Faculty Profiles
Texas Tech is proud to boast of one of the finest and most diverse faculties in the nation. Although all their stories cannot be told in this space, read to learn about a few who set the tone for academic excellence on our campus.
Mellinee Lesley
College of Education
After growing up in a family of educators, Mellinee Lesley swore she would never be a teacher. She set her sights on other prospects, like going to college to study journalism. At least thatâ¿¿s what she thought until she taught her first freshman composition class. It was love at first sight.
"I was offered an administrative job at an outreach program and a teaching job." Lesley said. "When my husband told me that my face lights up when I talk about teaching, I knew what to do."... more»
Mary Jane Hurst
Hurst has brought more to Texas Tech than her love of language and passion for teaching.
Mary Jane Hurst exemplifies what she teaches.
"Language is speech, expression and emotion. It's our primary way of expressing ourselves and defines who we are," said the professor of linguistics and faculty assistant to the president.
Judging by her soft speech, lifted voice, and obvious excitement over the chosen topics of conversation, this certainly defines what is important to Hurst. ... more»
Charles B. Thornton Professor of Law Brian Shannon
School of Law
"I try to teach students how to be prepared to practice law with honor and integrity."
Brian Shannon teaches law. He makes sure citizens know the law. He even suggests improvements for the law. Shannon enjoys teaching because he is impressed with the work ethic of students at the Texas Tech.... more»
Assistant Professor Dirk Fowler
School of Art, College of Visual and Performing Arts
This look is familiar, even if you can't define it. Guitars and Cadillacs with a touch of mohawk; Louis L'Amour as told to Sid Vicious (of Sex Pistols fame). Clean yet gritty, hip and somehow refreshingly antique, skating a razor wire between fashionable and old-fashioned, equal parts Manhattan sidewalk and Lubbock honky tonk.
Such a balancing act, illustrating the best of Americana (apple pie, Superman, Route 66) while retaining a scruffiness that sits comfortably next to alleyway graffiti, is one that few people could manage... more»
Paul Whitfield Horn Professor Stefan K. Estreicher
Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences
"You are only as good as your next paper" defines Stefan Estreicher's commitment to the future and to his research.
Originally from Switzerland, Estreicher earned his doctorate from the University of Zürich in 1982 before moving to the United States in 1983.... more»
Professor Dominick Casadonte
Chairman of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
Playing the kazoo and the trombone, working with Habitat for Humanity and making stained glass are just a few of the hobbies Dominick Casadonte enjoys when he isn't sharing his passion for chemistry with... more»
Assistant Professor Aliza Wong
Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Like most young children, Aliza Wong's dreams changed more than once. At age 5, she wanted to be a hairdresser. This dream transformed into studying medicine when she decided to become a doctor. But she never dreamed that she would, one day, move from her childhood home in Portland, Oregon, to teach history in West... more»
Associate Professor Yuan Shu
Department of English and Director of the Comparative Literature Program, College of Arts and Sciences
More than 7,000 miles away from his current home in Lubbock, Texas, Yuan Shu grew up in Nanjing, China, where he first developed his love for learning and thirst for... more»
Assistant Professor Comfort Pratt
Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures, College of Arts and Sciences
From playing on the Ghana National team for hockey, tennis and volleyball, working for foreign ambassadors, to professor of Spanish at Texas Tech, Comfort Pratt's vow to be successful in all of her endeavors is... more»
Associate Professor Jorge Iber
Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Jorge Iber, chairman of the History Department, has an immigrant's love for the United States. A large man occupying a large office, his persona clearly reflects the personality of his native Cuba: casual in manner, sporting a colorful purple shirt and acting like he has all the time in the world for a friendly... more»
Paul Whitfield Horn Professor James Watkins
College of Architecture
James Watkins, dubbed the Grandmaster of Clay by an African writer, is an internationally renowned ceramic artist. His work is included in the White House Collection of American Crafts, the Shigaraki Institute of Ceramic Studies in Shigaraki, Japan, and in two museums of the Smithsonian... more»
Paul Whitfield Horn Professor Kishor Mehta
College of Engineering
Sometimes light bulbs blink on. Sometimes light poles blow over
In 1968, these two seemingly humble events converged for Dr. Kishor Mehta when heavy winds toppled one of the standards that illuminate what was then Jones Stadium.... more»
Associate Professor Ann Graham
School of Law
When Ann Graham was growing up in the small Texan town of Breckenridge, her parents - both of whom were educators - hoped that she would also enter the teaching profession. Instead, Graham became an attorney, specializing in banking and commercial... more»
Associate Professor Stephen Jones
Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences
"Don Quixote stands watch over the computer."
The article, published in the Sept. 9, 2003 edition of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal also suggests "in a way, the lair on the third-floor English building becomes another world for Jones as he weaves together his novels."
This "lair" is where Jones completed his third and fourth novels.... more»
Professor Tina Fuentes
School of Art, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Tina Fuentes dreams in color. She touches objects and people, and feels the energy around her. On waking, she tells her husband of the vivid details of her dreams. Fuentes, one of the most well-known Hispanic artists in the country, shared this insight into her creative world during a recent conversation in her office on the Tech... more»
Associate Professor Kevin Mulligan
Department of Economics and Geography, College of Arts and Sciences
Kevin Mulligan, a popular professor of geography at Texas Tech, is in step with the times: He has had to reinvent himself at least once in his career. When Mulligan came to the university in 1998 as a visiting professor, his specialty was physical geography. Mulligan was attracted to Texas Tech because of its location in a semi-arid environment and its excellent resources in wind science and... more»
Assistant Professor Christopher J. Smith
School of Music, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Christopher J. Smith's fascination with the power of live music started in the coffee houses of Boston. As a 13-year old, he spent his free time immersed in the late 1960s folk music revival. During one memorable summer, he was a regular in the coffee houses, listening for hours to traditional Irish music and Mississippi Delta blues - both played live and often in the same room. "This completely rocked my world," he said in a recent interview. "I have been very dedicated to the study and performance of various traditional musics ever... more»