Timeline of WT’s One West Campaign

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

CANYON, Texas-The One West comprehensive fundraising campaign officially will end with the April 16 announcement of the final amount raised in the historic effort.

An on-campus celebration for students, faculty and staff will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 22 on the south lawn of the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building.

Here's a look back at the significant milestones of the campaign, which funds the long-range plan WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

The groundwork was laid for the campaign in 2017, when Paul Engler and the Engler Foundation made an $80 million gift to WT, $24 million of which was counted in the campaign.

The public launch was held in September 2021, with an original goal of $125 million, which was reached just 18 months later. A second goal of $175 million was reached in September 2025.

In all, 13,377 different donors made a contribution to the campaign.

Nov. 17, 2017

WTAMU Announces Engler Gift as Largest in University History

Officials at West Texas A&M University today announced its largest gift in the University's 107-year history. Paul Engler and the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation have agreed to donate at least $1 million a year for a period of no less than 80 years to the institution.

In response, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has granted naming rights to the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business.

For more, click here .

Feb. 11, 2021

Historic Gift Will Fund Baptist Community Services Nursing Education Floor for WT

In the largest gift in its history, High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation will give $3 million to support West Texas A&M University's nursing program.

The gift also is the fourth-largest single gift in the University's history.

For more, click here .

April 22, 2021

WT Announces Multimillion-Dollar Estate Gift to Cornette Library's Texas Poets' Corner

West Texas A&M University officials today announced a $2.8 million estate gift that will endow three professorships and a scholarship fund, as well as support a significant legacy initiative to expand holdings and programs of Cornette Library's Texas Poets' Corner.

This substantial gift comes from the estate of the late Dr. Jenny Lind Porter Scott, a former Texas Poet Laureate and WT assistant professor of English.

For more, click here .

Sept. 23, 2021

WT Launches $125 Million Fundraising Campaign, Largest in Panhandle History

West Texas A&M University made history Sept. 23 with the official public unveiling of its new $125 million comprehensive fundraising campaign.

The One West campaign is designed to fuel the University's long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

At a Sept. 23 launch party in Buffalo Stadium on WT's campus in Canyon, campaign leaders announced the overall goal and priorities of the campaign, which will run through 2025.

For more, click here .

Sept. 24, 2021

Working Ranch East of Canyon to Be Used by WT Students, Faculty Following Gift

West Texas A&M University's land holdings are expanding with the addition of a new working ranch to be used in training students.

WT officials announced Friday the planned gift of the Gerdsen Family Centennial Ranch to the WTAMU Foundation. The 1,772-acre ranch is located near the WTAMU Nance Ranch, approximately seven miles east of Canyon, expanding WT's footprint in that area to more than 4,000 acres.

For more, click here .

Dec. 9, 2021

$5 Million Gift to WT Will Have Far-Reaching Impact on U.S. Meat Industry

Two major gifts to West Texas A&M University totaling $5 million will help ensure the continued excellence of the University's meat science program.

Dr. Gordon W. Davis, a Lubbock businessman and former educator, has pledged $3.75 million to fund two chairs in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. An additional $1.25 million has been pledged by Caviness Beef Packers for one of those chairs.

For more, click here .

Feb. 18, 2022

Subburaj Named to New Professorship in WT College of Engineering; Position Meant to Inspire Underrepresented in STEM Fields

A new professorship named for a West Texas A&M University alumnus that's meant to inspire women and other underrepresented groups in STEM fields will be filled by Dr. Anitha Subburaj.

The McFather Professorship of Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics was established in honor of Shane McFather, who graduated in 1987 with a degree in finance.

The $125,000 endowment was set up by Dr. Emily Hunt, dean of the University's the College of Engineering ; her mother, Jayne, of Lubbock; and her sister, Abbye McFather Reeves, also of Lubbock.

For more, click here .

Feb. 18, 2022

Major Gift from Bivins Foundation Will Support WT Nursing Department in Amarillo

West Texas A&M University student nurses in the region's most successful nursing program have a new place to study and recharge, thanks to a generous gift from the Mary E. Bivins Foundation.

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Feb. 17 approved a proposal to name a student lounge in the Bivins Foundation's honor in the Baptist Community Services Nursing Education Floor at Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo.

For more, click here .

Feb. 21, 2022

WT Education Building to Be Named for Geneva Schaeffer Following $2.5 Million Gift

The second-oldest building on West Texas A&M University's campus will be posthumously named for a graduate whose roots with the University ran deep, WT officials announced today.

The Education Building will be christened the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building, named in memory of a distinguished alumna who attended not only WT, but also the demonstration school that once was housed in the building that now will bear her name.

The Schaeffer family agreed to donate $2.5 million to WT as part of a wide-ranging effort to bring the Education Building back to life.

For more, click here .

Feb. 28, 2022

WT's Buffalo Stadium to Be Renamed Following $5 Million Gift

Two families whose generosity to West Texas A&M University stretches back generations now have given an additional $5 million to the University, officials announced today.

In recognition, the premiere football stadium in all of Division II Athletics will now bear their names: The Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.

For more, click here .

March 9, 2022

WT's College of Education and Social Sciences to Be Named for Longtime Regional Educator Terry B. Rogers Following $5 Million Gift

West Texas A&M University's anchor college will be named for a prominent regional educator following a $5 million gift.

The newly dubbed Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences was unveiled today at a press conference in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center.

For more, click here.

March 23, 2022

WT's One West Campaign Thunders Past $100 Million in Just Six Months

West Texas A&M University's One West campaign has raised a record-breaking $108 million just six months since its public launch, WT officials announced today.

The current total-specifically, $107,755,000, as of March 22-surpasses WT leaders' expectations and more than doubles the amount raised by the University's last fundraising campaign, officials said.

For more, click here .

March 30, 2022

Dalhart Couple's Gift to Fund Regional Arts Outreach by WT Students, Faculty

The Louise C. and Gene F. Rahll Endowment for the Showcase in a Suitcase program, following a $300,000 gift to WT's One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, will enable WT's cultural impact to extend around the Texas Panhandle.

For more, click here.

April 13, 2022

WT's Hill Chapel to Be Extensively Renovated Following $1.5 Million Gift

A beloved West Texas A&M University landmark will undergo the first major renovations in its 72-year history after a $1.5 million gift from the High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation.

For more, click here .

April 26, 2022

WT Alumna Pledges $1.8 Million for Women's Athletics Scholarships, Program Support

Judy Fugate, an Amarillo resident who played badminton and bowled for the University in the 1960s and early 1970s, has set up the Judy Fugate Lady Buff Scholarship endowment, a $1.85 million legacy gift to the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign that will ensure top female athletes will receive annual scholarships.

For more, click here .

May 3, 2022

Gift from Piehl Family Establishes Professorships in Education, Agriculture at WT

Newly endowed professorships in agriculture and education continue a long history of giving to West Texas A&M University by one prominent Amarillo family.

WT officials announced this week the establishment of the Bill Piehl Professorship of Education and Social Sciences and the Plug Piehl Professorship in Agriculture following a gift of $250,000 by businesswoman and philanthropist Helen Piehl in honor of her daughters.

For more, click here .

May 4, 2022

Late Myrna Raffkind to Be Memorialized with New WT Professorship in Education

professorship honoring a former West Texas A&M University instructor and alumna will enhance WT's ability to prepare students to become international citizens.

The Myrna Raffkind Professorship of Global Education has been established following a $125,000 gift from private donors in memory of Raffkind, a community activist and educator who died in 2017.

Raffkind, a Tulsa native who was married for more than 50 years to Amarillo businessman Daniel Raffkind, earned master's degrees in psychology and sociology at WT and served as an instructor in both disciplines from 1985 to 1998. She was named instructor emerita in 2009.

For more, click here .

May 10, 2022

Merck Animal Health Donates $500,000 to West Texas A&M University

Merck Animal Health announced a $500,000 donation to West Texas A&M University for its feedlot renovation and expansion project at the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.

For more, click here .

Sept. 2, 2022

WT's Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium Officially Renamed

The remarkable, ongoing legacy of giving by two prominent regional families was honored Sept. 2 as West Texas A&M University officially celebrated the renaming of its on-campus stadium.

The premiere football stadium in all of Division II Athletics now bears their names: The Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.

WT officials and the families of Barbara and Ray Bain and Geneva and Stanley Schaeffer gathered at the foot of the stadium's main tower to officially kick off the first season in the Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium ahead of WT's home football season opener Sept. 3, 2022, against Western Colorado University

For more, click here .

Sept. 7, 2022

WT Smashes Fundraising Records in Fiscal Year 2022

West Texas A&M University shattered fundraising records in fiscal year 2022, the first year of its historic One West comprehensive campaign.

More than $29 million was raised in major and annual gifts between Sept. 1, 2021, and Aug. 31 of this year. That's nearly $14 million more than the amount raised in fiscal year 2021, the previous record-setting year .

For more, click here .

Dec. 15, 2022

Nurse Practitioner Program at WT Continues to Grow with Newly Established Professorship

West Texas A&M University will continue to bolster its acclaimed nurse practitioner program thanks to a newly established professorship.

Dr. Angela Phillips is now the Mike Wartes Professor of Nursing and Health Sciences, a position that will enable her to continue the kind of work that has resulted in WT's program being ranked No. 1 in Texas for three consecutive years .

For more, click here .

Dec. 15, 2022

Former WT President, Wife Establish New Program in Small Animal Studies

A major gift from a former president of West Texas A&M University and his wife will allow the University to significantly expand its foothold in pre-veterinary education and animal studies.

WT President Emeritus Russell C. Long and wife Natrelle Hedrick Long have announced a $2.1 million planned gift to the University to establish a new companion animal science program for students planning on a career in veterinary medicine or in a host of other pet-related careers.

For more, click here .

Feb. 2, 2023

Major Scholarship Gift to Pay Full Tuition for Pampa, White Deer Graduates at WT

The Donna Carol Germany Cofer Endowed Scholarship, established through a $1.5 million gift, will provide a minimum of $10,000 per academic year to selected students from Pampa and White Deer, thanks to a gift from Bill Cofer, a retired purchasing agent for Cabot Corp. in Pampa.

For more, click here .

Feb. 14, 2023

Amarillo National Bank Names School at WT Following $3 Million Gift

For the first time in more than 10 years, West Texas A&M University has a newly established school, following a $3 million gift from Amarillo National Bank -the largest gift in the bank's history.

With the gift and its Feb. 9 approval by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance in the Paul & Virginia Engler College of Business will be elevated to a school, WT and ANB officials announced at a Feb. 14 news conference in Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center.

For more, click here .

March 14, 2023

Memorial Scholarship Fund Established in Honor of Late WT Student Joe Hoot

Joe Hoot was a young man who'd stop and hold the door for anyone, even when the line would ceaselessly keep streaming in. Who'd give the sweatshirt off his back to an acquaintance who was cold. Who'd give his own food away to a stranger who was hungry.

Now, following his unexpected death at age 22, his generous spirit will live on in the form of a new merit scholarship at West Texas A&M University.

Joe, who was a senior biology major in WT's Department of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences , died Oct. 31, 2023. In the wake of their loss, parents Andrew and Brenda Hoot of Canyon established the Joseph Bramhall Hoot Memorial Merit Scholarship.

For more, click here .

March 30, 2023

WT Establishes Barbara Petty Professorship in Tribute to Longtime Administrator

A newly established professorship at West Texas A&M University will honor a beloved former administrator.

The Barbara Petty Professorship of Business Communication was announced at a March 29 reception at the Alumni Banquet Hall on WT's campus in Canyon.

Petty was a longtime WT employee who retired in 2016 after serving 11 years as assistant vice president for academic affairs.

For more, click here .

May 11, 2023

WT's One West Campaign Reaches Historic $125 Million Goal; Fundraising to Continue

In less than 600 days since its public launch, West Texas A&M University's historic One West campaign has reached its $125 million goal, officials announced May 11.

For more, click here .

Aug. 2, 2023

Amarillo Family Establishes Nursing Professorship, Three Scholarships at WT

A $250,000 gift from an Amarillo family will fund a professorship and three scholarship funds for West Texas A&M University.

John and Nancy Kritser's gift has established the Kritser Professor in Nursing, held by Dr. Collette Loftin in the Department of Nursing in WT's College of Nursing and Health Sciences .

The gift also provides scholarships for students in nursing, in agriculture through the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences , and in business through the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business .

For more, click here .

Sept. 5, 2023

WT Announces Field Naming Rights Deal with First United Bank

West Texas A&M University Athletics and First United Bank today announce a field naming rights agreement at the University's on-campus football stadium.

Under the terms of the agreement, all events at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium over the next 10 years will be played on First United Field.

For more, click here .

Sept. 21, 2023

WT's One West Campaign Sets New Goal: $175 Million

West Texas A&M University today announced an ambitious new goal for its One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, already the largest in Texas Panhandle history.

Almost exactly two years after the campaign was publicly launched and just four months after its first goal was reached , One West leaders announced that they aim to raise a staggering $175 million by the time the campaign ends in 2025.

For more, click here .

Sept. 19, 2023

Couch, Robinson Professorships Established in WT Department of Agriculture

Two new professorships named for legends of agricultural education have been established at West Texas A&M University.

Dr. Lance Kieth, associate dean of external relations and recruiting for the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences , will serve as the Couch Family Professor of Extension Education, named for John and Lennis Couch and daughters Annette and Dr. Martha Couch, who spent 36 years working for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Michael Semler, animal sciences instructor and livestock judging coach, will serve as the Dr. Bob and Cleo Robinson Professor of Livestock Judging, named for a legendary extension agent and longtime WT professor and internship coordinator and his wife.

For more, click here .

Sept. 29, 2023

WT Technology Center Renamed for Marmaduke Family

A space central to the cutting edge of distance education at West Texas A&M University now has a new name.

The Marmaduke Internet Innovation Center officially was renamed during a Sept. 29 reception celebrating WT's status as a leader in online education since 1997.

The space was known for the last quarter-century as the Hastings Electronic Learning Center, located in the basement of Cornette Library and named for the iconic entertainment store empire that was headquartered in Amarillo and founded by Sam Marmaduke.

For more, click here .

Oct. 4, 2023

Historic $20 Million Gift by Fairlys to Fund WT's Hill Institute Promoting West Texas Values

A momentous gift from a prominent pair of West Texas A&M University alumni will fund a scholarly institute at the University that will focus on the promotion of Texas Panhandle values, officials announced today.

Following a $20 million gift from Cheryl and Alex Fairly, now the largest family gift for WT's One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, the University will fund The Hill Institute , an interdisciplinary academy of researchers, teachers and students.

For more, click here .

Jan. 31, 2024

WT Alum Andy Cole Endows New Animal Science Professorship

To pay his way through college, Dr. Andy Cole used proceeds from crops grown on his own land on the family farm.

Generations later, West Texas A&M University is reaping the benefits.

Following a $125,000 gift from Cole, the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences has established the new Cole Professorship in Animal Science.

For more, click here .

Feb. 21, 2024

WT Professor, Wife Set Up Endowment for Scholarships, Program Support

Gifts from a West Texas A&M University history professor and his recently retired wife will provide significant scholarship support for students in history and the arts.

Dr. Bruce Brasington, WT's Twanna Caddell Powell Professor of History, and Darlene Brasington, former academic documentation coordinator for the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business , have given $25,000 to establish the Brasington Family Scholarship Endowment for History and have set up a $500,000 bequest through the I Am WT-Leaving a Legacy program.

For more, click here .

March 7, 2024

Laura and Joe Street Name WT's School of Nursing with $2.5 Million Gift

A prominent Amarillo couple is making their largest-ever personal gift to West Texas A&M University to support its nursing program.

Laura and Joe Street joined with WT officials during a March 7 press conference to announce their $2.5 million gift to establish the Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing in WT's College of Nursing and Health Sciences .

For more, click here .

April 16, 2024

Ranchland Gift Secures Location for New WT Research Feedlot

Nearly 43 acres of ranchland recently given to West Texas A&M University will facilitate the construction of a new feedlot for the University.

Brothers Mike and Gary Kuhlman made a land legacy gift of 42.84 acres of property adjacent to the Nance Ranch's west property line. The gifted land, valued at $425,000, will serve as the location for a new WT Research Feedlot and Education Center.

For more, click here .

May 2, 2024

WT's Janet Hindman First Professor Named to Hill Institute

West Texas A&M University faculty member Dr. Janet Hindman is the first professor to be appointed to a position under the aegis of the University's Hill Institute .

Hindman has been named the Dyke Rogers Professor of Educational Leadership in recognition of her success in the classroom and her key role in shepherding WT's doctoral program in educational leadership, said Dr. Gary Bigham, dean of the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences and Regents Professor of Education.

For more, click here .

May 7, 2024

Paul Engler's Memory Honored with Formation of Four New Professorships at WT

Four new professorships have been established at West Texas A&M University to honor the legacy of the late Dr. Paul Engler.

Engler, the self-made entrepreneur who revolutionized the cattle-feeding industry, died May 3, 2024.

The professorships reflect Engler's "combination of work ethic, business acumen and resolve that captures the entrepreneurial spirit of the West Texas," said Dr. Neil Terry, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

For more, click here .

May 13, 2024

Construction Officially Begins on WT's Geneva Schaeffer Education Building

A major step to revive an iconic West Texas A&M University building took place today, with the official kickoff of the construction phase for the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building.

The Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp joined members of the Schaeffer family, U.S. Congressman Ronny Jackson, Texas Rep. John Smithee and WT administrators to celebrate progress on a project "which will breathe new life into what will once again be a center for activity on the campus," said Dr. Todd Rasberry, vice president for philanthropy and external relations.

The family of Geneva Schaeffer, including husband Stanley and their three children, made a $2.5 million naming gift to WT in February 2022 as part of a wide-ranging effort to bring the Education Building back to life.

For more, click here .

June 25, 2024

WT Alum Makes Major Gift to Support Women's Golf, Volleyball Teams

Self-described super-fans of West Texas A&M University women's athletics have established two new endowments that will provide both support and scholarship dollars for two teams.

Rick and Carole Couch have made a gift of $50,000 and a planned gift of $175,000 to establish the Rick and Carole Couch Lady Buff Golf Program Fund, which will enhance player development and help finance trips to tournaments.

An additional $175,000 planned gift will create the Couch Volleyball Scholarship Endowment, which provide a minimum $1,000 annual scholarship.

For more, click here .

July 23, 2024

Ribbon Cutting Held for WT's Bain Athletic Complex

A state-of-the-art athletics complex and fulfillment of a long-held dream of faithful supporters opened today at West Texas A&M University.

The fully complete Bain Athletic Complex, located on Russell Long Boulevard west of Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium, opened with a ribbon cutting and tours, capping off a nearly 15-year and $12.5 million project.

The complex was the dream of Dr. Barbara and the late Dr. Ray Bain, whose family is among WT's most generous supporters.

For more, click here .

Aug. 6, 2024

WT Alum Establishes New Vocal Music Scholarship

A new planned gift puts West Texas A&M University closer to establishing a $2 million endowment for vocal scholarships.

David Whatley, a WT alumnus, veteran and retired businessowner, has made a $325,000 gift to WT as part of his living trust to fund the David Whatley Vocal Scholarship Endowment through the I Am WT-Leaving a Legacy program.

For more, click here .

Sept. 30, 2024

WT Alumna Sets Up $1 Million Scholarship Endowment for Female Student Athletes

A planned gift of $1 million will support West Texas A&M University female athletes, officials announced today.

The gift establishes the Lisa G. Hennen Endowment for Lady Buff Athletics , named for the donor, a WT alumna. Hennen also made an immediate gift of $25,000.

For more, click here .

Oct. 30, 2024

Three WT Faculty Members Appointed to Hill Institute Professorships

Three professors at West Texas A&M University have been appointed to positions under the aegis of the University's Hill Institute .

Dr. Maxine De Butte is now the Dyke Rogers Professor of Psychology, Dr. Jenifer Kunz is the Dyke Rogers Professor of Sociology, and Dr. Judy Williams is the Dyke Rogers Professor of Education (Science of Teaching Reading).

In their positions, the three will serve as professors within WT's Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences and as scholars for the Hill Institute.

For more, click here .

Dec. 9, 2024

Gift from Nancy, Kel Seliger Creates Distinguished Professorship at WT

A prominent civic leader and his wife have established a new distinguished professorship at West Texas A&M University.

Dr. Justin Moeller now holds the Nancy and Kel Seliger Distinguished Professorship in Government in WT's Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice in the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences .

For more, click here .

April 10, 2025

Jeffreys Named WT's First Ware University Distinguished Professor

Dr. Holly Jeffreys, dean of West Texas A&M University's College of Nursing and Health Sciences , has been named to a prestigious new University position.

Jeffreys is the University's first Ware University Distinguished Professor, the only University-level faculty endowment at WT. She will maintain her position as dean.

The Ware professorship was established in 2023 when Amarillo National Bank made a $3 million gift to name the Amarillo National Bank School of Accounting, Economics and Finance in the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business .

For more, click here .

May 28, 2025

WT Art Professor Appointed to New Position Named for Longtime Department Head

A new professorship named for the former head of West Texas A&M University's art department will be first held by a prolific sculptor in the department.

Misty Gamble, who joined WT in June 2020, is the first Steven Mayes Professor of Visual Arts.

The professorship in the Department of Art, Theatre and Dance in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities was established through a gift from Mayes' wife Pamela, and their two children, Erin Mayes and Dr. Eric Mayes, to honor his 11 years as department head and 30-year career.

For more, click here .

May 29, 2025

WT's Bingham Named to Professorship Established to Honor AISD's Loomis

A 32-year veteran of West Texas A&M University's Department of Education recently was named to an endowed professorship named for a prominent area educator.

Dr. Teri Bingham, who joined WT in 1993, is WT's new Doug Loomis Professor of Education, a position established by a $125,000 gift from an anonymous donor, as announced in March .

In addition to the professorship endowment, the donor also established a scholarship fund.

For more, click here .

Sept. 9, 2025

$5 Million Gift to WT's College of Engineering Will Enhance Regional Research; WT's One West campaign surpasses $175 million goal, will continue through 2025

A $5 million gift to West Texas A&M University's College of Engineering will establish a research arm that will advance vital innovations in the region.

The gift, from a foundation that wishes to remain anonymous, is the largest single gift to date for WT's engineering college. It also pushes WT's historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign over its $175 million goal.

The foundation's gift will help establish an institute for engineering research, which will further cement WT's status as a Regional Research University.

For more, click here .

Oct. 8, 2025

Harrington String Quartet Announces New Season, New Professorship

West Texas A&M University's Harrington String Quartet will open its concert season with a newly endowed professor and a new arrival.

HSQ was established by a generous gift from the late Sybil B. Harrington to benefit the Panhandle community. From its founding in 1981, the quartet has brought stellar credentials and a refined sense of ensemble and musical integrity to performances across the nation and internationally.

Dr. Rossitza Goza, who joined the quartet as its first violinist in 2010, is now the Dorothy and Don Patterson Professor of Violin, following a $125,000 gift from the Amarillo couple, both WT alums.

For more, click here .

Nov. 10, 2025

WT Breaks Ground on New $15 Million Feedlot and Educational Complex

Ground was broken Nov. 10 on the West Texas A&M University Foundation's innovative, $15 million research feedlot complex.

The WTAMU Foundation Research Feedlot and the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation Feedlot Education Facility will provide a state-of-the-art education for WT students, directly benefitting beef producers around the Panhandle, the state and the world.

Support for the multimillion-dollar facility comes from a combination of individual donors and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For more, click here .

Nov. 19, 2025

Donor Makes $1.5 Million Gift to WT Softball, Names Endowment for Former Player

A $1.5 million donation to support West Texas A&M University's softball team has established an endowment named in honor of an alumna of the program, the University announced at a Nov. 19 press conference.

The anonymous donation, made by a resident of the region who has formed close ties with the team over many years, will support softball recruiting and player development.

"But more than that, it will ensure every young woman who puts on that WT jersey is part of something enduring-a team, a family and a university that believes in her potential," WT President Walter V. Wendler said in prepared remarks.

The Alyssa Lemos Kirsch Softball Program Endowment, when fully funded, will provide perpetual support for the softball team.

For more, click here .

Nov. 20, 2025

WT Establishes Panhandle Institute for Engineering Research

The first major research project for a new institute at West Texas A&M University will investigate new water sources for farming and livestock operations.

U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson secured $2 million in the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill for a mobile desalination unit through WT's College of Engineering .

The project, which will develop units to access and convert brackish water into usable water sources for farming and livestock operations, is the first project under the banner of the Panhandle Institute for Engineering Research.

PIER officially was approved Nov. 13 at a meeting of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.

The institute, housed within WT's College of Engineering, was established through a recent, anonymous $5 million gift to the University. The gift is the largest in the College of Engineering's history and officially pushed WT's historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign over its $175 million goal.

For more, click here .

Jan. 22, 2026

Geneva Schaeffer Education Building Officially Opens at WT

The rebirth of a West Texas A&M University campus landmark was celebrated Jan. 22 with a ribbon-cutting event at the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building.

"The Geneva Schaeffer Education Building will be a centerpiece for the future of WT," President Walter V. Wendler said in prepared remarks. "At the heart of the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building is digital technology which wows and excites.

"More importantly," Wendler continued, "digital education holds the promise for WT educating more students, in new ways, in more places, through new technology."

Construction and remodeling began almost two years ago in a $40 million project.

For more, click here .

March 12, 2026

$5 Million Gift Establishes New High Plains Christian Ministries Health Institute at WT

High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation has pledged $5 million over the next five years to establish a health institute at West Texas A&M University.

The High Plains Christian Ministries Health Institute will encourage community engagement, research, nutrition and advanced nursing education.

"Health and well-being are a priority at WT through the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing ," WT President Walter V. Wendler said. "The High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation has a longstanding mission to improve healthcare in the Texas Panhandle. Their partnership with WT in establishing a health institute will position the University to further serve our region by focusing on all types of health care."

The gift now stands as the largest single gift in the foundation's history. HPCMF's $3 million gift to WT in 2021 , previously its largest gift ever, funded the Baptist Community Services Nursing Education Floor in Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center.

For more, click here .

April 8, 2026

Anonymous Gifts Establish Horn Professorship, Scholarship in WT's School of Music

Gifts from a group of anonymous donors have secured lasting support for the horn studio in West Texas A&M University's School of Music .

The gifts, totaling about $133,000, include funds for a $125,000 endowment to establish a professorship, $4,500 to set up a student scholarship fund, and $3,500 to create a fund supporting the program itself.

Many of the anonymous donors have longstanding ties to the WT School of Music and the University.

Dr. Guglielmo Manfredi, who has taught at WT since 2009, was named the WT Horn Studio Professor thanks to the gift.

For more, click here .

April 16, 2026

WT's One West Campaign Ends with Record-Breaking $208.6 Million Raised

West Texas A&M University raised more than $200 million in its historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, officials announced Thursday.

The final campaign tally is $208,654,050 - the most money raised in a fundraising campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

The campaign, which funds the long-range plan WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World , officially wrapped with a donor celebration Thursday in the Piehl-Schaeffer Pavilion on WT's Canyon campus. The official count ended in December, and additional gifts will be celebrated in the next several weeks.

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About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is 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 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

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