WT News & Notes | December 2025

CONTACT: Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Here’s a roundup of the latest news and accomplishments of West Texas A&M University students, faculty, staff and alumni.

WT Student Leads Study into Unique Panhandle Strategic Investments

Elvis Owusu, a graduate student in the Master of Science in Finance and Economics in WT’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, co-authored a study that looks into the role of strategic investments in the business performance of Panhandle businesses.

“Predicting Business Performance Through Strategic Investments in the Texas Panhandle” was published in the International Journal of Applied Economics. He co-authored the study with Dr. Leslie Ramos Salazar, WT’s Amjad Abdullat Professor of Business.

The authors invited 200 business owners and managers from small to medium-sized enterprises in the Texas Panhandle to complete a questionnaire about strategic investments. Key findings of this pilot study revealed that strategic investments positively predicted business performance and business resilience.

“Examining the relationship between strategic business investments and business performance is especially important to the Texas Panhandle community because it addresses the economic vitality of a region heavily dependent on small and medium-sized enterprises,” said Owusu, a native of Accra, Ghana. “When business owners and potential entrepreneurs apply these findings, they can make informed decisions that help their businesses grow, withstand challenges, and avoid failures like bankruptcies, while also supporting job creation, economic stability, and community development.”

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Peeples Named to National Committee, Celebrates 10th Year with SXSW EDU

Dr. Shanna Peeples, WT’s Dr. John G. O’Brien Distinguished Chair in Education, is serving on the 2026 National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee for the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The committee, which includes representatives from Google for Education, the National Association of State Boards of Education, and other national education organizations, reviews applications from state teachers of the year across the nation and will select finalists this month.

She also recently completed her 10th year working with SXSW EDU, where she has served as a PanelPicker evaluator for conference programming, a judge for education documentaries in the film program, and an evaluator for the Launch Startup Competition.

Presented by the Walton Family Foundation, Launch showcases early-stage education technology companies to investors, educators, and industry leaders. Finalists will pitch at SXSW EDU in Austin this March.

Peeples, a WT alumna, was selected as the 2015 National Teacher of the Year. She is a faculty member in WT’s Department of Education in the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences.

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Speech and Hearing Sciences, Nursing Faculty to Present at Texas Conference

Several faculty members from WT’s Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and the Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences have been selected to present research at an upcoming state convention.

The faculty were invited to present their research at the 70th Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association conference, to be held Feb. 18 to 21 in Fort Worth.

Valerie Parker and Darla Marcear, both instructors of speech and hearing sciences, and Lisa Robinson, instructor of nursing, will present “Sip, Swallow, & Synergy: Interprofessional Training for Dysphagia,” which looks at interdisciplinary teaching in nursing and speech and hearing sciences. 

Dr. Traci Fredman, the S.S. “Buddy” Stephens Professor in Communication Disorders, and Kori Clements, instructor of speech and hearing sciences, will present “Books in Every Lap: Engaging Preschoolers in Shared Reading.” 

Their research focuses on how speech-language pathologists and audiologists can provide appropriate feedback and interventions for children.

TSHA is the recognized resource in Texas for speech-language pathologists, audiologists and students.

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Keiser Wins All-American Honor at Livestock Judging Contest

Helene Keiser, a senior animal science major from Gothenburg, Nebraska, recently was honored as a Senior College Academic All-American in November at the North American Intercollegiate Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky.

Keiser and others senior livestock judging competitors were recognized for showing excellence both in the judging ring and in their academic endeavors, including internships, leadership roles and extracurricular activities.

Keiser is the third student in the history of WT to receive this honor. 

“I am extremely honored by this recognition,” Keiser said. “This award not only represents my time as a livestock judge but also encompasses my time on other competitive teams, industry internships and events, and leadership roles. This award not only helps me close a chapter on marking cards for the Buffs, but is a nod to all my coaches, teammates, supporters, and mentors that have poured their time and energy into me since I started college.”

Keiser, who was WT’s 2024 Intern of the Year, is a member of the Livestock Judging Team and previously has participated as a member of WT’s Meat Judging Team, Meat Animal Evaluation Team, Equestrian Team, Meat Science Quiz Bowl Team, and the Academic Quadrathlon Team. Keiser also serves the Department of Agricultural Sciences as an Ag Ambassador.

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Pancost Wins Spirit Award at International Meat Judging Competition

Lyndsey Pancost, a junior agriculture education major from Milliken, Colorado, in the Department of Agricultural Sciences, recently was named as a recipient of the Rachel Hamilton Memorial Spirit Award at the International Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest.

The Spirit Award honors Hamilton who was passionate about meat judging and was known for her optimism and dedication to her team. It is given to a member of each team that exemplifies this attitude and outlook on life.

The IIMJ contest was held Nov. 16 in Dakota City, Nebraska.

“To be recognized by my teammates in this way is truly humbling,” Pancost said. “The spirit I showed was simply a reflection of the teammates and coaches I was fortunate to be surrounded by, who encouraged, supported, and lifted me up, making it easy to reciprocate.”

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Promoting quality, both in education and student work, is a cornerstone 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 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. 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 Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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