WT Faculty Members Earn Professional Development Grants

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

CANYON, Texas - Five West Texas A&M University faculty members earned more than $15,000 in grants through the University's Office of Academic Affairs.

The development grants will finance travel and professional development for the faculty members beginning this summer.

"These grants have been awarded to faculty members engaged in honing the teaching skills that make up the heart of the academic profession," said Dr. Bryan Vizzini, professor of history and director of WT's Teaching Excellence Center. "The recipients and, ultimately, their students will benefit greatly."

Faculty members earning grants include:

• Kayla Alward, assistant professor of animal science, who will attend the Bovine Embryo Transfer Training Course in Senatobia, Mississippi
• Krista Favela, assistant professor of education, who will obtain professional licenses and take part in artificial intelligence training
• Qi Kang, assistant professor of agricultural business and economics, and Dr. Bailey Young, assistant professor of agricultural business and economics, both of whom will attend the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Teaching Academy
• and Dr. Keshav Shrestha, assistant professor of physics, who will take part in hands-on workshops on artificial intelligence and machine learning for scientific research.

Dr. B.J. Brooks, director of the School of Music, and Dr. Kristina Drumheller, associate dean for the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, also earned academic administrative development grants to attend the Harvard Management Development Program, which provides discussions, interactive presentations and immersive experiences.

Grants were awarded during an all-faculty meeting April 30, before WT's May 15 and 16 spring commencement ceremonies.

Recruiting, retaining and rewarding exceptional faculty members is a key component 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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