Stories

It’s been 10 years since Victoria Bennett, associate professor in the Environmental Sciences department, launched TCU’s Bat Monitoring Program. After a decade of raising public awareness for bats and managing one of the first long-term studies to monitor bat populations in Texas, Bennett explains why there is no reason to fear bats and helps us understand the ecological services they provide.

The prolonged drought conditions in Texas are forcing many ranchers to evaluate their herds. Jeff Geider, director of the Institute of Ranch Management at TCU, has been focusing on the problem since long before the recent drought. He explains why water management is one of the biggest issues facing agriculture and what it means for Texas consumers.

TCU is involved in conservation and preservation efforts. This Earth Day, we look back at stories on how the College of Science & Engineering is making an impact, both locally and globally.

After last year’s need to shift the Student Research Symposium (SRS) online due to the pandemic, the College of Science & Engineering is thrilled to welcome back students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the 2022 SRS on April 22 in Tucker Technology Center.

TCU’s Institute of Behavioral Research utilizes its $3.1 million portion of a larger $11.5 million grant to advance its ACTION research project. The project includes the use of a Mobile Health Unit (MHU), which will serve individuals who either have or are at risk for acquiring HIV or a substance use disorder. The project will initially concentrate on historically underserved areas in Tarrant County.

Research scientist and co-founder of TCU’s Eos BioAnalytics Summer Mengelkoch led the study in which 79 women and 80 men were recruited and asked to have their photos taken and their blood tested to discover if there is a link between people’s attractiveness and their immune systems.

Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency created, was at first developed to act as a payment tool solely for the online universe. It has evolved from a hobby among coders to a mainstream exchange on Wall Street. There are risks, however, with getting involved with cryptocurrency and financial systems that aren’t regulated by the government. Liran Ma, professor in the department of computer science at TCU, clears up some of the confusion surrounding cryptocurrency, including complications related to cybersecurity.

According to the USDA’s Economic Research Report, the cost of beef is up nearly 20%, putting a considerable strain on family grocery budgets. Jeff Geider, director of TCU’s Institute of Ranch Management, has an extensive background not only in agriculture, but also in marketing and economics. He breaks down the reasons for the soaring cost of beef and predicts when carnivores can expect relief.

Associate professor of biology, Marlo Jeffries, and co-PI Dalton Allen (M.S. Biology 2021, Ph.D. Biology 2024) were awarded a $10,164 grant from the American Association of Laboratory Animal Sciences (AALAS) to support portions of Allen's dissertation work that aims to determine whether toxicological tests that feature marine fish embryos or invertebrates can replace those that use marine fish larvae.