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Classes start next week. New students are arriving on campus for orientation and Buff Branding, faculty are completing each class's course syllabus and the population and traffic on campus are growing. It is the beginning of the yearly cycle for a new group of students. How exciting—an immediate transformation to making one’s own decisions and the opportunity to experience freedom from parental control. It is also a scary time—trying to fit in, finding their people and making friends.
We can all help with this transformation. Whether it’s being welcoming, helpful or a friend, we all have a responsibility to our new student's engagement. Attendance and encouraging attendance at the Back to School Extravaganza on September 3rd is a great opportunity to engage our students. Hope to see you there!
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The Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) is hosting the Beef Showcase on campus at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 12. Event highlights include cooking demonstrations by Texas Beef Council chefs, beef industry knowledge and skills contest, beef harvest and fabrication presentations and an awards presentation. Participation in the Beef Showcase is free and open to the public, courteous of TCFA sponsors. | |
Capturing Bats in New Mexico | |
Two M.S. Biology students, Ciera Heinrich and Tanner Sargent, participated in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's bat capture and handling workshop, July 15-18. The three night workshop was held in Mill's Canyon, New Mexico on the Kiowa National Grasslands. It focused on capture, handling, identification and decontamination protocols to prevent the spread of white-nose syndrome between bats. The bats were captured using mist nets set over water. | |
Meat Science Success in Omaha | | |
Students recently represented the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at the 2024 American Association of Meat Processor's (AAMP) convention in Omaha, Nebraska. AAMP hosts the American Cured Meat Championships, attracting contestants from across the U.S. Students were asked to help with this contest and evaluated over 800 processed meat products. WTAMU's team, led by Dr. Trent Schwartz, consisted of Cole Verret; Audrey Rangel, an Animal Science senior; Macy Lawrence; and Shelton Luedke. The team entered six products in the collegiate division. Competing against seven other schools, WTAMU took home the Grand Champion Braunschweiger. | |
Rodeo Team Receives $100,000 for Scholarship Endowment | |
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Spicer Gripp, a Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Famer, was a beloved resident of the Hereford community. He was born in 1925 in the Texas Panhandle, where he resided for the rest of his life. He farmed daily, roped in the evenings and competed in weekend rodeos. His greatest accomplishments included winning a steer roping round at the 1949 Cheyenne Frontier Days, and teaching his son, Kim Gripp, how to rope. This grew his affinity for encouraging youth in rodeo.
In honor of Mr. Gripp, his family and friends created the annual Spicer Gripp Memorial Roping and the Spicer Gripp Memorial Youth Foundation. The foundation provides funding for endowments that award scholarships for students on the WTAMU Rodeo Team. The proceeds of the roping go towards funding those endowments.
The WT Rodeo Team helped with the production of this year's roping on August 1-4. During their reception on July 31, the Spicer Gripp Memorial Youth Foundation presented a check for $100,000 for the scholarship endowment. This amount was matched by the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences Engler Fund for a total of $200,000 raised for the endowment awarding agricultural and rodeo team scholarships.
Mr. Gripp's legacy will live on perpetually through the next generation of rodeo athletes who walk the WTAMU hallways.
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SMA Honors 14 WT Students | |
The Southwest Meat Association (SMA) presented 14 Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences students with scholarships. Those named include:
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Undergraduate: Cole Verret, Sr. Animal Science; Ryan Heitschmidt, Sr. Animal Science; Paul McCalister, Fr. Agribusiness; Ava Pluchino, Jr. Agricultural Business and Economics; Daniel Raab, Sr. Animal Science; Kamberlyn Salazar, Sr. Agricultural Media and Communication; Morgan Thorn, Sr. Animal Science; and Spencer Walahoski, Jr. Animal Science
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Graduate: Shelton Luedke, M.S. Animal Science; Will Boyd, M.S. Animal Science; Bailey Lamb, M.S. Animal Science; Macy Lawrence, M.S. Animal Science; Bryant Sawin, M.S. Animal Science; and Megan Eckhardt, Ph.D. Agriculture
| Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences competitive teams continued their community support throughout the summer. Multiple teams hosted several learning opportunities for youth. | |
On August 1-2, the WTAMU Meat Judging Team hosted their 2024 Meat Judging Clinic. The team trained over 47 students ranging from eight to 18 years old. They traveled from Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. Highlights from the two day educational camp included a tour of the Caviness Meat Science and Innovation Center and a chance to meet baby "Doc," WTAMU's buffalo mascot. |
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From August 1-3, the WTAMU Horse Judging Team hosted their 2024 Summer Horse Judging Clinic. Highlights from the three day camp included lunch with baby "Doc," a mock judging contest and stick horse games. | |
Support the Joseph Bramhall Hoot Memorial Scholarship | |
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Joseph Bramhall Hoot was born in December of 1999. Everyone who knew him described him as generous—one to give the shirt off his back and open the door for anyone. He was a 2018 graduate of Ascension Academy in Amarillo, Texas, and a Sr. biology major at WTAMU. Joe passed unexpectedly on October 31, 2022.
Family and friends established a scholarship fund, the Joseph Bramhall Memorial Merit Scholarship, in March 2023 to recognize and perpetuate Joe’s generosity, engagement and kind spirit.
His parents, Andrew and Brenda Hoot, donated seed money to start the scholarship, which has grown to over $150,000. This year, the Hoot family will match every gift, dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000.
The Joe Hoot Memorial Endowment is a part of WT’s Merit Scholarship Program, designed to attract top students based on their academic and community achievements. The Hoot Endowment is available to all students majoring in the natural sciences with a preference for biology majors.
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