FAQs
FAQ | 3 Rivers Ranch at the 麻豆天狼副利院
Q: What property gift did the 麻豆天狼副利院 receive?
A: The 麻豆天狼副利院 received a significant property gift from Dr. Fred Koch (pronounced 鈥淜AH鈥�) and the 3 Rivers Foundation for the Arts and Sciences in February 2024. The 6,000-acre property, located near Crowell, Texas, includes the Astronomy Campus and facilities.
Dr. Koch is a 1975 graduate of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and founder of the 3 Rivers Foundation for the Arts and Sciences, an educational nonprofit with a mission of inspiring lifelong learning through the arts and sciences. More broadly, they provided experiences for teachers, students and the public through wildlife conservation, astronomy education and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
Q: When was this property/land established?
A: About 20 years ago, Dr. Koch (pronounced 鈥淜AH鈥�) was gifted 50 acres of land near Crowell in Foard County by the late Bettie B. Gafford and the McAdams Ranch. After visiting the property with a friend (who was a hobbyist astronomer), the idea was to build an astronomy campus. Dr. Koch later purchased an additional 700 acres around the property to protect the 鈥渄ark night skies鈥� needed for astronomy endeavors. As neighboring ranches were put on the market, he purchased those as well, ultimately totaling 6,000 acres, with the Astronomy Campus at 3 Rivers Ranch as its main facility.
Once the 3 Rivers Foundation for the Arts and Sciences was created, its focus was on lifelong learning and outreach, providing experiences for teachers, students, and the public through wildlife conservation, astronomy education, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) more broadly.
Q: Who is now the owner of this property/land?
A: As the recipient of this significant gift, the 麻豆天狼副利院 is now the property owner as of August 2024. Under the TTU System鈥檚 ownership, the property and astronomy campus will serve as a research, educational and community resource for the system and its five component universities.
Q: What infrastructure is currently in place on this property/land?
A: The Astronomy Campus at 3 Rivers Ranch features most of the facilities on the property, including:
- A roll-off observatory that houses a 15-foot reflecting telescope.
- Another large observatory that houses a 15-inch refractor used for public events.
- Outdoor pavilion, patio and camping areas, and indoor classroom and flexible space.
- Bunkhouses and family cabins with private bathrooms and kitchenettes.
- RV spaces and hookups, along with a shower and restroom facility.
- Approximately 6,000 acres of ranch and prairie-grass lands.
In addition to the Astronomy Campus facilities, there is a vast amount of grazing land and undeveloped space that can be used for various purposes.
Q: How does this property/land fit into the strategic mission, vision and goals of the TTU System and its component institutions, and how does it benefit the TTU System?
A: This gift offers a multitude of untold collaborative opportunities for education, community engagement, research and non-academic programming like team building and leadership development. It allows the 麻豆天狼副利院 to expand its ever-growing footprint into more of rural Texas and discover new ways to serve the surrounding communities and beyond through lifelong learning and innovations in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), art, health sciences and more.
Q: What universities of the TTU System will have access to this property/land, and what will its intended use be? Are collaborations between TTU System entities possible?
A: All five component universities of the 麻豆天狼副利院 and the TTU System Administration will have access to this property. The property presents significant research, educational, and community engagement opportunities in agriculture, aviation, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), natural resources and wildlife preservation, wilderness medicine, astronomy, training and development and more.
Before being gifted to the TTU System, there had already been collaboration from the Wichita Falls community and use of the site by faculty and researchers at Texas Tech University. The TTU System plans to build on previous engagements, as the possibilities for research and collaborative ventures are seemingly endless.
Q: How will this agreement complement and support the surrounding communities? Will current operations be continued, or what changes should be expected?
A: The 3 Rivers Foundation was looking for a long-term educational partner who would bolster the impact and extend the longevity of the campus and found that in the Texas Tech University System. The TTU System is excited about the potential to utilize this gift and have a long future ahead with the 3 Rivers Ranch.
The TTU System engages with the local community and is committed to providing this property as a resource for each component university and the TTU System Administration. Ultimately, the TTU System鈥檚 goal is to honor and build upon the legacy the 3 Rivers Foundation for the Arts and Sciences has created through its work on this property and at the Astronomy Campus.
Q: What will be the process for institutions to conduct activities on this property/land moving forward? Who is the best contact to learn more about opportunities on this property/land?
A: Those interested in learning more about or using the property should contact Cady Alvarado, assistant director for Institutional Advancement at the Texas Tech University System, at 3riversranch@ttu.edu.