WT’s Hwang, Simmons Named to Professorships in Education Department

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

CANYON, Texas — Two West Texas A&M University faculty members have been newly appointed to endowed professorships in the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences.

Dr. Sang Hwang is now the Lanna and Bob Hatton Professor of Education, and Dr. Michelle Simmons is the Bill Piehl Professor of Education and Social Sciences. Both are faculty members in the Department of Education.

“Drs. Hwang and Simmons are most deserving of these professorships,” said Dr. Gary Bigham, dean. “Dr. Hwang is a valued member of the reading education faculty. She has an impressive record of ongoing and collaborative research with her colleagues. Dr. Simmons is an equally valued member of the special education faculty, teaching courses to prepare undergraduate students for teaching positions and graduate students as educational diagnosticians. Dr. Simmons also exhibits collegiality in her research endeavors.”

Hwang joined the College of Education and Social Sciences in 2001. She received an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis on reading education, from University of Missouri–Columbia in 2000, an education specialist postgraduate degree in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis on reading education, from UMC in 1997, and a master of education in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis on English education, from UMC in 1988.

Hwang teaches reading skills and content area teaching for pre-service teachers, coordinates the America Reads tutoring program, and is a faculty adviser for the WT Korean Student Association.

Hwang will use the professorship to advance her research in educating the parents of second-generation refugee students in the Texas Panhandle.

“By engaging both refugee parents and their children in an after-school program, we offer a unique opportunity for parents to directly observe their children’s interactions with pre-service teachers,” Hwang said. “This hands-on learning experience helps parents better understand the subjects their children are studying and equips them with the tools to provide more effective support at home. It also offers invaluable experience for pre-service teachers by allowing them to work in real educational settings.”

Simmons joined WT in 2017. She received a bachelor’s in family studies from Lubbock Christian University in 2006, a master’s in special education from LCU in 2009, and an Ed.D. in special education from Texas Tech University in 2017.

Simmons teaches educator teacher preparation and educational diagnostician courses including educational psychology of children with special needs, individuals with intellectual disabilities, classroom assessment of individuals with disabilities, and mental testing.

Simmons is actively involved in service to educators, families, and students with learning differences and developmental disabilities statewide, and in the Panhandle area.

She is a member of the Texas Educational Diagnosticians Association, the Council for Exceptional Children, Learning Disabilities Association, and the Council for Learning Disabilities.

Simmons, formerly the director of WT’s Center for Learning Disabilities, will use the professorship to advance her research in learning differences.

“The Piehl family has made a significant impact in the lives of students with learning differences in the Panhandle and the state of Texas,” Simmons said. “It is an honor to hold a professorship that recognizes Bill Piehl and the Piehl family’s commitment to WT and education for all students. This professorship and the Piehl family support will allow me to continue research in educational assessment and the impact of dyslexia within school districts in the state of Texas.”

The Hatton and Piehl professorships each were established in 2022.

Endowed professorships enhance opportunities for faculty members with extra resources in teaching, research and professional growth.

WT boasts nearly 90 endowed professorships, offering faculty additional funding for research, travel and more.

During the One West campaign, about 60 new professorships and chairs have been endowed throughout the University—an increase of more than 200 percent during the campaign.

Both professorships help WT meet critical regional needs, one of the key missions of 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: Dr. Michelle Simmons, left, and Dr. Sang Hwang each were appointed to new professorships in West Texas A&M University's Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences.

—WT—