WT Student Research in Spotlight at 25th Anniversary Event for McNair Scholars

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

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University student research into weight-loss drugs, foster care and ground beef patties, among other topics, will be highlighted at an upcoming event that marks a major anniversary of an academic program.

The McNair Scholars Research Showcase will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 15 in the atrium of Cornette Library on WT’s Canyon campus.

During the showcase, which will officially commemorate the program’s 25th anniversary, 15 McNair students will display posters and discuss their research with WT students, faculty and staff, as well as community visitors.

Becoming a McNair Scholar allows students to conduct and present undergraduate research guided by a faculty mentor, said Victoria Salas, director.

“This experience elevates students' options for graduate school, and most of our students are fully funded in graduate programs here and across the country,” Salas said. “For first-generation students, this is life-changing; increasing their level of education changes their lives both economically and intellectually.”

The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, or the McNair Scholars Program, at WT prepares underrepresented, low-income and first-generation undergraduate students for doctoral study through research and other scholarly activities.

In 2022, the program won a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, providing $275,000 in annual funding for five years.

The program has been offered at WT since 1999. In that time 261 McNair Scholars have earned their bachelor’s degrees, and another 154 have earned graduate or professional degrees.

WT’s McNair Scholars program now serves 30 students per year, who receive the guidance of a mentor overseeing the research project; seminars on graduate school admission process, research methods and financial aid; a $2,800 research stipend; a $300 research supply allowance; tutoring, academic counseling and intense GRE preparation; admission and financial aid assistance; preparation for research conference preparations; fee waivers for graduate applications; and paid conference travel.

Participating students and their research topics include:

• Fernando Anguiano, a junior mechanical engineering major from Spearman: “Investigation of High-Speed Impact Properties of 3D Printed Materials”;
• Najely Ascacio, a junior sports and exercise sciences / pre-med major from Amarillo: “Comparative Analysis of Muscle Characteristics and the Correlation to Maximal Power Output”;
• Luis Alfredo Avila, a junior nursing major from Hereford: “Derivatives in Declining Air Quality and Respiratory Health in the Texas Panhandle: The Ramifications of Aeroallergen Pollution, Climate Change, and Local Wildfires”;
• Amaya Coronado, a junior history education major from Hereford: “Breaking Color Lines: The Struggle for Educational Equity for Mexican Americans in the West Texas Borderlands”;
• Bryce Hutson, a senior agricultural media and communication major from Idalou: “Can Eye-Tracking Glasses Measure Consumers’ Buying Habits in a Grocery Store Setting?”;
• Marlene Jantes, a junior biochemistry major from Wellington: “Synthesis and Characterization of Bio-Monomers from Cashew Nut Shell Liquid”;
• Raven King, a senior nursing major from Amarillo: “Lived Experiences of Foster Care Youths Who Aged Out and Made the Transition into Higher Education”;
• Luis Martinez, a junior international business major from Pampa: “How Do Cultural Immersion Experiences in Foreign Countries Impact Professional Career Development?”;
• Daisy Pando, a senior Spanish major from Borger: “‘Voces de las perdidas’: A Look at Femicide Along the U.S.-Mexico Border”;
• Audrey Rangel, a junior animal science / pre-vet major from Lyford: “Impact of Sodium Bicarbonate Inclusion upon Texture, Sensory Ratings, Cooked Color, and pH of Ground Beef Patties”;
• Gracee Roberson, a junior animal science / pre-vet major from Sherman: “The Relationship between Telomere Length, Age, Disease, and Performance in Livestock Animals”;
• Lizett Silva, a junior Spanish major from Pampa: “Academic Challenges of First Gen: A Comprehensive Study”;
• Jodi Vance-Furlow, a senior sports and exercise sciences major from Tucumcari, New Mexico: “Examination of GLP-1 Drug Administration for Weight Loss”;
• Alvaro Valdez, a senior sports and exercise sciences major from Quitaque: “Concurrent Validity of a Physical Condition Survey for Strength Assessment in Young Adults”; and
• Axel Villa, a senior sports and exercise sciences major from Tulia: “Research Proposal for a Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review on the Effects of Growth Hormone as an Anti-Aging Treatment”

McNair was one of six crewmembers who died Jan. 28, 1986, when the Challenger exploded shortly after launching at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

After his death, Congress named a research program in his honor — the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, or the McNair Scholars Program. It is designed to prepare underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation undergraduate students for doctoral study through research and other scholarly activities.

McNair — who, in addition to his work as a physicist, also was a talented musician and decorated martial arts champion and instructor — was the second African American to fly in space.

McNair Scholars are an important component in WT’s goal of becoming a regional research university, as outlined in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence 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, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree 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.

Photo: The 2024-2025 cohort of West Texas A&M University's McNair Scholars Program are, front from left, Najely Ascacio, Daisy Pando, Marlene Jantes, Gracee Roberson, Amaya Coronado, Raven King, Lizett Silva, Jodi Vance-Furlow and Audrey Rangel, and, back from left, Luis Martinez, Fernando Anguiano, Axel Villa, Bryce Hutson, Alvaro Valdez and Luis Alfredo Avila. They will present research Oct. 15 at the McNair Scholars Research Showcase.

—WT—