Check out some of the things that happened while you were away.
Construction projects begin, end across campus
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The intersection at 15th Street and University Avenue will no longer provide access to the interior part of campus, but drivers will still be able to access the R13 and Z2 parking lots in that area once it reopens. All other campus entrances, such as Broadway Street and Boston Avenue, will remain the same. Read more about the 15th Street changes.
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Theatre & Dance Complex, J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts: Renovation and expansion of the Maedgen Theatre is nearly complete, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Theatre & Dance Complex will take place this fall. The new structure includes rehearsal and studio spaces, lighting and instructional computer-assisted design and drafting labs, a black box theater and administrative and faculty areas.
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Experimental Sciences Building II (ESB II): Construction on ESB II is nearing completion, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place later this fall. ESB II will significantly expand the university's research capabilities and includes an animal vivarium, four general wet labs, three instrumentation labs and two synthetic labs.
Rawls College of Business develops Excellence in Banking Program
In response to the economic and industry events that have led to the demand for qualified bankers, the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business has developed a Excellence in Banking Program. The program is designed to produce top-notch bankers by giving students a comprehensive understanding of modern banking operations and practices. Read more about the Excellence in Banking Program.
Men's track and field claims national championship
In June, for the first time in university history, a men's athletic team returned to campus as national champions. The Red Raider track and field team claimed the NCAA Outdoor Championship after receiving points contributions from every single student-athlete who suited up on the final day. Read more about the Red Raider track and field team.
Baseball finishes among the final four nationally for the first time
The 2018-19 baseball season was historic for the Red Raiders, who won their third Big 12 regular-season title in the past four years and advanced to Omaha for the fourth time in six seasons. Texas Tech's stay in Omaha featured two wins, placing the Red Raiders among the final four teams for the first time in program history. Read more about the Red Raiders' run in Omaha.
Meat science teams earn national, world titles
The Texas Tech Meat Science Academic Quiz Bowl Team traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado, in June, where they earned the title of National Champions at the 72nd Reciprocal Meat Conference. This is the ninth time Texas Tech has won the competition.
Also this summer, the Meat Judging Team was named world champion after several members competed at the 2019 Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association conference and workshop in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, in the southeastern part of Australia. This was the second time Texas Tech has been invited to and won the contest, taking the title in 2011 as well.
School of Veterinary Medicine receives funding, approval from Texas Legislature
In June, Texas Tech received $17.35 million and direction from the 86th Texas Legislature to establish a School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo. This will be the first veterinary school in the state in more than 100 years and will help meet the unmet demand for rural, large-animal veterinarians across the state. Read more about the legislative session.
College of Education names new dean
Jesse Perez Mendez, who previously served as dean of the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Education, began in his new role as dean of the Texas Tech College of Education on Aug. 1. Mendez was one of five finalists in Texas Tech's search for a replacement for Dean Scott Ridley, who led the college from 2011 until his death in October 2018. Read more about Dean Mendez.
Texas Tech University at Costa Rica names new dean
Jeffrey Belnap, who previously served as provost and senior vice president of the American University of Afghanistan, Kabul, has been appointed dean of Texas Tech University at Costa Rica (TTU-CR), the institution's first international campus. Belnap began in his new role Aug. 1 and is the first in the role at TTU-CR, which welcomed the inaugural class of students in August 2018. Read more about Dean Belnap.
Historic Texas Tech, USDA agreement to bring cotton classing facility to campus
A historic cooperative agreement between Texas Tech and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will move Lubbock's current cotton classing facility to campus with the establishment of a new facility north of Fourth Street on Texas Tech Parkway, across from the Rawls Golf Course. It will be the first collaboration on a cotton classing facility between the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service Cotton and Tobacco Program and an institution of higher learning. Read more about the cotton classing facility.
Texas Tech ranked as a top university on several lists
Texas Tech continues to be recognized among the top in several areas:
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In its 2019 Best Online Colleges lists, the Guide to Online Schools ranked Texas Tech highly in three categories: No. 2 for best online colleges in Texas, No. 6 for best online colleges for bachelor's degrees and No. 9 for best online colleges for doctoral programs.
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The university's online programs also were ranked among the best in the country in the 2019 Best Online Colleges and Universities survey published by bestcolleges.com. Overall, Texas Tech was ranked No. 14 for Best Online Colleges and No. 20 in America's Best Military-Friendly Online Colleges.
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The School of Law earned the top ranking in the 2019 American Bar Association (ABA) Competitions Championship. The ranking, compiled by the ABA, measures overall performance for law schools across the U.S. in four practical skills competition categories – arbitration, negotiation, client counseling and the National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC moot court).
