Professional sports and college studies go hand-in-hand…

Wes Stevenson, a senior Interdisciplinary Agriculture (agricultural education) major from Kaufman, competed in the bareback riding event of the 2004 National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Wes last qualified for the NFR in 2002, but laid out in 2003 to have knee surgery. He worked out with the Texas Tech football team at the Athletic Training Facilities to get back in shape for the 2004 rodeo season, a fact which was mentioned several times by the ESPN announcers during the ten rounds of this year’s NFR. Also mentioned several times was Wes’ being a student at Texas Tech and his major.

Rounds 3, 7 and 10 saw Wes in third place for each of those rounds. After the final buzzer went off at the end of the NFR, Wes claimed 13th place overall in the world standings for bareback riding.

Another Red Raider competing at the NFR, also in the bareback riding event, was Kyle Bowers. Kyle attended Texas Tech in 1999-2000 as an interdisciplinary agriculture major. Kyle finished at the 2004 NFR in eleventh place in the world standings, after placing as high as second in round 9 and third in round 6.

Yet another Texas Tech tie to the 2004 NFR was barrel racer Kelly (Ogden) Maben. Kelly graduated from Texas Tech in 1997 with a degree in human development/family studies and education, and is married to Tye Maben, a 1997 CASNR graduate with a degree in interdisciplinary agriculture (agricultural education). Both Kelly and Tye competed for Texas Tech’s rodeo team while undergraduates; Tye was one-half of the College National Champion team-ropers in 1993.

At the 2004 NFR, Kelly placed first in rounds 2, 3, and 10, and ended up in seventh place overall in the world standings.

For more information about Wes, Kyle, and Kelly, and to keep track of their professional rodeo careers, go to www.prorodeo.com.

The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) and The Career Center at Texas Tech University invite you to participate in the 15th Annual CASNR Expo on January 25, 2005, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena City Bank Rooms.

Trolley service will be provided from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pick up will be at 15th and Detroit (Goddard) and at the United Spirit Arena.

Approximately 1,300 of Texas Tech’s 27,000 students are pursuing degrees in such fields as agricultural business, agronomy, food technology, range management, agricultural communications, animal science, horticulture, landscape architecture, agricultural economics, plant biotechnology, interdisciplinary agriculture (agricultural education), wildlife and fisheries management, and environmental conservation of natural resources.  The Expo will provide an excellent forum to interact with employers.

You are encouraged to bring your resume and dress professional.

Companies that will be attending the CASNR Expo

• Ag Workers Insurance
• Andy’s Sprinkler Service
• Archer Daniels Midland Company more more
• Brickman Group
• Cargill Ag Horizons
• Cargill Meat Solutions
• CCI Consulting
• Clark Condon Associates
• ConAgra
• ContiBeef
• Farm Credit Bank
• National Agricultural Statistics
• New Mexico Game and Fish
• Schreiber Foods
• Southwest Cheese
• SST
• Swift and Company
• Texas Commission of Environmental Quality
• Texas Tech Alumni Association
• Texas Tech Graduate School
• Triumph Seed
• TruGreen LandCare
• USDA-NRCS
• Warren CAT

For Employers
If you are interested in conducting on-campus interviews, please check the appropriate item on the registration card (attached below) and arrangements will be made.  You are invited to post any position announcements on the college and Career Center websites by faxing or e-mailing a job description to us at (806) 742-2836 or meredith.schacht@ttu.edu.

To reserve your space at the CASNR Expo, print off and mail in the registration card at the bottom of the page by January 18, 2005.  Confirmation letters will include information on hotel accommodations, shipping information and other pertinent details.  If you have any questions, please contact us in the Dean’s office at (806) 742-2808, or e-mail Meredith Campbell at meredith.schacht@ttu.edu.

We appreciate your participation in the CASNR Expo and thank you for assisting our students with their career development.

Registration Card (Word Document) (PDF)

Professors and students in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics presented papers and a poster at the High Plains Groundwater Resources Conference.  The conference was held at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center on December 7-9. 

The following papers were presented:

• "The Impacts of the Ogallala Aquifer Characteristics on Water Use and Conservation:  The Case of Hale County" by Erin Wheeler, Jeff Johnson, Eduardo Segarra, and Phillip Johnson
• "Evaluation of Water Policy Alternatives for Groundwater in the Southern High Plains of Texas" by Jeff Johnson, Phillip Johnson, Eduardo Segarra, and David Willis
• "Managing for Groundwater Conservation:  Economic Exhaustion versus Physical Exhaustion" by Biswarajan Das and David Willis

In addition, a poster entitled "The Sale Value of Water in the Texas High Plains" by Dane Sanders and Don Ethridge was presented. 

Alejandro Salazar, a doctoral student with Chapingo University in Mexico, spent the fall semester at Texas Tech working with Dr. Jaime Malaga and Dr. Sam Mohanty.  His research relates to modeling and forecasting future food demand in Mexico with emphasis on the meat and grain complex.  The policy and trade dimensions of this research have particular relevance for the US-Mexico economic integration process.  Alejandro’s visit to Texas Tech is part of an exchange and collaboration agreement signed by TTU and the University of Chapingo within the framework of the Center for North American Studies project.  Previously, two graduate level classes have been offered by AAEC faculty to Mexican students of Chapingo, and two more will be offered in 2005.  The program will continue with the exchange of graduate students and faculty.  The University of Chapingo is one of the leading institutions in agricultural related research in Mexico.

Two CASNR faculty members were chosen as Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Those honored include:

• Ellen Peffley, Ph.D., professor of plant and soil science.
• Leslie Thompson, Ph.D., associate professor of animal and food sciences.

Who’s Who honors educators nominated by students from the Who’s Who Among American High School Students.

LUBBOCK - Texas Tech University announced today (Nov. 30) a $3.6 million bequest to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) and the College of Human Sciences from the late Chester "Pots" and Cleta Belle Gilmore of Idalou.

"The College of Human Sciences’ students, faculty and staff appreciate the generosity of the Gilmore’s.  In keeping with the Gilmore’s wish to give back to those organizations that shaped their lives, we plan to use this gift for programs that not only benefit our college but also serve the university and Lubbock-area community," said Linda Hoover, Ph.D., dean of the College of Human Sciences.

"CASNR has been blessed with great generosity directed toward significant needs of the college, but this gift is very special because we have not experienced a gift of this magnitude that will allow us to address the needs that have been unmet," said Marvin Cepica, Ph.D., dean of CASNR.

Cleta Belle preceded her husband in death in 1996. Chester died in 2003.

Chester was a farmer and Cleta Belle Smallin Gilmore was a 1938 Texas Technological College home economics graduate and community volunteer. Chester served as a director of Idalou State Bank and was active in community projects while Cleta Belle served as superintendent of the women’s division of the South Plains Fair.

As members of the International Convention of Flying Farmers and Ranchers and the Texas Flying Farmers, the Gilmore’s logged many hours traveling throughout the Southwest in their single prop plane.

The Gilmore’s bequest to Texas Tech will be equally divided between the CASNR and the College of Human Sciences. With its $1.8 million, CASNR will establish the Chester "Pots" and Cleta Gilmore Endowment to support teaching and research enhancement, student-related activities and other needs within the college.

The College of Human Sciences will utilize the gift to renovate Texas Tech’s former bookstore for the expansion of the Child Development Research Center and the Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery. Any remaining funds will be used to support that college’s mission of improving and enhancing the human condition.