Dean's Message:

As we begin a new year, I want to extend a warm welcome to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners of the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences. A new year invites reflection, renewal, and a recommitment to the core values that guide our work—intellectual curiosity, integrity, responsibility, and respect.

Our college stands at the intersection of education, human behavior, culture, policy, and social responsibility. Every day, our faculty prepare future educators, counselors, social and behavioral scientists, and leaders who will shape classrooms, communities, and institutions across the Texas Panhandle and beyond. I am continually inspired by the dedication, creativity, and resilience demonstrated by our students and colleagues.

As we move forward this year, we remain focused on excellence in teaching, meaningful research and scholarship, and deep community engagement. We will continue strengthening partnerships with schools and agencies, supporting innovative pedagogy, and expanding opportunities for experiential learning that prepare our graduates to lead, serve, and educate with competence and compassion.

Thank you for being part of the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences community. Your commitment and collaboration make our mission possible. I look forward to the accomplishments, discoveries, and shared successes that lie ahead in the coming year.

Dr. Gary Bigham

TBRCOESS wishes to highlight two Attebury Honors Scholars who graduated Fall 2025. Ms. Sydney Martin, Psychology, and Ms. Trina Swan, Social Work.

Photo: Graduating seniors from West Texas A&M University's Attebury Honors Program were honored at a Dec. 9 pre-commencement ceremony. Pictured are, from left, Lillynn Lewis, Vicente Flores, Ransom Colette, Hana Craycraft, Nadia Reyna, Sydney Martin, Trina Swan and Asher Nowak. Not pictured is Kylee Miller.

Congratulations, Sydney and Trina.

To read more about the Attebury Honors Program graduates

Lunch and new books for their future classrooms is the perfect way to celebrate a successful Texas Reading Academy with our education students. Education candidates who successfully complete this class earn reading classroom credentials that prepare them to be day-one ready in the classroom.

Summer Meller -

Early Childhood Education, EC-6

Academic Performance, Engagement in Profession and/or Field, Leadership in Major



"Summer Meller was an exceptional student in my class, and I selected her as my research assistant after she successfully completed the course. She stood out for her strong work ethic, excellent organizational skills, and professionalism in every interaction. At the on-campus Child Development Center (formerly Kids Kollege), she excelled in working with both young children and their teacher, consistently responding in a timely and professional manner. Summer also demonstrated her ability to effectively deliver lessons to young learners in a real classroom environment."

Congratulations, Summer.

Stephanie Saenz

B.S. Sociology

Academic Performance, Community Service, Leadership in Community

"Stephanie is consistently an outstanding sociology student and an important force in the classroom. She is also involved deeply in the broader WTAMU campus community and specifically as a leader in the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. Stephanie plans to attend graduate school and has already been accepted to the Texas Tech MSW program! I am always happy to see her in my classes, and we know that she will continue to make an important impact as she puts her sociological imagination and critical thinking skills to work here in the Panhandle and beyond. We are very proud to call Stephanie one of our outstanding sociology majors!"

Congratulations, Stephanie.

Luisa Martinez - Psychology

Academic Achievement, Engagement in Program, Research Productivity

"This student has truly gone above and beyond, spearheading an independent research project, securing funding, and actively preparing the work for submission to a national conference. They meet with me one-on-one each week and consistently contribute meaningfully in our weekly lab meetings. Their initiative, professionalism, and dedication set them apart as an exceptional undergraduate scholar."

Congratulations, Luisa.

(101) TBRCOESS students with <12 WT Hours Received Care Packages

One paper sack got stuffed with; a toiletry kit & Tide pod; a bendy pencil & scantron; Smilie face stress ball & highlighter; and lots of candy and snacks. The care packages were overflowing with encouragement and well wishes of support. Thank you to Res. Living for delivering our little packages of care to TBRCOESS students with <12 WT hours just in time for finals. Stay strong and finish strong encouraging messages were shared with students to hang in there through finals.

You can do it, Buffs! You got this!

SGA hosted a buffet lunch with the Deans to ask student body questions, and clarify processes and programs related to undergraduate and graduate programs in the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences.

Dr. Bigham was able to address specific inquiries from the officers and field student questions, as well as ask how the college can better support our students.

Student Government leaders included Mary Vivian Ivey, student body president. As president, Ivey represents the student body and is the principal liaison between WT students and faculty, staff and administration. The president also acts as the chief executive officer of SGA and is the official student spokesperson for the University at the local, System, state and national levels.

Attendance also included Hunter Heady, student body chief justice and some additional student government leaders. Leadership that listens on both sides is a benefit to all WT students.

To learn more about the SGA, click here

Peeples Named to National Committee, Celebrates 10th Year with SXSW EDU

Dr. Shanna Peeples, WT’s Dr. John G. O’Brien Distinguished Chair in Education, is serving on the 2026 National Teacher of the Year Selection Committee for the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The committee, which includes representatives from Google for Education, the National Association of State Boards of Education, and other national education organizations, reviews applications from state teachers of the year across the nation and will select finalists this month.

Dr. Peeples also recently completed her 10th year working with SXSW EDU, where she has served as a PanelPicker evaluator for conference programming, a judge for education documentaries in the film program, and an evaluator for the Launch Startup Competition.

Presented by the Walton Family Foundation, Launch showcases early-stage education technology companies to investors, educators, and industry leaders. Finalists will pitch at SXSW EDU in Austin this March.

Peeples, a WT alumna, was selected as the 2015 National Teacher of the Year.

Congratulations, Dr. Peeples.

Read the complete WT News & Notes article here

Read more on the Dr. John G. O'Brien Distinguished Chair here

The EPP program celebrated our local Field Supervisors at our End of Semester/Christmas celebration. We wrap up the year discussion with Glows and Grows. 

The Field Supervisors share feedback with the EPP staff for improvements and highlight the great things our candidates are doing. They observe clinical teachers, Buff START candidates, residency candidates, and PACE interns in the field.  

Grateful for this group and all they do for our clinical students.

Every Balloon except Happy Birthday!

Last year, faculty and staff missed celebrating Dr. Welch's birthday (Dec. 19th). He never mentioned it or made a big deal out of it. So, this year Heidi Brooks wanted to assure we didn’t miss it again—and even planned a fun twist by surprising him with non-birthday balloons on Dec. 11th (not his birthday). She coordinated a spreadsheet of time slots, so he received balloons throughout the day from various faculty and staff.

Dr. Coneway made him a Dr. Pepper cake—his favorite—that made for a fun, surprise shenanigan for everyone.

Happy non-birthday birthday, Dr. Welch.

Photo: Dr. Welch, department head for PSCJ and PSSW, with his non-birthday birthday balloons.

You Must Apply if You are Planning to Graduate in May!

May 2026 Graduation applications closed December 1, 2025. Contact Jose Martinez (806.651.2600) if you missed the deadline ASAP.

Don't forgot ... Faculty and student research proposals are due Friday, January 9, 2026. Mark your calendars to attend March 5, 2026.

Learn more about Faculty and Student Research Poster Session

Graduate Scholarships: Virtual Q&A

Thursday, January 22, 2026, 5 – 5:30pm

West Texas A&M University is dedicated to making high-quality graduate education both affordable and accessible.

Join Graduate School for our Graduate Scholarships: Virtual Q&A to discover how WT scholarships can help you achieve your graduate goals.

Why Attend?

• Gain valuable insights on applying for scholarships.
• Learn how to set yourself up for graduate success.

Can’t Attend? You can still submit your questions, and a link to the recorded event will be emailed to you afterward.

Location: Virtual: Linkwtamu.my.salesforce-sites.com…