$1M Schultz Foundation Gift Advances Planned Western Institute of Ranch & Resource Management at USU

LOGAN, Utah — A $1 million gift from the Mike and Melissa Schultz Family Foundation is helping Utah State University develop a new institute focused on one of the West’s most pressing challenges: managing lands in ways that sustain agricultural communities, protect natural resources, and support the next generation of ranchers and land managers.

The lead gift to the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will establish the Mike and Melissa Schultz Family Endowment and the Mike and Melissa Schultz Family Expendable Fund in support of the proposed institute.

“One of the things that makes Utah State special is our ability to connect what happens at the university with the people and communities we serve across the state,” said USU President Brad L. Mortensen. “Our agricultural roots run deep, and partnerships like this allow us to build on that history while responding to the changing needs of Utah and the West. We’re grateful to the Schultz family for investing in that work and in the future of our state.”

For the Mike and Melissa Schultz Family Foundation, the investment reflects five generations of the Schultz family living and working in Northern Utah. The foundation’s mission is to create lasting improvements for Utah’s natural lands and the hardworking people who depend on them.

“Land stewardship is one of our foundation’s core priorities, and that starts with supporting the people who care for Utah’s working lands,” Mike Schultz said. “USU shares that commitment and brings the research, education, and practical tools to help turn this investment into lasting benefits for the land and our agricultural communities.”

The planned institutewill expand the work of Utah State’s existing Western Ranch Management Academy, which provides educational opportunities for ranchers and resource managers. USU is currently pursuing a formal transition to an institute while simultaneously developing a new Master of Science in Ranch and Resource Management with a goal of welcoming the first graduate students in fall 2028, pending required approvals.

The Schultz Foundation gift is a lead investment toward the long-term sustainability and excellence of the proposed institute and degree program. USU has also received support for the effort from the Henry C. Jorgensen Foundation, Intermountain Farmers Association, Utah Cattlemen’s Association, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Managing Western landscapes has become increasingly complex. Ranchers and resource professionals must balance livestock production with wildlife habitat, water, grazing, public lands, economic considerations, regulatory requirements, and other competing demands. Because many Western ranches operate across both private and public lands, successful management often requires collaboration among landowners, state and federal agencies, wildlife managers, and other stakeholders.

“The challenges facing ranches and natural resources in the West don’t fit neatly within a single discipline,” said David Secrist, professor in USU’s Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences and a member of the team developing the institute. “Effective management requires an understanding of animal science, range science, agricultural economics, wildlife, water, and the legal and human dimensions of running an operation. The institute will bring those pieces together so people can make informed decisions that are both economically and environmentally sustainable.”

That multidisciplinary approach will be central to the proposed master’s degree. The 36-credit program is expected to combine classroom instruction with intensive, hands-on experience. Students will spend at least three months working with a ranch, regulatory agency, or other resource management organization. In partnership with their host, they will evaluate a real management challenge and assess its logistical and economic implications.

A student working with a ranch, for example, might examine whether shifting the calving season from April to May would improve the operation. The project could analyze changes in feed and labor costs, grazing plans, weaning weights, calf marketability, and other operational considerations before determining the projected financial impact and making a recommendation to the ranch owner.

Graduates will be prepared for careers in ranch management, public- and private-sector wildlife management, state and federal agencies, and other fields requiring an integrated approach to natural resource management.

The planned institute will also continue serving people already working on Western landscapes through educational programs for ranchers, land and wildlife managers, water professionals, and allied industries.

“The decisions made on working lands have an impact far beyond the ranch gate,” Secrist said. “They affect wildlife, water, open space, and the landscapes people hunt, fish, hike, and enjoy. Our goal is to give both students and working professionals the knowledge and tools to care for those resources while maintaining economically viable ranching operations.”

The proposed institute will draw expertise from across the Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, including faculty in the departments of Wildland Resources; Agricultural and Resource Economics; and Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences.

“This is about preparing people to make thoughtful, informed decisions about some of the West’s most important resources,” said Derek McLean, Janet Quinney Lawson Endowed Dean of the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “With partners like the Schultz family investing alongside us, we have an opportunity to build a program that serves today’s ranchers and resource managers while developing the leaders who will care for these landscapes for generations to come.”

Create Your Aggie Impact

Philanthropic support helps Utah State University create opportunities for students, strengthen communities, and develop solutions to challenges facing Utah and beyond. Gifts like the Schultz Foundation’s investment provide the resources that turn innovative ideas into lasting impact.

To learn more about supporting priorities at Utah State University, visit usu.edu/advancement.