UW Establishes Doug and Deniz Stark Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Professorship

A generous gift from Doug and Deniz Stark, doubled by state matching funds, has established the Doug and Deniz Stark Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership Professorship in the University of Wyoming's College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.

This endowed professor will strengthen the university's Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) Program, where "Lead Like a Legend" is more than a tagline. It's the guiding philosophy connecting science, strategy and stewardship.

"Agriculture has shaped Deniz and me in so many ways -- from what we learned working on the ranch to the doors UW opened through education," says Doug Stark, interim RMAL director and UW Foundation board chair. "With this professorship, we want students to gain not only practical ranching skills, but also leadership, vision and integrity, all qualities that help sustain our communities, our land and our way of life."

The Doug and Deniz Stark Professorship will support a distinguished faculty member in the RMAL Program who will advance teaching, mentoring and applied scholarship in ranch management and agricultural leadership. It also will help foster interdisciplinary projects and leadership training that respond to the evolving challenges in agriculture, natural resources and rural economies.

"The RMAL Program is uniquely positioned to bridge tradition and innovation," says Kelly Crane, the Farm Credit Services of America Dean of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources. "With this professorship, we'll be able to recruit and support faculty who can cultivate the full spectrum of leadership, from production and technology skills to civic engagement and collaboration."

Doug Stark grew up in Riverton. After graduating from high school, he worked in road construction before enrolling at UW, where he earned a degree in agricultural business in 1980.

Over the next 37 years, Stark built an impressive career with Farm Credit Services of America, rising to president and CEO and helping grow the organization into a $25.8 billion enterprise. Under his guidance, the company invested deeply in its employees, fostered a culture of leadership and launched its first employee professional development program.

Even in retirement, Stark has remained deeply engaged with UW, co-teaching leadership courses, helping establish the university's leadership minor and serving in advisory roles across campus.

Deniz Stark was raised on her family's ranch near Lost Springs. She holds an associate degree in animal science from Northwest College and a bachelor's in agricultural business from UW. Her career path included work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and service in education.

Today, the Starks live on their ranch north of Shawnee in Converse County and continue to honor their ranching roots while investing in its future.

"We are deeply grateful to Doug and Deniz for this transformative gift," UW President Ed Seidel says. "This endowed professorship exemplifies what it means to lead, combining hands-on knowledge with forward thinking, ethical leadership and a commitment to community. It will amplify the RMAL Program's ability to train students who will carry agriculture forward in Wyoming and beyond."

"Endowed positions like this are among the most lasting ways donors can impact a university and a key priority for UW," says John Stark, president and CEO of the UW Foundation. "Doug and Deniz's generosity not only honors their personal history and passions; it ensures that generations of UW students will be equipped to lead with purpose."

The RMAL Program teaches legacy ranching and agricultural skills, such as production and range and livestock management, while focusing on a curriculum that instills leadership, critical thinking, collaboration and civic responsibility. Its mission is to prepare students for sustainable agricultural business in a changing world.

To learn more about the RMAL Program, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwag/rmal/index.html.