WT’s Science Community Night to Celebrate Wildlife Biology Program’s 50th Anniversary

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

CANYON, Texas — A Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist and West Texas A&M University alumna will be the featured guest at an upcoming event highlighting the University’s natural sciences programs.

Caroline Ellison, who earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from WT, will discuss how her education landed her a job with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at Science Community Night.

The event is set for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 25 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus.

Tickets, which include dinner, are $40. They are available at wtamu.schoolauction.net/sciencenight25.

The event is hosted by the Department of Life, Earth and Environmental  Sciences and Department of Chemistry and Physics in the Paul Engler College Agriculture  and Natural Sciences.

“Each fall we will highlight a different discipline because while the sciences are diverse, curiosity connects generations and discovery shapes our future,” said Dr. Sara-Louise Newcomer, co-organizer and WT’s Russell and Natrelle Hedrick Long Professor of Companion Animals. “This year, we proudly honor 50 years of the wildlife biology program and our outdoor Panhandle classroom that continues to inspire our Buff Science community.”

Ellison is one such alumna from the wildlife biology program.

“Attending WT gave me the opportunity to build relationships with my professors and mentors that launched my career,” said Ellison, a native of California and Colorado. “I am thankful for all of the skills and knowledge that they passed on to me.”

Ellison is TPWD’s wildlife biologist for Armstrong, Briscoe, Bailey, Castro, Deaf Smith, Lamb, Parker, Randall and Swisher counties. Her research has spanned from pronghorns to quail to songbirds.

Funds raised will support the College’s scholarships, including matching funds for the Joseph Bramhall Hoot Memorial Scholarship and the Friends of the Palo Duro Canyon scholarship.

For additional information or sponsorship arrangements, contact Newcomer at 806-651-3583 or snewcomer@wtamu.edu.

Science Community Night exhibits WT’s status as a learner-centered university and a regional research university, goals 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 has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

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.

—WT—