Ruth Campbell

Everything from carbon management and seismicity was covered at the Odessa College Energy Day 2025 Friday at the Wood Health Sciences Building. OC Geology Professor Joshua Hardt was the faculty lead coordinating the forum. This was the first time the college had hosted an event like it. “I was approached by people from Lawrence Livermore [...]

A cross-section of educators from around the area gathered Wednesday for “At the Crossroads: Generative AI at the Future of Teaching in the Permian Basin” at the J. Conrad Dunagan Library at University of Texas Permian Basin. The keynote speaker was Jose Antonio Bowen, scholar, educator, musician, consultant, and bestselling author. The workshop was designed [...]

Even without knowing he’s written an entire book on the subject you know right off the bat that University of Texas Permian Basin Associate Professor of History Roland Spickermann is passionate about adoption. He and his wife, Lorraine Spickermann, lecturer of teacher education and teacher residency site coordinator at UTPB, have two adopted daughters from [...]

Thanks to passage of House Bill 8 during the most recent special season of the Texas Legislature, Texas students will have a new battery of tests to take starting in the 2027-28 school year. House Bill 8 replaces the STAAR exam with three shorter standardized exams. Ector County Chief Academic Officer Robert Trejo said tests [...]

Permian High School’s Mojo Panther Den has changed locations making it easier to spot and to access. It is now in the lobby of the school. It was on V Hall at the end of B and C Hall by gymnastics and resembled a converted concession stand. Jennifer Livesay is the Student Senate sponsor, teaches [...]

A proposition on the Nov. 4 ballot, if approved by voters, could make access to dementia treatment and innovation easier for West Texans. “Today, it’s far too difficult for Texans to get an early and accurate diagnosis. The Permian Basin faces shortages of neurologists (and) dementia specialists, which forces families to travel long distances for [...]

As University of Texas Permian Basin becomes better known as a place to get an affordable, quality education, its enrollment has continued to increase year over year. In a media availability Thursday Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Becky Spurlock said the university is excited about that growth. The university enrolled more [...]

Used by more than 300 athletes a week, The Cindy and Homer Daniels Nutrition Center, tucked into the weight room at the D. Kirk Edwards Family Human Performance Center, has made a night and day difference for athletes. Homer Daniels said the idea came from University of Texas Permian Basin football coach Kris McCullough. One [...]

Anyone who is a veteran can participate in University of Texas Permian Basin’s Mending Mental Gaps program. The Odessa session starts Oct. 6 and there are sessions in Midland and at Immaculate Conception University in San Antonio. Guided discussions center on literature, poetry and novels. They also explore themes like honor, camaraderie, trauma and the [...]

With the release of state A-F ratings, Sam Houston Elementary became the only non-choice school in Ector County ISD to earn an A rating. The A comes after years of hard work and ups and downs where the campus was F-rated at one point. The four keys to their success are professional learning communities, Opportunity [...]

Dignitaries, elected officials and community members turned out for the grand opening of Harmony School of Innovation-Odessa Monday. The new campus, a STEM-focused, public charter school, is located at 4261 Mission Blvd. The groundbreaking took place in May of 2024. Putting a prekindergarten through 12th grade campus in Odessa was prompted by parents who wanted [...]

“Fairway to Success” brought out luminaries from the golf — and entertainment — world to raise funds for the Sunset Youth Golf Center. The idea is to restore and upgrade the Sunset Golf Course, which was purchased by Ector County ISD for future development. The gathering was held in the ballroom of the Odessa Country [...]

“Fairway to Success” brought out luminaries from the golf — and entertainment — world to raise funds for the Sunset Youth Golf Center. The idea is to restore and upgrade the Sunset Golf Course, which was purchased by Ector County ISD for future development. The gathering was held in the ballroom of the Odessa Country [...]

Replacing the STAAR test and Senate Bill 12, known as the Texas Parents’ Bill of Rights, were two of the big-ticket items that passed during the regular and special legislative session. State Rep. Brooks Landgraf, R-Odessa, has long been pushing to scrap the STAAR test and the passage of House Bill 8, which changes state [...]

ECISD seeing results from Opportunity Culture

The Sunset Youth Golf Center will present “Fairway to Success,” a lunch and afternoon golf clinic to raise funds for the Sunset Youth Golf Center, kicking off at 1:30 a.m. Sept. 13 at the Odessa Country Club. The event will include a buffet luncheon with special guests, Rudy Gatlin, founder of the Sunset Youth Golf [...]

LBJ celebrates making a B in campus ratings

A court ruling taking the lesser prairie-chicken off the endangered species list has conservation banker Wayne Walker at a standstill. In a 2024 interview with the Odessa American, Walker, the principal of Common Ground Capital LLC, said instead of trying to develop land they are trying to conserve or restore habitat. His group finds ranchers [...]

University of Texas Permian Basin is launching a bachelor of fine arts degree with a graphic design emphasis this fall. Raj Dakshinamurthy, Provost/Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, said the art program is unique within a 150-mile radius. “We are the only one accredited by the National Association of School of Arts and Design,” Dakshinamurthy [...]

Leading up to Odessa’s 100th birthday in 2027, Executive Director of Odessa Arts Randy Ham is collaborating with Our Town Everywhere to give community members a chance to create a self-portrait of the city. Bryce McCloud of Isle of Printing in Nashville and Carlee Latimer from the public library in Madison, Wisconsin, were at City [...]