Caviness Beef Packers, Hereford, Texas, donated $2 million to West Texas A&M University’s (WTAMU) new state-of-the-art meat lab. Named the Caviness Meat Science and Innovation Center, the center is part of the newly built WTAMU Agricultural Sciences Complex.

“Caviness Beef Packers has long been a supporter of WTAMU and the Department of Agricultural Sciences,” says Dr. Ty Lawrence, professor of agricultural sciences at WTAMU. “They have been an open door for research collaboration and opportunities to teach students about the beef processing industry. Their thoughtful generosity will ensure continued opportunities for WTAMU students for generations to come.”

The new complex will benefit teaching and research in an expanded space designed to accommodate an ever-expanding faculty and student body. Located at Russell Long Boulevard and Hospital Drive in Canyon, Texas, the Agricultural Sciences Complex encompasses the Caviness Meat Science and Innovation Center, the 3-story Happy State Bank Academic and Research Building, the Piehl-Schaeffer Pavilion and a multi-purpose event center.

There are still naming opportunities available, including a large courtyard area, a 60-seat classroom, a 40-seat classroom, an outdoor amphitheater classroom and five research laboratories.

“The Texas Panhandle is our home, and we are thrilled to collaborate with WTAMU, our regional university, with creating the most modern meat science center in the country,” says Trevor Caviness, president of Caviness Beef Packers. “This fantastic facility and the meat science programs will only stabilize and enhance this region as the epicenter of beef animal production in the United States. We are proud to be a part of such a great educational initiative.”