WT grad student’s research helps understanding of precipitation in Texas Panhandle WTAMU Newsroom CANYON — Research at West Texas A&M University could revolutionize the understanding of how hail and rain are formed over the Texas Panhandle. Research that recently was published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics might lead to better understanding of precipitation across the Panhandle and beyond, including more efficient ways to modify the weather. Hemanth Sandeep Vepuri, a student from Hyderabad, India, who is pursuing his master of science degree in environmental science, is the primary author of the research into ice-nucleating particles (INPs) — the microscopic material in the air that water vapor condenses around to form ice crystals that make up clouds.