From Fiberglass Resilience to Bank Runs, WT McNair Students to Showcase Research

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

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University students researching solar-powered data collection, the benefits of pet ownership, social media and more will be highlighted in an upcoming event.

The McNair Scholars Research Showcase will run 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 21 in the atrium of Cornette Library on WT’s Canyon campus.

During the showcase, which will be held on what would have been McNair’s 75th birthday, 14 McNair students will display posters and discuss their research with WT students, faculty and staff, as well as community visitors.

McNair Scholars conduct and present undergraduate research guided by a faculty mentor, said Victoria Salas, director.

“The McNair Scholars program empowers students with the research skills and confidence to be successful in graduate school,” Salas said. “On average, 70 percent or more of each cohort enrolls in graduate school within a year of graduating from WT.”

The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, or the McNair Scholars Program, at WT prepares income-eligible and first-generation undergraduate students for doctoral study through research and other scholarly activities.

In 2022, the program won a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, providing $275,000 in annual funding for five years.

The program has been offered at WT since 1999. In that time 277 McNair Scholars have earned their bachelor’s degrees, and another 161 have earned graduate or professional degrees.

WT’s McNair Scholars program now serves 30 students per year, who receive the guidance of a mentor overseeing the research project; seminars on graduate school admission process, research methods and financial aid; a $2,800 research stipend; a $300 research supply allowance; tutoring, academic counseling and intense GRE preparation; admission and financial aid assistance; preparation for research conference preparations; fee waivers for graduate applications; and paid conference travel.

Participating students and their research topics include:

• Fernando Anguiano, a junior mechanical engineering major from Spearman: “Investigation of the Impact Resistance of Fiberglass-Reinforced Mortar”
• Jocelyn Baca, a senior speech and hearing sciences major from Amarillo: “Teaching Clinicians to Use Dialogic Reading”
• Sam Bencomo, a junior electrical engineering major from Hereford: “Design and Functionality of Solar Powered Data Collecting Using Moisture Soil Sensors for Agricultural Use”
• Miriam Camargo, a senior biology / pre-vet major from Amarillo: “How does the human-animal bond in pet ownership affect college students’ observed stress and mental health?”
• Logan Canada, a senior psychology major from Amarillo: “The Limits of Accountability: Null Effects in Hiring Bias Involving Gay Applicants”
• Flor Chavez, a junior Spanish major from Tyler: “Trauma Between the Pages: Inheritance, Repression, and Reimagining in Hispanic and Latine Literature”
• Stephanie Esquivel, a senior health sciences major from Perryton: “Health Disparities in the U.S. Hispanic Community: Structural Barriers and the Role of Culturally Competent Care”
• Erick Garcia, a junior history major from Perryton: “The Journey to Mexico: The Mennonite Experience from Russia to Canada to Mexico”
• Alex Holguin, a junior psychology major from Amarillo: “Barriers to treatment and ethnic identity effects in college students’ attitudes towards seeking mental health help”
• Eliz Miranda, a senior wildlife biology major from El Paso: “Comparative Analysis of Growth Rates in Black Widow Spiders: Rural versus Urban Environments”
• Julian Rivero, a senior finance major from Perryton: “Simulated Bank Runs in an Experimental Setting”
• Riven Robinson, a junior psychology major from Levelland: “‘I Want to Be Like Them’: How Attractiveness can Influence Self-Diagnosis Through Social Media”
• Romie Rubio, a senior accounting and finance major from Amarillo: “In Their Words: Leadership Journeys of Texas Panhandle Nonprofit Leaders”
• Lauren Stokes, a junior biology major from Amarillo: “Comparing Different Reaction Conditions to Synthesize Epoxy Cardanol”

Students represent all six of WT’s Colleges: the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, the Paul & Virginia Engler College of Business, the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts & Humanities and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

McNair was one of six crewmembers who died Jan. 28, 1986, when the Challenger exploded shortly after launching at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

After his death, Congress named a research program in his honor — the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, or the McNair Scholars Program. It is designed to prepare income-eligible and first-generation undergraduate students for doctoral study through research and other scholarly activities.

McNair — who, in addition to his work as a physicist, also was a talented musician and decorated martial arts champion and instructor — was the second African American to fly in space.

McNair Scholars are an important component in WT’s goal of becoming a regional research university, as outlined 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 has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M 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. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT 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. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is 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 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: Students in West Texas A&M University's McNair Scholars program will take part in a research showcase Oct. 21 at Cornette Library. Participating students include, front from left, Julian Rivero, Erick Garcia, Miriam Camargo, Eliz Miranda, Stephanie Esquivel, Jocelyn Baca, Fernando Anguiano and Flor Chavez; and, back from left, Logan Canada, Anastasia Robinson, Lauren Stokes, Alex Holguin and Sam Bencomo.

—WT—