Philanthropic support is a cornerstone of a university’s ability to innovate, excel and provide transformative opportunities for its students. In the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University, a tradition of giving fosters an environment where dreams become tangible realities.  

A quick tour of the Dairy Barn on campus and you will see this tradition evident throughout the college’s history. Two years ago, the biggest gift in university history was given to the college that not only changing its name but also granting significant opportunities to pursue new possibilities.  

In 2023 alone, Davis College awarded $1.3 million in scholarships to support over 60% of its total student body. For many students, these scholarships—each funded through philanthropic support—made getting a college degree possible.  

For the donors who helped establish these scholarships, giving back is about more than making a donation. 

Dan and Linda Taylor

Dan and Linda Taylor are pillars of the Southern Plains agriculture community. Since they graduated from Texas Tech in 1964, the couple has exemplified what it means to be leaders in the agricultural industry all while preserving the past and investing in generations to come. 

By the time he learned to walk, Dan was harvesting cotton by hand on his family’s farm near Blum, Texas. He worked to put himself through college as he pursued a degree in agricultural education at Texas Tech. He said the support from his professors and his admiration for education pushed him to not only complete his undergraduate degree, but to also obtain a master’s degree in agricultural education. 

“In my experience at Texas Tech, I had a lot of great teachers that felt like family because of the way they cared about me and took interest in me,” Dan said. “And, I think that [culture] still exists there today.” 

It was at Texas Tech where he met his wife, Linda, who was also very familiar with agriculture. Linda grew up in Goldthwaite, Texas, where her family ran a stocker operation. Each year, she would bottle-feed orphaned lambs and goats until they were grown and sold. She then used the profit to send herself to college. 

From teaching high school agriculture to running a successful family cotton farm to turning Buster’s Gin into one of the most technologically advanced cotton gins in Texas, the Taylors have devoted their lives to agriculture and teaching others about the industry.  

Their children, who are now adults with children of their own, were the beneficiaries of college scholarships because of their hard work and dedication to their education. That support inspired the Taylors to ‘pay it forward.’ 

In 1993, they established the Dan and Linda Taylor Endowed Scholarship at Texas Tech. The fund awards annual scholarships to entering freshmen in the Davis College who are designated as a Dean’s Scholar Gold or Silver Award recipient.  

“Someone else’s generosity put our kids through college,” Dan said. “We wanted to do the same at Texas Tech.” 

Linda said the couple agreed early on if they were ever able to, they were going to help others pursue degrees in agriculture, just like others had invested in their own children’s education.  

“We are both believers in education because it is so important in anyone’s life,” Linda said. “I think it is valuable, and people who are willing to take on the challenge of obtaining an education are willing to take on the responsibility of their future.”   

Dan and Linda’s generosity can also be seen beyond their scholarship endowment. A barn at their home near Ropesville, Texas, is adorned with a lighted Double T and serves as an agriculture museum. Over the years, the couple has hosted hundreds of people in tour groups, Davis College events, and dinners to educate others about the cotton industry and the history of agriculture.  

“I see it as more than giving money back,” Dan said. “It’s about giving your time and talents to whatever calls you; your church, your community, whatever it may be.”  

Dan and Linda enjoy seeing the fruits of their investment in students. Though impact is not necessarily tangible, a file in his office stores words of gratitude and appreciation, reminding them why they do what they do.   

“Through the years we have gotten real nice letters and thank you notes, and I’ve saved all of them,” Dan said. “I’ve got a manilla folder full of letters from every recipient since the beginning, and that’s a real thrill.” 

The Taylors define impact as the essence of engaging with the world around you, your interaction with others, and the effect left behind. 

“We want to help others and encourage them in their educational journey,” Dan said. “That is really what life is all about.” 

Halff Associates  

For Tim Bargainer, Davis College alum and 1992 landscape architecture graduate, the desire to give back is founded in gratitude for the knowledge and experience he gained during his time at Texas Tech.  

Bargainer is now the senior vice president of public markets at landscape architecture firm, RVI, in Austin, Texas. In 2017, he was nominated to serve on the Halff Associates board of directors.  

The Halff Associates Excellence in Landscape Architecture Endowed Scholarship began in the Davis College soon after his appointment to the board of directors. The scholarship is given to students within the landscape architecture department to support them in their educational experience.  

Bargainer said his gift to the department was a way he could give back to a place that once invested in him, which ultimately helped him get to where he is today.  

“I couldn’t have made it through the experience if it weren’t for the support from the college,” Bargainer said. “The faculty and staff and my peers around me got me where I am today.” 

Bargainer said the landscape architecture program prepared him for his career, and this gift is a reflection of his lasting appreciation to the college. 

“I have a strong passion for the Davis College because it funds and nurtures a department that means so much to me,” Bargainer said.  

Bargainer said one specific faculty member at Texas Tech helped shape his future. In the early 1990s, he said jobs were hard to find, but his advisor and land-use law professor believed in him enough to help make a huge impact on his life. 

“Dr. Jim Mertes reached out to Joe Verdoorn, who is the ‘V’ in RVI,” Bargainer said. “Dr. Mertes comes to me and says, ‘I need you to send your resume to this guy. You might be able to get a job there.’” 

Through his talent and connection with Mertes, Bargainer took a job with RVI. After five years, he left and gained experience at two other landscape architecture firms; however, last year, he returned to finish his career where he started. 

Bargainer credits his education for creating opportunities for him in his career. The rigorous curriculum created a tight-knit group of students, which whom he keeps in contact with today. Bargainer believes the community and network contributed to these lasting relationships.  

“My connection to the university is deep,” Bargainer said. “Those relationships that I built when I was in school are just as important to me today as they were then.” 

This connection remains strong as the endowment is actively impacting the lives of students in the department. Truett Schafer, a senior landscape architecture student, is a recipient of the endowment’s generosity and said Bargainer’s investment in students extends beyond the scholarship. 

“Mr. Bargainer contributes his time and expertise to aspiring students,” Schafer said. “Whether through lectures given to the department or personal design discussions, I’ve been profoundly impacted by his leadership, passion and commitment to the future of landscape architecture.” 

Bargainer defines impact as making a substantial difference and creating positive change for the future.  

“When you sit on this side of the table and hear somebody tell you that you’re making a lasting impact, it’s hard to see it that way,” Bargainer said. “I don’t see the immediate difference, but my hope is that the change that is to come is evident to everyone.” 

“We really, really cannot thank our donors enough – their support is invaluable not only to our college but to the future.”   

Dr. Krehbiel

Jim Burnett  

The late Jim Burnett, a 1977 graduate of Texas Tech’s ruminant nutrition master’s program, founded Texas Earth, an organic fertilizer and natural soil product company in Lubbock County, in 2007. While studying at Texas Tech, Jim realized the significance that soil health had not only to his life but how important soil was to the industry surrounding him. After he completed college, he dedicated his career to developing soil health solutions to fight disease and improve the overall quality of crop production. 

Since Jim’s passing in 2016, his family started doing random acts of kindness to spark positivity around their community. Seven years later the spark ignited, developing into a significant act of generosity.  

 In 2023, the Burnett family created the Jim Burnett Soil Health Memorial Endowed Scholarship to provide scholarships to students within the Department of Plant Soil Science in the Davis College. This endowment is still building interest and its first recipient will be awarded in 2027.  

His daughter, Sarah Burnett, who now runs Texas Earth, said her father was known to be a lifelong learner and full-time optimist. 

“Invested and excited to help people – that’s one thing Dad absolutely was energetic about,” Sarah said. “He lived in sort of the essence that something good is always happening, we just might not know what it is until we get there.”  

Sarah said he created his company based on a dream he once had. His first product is jotted on a piece of notebook paper, which is now mounted on her office wall, serving as a reminder of her father’s commitment to quality. 

“The best way to keep his legacy alive was to start an endowed scholarship,” Sarah said. “It feels good to give something lasting, and I know he would like that.” 

Sarah said she wanted to continue her father’s dream because of the impact her father had on her life. As Sarah works to carry on her father’s legacy, she hopes to do the same for her daughter and the next generation.  

“It is really special to see someone’s life mission get carried out,” Sarah said. “It’s not something you come by often, but when you do, I feel like impact is evident in that.” 

Sarah believes philanthropy can inspire goal-achieving environments. She defines impact as the long-term effect of a single action. 

“Even though he is gone, there will still be this gift that keeps on giving,” Sarah said. “My desire is that recipients will think of him and be glad he did what he did.”  

Adrian and Kelly Muehlstein 

As a testament to the impact of the Davis College community, one couple is investing in the students of the college, despite their alma maters lying elsewhere. 

Adrian and Kelly Muehlstein decided to invest in the Davis College because of their personal experience with the college’s community-minded culture. 

“Something just strikes me about the people in the Davis College,” Adrian said. “It is obvious they are genuinely interested in student success and are invested in their future.” 

Kelly and Adrian’s son, Seth Muehlstein, went through the recruitment process his senior year of high school in early 2020 before embarking on his journey in Davis College. None of his family had previously attended Texas Tech; Adrian graduated from Tarleton State University, Kelly graduated from Stephen F. Austin University, and his older sister, Shelby, is a recent graduate of Texas A&M University.  

“From the time we talked to the first recruiter, we just felt like everybody we ever met at Texas Tech truly had the best interest of the kids at heart, which is something that really stuck with us,” Kelly said. 

Seth is now a senior at Texas Tech majoring in natural resources management with a concentration in range conservation. Though his time at Texas Tech is coming to an end, his family’s involvement will continue to affect the lives of students in the Davis College.  

 The Adrian and Kelly Muehlstein Horticulture Support Fund was started in 2021 to fund equipment, supplies, travel, graduate and undergraduate student support, facility and building necessities, and any other needs within the horticulture program.  

“We’ve always wanted to give back and give kids an opportunity in education because we believe in the future of this industry,” Adrian said. “I want this to be a continuous engagement, and my goal is to stay committed to Davis College and help them develop their horticulture program for years to come.”  

Adrian’s love for the agricultural industry was planted at a young age. He grew up in Grapevine, Texas, where he worked on his father’s farm and ranch operation. Adrian graduated from Tarleton with a degree in horticulture and began working for Southwest Nursery after he and Kelly married. He now has been with the company for 30 years and serves as the chief operating officer. 

Adrian and Kelly said education held a vital role in both of their lives and helped bring them to where they are today. They said they give to natural resources management department because they believe it is an investment that will positively impact future generations. 

“I just want there to be a love of learning throughout someone’s whole entire life,” Kelly said. “I feel like this is the type of environment that will continue to give students a greater appreciation for education and continue to encourage them wherever they go.” 

Adrian and Kelly define impact as the widespread difference a decision makes. 

“Everything we do in life has an impact – and it has a ripple effect on everyone around you,” Adrian said. “If you can help one person, that creates a wave of positive change.”  

Beyond Definitions  

Matt Williams, director of development for the Davis College, serves as the bridge between donors and students, faculty and programming in the college, guiding and directing impact where it is needed.  

Williams said philanthropic gifts create opportunities for the future. 

“With the generosity of donors and industry partners, we are helping this generation of students to become future leaders,’ Williams said. “In ag right now, there are people who have strong voices against us. What better way to create a lasting impact of who we are and what we believe in than to invest in the tangible future?”  

Shelbey Havens, assistant director of development for Davis College, works alongside Williams in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. Together, they are developing relationships with alumni, donors and stakeholders.  

“It’s so fulfilling to notice the emotion on the donor’s faces,” Havens said. “Whenever they talk about the thank you notes they receive, or when we tell them specific stories about the difference their gift has made, it’s a really neat thing to witness.” 

Havens and Williams are focused on engaging with donors of all levels. 

“We hope to introduce philanthropy to more of our alumni and communicate the message of how giving back is affecting student programs,” Havens said. 

Davis College Dean, Clint Krehbiel, Ph.D., says philanthropic support plays an important role in how the college can meet its strategic goals.  

“Our students are going to be the next thought leaders and scientists and communicators of the world,” Krehbiel said. “We really, really cannot thank our donors enough – their support is invaluable, not only to our college, but to the future.” 

Williams says any support – whether big or small – never fails to leave an impression on the life of a student. He said altruism and humility are the foundation of success at the Davis College. 

“Every gift matters,” Williams said. “As the college continues to grow in our pursuit of prime, it becomes increasingly more important to support our students and initiatives within the college and we cannot do this without the generous support of our donors and friends.” 

Karlee Busher, Lead Writer; Courtney Thurman, Photo Director; Ineka Dykzeul, Design Coordinator; Hannah Alto, Digital and Advertising Manager

For more on this topic, click the button below.