Having grown up on a dairy and beef cattle farm, West Virginia University alumnus Bill Coffindaffer understands the value of hands-on learning.

The Harrison County, West Virginia, native also believes internships and other value-added experiences are vital to a well-rounded education.

“They provide knowledge and experiences you can’t get out of text books,” he said.

That’s why he and his wife, Sandy, have created an endowed fund to establish a summer internship for undergraduate students in the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.

The Bill and Sandy Coffindaffer Agriculture Internship will benefit students who are pursuing a degree in animal and nutritional sciences and want to work in the animal sciences field following graduation.

“Experiential learning adds value to the student experience,” said Bob Taylor, director of the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences in the School of Agriculture and Food. “The summer internship funded by the Coffindaffers will provide a unique opportunity for our students to learn by doing.”

The endowment’s first internship will be awarded later this spring, and the selected recipient will spend time this summer working on one of the university’s animal science farms.

First preference will be given to a West Virginia resident and recipients need to demonstrate good academic standing by maintaining a 2.8 GPA.

Coffindaffer graduated from WVU in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree in dairy science. He returned to West Virginia and Harrison County in 1971 where he worked as an agent for WVU Extension Service until he retired in 1996.

The gift was made in conjunction with “A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University.” The $1 billion fundraising effort being conducted by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2017.

-WVU-

law/02/12/16

CONTACT: Lindsay Willey, Public Relations Specialist
304.293.2381, Lindsay.Willey@mail.wvu.edu

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