WT News & Notes | February 2026

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

 

WT News & Notes | February 2026

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

 

Thomas Elected Incoming Chair of Student Affairs Council

Dr. Chris Thomas, West Texas A&M University’s vice president for student affairs, was named chair elect of the Texas Council of Chief Student Affairs Officers at its February meeting.

TCCSAO facilitates communication among Texas public universities’ senior student affairs officers, serves as an informational resource on legislative and governmental activities and more.

“The opportunity to serve my student affairs colleagues across the state of Texas and through all our college systems is humbling,” Thomas said. “As a collective body we more knowledgeable and adept at addressing challenges and seizing on opportunities to help college students achieve success.  My time serving this great body will be one of continual growth and intellectual development.”

Thomas joined WT in 2022. A native of Orange, Thomas previously worked as vice president for student affairs at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

He will serve as chair elect through summer 2027, then serve as chair for one year.

 

——— 

 

WT Researchers Win Grant for Salt Remediation

Dr. Jim Rogers, professor of environmental science, and David Prescott, a doctoral student in agriculture from Amarillo, won a nearly $200,000 grant from Groundwater & Environmental Services to find innovative approaches for brine-contaminated soils in the Permian Basin.

Brine is released when oil and gas are pumped from the ground, and the Permian Basin currently produces 10 to 12 barrels of brine for every barrel of oil.

“We will evaluate various patent and natural remediation additives and soil treatments to try to reestablish vegetative cover,” Rogers said.

The brine is four times saltier than water in the Gulf of Mexico, Rogers said.

“If released to surface soils, vegetation is impacted and natural recovery may take many years,” Rogers said. “This research will explore innovative methods to remediation salt contamination and has direct relevance to both the oil industry and agriculture, because center-pivot irrigation also has the potential to increase soil salt levels.”

Prescott and Rogers, a faculty member in WT’s Department of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, will lead a team that also WT alumni Brian Yates and Melanie Peery, as well as Maria Pantazi, a doctoral student in agriculture from Canyon. Support also will be provided by the Amarillo College STEM Team and its research center greenhouse.

The WT team also will collaborate with the Alberta, Canada, Environment and Parks, which also studies salt-affected well sites.

 

———  

 

WT Researchers Published in Leading Physics Journal

Kyryl Shtefiienko, senior physics and math major from Kyiv, and Tucker Beekmann, senior physics major from Fritch, recently published research into how electrons move and interact inside solid materials in the leading journal Physical Review B .

Their articles explore quantum materials at a fundamental level, which could help in the development of faster and more powerful technologies.

Shtefiienko is lead author on “Electronic structure of the kagome compound CaTi ₃Bi ₄ using high-field torque magnetometry and density functional theory,” and both are lead authors on “De Haas–van Alphen effect in the Ti-doped CsV ₃Sb5 kagome compound under magnetic fields up to 41 Tesla” . The articles were published in January.

“We study special materials, known as kagome compounds, where electrons can behave in unusual ways—sometimes moving without much resistance or organizing themselves into new patterns,” said Dr. Keshav Shrestha, assistant professor of physics in the Department of Chemistry and Physics in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences , who co-authored the article with the students. “Learning how this works helps scientists design better electronic devices and could lead to improvements in future technologies such as energy-efficient and fast advanced electronics, sensors and quantum computers.”

Having their research published is exciting and promising, the students said.

“It’s opening a lot of doors for the Ph.D. programs I am planning to pursue,” Shtefiienko said.

“Getting published in a leading journal is exciting because it means the research we are doing is high quality,” Beekmann said. “Having fairly extensive research experience is important in getting into the graduate schools I plan to apply to.”

The students conducted research at several national laboratory facilities, including Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Florida.

 

——— 

 

WT Faculty Member Publishes Research into Family Communication

A West Texas A&M University researcher recently published a look into how Chinese immigrant parents communicate with their children about substance use.

“An Interview Study of Parent-Child Communication About Substances in Chinese Immigrant Families,” published in Southern Communication Journal in February, shows that parents often believe they are fostering open communication environments, yet their strong attitudes and attempts to convince their children can lead to emotional detachment and alienation,” said Dr. Li Chen, co-author and associate professor of media communication in the Department of Communication in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities .

“The findings illustrate a tension between adapting to American cultural norms and retaining their original values during parents’ acculturation process,” said Chen, who authored the study with Dr. Ming Xie, a former faculty member in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice in the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences .

The authors suggest that health educators should find ways to specifically address those cultural differences in communication in prevention campaigns targeting Asian Americans.

 

———  

 

WT Students Rack Up Advertising Awards

West Texas A&M University graphic design students recently took home nine honors, including a Best of Show and Special Judges Award, at a recent American Advertising Federation–Amarillo ceremony.

Miana Bagavac, a senior graphic design major from Amarillo, won Best of Show for her illustrated children’s book. Bagavac also won two gold awards for packaging design and stop motion animation.

Coleman Fogg, a senior graphic design major from Amarillo, won three silver awards for illustration, poster series and his packaging design. He also won a special judges’ award for his book cover series. 

Oscar Quintana, a senior graphic design major from Raton, New Mexico, won honorable mention awards for his book cover design and editorial design series.

“Our tradition of excellence continues,” said Marcus Melton, associate professor of graphic design in the Department of Art, Theatre and Dance in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities . “Each year the students’ work is evaluated by professionals from around the country, and year after year their talent and dedication are recognized. The strength of the graphic design major supports this kind of success.”

The 2026 American Advertising Awards were given out in a Feb. 20 ceremony hosted by American Advertising Federation–Amarillo.

AAF’s three-tier, national competition starts locally, with businesses, nonprofits, students and others vying for recognition as the best in their markets. Gold award winners automatically advance to the district competition.

 

——— 

 

WT Theatre’s Hisek Given Regional Honor  

Callie Hisek, West Texas A&M University’s Royal R. Brantley Professor of Theatre, was awarded the Region 6 Acting Teacher of Excellence Certificate by the American College Theatre Festival.

Hisek will be invited to attend the National Alliance of Acting Teachers’ national conference in June at The Julliard School and won a complimentary one-year membership in the alliance.

“I am extremely humbled by this honor and so thankful to Region 6,” Hisek said. “I was in complete shock when my name was said, but to have received this honor—and to do so from close colleagues—means the world.”

Hisek, who also serves as theatre program director in WT’s Department of Art, Theatre and Dance, was presented the award at the Region 6 ACTF Festival, held Feb. 21 to 24 in Abilene, where she brought two students and an alumnus to participate.

Kenzie Cohan, a junior theatre major from Ropesville, and Tucker McCann, a December graduate in theatre from San Angelo, took part in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship audition and in the festival’s 10-Minute Play contest, where McCann was among the best actor winners. Hope Joyce, a sophomore musical theatre major from Odessa, also participated in musical theatre workshops.

 

——— 

 

VERO Faculty Member, Former Researcher Named to 30 Under 30 List

 

 

——— 

 

VERO’s Morley Recognized for Contributions to Food Animal Medicine

Researcher Dr. Paul Morley recently was inducted as the sole 2026 fellow of the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases.

Morley is director of research at the Veterinary Education, Research and Outreach campus in Canyon and the Sally Rau McIntosh Endowed Chair in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences .

This lifetime honor recognizes Morley’s distinguished research career, strong dedication to mentorship and many years of service to the organization.

“Nearly 35 years of involvement with CRWAD has provided invaluable interactions with leading scientists from around the world, inspiring excellence in my work and fostering lifelong friendships and collaborations that have enhanced my contributions as both a scientist and a mentor,” he said.

 

———  

 

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, which is now winding down, has raised more than $175 million.

 

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.

 

—WT—