Celebrating Generosity and Opportunities at the White Family Outdoor Learning Center

July 25, 2024

This spring, we raised over $850,000 to support a new building at the White Family Outdoor Learning Center (WFOLC), thanks to the incredible generosity of two Longhorn families who matched all gifts, effectively doubling every donation. We are incredibly grateful to Joy and Jereld McQueen for their lead gift. This new facility will significantly enhance use of the WFOLC for classes and research, benefiting generations of geoscientists. 

The WFOLC, a 266-acre expanse of classic Hill Country donated by Les and Dianne White and their family in 2018, is a dynamic living classroom for Jackson School students. Here, students engage in diverse fieldwork activities, gaining invaluable hands-on experience just a short distance from campus.  

Les White passed away in May 2024, but his legacy lives on through the WFOLC and will continue to play a crucial role in the future of Jackson School students and their professors. “The science is important, but the relationships that you develop through that science are as important,” Les said. 

The new building will offer protective shelter during bad weather, climate-controlled areas, restroom facilities, clean drinking water, and storage for delicate equipment. Extended WiFi coverage will enable real-time data transfer, improving research and fieldwork quality. 

The building will support activities such as the Hydrology Field Camp, Field Methods Course, GeoFORCE outings, Ecohydrology & Biometerology courses, and fossil collection. It will also be a unique space for meetings, retreats, and educational outreach. 

We are currently in the planning phase for this new building project, and construction could begin as early as 2025. We are grateful for the incredible support and enthusiasm shown toward this project, and we look forward to keeping you updated on its progress. 

We’re excited about creating a space for students, researchers, and the entire Jackson School community. We look forward to sharing this journey with you! 

Interested in learning more about how you can support the White Family Outdoor Learning Center and its new building? Contact Andrew West at awest@jsg.utexas.edu.