Faculty, Student Scholarship in Spotlight at Annual Research Fair

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Faculty and student researchers have investigated everything from the warming climate to English language learning to police involvement in mental health emergencies —even to the Amarillo Symphony’s origins and sleep patterns in mice.

Now, they’ll display the results of their academic work at the 19th annual Faculty and Student Research Poster Session and Research Fair, set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 7 in the first-floor gallery in Cornette Library on the WT campus in Canyon.

Nearly 70 projects will be featured in posters and live presentations, including 38 faculty projects and 31 student projects.

“This event gives faculty and students an opportunity to showcase their research, sharing it with the WT community and with the broader surrounding communities,” said Kelly Hoppe, associate director and head of outreach and instruction for Cornette Library. “It is an exhilarating and inspiring day as it allows faculty, staff and students to gather together in one central location to celebrate research and learning.”

Several projects were funded in part by the WT Graduate School’s internal grants program and the Office of Sponsored Research Services, including Killgore Faculty Research Grants with funding assistance from the WTAMU Foundation; graduate student research grants; and the President’s Undergraduate Student Research Grant. Some funding also was provided by the Richard and Mary West Traylor Research Grant.

Guest speakers at the research fair will discuss the WT repository, which digitally stores scholarly writing and other research conducted by WT students, faculty and staff, as well as the University archives, digital collections, theses and dissertations.

Among the notable research work done by WT faculty members—solo, with colleagues or with student workers—include “Optimizing English Language Learning: A Comprehensive Guide” by Dr. Sang Hwang, professor of education, and Dr. Janet Hindman, associate professor of educational leadership; “Circadian Regulation of Peripheral Serotonin and Platelets in Mice” by Dr. Stephen Karaganis, an associate professor of biology, and Joey Zimmerman, a graduate student in biology from Hutto; and “Musical Matrons: Women and the Early History of the Amarillo Symphony” by Dr. Kimberly Hieb, assistant professor of musicology.

Among the significant work done by WT students include research into mental-health crisis teams in police departments, underrepresented minority students in STEM programs, autism spectrum disorder, volunteerism, grief and rural adult learners.

A full list of projects is below.

Student researchers participating include Allan Baltazar, a graduate student in psychology from Houston; Nathaniel Berkes, a senior English major from Cameron; Nathan Bohr, a senior English major from Dalhart; Mirescha Childs, a doctoral student in educational leadership from Houston; Robyn Cuthbert, a graduate student in biology from Long Beach, Massachusetts; Emily Efird, a graduate student in animal science from Mount Ida, Arkansas; Mackenzie Farmer, a senior English major from Liberal, Kansas; Katelyn Fergerson, a senior English major from Amarillo; Jaylynn Foreman, a senior English major from Amarillo; Robyn Hedke, a doctoral student in educational leadership from Garland; Miguel Hinojosa, a senior English major from Kress; and Paige Holbrooks, a graduate student in agricultural business from Gail.

Also, Ashley Jenkins, a junior English major from Amarillo; Erin Jones, a doctoral student in agriculture from Nazareth; Raymond King, a graduate student in sports and exercise sciences–sport management from Nazareth; Josiah Kinsky, a senior history major from Canyon; Tyresse Law, a senior mechanical engineering major from Amarillo; Corwin Lemley, a senior English major from Amarillo; Denisse Marquez, a senior English major from Amarillo; Nicole McGee, a graduate student in English from Fresno, California; Brisa Mendoza, a senior English major from Sunray; Riley Moore, a senior agribusiness major from Roswell, New Mexico; Emmanuel Oko, a graduate student in environmental science from Lagos, Nigeria; Aidan Pantoya, a senior computer science major from Lubbock; Cole Phillips, a senior physics major from Canyon; Clyde Raible, a graduate student in psychology from Galesburg, Illinois; James Segura, a senior English major from Amarillo; Thomas Speck, a senior sports and exercise science major from Gruver; Ilene Walton, a doctoral student in educational leadership from Van Alstyne; Kenleigh Wells, a graduate student in animal science from Valley View; and Zimmerman.

The research fair provides ample evidence of WT’s commitment to being a Regional Research University, as laid out in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the historic  One West  comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $150 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Cornette Library and the Graduate School and Research proudly presents posters of research, either recently published or submitted for publication, by WT faculty and students.

Faculty Posters

Behl, Malvika - Test-Restest Reliability of Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale and the SCAS
for Children with Learning Disabilities [Killgore grant recipient]

Biery, Piper – Flee the State Fantasy

Bowman, Tim - "Understanding the Texas Farmworkers, 1966-1982" [Killgore grant recipient]

Chen, Li; Xie, Ming - Rural Young Adults' Perceptions of Cannabis: A Survey Study [Killgore grant recipient]

Clark, Elizabeth Morrow - Dueling Designs:  Architecture and Image on Interwar Poland’s Baltic Coast

Crosman, Erik; Mukherjee, Maitreyee; Cuthbert, Robyn; Ogle, Heather; Mbanefo, Simon; Olatunbosun, Afolarin; Pool, Grayson; Taylor, Darby - Environmental Drivers of Water Quality Variability in Lake Meredith, Texas [Killgore grant recipient]

Gamble, Misty - Of Flesh and the Feminine [Killgore grant recipient]

Das, Pronob; Aria, Saman, Devadoss, Timothy; Hiranuma, Naruki; Bhattacharia, Sanjoy; Bithi, Swastika - Engineering of a Microfluidic Platform for Investigation of Immersion Freezing in the Atmosphere [Department of Energy- Research Development and Partnership Pilot grant]

De Butte, Maxine - Impact of chronic estradiol and melatonin administration on neurobehavioral functioning in middle-aged female rats [Killgore grant recipient]

Doernte, Lee; Phipps, Riley; Gamon, Jesus; Stout, Kara; Vance, Jodi - Accuracy of VO2 Testing Using Apple Watches [Killgore grant recipient]

Hieb, Kimberly - Musical Matrons: Women and the Early History of the Amarillo Symphony [Killgore grant recipient]

Howell, Nathan; Askarian, Benham; Bright, Barrett; Grant, Spencer; Ksor, Madilyn - Development and deployment Internet of Things (IoT) in aquaponics experiments [Killgore grant recipient]

Hwang, Sang; Hindman, Janet - Optimizing English Language Learning: A Comprehensive Guide [Richard and Mary West Traylor Research grant recipient]

Karaganis, Stephen; Zimmerman, Joey - Circadian regulation of peripheral serotonin and platelets in mice

Kinsky, Emily S.; Grantham, Susan - "Think about the ratings": K-Drama Representations of Journalism Ethics in South Korea [Korean American Communication Association grant recipient]

Larson, William; Aria, Saman; Bithi, Swastika S. - Tuning the crystallization properties of advanced phase change materials [Killgore grant recipient]

Li, Wenhao; Ramos Salazar, Leslie - Comparing Automobile Accident Rates in Counties from the Texan Panhandle

Loftin, Collette; Devkota, Shravan; Phillips, Angela; Correa, Priscella; Friemel, Alee; Drinnon, Sherri - Promoting Wellness: An Influenza Vaccination Initiative for University Health

McKee, Eric; Macy, Anne; Solis, Oscar - Enhancing Business Students’ Learning Experiences Through a Hands-On Research Project Using Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS)

Marcillo, Guillermo - Monitoring cotton growth in the Texas Panhandle using computer simulations [Killgore grant recipient]

Meljac, Eric; Reeves, Brinn - The Savior of the Aesthetic Life: Decadence, Taboo, and Oscar Wilde's Jesus

Meredith, Neil R.; Brooks, Christopher A.; Meredith, Amy A. - Housing Voucher Discrimination and Deaths of Despair

Mukherjee, Maitreyee; Jones, Evan; VeneKlasen, Bentli; Crosman, Erik - Analysis of microbial population diversity in Lake Meredith, Texas [Killgore grant recipient]

Nguyen, Marytrinh; Burciaga, Betty; Ghosh, Nabarun - History of implementation of Nanotechnology in the novel air purifiers with a special reference in reduction of Pollen, Mold Spore and PM2.5 Indices

Ozmaian, Mona - Decoding the Wonders of Nanomachines

Peeples, Shanna; Kraus, Nichole Butkovich - Texas Panhandle Schools as Sites of Opportunity and Exclusion for LGBTQ+ Youth

Phillips, Angela; Smoot, Teresa; Neely, Shaina; Rausch, Mary; Klaehn, Daniel; Mueggenborg, Lacy; Dowd, Whitney - Graduate Nursing Student Success Modules

Ramos Salazar, Leslie; Peeples, Shanna - An Investigation of the Generation Cohort, Self-Efficacy, and Innovation of Faculty Teaching with ChatGPT in Texas Higher Education Institutions

Ramos Salazar, Leslie; Solis, Oscar - Financial Socialization and Behavior of Young Adults: Objective and Subjective Financial Knowledge as Mediators

Ramos Salazar, Leslie; Weiss, Adam; Yarbrough, Jillian; Sell, Katelynn - Examining Factors that Explain the Cyberbullying of University Faculty during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Shrestha, Keshav; Phillips, Cole; Shtefiienko, Kyryl - High Magnetic Field Characterization of Quantum Materials [Killgore grant recipient]

Shrestha, Maha L. - Flexible Foams and Elastomers from Castor Oil [Killgore grant recipient, Welch Departmental Grant]

Solis, Oscar; Gallardo, Juan - The Impact of Financial Literacy and Estate Planning on American Households

Sprouse, Sarah J.; Valles, Sarah Banschbach - The Dalhousie Manuscripts Project: Navigating the Ethics of Digital Editing [Killgore grant recipient, Urban Fund)

Tao, Shiquan; Kutelev, Ivan - Chemometrics-assisted FTIR spectroscopy for discriminating closely related species [Killgore grant recipient]

Taylor, Darby J. - Sedimentary provenance of a regional Miocene-Pliocene aeolian and fluvial deposit on the high plains: Evidence for unroofing of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains? [Killgore grant recipient]

Thomason, Roy; Flynn, Nick - Frequency Effect On Yeast Fermentation [Welch Foundation grant recipient]

Weir, Rebecca Nicholson - "Fearless, Independent, and Free": Confronting White Supremacy in the Black Press [Killgore grant recipient, Joan Urban Funds Grant]

Student Posters

Baltazar, Allan – Graduate Student - Major: Master’s in Psychology, Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences

Hometown:  Houston, Texas

Ameliorating Mental Health Emergencies: Crisis Intervention Teams in Police Departments

Berkes, Nathaniel – Senior - Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Cameron, Texas

Simulations of Reality and Disconnection in American Postmodern Literature

Bohr, Nathan – Senior - Major:  English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Dalhart, Texas

Reading the Room with Shakespeare      

Childs, Mirescha – Graduate Student – Major: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership on the Leadership in Higher Education Pathway, Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences

Hometown: Houston, TX        

Disparity in STEM Degree Attainment for Underrepresented Minority Students: How One Community College is Working to Increase Participation and Persist

Cuthbert, Robyn – Graduate Student - Major: Master’s in Biology, Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Hometown: Long Beach, MS

A quantitative PCR analysis of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) in Lake Meredith, an important water reservoir in the arid Texas panhandle region

Efird, Emily - Graduate Student – Major: Master’s in Animal Science, Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Hometown: Mount Ida, Arkansas                          

Effect of Time of Estrus on Conception Rate for a Sexed Semen Artificial Insemination Protocol in Multiparous Beef Cows

Farmer, Mackenzie – Senior, Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Liberal, Kansas

An Examination of Addiction Representation in “Goblin Market”           

Fergerson , Katelyn – Senior, Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Amarillo, Texas

Innocence Lost: An Exploration of the Transitionary Period from Girlhood to Adulthood as Portrayed in Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”       

Foreman, Jaylynn – Senior, Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Amarillo, Texas

Shaw Versus the People: Examining Pygmalion and Audience

Hedke, Robyn - Graduate Student, Major: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership on the Leadership in Higher Education Pathway, Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences

Hometown: Garland, Texas

Origins of Support: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Lived Experiences of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Higher Education

Hinojosa, Miguel – Senior, Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Kress, Texas

La Llorona is a Symbol of Resistance

Holbrooks, Paige - Graduate Student, Major: Master’s in Agricultural Business, Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Hometown: Gail, Texas

Ecomonic Comparison of Cotton Grown in Thermo-Limited Regions of the High Plains

Jenkins, Ashley – Junior, Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Amarillo, Texas

The Portrayal of Emotions in Video Games and Artificial Intelligence’s Emotional Bonding Capability    

Jones, Erin - Graduate Student, Major: Doctorate in Agriculture, Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Hometown: Nazareth, TX

Effect of Colony-Wide Physiological State on Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Pollination Efficiency

King, Raymond - Graduate Student, Major: Master’s in Sports and Exercise Sciences-Sport Management Track

Hometown: Nazareth, Texas

“Descriptive Factors and Characteristics of Athletic Compliance Directors within the Lone Star Conference”

Kinsky, Josiah – Senior, Major: History, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Canyon, Texas

Contradictory Space and the Black and Gay Church

Law, Tyresse – Senior, Major: Mechanical Engineering - College of Engineering

Hometown: Amarillo, Texas

Polymer Upcycling for Solid Rocket Fuel Applications

Lemley, Corwin – Senior, Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Amarillo, Texas

“Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women” and Paradise Lost: A Comparative Analysis

Marquez, Denisse – Senior, Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Amarillo, Texas

Culturally Love

McGee, Nicole - Graduate Student, Major: Master’s in English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Fresno, CA

Female Agency in Film Noir

Mendoza, Brisa – Senior, Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Sunray, Texas

Revelation of Labor in Station Eleven

Moore, Riley – Senior, Major: Agribusiness, Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Hometown: Roswell, NM

"Navigating your Law School Journey"

Oko, Emmanuel - Graduate Student, Major: Master’s in environmental science

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Potential Impact of the Arctic Glacier Recession on our Climate

Pantoya, Aidan – Senior, Major: Computer Science with a specialization in Software Engineering, College of Engineering

Hometown: Lubbock, Texas

World-Wide Atmospheric Ice-Nucleating Particles

Phillips, Cole – Senior, Major: Physics TPC, Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Hometown: Canyon, Texas

Pressure Studies on the topological properties of CsV3Sb5

Raible, Clyde - Graduate Student, Major: Master’s in Psychology, Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences

Hometown: Galesburg, Illinois

To Volunteer or Not Volunteer: Investigating How to Promote Volunteerism

Segura, James – Senior, Major: English, Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Amarillo, Texas

Kintsugi for the Soul: Reclamation of Identity through Loss and Grief

Speck, Thomas – Senior, Major: Sports and Exercise Science, College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Hometown: Gruver, Texas

Effect of 2 Training Protocols on Body Composition in Youth Distance Runners

Walton, Ilene - Graduate Student, Major: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership on the Leadership in Higher Education Pathway, Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences

Hometown: Van Alstyne, Texas

Reaching Adult Learners Located in Rural and Remote Areas through Community College Branch Campuses

Wells, Kenleigh - Graduate Student, Major: Master’s in animal science, Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Hometown: Valley View, Texas

The Effect of Embryo Stage and Biopsy on Embryo Viability

Zimmerman, Joey - Graduate Student, Major: Master’s in biology, Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Hometown: Hutto, Texas

Circadian Regulation of Platelets

—WT—