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A&M-Commerce College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) faculty played key roles in organizing the 2019 Swine Skillathon at the State Fair of Texas, and several CASNR student volunteers were instrumental to the successful mechanics of the contest. Several students also assisted with the State Fair of Texas Collegiate and Youth Livestock Judging Contests on October 7 and the State Fair of Texas Youth Dairy Judging Contest on October 12. Student volunteers included: Athena Castagna, Nevada Breanna White, Cookville Cherise Davis, Glenn Heights Colleen Hooge, Lindale Damon Donald, Emory De’Kyra Thomas, Oak Cliff Emily Jennings, Maud Emily Joie, Denison Harley Limmer, Merit John Lewis, Mineola Kambrie Hogue, Celeste Kasey Curtin, Quinlan Kathrine Bivens, Lake Worth Kelsie Kennon, Blue Ridge Kris Barr, Bonham Minnie Denson, Gilmer Montana Clark, Campbell Paige Perry, McAlester, OK Presli Cummings, Pickton Rory Curtin, Greenville Tara Newhouse, McKinney Thomas Aquino, San Jose, CA Tori Copeland, Greenville
Students from the A&M-Commerce College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources received an Outstanding Volunteer Award for their great work at the East Texas State Fair in Tyler, Texas in September. The students volunteered at the fair’s Junior Heifer Show and Texas Junior Beefmaster Breeders Association Show. Student volunteers included: Emma Lawson, Brownsboro; Erica Vanderslice, Kaufman; Tori Copeland, Greenville; Emily Joie, Denison; Kassidy Jefferson-Saul, Kopperl; John Lewis, Mineola; and Haley Cole, graduate assistant and meats judging team coach, Casper, WY. The student volunteers were coordinated by Dr. Megan Owen, assistant professor of animal science and Brad Johnson, animal science instructor and judging team coordinator.
The lota Nu at-Large chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing inducted 18 new members during a ceremony at A&M-Commerce on November 5. Sigma Theta Tau is the world’s only nursing honor society. According to Dr. Carole McKenzie, A&M-Commerce nursing director, induction into Sigma Theta Tau is a great honor that recognizes leadership, scholarship and community service. The 2019 inductees are: Undergraduate Students: Leonel Arreola Leslie Benson Monica Booker Abby Christian Darin Hampton Renae Helmberger Chelsea Holland Shelby Kissane Laci Livingston Kyle Myers Alyssa Sagun Kelcie Stager John Wensel Sarah Willeford Graduate Students: Rebecca Long Geethu Philip Haley Rouse Nurse Leaders: Crystal Brakefield
Several students and faculty members from the A&M-Commerce College of Education and Human Services traveled to Clavellinas, Mexico, in June as part of The Texas A&M University System Colleges of Education Mexico Education Collaborative. According to the group’s annual report, “The Collaborative provides opportunities for TAMU System faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students to participate in service leadership, discipline-specific clinical field experience, and meaningful scholarly research in the rural community of Clavellinas…” Dr. Kathryn Dixon and Dr. Kelly M. Carrero accompanied three students on the excursion.
Tyce Kissling, a senior industrial engineering student in the Department of Engineering and Technology at A&M-Commerce, was a third-place winner in the Operations Research Division at the 2019 Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Conference and Expo. Kissling’s project was “Location Allocation of Autonomus Vehicle Stations in Frisco, Texas.” His advisor is Dr. Sojung Kim, professor of engineering and technology at A&M-Commerce. The IISE Conference was held May 18-21 in Orlando, Florida.
A recent article in the San Antonio Express-News, written by Senator John Cornyn and Raymund Paredes, discusses the positive impact of competency-based education (CBE) on students and promotes CBE as a viable alternative to traditional education. According to the article, the competency-based criminal justice program at A&M-Commerce opened doors for a Fort Worth Police Department detective. “I was all of the sudden facing the prospect of being a captain or chief one day,” the detective said. The article states that competency-based education “provides new opportunities for Texans of all ages and education levels, and allows them to dream bigger.” Read the full ARTICLE.
A&M-Commerce will be well represented at the College National Finals Rodeo being held in Casper, Wyoming, in June. Ty Harris, sophomore agribusiness major, is the current national champion in tie-down roping and will defend that title this year. Harris also won the Rookie of the Year award for that event from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Wyatt Muggli, junior agribusiness major, will compete in the team roping event as the header and is a two-time national qualifier. Dane Reed, junior agribusiness major, will compete in the team roping event as a heeler, and this year will be his third consecutive year at national. Hunter Martin, graduate student in psychology, will compete in the team roping event as a header, marking his third time to compete at national. Find out more about the rodeo team.
Micalyn Rowe, an Honors College senior, was recently accepted into four Ph.D. programs with a focus in astronomy and astrophysics. During her undergraduate career at A&M-Commerce, Rowe conducted extensive research in mathematics and astronomy, and successfully defended her honors thesis, “Building a Personal Recording Studio,” in March. Upon graduation in May, Rowe plans to attend graduate school at Texas A&M University where she will pursue her doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics, another step toward her ultimate goal of a career in academia as a professor.
The Federation of North Texas Area Universities 2019 Research Symposium was held April 5 at the University of North Texas in Denton. Two current students and one alumna from A&M-Commerce won awards this year. Doretha Allen, pursuing her EdD in Educational Leadership, won third place in the Humanities, Education, Social Sciences and Business category. Priya Biswas, a master’s in biological science student, won third place in the Mathematics, Science and Technology category in a tie with Anne Davenport, an alumna from A&M-Commerce, who is now pursing her PhD at Texas Woman’s University.
Julia Cartwright and Jessica Turner, undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at A&M-Commerce, have been accepted into the City of Dallas Cultural Affairs ART214 Juried Exhibition, a multi-venue collaborative project presented during Dallas Arts Month in April. ART214 showcases the works of artists who live in Dallas and the greater North Texas region. Cartwright’s work will be exhibited at Bath House Cultural Center, and Turner’s work will be exhibited at Moody Performance Hall.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi—the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines—recently recognized the A&M-Commerce chapter of Phi Kappa Phi as a Circle of Excellence Silver Chapter. The award is given to chapters that exceed expectations in operations and who demonstrate sustainability and vitality as a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. “The Circle of Honor program recognizes Phi Kappa Phi chapters that have gone above and beyond to promote academic excellence on their campuses,” said Dr. Mary Todd, honor society executive director.
Students and faculty from the Nursing Department, the School of Social Work and the Health and Human Performance Department conducted an interprofessional simulation education event in February designed to sensitize participants to the day-to-day challenges faced by low-income families. During the simulation, participants roleplayed the lives of low-income families from single parents trying to care for their children to people with disabilities to senior citizens trying to maintain their self-sufficiency on Social Security. Participants gained a new perspective and a greater appreciation for the choices low-income families have to make. Planning is underway to repeat the simulation in fall 2019.
Jimmie Smith, a graduate student in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rookie of the Year award in barrel racing. The award is one of the highest awards from the PRCA and contestants only have one chance to win. Smith is also moving into the top ranks of barrel racing in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and is a three-time College National Finals Rodeo qualifier. She also competes in goat tying and break-away roping.
Two A&M-Commerce Nursing Department students have been invited to present at the Sigma Nursing Honor Society Creating Healthy Work Environments conference. Mundi Gutierrez, Master of Science in nursing student, and Jenna Wallace, Bachelor of Science in nursing student, were accepted to present as a Rising Star of Research and Scholarship at the February conference in New Orleans. Gutierrez will present her poster, “Providing Culturally Competent Healthcare to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Population” and Wallace will present her poster, “Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Experiences with Horizontal Violence.”
Dr. Sarah Rodriguez, higher education and learning technologies professor at A&M-Commerce, is part of a project at Iowa State University entitled “Reinventing the Instructional and Departmental Enterprise (RIDE) to Advance the Professional Formation of Electrical and Computer Engineers.” The team recently received a $35,765.02 grant from the National Science Foundation to support their research. Rodriguez and her team are working to transform university curricula to improve the way engineering students experience their programs and prepare for their careers.
The College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Art at A&M-Commerce will serve as a sponsor for the RUN A MYELIN MY SHOES team at the upcoming Richmond Marathon, Half Marathon and 8K in Richmond, Virgina. Theteam is comprised of more than 250 members, including Director of Theatre Graduate Studies Dr. Carrie Klypchak, an avid runner who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis almost a year ago. Klypchak will be joined in the 8K by her husband, Dr. Brad Klypchak, as well as five A&M-Commerce theatre majors who will participate virtually. The team’s participation will raise funds for MS research that will be donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The race is set for November 16.
The School of Social Work at A&M-Commerce was well represented at the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Conference in Galveston on October 3 through 5. Participants from A&M-Commerce included Marcella Smith; Gracie Brownell, Ph.D.; Alma Hernandez; Linda Openshaw, DSW, LCSW-S; and Marta A. Mercado-Sierra, Ph.D. Their presentation titles are “Public Perceptions of Immigration in the U.S.: Implications for Social Work Practice;” Elevating Clinical Supervision in Social Work Practice: Finding a Balance,” and “What’s Your Trauma? Informing Macro Practice from Social Determinants of Health of Diverse Groups of Women.”
KETR, A&M-Commerce’s on-campus radio station, received the prestigious national Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for a radio news story that aired in 2018. According to KETR General Manager Jerrod Knight, “Our small news department at KETR works very hard to cover local stories of interest and to put broader topics into perspective for our rural Texas audience.” The story was reported by former KETR news staffer Scott Morgan under the supervision of news director Mark Haslett. Knight and Morgan accepted the award at Gotham Hall in New York City on October 14, 2019. Read the full ARTICLE.
A&M-Commerce Professor Beth Jones has been appointed by Governor Gregg Abbott to the board of trustees for the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI). TSBVI is a special public school that provides services to eligible students and serves as a state-wide resource to parents and professionals. Dr. Jones is a professor of psychology and special education at A&M-Commerce. She is past president of the Texas Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments and a member of the Council for Learning Disabilities, Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, the American Educational Research Association, and the Council for Exceptional Children. Get the FULL REPORT.
Dr. Jangsup Choi, associate professor in the Department of Political Science, recently co-authored a book that proposes and tests a new perspective on how South Korea rose from dependence, poverty and isolation at the time of the Korean Armistice Agreement (1953), to its present status as a powerful political actor on the international stage. Dr. Choi collaborated with Dr. Dennis Patterson, professor of political science and executive director of academic programs at Texas Tech University, on the study. Get your copy of Diplomacy, Trade, and South Korea’s Rise to International Influence here.
Tracy Henley, professor and department head in the psychology department at A&M-Commerce, recently published the “Handbook of Cognitive Archaeology: Psychology in Prehistory” with Dr. Matt Rossano of Southeastern Louisiana University and Dr. Edward Kardas of Southern Arkansas University. According to the website description, “…this accessible and illuminating book is an important resource for students and researchers exploring how the application of cognitive archaeology can significantly and meaningfully deepen their knowledge of early and ancient humans.” Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, a leading publisher in the humanities and social sciences, published the book. Read the publisher’s description.
Six professors from the Department of Educational Leadership at A&M-Commerce presented their work at the International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership (ICPEL) in Laguna, California in July 2019: Dr. Julia Ballenger, Dr. Mei Jiang, Dr. Melissa Arrambide, Dr. Nate Templeton, Dr. Chuck Holt and Dr. Ray Thompson. Dr. Templeton was also named president of ICPEL for 2019-2020. According to icpel.org, the organization “has a strong commitment to serve the interests and needs of professors of educational administration and practicing school leaders in such areas as equity, inclusion, innovation and excellence.”
Dr. Kurtis Williams, associate professor of physics and astronomy at A&M-Commerce, received a $273,424 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund his study titled, “Using a Large Sample of White Dwarf Stars to Study Stellar Evolution.” According to the project abstract, “A research group at Texas A&M University-Commerce will carry out a program to use data from the Gaia space mission combined with observations from ground-based telescopes to double the sample of known WDs in young open clusters, or groupings of a few thousand stars of about the same age. These scientists will use this large sample of WDs to address several open questions in a range of astrophysical areas….” Among its benefits, the project will open research opportunities to undergraduate students at A&M-Commerce. Read The Commerce Journal ARTICLE.
Mr. Rene Griffin may hold a record for the most consecutive homecoming games attended by an alumnus. This year, Griffin celebrated his 60th consecutive homecoming celebration. “I feel I have a very unique relationship with the university, having grown up in Commerce, and having so many different ties to the town for so many years,” Griffin said. “It was fantastic watching us win two national championships in football, plus getting close another time or two.” Griffin attended public school in Commerce and then continued his education at East Texas State. He has always been a true Lion, representing and supporting the university in many ways. As a student, he was a police officer with the University Police Department, president of Delta Tau Delta, and elected class favorite. Griffin majored in computer science, biology and math. He graduated from East Texas State in 1975.
A&M-Commerce alum Robert Earl Edison will serve as a distinguished visiting professor of American studies in racial and ethnic diversity at Oklahoma Christian University. “We are truly blessed that an award-winning historian and leader such as Robert Edison will bring his personal and professional experiences with civil rights history to OC’s College of Liberal Arts,” said Dr. Tina Winn of OCU. Edison was one of 18 former OCU students who participated in civil rights history by performing a 1960s sit-in at the school to stand up for students of color. Edison graduated from A&M-Commerce in 1999 with a Master of Science in History.
A&M-Commerce alum Dr. Nancy Shankle Jordan was recently named the Texas A&M University System’s Associate Vice Chancellor and Provost of the RELLIS Academic Alliance. The new RELLIS campus is a collaboration among several Texas A&M System regional universities and Blinn College. According to an article in The Huntsville Item, “Each program at the RELLIS Academic Alliance creates a seamless pathway for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in a variety of related fields including criminal justice, business and health sciences.” Jordan received her B.A. in English from A&M-Commerce. Read the full ARTICLE.
U.S. Representative Mike Conaway, an A&M-Commerce Distinguished Alum, recently announced his planned retirement from Congress. At the end of his service, Conaway will have served eight terms. According to a recent article, “Conaway reached the pinnacle of his career last year, when he moved the massive farm bill spending package through Congress. He also led the House investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. And as a member and certified public accountant he uncovered a massive fraud scandal at the House campaign arm during the 2008 cycle.” Conaway graduated from ETSU (now A&M-Commerce) with a BBA in Accounting. Read the full ARTICLE.

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