Estate Gift Supports UW Zoology and Physiology Graduate Students

A generous gift from the estate of the late Charles "Chuck" McKinley, a University of Wyoming alumnus, boosts support to graduate students in the UW Department of Zoology and Physiology.

"Chuck McKinley chose to give back in a way that will have a lasting impact on our students," says Amy Navratil, head of the Department of Zoology and Physiology within the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources. "This endowment will make a meaningful difference for our graduate students, particularly those in physiology, by providing critical support for research, training and student success."

The estate gift will bolster the previously established Charles J. McKinley Endowment Fund for Physiology and Zoology, which supports graduate student studies in physiology and zoology. Preference is given to students studying anatomy and physiology and to students with some financial or personal hardship. The fund may be used for research support, to purchase equipment and supplies, for scholarships or for other graduate student-related needs.

"We are truly grateful for Dr. McKinley's generosity and foresight and for the opportunity to carry his legacy forward for generations to come," Navratil says.

The Department of Zoology and Physiology is composed of a diverse and collaborative group of faculty and researchers, working together to provide students with an exceptional learning and research environment. A graduate degree in zoology and physiology prepares students for careers in research, health care, conservation and education.

Originally from Tennessee, McKinley eventually landed in Wyoming, where he fell in love with the state and its university. He earned a master's degree in zoology and physiology from UW in 1959. During his time at UW, he studied how hormones impacted uterine wound healing in rats. He worked with R.H. Denniston, his major professor and mentor, who supported his research and made a lasting impression on him.

McKinley valued education. He earned a bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He went on to teach at Purdue University and Michigan State University.

McKinley chose to leave an estate gift to UW because he appreciated education and wanted to support students who, like him, needed help to conduct their research. Although he attended other universities, his fondest memories were of UW and Denniston, who he kept in touch with long after he graduated from UW. McKinley died in 2024 at the age of 92.

"Chuck McKinley's gift to UW is a testament to the positive and enduring influence a professor can have on a student -- as an educator and a mentor," says Kelly Crane, the Farm Credit Services of America Dean of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources. "We are deeply grateful for this generous gift that will provide support to graduate students -- especially those studying physiology -- as they pursue groundbreaking research and discovery."