TAMIU Top Award Winner at 16th Annual Pathways Student Research Symposium
Student researchers at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) earned the highest number of awards at the competitive 16th Annual Pathways Student Research Symposium last week. Over 400 student and faculty representatives from throughout the sprawling Texas A&M University System gathered at TAMIU for the two-day competition.
TAMIU student researchers earned 18 of the 61 Awards presented in ceremonies Friday, November 8 in the TAMIU Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall. Other top placers were Texas A&M University Commerce with 12 Awards, Tarleton State University with 11 and Texas A&M University with six Awards.
Undergraduate Award winners and their respective categories and A&M System universities are as follows:
Agriculture
3rd Place - Earlena Evans - Prairie View A&M University, 2nd Place - Andre Johnson - Prairie View,
1st Place - Shelby Perry - Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Business & Computer Science
3rd Place - Rachael Olson – Tarleton State University, 2nd Place - James Alexander- Tarleton,
1st Place - Marian González and Cesar Camarillo – TAMIU.
Education
3rd Place - Pamela Wallace - TAMIU, 2nd Place - Melissa Rinehart and Aleesha Barrett – Tarleton,
1st Place - Brittney Torres – Tarleton.
Engineering
3rd Place - Peter Salinas -TAMIU, 2nd Place-Mario Fuentes – TAMIU, 1st Place - Andrew García – Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.
Environmental Sciences
3rd Place - Taryn Bazhaw - Commerce, 2nd Place - Kimberly Sayprasith – Texas A&M University-College Station, 1st Place - Samantha González – Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
Health Sciences
3rd Place - Edie White - West Texas A&M University, 2nd Place - Kelly McCaskill - West Texas
1st Place - Omar Ramírez- Commerce.
Humanities
3rd Place - Mitzvah Villeda – Commerce, 2nd Place - Semaj Mitchell - West Texas, 1st Place - Sierra Glen – Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Life Sciences
3rd Place- Vanessa Mireles and Ruby Ayala – TAMIU, 2nd Place - Ashley Hamilton - Corpus Christi, 1st Place - Andrew Windham - Corpus Christi.
Math & Physical Sciences
3rd Place - Shandi Groezinger – Commerce, 2nd Place - Alejandra Peña – TAMIU, 1st Place-Kholton Tidwell-Courtney – Tarleton.
Social & Behavioral Sciences
3rd Place - Jonathan González - West Texas, 2nd Place - Victoria Esquivel and Mya Rodríguez - TAMIU, 1st Place - Dora Marín - Prairie View.
Graduate Award winners and their respective categories and A&M System universities are as follows:
Agriculture
3rd Place - Garrett Rushing – Commerce, 2nd Place - Michelle Johnson - Prairie View, 1st Place - Erin Mosser – Commerce.
Business & Computer Science
2nd Place - Oseze Andrew Ebhote – TAMIU and 1st Place - James Norcross – Tarleton.
Education
3rd Place - Rebecca Ramírez and Valerie González - TAMIU, 2nd Place - Ashley Donovan – Commerce,
1st Place - Sara Villanueva - TAMIU.
Engineering
3rd Place - Ayobami Orangun - Prairie View, 2nd Place - Roger Simon - College Station,
1st Place - Kevin Fuentes - College Station.
Environmental Sciences
2nd Place - Marissa Pensirkul – Tarleton and 1st Place - Michaela Bledsoe – Commerce.
Health Sciences
2nd Place - Kristin Cunningham – Tarleton and 1st Place -Ty Hill – Tarleton.
Humanities
3rd Place - Jasmine Delgadillo – TAMIU, 2nd Place - Francisco Zamora - TAMIU
and 1st Place - Keaton Powers – TAMIU.
Life Sciences
3rd Place - Elizabeth Green -TAMIU, 2nd Place - Jacob Raney – Tarleton, 1st Place - Madeleine Morris – Commerce.
Math & Physical Sciences
3rd Place - Pojun Quan – Commerce, 2nd Place - Matthew Deutsch – Commerce,
1st Place - Preston Ward – Tarleton.
Social & Behavioral Sciences
3rd Place - Liabette Rodríguez and Jacob Vasquez - TAMIU, 2nd Place - Mariana Rodríguez – TAMIU, 1st Place - Rebecca Salazar and Ivette Soto – TAMIU.
Doctoral Award winners and their respective categories and A&M System universities are as follows:
3rd Place - TIED Shawn Miller - TAMIU and Felipe Beltran – Texas A&M University,
2nd Place - Selma González - A&M, 1st Place - Jesse Smith- A&M.
TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz said TAMIU was honored to host Pathways participants, especially in TAMIU’s 50thAnniversary year.
“The Pathways Symposium offers a System-wide forum to explore and share meaningful research and collaboration – something that anchors our mission and our 50th Anniversary Celebration, ” Dr. Arenaz said.
Dean of the TAMIU Graduate School and Symposium local organizer, Dr. Jennifer Coronado, said the Symposium offered participants an experience that attested to TAMIU’s campus and culture.
“We were able to offer experiences which uniquely attest to our campus and culture,” Dr. Coronado explained, “We had special Planetarium showings, campus tours, an opportunity to view our Saint John’s Bible in the Killam Library, a chance to hear our Sharkey Corrigan Organ, a dedicated Graduate School Fair, professional headshot opportunities and more. The Symposium experience was guided by a dynamic ‘Passport’ model, ” Dr. Coronado explained.
Professional development opportunities were also scheduled with diverse topics including funding opportunities for graduate school, a panel featuring current graduate students sharing their experiences, potential career options and paths available to those with a terminal degree, and more.
A special Keynote Presentation was provided by Dr. Natividad Roberto Fuentes, a postdoctoral fellow supported by the Texas A&M University Regulatory Science in Environmental Health and Toxicology Training Grant. He conducts research in A&M’s Department of Nutrition and Food Science and is originally from nearby Alice, TX.
Symposium participants used a dedicated smartphone App that included agendas, maps, presenter information, sessions, FAQs and more.
The 2020 Pathways Student Research Symposium will be held at Texas A&M University in College Station.
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $6.3 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, and the RELLIS Campus, it more than 153,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $996 million in FY 2017 and helped drive the State’s economy.
Throughout 2019-2020, TAMIU is celebrating its 50thanniversary and its 25th anniversary at its north Laredo campus. A dedicated website shares the University’s transformation from a hybrid upper-level university to a full doctoral degree-granting University. It traces the University’s history, shares its impact in personal stories and includes a calendar of Anniversary events and more at tamiu.edu/50.
For additional information, contact the TAMIU Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu, click on tamiu.edu or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268.
TAMIU Provost Dr. Tom Mitchell congratulates Jasmine Delgadillo on her
Third Place Graduate Humanities Award at the Pathways Symposium.
Mario Fuentes and Peter Salinas hold their Second and Third Place
Undergraduate Engineering Awards.
Provost Mitchell congratulates Keaton Powers on his First Place
Graduate Humanities Award at the Pathways Symposium.