At the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees spring meeting, Kansas State University President Richard B. Myers ’65 announced that the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign has surpassed its $1 billion goal ahead of schedule, and that a new goal has been set: $1.4 billion by 2020.

 

President Myers said the decision to extend the campaign was based on the extraordinary success of the effort thus far.

 

Funds raised through the campaign will continue to support students, faculty, facility enhancements and program support, and will propel K-State toward becoming a top 50 public research university by 2025.

 

Three signature drivers will lead the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign forward:

 

• The land-grant mission of providing an accessible and affordable education to the people of Kansas and beyond.

• Centers of excellence and interdisciplinary programs — areas where K-State has a competitive advantage and the potential to change the world.

• Substantially increasing the endowment for the future of K-State through estate-planning gifts.

 

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More Foundation news: A long-lasting gift

Instead of asking for kitchenware on their wedding registry, Janelle Phillips ’01 and Jan Elsasser ’01 asked for something more dear to their hearts — donations to the oncology program at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

 

Tucker, Elsasser and Phillips’ Corgi of six years, passed away due to Lymphoma. From this experience, a bond was made between Elsasser, Phillips and the oncology department.

 

“Most of the wedding guests weren’t surprised about this. They know how much we cared about Tucker and all our dogs,” Elsasser said. “For us, it was a matter of being blessed with good health, wonderful families, amazing friends. There isn’t a thing we could possibly need, so our direction went back to Tucker. He was so well taken care of and we thought giving back would be a longer-lasting gift.”

 

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In her career, Cheryl Blake ’81 uses mapping to identify environmental and national security threats, such as famines or potential terrorist attacks. Andrew Talbott ’05 has flown with the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, joining some of the most elite pilots in the skies. Rick Martin ’76 designs entertainment and sports arenas that are regularly packed with thousands of fans, including the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

 

Although their diverse careers may not have a lot in common, their exciting stories all share an important beginning: a degree from Kansas State University.

 

Blake, Talbott and Martin are three of the 12 distinguished alumni who returned to campus in April as part of the K-State Alumni Fellows Program, sponsored by the K-State Alumni Association. While on campus, the Alumni Fellows shared stories from their careers and mentored students. 

 

Tamara Markham ’93, senior area director of operations, the Americas, Marriott International Inc., talked with a group of human ecology students about the challenges of learning how to manage a large group of people as a new college graduate. One of the first and most important lessons she learned was how to lead by example.

 

“I don’t care what your title is, I don’t care what your responsibility is — if you don’t have the respect of the people you’re leading, forget about it,” she said. “You have to gain the respect of people you’re leading. I had to be there to set the example and to show them that I was willing to do anything and everything that I was going to (ask them to do).”

 

College of Business Administration Alumni Fellow Brad Razook ’85, executive vice president and CEO of resources at Koch Industries Inc., echoed that advice.

 

“As a leader you have to be consistent, you have to mean it and you have to follow up,” he said.

 

The Fellows program also serves as a testament to the power of positive mentors. As she introduced the College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Fellow, Dr. Jerry Jaax ’72, Dean Tammy Beckham shared a personal story about how she met Jaax and his wife Dr. Nancy Jaax ’71, ’73 (a 1996 Alumni Fellow) while she was in vet school.

 

“They were so kind — they took me under their wing,” Beckham said. “This is my opportunity today to say thank you, to both of you.”

 

The Alumni Fellows encouraged students to make the most of their time at K-State and to take advantage of as many opportunities as they could to grow in their careers.

 

“Make a difference in this world,” said Global Campus Alumni Fellow Amy Martens, P.E. ’95, ’01, manager of engineering services for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. “You have a great education here at K-State.”

 

The K-State Alumni Fellows Program is sponsored by the Deans Council, the President’s Office and the Alumni Association. The 2017 Alumni Fellows are: College of Agriculture – Nandi Nagaraj ’04; College of Architecture, Planning and Design – Rick Martin ’76; College of Arts and Sciences – Cheryl L. Blake ’81; College of Arts and Sciences – Peter E. Larsen, DDS, FACS ’79; College of Business Administration – Brad Razook ’85; College of Education – Dr. Shelbie Witte ’06, ’08; College of Engineering – Mike Valentine ’90; Global Campus – Amy Martens, P.E. ’95, ’01; Graduate School – Wenxia Song ’91; College of Human Ecology – Tamara Markham ’93; College of Technology and Aviation – Andrew G. Talbott ’05; and College of Veterinary Medicine – Dr. Jerry P. Jaax ’72.

 

“Thanks to the K-State Alumni Association for supporting this program, and for all the work that went into organizing the events,” Cheryl Blake said. “It was fantastic! Also — to the faculty, staff and students of K-State College of Arts and Sciences and the Kansas State University Department of Geography — I appreciate the time I was able to spend with you. It was motivating, inspiring and a true honor.”

The story of Kansas State University’s 48 fallen — the K-Staters who lost their lives in World War I — is no longer a lost chapter in history. The 48 fallen were honored and K-State’s World War I Memorial Stadium was officially dedicated in a formal ceremony on April 21.

 

“This has all been lost in our history,” K-State President Richard B. Myers ’65 addressed the crowd gathered in the stadium for the ceremony. “Memorial Stadium was never (fully) completed, and the dedication of this veterans’ memorial was placed on hold and then never conducted. Today, 94 years later, and on the nation’s 100th anniversary of its involvement in the Great War, World War I, we assemble to complete that history.”

 

Construction on Memorial Stadium began in the early 1920s, and the facility was designed to serve as a memorial to the 48 K-Staters who sacrificed their lives during World War I. However, the stadium was never fully completed based on the original designs, as funding dried up and the Great Depression loomed, and recent research revealed that the stadium was never formally dedicated.

 

This history might have remained lost, if not for the work of K-State alumnus Jed Dunham ’96. One day as he was visiting K-State, he found a plaque at Memorial Stadium honoring the 48 fallen. Intrigued, he snapped a quick photo and decided to research the fallen. Yet, he found the information was not easily available. Dunham then went on a personal quest to uncover their stories. The Alumni Association responded to his request for help and coordinated efforts to identify K-State resources who supported his research on Memorial Stadium. 

 

As he spoke at the ceremony, Dunham called the stories of the 48 fallen fascinating and beautiful and sad. Some of them were star athletes at what was then known as Kansas State Agricultural College. Others had promising careers cut short. All deserve to be remembered for their sacrifice.

 

“The stories of the 48 fallen are tremendously valuable,” Dunham said. “They explain the American experience in the First World War. And each one of their names represents an individual who lived a life, who had loved ones, whose nation called them to service. They answered the call, and these 48 K-State students did not come back.”

 

The dedication ceremony at World War I Memorial Stadium drew a crowd that included K-State administration and staff, members of the community, and relatives of the 48 fallen. The dedication also featured the Fort Riley Color Guard and First Infantry Division Band, and historical reenactors in World War I uniforms.

 

The K-State Alumni Association — which played a role in the Memorial Stadium narrative when the Alumni Center was completed in 2002 and filled in the original horseshoe design — hosted a special exhibit in the Alumni Center’s Memorabilia Room highlighting artifacts and information about the stadium and World War I.

 

The ceremony concluded with the revelation of new signage recognizing Memorial Stadium’s status as a World War I memorial — immortalizing the sacrifice of the 48 fallen for many years to come. Relatives of the 48 fallen gathered for a photo near the new signage. This group included the family of Howard Wood: Pauline “Polly” Wood Ferrell ’53 (niece), Molly Ferrell Smith ’82 (great-niece), Jannette (great-niece) and Richard Willacker, and David (second cousin) and Gerry Thurston; family of George Wingate: Bill Wingate (grandson), Jim ’64, ’68 (stepson) and Jill Weixelman, and Bernadine Weixelman (stepdaughter); family of Joe Speer: Susan (great-niece) and Frank Newman; along with other extended family members. 

 

The “story that needed 100 years to tell,” as Dunham calls it, has finally come to an end.

 

“If you’re a K-Stater, this has to be meaningful to you,” Myers said. “If you’ve been in the military, this is very meaningful to you because we’re finally bringing to a close a chapter that was open but never officially closed.”

 

Read more about the dedication ceremony and the history of World War I Memorial Stadium in the upcoming summer issue of K-Stater magazine. 

Gene Taylor, the former deputy athletics director at the University of Iowa who also spent more than a decade leading North Dakota State to championship levels of success as its director of athletics, has been named the new director of athletics at Kansas State University.

 

“We are thrilled to have Gene, his wife Cathy and their two children join the K-State family,” said K-State President Richard B. Myers ’65. “Throughout the process, Gene’s experience as an athletics director and his national reputation as a respected leader and someone who has built and maintained tremendous relationships with his staff, coaches, student-athletes and donors stood out in what was an extremely talented pool of candidates.

 

“I also would like to thank [search committee chair and K-State Alumni Association President and CEO] Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86 and the search committee for managing and directing a professional and thorough search and also Acting Athletics Director Laird Veatch ’95 for his leadership and helping keep the Athletics Department functioning smoothly during this interim period. He is a loyal and committed K-Stater, and I appreciate his continued service.”

 

Taylor took the reins at North Dakota State in the summer of 2001 and immediately spearheaded a comprehensive evaluation of the Bison Athletic Department, all while successfully guiding the athletics program through the unpredictable waters of reclassification to NCAA Division I from Division II and securing conference affiliations for all 16 sports.

 

The success of the football program is well documented, highlighted by three-straight FCS National Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013 under head coach Craig Bohl as the Bison quickly became one of the most revered football programs in all levels of college sports. In addition to football, the NDSU men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, softball and women’s golf programs all regularly qualified for NCAA tournaments, highlighted by softball advancing to the 2009 Super Regional.

 

In 2014, Taylor accepted the role of deputy athletics director at Iowa, where he has been responsible for the administrative oversight of the department’s day-to-day operations while also serving as the leading adviser to the director of athletics and the primary decision maker in his absence.

 

Twice Taylor has been recognized for his success by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He was selected as the FCS Central Region AD of the Year in 2008 and 2012. Taylor received the Blue Key Honor Society Doctor of Service Award, one of the most prestigious honors an NDSU faculty member can be bestowed, in 2012.

 

“My family and I are truly honored and thrilled to join the K-State family,” Taylor said. “I would like to commend Amy Button Renz and the committee for conducting what I believe was the most professional and detailed search I have ever been a part of, while also being extremely appreciative to President Myers for his leadership and confidence in my ability to lead this athletics department at such an outstanding institution. I also would like to thank Laird Veatch for his time as interim athletics director, and I know people think highly of him and his service to K-State. We are excited to get to Manhattan, and I look forward to meeting our student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters and helping them build upon the across-the-board success that K-State has attained.”

Richard B. Myers ’65 was formally inaugurated as the 14th president of Kansas State University on April 28 in a ceremony at McCain Auditorium. University administration and staff, along with other distinguished guests, gathered to celebrate President Myers and First Lady Mary Jo Rupp Myers ’64 as they return to their alma mater.

 

“K-State is home for us,” President Myers said as he addressed the crowd. “It was really special to come back to Manhattan. We’re both enjoying working together for our mutual love of Kansas State University.”

 

The inauguration included remarks from Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback ’79 and Kansas Board of Regents members Zoe Newton and Dennis Mullin; music from the Kansas State University Choirs and Orchestra; and a special poetry reading of “What Makes Family” by junior Logan Stacer.

 

From his beginnings at K-State, President Myers had a distinguished career in the military and retired as a four-star general. From 2001-05, he served as the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was the principal military adviser to the U.S. president, secretary of defense and the National Security Council. In April 2016, he accepted an invitation to serve as K-State’s interim president.

 

Although initially Myers did not intend to pursue the permanent position, he said the wonderful faculty, staff and students at the university — “the K-State family” — inspired him to submit his application. He said he looks forward to an exciting future full of progress, as K-State continues to expand its research, campus facilities and partnerships within the community.

 

“We have much to be proud of,” Myers said. “But we also have much to do as we move K-State forward together.”

 

The K-State Alumni Association thanks President Myers and First Lady Myers for their continued support and advocacy on behalf of the university and alumni.

 

“President Myers and Mary Jo are role models of the Alumni Association’s mission to lead and inspire lifelong involvement that will benefit Kansas State University and all members of our Wildcat community,” Brad Sidener ’80, K-State Alumni Association senior vice president and chief operating officer, said during the inauguration. “Throughout their lives, even as their careers took them all over the world, they always remained engaged, passionate and committed to their alma mater.

 

“We look forward to working with you in the years ahead and we stand ready with all K-State alumni to help you move the university forward in reaching the goal for K-State 2025 and beyond. Congratulations, President Myers, and welcome home to K-State once again.”

 

Read more about the inauguration in the upcoming summer issue of K-Stater magazine. 

As the semester draws to a close and a new group of students prepare to begin their journey as Kansas State University alumni, the K-State Alumni Association is recognizing a number of outstanding students with a variety of awards.

 

Anderson, Jurich and Graduate Awards

The K-State Alumni Association honored eight graduating K-State students for outstanding achievements throughout their college careers during an awards luncheon April 18 at the Alumni Center.

 

The Anderson Senior Award recognizes graduating seniors for academics, leadership, inspiration and service. The award pays tribute to K-State’s second president, John Anderson, who served from 1873 to 1879.

 

• Stephen Kucera, bachelor’s candidate in accounting and music performance, Kansas City, Kansas, Anderson Senior Award for Outstanding Leadership.

• Zev Allen, bachelor’s candidate in life sciences and pre-medicine, Soldier, Kansas, Anderson Senior Award for Outstanding Service.

• Raquel Ortega, bachelor’s candidate in chemistry, Wichita, Kansas, Anderson Senior Award for Outstanding Academics.

• Shari Humbard, bachelor’s candidate in accounting, Junction City, Kansas, Anderson Senior Award for Outstanding Inspiration.

 

The Graduate Student Award recognizes outstanding graduate students for academics, service and leadership.

 

• Michael Reichenberger ’12, doctoral candidate in nuclear engineering, Mount Hope, Kansas, Graduate Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service.

• Brooke Cull ’12, ’14, doctoral candidate in human nutrition, Oakland, Nebraska, Graduate Award for Outstanding Academics.

 

The Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Award was established in honor of the late K-State professor Tony Jurich, who taught in the College of Human Ecology for more than 39 years. It recognizes both graduate and undergraduate students who have demonstrated a commitment to community leadership and service through Jurich’s core leadership tenets.

 

• Emily Stolfus, bachelor’s candidate in elementary education, St. Joseph, Missouri.

• Janelle Brooks, master’s candidate in counseling and college student development, St. Louis, Missouri.

 

Learn more about the 2017 award recipients.

 

Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Awards

At a luncheon April 19, the K-State Alumni Association recognized four candidates for graduation with Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Awards. The awards are given annually to outstanding multicultural students and recognize them for leaving a legacy of enhancing multicultural engagement at K-State through their leadership.

 

The award is named in honor of the Roy ’70 and Sylvia ’71 Robinson family of Kansas City, Kansas, who endowed the program. Jessica Elmore ’06, ’15, associate director of diversity programs for the Alumni Association, said the Robinsons are a family of K-Staters who came from humble beginnings and whose exposure to K-State has encouraged and inspired generations of their family. Through this program, the Robinsons have committed to core values that include leadership, giving back and leaving a legacy.

 

“We believe that ‘From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked’ (Luke 12:48),” Sylvia Robinson said. “If we are blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time and the like, it is expected that we use these well as a testament to our faith and toward the benefit of others. This is our way of bringing recognition and celebration to those who have continued the legacy of leadership toward the ‘common good’ while students at Kansas State University.”

 

The 2017 Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Award recipients are:

 

• Taj Brimmer, bachelor’s candidate in mass communications and social work with a minor in leadership studies, Kansas City, Kansas.

• Jaliyah Brown, bachelor’s candidate in apparel and textiles and journalism and mass communications, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

• Patience Ivy, bachelor’s candidate in athletic training and pre-medicine, Wichita, Kansas.

• Yubisela Toledo, bachelor’s candidate in biology and pre-optometry, Liberal, Kansas.

 

CASE ASAP District Conference Awards for SAB and Student Foundation

The K-State Alumni Association’s Student Alumni Board recently received two awards at the CASE ASAP District VI Conference. CASE ASAP — which stands for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education – Affiliated Student Advancement Programs — is a national organization comprised of student alumni associations, student foundations and similar organizations. 

 

This year, Jessica Elmore ’06, ’15, associate director of diversity programs for the Alumni Association, received the Outstanding Adviser Award on behalf of her work with SAB. SAB President Taylor Fry also received the Outstanding Student Leader Award. Elmore and Fry are both eligible to receive the national awards in these categories that will be announced at the national CASE ASAP conference this summer.

 

The Kansas State University Student Foundation also received several awards at the CASE ASAP District VI Conference: Outstanding Student Organization, Outstanding Student Advancement Program for Why I Give Week, and Maggie Meyer was awarded the Outstanding Student Leader Award. Meyer, as well as Student Foundation, are in the running to receive national awards in all three categories. 

 

Student Foundation serves as the student arm of the KSU Foundation, K-State’s official fundraising organization. Student Foundation builds on a legacy of philanthropy through different programs such as K-State Proud and Why I Give Week.

 

Be sure to watch for more awards coverage in the June issue of @K-State, including the Alumni Association’s International Leadership Awards.

The K-State Alumni Association is announcing a new enhancement to one of the many benefits/features available to members.

 

Members of the Alumni Association now receive two free career consultations per year (120 minutes cumulative time with phone consults and in-person consults per year). Additional consultations are available for purchase. Learn more.

 

K-State Alumni Career Services offers a broad range of programs, including assistance with resumes, cover letters, networking, career decision-making and job search strategizing. To contact Alumni Career Services, call 785-532-3392 or email alumnicareerservices@k-state.com. Debra Rodenbaugh-Schaub is the Association’s alumni career services consultant.

 

Not a member of the Alumni Association? Why not join today to receive career consultations and other benefits throughout the year, such as the K-Stater magazine, annual wall calendar, K-State Campus Store merchandise discount and more. 

“Your Degree, Your Campus, Your Voice.”

 

That was the theme selected by Jack Ayres and Olivia Baalman during their campaign to become Kansas State University’s next student body leaders, and it’s a theme that will continue to guide them as they assume their new roles.

 

New student body president Jack Ayres and vice president Olivia Baalman took office in April. Ayres, a junior in chemical engineering from Overland Park, Kansas, has served as speaker of the student senate for the Student Governing Association and was previously the SGA’s vice-chair of student engagement and chair of the Special Committee on Membership. Baalman, a junior in computer science from Wichita, Kansas, has served as SGA’s health and safety director.

 

“Throughout our time in SGA, Olivia and I have had the opportunity to work and develop relationships with both students and administrators on campus,” Ayres said. “Through these experiences, we have built connections with those who can affect change at K-State, and we look forward to working with those individuals to accomplish all of our goals.”

 

Their goals for the “Your Degree” theme include improving students’ academic advising experience by making the Degree Audit Reporting System more user-friendly, and promoting and supporting intentional initiatives to improve retention rates.

 

To fulfill the second tenet of their campaign, “Your Campus,” the pair said they plan to promote transparency and accountability regarding progress on the Multicultural Student Center; unify efforts around the food pantry that is being developed to mitigate food insecurity on campus; and establish transportation assistance on game days, including GPS tracking of ATA buses on the K-State App and creating a drop-off lane for ride-sharing in the parking lot of Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

 

To empower students’ voices on campus, Ayres and Baalman said their plans include: publishing agendas for their meetings with administrators and allowing students to contribute to those agendas; hosting student petitions on SGA’s website; and establishing student body president and vice president office hours.

 

Ayres is a K-State Presidential Scholar and was a member of the Quest Freshman Honorary, Tau Beta Pi and Omega Chi Epsilon. A member of the Student Alumni Board and Delta Chi fraternity, Ayres received the Office of Greek Affairs’ New Member of the Year Award in 2015. He is a graduate of Blue Valley Southwest High School and is the son of Mike and Suzy Ayres.

 

Baalman has received the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering Scholarship and the KSU Foundation Scholarship. A member of Chi Omega sorority, she was a member of the sorority’s executive board and also was a member of the Kansas State Presidential Search Committee and Women in Engineering. She is a graduate of Maize High School and is the daughter of Sarah Baalman and Matt Gardner.

 

“The K-State community is one like no other,” Baalman said. “This place has given me a home when I needed it and a network of well-versed leaders, and it has challenged me to grow. I want to give back to this community by serving the student body.”

Kansas State University’s 2025 visionary plan outlines the institution’s aspirations and goals for the future — including recognition as one of the nation’s Top 50 Public Research Universities by the year 2025.

 

K-State is currently in the process of updating the plan, and alumni and friends are invited to submit input and feedback.

 

“Our successful path to 2025 has come from the commitment of faculty, staff, students, administrators, donors, alumni and other friends,” said K-State President Richard B. Myers ’65. “As was the case in creating the original K-State 2025 plan, I want the updated plan to be the result of an open and transparent process with broad involvement from the K-State community.”

 

Myers said although the ultimate goals remain the same, successful strategic plans are not static and must evolve in response to changing circumstances. K-State will continue to emphasize its core land-grant mission of integrated education, research and engagement/outreach as it reevaluates the path needed to reach its goals.

In regards to the five university metrics used to measure progress to the Top 50 goal, K-State will replace the “Number of National Academy Members” with “Annual Giving.” Myers said this more accurately reflects where K-State is placing its efforts, particularly given the challenging financial situation for higher-education institutions. This change also aligns with the university’s Innovation and Inspiration Campaign.

 

K-State’s overall update effort will concentrate on changes to the activities and outcomes of the plan over the next five and 10 years.

 

Alumni and friends are invited to visit the K-State 2025 update site and provide comments and suggestions for changes to the plan. You will have the opportunity to review the current K-State 2025 plan by theme and provide suggestions and comments on what’s missing, what’s in the plan that is no longer needed and overall general comments. The online survey collecting input will be available through May 19.

 

The information collected will be compiled and made available to the university community and general public over the summer. President Myers will be appointing a university strategic plan update committee in August to revise the plan based on feedback received, and the draft revised plan will be shared for comment later in the fall prior to finalizing. The updated K-State 2025 visionary plan is scheduled to be released in December.

 

“We can be proud of the tremendous energy spent advancing our university in the directions defined in K-State 2025,” Myers said. “This exciting vision for the future of our university is one of the reasons I decided I wanted to take on the role as your president. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you as we adjust our path forward to 2025.”

Baseball season is in full swing, and K-State fans have had a variety of opportunities this year to show off their purple pride at the ballpark. Whether it’s a Wildcat game on the road or at home in Tointon Family Stadium, or a special Major League Baseball K-State Night, K-Staters can always be counted on to display their support for the ’Cats.

 

View photos from some of these past events in the gallery below, and learn about several upcoming events you can participate in.