The Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Visual Impairment at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, prepares specialists in visual impairment, orientation and mobility, and deafblindness. It promotes quality research to address the academic and social needs of school-age students with visual impairments and provides public service to assist local, national, and international constituencies. The Center offers degree and certification programs in visual impairment (VI), orientation and mobility (O&M), and deafblindness (DB). Scholarships are offered for students in both degree and certification programs. The students in the program are often found throughout Texas and the bordering counties, as most of the programs are available through distance education. The center also offers an Annual Distinguished Lecturer Series in which the finest and most highly qualified in their field come to Lubbock, Texas to offer valuable learning opportunities through the occurrence of lectures.