Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research

Discovering a Future for Gamebirds

We’re ensuring gamebirds thrive for generations to come by delivering sustainable solutions, training tomorrow’s gamebird professionals and transforming the industry across the landscape.

science in the wild

Established in 2023 through the vision and generosity of Ted and Donna Lyon, the Lyon Center has become an internationally recognized leader in gamebird research under the founding director, Dr. Kelly Reyna.

Our focus is on population sustainability of wild upland gamebirds and waterfowl. What sets us apart is comprehensive research spanning every life stage from embryo to adult, conducted in both our state-of-the-art laboratory and across our extensive field research stations.

Building on our success, we’re expanding. Our new research and education complex is taking shape, with Phase 1 completed in mid-2026 and more to come.

the future of gamebird research

Phase I: Gamebird Production Facility

Completed in mid-2026, Phase I consisted of the construction of a hatchery, a grow-out building and an experimental aviary.

Phase II: Gamebird Community Engagement

We are raising funds for Phase II, which will include a gamebird education and events center, a quail encounter experience, a quail research laboratory, a waterfowl research pavilion and offices for students and faculty.

LEAVE YOUR MARK

Support Phase II construction or claim naming rights for our state-of-the-art facilities. Your investment creates lasting impact for gamebird populations and the people who depend on them.

For more information, please contact Dr. Kelly Reyna, Director of the Lyon Center, at [email protected] or 940.395.5128, or Devin Girod, VP of Philanthropy, at [email protected] or 214.449.6555.

EXPLORE Our WORK

Gamebirds face real challenges. We find real solutions. Our research spans from innovative lab discoveries to proven field applications, turning science into conservation success stories.

DIVISIONS

Established in 2013 by Dr. Kelly Reyna, the lab aims to reverse the decline of quail and other upland gamebirds through innovative research, education and collaboration.

Learn More

More information coming soon.

Help us change the game

Since 1970, we have lost over three billion birds in North America and one billion in Europe. Gamebirds have suffered significant losses, creating a need for practical and reliable recovery solutions.

When you invest in the Lyon Center, you’re backing science with impact, students who will lead and a future where gamebirds flourish.

SUPPORT THE MISSION

Gamebird News

Science meets story. Get firsthand updates from our research and fieldwork delivered straight to your inbox. Each issue brings you breakthrough discoveries, field reports, conservation wins and a behind-the-scenes look at the people driving gamebird science forward.

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M25317 – Gamebird Research, April 16, 2026 in Commerce, Texas.

Photo: Jason Connel, East Texas A&M Office of Marketing and Communications

Join Our Team

Work alongside driven students and world-class researchers in a supportive professional environment. We’re looking for people ready to tackle conservation challenges, advance groundbreaking research and shape the future of gamebird science.

View Open Positions

The Lyon LEGACY

In December 2022, Ted and Donna Lyon made a historic $1 million donation to East Texas A&M, the largest immediate-impact gift in the university’s history. This donation supports gamebird research, a new research center and an endowed professorship, committed to sustainable gamebird populations and conservation.

High school sweethearts Ted and Donna Lyon have deep ties to Northeast Texas. Ted is a former police officer who earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from East Texas State University (now East Texas A&M University) and a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University School of Law. Donna worked as an executive assistant for Southwestern Bell.

Their unrelenting stewardship of wildlife and natural spaces inspired them to create a legacy of conservation that matches the center’s mission to foster sustainable gamebird populations through innovative research, education and collaboration.

News

Lyon Center Student Researcher Named G. W. Allen Gamebird Research Fellow

Recent East Texas A&M graduate Jilian Hudson made her way from Colorado to the Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research, where she works as a quail research technician in the Reyna Laboratory for Upland Gamebirds. She just graduated in Fall 2025 with a bachelor’s in wildlife and conservation science from East Texas A&M […]

Lyon Center for Gamebird Research Advisory Board Ready to Support Landmark 2026 Initiatives

Following its induction at the Wing Ranch in Montana, the Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research advisory board is gearing up for a transformative 2026. With construction of the Lyon Center’s new state-of-the-art facility in Commerce nearing completion, the board is ready to support the center’s mission to build a future for gamebirds, […]
A group of 11 men in various styles of hunting apparel stand behind a large vinyl banner welcoming people to the event.

Lyon Center Collaboration at 2025 Kansas Governor's Ringneck Classic Spurs 2026 Momentum

The Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research at East Texas A&M University showed up big at the 2025 Kansas Governor’s Ringneck Classic hunt in Colby, Kansas. Dr. Kelly Reyna, founding director of the Lyon Center, fielded a hunting team and served as keynote speaker for the highly anticipated event. “We’re honored once again […]

Recent ETAMU Master’s Graduate Selected as First Lyon Center Full-Time Laboratory Manager

Originally from Winthrop, Arkansas, Grace James earned her bachelor’s in biology from Texas A&M University-Texarkana, while working in a pharmacy to support her schooling. Afterward, she made the move to East Texas A&M University, to obtain her master’s degree and conduct research in the Reyna Laboratory for Upland Gamebirds. Grace’s primary research investigated the impacts […]

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