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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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Dr. Edgar Manton, retired regents professor of the A&M-Commerce Department of Economics and Finance, served as the keynote speaker at the International Academy of Business and Public Administration Disciplines meeting on April 13 in Dallas. Manton’s speech, “Launching the Saturn/Apollo Rockets from the Kennedy Space Center,” focused on the building of the launch facilities and conduction of the sequence of launches of the Saturn V rockets leading to Apollo 11’s successful landing on the moon. Manton formerly worked with NASA in the Launch Support Operations Directorate at the Kennedy Space Center.
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.
A&M-Commerce Distinguished Alumnus Robert Edison was recognized during a 50-year anniversary remembrance on March 6 for his role in a civil rights event that occurred at Oklahoma Christian College on March 6, 1969. Edison, along with 18 other students, was suspended and arrested when the group united in an effort to make their voices heard to the school’s administration. Edison earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from East Texas State University in 1971 and a master’s degree in history from A&M-Commerce in 1999.
Dr. James Turman, former speaker of the Texas Legislature and A&M-Commerce Distinguished Alumnus, passed away on February 13. Turman earned two degrees from East Texas State Teachers College, now A&M-Commerce, including a Bachelor of Science in 1948 and a Master of Science in 1949. He was elected to the Texas Legislature in 1954, 1956 and 1958, and he was elected speaker of the Texas Legislature in 1960. Among several roles in federal government, Turman served as director of the President’s National Advisory Council on Extension and Continuing Education under Presidents Nixon and Ford. Turman is survived by his wife, Joanie Turman, of Austin, Texas.

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