Texas Tech Today

Tradition in Timelapse: Snapshots at the Seal

Karin Slyker — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:21:07 +0000

More than 3,900 students graduated in Texas Tech University’s Spring Commencement Ceremonies May 17 and 18 at the United Spirit Arena.

Among the many traditions upheld during the weekend, parents take a final snapshot of their graduate in front of the seal.

Here is a timelapse video of Saturday’s busiest lawn on campus.

Campus in Bloom

A Solid Foundation: Administration Building Leaves Lasting Legacy

Texas Tech Celebrates 90th Anniversary

NewRetirement & Texas Tech Provide No Cost Access to Financial Planning

John Davis — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:33:12 +0000

NewRetirement today announced that Texas Tech University’s Personal Financial Planning Department is among the resources providing free retirement planning knowledge and guidance to consumers at NewRetirement.com. The two organizations share a vision of providing unbiased financial planning and knowledge to all Americans, regardless of their income, amount of assets or level of financial sophistication.

Fossil Amber Shatters Theories of Glass as a Liquid

John Davis — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:27:16 +0000

“Glass transition is related to the performance of materials, whether it is inorganic glass or organic polymers,” said Gregory McKenna, professor of chemical engineering at Texas Tech. “For example, this would be important to people who own a boat made of fiberglass, or fly in an airplane made with epoxy-based composites. Information like that can help predict if that jet will still be flying in 30 years.”

‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ and other superhero films tackle terrorism

John Davis — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:25:50 +0000

“People are tired of seeing these alien films as well as the ‘end of the world’ type film like ‘Oblivion,’” explained Rob Weiner, Popular Culture and Film Studies librarian at Texas Tech University. “Alien forces will always have a place in superhero narrative, but right now people want heroes who fight villains that could be anyone.”

Clean Up Oil Spills with Low-Grade Cotton

John Davis — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:13:02 +0000

In a new study, researchers used unprocessed raw cottons to soak up oil, becoming one of the first studies to collect data on cotton and oil spills. Seshadri Ramkumar, the lead author of the study, said that he and his colleagues found that low-micronaine cotton is the most effective type of cotton at soaking up oil. Because this type of cotton is low-quality, it could also prove to be a cheaper option for cleaning up oil spills.

“In this region, about 10 percent of the cotton grown in West Texas is low micronaire,” said Ramkumar. “It doesn’t take a dye well, so it gets discounted. However, because low-micronaire cotton is less mature, it shrinks, and you are able to pack more fiber into a given area. The strength here is that the low-micronaire cotton absorbs the most crude oil. The oil is not only stuck to surface, the oil gets absorbed into the fiber.”

Here’s what low-grade cotton means for oil spill cleanup

John Davis — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:11:23 +0000

The science behind cotton’s efficacy is simple enough to understand, said Seshadri Ramkumar, lead author and manager of the study.

“Because low-micronaire cotton is less mature, it shrinks, and you are able to pack more fiber into a given area,” Ramkumar said in a release. “The strength here is that the low-micronaire cotton absorbs the most crude oil. The oil is not only stuck to the surface, (it) gets absorbed into the fiber.”

4% Rule for Retirement Withdrawals Is Golden No More

John Davis — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:00:14 +0000

Michael Finke, a professor in the department of personal financial planning at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, is a co-author of a paper critical of the rule, “The 4 Percent Rule Is Not Safe in a Low-Yield World.” He says Mr. Bengen’s rule doesn’t acknowledge the new economic reality of prolonged low returns. “There haven’t been any historical periods that look like today,” Mr. Finke said. “We’ve never had an extended period where rates of returns on bonds have been so low and valuation on stocks so high.”

Texas Tech Will Not Increase Tuition for 2013-2014

Chris Cook — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:27:04 +0000

Chancellor Hance listens as
Dr. Nellis discusses tuition.

Texas Tech University announced today (May 17) it will maintain current tuition and mandatory fees for the 2013-14 academic year, marking the first time since 2008 tuition has not increased.

The Finance and Administration Committee of the TTU System Board of Regents approved the proposal this afternoon for in-state, undergraduate students.

“Making college affordable and giving students access to educational opportunities at the highest level should be among our top priorities as institutions of higher learning,” said M. Duane Nellis, who will assume duties as Texas Tech president June 15. “Despite the constant increases in operating costs across the board, I would like to commend the university administration for creating a plan to maintain the current tuition rate and alleviate some of the burden associated with the cost of higher education.”

Maintaining current tuition numbers, when combined with last year’s slight 1.95 percent increase, reflects the lowest biennia increase in school history. Tuition and mandatory fees for the 2013-14 academic year will be $7,517 for 24 credit hours, which is equivalent to what undergraduate students paid during the recent academic year. Additionally, fees for parking, housing and board will remain the same.

Texas Tech University System Chancellor Kent Hance echoed the need for relieving the pressures of college costs, not just at TTU, but system institutions as well.

“Keeping tuition affordable for students and their families has been a top priority for the Texas Tech University System,” said Hance. “We set an example in 2008 by not raising tuition and fees at Texas Tech University. Not only are we freezing tuition and fees at Texas Tech University this time, but we also are holding the line at our other two component institutions – Angelo State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.”

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Texas Tech among the top 30 nationally each of the last two years for students graduating with the least debt, while its graduates are consistently among the most sought after by employers. The Wall Street Journal, in a survey of more than 800 business recruiters, ranked Texas Tech graduates among the most prepared nationally at No. 18.

Raw Cotton Might Help Clean Up Oil Spills

John Davis — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:54:06 +0000

A new research paper documents the possibility of using raw cotton in order to clean up any accidental spills that might occur while the oil industry is busy carrying on with its working agenda. The study, made available to the public in the latest issue of the journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, argues that, apart from its being highly efficiency in terms of sopping up oil, unprocessed cotton is also an environmentally-friendly way of dealing with such accidents.

Cotton effective in cleaning up oil spills

John Davis — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:29:04 +0000

Scientists report that each pound of raw cotton may be able to sop up more than 30 pounds of crude oil.

Seshadri Ramkumar and colleagues note that a particular need exists for oil-spill sorbents that are abundantly available at relatively low cost, sustainable and biodegradable.

There have been extensive studies on fibers such as barley straw, kapok and wool — but big gaps in knowledge about their basic crude oil-uptake mechanisms and no data on unprocessed raw cotton.