Outstanding WT Staff Members Recognized at Year-End Gathering

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

CANYON, Texas — A trio of West Texas A&M University staff members were celebrated by the Office of Academic Affairs at a year-end event.

Staff Excellence Award winners were Kyler Estes, associate director of admissions; Jarvis Hampton, assistant vice president of institutional research and effectiveness; and Melissa White, assistant vice president of academic affairs.

Estes, who has worked in the Office of Admissions for 13 years, is an Amarillo native who graduated from WT in 2009.

“Kyler represents the very best of who we are at WT,” said Dr. Rick Haasl, vice provost for enrollment management. “His kindness, professionalism and unwavering loyalty to his team set a standard that inspires those around him every day. It’s his spirit—his genuine commitment to people and to our mission—that makes him so deserving of this recognition. We are proud to honor him.”

Hampton, who earned degrees from Texas Tech University and WT, taught middle and high school math for six years before joining WT in 1996. Currently assistant vice president of institutional effectiveness, he also has taught developmental math and filled many other roles at the University.

“Jarvis plays a key role in collecting, organizing and reporting institutional data to support strategic planning and decision-making,” said Dr. Neil Terry, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs. “Even on his busiest day, he is always and forever giving others the respect they deserve and the time they need to explore solutions to institutional inquiries and challenges.”

White, who earned both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from WT, joined the staff in 2014.

“Melissa has played a critical role in our institutional goals to reaffirm our various accreditations while expanding our academic programs to better serve our students and the Texas Panhandle,” Terry said. “The combination of her collaborative spirit with the depth of her knowledge about curriculum and accreditation is invaluable to the WT community.”

Awardees, who were celebrated May 1, were given $3,000 honorariums.

Spring commencement ceremonies are scheduled for May 15 and 16.

Nurturing excellent faculty and staff is an important principle of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University 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 multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 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.

Photo: Jarvis Hampton, from left, Melissa White and Kyler Estes were saluted with Staff Excellence Awards at an April 30 year-end celebration at West Texas A&M University.

—WT—