HOUSTON — Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials are awarding 29 graduate-level college students $484,790 in educational funding through the Rodeo’s Graduate Assistantship Program. These funds are being awarded to 26 students pursuing master’s degrees and three doctoral students for the 2024-2025 academic year.
“The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has increasingly valued the mission of this program since its inception over 50 years ago, “said Chris Boleman, rodeo president and CEO. “The continued research and education of agriculture is one that the Rodeo was founded on and believes is a timeless effort. To support these scholars is to support invaluable knowledge for essential agriculture fields that directly impact society.”
The rodeo’s Graduate Assistantship Program supports 14 graduate-level programs at 11 Texas universities, including: Angelo State University, Sam Houston State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Sul Ross State University, Tarleton State University, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University – Commerce, Texas A&M University – Kingsville, Texas State University, Texas Tech University and West Texas A&M University. Each university program administers the graduate assistantship application and selection process.
The graduate assistantship program represents a portion of the rodeo’s annual commitment to Texas youth and education. The program began in the early 1970s to grow the rodeo’s involvement with the state’s agricultural schools and to further its commitment to institutions, education and agriculture. Since then, the rodeo has awarded over $16 million to these Texas institutions in support of agriculture research. Those topics include wildlife conservation, horticultural science
and meat science.
The rodeo has committed more than $27 million in education funding this year and more than $600 million in total to Texas youth and education since 1932. Additional information about the rodeo’s educational commitments can be found here.
Source: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
