CO L L E G E O F
Science and Technology
SPRING NEWSLETTER 2021 - 2022
MESSAGE FROM THE
College Dean The fall semester for the College of Science and Technology continued its dedicated efforts to strengthen our focus on excellence and growth. With the upcoming split of the college scheduled for June 1, 2022, names for the new colleges have been determined: the College of Engineering and the College of Science and Mathematics. The national search for the founding dean of the College of Engineering is underway and slated for completion in the coming weeks. I look forward to working with the founding dean as a partner to continue to build and strengthen the STEM programs at Tarleton.
Dr. Michael Huggins, Dean
In the Fall, 2022 semester, COST launched several initiatives focused on improving the success of students in our academic programs as well as students enrolled in STEM courses as part of their academic program from other colleges on the Tarleton campus. For example, Mrs. Hannah Grant-Smith is leading efforts to expand the science clinic and working with the team in the School of Engineering to establish an engineering clinic. Both clinics are focused on providing free drop-in tutoring to students in a variety of first- and second-year courses. Led by Dr. Eileen Faulkenberry, our new associate dean for COST, we launched the STEM Scholars program as an academic learning community that provides resources and programming that support student academic growth and success while building a sense of community among the students. The STEM Scholars program was supported by a grant from the President’s Fund for Excellence for this inaugural year. In January, COST partnered with the Division of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development to host a grant writing workshop focused on preparing grant proposals to the National Science Foundation. There were 16 project teams consisting of 36 faculty in attendance. Additional efforts to support faculty pursuit of resources for their research agendas through grant proposals is being planned. The College also continues its investment in scientific instrumentation and equipment through a variety of programs. During the past two years, COST has allocated more than $700,000 towards the purchase of instrumentation and equipment for use in our research and teaching labs. As we continue to look to the future, we are excited about the trajectory of Tarleton State University and the role that the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Engineering will play in that future. Great things are happening!! Sincerely,
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Dean 1 New Endowments for STEM 2 Observatory Data Confirms Exoplanet 3 Faculty Awards 3 New Horizons for Genetic Courses 5-6 Gift from Saint-Gobain 7-8 Honorary Doctorates Awarded 9 Professor Honored by Texas A&M 9 Snippets from SoE 10
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New Endowments Support STEM Students Tarleton State University’s College of Science and Technology announced the creation of four endowments to support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students and develop a pipeline of high-tech professionals. The endowments will
provide scholarships, research stipends, increase hands-on educational opportunities for student discovery, and support professional development for Tarleton students. “We are profoundly grateful for the generosity of our donors and their commitment to provide an educational experience second to none,” said Tarleton President James Hurley. “These endowments will support academically talented STEM students who otherwise might not have an opportunity to complete their degree.” Established by Stephen Fitzpatrick in honor of his mother, the Sharon Fitzpatrick Scholarship Endowment provides financial assistance for students pursuing any major in the Department of Mathematics. A Tarleton mathematics graduate, Sharon worked 35 years for Blue Cross Blue Shield. The Justin and Alex Russell Geosciences Endowment supports field study and undergraduate research in addition to supplementing student participation in conferences. Justin earned his bachelor’s degree in geoscience from Tarleton in 2009.
The third endowment — A Hand Up Scholarship — provides financial help to full-time undergraduate or graduate students in good academic standing majoring in STEM degree programs, nursing, and criminal justice. The benefactor asked to remain anonymous. The Marble Family Scholarship, created by Dr. Daniel Marble and his family, benefits physics and counseling majors. Before joining Tarleton physics faculty in 1998, Dr. Marble taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was a visiting scientist at the U.S. Army Research Lab. “Thanks to the generous support of these donors, we continue to enhance the educational opportunities in our programs to better prepare our graduates for the best careers in STEM,” said Dr. Michael Huggins, Dean of the college. “These important gifts will have a direct impact on the long term success of our students.” Gifts to these endowments or to any COST program or department can be made online. To make a donation that impacts the entire college, join the College of Science and Technology Dean’s Circle and select COST. Contact COST Development Officer Wayne Davenport at 254-968-1744 or via email for more information.
“We are profoundly grateful for the generosity of our donors and their commitment to provide an educational experience second to none.”
President James Hurley
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Tarleton Observatory Data Confirms Exoplanet Discovery Data gathered from the Tarleton State University observatory was cited in a recent paper announcing new extensive analysis of three exoplanets. The planets, called hot Jupiters, were discovered in other surveys.
“What we did was new detailed observations with the telescope, extensive analysis and modeling,” said Dr. Shaukat Goderya, Director of Tarleton’s astronomy program. “It is a first paper in exoplanets using Tarleton observatory data confirming the capability of the telescope and its ability to obtain high-precision data. It paves the way for us to carry out our own survey for finding new exoplanets.” Hot Jupiters are a class of gas giant exoplanets thought to be physically similar to Jupiter but with short orbital periods. According to the paper, follow-up ground-based photometric surveys, like those from the Tarleton observatory, play an important role in the discovery of exoplanets. The research is helpful in detailed parametric studies, and the data is then entered in an online database.
FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT
Faculty Awards FACULTY AWARD WINNERS BARRY B. THOMPSON SERVICE AWARD Dr. Bryant Wyatt, Department of Mathematics ENGAGED FACULTY AWARD Dr. Allan Nelson, Department of Biology FACULTY EXCELLENCE IN SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Dr. Kartik Venkataraman, Department of Mechanical, Environmental, and Civil Engineering FACULTY EXCELLENCE IN STUDENT SUCCESS AWARD Dr. Beth Riggs, Department of Mathematics O.A. GRANT EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD Dr. Steven Field, Department of Chemistry, Geosciences, and Physics OUTSTANDING JUNIOR FACULTY AWARD Dr. Sotorios Diamantas, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
“Exoplanets are in the forefront of research in astronomy,” Dr. Goderya said, “and I feel gratified that our observatory has the capability and capacity to do this type of data acquisition and research.”
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Pandemic Broadens Horizon for Tarleton Genetics Class The Genetic Techniques course at Tarleton State University is a project-based class involving the theory and practice of molecularbased DNA sequencing. It’s very hands-on. How do you teach it when a raging global virus locks students out of the lab?
With an open mind to fresh methods, and with help from a computer cluster several states away, Dr. Russell Pfau found a unique way to engage his students. Traditionally, students in a genetics laboratory bred fruit flies and conducted crosses to reveal underlying inheritance patterns. Now most genetic techniques involve manipulating DNA.
Pfau Shady Kuster, a former student in genetic techniques at Tarleton, assisted Dr. Russell Pfau with development of activities and learning resources. Shady is now a PhD student at Colorado State University.
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At Tarleton, students extract DNA from insects, then a series of procedures produce a DNA sequence that can be used to identify the species — an approach often called DNA barcoding. Additionally, students screen for a bacteria, Wolbachia, that lives inside the cells of some insect species. Through this process, students learn fundamental molecular genetic techniques and simple bioinformatic tools for generating and comparing DNA sequences. The goal is to identify which species of insect harbor this bacterial parasite. “By the end of the semester, all of the students are proficient in manipulating DNA in a variety of ways for the purpose of addressing a research question,” said, Dr. Pfau, who teaches genetic techniques. Then the pandemic changed everything. The Hyflex teaching model proved invaluable, enabling students to attend face to face, synchronously via Zoom, or asynchronously using different kinds of resources. “It’s like teaching three different classes at the same time,” Dr. Pfau said. Laboratory courses were particularly impacted. Students not attending face to face lacked access to instrumentation in the lab. Only three students in Dr. Pfau’s class attended face to face. “I wanted all of my students, regardless of attendance modality, to gain relevant hands-on skills commonly used in genetics and biotechnology,” he said. “This wouldn’t be possible for the students who chose to attend remotely or asynchronously. I considered possible approaches, but none of them allowed students to develop hands-on skills — the main purpose of the class. “I eventually realized that, as a genetics researcher myself, I spend at least half of my time at the computer rather than at the lab bench. So I decided to teach those skills.” Professional geneticists and biotechnologists use two types of skills — lab bench and computer. Lab technicians conduct the bench techniques while other members of the lab use computers to analyze the resulting data. With high-throughput DNA sequencing, the genetic data that can be generated in one day is measured in hundreds of gigabytes. Computers more powerful than a typical desktop are needed to make sense of it. Dr. Pfau contacted Juniata College in Pennsylvania, where several years ago a faculty team received funding from the National Science foundation to create GCAT-SEEK: The Genome Consortium for Active Undergraduate Research and Teaching Using Next-Generation Sequencing. Among other things, this program made available a highperformance computer cluster, a supercomputer of sorts, running Linux.
For downstream analyses, Dr. Pfau sought open source programs his students could download to their own computers. Tarleton’s Classroom and Lab Support team installed software in a computer lab for students who did not have a computer. Dr. Pfau and his research students had spent the summer of 2019 focused on generating DNA sequence data from animals that was then used to assemble entire mitochondrial genomes (the DNA inside our mitochondria). At the time, he didn’t know a pandemic was coming. “My research students and I taught ourselves the entire process, which was very computer intensive, during the summer before COVID” he said. When the virus upended the world, he basically replicated in the genetics techniques teaching lab what he and his students had accomplished in the research lab. “I still introduced students to the theory behind the hands-on laboratory techniques, as I had done in previous semesters, but because so few students were coming to class face to face, I decided that the second half of the semester needed to be all computer based. “I divided the classes into teams and gave each team a computer file containing millions of short DNA sequences from one animal,” he explained. “The students ran computer scripts that found the 1 percent of DNA sequences in the data set that belonged to the mitochondria, and then linked them all together to create a complete genome.” First, however, the students had to master the command line in Linux and learn how to send and retrieve files from the computer cluster in Pennsylvania. “A few students took to the computer work like ducks to water, but most students found it very challenging because they had never used computers for much beyond word processing or browsing the internet. This was a whole new experience for them.” Ashley Suris, a biology major who has been accepted into the Summer Program in Cancer Research at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, said the experience in learning how to use the specialized software to assemble genomes will benefit her career. “The software we used will undoubtedly be helpful as I pursue graduate school and beyond within the biomedical sciences,” she said. “The class introduced me to the world of code-based bioinformatics, which I found both interesting and exciting. “The opportunity to explore these techniques and skills in the classroom will give me an edge over other candidates whose classes focused on just the textbook or wet-lab material.”
“Although we weren’t officially part of their GCAT-SEEK program, they graciously allowed our students to connect remotely to their high-performance computer cluster so they could learn how to use the Linux operating system and analyze large genetic data sets.” Newsletter Spring 2022 |
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Tarleton Receives Gift from Saint-Gobain Abrasives The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved a naming opportunity honoring longtime Tarleton State University benefactor Saint-Gobain Abrasives Inc. The Stephenville company most recently made a donation to the School of Engineering. A celebration to name the Saint-Gobain Conference Room (Engineering Building 225) and recognize the company for its philanthropic support, community engagement, and commitment to higher education is planned for later this year. “Saint-Gobain’s generosity will enable us to continue strengthening one of the most distinguished engineering programs in North Texas,” said Tarleton President James Hurley. “It will help us graduate work-ready engineers, bolster innovative research, and expand the regional economy. We are extremely grateful.” Saint-Gobain has given liberally over the years to fund fine arts performances, equine therapies, athletics, and the Dick Smith Library. A sponsor for Tarleton’s annual summer camp for aspiring engineers in sixth through ninth grades, the company has a long history of giving to the community. Dr. Hurley noted that the number of Tarleton engineering and technology students has doubled in 10 years and that continued enrollment growth is projected. “Corporate and business partners like Saint-Gobain give our students the opportunity to solve true-towork challenges their senior year,” he said. “No wonder Tarleton’s engineering graduates are in high demand.” Four of Saint-Gobain’s current interns are Tarleton Texans. Mechanical engineering senior Austin Lay appreciates gaining real-world experience before he graduates. “We work on projects with Saint-Gobain engineers. After a while we’re not just ‘the interns’ but like engineers ourselves.” “Our partnership with Saint-Gobain creates opportunities for our students and faculty to collaborate with industry,” said Dr. Denise Martinez, Associate Dean of the Tarleton
School of Engineering. “Several of our engineering and engineering technology students and alumni enjoy successful careers at Saint-Gobain. I look forward to our future together.” The growth in School of Engineering programs — 12 undergraduate and graduate degree options — supports the 60x30 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s priority to have 60 percent of young adults in Texas earn a higher education credential by 2030. “We are honored to participate in the transformation that is happening at Tarleton,” said Hilary Stephans, Senior Human Resources Business Partner at Saint-Gobain. “We’ve had a front-row seat to the energy and growth of the School of Engineering and the possibilities this presents.” Stephans said she envisions Tarleton one day reaching the “absolute top tier of engineering schools.” In 2021 U.S. News & World Report ranked the school among the 200 best in the country, positioning the university as a leader in engineering education and research. Tarleton’s three-story, state-of-the-art Engineering Building opened in 2019, representing a robust investment by the Legislature, The Texas A&M University System and Tarleton to meet the demand for highly skilled professionals. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of engineers is projected to grow 3 percent over the next few years, adding 75,000 jobs nationwide. “There’s a bright future for anyone who earns an engineering degree at Tarleton State University,” Dr. Hurley said. “We’re glad to have Saint-Gobain join us on this journey.”
“Saint-Gobain’s generosity will enable us to continue strengthening one of the most distinguished engineering programs in North Texas.” President James Hurley
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Lay Mechanical engineering senior Austin Lay, right, gets true-to-work experience as an intern at Saint-Gobain Abrasives.
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Tarleton Awards Honorary Doctorates Longtime public educators Lamar and Marilynn T. Johanson each received an honorary doctorate of humane letters during Tarleton State University’s fall 2021 commencement ceremonies. The couple have put their heart and soul into public education for more than six decades.
Dr. Lamar Johanson’s 40 years at Tarleton started in 1961 as an instructor in the Department of Biological Sciences, the same year Dr. Marilynn Johanson was hired to teach vocational home economics at Hico High School.
baccalaureate degree programs in nursing and the medical laboratory sciences program in the core of downtown Fort Worth’s Medical District. He advocated for constructing and helped design Tarleton’s science building, which now bears his name. “Tarleton State University and education have been integral parts of our lives, providing us with many eventful and unique opportunities,” he said. “We are blessed to have been able to give back in a small way to the university. These honorary doctorate degrees are deeply appreciated and serve as a capstone to our careers.”
Officially retired, the two continue their association with Tarleton, attending and volunteering at academic and athletic events. Both received the All-Purple Award, recognizing those who vigorously support Texan athletics. Dr. Lamar Johanson has been on the Texan Club board of directors since its inception in 1994 and continues to chair the Tarleton Athletics Hall of Fame nominating committee.
In addition to teaching in Hico, Dr. Marilynn Johanson’s career included a stint at Stephenville High School. A Distinguished Tarleton Alumna (2015), she served as an education specialist with the Texas Education Agency and as an elementary school and high school principal in the Strawn and Goldthwaite independent school districts. She retired in 1995 with more than three decades of service to Texas public schools.
“Honorary doctorates come from the heart of an institution, and today’s confirmation is a heart-felt thank you for all that Lamar and Marilynn Johanson have done and continue to do for our institution,” said President James Hurley. “Their life’s work is an example of the spirit Tarleton Texans embody and is a model for all of us to follow.”
She served as President of the Texas Vocational Homemaking Teachers Association and Texas Vocational Teachers Association, and Vice President of the Region IV American Vocational Association, which named her Outstanding Classroom Teacher of the Year.
Dr. Lamar Johanson served 18 years as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and was the inaugural Executive Director of Tarleton University System Center-Central Texas in Killeen (now Texas A&M University-Central Texas) before he retired in 2001. The Texas A&M University System recognized his outstanding leadership that year by confirming him as Dean Emeritus, College of Arts and Sciences, and Professor of Biological Sciences. He was President of the Texas Academy of Sciences and the Texas Association of Deans of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Chairman of the National Conference of Academic Deans. He spearheaded efforts to establish associate and
The Johansons have worked with the university to establish the Timberlake Biological Field Station, which covers about 800 acres in Mills County, advancing environmental research, engaging students in scientific discovery, and promoting stewardship of the natural world. Most recently they created the Timberlake Biological Field Station Research Support Endowment and the Lamar and Marilynn T. Johanson Biological Sciences Scholarship Endowment. In 2012 they conveyed their ranch of approximately 1,700 acres, with all mineral rights, in Mills and San Saba counties, to The Texas A&M University System for the benefit of Tarleton, while retaining the right to live on the property. The couple received Tarleton’s 2020 Legacy Award for Leadership.
Dr. Karen Murray, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; Drs. Lamar and Marilynn T. Johanson; and Dr. James Hurley, Tarleton State University President. 9
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Physics Professor Honored by A&M System Dr. Daniel Marble in the Department of Chemistry, Geoscience and Physics at Tarleton State University has been named a Texas A&M System Regents Professor. The Board of Regents recently designated 12 A&M
System faculty members as Regents Professors and Regents Fellows for the academic year 2020-2021. The board established the Regents Professor Awards in 1996 and the Regents Fellow Service Awards in 1998 to recognize extraordinary contributions to the university or agency as well as to the people of Texas. Dr. Marble joined the Tarleton faculty in 1998 and has given more than 150 presentations and produced 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals, including Nuclear Instruments and Methods and Physical Review, relating to ion-atom collisions, ion beam characterization of materials, accelerator technology, and science education using accelerators. Prior to Tarleton, he was a physics Assistant Professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point and a visiting scientist at Materials and Physical Science Directorates of the Army Research Lab. He earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Houston and both his master’s and PhD degrees in physics and accelerator-based atomic physics from the University of North Texas. Dr. Marble is the Texas representative for the American Association of Physics Teachers. He previously earned the Tarleton Community of Scholars Award and the Mary Todd Monroe Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Physics Teachers in 2019. He also has been honored with the Tarleton College of Science and Technology Faculty Award for Student Success and the Jack and Louise Arthur Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Daniel Marble, Regents Professor
The Regents Professor selection process begins with a call for nominations, which go to the chief executive officer of each A&M entity and are subject to a review by the academic vice chancellors and past recipients. The Chancellor and the board have final say. To date, 280 A&M System faculty members have been recognized as a Regents Professor.
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SNIPPETS FROM THE
School of Engineering From the Desk of Dr. Denise Martinez The School of Engineering is on track to become the College of Engineering in summer 2022. The School of Engineering is home to nearly 1,000 students and 13 programs, with more high-demand programs under development. The School of Engineering hosted a Job Fair in January, 2022 in the Engineering Building. The event brought in over 40 industries to recruit students and network with faculty. Several students are preparing for poster presentations and/or journal publications with their faculty mentors, including Dr. Ruaa Al Mezrakchi, Dr. Sotirios Diamantas, and Dr. Nourouddin Sharifi. The School of Engineering welcomed 5 new faculty this year: Mr. Chris Wetsel and Dr. Ahmed Al Ramthan in Construction Science and Management, Dr. Emadeldin Elgamal in Computer Science, and Dr. Zabi Abolghassem and Ms. Hyedi Viehmann, in the Department of Mechanical, Environmental and Civil Engineering. Seven SoE faculty are participating in a reduced load research initiative: Drs. Petroff and Gray in the Engineering Technology department; Drs. Venkataraman, Wang, and Lee in the MECE department; and Drs. Diamantas and Abu Ghazaleh in the CSEE department.
ROCKET TEAM: The multi-disciplinary Tarleton Aeronautical and Rocketry TAR team was reestablished under Dr. Ruaa Al Mezrakchi from Mechanical Engineering. The team was selected by NASA to participate in the NASA-USLI (Undergraduate Student Launch Initiative) competition among 44 universities across the US. NASA-USLI is a research-based, competitive, experiential exploration activity. It strives to provide relevant, cost-effective research and development of High-Powered Rocketry Propulsion Systems. In addition to designing, building and launching a rocket, the students are providing several STEM outreach sessions in multiple K-12 schools.
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Giving Back
From September 2021 to February 2022, the College of Science and Technology benefited from the generous support of many alumni and friends of the College. Gifts like this allow for the support of activities such as student research, conference travel, equipment purchases, student scholarships, and much more. On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students in the College of Science and Technology, we would like to recognize these supporters and thank them for helping us improve the quality of the education and provide enhanced academic experiences for the students in our programs!
THANK YOU! Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Ashmead Mr. and Mrs. Beau D. Berend Dr. and Mrs. Stan Carpenter Dr. and Mrs. Scott Cook Dr. Joe E. Cude Mr. Terry Farley Drs. Thomas and Ellen Faulkenberry Mr. Stephen W. Fitzpatrick Dr. and Mrs. Eddie Garner Dr. Shaukat N. Goderya Ms. Paula Harris Mrs. Sheila A. Hawkins Mr. Gary A. Hudson
Dr. and Mrs. Michael T. Huggins Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Iley Mrs. Carole Lawson Drs. Mark and Pam Littleton Dr. Lisa M. Lopez Mrs. Jami K. Lovelady Dr. Daniel K. Marble Dr. Jason A. Mogonye Ms. Sharon I. Offer Dr. Donna D. Ohnmeiss Dr. and Mrs. Alfonso E. Pino III Ms. Callie J. Price Mr. and Mrs. Justin K. Russell
Mrs. Judy C. Sale Mr. and Mrs. Max Sanderford Mr. Quinton E. Sanders Mr. Russell and Dr. Katherine Smith Dr. and Mrs. L. Dwayne Snider Dr. and Mrs. Rueben H. Walter Dr. Bryant Wyatt and Mrs. Madhur Wyatt A Cut Above ExxonMobil Corporation NVIDIA Corporation Tarleton State University Foundation, Inc TSU Foundation - PASS THROUGH XSEDE
If you would like to support the College of Science and Technology or your favorite academic department; gifts can be made online at: GiveToTheCollegeOfScienceAndTechnology.
A gift that impacts the entire College can be made by joining the College of Science and Technology’s Dean’s Circle, join today at: COST Dean’s Circle. If you have any questions or would like more information about giving to the College of Science and Technology or establishing an endowment, please contact the College’s Director of Development, Wayne Davenport at wdavenport@tarleton.edu or call 254-968-1744.
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