Dr. Kelly Beierschmitt and Dr. Linda Young have been named West Texas A&M University’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni.
They will be celebrated Oct. 22 at The Phoenix during WT’s Homecoming 2026 celebrations, the university announced Wednesday, Aug. 5.
“Drs. Beierschmitt and Young represent the academic excellence of WT through their professional accomplishments as researchers and leaders connected to federal programs of importance for our region, state and nation in both defense and agriculture,” WT President Walter V. Wendler said.
The awards event will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on the Canyon campus. Tickets are $75. Reservations are due Oct. 15. To purchase, call the WT Alumni Association at 806-651-2311 or visit wtamu.edu/phoenix.
The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor given by the WT Alumni Association, and it has been given annually since 1970. In that time, 132 alumni have been honored, including this year’s inductees.
Each award winner has gained distinction through their professional achievements in career or military service, leadership and impact in their communities, and support to WT, according to a release.
Dr. Kelly Beierschmitt
Beierschmitt earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering mathematics in 1987, then a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Texas Tech University.
He began his career at Pantex as a student intern. After earning his degrees, he rose through the ranks in the national security field to take on leadership roles at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
After a four-decade career, Beierschmitt returned to Pantex in 2024. He is now president and general manager of PanTeXas Deterrence, which is the managing and operating contractor of the Pantex Plant.
“Kelly leads all aspects of the site’s operations with clarity of purpose and commitment to mission execution, while fostering a culture that values innovation, safety and disciplined performance,” wrote Colby Yeary, senior executive officer and mission assurance officer, in a nomination letter. “As someone who works alongside Kelly daily, I can attest to his unwavering dedication to mission success, his strategic foresight and his commitment to fostering future leaders.”
Under Beierschmitt’s leadership, Pantex has opened a new research facility on WT’s campus that houses about 15 members of Pantex’s research- and-development group, with more than 7,500 square-feet dedicated to research and lab areas plus office space.
Beierschmitt said he is “humbled” to be selected for the honor.
“There are so many great people who have graduated from WT. I can go through a list of people I know who deserve this honor, so I’m very grateful for it,” he said. “It’ll be an interesting legacy for my grandkids. Maybe I can talk them into coming to WT. It will be great to see them follow in these footsteps.”
Dr. Linda Young
Young earned a bachelor’s and a master’s in mathematics in 1974 and 1976, then a Ph.D. in statistics from Oklahoma State University.
She recently retired as chief mathematical statistician and director of research and development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. During her career with the USDA, Young pioneered innovations in agricultural and environmental statistics that impact food security and agricultural policy nationwide, said Ronald L. Wasserstein, executive director of the American Statistical Association.
“Dr. Young’s groundbreaking contributions to agricultural statistics, coupled with her exemplary leadership and service to the profession, make her an outstanding candidate for this award,” Wasserstein wrote in a nomination letter. “Her work has advanced not just her field but also has strengthened American agriculture and food security.”
She is now a senior fellow at the National Institute for Statistical Sciences.
Prior to her service at USDA, she was a statistics professor at OSU, the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida. She has published four books and 120 journal articles over her career, and in 2018, she was given the Hall of Fame Award by OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences.
She is also the granddaughter of James P. Cornette, WT’s third president.
Young said the nomination was especially meaningful thanks to her long family connection to the university.
“My childhood was shaped by the WT campus — its museum, its pool, and Saturdays at the stadium,” Young said. “To be recognized by the university my grandfather led and the alma mater of numerous other family members, honors not just my work, but my family’s enduring love for this institution. I am profoundly grateful.”
WT Homecoming events, theme announced
This year’s WT Homecoming celebration will run Oct. 19 to 24 and have a Hollywood atmosphere.
“The WT student body voted for ‘Lights! Camera! Buffs!’ for this year’s Homecoming theme,” said Ronnie Hall, WT Alumni Association executive director. “West Texas pride will shine as the students, alumni and friends come together for a spirited Homecoming week.”
Registration is now open for the Oct. 24 WT Homecoming parade, which costs $50 for nonprofits, $75 for businesses and free for WT student and campus organizations. The deadline is Oct. 10 to register floats, cars, livestock, bands and more for the annual parade along Russell Long Boulevard. Prizes will be awarded for student organizations, people’s choice winners and community groups.
The parade, to be hosted by NewsChannel 10 personalities, will be broadcast on KFDA’s MeTV (digital channel 10.4 and cable channel 127) and will stream on WT’s home page and social media platforms and KFDA’s NewsChannel 10.com+ streaming services, including its homepage, Roku, FireTV and Apple TV.
Along with the parade and The Phoenix event, this year’s Homecoming festivities will include reunions, a cookout, block party and more, all culminating in the gridiron match between the Buffs and the Western New Mexico University Mustangs at 6 p.m. Oct. 24 in Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.
A full schedule of events will be available at wtamu.edu/homecoming.
Kristina Wood is managing editor of the Amarillo Globe-News, whose coverage includes Amarillo and Canyon, and into the Texas Panhandle. Have a story idea? Send it in at newmedia@amarillo.com .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Pantex director, national ag leader named WT 2026 Distinguished Alumni
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News | USA TODAY Network
