WT Establishes Panhandle Institute for Engineering Research

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

First Project Already Funded to Find New Water Sources

CANYON, Texas — The first major research project for a new institute at West Texas A&M University will investigate new water sources for farming and livestock operations.

U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson secured $2 million in the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill for a mobile desalination unit through WT’s College of Engineering.

The project, which will develop units to access and convert brackish water into usable water sources for farming and livestock operations, is the first project under the banner of the Panhandle Institute for Engineering Research.

“WT constantly works to tackle the most pressing challenges in the Texas Panhandle, and this cutting-edge water desalination research will deliver a lasting impact for our farmers and ranchers by providing an engineering solution to an agricultural challenge,” Jackson said. “I am proud to have secured funding for these mobile units, and I look forward to seeing the Panhandle Institute for Engineering Research drive innovation that keeps TX-13 strong for years to come.”

PIER officially was approved Nov. 13 at a meeting of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.

The institute, housed within WT’s College of Engineering, was established through a recent, anonymous $5 million gift to the University. The gift is the largest in the College of Engineering’s history and officially pushed WT’s historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign over its $175 million goal.

The institute will further cement WT’s status as a Regional Research University, the key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

“The Panhandle Institute for Engineering Research marks a transformative moment for WT,” said Dr. Emily Hunt, dean of the College of Engineering. “By establishing a hub dedicated to regionally relevant research at the nexus of energy, water, and local industry, we are strengthening our commitment to the communities we serve.”

Hunt said the mobile desalination unit project will help the region better understand the Dockum Aquifer, located in the northwest part of Texas. Water processed by the desalination units will be taken directly to dairies and concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, around the region.

“Demonstrating real-world processing of Dockum water on-site will offer producers valuable options in managing water challenges,” Hunt said. “We appreciate Rep. Jackson and his team for championing this important work that directly benefits our Panhandle communities.”

Institutes like PIER connect academia with the public, support education and training, encourage and engage in interdisciplinary collaborations, advance specialized research, and enhance the reputation of the University, WT President Walter V. Wendler said.

“PIER is an opportunity for WT to focus on engineering-related opportunities and problems specific to the people and communities of the Panhandle,” Wendler said. “I cannot think of a better way for a regional research university to fulfill its mission and vision to serve locally first than to create an institute for engineering research.”

Dr. Angela Spaulding, vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School, said PIER will enhance WT’s ability to pursue research that addresses the most pressing challenges facing the Texas Panhandle and similar research worldwide.

In April, WT announced that it had received a coveted Research College and University classification from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, recognizing the resources WT earmarks annually on research activities.

“Investments such as this in research fuels discovery, drives economic growth and equips our students with the knowledge and experience they need to lead in a rapidly evolving world,” Spaulding said when the gift was announced in September. “This gift advances our goal of reaching Carnegie R2 status by 2026, reinforcing our role as a Regional Research University committed to research excellence, innovation and impact.”

Since 2020, engineering research funding at WT has increased by 129 percent, and the value of new research awards has risen by 239 percent. Research funding grants have surged 1,477 percent, “a clear reflection of the creativity, ambition, and dedication of our engineering administration, faculty and students,” Spaulding said.

The WT College of Engineering offers programs in mechanical, civil, electrical, and environmental engineering as well as engineering technology, mathematics and computer science. It was elevated from a school to a college in 2020, making it WT’s sixth college. It currently employs 43 faculty members and, between 2021 and 2024, has seen a 21 percent increase in enrollment.

Jackson also secured $1 million in additional funding for the WTAMU Foundation Research Feedlot and the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation Feedlot Education Facility. Ground was broken Nov. 10 on the new facility.

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: West Texas A&M University President Walter V. Wendler speaks at the Sept. 9 announcement of a $5 million gift to WT's College of Engineering. The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted last week to approve the establishment of the Panhandle Institute of Engineering Research following the gift.

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