Contact: Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]  

CANYON, Texas — A leader in the effort to reduce methane emissions around the country is the first presenter on tap for the spring Distinguished Lecture Series at West Texas A&M University. 

Dr. Pete Roos, cofounder of Bridger Photonics, will present “Airborne Lasers: Making Methane Emissions Reduction Simple” at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 10 in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. A Zoom option also is available.  

The event, cohosted by WT’s Center for the Study of the American West, is free and will include a provided lunch of pizza and drinks at noon, while supplies last. To register for the Zoom component, visit bit.ly/csaw-2-10. 

Bridger Photonics, the fastest-growing privately held U.S. company in the engineering sector, develops laser technologies used to detect oil and gas pipeline leaks. The company has business ties in California and within the Permian Basin in Texas and has earned multiple awards. 

Drawing from his background in laser physics and his entrepreneurial experience at Bridger, Roos’ lecture will describe his company’s use of lidar, or light detection and ranging, from airplanes flying over pipelines. Bridger’s process dramatically simplifies the process of detecting, locating and quantifying methane gas leaks and is being used by companies such as ExxonMobil and SoCalGas.  

“Pete Roos grew up in a small town in eastern Oregon, a place that’s not unlike our region —heavy in agriculture and a wide-open western frontier,” said Dr. Alex Hunt, Regents Professor of English and CSAW director. “His story of coming from those roots, gaining an education and starting a business will be relevant to WT students’ experience.” 

Roos’ discussion will highlight links between academic excellence, community service and rational learning to guide students toward potential careers. 

“He is an entrepreneur and had to learn a great deal on the fly when it came to running a business—but he has been extremely successful at this,” Hunt said.  

Other sponsors for the event include the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities; the Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages; the Department of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences; College of Engineering; the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance; the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business; and the Department of Chemistry and Physics. 

Upcoming Distinguished Lecture Series events will include “Spanish Literacy Translation in Motion” from Lisa Dillman and Gregary J. Racz on April 4, and “Anti-Union Workers and Conservative Backlash Politics During the 1937 Sit-Down Strikes” from Dr. Gregory J. Wood on April 14. 

Cowboy poet Red Steagall will present “Values of the Cow Country Told in Story, Verse and Song” at 7 p.m. April 7 in Legacy Hall. A Zoom option also will be available; register at bit.ly/steagall. The event is a joint presentation of CSAW’s Nall Lecture Series and the Distinguished Lecture Series. 

A commitment to academic sciences is an important key to the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised more than $85 million. 

About WTAMU’s Distinguished Lecture Series 

The Distinguished Lecture Series was created to enhance education in the classroom by inviting people of national prominence to speak to WTAMU students and the community about important issues. For information, visit wtamu.edu/about/events/distinguished-lecture-series.html.

About Center for the Study of the American West 

The Center for the Study of the American West was formed in fall 2016 with a mission of fostering the study of the American west at WT and building bridges between the University, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and the regional populace. For information, visit wtamu.edu/csaw or contact [email protected] or 806-651-5238.  

About West Texas A&M University 

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 39 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.