Texas Tech University

Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research Awards

Council Announces Prestigious Award Winners

Established in 2001, the Chancellor's Council Distinguished Teaching and Research Awards are given to individuals who exemplify teaching or research excellence throughout the year. These are the highest honors given by the Texas Tech University System to faculty members at its component institutions. Winners of these awards have significantly advanced teaching or research efforts and are noted as leaders among colleagues and in their respective fields.

The Chancellor's Council Distinguished Teaching Awards are designed to recognize faculty members for teaching excellence, as evidenced by their attainment of distinction both within and beyond the institution for outstanding teaching and outstanding contributions related to excellence in teaching. The Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research Awards are designed to recognize outstanding research, scholarship, and creative activity of faculty members in the developmental stages of their careers.

Nominations for The Chancellor's Council Distinguished Research Awards will be accepted through ttu.infoready4.com annually as outlined in OP 32.21. A pdf version of the application can be found at OP 32.21 Attachment A. 

2023 - 2024 Award Winners

Hyo Jung "Julie" Chang, Ph.D.

Hyo Jung (Julie) Chang is an associate professor in the Department of Hospitality and Retail Management and has cultivated an outstanding scholarship in the field of fashion consumer behavior. Dr. Chang's research goal is to make a positive impact on fashion consumer communities by enhancing their self-concept and providing sustainable resources utilizing 3D and applied technologies. 

Dr. Chang has published 36 peer-reviewed journal articles and 78 conference proceedings. As a principal investigator and Co-PI, she has actively applied for a total of $4.5 million in grants and received nearly a million dollars in funding from the USDA, the National Science Foundation, Cotton Incorporated and the Academy of Korean Studies, among others. 

Her scholarly achievements have earned recognition through various accolades, including the International Textile and Apparel Association Rising Star and Mid-Career Excellence Awards, Paper of Distinction Awards and an Intellect Books Research Award, and the American Collegiate Retailing Association Best Paper Award, and Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal Outstanding and Best Paper Awards.

Jennifer Guelfo, Ph.D.

Jennifer Guelfo is an assistant professor and an Ed and Linda Whitacre Faculty Fellow in Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering. She joined Texas Tech in 2018 following a postdoctoral appointment at the Brown University School of Engineering. She holds a bachelor's degree in geology from the College of Charleston, and a master's degree in environmental science and engineering and a doctorate in hydrologic science and engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

For the past 14 years, her research has focused on occurrence, fate, transport, and remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl  substances, also known as “forever chemicals.”  Her research has led to more than 20 publications and $4 million in sponsored projects since joining the university.

In addition to academia, she also has a combination of consulting and industry experience and uses this background to engage in activities that can inform policy and bridge gaps between research and practice. 

Nicholas G. Smith, Ph.D.

Nick Smith is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. He received his doctorate in 2016 from Purdue University and joined Texas Tech in 2017 following postdoctoral appointments at Purdue University and the E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Dr. Smith has published 49 peer-reviewed journal articles since joining Texas Tech. 

He currently is an Early Career Fellow of the Ecological Society of America and a National Science Foundation CAREER award winner. In 2022, he received the Outstanding Researcher Award from the Texas Tech Office of Research and Innovation. 

Dr. Smith is a plant ecophysiologist who studies feedback between global change and terrestrial ecosystems. He and his lab have helped to elucidate how plants respond to different global change factors at scales from the leaf to the globe. They have also improved our understanding of how these responses influence ecosystem functioning and services.

Sarah E. Victor, Ph.D.

Sarah Victor is an assistant professor of psychological sciences. Her research is focused on understanding non-suicidal and suicidal self-harm among members of marginalized communities. She uses advanced data collection and statistical methods to track fluctuations in risk and protective factors for self-injury and suicide over time as they occur in daily life, with the goal of leveraging data to improve suicide and self-injury prevention strategies for high-risk individuals. 

Dr. Victor is also building a new line of research examining experiences of psychiatric and other disabilities among mental health professionals. Since joining Texas Tech in 2019, she has led two large federal and foundation grants, published research in leading psychology journals and has been recognized by two rising star awards. 

Dr. Victor received her bachelor's degree from Stanford University, earned her doctorate from the University of British Columbia and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh.

Past Recipients

Office of Research & Innovation

© 2024  Texas Tech University Jun 13, 2024 3:08 PM