WT Ag Alumni in Amarillo, Canyon Invited to Free Dinner

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - The West Texas A&M University Department of Agricultural Sciences is continuing its tour to connect with Buffs around Texas Panhandle.

Representatives from the department, part of WT's Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, will meet Amarillo and Canyon graduates in an event with the WT Alumni Association and the Agriculture Development Association.

Alumni will meet for a free dinner at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 7 at Reed Beverage, 3701 S.E. 25th Ave. in Amarillo.

Planned attendees include Dr. Lance Kieth, associate dean of the Engler College; Dr. David Lust, head of the Department of Agricultural Sciences; Dr. Bob Robinson, professor of agriculture; McKenzie Begert, recruitment coordinator; Gary Culp, a founding ADA member; Ryan Butler, ADA president; Ronnie Hall, WT Alumni Association executive director; and others.

The event is free. To RSVP, visit bit.ly/wt-ag-amarillo.

"This is a great opportunity for us to reconnect with Buffs on their home turf, as we did in the spring in Muleshoe and Hereford," Kieth said. "Everyone benefits when alumni have strong ties back to the University, so we want to make sure our alumni from Potter and Randall counties know about the amazing work the ADA does with the department and give them a chance to join."

In the past 20-plus years, ADA has raised nearly $2 million for the department, which is strictly used for recruitment efforts. In that time, enrollment has risen from a few hundred students to more than 1,100. The association annually hosts Ag Day, its major annual fundraiser; this year's event is set for Sept. 7.

ADA currently is the largest department-affiliated chapter for WT's Alumni Association.

"The WT Alumni Association is proud of the work that the Ag Development Association is doing," said Ronnie Hall, Alumni Association executive director. "They are taking an initiative to further the impact that WT Alumni can make on student lives, especially those in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences."

Additional events are being planned around the Panhandle region.

Strengthening existing and creating new relationships with alumni is a key mission of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign's new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

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 and more than 40 graduate degrees, including 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.

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