College of Engineering Success Stories

WT College of Engineering at the American Society of Civil Engineers Region 6. A group of 13 WTAMU engineering students and chapter advisor, Dr. Kenneth Leitch, went to the ASCE Region 6 (TX, OK, NM, and Mexico) Student Symposium. The Symposium has multiple parts including competitions (steel bridge, concrete bowling ball and frisbee, concrete canoe, timber competition, and more). There are also educational sessions, job fair, and more activities for the more than 600 participants. There are 28 universities who are officially part of the ASCE Region 6. The University of Houston was the host university for 2022. WT's steel bridge placed 2^nd overall in competition, the University's highest showing in six tries. WT has won the concrete bowling competition in 2017 and had an entry for this year as well.

While civil engineering is primary major for WTAMU ASCE, the group is open to all majors and the team featured mechanical and electrical engineering students. All of these engineering students got to experience the importance of engineering technical societies for students as well as for working engineering professionals.

Engineers Without Borders. The West Texas A&M University chapter of Engineers Without Borders is working on a project to increase the safety and availability of water in a rural community in Guatemala.  The community has a water supply, but it is not sufficient or well protected from contamination.  Engineering students are learning about water quality, water sampling, and surveying in order to design a groundwater well supply system and a means to distribute the water throughout the community.  In Summer 2017, Engineering students should be taking an assessment trip to gather information and meet with community leaders and professionals to design a multi-year solution.  Engineering majors from mechanical and civil engineering will be participating in this project along with faculty sponsors Dr. Nathan Howell and Dr. Emily Hunt.  Matt Jones from CNS Pantex is participating in the project as an EWB mentor.

Faculty Awards 2022

Service: Dr. Joshua Partheepan, Assistant Professor of Power and Energy Systems

Dr. Joshua Partheepan, Assistant Professor of Power and Energy Systems and Engineering Technology Program Director was a true ambassador for service in 2021. In the fall 2021, he picked up the administrative and instructional duties associated with Dr. Chen’s sudden death. He took on two additional undergraduate courses and all of the undergraduate advising for this program as well as a graduate research class. He worked tirelessly last summer and fall to update the Fundamentals of Engineering sequencing for the new high school pre-engineering program with CISD including teaching a section with over 40 students. Each class meeting involved hands-on laboratories such as welding, machining, designing, and woodworking. He supervised over 10 senior design projects in 2021, three MS students thesis projects, and multiple undergraduate research students. In 2021, he directed and supervised the re-design of the engineering machine shop and as well as the new additive manufacturing laboratory. He worked closely with colleagues to launch the first online version of the undergraduate electrical engineering degree offering including serving as advisor to all online students. He served on numerous faculty search committees for the college and is a respected colleague for faculty and mentor for students. Dr. Partheepan takes on any responsibility that comes his way with a gracious attitude and kind heart. He is currently working on an outreach program to generate industry partners and external support for the Power and Energy Systems program at WTAMU and was recently named the Mary L. and William W. Britain Professor of Renewable Energy. We are thankful for his service to the College of Engineering in 2021.

Professorships: 

Dr. Nathan Howell was named the Bell Professor of Engineering in 2021. Dr. Howell joined the College of Engineering in 2013 with a Ph.D in Evironmental Engineering in 2012 from the University of Houston. Dr. Howell's research interest include the production of biochar from waste crop residue and other biomass for use in soil health, an important soil property for more viable rain-fed cropping systems. He is also leading a campus Water Working group whose purpose is to unite research from diverse fields such as engineering, microbiology and education to solve "wicked" water problems that involve the interplay between water scarcity and human decision-making. The College of Engineering would like to thank Bell for their continued support and dedication to West Texas A&M University.

Dr. Joshua Partheepan was named the Mary L. and William W. Britain Professorship in Renewable Energy in 2022. He joined the College of Engineering in 2017 with a Ph.D in Agriculture and Systems from West Texas A&M University. Dr. Partheepan's research interest include hydrogen energy storage and renewable energy system modeling. The College of Engineering would like to thank Mary L. and William W. Britain for their continued support and dedication to West Texas A&M University.

Dr. Anitha Subburaj was named the McFather Professorship of Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics in 2022. She joined the College of Engineering in 2016 with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University. Dr. Subburaj's research interest include renewable energy, control systems, battery energy storage system and battery connected to grid applications. The McFather Professorship has the desire to encourage underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and math fields. The College of Engineering would like to thank the McFather family for their continued support and dedication to West Texas A&M University. 

Dr. Pamela Lockwood was named the Clair Mayes Professorship in Mathematics in 2021. She joined the College of Engineering in 1999 with a Ph.D in applied Mathematics from Texas Tech University. Dr. Lockwood’s research interests are in the area of biomathematics. The College of Engineering would like to thank the ones who helped provide the professorship for their continued support and dedication to West Texas A&M University.

Munitions at Pantex. Students and faculty at West Texas A&M University are conducting important research to quantify the stability of aging explosive crystals stored at the Pantex Plant. WTAMU’s Department of Engineering and Computer Science has received a $400,000 contract from Pantex to conduct a two-year study of the aging characteristics of energetic materials. Pantex is charged with maintaining the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. Principal Investigator: Dr. Emily Hunt.

Electric Power and Energy Systems.   WTAMU's new Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Electric Power and Energy Systems will begin enrollment and course offerings in Spring 2017!  Electrical Engineering faculty members include Dr. Anitha Subburaj, Dr. Joshua Partheepan, and Dr. Emad Manla.  With the addition of the BSEE program, the School of Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics has commenced renovation on the Engineering and Computer Science building on campus.  The building will feature more faculty offices, several laboratories, a graduate student workroom, and a brand new north addition.  The building was first renovated and opened in January 2012.  The project is expected to be completed by Fall 2017.

WTAMU is now on Halliburton's recognized list of approved colleges for recruiting.