Todd A. Black Wildlife Endowed Scholarship

Carrying Forward a Legacy of Stewardship
A life devoted to wildlife. A legacy that will inspire generations.

Todd Black believed deeply in the responsibility we share to understand, protect, and responsibly manage the lands and wildlife around us.

Raised in southeastern Utah, Todd developed a lifelong connection to the outdoors that became both his passion and his profession. He dedicated his career to wildlife biology, conservation, land management, research, and education—bringing together science and practical stewardship to find solutions that benefited wildlife, landscapes, and communities.

Todd was also an Aggie. After earning his bachelor's degree in Conservation Biology from Brigham Young University, he earned his master's degree in Geographic Information Systems from Utah State University. His professional journey included work with USU, Deseret Land and Livestock, and Eagle Mountain City, where he served as Wildlife Biologist and Open Land Manager.

His knowledge was extensive, but perhaps more importantly, Todd believed in sharing it. Whether working with sage grouse, studying mule deer migration, managing open space, or helping a community better understand the wildlife in its own backyard, Todd approached his work with curiosity, purpose, and a genuine love for the natural world.

A Scholarship With Lasting Impact

The Todd A. Black Memorial Scholarship will honor Todd's legacy by supporting Utah State University students pursuing an education connected to the stewardship of wildlife and natural resources. Recipients will demonstrate academic promise and a commitment to the values Todd embodied: stewardship, conservation, service, curiosity, and responsible land management.

Preference will be given to students with connections to Eagle Mountain, San Juan County, and Cache County—communities that played meaningful roles in Todd's life and work.

Help Carry Todd's Legacy Forward

Through this endowed scholarship, Todd's influence will continue far beyond his lifetime. Each recipient will represent another future professional equipped to care for the lands, wildlife, and communities Todd valued so deeply.

Your gift helps build a permanent legacy—supporting students today while preparing the next generation of thoughtful stewards for tomorrow.

• Your gift will be used only for the above-stated purpose if the required minimum endowment level of $25,000 is met by September 30, 2031.  If not met, the gift will be considered expendable towards the stated purpose.
• The Endowment will exist in perpetuity.  If circumstances arise that render the stated purpose of the Endowment (as set forth herein) illegal, impractical, impossible, or wasteful (e.g., a change in law, the elimination of a USU program, position, or course of study, the persistent unavailability of scholarship recipients that meet the criteria, etc.); then, as set forth in this Solicitation, under such circumstances and in keeping with Utah Code 51-8-501(1), USU may designate a new purpose [and/or scholarship selection criteria] for the Endowment.  Any such new purpose shall be defined by USU’s President and Dean of the College.
• The Endowment will be invested under the direction of the University Public Treasurer. Oversight and advisement of investments will be provided by the USU Investment Advisory Committee in accordance with USU’s investment policy. The USU Foundation is the legal entity designated by USU to receive charitable gifts in support of its academic mission.
• Distributions from the Endowment shall be governed by USU’s Endowment Spending Policy. The spending policy calls for an annual distribution up to 5% (currently set at 4%) of the value of the endowment account to be expended per the gift agreement. An additional 1.5% of the endowment value shall be used to fund the administration of the endowment and USU advancement efforts.  All additional gains shall be retained as appreciation and invested along with the corpus to grow the value of the Endowment over time.
• By letter dated May 21, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service has declared the USU Foundation (federal tax identification number 87-0627128), to be a duly qualified charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) and also an organization described in sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(iv) of the Internal Revenue Code.  The Foundation is a duly chartered active Utah nonprofit corporation, under the provision of Utah Code, Title 16, Chapter 6a.