At A Glance

Celebration of Donors

Wichita Mountains Mammalogy Trip

Meat Science Featured on Ruben on the Road

Tiny Earth Partner Labs

Amarillo Tri-State Fair, Expo and Rodeo

Processing Samples from Lake Meredith

Destination WT Transfer Fair

Dates To Remember

November 3: Science Community Night

(RSVPs due Oct. 18 for Science Community Night)

Celebration of Donors

The West Texas A&M University Foundation hosted the Celebration of Donors event

to recognize university donors during the evening of Thursday, September 21.

During the event, Dr. Russell and Natrelle Long were recognized for their contributions

to WTAMU as well as being this year's recipients of the Pinnacle Award.

The Pinnacle Award is awarded to recipients who personify the essence of philanthropy

and compassion, while inspiring others to advance the mission of WTAMU.

The Longs made a $2.1 million planned gift to establish the new Companion Animal Program for students who are seeking a career in veterinary medicine or other pet-related careers.

As part of the gift, the Dr. Russell C. Long and Natrelle Hedrick Long Professorship

in Companion Animal Students was established and is held by Dr. Sara-Louise Newcomer, Director of the Companion Animal Program.

This gift also established a scholarship fund for students

enrolled in the Companion Animal Program.

The Celebration of Donors event is a time

to recognize and thank all who give back to WTAMU.

Below are those who graciously donate

to the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences!

Old Main Society Inductees and Rising Members

Merck Animal Health | Bobbe Rule Murphy Charitable Trust | Cindy Gruner | CHS Foundation |

Brenda and Andrew Hoot | Natrelle and Dr. Russell Long | Mc 6 Cattle Feeders | McWhorter Properties | Rosemary Gerdsen Prichard & Stan Prichard | Texas Livestock Marketing Assn. | Martha Couch |

Dairy Innovations, LLC | Frontier Capital Group Ltd | Lyons Family |

Wayne & JoAnn Moore Charitable Foundation | Panhandle Livestock Assn. | Chris Scharbauer | Scharbauer Cattle Company | Misty and Stuart Sutton | Drs. Barbara and Ray Bain Family |

Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation | Terry and Dyke Rogers | Drs. Geneva & Stanley Schaeffer Family | Dr. Stanley Schaeffer | Drs. Barbara and Ray Bain | Jackie and Mike Bain | Heather and R. Mark Bain | Jackie and Stan Byrnes | Caviness Beef Packers | Joyce and Gordon Davis | First United Bank | Happy State Bank | V.H. Harman, Jr. | Puff Niegos | Bill and Dr. Helen Piehl/The Piehl Family |

Buffie and Jerry Schaeffer | Sherry and David Schaeffer | Stan and Gerry Sigman Foundation |

Jana and Dr. Johnny Trotter | Pat and Val White | Buffalo Council Inc |

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo | Nancy and Bob Josserand | Merck Animal Health |

Bobbee Rule Murphy Charitable Trust | Spicer Gripp Memorial Youth Foundation Inc | Anonymous | Budweiser Distributing Co | CHS Foundation | Andy Cole | Cindy Gruner | Jeannette and Dick Railsback | Velrick Wilson | Janice and Bobby Barker | Cindy and Bruce Barrett | Jennie and Lewis Britt | Roy Bryan | Champion Feeders Inc | Sandie and David Cook | Friona Industries, LP | Annette Couch | Martha Couch | Dairy Innovations, LLC | Dawn Custom Cattle Feeders Inc | Thelma J. Evans | Sally and Jimmy Fincher | FirstBank Southwest - Amarillo | J'Melle and Gary Fletcher | J.W. and Dr. Nell Foust | Frontier Capital Group, Ltd | Mr. and Mrs. S.L. Garrison. | Eleanor and Gene Glazener | Brenda and Andrew Hoot | Houston Endowment Inc | Karen and Scott Keeling | Donne and Mike Kuhlman | Sally and Dr. Steve Lewis | Greta and Stan Liles | Natrelle and Dr. Russell Long | Lyons Family | Beverley and Mike Mauldin |

Mc 6 Cattle Feeders, Inc. | McWhorter Properties | Wayne and JoAnn Moore Charitable Foundation | Karen and Dr. J. Patrick O'Brien | Panhandle Geological Society | Panhandle Livestock Assn. |

Barbara and Arlie Petty | Plains Dairy Products | Plains Land Bank | Rosemary Gerdsen Prichard and Stan Prichard | Cleo and Bob Robinson | Chris Scharbauer | Scharbauer Cattle Company |

Gail and Red Steagall | Texas Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company | Richard and Mary West Traylor | Texas Livestock Marketing Association | Ross Wilson | Jeanna and Ed Wright | A2 Cattle Feeding, Inc./Mark Adams | Ag Texas Farm Credit Services | Alltech, Inc | Anonymous |

Emma Barnsley Foundation | Lilith Brainard | Barry Evans | Great Plains Ag Credit | Kuhlman & Sons | Evelyn and Charles Lyles | Kay and Joe Magee | Panhandle Grain & Feed Association | Plug Piehl |

Jane Ann and Dr. B.A. Stewart | Misty Stuart Sutton |

Texas Farm Bureau | Three Star Memorial Roping | Zoetis

Eternal Flame Society Members

Anonymous | Andy Cole | Sandie and David Cook | Martha Couch | Hank Gerdsen | Phyllis Gerdsen |

V.H. Harman, Jr. | Nancy and Bob Josserand | Natrelle and Russell Long | Puff Niegos |

Rosemary Gerdsen Prichard and Stan Prichard | Ross Wilson

Trip to the Wichita Mountains

From the herds of free-roaming bison to the choruses of bugling elk,

the weekend camping trip to Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge 

for students in BIOL*4434/5434, Mammalogy 

was an educational and rewarding experience to remember. 

Taught by Dr. Ray Matlack, Professor of Biology,

sudents were given the ability to pursue their own ways of appreciating wildlife.

Whether that be by tracking a herd of elk up and down a mountainside,

photographing the animals encountered, catching snakes and lizards, and so much more.

They climbed up the granite boulders to find a wide variety of animals

and plants that inhabit the rocky planes and crevices, all while practicing their own elk bugles.

Students not only learned about their surroundings and the wildlife that abounded,

but they also taught one another about their own favorite parts of the natural world,

whether that be the wildlife, the plants, the geology, or the climate. 

Ruben on the Road at WTAMU

Ruben on the Road,

a NewsChannel 10 segment

on showing sights and stories

of the Texas Panhandle and surrounding areas,

recently visited WTAMU's

Doc's Prime Cuts

and the Meat Science Program,

where he learned

about the hands-on experience students receive

while in the program.

Tiny Earth Labs

Dr. Maitreyee Mukherjee, Assistant Professor of Biology,

and students in BIOL*2420, Applied Microbiology,

have started working on a lab called Antibiotic Hunters, a Tiny Earth focused lab!

In January of 2023, Dr. Mukherjee completed training

to become a certified Tiny Earth Partner Instructor.

As part of this program, Dr. Mukherjee gets to incorporate Tiny Earth focused labs

into the Applied Microbiology courses at WTAMU.

"The students are genuinely excited to have the opportunity of contributing

to real science and being a part of this global community of tiny earthlings!"

-Dr. Maitreyee Mukherjee

Amarillo Tri-State Fair Volunteers

Students in AGRI*2302, Communicating Agriculture to the Public,

volunteered time and talents, taking 7,200 photos of every event

at the Amarillo Tri-State Fair, Expo and Rodeo, which is held every year in September.

In addition, students videoed and produced three nights of the rodeo,

which aired live to the Cowboy Channel!

This is an introductory course, taught by Dr. Tanner Robertson,

Associate Professor of Agricultural Media and Communication,

so many of these students have been in college

for about five weeks before assisting with the fair project!

Processing Samples from Lake Meredith

Dr. Maitryee Mukherjee, Assistant Professor of Biology, 

and Dr. Erik Crosman, Assistant Department Head 

and Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences, 

have been working on a study on the microbiology and water quality

of Lake Meredith in Sanford, Tx.

October marks the seventh continuous month

of sampling and collecting data from Lake Meredith.

Dr. Mukherjee and student researchers have been collecting multiple sets of data,

including microbial community structure-diversity-composition,

microbial pathogenic contamination, and occurrence and prevalence of superbugs,

and variations in physicochemical factors in these waters. 

Student researchers on this project include Robyn Cuthbert, M.S. Biology,

Bentli VeneKlasen, B.S. Plant, Soil and Environmental Science '23,

Kara Ramirez, Sr. Biology, Jessica Case, Jr. Animal Science,

and Quincy Nakamura, Jr. Biology

Destination WT Transfer Fair at Amarillo College

Dr. Lance Kieth, Associate Dean of External Relations and Recruiting,

and Dr. Jason Yarbrough, Department Head of Chemistry and Physics

and Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences,

Ross W. Wilson Chair in Chemistry and Associate Professor of Chemistry,

represented the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at the Destination WT Transfer Fair held at Amarillo College on Tuesday, October, 3rd.

The transfer fair hosted a record number of students this year,

with 87 Amarillo College students who checked in!

A Moment with Mrs. Bachman

Socialize With Us!

To Contact:

806-651-2585

buffbrief@wtamu.edu