WT Students, Faculty Wrapping Up $220,000-Plus in Research Projects

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

CANYON, Texas - West Texas A&M University gave its highest-ever amount in internal research grants during the 2025-2026 academic year, yielding investigations into such varied areas as cattle pregnancy, water-use efficiency, the economic impact of screwworms and even the physiology of pickleball players.

"Internal research grants are a vital springboard for discovery, giving faculty and students the support they need to test ideas, build evidence and move promising work toward real-world solutions," said Dr. Angela Spaulding, vice president for research and compliance and dean of the Graduate School. "That early investment also helps position WT researchers to pursue external funding that can expand the impact of their work across the region and beyond."

A record $221,000 in internal research grants were distributed throughout the year to undergraduates, graduate students and faculty members across WT's six Colleges: the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Faculty members earning research grants were:

• Dr. Fisseha Alemayehu, associate professor of mechanical engineering: "Impact Absorption Properties of 3D-printed materials and Fiberglass-Reinforced Mortar"
• Dr. Kayla Alward, assistant professor of animal science: "Predicting Pregnancy Loss in Dairy Cattle Utilizing Serum Melatonin Concentrations"
• Dr. JP Andrade, assistant professor of animal science: "Improving bovine embryo production through stress mitigation with appeasing pheromone"
• Dr. Emilie Baker, assistant professor of animal science: "Using DNA Methylation to Predict Bovine Respiratory Disease Risk"
• Dr. Swastika Bithi, assistant professor of engineering: "Microfluidic Preparation and Characterization of Energy-Containing Microbeads"
• Dr. Joshua Brown, assistant professor of biology: "Developing UAV-based methods for detecting GPS transmitters in wildlife telemetry"
• Dr. Erick Butler, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering: "Leveraging 'rapid' nucleic acid extraction strategies for on-site wastewater"
• Dr. Li Chou, assistant professor of computer science: "Investigating the Viability of FPGAs for Deep Learning"
• Dr. Kori Clements, instructor of speech and hearing sciences: "Ultrasound for Speech Sound Disorders: Increasing Access in Rural Schools"
• Dr. Fernando Diaz-Gonzalez, assistant professor of biology: "The role of epigenetics in the regulation of gene expression"
• Dr. Ryan Ingebritsen, assistant professor of music: "Reparametrizations: Recording definitive performances of two electronic concert works"
• Dr. Alicia Macchione, assistant professor of psychology: "Breaking the Scale: Investigating Weight-Based Discrimination in Employment Practices"
• Shefali Pawar, assistant professor of electrical engineering: "Radiation and scattering of electromagnetic waves using metasurface cloaks in printed antenna technology"
• Dr. Juganta Roy, assistant professor of chemistry: "Mechanistic understanding of E/Z-Tosylhydrazone formation"
• Dr. Tolulope Saliu, assistant professor of biology: "Glucocorticoid-Mediated Cell Cycle Dysregulation Mechanisms Driving Diabetic Myopathy"
• Dr. Brandon Selby, assistant professor of counseling: "WTAMU Initiative to Validate Counseling Program Outcomes Through NCE Performance"
• Dr. Sushil Thapa, the Vernon Harman Endowed Professor of Dryland Farming: "Improving Water Use Efficiency in Grain Sorghum Using Soil Amendments"
• Dr. Bailey Young, assistant professor of agricultural business and economics, and Dr. Qi Kang, assistant professor of agricultural business and economics: "Cattle Market Effects of Livestock Import Bans Due to Screwworm"

Graduate students earning internal research grants, with their program and hometown, were:

• Myranda Alvarez, electrical engineering, Morton: "Bilingual Sign Language Robotic Hand"
• Karree Belmares, communication, Turkey: "Parental Communication about Substances in Christian Families: An Interview Study"
• Caitlin Crenshaw, biology, Port Arthur: "Genomics of Ring-necked Pheasants in the Texas Panhandle"
• Kylie Diaz, agricultural sciences, Stratford: "Integrating Biophilic Learning Environments to Support Student Success"
• Hallie Dugosh, animal science, Pearsall: "Evaluating Follicular Dynamics in Boer Does under TAI protocol"
• Megan Eckhardt, agriculture, New Braunfels: "Effect of abscess severity and cattle-type upon beef metabolomics"
• Austin George, animal science, Mondovi, Wisconsin: "Optimizing Resynchronization Protocol for Embryo Transfer in Lactating Dairy Cattle"
• David Hardin, chemistry, biology and psychology, Clyde: "Spatial characterization of Rev-erbA mRNA expression in murine platelets"
• Ciera Heinrich, biology, Idaho Falls, Idaho: "Seasonal species variation and night-time activity of bridge roosting bats in Palo Duro Canyon State Park"
• Kennedy Howard, speech and hearing sciences, Amarillo: "Sharing is Caring: Exploring the Therapeutic Alliance in the NICU"
• Olha Humeniuk, psychology, Amarillo: "Breaking Barriers"
• Bailey Lamb, animal science, Huntsville: "Effects of Wool Judging on Professional and Interpersonal Skills"
• Lexi Maul, sports and exercise sciences, Pampa: "Functional Electrical Stimulation Cycling with Blood Flow Restriction to Improve Autonomic Function in Spinal Cord Injury"
• Rylee McKinney, animal science, Brady: "Comparative Assessment of Post-Culture Viability of Caprine Demi-Embryos"
• Christie Miller, animal science, Harpersville, Alabama: "Unexplored Role of Follicular Fluid Melatonin in Dairy Fertility"
• Samuel Narvaez Sanchez, animal science, Sonora: "New vs Used CIDRs in Beef Cattle"
• Emmanuel Nwokike, computer information systems and business analytics, Canyon: "Enhancing Cyber Security Resilience in SMEs"
• Audrey Rangel, animal science, Lyford: "Comparison of Estrus Synchronization Protocols in Heifers"
• Tanner Sargent, biology, Valley Mills: "Aoudad Use of Cultural and Vegetative Resources at Hueco Tank State Park"
• Kara Stout, sports and exercise sciences, Haskell: "Energy Drink Consumption and Autonomic Recovery in Collegiate Track Athletes"
• Tory VanDamme, communication, Amarillo: "Bridging Classroom and Career: Evaluating the Effectiveness of 1910 PR in Preparing Students for Communication Careers"

Undergraduate students winning internal grants include:

• Avelyn Barrera, a junior biology major from El Paso: Short vs long-term thermal acclimation in xeric-adapted Drosophila"
• Cayden Beatty, a sophomore animal science major from Burnet: "Cookery methods effect on ground beef patty characteristics"
• Tucker Beekmann, a senior physics major from Fritch: "Effects of Hydrostatic Pressure on ZrSiS"
• Graceson Carthel, a senior biochemistry major from Amarillo: "Linking Thermal Acclimation to Hsp70 Expression in Cactophilic Drosophila"
• Genesis Castaneda, a sophomore sports and exercise sciences major from Amarillo: "Physiological profiles of mature pickleball players"
• Chamberlaigne Elliott, a junior wildlife biology major from Houston: "Impact of ALAN on Black Widow Spiders Energy Expenditure: Comparing Stress Responses in Rural vs Urban Environments"
• Taylen Graham, a senior wildlife biology major from Dickinson: "Genetic Diversity in Migratory and Nonmigratory Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats"
• Alexander Hernandez, a senior mechanical engineering major from Amarillo: "Investigating the Material and Thermodynamic Properties of Water Droplets Mixed with INPs"
• Hayden Jansky, a senior sports and exercise sciences major from Magnolia: "TMG Muscle Analysis for Football Recruitment"
• Kade Lawrence, a sophomore animal science major from Canyon: "Variation of Tongue Quality and Palatability Among Branded Beef Programs"
• Madison Mirelez, a junior computer science major from Amarillo: "Ice Growth Via Vapor Deposition"
• James Morris, a senior mechanical engineering major from Amarillo: "Sustainable Water Treatment with Microfluidic Hydrogel-Biochar Composite Beads"
• Olivia Pearson, a senior environmental engineering major from Amarillo: "Monitoring Wastewater Quality to Aid Palo Duro Canyon's Future Projects"
• Riven Robinson, a senior psychology major from Levelland: "How rejection and resource amount influence selfishness"
• Cayde Ruiz, a junior mechanical engineering major from Midland: "Using a Custom-Made Combustion Chamber"
• Owen Stayton, a sophomore electrical engineering major from Canyon: "Data Analysis of the Electrochemical Properties of Lithium-Ion Cells"
• Karley Thomas, a senior biology major from Amarillo: "Daytime Activity Budgets of Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats in Bridge Roosts"
• Clover Watson, a senior environmental sciences major from Lufkin: "Genome-wide sequencing of black widows from urban and natural environments"
• Madeline Wright, a senior environmental sciences major from Amarillo: "Petrographic Provenance Analysis of Ogallala Formation Rhyolitic and Intermediate Clasts"
• Avel Zermeno, a sophomore animal science major from Idalou: "Evaluation of at-home cooking methods of beef steaks"

WT continues to build its research capacity through new institutes, expanding doctoral education and stronger connections to regional and System priorities.

An anonymous $5 million gift in 2025 established the new Panhandle Institute for Engineering Research, where the first major project is a search for alternative water sources for the region. More recently, a $5 million gift from High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation established a new Health Institute in its name at WT.

Such ongoing research also advances WT's progress toward earning a Research 2 classification from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

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 two doctoral degrees: one in agriculture and one in educational leadership.

Expanding WT's reach and impact as a Regional Research University is the primary goal 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: Dr. Tolulope Saliu, assistant professor of biology, is among several West Texas A&M University faculty members who won internal research grants in 2025-2026.

-WT-