Office of the President
Vol. 7, No. 3 // August 2009
Accomplishments
A regul Ar report on Interim Deans Named for Two Colleges
Two interim deans joined the Texas Tech administration during the summer. Charles P. Ruch is interim dean of the College of Education. Jon C. Strauss is interim dean of the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering. Ruch (pronounced “rook”) is retired president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Strauss is president emeritus of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif. Both men are members of the Registry for College and University Presidents, a nonprofit organization that engages former university presidents interested in service in interim leadership roles. Neither interim dean will be a candidate for the permanent dean’s position. “Both men bring to Texas Tech a wealth of higher education leadership experience,” said Bob Smith, Texas Tech provost. “It is a great advantage for Texas Tech to be able to draw on the resources of the registry to bring strong, proven leaders in to fill our short-term needs.” A national search for permanent deans will begin in the next academic year.
l to r: Sen. Kip Averitt, Chairman of Texas Senate Natural Resources Committee; Rep. Byron Cook, Chairman of Texas House of Environmental Regulation Committee; Texas Tech President Guy Bailey, Gov. Rick Perry; Ron Kendall; TCEQ Chairman Buddy Garcia, TCEQ Commissioner Larry R. Soward, and TCEQ Commissioner Bryan W. Shaw
Texas Tech Earns Environmental Excellence Award
The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) was selected to receive the 2009 Texas Environmental Excellence Award in the area of education by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). TIEHH was one of 10 winners selected for this award through the TCEQ organization and a State of Texas Blue Ribbon Panel established by the Governor’s office. The institute was recognized by Gov. Rick Perry and the commissioners of TCEQ at the Texas Environmental Excellence Awards Banquet in Austin. “The recognition by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in giving the award to TIEHH further acknowledges the outstanding academic program being implemented through our Department of Environmental Toxicology at TIEHH and the excellence of our master’s and doctoral graduates, who are the institute’s blue-ribbon product,” said Ron Kendall, director of TIEHH. Kendall, along with President Guy Bailey, accepted the award. Recommended by a committee of environmental experts from public and private industry, the awards honor individuals, businesses and organizations that have created successful programs that conserve natural resources, reduce waste and prevent pollution.
Charles P. Ruch
Jon C. Strauss
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BRIEFS
Wind Researchers Participate in Historic Tornado Project
Texas Tech wind researchers took part in a collaborative nationwide project exploring the origins, structure and evolution of tornadoes. The project, Verification of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment 2 (VORTEX2 or V2) ran from May 10 – June 13 in the central U.S. The collaboration is the largest and most ambitious attempt to study tornadoes in history and involved nearly 100 scientists and 40 research vehicles, including 10 mobile radars. Christopher Weiss, assistant professor of atmospheric science at Texas Tech, led a team of 18 faculty and students into the field for the project. The assignment will continue in the spring of 2010.
Wind Center Director Makes Case for Federal Funds
Andy Swift, director of Texas Tech’s Wind Science and Engineering Research Center, was one of several experts to testify recently before a U.S. House hearing of the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, a subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Technology. The focus of the hearing was on legislation to increase federal funding of wind and solar research. Swift said if research and education investments are made on the scale proposed and comparable with support of other sources of electrical power, that the industry could provide 20 percent of the nation’s electrical energy by 2030. The center offers the only doctoral degree in Wind Science and Engineering in the nation.
Employees Honored with Quality Service Awards
Eighteen staff members were honored in May with Quality Service Awards. The awards, established in 1990, recognize those who provide excellent customer service in the performance of their jobs. Scott Hall, assistant managing director, IT Help Central, won the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and a $1,500 check. Seventeen individuals receiving the President’s Quality Service Award and a $500 check included: Vickie Craig, Budget and Resource Planning and Management; Rebecca Contreras, Financial Accounting & Reporting; Danny Louis Fox, Physical Plant; Sandra Olive, Department of Psychology; Neal Nordstrom, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics; Jeannine McCoy, Department of Natural Resources Management; Robby Carlson, Department of Plant & Soil Science; Lou Ann Hillhouse, Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute; Dawn Moreno, College of Mass Communications; Pat Wright, College of Outreach & Distance Education; Karin Senft, Office of International Affairs; Tina Sansom, Teaching, Learning & Technology Center; Reginald Grant, Hospitality Services; Wendoli L. Flores, Institutional Advancement; Bradley R. Martin, Office of the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance; Walter James, Environmental Health and Safety; and, Michael Kennon, Environmental Health and Safety.
Media Relations Wins National Award for Heisman Campaign
The Athletics Media Relations Office has won a national Telly Award for its Heisman campaign for Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. The campaign, “Pass or Catch 2008,” played off of the year’s heated presidential campaign. The center of the campaign was a Web site, www. passorcatch2008.com, which had more than 73,000 visitors from 91 countries and drew national media attention. The team that created the Web site was led by Blayne Beal, associate media relations director. Kirk Heard wrote and directed the video spots with editing and videography support from Andrew Gamel, both from the Texas Tech Sports Broadcasting office. Katie Schneider, in the Texas Tech athletics marketing office, created the Web site template. Lisa Low and Ryan Pharis developed the Web site and Artie Limmer and Joey Hernandez provided the photography, all from the Office of Communications and Marketing. Steve Pitts provided the narration. More than 14,000 entrants in several different categories were received this year from advertising agencies, production companies, television and cable stations and corporations around the world.
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DEPARTmENTS
• The Center for Biodefense, Law and Public Policy in the
School of Law received a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Western Regional Center of Excellence (WRCE). The biodefense center received funding in 2004 to act as the Law, Policy and Ethics Core for the WRCE for the previous five years and will continue that role through 2014 with the second grant. Established in 2002, the center conducts cutting-edge research that is valuable to the security of the nation as the need to counter bioterrorism increases.
courses teaching everything from grape growing to wine production and winery management. The courses draw on a wide range of programs at Texas Tech, including those in the Department of Plant and Soil Science; Department of Nutrition, Hospitality and Retailing; and the university’s Wine Marketing Research Institute. Texas Tech also will introduce courses on winemaking, viticulture and wine tourism. By 2010, offerings will expand to include winery business planning, wine marketing and vineyard management.
• The Texas Tech Transfer Connection program won two
Successful Transfer Enhancement Program (STEP) Awards during the recent Texas Transfer Success Conference. The awards, open to all colleges and universities in Texas, recognize outstanding work in serving transfer students. There were 67 entries in six categories. Texas Tech won a Gold Award in the Student Services and Development category and a Silver Award in the Internal Collaborations category. In addition, the Transfer Connection was one of seven programs cited as examples of excellence during the conference. Transfer Connection is an umbrella for the programs and services offered by Texas Tech geared specifically for transfer students. Administered through the Center for Campus Life, Transfer Connection provides opportunities for transfer students to make connections with other students, faculty and staff.
tamination wipes, such as Texas Tech’s FibertectTM recently , received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Receiving the patent means the university has secured the intellectual property protection for the decontamination wipe’s technology. The FibertectTM wipe is under production by , Hobbs Bonded Fibers of Waco and was invented by Seshadri Ramkumar, an associate professor of environmental toxicology at The Institute of Environmental and Human Health.
• The process used to create nonwoven toxic chemical decon-
• Texas Tech Student Financial Aid has received nearly
• Texas Tech is the first university in Texas and one of a handful
in the nation now offering an undergraduate program in viticulture and enology, or the study of grapes and wine. As the wine industry booms in Texas and across much of the United States, Texas Tech has added a degree specialization and slate of new
$3.2 million in TEXAS Grant Initial Year allocation. Financial aid awards for 2009-2010 as of June include 3,747 freshmen students, 870 transfer students and 7,707 other students. Many times families experience financial hardship including job loss and other out-of-pocket expenses and may be unable to assist in funding their student’s education. Special Circumstance Applications processed to date for 2009-2010 total 275. Transfer scholarships for 2009-2010 total 331 offers with 209 accepting, compared to 150 offers and 107 accepts in 2008-2009.
The Student Leisure Pool opened May 22. The $8.4 million facility was funded by students who have enjoyed the many water features and deck space in record numbers since summer school began. The official ribbon cutting and grand opening of the pool is scheduled for Sept. 4.
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STuDENT ACComPLISHmENTS
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• Stephanie Sokolosky, doctoral
student in special education in the College of Education and Fellow for the Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research, was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to serve on the Texas Council for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Sokolosky also was selected to make presentations at the Association of Behavioral Analysts Conferences in Phoenix in May and in Oslo, Norway in August.
• Apparel Design and Manufacturing
students in the College of Human Sciences claimed five awards at the Fashion Group International of Dallas Career Day 2009 Style Symposium. Some 20 schools from across the U.S. participated, entering a total 437 garments. Texas Tech students entered 31 garments as well as fashiontrend boards into various competition categories. Winners included: Theatre/ Costume/Wearable Art Category: first place, Erin Bunge; Mohair Category: second place, Christina Jackson; Texas Department of Agriculture’s Food and Fiber Research Program Trend Board Competition: Trend Board/Cotton Category: first place, Jovita Lektzian; Trend Board/Wool Category: first place, Charlotte Moreland; Trend Board/Mohair Category: first place, Laci Weikert.
vidual class national championships to go along with the team’s crown. Texas Tech Red team includes: Dusty Burson, Kara Kraich, Jay Ray Sagaser, Adam Schwalm, Tyler Theiszen and Krystal Towle. Texas Tech Black team includes: Will Boedeker, Zack Burson, Cooper Cogdell, Luke England, Ashley Hartzog and Jennifer Richards. The eight individual national champions were: Limited Non-Pro Pleasure: Robert Rivers; NonPro Pleasure: Jenn Richards; Non-Pro Reining: Krystal Towle; Limited Non-Pro Cowhorse: Kara Kraich; Novice Cowhorse: Luke England; Non-Pro Cowhorse: Tyler Thieszen; Novice Trail: Dusty Burson; and Non Pro Trail: Jay Ray Sageser.
perceived as the ultimate judging contest because students must be competent in all areas of the livestock and meats industry to excel. Texas Tech’s Drew Perez led the team as high-point individual, followed by teammates Ben Cammack, Cade Halfmann, Josh Flohr and Henry Ruiz who finished in the top-ten individuals. Members of the meat animal evaluation team are: Cammack, Flohr, Halfmann, Perez, Ruiz, Tyler Cowie, Micah Dorsey, Shayna Dunlap, Paige Futrell, Josh Hasty, CA Jones, Matthew Morales, Trae Simmons, Olivia Tilly, Austin Voyles, and Shanna Ward. Coaches are Judd Gardner, Travis O’Quinn and Ryan Rathmann.
Iylana Putnam, a senior in Communication Design, won a poster contest for an alcohol awareness campaign sponsored by the Texas Hospitality Association. The poster was selected by the offices of the 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives as the 2009 winner of the $5,000 THA Poster Scholarship Contest for college students. The posters had to convey that ‘A standard beer (12oz), mixed drink (1.5oz liquor), and glass of wine (5oz) each contain the same amount of alcohol.
• Renee Brosch, a May law gradu-
• Texas Tech’s Meat Animal Evaluation
ate, received the Texas Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission Law Student Pro Bono Award. The award recognizes a law student whose pro bono work has made a significant impact on the community and reflects a passion for advocating on behalf of underserved populations.
• Texas Tech’s Ranch Horse Team
clinched the American Stock Horse Association (ASHA) National Championship at the Texas Tech Equestrian Center. The win culminated an undefeated season and eight indi-
Team won first place and the national championship at the National Meat Animal Evaluation Contest at the Oklahoma City Stockyards and Oklahoma State University. Texas Tech teams have won the contest for an unprecedented three years in a row. The team won the swine, beef evaluation, breeding animal, market animal and communication divisions. In addition, they ranked second in the meat and sheep divisions. The two-day contest was specifically designed to encourage students to seek a more complete understanding of the food supply from conception to consumer. The event is
• The joint Robot Soccer Team of Texas
Tech and the University of Texas at Austin recently won first place in the standard platform league of the U.S.-Open Robot Soccer competitions for 2009. The game is played by humanoid Nao robots. The team is led by Mohan Sridharan, an assistant professor in computer science.
• Kara Neff, Rawls College of Business
MBA student, was awarded the Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholarship Award for 2009. The award recognizes Neff’s academic accomplishments and her leadership roles in academic and campus activities as well as her potential as a
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future entrepreneur. Her scholarship will be awarded in October. After graduation in spring 2010, she hopes to use her past experiences and MBA education to serve as a consultant to others interested in starting their own businesses.
STuDENT ACComPLISHmENTS
• Kristen Abaquin, a senior vocal per-
formance major in the College of Visual & Performing Arts, has been accepted into the New England Conservatory of Music graduate music program in vocal performance for fall 2009. Abaquin is in the studio of Kathy McNeil.
• Joseph Sanders, MFA student in Arts
Administration in the College of Visual & Performing Arts, has been hired as one of 14 apprentices who will work for the Steppenwolf Theatre in the publicity department. He will be the assistant to the communications director August 2009 – May 2010. Apprenticeships include casting, marketing, theatre management, scenic carpentry, literary management, wardrobe and development.
sophomore saxophone performance major, is the first-ever recipient of the Clara Freshour Nelson Music Scholarship from the Texas Association of Music Schools. Novak is the only recipient for
Heather A. morris, a graduate student in public administration, has been appointed as the student representative to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. morris is the first student from Texas Tech to serve on the Coordinating Board. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Texas Tech in 2003.
• School of Music student Rex Novak, a
the state institutions in Texas. The scholarship is $5,000 per year for four years. Novak studies with David Dees and Paul English.
Quiz Bowl team became national champions at the 62nd Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC) in Rogers, Ark. The Red Raiders dominated 23 other teams that represented the top meat science programs at universities from across the United States. Texas Tech adds to national titles won at the competition in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The 2009 team members include: Matt Bruton, Cassie Chancey, Collin Corbin, Tyler Cowie, Paden Daniels, Ben Estes, Kelly Hutton, Meagan Igo, Kaleigh Janota, Abby Long and Shanna Ward. The team is coached by meat science graduate student Travis O’Quinn. Texas Tech will host the 63rd RMC June 19-23, 2010 in Lubbock.
• Texas Tech’s Meat Science Academic
• Texas Tech’s chapter of Gamma Sigma
Delta, the agriculture honor society, honored outstanding graduate students at its 37th annual Awards Recognition and New Member Initiation Luncheon in April. The honor society’s outstanding graduate students, nominated by faculty within their respective departments, included: Katie Leigh, Agricultural Education and Communications; Steven Oswalt, Plant and Soil Sciences; Ryan Rathmann, Animal and Food Sciences; and Justin Weinheimer, Agriculture and Applied Economics. In addition to his departmental honor, Weinheimer was named the society’s outstanding CASNR graduate student.
• Angélica Muñoz Castaño, a third-
year MFA candidate in the College of Visual & Performing Arts, has received a prestigious Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund Award from the Dallas Museum of Art. The award recognizes exceptional talent and potential in young artists. The award of $3,500 is available to artists under 30 years of age and residents of Texas for at least three years.
Kyle miller has been appointed as the Texas Tech university System Student Regent by Gov. Rick Perry. miller, a second-year medical student, also is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. The Plainview native earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Texas Tech in 2007. The student regent rotates between Texas Tech, Texas Tech university Health Sciences Center and Angelo State university and serves a one-year term. miller replaces Texas Tech law student Kelli Stumbo, who was appointed in 2008.
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STuDENT ACComPLISHmENTS continued
Texas Tech students are among 17 top North American university engineering schools that have embarked on a three-year challenge to explore vehicle solutions that will improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while retaining the vehicle’s performance and consumer appeal. Texas Tech’s EcoCAR team won the Best Education Program award in Toronto in June. In an effort to spread the word about the types of sustainable technologies being used, the team reached out to elementary schools, middle schools and high schools.
Top row l-r: Sandeep Nair, Ivan Alvarez, Carl Gabriel, Dr. Stephen Bayne, Alan Falls; Bottom row l-r: Charley Harwell, Kunal Patil, Swati Sidhanthi, Abhijit Thigale, Nishikant Raje
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FACuLTy AND STAFF
• Barbara Weinlich, assistant professor
of classics in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, received a visiting fellowship to Corpus Christi College (Cambridge, U.K.) for the spring of 2010. As a visiting fellow she will become a member of the University of Cambridge. Weinlich also has revived the Lubbock chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America in association with Texas Tech. The Archaeological Institute of America is North America’s oldest and largest archaeological organization.
• Marie Moerkbak, staff psychologist
at the Student Counseling Center, has successfully completed the written and oral exams required for licensure as a psychologist in Texas.
• Wendell Aycock, professor of English
and comparative literature, and associate dean of the Graduate School, was awarded Honors College Faculty Member of the Year. Aycock made significant contributions to the Honors College through his service on the Honors Advisory Council and his administrative support of Honors College programs.
• Eileen P. Nathan, managing director
• Jane Winer is the first recipient of
the Extraordinary Service to the Honors College award given at the college’s spring graduation banquet in May. The award will be given to individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty to help the Honors College in a myriad of ways. Winer, a special assistant to the president, is the former dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and recent interim provost of the university.
of the Student Counseling Center and licensed psychologist, was elected president of the Texas University Counseling Center Directors Association for the 20102011 year.
Janet Veal, coordinator of external relations in the Honors College, won the “Biggest Loser” weight loss competition sponsored during the spring by mentor Tech. Veal lost a total of 35 pounds in 13 weeks in mentor Tech’s push for weight loss, healthy eating and regular exercise.
sor of secondary education in the College of Education, and Muge Mukaddes Darwish, associate professor in engineering technology in the College of Engineering, presented two papers at the Construction in the Twenty-First Century Convention in Istanbul, Turkey May 20-22.
• Mary Frances Agnello, assistant profes-
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FACuLTy AND STAFF
• Janice Magness, program director of
the Colin Burkhart Transition Academy, has been named the interim director of the Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research.
• Certified Executive Chef Rocky
Rockwell in the Department of Hospitality Services was named Chef of the Year by the South Plains Chef Association. Rockwell is a member of the American Culinary Federation and has worked for the Department of Hospitality Services for more than nine years.
Berhl Robertson
Ethel Russell
Cary Sallee
• The 100th student graduated in
May from the Masters of Education in Educational Leadership program offered at the Texas Tech University Hill Country sites. Fourteen teachers graduated this year with certifications allowing them to be school administrators. Many former graduates of the program are now principals and assistant principals throughout the Hill Country. Four students earned a Bachelor of General Studies degree.
The College of outreach & Distance Education has hired three new administrators. Berhl Robertson is a new assistant dean overseeing the Texas Tech university Independent School District (TTuISD), Special Projects, Student Services and Curriculum and Production. Robertson serves on the Legislative Committee of the Texas Association of School Administrators and was appointed by Sen. Robert Duncan as a member of the Senate School Finance Advisory Committee. In 2008, the Roosevelt Independent School District, where he served as superintendent, was named “one of the best high schools in America” by u.S. News & World Report. In 2003, Robertson was selected as the Region 17 Superintendent of the year. Also, Ethel Russell has been named high school principal of TTuISD. She came to Texas Tech from San Angelo where she had served as an assistant principal and interim principal. Cary Sallee has been named the director of Student Services for the college. Sallee comes from the AT&T call center, where he was a manager for nine years.
• Members of Texas Tech’s Department of Natural Resources Management took
high honors at the annual meeting of the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society. Rogelio Carrera, Warren Ballard, James Devos and Mark Wallace received the organization’s Clarence Cottam Award, given to recognize and promote outstanding student research efforts. The honor was presented for their paper titled, “Population Dynamics of Desert Mule Deer in Central Arizona, 1960-2006.” A $500 scholarship is given to the winner by the Welder Wildlife Foundation. Separately, Galon Hall, Mark Wallace, Warren Ballard, Donald Ruthven, Matthew Butler, Rachael Houchin, Ross Huffman, Richard Phillips and Roger Applegate were presented with the Best Scientific Paper Award for 2009. The award was given for their paper, “Rio Grande Wild Turkey Habitat Selection in the Southern Great Plains.” The Wildlife Society, founded in 1937, is an international, non-profit scientific and educational organization serving and representing wildlife professionals in all areas of wildlife conservation and resource management.
• David A. Driskill and Robert D. Perl, both associate professors in the College of
Amma Akrofi, assistant professor of language and literacy in the College of Education, was awarded a grant from the International Reading Association for a literacy project in Ghana, where she is spending the summer working with elementary school children.
Architecture, passed the LEED AP exam given by the United States Green Building Council. The LEED professional credentialing program was developed to encourage green building professionals to maintain and advance their knowledge and expertise. Professionals who pass the LEED AP exam have the latest knowledge and understanding of green building practices and are recognized for distinction.
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FACuLTy AND STAFF continued
• Shelby Hunt and Jay Conover, both
Business are Highly Cited Researchers, according to Thomson Rueters Publishing Company. A search with Harzing’s Publish or Perish software shows Hunt
Horn Professors in the Rawls College of
with 12,681 citations total, including the most-cited paper ever published in the Journal of Marketing. Conover has 13,702 citations total, including the secondmost highly cited paper in The American Statistician, the second-most highly cited paper in Technometrics, and both the third and sixth most highly cited papers in Communications in Statistics.
Carole Janisch, associate professor of language and literacy in the College of Education, is the 2008-2009 recipient of the College of Education’s Salzburg Global Seminar Award funded by donor Giles mcCrary. Janisch, the 11th recipient of this travel award to Salzburg, Austria, will attend the session “Investing in Women and Girls: Leveraging Philanthropy for Global Impact,” oct. 18-23. Rob Weiner, university Libraries’ Humanities librarian, edited the recently published Captain America and the Struggle of the Superhero: Critical Essays and has written two entries on Peter Bogdanovich and William Wyler for the Encyclopedia of movies and American Culture forthcoming by ABC-Clio publishing.
• Mindy Brashears, an associate profes-
sor of food microbiology and safety and director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence, was honored by the American Meat Science Association at its 62nd Annual Reciprocal Meat Conference in Rogers, Ark. Brashears received the Distinguished Achievement Award which recognizes and fosters the development of young AMSA members who have demonstrated significant scientific skills in muscle foods research and technology that contribute to the animal products industry and the AMSA.
Arlene Paschel, assistant librarian for Information Services at the university Library, was named mentor of the year at mentorTech’s Annual Banquet held in April and also has been elected secretary for the West Texas Association for Women in Science.
G. Tyge Payne, associate professor of Strategic management and Entrepreneurship in the Rawls College of Business, received a Fulbright Grant to moldova for spring 2010. Payne is appointed to the Economics Department of moldova State university. In addition to teaching strategic management and/or entrepreneurship, he will participate in other activities like conference presentations, seminars, consultations and curriculum development. He also plans on taking the opportunity to extend his knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing emerging economies, particularly those in Eastern Europe.
David Lawver, a professor in agricultural education and communications and Fulbright Grant award winner, has been selected by his peers from around the world as president of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education. With his Fulbright Grant, Lawver will teach extension methods during the fall 2009 semester at Egerton university near the east African provincial capital of Nakuru, Kenya.
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