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$1.85 Million Given to Wildlife and Fisheries
August 20, 2009
Writer: Bill Gibbs, billgibbs@tamu.edu,979-845-2211
College Station—According to the terms of her will, the late Carolyn Wierichs Kelso has given two gifts totaling more than $1.85 million to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science, part of Texas A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
“This generous gift to support programs in fisheries ecology in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences will strengthen our undergraduate and graduate training and will assist ongoing research in Texas and our expanding international efforts focused the ecology of fishes and the conservation of aquatic resources,” said Dr. Tom Lacher, professor and head of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science.
A gift of $1 million was given to the International Sportfish Fund, which supports international research and educational activities of the Aquatic Ecology Lab.
A second gift of $855,000 was included in a charitable remainder unitrust established through the Texas A&M Foundation, that will be used to create the Carolyn Wierichs Kelso Chair in Fish Ecology.
“Mrs. Kelso passed away in September 2008,” Lacher said. “She and her husband, Dr. George Kelso of Arlington, took great interest in the educational and research efforts of their daughter, Dr. Leslie Kelso Winemiller, and son-in-law, Dr. Kirk Winemiller, both faculty members at Texas A&M. Mrs. Kelso was an educator, civic volunteer, avid angler and outdoor enthusiast.”
The Kelsos’ daughter is senior lecturer in the Department of Biology. Her husband is a Regents professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and associate chair of the Interdisciplinary Research Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences recently recognized Mrs. Kelso's gift with a plaque presented to Dr. Kelso during a dinner attended by Dr. Mark Hussey, vice chancellor and dean of the college, Dr. Lacher, the Winemiller family, and members of the Aquatic Ecology Lab.
Photo: Dr. George Kelso (l) and Dr. Mark Hussey
For More Information:
Carolyn Wierichs Kelso obituary
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
The Texas A&M Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that solicits and manages investments in academics and leadership programs to enhance Texas A&M’s capability to be among the best universities. For more information, contact Monica Delisa, 979-845-9582, m-delisa@tamu.edu
About the college:
With an enrollment of almost 6,700 students in 14 academic departments, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees and has a faculty of nearly 400 members, including two Nobel laureates. Research programs include food sustainability and safety, human and animal health, genetics, renewable natural resources and bioenergy. Mark Hussey is Vice Chancellor and Dean.
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