Announcements

Happy Herman, a TCU John V. Roach Honors student studying finance and economics, delivered a keynote address for the IEEE Dallas Section's Technical Talk Series on Oct. 3, 2026. His presentation, “How Do We Engineer AI Models That Reach Last Mile Users in the Global South? – A Case Study of Rwanda,” explored AI-powered voice tutoring accessible without internet or smartphones and shared research findings from a large-scale deployment in Rwanda.

Anton Naumov, associate professor of physics and astronomy, works on a new funded research project focused on preventing melanoma. Melanoma is a serious skin cancer that can spread quickly and resist treatments. It often begins when UV rays from the sun damage skin cells. The goal of the current project is to create a new sunscreen from affordable materials. Naumov collaborates with Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education to turn this concept into a real product.

Anton Naumov, associate professor of physics and astronomy, received a $495,541 grant from the National Institutes of Health to support research into more cost-effective imaging and diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. His team develops nanoscale materials for use in medical imaging. The research seeks to improve how physicians detect disease while addressing the safety and cost of diagnostic tools. The award supports an area of Naumov’s broader research in nanomedicine, which includes materials used to improve ultrasound and MRI imaging, as well as approaches to cancer detection and treatment.

The TCU Chemistry Club received the American Chemical Society’s Outstanding Student Communities Award and Green Chemistry Award for the 2025-26 academic year. The honors recognize the chapter’s programming, student engagement and efforts to advance green chemistry and sustainability through activities centered on the 12 principles of green chemistry.

Rhiannon Mayne, Oscar and Juanita Monnig Endowed Chair of Meteoritics and Planetary Science, was awarded a $3.6 million grant. The NASA-funded project will use West Texas’ dark skies and unique geology to help the public learn about asteroids, meteorites and planetary defense. Timed around asteroid Apophis’ close approach to Earth in 2029, the project will create hands-on educational experiences that connect observing meteors in the night sky with the science of meteorites, ancient impact sites and NASA’s work to understand and protect Earth from potentially hazardous asteroids.

The program will include a Texas meteor-observation network, six educational modules and three planetarium shows, with programming offered through museums, planetariums, national parks and other community partners. It will also study how these experiences affect participants’ understanding of science and their ability to see themselves as people who can engage with science.

Senior Lewis Wright was named an NCAA Division I Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar following a standout season that reflected his commitment to both academic and athletic excellence. The prestigious honor recognizes student-athletes who maintain a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA while excelling in competition. Wright, a senior combined science student in the Louise Dilworth Davis College of Science & Engineering, also earned Academic All-Big 12 and CSC Academic All-District honors during the 2025-26 season, highlighting his success in the classroom. Read more from GoFrogs.

Rosemary Odem ’23 was selected by Children and Screens for its third cohort of Impact Fellows. Odem double-majored in child development and psychology at TCU before earning her master’s in psychology at the University of South Carolina, where she is currently a doctoral student in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences and the coordinator of the Positive Psychology Lab. Her research and clinical work focus on children and adolescent wellbeing and the interplay between student engagement and digital media use, both at home and at school. Selected for their passion and commitment to helping young people lead healthy lives in a digital world, the six 2026-2027 Impact Fellows will work closely with the Children and Screens team to advance cutting-edge research, support public education initiatives and inform policies that promote the health and well-being of young people. 

Heidi Conrad, professor of chemistry at TCU, has been selected for the inaugural National Science Foundation-funded Green Chemistry Professional Learning Network (PLN). As part of the yearlong cohort, Conrad will collaborate with faculty from across the country to advance green chemistry education, bringing new insights to her teaching while contributing to research that supports more sustainable chemistry practices.

The inaugural NSF-funded Green Chemistry Professional Learning Network is a yearlong national cohort that equips faculty to advance green chemistry education while fostering collaboration in research and teaching.

TCU honors the life and legacy of Carroll “C.A.” Quarles, Professor Emeritus of Physics & Astronomy, who dedicated more than 50 years to teaching, mentoring and inspiring generations of Horned Frogs. A proud member of the TCU community, Quarles reflected on his career by saying that TCU had given him “a lifelong career doing what I loved to do: teach, mentor and be involved with students.” His impact continues through the many students he guided and through the scholarship he and his wife, Sonja, established to support future physics and astronomy students. TCU extends its deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and former students.

Greg Friedman, mathematics department chair, delivered the keynote address at the TCU Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony on May 7. Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest academic honor society, recognizes excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, and Friedman's invitation to speak reflected his contributions to scholarship and education at TCU.

Mike Slattery, environmental sciences professor, Director of Research in the Ralph Lowe Energy Institute and Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies, recently published a guest commentary examining the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence and the challenges facing Texas power infrastructure. The piece, “AI Is Eating the Grid: Texas Has Five Years to Feed It,” highlights the implications of AI-driven electricity consumption, particularly in energy-producing regions such as the Permian Basin.

Matt Chumchal, biology professor and director of the Pre-Health Professions Institute, and doctoral students Nicole Fordree and Camryn Middlebrooks, have been named American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellows. The team received grant funding to support its 2026–2027 Greenland field season, where researchers will continue studying how mercury moves through Arctic ecosystems while expanding their work to include an Arctic fox population that has never before been sampled for contaminants.

Research led by John Holbrook, geology professor at Texas Christian University, will be featured in the upcoming issue of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists’ Explorer. The piece highlights innovative approaches to understanding river-channel processes and sediment dynamics during floods. Supported by the Swanson Endowment and industry partners, the research advances centimeter-scale predictions of grain-size distribution, with broad applications in energy exploration, groundwater protection and river management.

Sarah Hill, Ph.D., psychology professor, is slated to share her research at the inaugural National Conference on Women’s Health on March 13, 2026. Hill will be speaking on the impact of hormones on women’s physical and psychological health during a panel with medical professionals from around the country.

The 23nd Annual Michael and Sally McCracken Student Research Symposium will be held on April 17, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. in Tucker Technology. The SRS offers undergraduate and graduate students practical experience in giving presentations in a professional yet relaxed setting.

There will be an awards ceremony following the symposium from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. in Sid W. Richardson in LH1. The Poster Submission Deadline is March 30 by 5:00 p.m. online. Please note additional dates and deadlines essential to your successful participation at https://srs.tcu.edu/about/important-dates. 

Join the Louise Dilworth Davis College of Science & Engineering and John V. Roach Honors College for the 2026 Honors Research Symposium on April 10, from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., in Rees-Jones Hall, in rooms 102, 107, 111, 210, 211, 214, 215 and 216 for our student presentations.  

Join us for the 2nd Annual Louise Dilworth Davis College of Science & Engineering Peer Mentor Discovery Expo on Friday, March 27, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on the lawn in front of Tucker Technology and Rees-Jones Hall.  Enjoy and learn about research, play games and connect with the community.

Mona Al-Bizri, psychology graduate student, has received the Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine (SBSM) Scholar Award. The SBSM Scholar Awards are given to outstanding abstract submissions from students, residents and fellows across the country.

Brenton Cooper, neurosicence professor, recently co-authored a research paper with University of Utah professor Franz Goller and University of Buenos Aires professor Gabriel Midlin on cowbirds’ vocal behavior. The findings revealed a complex system of sound production that allows the birds to create a “watery” noise. Researchers can apply these findings to studies of vocal imitation learning in other animals, including humans.

Davis College of Science & Engineering is proud to recognize Lindsey Elliott ’18, who has been included in the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

While at TCU, Elliott double majored in mechanical engineering and mathematics and was a John V. Roach Honors College Laureate. She is now the founder of Nexterity, a robotics manufacturer developing a hands-free unbolting tool designed to improve both speed and safety in industrial settings.

Texas Christian University announced that the College of Science & Engineering (CSE) will be named the Louise Dilworth Davis College of Science & Engineering in honor of Louise Dilworth Davis ’77 and her extraordinary generosity to the university and the college. Louise Dilworth Davis of San Antonio has given $40 million, the largest philanthropic investment in the college’s 25-year history, to support CSE's strategic plan and operations in perpetuity. The gift will also endow the deanship, which will now be named the Louise Dilworth Davis Dean.

The Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD) is celebrating its 20^th anniversary, and the Tarrant County Commissioners Court is recognizing its impact on the Fort Worth Community with a proclamation issued by Roderick Miles Jr. of Precinct 1 on Nov. 11. The proclamation highlights KPICD’s local and global impact through Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) and honors the legacy of Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross. The proceedings are open to the public, and all local KPICD staff are encouraged to attend. The brief recognition will take place at 10:00 a.m. in the Commissioners Courtroom, Tarrant County Administration Building, located at 100 East Weatherford Street, 5th Floor, in Fort Worth.

Dr. Zygmunt (Karol) Gryczynski, “Tex” Moncrief Jr. Chair and Professor of Physics and Astronomy, recently published findings in ACS Nano revealing nanoscale differences in the viscosity of mucus produced by cystic fibrosis patients compared to healthy individuals. His research offers valuable insights into the molecular behavior of cystic fibrosis and potential paths for improved treatment strategies.

John Brannon, a doctoral student in Physics and Astronomy, recently collaborated with leading scientists in Poland and Czechia through a research-focused trip abroad. His work at the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research led to the development of a new microwave synthesis method for ZnO microparticles, while his time at CEITEC Nano in Brno expanded his expertise in nanotechnology under the mentorship of Dr. Viktor Danchuk.