In today’s Beef Buzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Dr. Clint Rusk, who shared that there has long been interest in developing a ranch management program at Texas Tech. “The ranchers in west Texas came to town and asked the Dean of Ag for some help. They suggested that maybe it would be good if Texas Tech had a ranch management program.” This interest, coupled with successful models like the one at Texas Christian University that began in 1956 and Texas A&M Kingsville’s program from the early 2000s, inspired Tech to create its own version tailored for current and aspiring ranch managers.
Dr. Rusk has been involved in the beef industry for multiple years- serving as Department Head for Animal Sciences at Oklahoma State University and as a Breed Executive for the American International Charolais Association be fore landing in Lubbock.
Dr. Rusk explained that the development of the program was guided by a 15-member advisory committee made up of experienced ranchers, Donnell Brown with the R.A Brown ranch, and Joe Leathers with the 6666 ranch, to name a couple. “They sat down with us and we just talked through how we should build this program.” The consensus was to create a two-year master’s program consisting of two semesters of coursework and two six-month-long ranch internships. This structure was designed to blend academic learning with practical experience.
Enrollment in the program has grown quickly, showing strong interest from students across the country. “We started with five students last fall… this fall we’ll have 17 graduate students.” Dr. Rusk noted the diversity of applicants, stating, “We have students from as far away as Florida… Oklahoma State University… Laramie, Wyoming, from the University of Wyoming, and… New Mexico.” He emphasized the goal of eventually graduating around 20 students a year.
According to Dr. Rusk, the value of the program lies not just in the degree itself, but in the dedication it reflects. “I don’t know if it’s as much about the master’s degree itself as the fact that these students were willing to commit themselves to a program.” He drew a contrast with earlier generations, saying, “My dad didn’t go to college… but they didn’t have the training that our students are having today.” The program addresses the increasing complexity and technological demands of modern ranching.
Finally, Dr. Rusk stressed the need for well-trained ranch managers in today’s agricultural labor market. “Help is hard to find in ag today… we have a shortage of trained labor source, especially in the manager category.” For those interested in learning more, he said, “Most of them call me… the word of mouth is really how we’ve gotten the students.” With a promising start, the Texas Tech Ranch Management Program is aiming to meet a growing demand in the ranching industry.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
