Across the vast stretches of West Texas, small rural towns stand as testaments to resilience. At the heart of these communities, Texas Tech University cultivates a spirit of service that extends far beyond the classroom. Its graduates gain an education that prepares them to lead, innovate and give back to the places that raised them.
These Texas Tech alumni are not just returning home; they are helping to transform the future of rural Texas.
After more than 20 years of dedicated service, Julann Curlee will retire from Texas Tech’s Davis College in August 2025. She looks forward to family time, travel, and continuing her Red Raider traditions. Curlee’s legacy of leadership and loyalty will remain a cherished part of the college’s enduring history.
The Matador Institute of Leadership Engagement turns philanthropic support into high-impact learning experiences for Davis College students. Funded […]
Jennifer Ritz, owner of Toddi Vodka, can sum up what it was like starting a business amid a […]
The road to entrepreneurship is drastically different for each individual. However, each story holds the spirit of entrepreneurship that begins within the roots of agriculture and Davis College.
Watching these students learn lessons they can’t learn in a classroom really brings me joy and is the best thing about my job.
The year is 1934 and a letter is sent home to Wellington, Texas. John Henry Baumgardner writes about the experience he is having at Texas Technological College, a school that is only 11 years old.
The agricultural communications program at Texas Tech University introduced a new high-impact learning experience called the “ACOM Block” in 2017. The Block is a series of four courses designed to mimic a comprehensive, real-world workplace experience for students before they graduate from the program.
Klose is inspired everyday by his students and likes to take a nontraditional approach to learning that can accommodate each student.
“Everything I’ve [previously] done is all connected now because I’m working with all my friends and contacts I made while in Lubbock, Austin and Washington, D.C.,” Adams said. “Texas Farm Bureau has allowed me to gain countless new contacts which in-turn help enact good ag policy in D.C. I love working directly for farmers and ranchers and Texas Farm Bureau; you can’t find a better place to work if you’re going to serve the ag community.”
From a young age, Kristina Butts was involved in the agriculture and cattle industries. Because of that background, Kristina thought she would find a job within production agriculture after she graduated. Like many students, however—because of an opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C.—those plans changed. That opportunity blossomed into years of work in D.C., but more importantly, that opportunity grew into a habit of mentoring.
“We wanted to set forth that our department is in a revitalization stage,” Palacios said. “We wanted to get the word out there and get that bus rolling.”
“A challenge is how to keep yourself relevant, but not to the point where you’re only focused on the bottom line,” Jones said, “but you’re also focused on the community and your positive impact on the community.”
Tom, Dan, and Ben Griffin graduated from Texas Tech University like their father, and are the fifth generation to manage a portion of the family ranch in Borden County, Texas.
In the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications at Texas Tech University, the students are many. Some have followed in their parents’ and even their grandparents’ footsteps to take their knowledge of the agricultural industry to the next level. Mary Lou Flom has been a vital part of the intellectual growth of these young minds for 40 years, working behind the scenes in the department as the administrative business assistant.
As a young girl growing up in Garland, Texas, it may have been hard for Christi Chadwell to imagine that her life today would consist of new conversations and meetings with farmers. A gift from her parents on her tenth birthday would shape her career path.
After graduating from Texas Tech in 2009, Braden Gruhlkey had to make a tough choice: would he be an ag teacher, or would he pursue the difficult and risky lifestyle of being a farmer?
The 37th Annual Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumni Awards Reception and Dinner were held for the College […]
The Texas Alliance for Water Conservation is working to help farmers utilize technology to conserve underground water. The […]
Texas Tech University and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources have finalized plans to renovate the […]
As preparation for the 2018 Farm Bill begins, state and national farm groups are ramping up their advocacy […]
The High Plains Wine and Food Foundation of Texas held the annual Cork and Pork event on March […]
