WTAMU Welcomes 33 New Faculty Members

West Texas A&M University welcomed 33 new faculty members to campus.

The new members include instructors and associate professors in each of the 6 colleges : the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, the College of Education and Social Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Many also will teach students in WT’s Graduate School.

WT says all the full-time faculty have offices on campuses in either or both Canyon and Amarillo to meet with students and their colleagues.

New faculty members include: 

Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences 

Guillermo Marcillo, assistant professor of ag sciences – Ph.D., Iowa State University 

Rachel Paladino, instructor of biology – M.S., West Texas A&M University 

Maitreyee Mukherjee, assistant professor of biology – Ph.D., Bowling Green State University 

Engler College of Business 

Nika Qiao, assistant professor of accounting – Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley  

Dallin Smith, assistant professor of accounting – Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University 

Yiding Wang, assistant professor of accounting – Ph.D., University of Oklahoma 

Chen Zhao, assistant professor of accounting – Ph.D., West Virginia University  

Murray Jennex, clinical professor of CIS – Ph.D., Claremont Graduate University  

William Biggs, clinical assistant professor of business law – J.D., University of Chicago 

Jae Kyun Yoo, assistant professor of management – Ph.D., University of Illinois 

Matthew Loftin, instructor of economics & finance – M.S., George Washington University 

College of Education and Social Sciences 

Russell Miller, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction – Ph.D., Baylor University
Minseok Yang, assistant professor of research methodology – Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Sohee Kim, assistant professor of criminal justice – Ph.D., Washington State University 

College of Engineering 

Li Chou, assistant professor of computer science – Ph.D., University of Texas, Dallas 

Mohammad Siddiqui, assistant professor of computer science – Ph.D., University of Toledo 

Behnam Askarian, assistant professor of electrical engineering – Ph.D., Texas Tech University 

David Parker, associate professor of water engineering – Ph.D., University of Nebraska 

Varatharaj Varatharaj, instructor of engineering – M.S., West Texas A&M University 

Deanna Bodkin, instructor of math – M.S., Oklahoma State University 

Swastika Bithi, assistant professor of engineering – Ph.D., Texas Tech University 

Fatemehsadat Tabei, instructor of electrical engineering – Ph.D., Texas Tech University 

Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities 

Anna Lemnitzer, assistant professor of art and design – M.F.A., University of Montana 

Echo Sibley, assistant professor of theatre – M.F.A., University of Arkansas 

Kelsey Abele, assistant professor of communication – Ph.D., Arizona State University 

Min Wha Han, assistant professor of communication – Ph.D., Ohio University 

George Pacheco, associate professor of communication – Ph.D., Southern Mississippi University 

Juan Garcia Oyervides, assistant professor of Spanish – Ph.D., University of Colorado 

College of Nursing and Health Sciences 

Michelle Arnold, instructor of nursing – M.S.N., West Texas A&M University 

Tamara Rhodes, instructor of nursing – M.S.N., Walden University 

Lee Doernte, assistant professor of exercise science – Ph.D., University of Nevada, Las Vegas 

Michelle Smith, assistant professor of nursing – M.S.N., West Texas A&M University 

Laura Coats, assistant professor of nursing – M.S.N., Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi