West Texas A&M Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences Sees Major Gift

West Texas A&M is continuing to make university history with the addition of two major gifts.

With a donation of $3.75 million by Lubbock businessman Dr. Gordon Davis and a $1.25 million gift from Caviness Beef Packers.

Along with the financial gift, Dr. Loni Lucherk (LU-check) will be the first female professor in the Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences to be named as a Gordon W. David Chair in Meat Judging along with Dr. Ty Lawrence will be the Caviness Davis Distinguished Chair in Meat Science. 

With the Davis and Caviness gifts, about $85 million has been raised thus far in the One West campaign. 

Assistant Professor of Animal Science and Meat Judging Team Coach Dr. Lucherk spoke about the honor.

Dr. Ty Lawrence spoke about the honor and program.

The Caviness family donated $2 million in 2018 to name the state-of-the-art Caviness Meat Science and Innovation Center inside WT’s Agricultural Sciences Complex, a $48 million facility that also houses the three-story Happy State Bank Academic and Research Building, the Piehl-Schaeffer Pavilion and the Bain Event Center, a multi-purpose area with spectator seating for up to 500 people.

In addition to meat processing, the center also is home to research impacting livestock and meat industries.