Pantex Director, National Agriculture Leader Named WT’s 2026 Distinguished Alums

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - The leader of one of the nation's critical defense operations and a data scientist who has made a profound impact in agriculture are West Texas A&M University's 2026 Distinguished Alumni.

Dr. Kelly Beierschmitt and Dr. Linda Young are the illustrious duo who will be celebrated Oct. 22 at The Phoenix during WT's Homecoming 2026 celebrations.

The 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.

Beierschmitt earned a bachelor's degree in engineering mathematics in 1987, then a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Texas Tech University. Today, he is president and general manager of PanTeXas Deterrence, which is the managing and operating contractor of the Pantex Plant.

"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.

Beierschmitt 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, he returned to Pantex in 2024.

"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 as a 2026 Distinguished Alumnus.

"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."

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. She is now a senior fellow at the National Institute for Statistical Sciences.

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."

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 the granddaughter of James P. Cornette, WT's third president.

"Dr. Young's research is focused on the area of spatial statistics and its applications in everything from agriculture to public health," wrote Lauren M. McIntyre, professor of molecular genetics and microbiology at the University of Florida. "She does not avoid the challenges observed in large-scale data; rather her contribution to statistical theory has been in tackling hard problems that are often ignored."

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."

The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor given by the WT Alumni Association and has been given annually since 1970. In that time, 132 alumni have been honored, including this year's inductees. Each has gained distinction through their professional achievements in career or military service, leadership and impact in their communities, and support to WT.

Accomplished alumni such as these help WT reach the goals of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: Dr. Kelly Beierschmitt and Dr. Linda Young have been selected as the 2026 Distinguished Alumni for West Texas A&M University.

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