging from West Texas—ranging from AI-powered platforms like Agency-Conduit and HiPR Link Research, to breakthroughs in health, agriculture, and advanced technology from teams like Milk Monitor, ViMex Genomics, and Neurokeys Robotics. Alongside funding, founders gain access to mentorship, investor connections, and continued support through the Innovation Hub, positioning the Accelerator as a critical launch point for translating ideas into impactful, real-world solutions.
Where Momentum Turns Into Impact
Throughout the month, more than $550,000 was awarded to support undergraduate research, engaged scholarship, startup creation, and innovation.
But the true impact of Discoveries to Impact Month isn’t measured solely in funding.
It’s found in the student who sees their research as a pathway to change.
The founder who gains access to capital and mentorship.
The partnerships formed between disciplines, departments, and communities.
It’s found in momentum; momentum that extends far beyond April.
As Discoveries to Impact Month continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: when a university, its students, and its community come together with a shared vision, the result isn’t just discovery.
It’s impact.