WT’s Hunt Takes on New Leadership Role at Pantex

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - Dr. Emily Hunt, founding dean of West Texas A&M University's College of Engineering, has left the University for a newly created role at Pantex.

Hunt, who also has served as WT's assistant vice president for research development and innovation, is the chief technology officer for PanTeXas Deterrence, the management and operating contractor of the Pantex Plant, beginning Oct. 26.

"I am deeply honored to join PanTeXas Deterrence, and this is a responsibility I take very seriously. Being from this region, I understand the impact Pantex has here, on our economy, our families and the generations of Panhandle residents who have dedicated their careers to its mission. Maintaining a safe, secure and reliable nuclear deterrent is fundamental to our national security, and I am proud to contribute to that work by helping Pantex build the scientific and technological capabilities it will need for decades to come," Hunt said. "I am grateful to WT for more than 20 years of opportunity, and I am especially proud of the College of Engineering we built together. I look forward to keeping close ties between Pantex and the University as we continue to grow the region's scientific workforce."

An interim dean will be named at a later date.

"WT's engineering program has matured into an established, nationally recognized program under the leadership of Dr. Hunt. She has been an omnipresent force, leaving a lasting legacy within our College of Engineering," said Dr. Neil Terry, interim president. "Her collaborative leadership style will serve her well in her new role, and we look forward to working with her and the leadership team at the Pantex Plant on future endeavors."

As chief technology officer, Hunt will serve as the plant's lead scientist, steering the long-term innovation strategy and cultivating next-generation scientific capabilities, Pantex officials said.

"Dr. Hunt brings a unique blend of nationally recognized scientific acumen, executive leadership, and deep regional roots to Pantex," said Dr. Kelly Beierschmitt, president and general manager of PXD. "Her proven track record in applied science, energetic materials research, and workforce development directly aligns with our mission to modernize and innovate. Appointing an executive who understands both our mission requirements and the strength of the Texas Panhandle's higher education ecosystem position us to lead the enterprise forward from day one."

During Hunt's time at WT, Pantex opened a new research facility on WT's campus that houses about 15 members of Pantex's research- and-development group, with more than 7,500 square-feet dedicated to research and lab areas plus office space.

Hunt joined WT in 2005 after earning her bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University.

Hunt was elected to the board of the national Engineering Research Council in 2025. She also is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, Materials Research Society and the American Society of Engineering Education.

She holds multiple patents and is the author of nine books, including "Nanostructured Metallic Alloys: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications" and the children's book "Engineering Elephants," and more than 90 publications.

While at WT, she has secured more than $11 million in competitive research funding, founded the Energetic Materials Laboratory and oversaw the formation of the Panhandle Institute for Engineering Research.

In September, U.S. News & World Report announced that WT's College of Engineering tied at No. 140 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (non-doctorate). That's No. 8 among Texas schools.

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 about 40 faculty members and, between 2021 and 2026, has seen a nearly 24 percent increase in enrollment.

In 2025, WT was classified as a Research College and University, or RCU, the new Carnegie designation that identifies research happening at colleges and universities that historically have not been recognized for their research activity.

According to the Carnegie Foundation, the RCU designation encompasses institutions that spend more than $2.5 million annually on research, regardless of whether they offer doctoral degrees.

R2 schools, meanwhile, spend at least $5 million on research and development and award at least 20 research doctorates.

WT spends approximately $10 million per year on research activities and currently offers three doctoral degrees in agriculture, educational leadership and nursing practice. The University is seeking approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for new doctorates in computer information systems from the College of Engineering and the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business.

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 about 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 65 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 41 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and three 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; WT offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

-WT-