‘I Am WT’ Podcast Spotlights Faithful WT Supporters Harry and Maryann Hueston

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University’s student-run podcast continues its second season Nov. 9 with an episode focusing on a pair of dedicated Buffs.

 “I Am WT” hosts Myka Bailey, a junior PR/advertising/applied communication major from Abernathy, and Thomas Rodriguez, a junior digital media and communication major from Katy, speak with Dr. Harry and Maryann Hueston.

The episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud, as well as at wtamu.edu/IAmWTPodcast.

Maryann Hueston is a longtime community fundraiser who spent many years working and volunteering for the Amarillo Tri-State Fair and Rodeo. She was named the fair’s 2010 Volunteer of the Year and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals–Texas Plains Chapter.

Dr. Hueston joined WT’s Department of Criminal Justice in May 2000 before retiring in 2021.

He was named Professor Emeritus in 2022.

Prior to that, he retired as the Chief of Police from the University of Arizona in May 2000, after 30 years in law enforcement serving in various positions in Ohio, California, Arizona and the U.S. Army Military Police.

Both speak on the podcast about the depth of their involvement across campus, especially in WT Athletics.

“We’ve been very active on this campus, well beyond me teaching,” Dr. Hueston said. “I was one of the original poster children for (annual giving campaign) I Am WT when they started it. We also have developed very strong friendships with other professors, other administrators and other students. I think we’ve adopted a number of WT students as our grandkids.

“My work as a professor was a small part of how we were involved with WT,” he said. “We really love WT.”

The couple was named WT Family of the Year in 2020.

The “I Am WT” podcast embodies WT’s commitment to people first, one of the key principles of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021— has raised more than $125 million and will continue through 2025.

In the biweekly episodes of “I Am WT,” student hosts interview WT faculty, staff, students and alumni about what WT means to them.

Audiences hear stories about how attending or working at WT changed the lives of the guests, and how they’re making a difference in their community.

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.

—WT—