WT Faculty Earn Professional Development Grants

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

CANYON, Texas — Eight West Texas A&M University faculty members earned more than more than $25,000 in grants through the University’s Division of Academic Affairs.

The development grants will finance travel and professional development for the faculty members beginning this summer.

“While the academic community provides numerous funding opportunities to support faculty research and scholarship, the Summer Faculty Development Grants stand apart for their focus on the teaching component of the job, allowing recipients to develop and enhance their classroom skillset,” said Dr. Bryan Vizzini, professor of history and director of WT’s Teaching Excellence Center.

Faculty members earning grants include:

Dr. Joshua Brown, assistant professor of biology, to attend a beginner bird banding workshop in Minnesota;

Derek Kennedy, instructor of sports and exercise science, to begin a year-long program in the Functional Movement Screen Academy;

Dr. Nicole Kraus, assistant professor of sociology, to enroll in an American Educational Research Association methodology course;

Dr. Lydia Miller, assistant professor of social work, to take a certification course to earn supervisor status as a licensed clinical social worker;

Dr. Keshav Shrestha, assistant professor of physics, to attend an advance workshop on density functional theory for materials science research;

Echo Sibley, assistant professor of theatre, to attend a summer intensive in physical theatre in Arezzo, Italy;

Edward Truitt, professor of dance, to travel to Athens, Greece, to cochair a symposium at the World Congress of Dance Research; and

Dr. Jillian Yarbrough, clinical assistant professor of management, to attend the Stanford Executive Education Program.

Faculty members represent five of WT’s six Colleges: the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences; the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business; the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences; the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities; and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Grants were awarded during an all-faculty meeting May 8, before WT’s May 16 and 17 spring commencement ceremonies.

Recruiting, retaining and rewarding exceptional faculty members is a key component of 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 $165 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. 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 more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and 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.

Photo: Several West Texas A&M University faculty members were awarded professional development grants during a May 8 all-faculty meeting. Pictured are, from left, Edward Truitt, Echo Sibley, Dr. Nicole Kraus and Dr. Lydia Miller. Not pictured are Dr. Joshua Brown, Derek Kennedy, Dr. Keshav Shrestha and Dr. Jillian Yarbrough.

—WT—