Pond's Ponder

On this first day of classes at WT, I am drawn to thoughts from Dr. Seuss:

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the one who'll decide where to go.”

Have a great first week at WT!

Welcome Back, Buffs!

Meet New Faculty and Staff!

As we kick off the first day of classes, we welcome the newest faculty and staff at the Paul Engler College of Agriculture & Natural Sciences!

Dr. Olivia Villanueva

Instructor of Chemistry and Lab Coordinator for the Department of Chemistry and Physics

Mr. Keshon Cervantes

Instructor of Biology for the Department of Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciences

Dr. Carla Eichler

Assistant Professor of Geology for the Department of Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciences

Dr. Dylan Maag

Assistant Professor of Biology for the Department of Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciences

Dr. Dale Stevens

Assistant Professor of Biology for the Department of Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciences

Dr. Qi Kang

Assistant Professor of Agricultural Business and Economics for the Department of Agricultural Sciences

Dr. Bailey Samper

Assistant Professor of Agricultural Business and Economics for the Department of Agricultural Sciences

Ms. Tabatha Taylor

Instructor of Animal Science and Equine Industry & Business and is Head Coach of the Equestrian Team for the Department of Agricultural Sciences

Mrs. Lauren Ward

Administrative Coordinator ll for the Department of Agricultural Sciences

Mrs. Amy Newton

Business Administrator for the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Mrs. Callie Cross

Curriculum Coordinator for the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Ms. Lexi Metz

Graduate Assistant for the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences

Congratulations to 2024 Texans Caring for Texans Honorees!

On August 8th at WTAMU's Legacy Hall, Texans Caring for Texans honored 67 state employees for professional excellence in service to the Panhandle region during their annual awards ceremony. Among those awarded were WTAMU's faculty and alumni:

Amy Newton
Hannah Sell '22
Marcus Preuninger '18
Jason Wade '20
Brittainy Crafton '23
Kody Graves '21

Rodeo Team Member Awarded Top Hand

Lynley Wright, Jr. Equine Industry and Business major and WTAMU Rodeo Team member, was presented with the Spicer Gripp Memorial Youth Foundation Top Hand award.

"Ms. Wright has shown an admirable amount of work ethic and heart for the WT Rodeo Team and she showed that at the Spicer Gripp putting in long hours and hard work all weekend," the WT Rodeo Team wrote in their recent Facebook post.

Faculty Abstract Selected for ACS Sci-Mix

Drs. Flynn, Baird and Byers were recently selected to present their research, "Effect of mentoring and leadership workshop on STEM student organizations," at the American Chemical Society Sci-Mix in Denver, CO. It is part of their collective work on a National Science Foundation sponsored S-STEM grant.

"This is a great honor and tribute to the hard work we have put into this grant," Dr. Flynn expressed. "I feel very fortunate to be able to work with such great faculty."

Ag Ambassador Retreat

The 2024-2025 WTAMU Agricultural Ambassadors hosted their fall retreat August 16-18. The team discussed how to better serve the department and students, engaged in team building activities and established goals for the year. Guest speaker, Aaron Alejandro, shared wisdom and motivation with the group for the coming year.

Agricultural Ambassadors are student representatives of the Department of Agricultural Sciences. They are responsible for promotion and recruiting endeavors.

~ A new addition to the Buff Brief ~

Each issue will include a comment from Dr. Lance Kieth, Couch Family Professor of Extension Education and Associate Dean of External Relations and Recruiting. His education expertise includes teaching courses in agricultural education and leadership. Kieth's Korner will provide agricultural or natural sciences tidbits, industry inside information or WTAMU verities.

#ICYMI

WT Fall Semester Opens Aug. 26; Students to Return to Major Campus Advances

Buff Brief | buffbrief@wtamu.edu| (806) 651- 3575