WTAMU Foundation Distributes $70,000 in Grants for Faculty Research, Projects

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

CANYON, Texas — Twenty West Texas A&M University faculty members have been awarded more than $70,000 in aid for significant projects through the WTAMU Foundation.

The foundation annually awards grants of up to $5,000 to assist in professional development activities or projects, said Lesly Bosch Annen, assistant vice president for leadership gifts.

“Traditionally, these grants have supported professional development and presentations at conferences,” Annen said, “but as WT continues to further its standing as a regional research university, we wanted to expand the scope of these grants to better aid our faculty members in reaching their goals.”

The spring 2022 grant cycle will help fund, among other projects, the ongoing Rural Mural Project from WT’s Department of Art, Theatre and Dance; research into labor market issues among rural educators; the purchase of an electric kiln for large-scale ceramic sculptures; a project that makes sharing cutting-edge information technology easier among WT students, faculty, staff and alumni; and more.

“Whether faculty members are developing a current line of research or investigating an emerging topic, our students indirectly benefit from the knowledge and experience faculty bring to the classroom by engaging in development opportunities,” said Dr. Neil Terry, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “The WTAMU Foundation grants are an essential resource to our faculty as they participate in activities that support a world-class educational experience.”

This semester’s grantees include:

• College of Education and Social Sciences: Laura N. Bell, assistant professor of political science; Dr. Minseok Yang, assistant professor of education; Dr. Areen Omary, assistant professor of social work; and Dr. Beth Garcia, Sylvia Nugent Professor of Education and director of teacher preparation program;
• Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities: Jon Revett, associate professor of art, art program director and Doris Alexander Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts; Misty Gamble, assistant professor of art; Dr. Kimberly Hieb, assistant professor of music; Dr. Tim Bowman, associate professor of history and head of Department of History; Dr. Sarah Rushing, assistant professor of music; Dr. John Gavin Shanks, assistant professor of music; Dr. Choong-ha Nam, professor of piano; Angelo O’Dierno, assistant professor of theatre; Dr. Min Wha Han, assistant professor of communication; Dr. Enyonam Osei-Hwere, associate professor of media communication; Patrick Osei-Hwere, instructor of media communication; and Sarah Beckham-Turner, assistant professor of music and director of WT Opera;
• Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business: Cheng Zhang, assistant professor of business; and
• Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences: Kendall Samuelson, assistant professor of animal science; Dr. Keshav Shrestha, assistant professor of physics; and Dr. Travis Tennant, assistant professor of animal science.

The grant pool is funded through donations to the WTAMU Foundation, including gifts made as part of the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign.

The WTAMU Foundation was established in 1946 to provide student scholarship assistance and to support faculty, staff and programs of the University.

The grants are one way in which WT recruits, retains and rewards its excellent faculty, a key principle of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the five-year One West campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised more than $85 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 39 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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