WT News & Notes | June 2026

Media 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 and staff.

WT Researchers Explore AI Effectiveness

A paper by five West Texas A&M University researchers that investigates human / AI interactions in education is featured in a national journal.

“Human - AI Collaboration in Knowledge Transfer: A Research Agenda Integrating Knowledge Management” is published in the September issue of Information Systems Education Journal.

Authors from WT’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business are Dr. Abraham Abby Sen, assistant professor of computer information systems; Kareem Dana, adjunct instructor of computer information systems; Dr. Murray E. Jennex, the Gensler Professor of Computer Information Systems; and Dr. Jeffry Babb, associate dean of graduate school programs and the Stan Sigman Professor of Business. Also credited is Dr. Jeen Mariam Joy, senior career coordinator in WT’s Office of Career and Professional Development.

“Our research looks at how people and AI can work together most effectively to learn and share knowledge. Rather than asking whether AI is good or bad, we developed a research roadmap that helps future researchers compare human-only, AI-only and hybrid approaches to determine what works best,” Sen said. “As part of developing this framework, four WT students volunteered to help us conduct a pilot study that tested and refined the research design before it is used in larger scale experiments.”

The researchers found that AI is a complementary resource that reshapes, rather than replaces, human expertise.

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WT Professor Explores World Cup Economic Impact in Pakistan

Dr. Syed Tariq Anwar, professor of marketing in the Department of Management, Marketing and General Business in West Texas A&M University’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, recently published a paper examining the way a Pakistan city has become a world-renowned business cluster, thanks in part to the World Cup.

In “Entrepreneurial ecosystems, evolutionary growth and global expansion,” published in April in the Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Anwar revisits his hometown of Sialkot, Pakistan, which has grown into a major player on the world scene.

“The study reveals that Sialkot’s sports goods industry … took over 77 years to be built with the help of nascent entrepreneurs, innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises, and progressive local and national agencies and state organizations,” Anwar wrote.

One of the city’s key businesses is Forward Sports, which has supplied Adidas Trionda balls to international soccer governing body FIFA World Cups since 2014, including this year’s tournament.

Anwar said his research should have practical implications for similar enterprises wishing to grow in global markets.

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Hunt Co-Authors New Book on Mexican Settlement of Texas Panhandle

West Texas A&M University’s Dr. Alex Hunt is one of a quartet of authors behind a new look into the Mexican influence on the history of the Texas Panhandle area.

“Los Llaneros: The Mexican Southern Plains, 1500-1900,” released June 23 by the University of Oklahoma Press, examines the ethnic culture and history of the Llano, the vast grassland plains encompassing the Texas Panhandle, eastern New Mexico and portions of Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma.

The book embraces archeological, folkloric, literary and cultural knowledge in resurfacing the impact of Mexican people on the plains.

Hunt, Regents Professor of English in West Texas A&M University’s Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, co-edited the book, wrote one chapter and co-wrote a second. Hunt was the founding head of WT’s Center for the Study of the American West and now serves as its associate director.

Collaborators include Dr. Joel Zapata, assistant professor at Oregon State University; Dr. John Beusterian, professor of Spanish at Texas Tech University; and Dr. Andrew Reynolds, professor of Spanish at Texas Tech and former WT faculty member.

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Blaser Given National Award for Student Service

West Texas A&M University’s Dr. Brock Blaser received the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture’s Judging and Student Service Award.

The national honor recognizes faculty who demonstrate exceptional commitment to student success through teaching, mentorship, advising and leadership in competitive judging programs.

Blaser is assistant dean of academic programs in WT’s Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and is the V.H. Harman Jr. Distinguished Professor of Agriculture in WT’s Department of Agricultural Sciences.

The award honors educators who have provided outstanding service to students, with special emphasis on coaching competitive judging teams while also excelling in teaching, student mentorship, professional development, and service to their institution and profession. Nominees are evaluated through peer, administrator, and student reviews, as well as their philosophy of student service and long-term impact on student success.

Blaser has coached WT’s Crops Judging Team for more than 15 years and has led teams to national NACTA competitions since 2010. He also served as the overall coordinator for the 2025 NACTA Judging Conference hosted by WT, which welcomed nearly 800 students competing in 18 contests, making it one of the largest conferences in the organization’s history.

Beyond coaching, he had advised more than 550 undergraduate students, chaired or co-chaired 31 graduate committees, and helped develop study abroad opportunities that provide students with hands-on learning experiences around the world.

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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 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.

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