Climbing higher
Dear K-State faculty, students, alumni and friends, K-Staters don’t do things halfway. We shoot for the stars and achieve more than what’s thought possible. In this issue of Good for K-State, you’ll discover a few ways K-State goes above and beyond to offer students an invaluable experience. Thanks to the amazing generosity and hard work of the K-State family, the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign for K-State has reached new heights. Turn the page and learn exciting news about the campaign and the strategic vision for the ongoing and future success of K-State. Thank you for all you do to contribute to K-State’s achievements! With Wildcat pride,
Richard B. Myers K-State president
KSU DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Spring 2017
2 EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS Exciting news about the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign
Welcome to Good for K-State, a magazine devoted to the inspiration and impact of private philanthropy for Kansas State University. We invite your comments, 6 GOOD NEWS questions and ideas. Just send an email to Accomplishments to make [email protected]. We look forward to you proud to be a Wildcat hearing from you.
Editor Marisa Larson, Editorial Manager
Art director Kim Zerfas, Graphic Design Manager 8 GOOD WORK Student Foundation: growing a culture of philanthropy Contributing writers Allie Lousch, Marketing Manager and developing the next generation of donors Emily Dye, Communications Assistant (student) Katie Howland, Video Assistant (student) Sara Wallace, Communications Assistant (student) GOOD PLAN Designer 10 Jack Wilson, Graphic Designer Gifts of grain benefit K-State and provide tax relief for producers Photography David Mayes, David Mayes Photography KSU Division of Communications and 12 GOOD FOR ALL Marketing Excellence funds enable academic leaders flexibility to Mary Hammel, KSU College of Education Morse Department of Special Collections, address emerging opportunities and needs Kansas State University Libraries Miranda Snyder, UFM
Editorial team Susan Wolf Berhow, Associate Vice 14 GOOD WORD President of Strategic Communications K-State Medal of Excellence awarded to Kim Downing, Communications Specialist Jameson Sedlacek, Director of couple who advances K-State through Communications Services service, leadership and philanthropy Alexcia Rodriguez, Graphic Designer (student)
Video Mary Bourne, Video Producer Kyle Rohrmann, Video Assistant (student) 15 ABOVE AND BEYOND Four ways K-State is helping facebook.com/ksufoundation students go above and beyond twitter.com/KSU_Foundation linkedin.com/company/kansas-state- university-foundation 24 GOOD IDEAS Our recommendations on how you can make a difference today Good for K-State is published by the Kansas State University Foundation, 1800 Kimball Avenue, Suite 200, Manhattan, KS 66502‑3373. COVER PHOTO: DAVID MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY K-State surpasses $1 billion goal and extends campaign
standing ovation followed recognized as a top 50 public research complement the 2025 vision, are land- President Myers’ announcement university by 2025, but will now have grant mission, centers of excellence A at the KSU Foundation Board of three signature drivers to lead the and interdisciplinary programs and Trustees spring meeting April 21 — Innovation and Inspiration Campaign securing K-State’s legacy through long- K-State had surpassed its $1 billion forward. These drivers, which term investments. campaign goal more than a year early. But instead of declaring “mission accomplished,” the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign has a new goal: to raise $1.4 billion by 2020. After careful deliberation, K-State President Richard Myers, KSU Foundation Board of Directors, campaign steering committee and PHOTOS: DAVID MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY foundation leadership made the decision to extend the campaign. “We’ve proven we can achieve more than we ever thought possible, so we must build on the success and momentum that has allowed us to reach our goal a full year in advance,” Myers said. “We know the K-State family can go above and beyond all expectations.” Innovation and Inspiration Campaign co-chairs Rand and Patti Berney and Mary Jo and The campaign will continue to Richard Myers celebrate the campaign extension announcement at the KSU Foundation support K-State’s vision of being Board of Trustees spring meeting.
2 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 “We stand among an elite group of universities who dared to work toward an incredible goal. We stand at the top of the highest peak we have ever dared to climb. But instead of heading back down the CAMPAIGN mountain, we are setting ACHIEVEMENTS our sights on an even TO DATE greater peak, for we have learned what we have the strength and capacity to 41 achieve.” new endowed Richard Myers faculty positions K-State president 7 new facilities and multiple renovations funded by philanthropy
$238M
raised for student success
51% of campaign donors are alumni
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 3 Campaign signature drivers Land-grant CENTERS OF mission EXCELLENCE K-State has long valued its mission of keeping education accessible LANDGRANT and affordable to the people of Kansas MISSION and beyond. With the decline of state funding, President Myers said K-State must remain focused on access and affordability. “We must redouble our efforts to provide scholarships based on need — not just merit — because any future Wildcat worthy of admission is worthy of our support,” he said. “We must invest in the complete educational experience — libraries, performance halls, community-building facilities — that bring our diverse student body together to create a truly inclusive and modern learning environment.”
Centers of excellence and THE KSTATE interdisciplinary programs These programs are our moonshots — areas where we have LEGACY a competitive advantage and the potential to change the world. We know our best research and teaching efforts are ones that bring together thinkers and researchers from across the academy to create interdisciplinary programs with truly transformational impact. The following are a few • Polytechnic unmanned aircraft systems and aviation examples: programs, which are ranked among the nation’s best • Center for Risk Management Education and Research • Bio-agro security, including the Biosecurity Research Institute and the Department of Homeland Security’s National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF), making us the Silicon Valley of biodefense • The Staley School of Leadership Studies and the Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows program “We will continue to work to advance our other great universitywide programs, like the Johnson Cancer Research Center, Beach Museum, McCain, K-State Libraries and more,” Myers said. “These programs will help us realize our goal of becoming a top 50 public research university by 2025.”
K-State legacy K-State will focus on increasing the number of documented Rand and Patti Berney, Greg Willems, and Mary Jo and Richard planned gifts, ensuring the success of K-State through long- Myers announced the new campaign goal at the spring football game. term investments. n
4 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 “We are energized by the generosity of the K-State family, which is vital now more than ever. As state support for higher education continues to fall, we rely ever more on support from K-State alumni and friends to meet the needs facing the university and to make college education possible for those who desire it. Our new goal of raising even more for K-State will help us meet those needs for K-State and its students.” Greg Willems KSU Foundation president and CEO
“The success of the campaign thus far and the decision to extend it is due to the amazing generosity of K-State’s philanthropists and the hard work of hundreds of campaign volunteers. We sincerely thank all of the volunteers and donors who have invested their time, talent and treasure to benefit K-State faculty, students and programs today and for future generations. We invite all who want to help K-State reach new heights to join the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign.” Rand Berney Campaign co-chair and KSU Foundation Board To learn more about the Innovation and of Directors chair Inspiration Campaign, visit inspire.k-state.edu.
PHOTOS: DAVID MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 5 Accomplishments to make you proud to be a Wildcat
K-STATE WELCOMES NEW ATHLETICS DIRECTOR GENE TAYLOR “This is a dream come true,” said Gene Taylor, K-State’s new athletics director. “To be able to be at a place like K-State is very special.” Taylor says he’s excited to be a part of the K-State family and to uphold the proud traditions, values and expectations of K-State. He describes himself as approachable and says he’ll have an open door policy for student-athletes and coaches.
K-STATE ATHLETICS K-STATE Taylor most recently served as deputy athletics director at the University of Iowa. Prior to that he was North Dakota State University’s athletics director for 13 years. Taylor is a 1980 business management graduate of Arizona State, and he received his master’s degree in sports administration in 1985 from St. Thomas University Gene Taylor in Florida. Taylor and his wife, Cathy, have a daughter, Casey, and a son, Jared.
Environmentally friendly invention may save soybean industry millions of dollars per year The Nematode parasite may no longer pester soybean farmers, thanks to three K-State scientists. Harold N. Trick, professor of plant pathology; Timothy C. Todd, instructor of plant pathology; and Jiarui Li, research assistant professor in plant pathology, have designed and patented a soybean variety that protects itself from the number one soybean disease in the nation. The researchers’ new soybean variety can stop the reproductive cycle of the Nematode parasites, From left: Timothy Todd and Harold Trick which could potentially save the industry millions of dollars per year.
PROJECT EXCELL ENRICHES LIVES OF SPECIAL NEEDS ADULTS AND WINS NATIONAL AWARD Project EXCELL, a K-State community-based program for special needs adults, MIRANDA SNYDER/UFM earned the 2016 Outstanding Service to Underserved Populations Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education at its 2016 conference. EXCELL provides personal enrichment and lifeskills classes to individuals 18 years and older with developmental disabilities. It is a partnership between the College of Education and UFM Community Learning Center.
6 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 New patented antivirals created at K-State may make schools, cruises safer Whenever people gather in large groups such as schools, cruise ships and hospitals, the potential to pass along viruses rises. New antivirals created by K-State researchers may stop the spread of noroviruses and rhinoviruses — the usual suspects in what makes people sick. Yunjeong Kim, associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University; and William C. Groutas, distinguished professor of chemistry at Wichita State University, earned a patent for these new antivirals. Another benefit of this research is the increased capacity of curtailing possible threats of bioterrorism transmitted through common viruses.
Isaya Kisekka
COURTESY PHOTO Kansas State Polytechnic recognized among K-State top unmanned aircraft systems colleges researcher’s water Kansas State Polytechnic has been 95 percent of Greensburg, Kansas, work has potential named No. 2 in the “Top 20 Unmanned in 2007. The storm prompted state to transform Aerial Systems Colleges in the legislators to acknowledge the growing United States.” The Top 20 list was need for technology to effectively food production compiled by Drone Training HQ, an locate survivors and assess emergency Isaya Kisekka, assistant online resource for unmanned pilots, situations. State legislators allocated professor in biological and engineers and technicians. K-State funds to K-State to start an unmanned agricultural engineering, has Polytechnic’s UAS program was aircraft systems program to improve been named a “New Innovator launched as a result of the devastating disaster response and public safety in Food and Agriculture EF5 tornado which destroyed using drone technology. Research,” by the nonprofit Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR). K-STATE RESEARCH FFAR supports innovative POWERS THE FUTURE science that addresses food and agriculture. Kisekka’s award K-State researchers are among inventors of supports his work to improve a patented “better battery” — a Lithium-Ion water-management strategies battery anode created by Jun Li, professor in farming. Kisekka and a team of chemistry; Steven Klankowski, May 2015 of researchers are working to chemistry doctoral graduate, La Crescent, identify best irrigation practices Minnesota; and Ronald A. Rojeski, Catalyst of crops in western Kansas. Power Technologies Inc., Santa Clara, California. Western Kansas’ climate Jun Li This new smaller battery has applications in and soil conditions have hybrid vehicles, portable electronics, power tools implications for any region in and military and space exploration. The battery features an the world where water supplies adjusted structure and composition to store more energy per gram. Reducing the are limited. battery’s weight makes it run longer and improves the power output. PHOTOS: KSU DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 7 K-State Proud participants twice as likely to give to the university after graduation By Emily Dye
ince its inception 11 years ago, Student Foundation’s K-State Proud campaign has always made a difference. But their “students helping students” motto is only half the story. An analysis into the giving habits of Sstudents-turned-donors reveals that those who participated in the student-led campaign are twice as likely to give as alumni than their non-Proud counterparts. K-State Proud is the main way Student Foundation works to inspire philanthropy among students. Proceeds from this MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS OF DIVISION KSU campaign go toward Student Opportunity Awards, funds allocated to students who have exhausted all other forms of financial support they need to stay in school. Over the past 10 years, Student Foundation has raised more than $1 million to help more than 550 students continue their studies at K-State. The inaugural K-State Proud campaign culminated in a celebration “Working with the Proud campaign taught me that it and pep rally before the K-State vs. KU basketball game on doesn’t take a huge, sweeping donation to make change, February 19, 2007, when students, friends and fans came together just focused, passionate action that inspires people to come to “Blackout Bramlage.” together,” said Ellen Collingwood ’15. Gatewood ’14. “As a public school teacher, I am not yet at Student Foundation, through the Proud campaign and liberty to give at the level I desire. The sense of philanthropy other activities, not only instills a sense of passion within that was cultivated within me at K-State and through the its members, it instills an appreciation of philanthropic Proud campaign has continued to inspire me to give what I giving that lasts throughout their college years and beyond. can, with what I have.” Alumni still make it a priority to dedicate their time, gifts and energy to the K-State family years after they graduate. Early on, Student Foundation members are asked to envision how they want to give “In the almost three years back to the university after since I graduated, I have graduation. Students network continued to look for ways with established alumni and to use my financial giving learn their impact does not have to impact K-State students to end when they no longer work on and their experiences at the the Proud campaign and after they university,” said Carolyn
8 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 grows givers
young alumni* began their financial support of the university by giving to 1 in 4 K-State Proud as a student 46% vs. 21% of Proud donor of non-Proud alumni give to donor alumni K-State
$1.9 vs. $1.5 million million leave the university. These young K-State Proud alumni contributed by contributed have seen how their gifts create change. Proud donor by non-Proud “Working alongside established alumni during my time in alumni donor alumni Student Foundation planted a seed that pushes me to excel in my career in hopes of one day being able to make an impact as they have,” Collingwood said. A culture of philanthropy is growing among students $450 vs. $301 at K-State due to the work of Student Foundation. The Average gift Average gift organization serves as the student arm of the KSU Foundation in efforts to engage current students across for Proud for non-Proud the university. Through these efforts, Student Foundation donor alumni donor alumni members cultivate a passion for philanthropic giving, which stays with them long after they graduate. n *Graduated less than 10 years ago Data as of May 2016
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 9 A gift that
Vulgamore Family Farms, Scott City, Kansas
10 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 Donations of grain fuel K-State’s future By Allie Lousch
hat’s more Kansas I learned from them and Wthan growing grain? have returned to help others learn.” In 2012, Rich Porter contacted the KSU Why gifts of grain? Foundation with an idea to creatively give back to Farmers work hard to Kansas State University produce generous harvests, and fuel research by gifting and they want their grain crops. As a two-time donations to realize similar K-State graduate (chemical gains. In gifting harvested engineering, 1972; master’s crops, producers easily of agribusiness, 2004) maximize their impact and longtime university by transferring the grain supporter, Porter had directly to the beneficiary learned from friends and and excluding the crop sale accountants how gifts of from their income. They grain maximize donations can deduct the production and reduce producer taxes. costs, which can have very beneficial tax advantages. Through his research, As Porter says, “It’s very Porter discovered gifting tax efficient and almost too grain to K-State is good to be true!” incredibly easy and fit his giving philosophy: find a How to grow your great project with a solid track record and forward gifts to K-State momentum, ensure good As always, first consult your people are leading the tax professional, then call program, and donate the KSU Foundation and where money will make a arrange for the university to difference. He called the take receipt of your unsold foundation with a proposal crop. Once the arrangement to gift soybeans and later is set, deliver the grain to corn. your local elevator and “I returned to the farm in transfer a quantity to the 1979, just prior to the ag foundation’s account at the crisis of the 1980s,” Porter elevator. Your next step is said. “With two college to notify the foundation the degrees, I had never taken grain has been delivered. a single class in agriculture. The foundation then calls to (Porter’s second degree direct the sale. was a Juris Doctor from “I know the gifts will be Southern Methodist well-utilized,” Porter said. University in 1975.) “There are great people at Knowing I knew nothing the university doing great about farming made me things with the resources more dependent upon available.” n the specialists at K-State. DAVID MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 11 K-State academic leaders share how they use your gifts
or college deans and department heads, the responsibilities of directing their schools and units involve careful planning and consideration of budgets and resources. However, even the best laid plans Fcannot completely anticipate every emerging need and opportunity, especially those that develop outside the classroom. Excellence funds exist to address these needs and can be used at the leader’s discretion, providing much- needed flexibility. This flexibility in private, discretionary funds is often not available to campus leaders, as most philanthropic dollars are designated for specific purposes. Excellence funds can allow university leaders to enrich the student experience, fund much-needed facilities projects, provide community outreach, and support faculty. Contributing to excellence funds is a great way to make a considerable impact on the lives of students and faculty alike. A few K-State leaders share with us how excellence DAVID MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY funds have made a difference for their programs.
“Excellence funds play an invaluable role in the college’s ability to invest in our future teachers’ experiences and activities, access that will pay dividends when they are in their own classrooms. One of the most recent examples of how we used excellence funds was to provide our K-State students with scholarships to pay their tuition and help them purchase instructional resources for the Summer STEM Institute, a four-week program for USD 383’s middle school students that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math. Excellence funding provides the college with the flexibility to support K-State students in every way possible, ensuring their success in the profession.”
Debbie Mercer Dean, College of Education
MARY HAMMEL/KSU COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
12 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 KSU DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS OF DIVISION KSU
“The Graduate School used excellence funds to initiate additional professional development opportunities to enhance graduate students’ communication skills. The graduate students who participated were very positive about their experience in the Dissertation Writing Workshop. The majority indicated they had made significant progress in writing sections of their dissertation and had enhanced their understanding of how to better organize their materials and express their ideas. Budget cuts from state general-use funds makes it imperative to obtain funding from our alumni and friends in order to enhance the graduate student experience, such as the “Excellence funds provide flexibility to meet Dissertation Writing Workshop, an emerging needs and allow for student learning initiative of the 2025 plan.” experiences outside the classroom, faculty development, and community engagement; Carol Shanklin opportunities that often develop outside of our Dean, Graduate School planned and budgeted activities. For example, the Staley School of Leadership Studies used excellence funds to help a community partner, the American Association of University Women, bring Noorjahan Akbar, an internationally acclaimed gender equality and human rights activist, to campus for International Women’s Day to share her unique experiences and perspective with our university and Manhattan community. Akbar shared her story, and those of so many we might not otherwise learn about, and called us to action — to give voice, to write, to make our concerns known, to exercise leadership. Students were able to broaden their
understanding of leadership across cultures and KSU DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING contexts, and the Staley School strengthened an important campus and community “Excellence funds provide my department heads partnership.” and myself with financial resources to support Mary Tolar the most critical and impactful aspects of our programs. One of our most significant sources Director, Staley School of of excellence funds is the Founders Guild, which Leadership Studies is comprised of individuals, firms, foundations and corporations who invested in the vision to remodel and add on to the Seaton Hall and Regnier Hall complex. Without these commitments, we would not have been able to carry out the intense programming and conceptual study for our project. The new building will also allow us to capitalize on the interdisciplinary nature of our college in preparing our students for design and planning leadership. I do not think it gets much more impactful than that.”
Tim de Noble Dean, College of Architecture, Planning & Design
ENNEAD ARCHITECTS
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 13 service Couple awarded the K-State Medal of Excellence
hen asked to describe Gib and Brenda Compton, the words you’re most likely W to hear are generous, dedicated, humble, caring, committed and Wildcat. The Comptons, of Wichita, Kansas, were recently awarded the K-State Medal of Excellence, which recognizes outstanding alumni who have advanced the university through exceptional service, leadership and philanthropic
DAVID MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY MAYES DAVID contributions.
“I didn’t come into K-State with a perfect GPA or a high ACT score, so I didn’t have those scholarships that are sometimes provided early on. I got “I think it’s important to underscore the IMPACT GIB involved in student organizations and kept my AND BRENDA HAVE HAD across the entire academy. grades up hoping I could get a scholarship They model for others what we want out of a caring someday. The fact that THE COMPTONS WERE university community, from faculty to students to THERE FOR ME was heartwarming, and the our alumni, ALL WORKING TOGETHER to further generosity of the scholarship amount blew me K-State’s reputation and the opportunities and away. I CAN’T THANK THEM ENOUGH.” experiences available to students.” — Nate Sterns, senior in construction science and management — Debbie Mercer, dean of the College of Education “GIB AND BRENDA INSPIRE me because of their philanthropic support of K-State, but more importantly because of their “CAN DO” attitude. They are incredible ambassadors for K-State; THEY CARE, and THEY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. They see the needs of the university and they react — THEY MAKE DREAMS HAPPEN.” — Amy Button Renz, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association
14 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 From the first campus welcome future K-Staters hear, through their defining college years and forward, Kansas State University goes above and beyond to build excellence of community and student opportunity.
Your philanthropic giving creates the ability to build innovative facilities, outstanding programs and more. Read on and you’ll learn how K-State First helps freshmen successfully navigate their first year, how the advanced Center for Risk Management prepares students for long-term industry leadership, and the Berney Family Welcome Center transitions prospective students to graduates successfully launched into their professions.
From students’ first day to their graduation day, your K-State generosity makes all the difference. You help K-State go above and beyond the ordinary to EXTRAORDINARY.
DAVID MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 15 K-State First students participate in a Beyond the Classroom event about physics and dance.
16 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 PHOTOS: KSU DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Going above and beyond to build community for freshmen By Marisa Larson
ansas State University has found the key to helping incoming students succeed — engagement. K-State First, the university’s enhanced college experience program for first-year students, engages and supports new students in many ways: mentors, a common book read by all incoming students, first-year seminars and Connecting Across Topics (CAT) Communities. “Having smaller class sizes helps with the transition from high school to college,” said theater major Emma Galitzer, who participated in two first-year seminar classes her first semester at K-State. “The material is harder and there are higher expectations, but since the class is smaller, it’s a lot easier to get the help you need.” K-State First at a glance Like first-year seminars, CAT Communities provide more opportunities for students to engage with faculty and fellow 4 main components: students. The communities are designed around majors or interests. Students enroll in two general education courses and • First-Year Seminar — small classes taught in a a connection class where a professor ties together what they’re lively, interactive way learning in both classes. • CAT Communities — learning communities for “There were only about 12 of us in the same two classes. We all Connecting Across Topics walked to class together and studied together,” said Audrey Gaug, • GPS — a mentor provides a Guide for Personal a member of the Muggle Studies CAT Community. “It helped me Success (GPS) to meet more people and taught me the importance of creating a friend group for classes — people you could go to with questions or • K-State Book Network — a shared read with other to study with.” first-year students K-State First began in 2008 with just a few first-year seminars Big impact and has grown to engage 60 percent of incoming students this past semester (fall 2016). Dr. Gregory Eiselein, director of K-State • 87% freshman-to-sophomore retention of K-State First and professor of English, used his Coffman Award to get the First participants in 2016 — university retention program off the ground. rate now highest in school history Philanthropy helped launch K-State First and philanthropy will • It takes 3–5 times more money to recruit a new enable it to grow and benefit even more students. K-State alumna student than to retain one Jill Trego and her family felt inspired by the program’s success. • Participants have higher GPAs than “The fact that students who go through K-State First are more nonparticipants, an advantage retained throughout likely to graduate; that really spoke to me because Dad didn’t their college career graduate the first time he attended college,” Trego said. • Participants are nearly 50% more likely to To honor her late father, Tony Dosien, Trego and her family have graduate, in less time and with higher GPAs, than funded the first CAT Community in the College of Business nonparticipants Administration. But unlike other CAT Communities, this one is for a full year. “This program is a great way to bridge between high school and college,” Trego said. “It helps ensure that fewer members of the K-State family are going to have to try to go back to college later in life when it is exponentially harder to make it work.”
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 17 18 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 KSU DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Going above and beyond to give students an academic edge in risk management By Marisa Larson
isk is inevitable. It’s how you recognize, prepare and respond to it that makes the difference between success and failure. The Center for Risk Management Education and Research (CRMER) at Kansas State University prepares students to succeed in a world filled with complex and interrelated risk. CRMER addresses an important industry need — elevating students’ knowledge of integrated risk management before entering the workforce. “I gained an awareness of the different types of risk,” said Claire Hilscher, 2014 graduate with a master’s in agricultural economics. “Because of my background in agricultural economics, I tended to focus on price and weather risk. There are so many less obvious risks that businesses face day-to-day. These include brand risk, credit risk, food safety risk, political risk, compliance risk and many more. We learned about the strategies that companies are using to mitigate and/or capitalize on these risks.” Pillars of the multidisciplinary program are business finance, industrial Center for Risk manufacturing and systems engineering, and agricultural economics, but includes students from several other fields such as economics, mathematics, Management statistics, marketing and psychology. Students accepted as Student Fellows Education and in the Risk Management Center complete a year-and-a-half program, which includes both undergraduate and graduate students. Students attend lectures Research at and workshops, engage with industry leaders about risk in their businesses, conduct a year-long research project in conjunction with a faculty mentor and a glance industry sponsor, and travel to headquarters of national and global companies. 2012 class = 9 students “Through CRMER, I’ve been exposed to all types of people. I’ve had the opportunity 2017 class = 34 students to do original research, which isn’t always available to undergraduates, but it’s a great way to grow,” said Kevin Cole, senior in finance from Vermilion, Ohio. Student requirements: “I’ve also had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to visit government representatives and to visit industry leaders at their headquarters.” • Minimum GPA of 3.5 While many universities have risk management courses, the way K-State has • Active on campus packaged its education through CRMER is unique. The program includes both • Leadership capabilities undergraduate and graduate students; the center partners with and engages industry leaders; it’s multidisciplinary, crossing many departments and colleges; Advantages gained through and it offers students risk management research projects and credential certifications. CRMER: “CRMER is one of the main reasons I chose to attend K-State for graduate school,” • Networking with executives said Hilscher, who came to K-State after completing her undergraduate degree at • Leadership skills Texas A&M. “This opportunity was unlike anything that any other school across the country had to offer, and the CRMER fellowship gave me an advantage in the • Research capabilities job market.” • Analytical skills None of this would be possible without private support.“Philanthropic resources • Professional development helped us launch the program,” said Ted Schroeder, center director and professor of agricultural economics. “Philanthropy is essential for our program to be a • Certification (if desired) center of excellence rather than just a center of activities, and it allows us to increase the scale and scope of the program.” Future additions to the program: Left: On May 31, 1900, the Chemical Laboratory caught fire. Students attempted to put out • Competition teams the fire but were unsuccessful, and the building was gutted. Originally constructed in 1877, this building is now Holtz Hall. • International experience
COURTESY OF MORSE DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 19 Prospective students and their families begin their K-State visit in the lobby of the Berney Family Welcome Center.
20 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 PHOTOS: DAVID MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY
Going above and beyond for future students and their families
By Sara Wallace
s the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Thanks to the generosity of Rand and Patti Berney, numerous K-State alumni and friends, prospective students and their families are treated to a first-class experience when they visit the university. New Student Services now resides in the revitalized historic Memorial Stadium, home to the Berney Family Welcome Center, made possible by philanthropic gifts directed through the KSU Foundation. They now have sufficient room to host the 200-plus students and family members who visit daily. “We feel very fortunate to be able to utilize this new beautiful building,” said Emily Lehning, associate vice president for Student Life and director of New New Student Services employs nearly Student Services. “We get rave reviews from guests about the new space, about 60 undergraduates who lead campus how beautiful and welcoming it is. It has always been our goal to make guests tours, schedule campus visits, assist feel welcomed and to show what it’s like in the K-State family. Now that goal has with the Presidential Lecture Series and follow up with prospective students. been translated into this new building.” The Berney Family Welcome Center has become a central location for many services for prospective students and their families, which was not an option in How many visitors the past due to limited space. Visiting students have the chance to meet with representatives from financial aid and housing and dining services in the new come through welcome center. the Berney “We now have room for private meetings where students can talk to assistant advisors in the same building without having to relocate,” Lehning said. “We’re Family Welcome very thankful for the option for more private space.” Center in a day? New Student Services has been operating out of the Berney Family Welcome Center since June 2016. The north end of the building is home to the Career 100 Center, which assists students with career exploration, planning and placement. prospective students on The renovated and highly functional space provides a new way of welcoming a busy visit day prospective students. Families getting ready to head out for their campus tours are often intrigued by the students waiting outside of interview rooms preparing for job interviews hosted by the Career Center. Combining the beginning 200–300 moments of a K-State student’s experience with the career development including parents or other guests activities is an excellent way to showcase where a K-State degree can take students. 350 “I’m even more excited to start here because I’ve finally seen the campus scheduled guests a day; does not today and the people at the welcome center answered any questions we had,” include other visitors such as alumni, prospective student Natalie Collins said. “I finally felt that family feeling they community members and friends always talk about having at K-State.” who are welcome to stop by, get information and say hello
WWW.FOUND.KSU.EDU 21 A successful
22 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 DAVID MAYES PHOTOGRAPHY Going above and beyond to help K-Staters land the job By Katie Howland
n the overwhelming world of job searching, K-State’s Career Center is a beacon of guidance and support for many K-State students. Located in the new Berney Family Welcome Center, the Career Center’s team focuses on providing students with the right tools to land a job or internship. The Berney Family Welcome Center, renovated with philanthropic funding, opened in June 2016 and has been providing enhanced experiences for current and prospective students to Jingyi Zhu, senior in finance from Kaifeng, China, assists cultivate their futures. Taylor Gnagi, junior in family studies and human services from Topeka, Kansas, with trying on a suit jacket from Kerri Keller, executive the Career Closet (above). At left, Sydney Hass, senior in director of the Career finance from Overland Park, Kansas, interviews for a job Center, believes in the long-term importance of getting students with John Behrendt, corporate auditor at Union Pacific in Omaha, Nebraska. ready for their future careers and says the new facility provides an area for student-employer relationships to form and flourish. “We really appreciate being in this building. We can now do Career Center by workshops and group activities that we weren’t able to do before,” Keller said. “We know that employers have been very impressed the numbers and have really loved the interview rooms. They have raved about them. Making our industry guests who are visiting campus as comfortable as possible is something we are able to do in this 22,937 student interactions took place at facility. We couldn’t quite do that at the same level in Holtz Hall.” the Career Center in 2016 Sterling Muse has benefited from what the Career Center has to offer. He is from Manhattan, Kansas, majoring in business marketing and is graduating in May to pursue a career in corporate 94% sales. Muse has not only utilized the Career Center’s services but of 2016 K-State graduates are employed has been a part of their team as a paraprofessional for the past or furthering their education three years. “The Career Center has given me a new perception on being a student and a worker,” Muse said. “Having a job that focuses on 417 helping other students helps me at the same time. The things I’m students took more than 600 items from teaching those students I’m also teaching myself.” the Career Closet last semester, which offers professional clothing for free Like thousands of other students on campus, Muse has used the Career Center to get ahead of the competition. “I’ve really taken advantage of the drop-in advising sessions. They 14 critique your resume and cover letters or go through a mock K-State students are currently interview with you,” he said. “They do everything they can to get employed at the Career Center you interview ready.” n 100% Left: K-State students meet with company representatives at an of the Berney Family Welcome Center all‑university career fair. renovation was funded by private gifts
KSU DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
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Many programs and projectsto on campusay need and deserve philanthropic support. Look for us on the Discover one you care about. K-State mobile app!
Veterinary medicine competitive residencies Residency training at K-State’s Veterinary Health Center (VHC) is a competitive program for veterinarians pursuing board certification in a specialty. Residents work in the VHC for three years. They see patients with board-certified specialists, help with veterinary student education and training, conduct research and complete graduate coursework. Residents receive a modest stipend. To successfully complete the program, residents must take classes, present research at conferences and complete extensive board certification examinations. These activities require funding. Your support will ease the financial burden on these young veterinarians.
To support the K-State Veterinary Health Center residency program, you can give online at www.found.ksu.edu/give/resident or contact Eric Holderness at 785-532-7593 or [email protected].
Global Campus For more than 50 years, K-State Global Campus has provided educational opportunities, development and global connection to students furthering their post-secondary studies. Global Campus works with a world of locations and schedules; their services are far-reaching and not limited to distance education. The Global Campus team also offers professional meeting coordination, conferences and professional development. Support to Global Campus helps the program continue to provide quality distance education by extending its learning resources to adult students worldwide through student-focused learning technology.
To support K-State Global Campus, you can give online at www.found.ksu.edu/give/globalcampus or contact Chris Spooner at 785-532-7697 or [email protected].
Developing Scholars Program The Developing Scholars Program offers high-achieving, underrepresented students research projects in their field of study. Scholars receive academic, social and financial support, mentoring from university faculty, and opportunities to fully experience the intellectual climate of the university. The results have been incredible! Developing Scholars have received Goldwater and Fulbright awards and admission to the nation’s most recognized graduate and professional schools. Contributions to the program enable students to pursue undergraduate research — an opportunity they may not have otherwise.
To support the Developing Scholars Program, you can give online at www.found.ksu.edu/give/devscholars or contact Chris Spooner at 785-532-7697 or [email protected].
24 GOOD FOR K-STATE • SPRING 2017 To support the programs mentioned in this issue, you can make an online gift or contact a development officer.
Page 8 Student Foundation www.found.ksu.edu/give/proud or contact Sara Prince at 785-532-7549 or [email protected] Page 10 Gifting commodities Contact Larry Fox at 785-532-7541 or [email protected]. Learn more at www.found.ksu.edu/how-to-give/grain.html Page 12 College of Education Dean’s Excellence Fund www.found.ksu.edu/give/education or contact Abel Frederic at 785-532-7586 or [email protected] Page 13 Staley School of Leadership Studies Excellence Fund www.found.ksu.edu/give/SSLS or contact Chris Spooner at 785-532-7697 or [email protected] Page 13 APD Dean’s Excellence Fund www.found.ksu.edu/give/apd or contact Damon Fairchild at 785-532-7524 or [email protected] Page 13 Graduate School Excellence Fund www.found.ksu.edu/give/graduate or Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows contact Chris Spooner at 785-532-7697 or [email protected] The Staley School of Leadership Studies offers a unique Page 16 leadership development opportunity honoring Coach K-State First Bill Snyder’s leadership development work: The Snyder www.found.ksu.edu/give/first or contact Chris Leadership Legacy Fellows. The Snyder Fellows program Spooner at 785-532-7697 or [email protected] offers students personal and professional development Page 18 based on Coach Snyder’s 16 Goals for Success. Coach Center for Risk Management Snyder’s goals have been widely embraced as guiding Education and Research principles for success in life, family, career and community. www.found.ksu.edu/give/risk or contact Emilie The year-long Snyder Fellows program selects up to Fink at 785-532-7571 or [email protected] 40 students to participate in intensive retreats and Page 20 exclusive personal and professional development events New Student Services, give to with successful athletes, scholars and business leaders. VP for Student Life/Dean of Snyder Fellows engage in leadership dialogues with Coach Students Excellence Fund Snyder and one-on-one coaching with Staley School faculty www.found.ksu.edu/give/studentlife or and campus partners. Donor support helps fund retreats, contact Jenna Brown at 785-532-7611 or development opportunities and other transformative [email protected] activities for Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows. Page 22 Career Center Excellence Fund To support the Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows, you www.found.ksu.edu/give/career or contact Jenna can give online at www.found.ksu.edu/give/SLLF or contact Brown at 785-532-7611 or [email protected] Chris Spooner at 785-532-7697 or [email protected]. n PHOTOS: KSU DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
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The support I receive from the COLEMAN CHAIR IN FOOD ANIMAL “ PRODUCTION MEDICINE empowers me to focus on an interconnected set of activities in TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND SERVICE to enhance the discovery and application of methods to improve the efficiency, sustainability and health of livestock production in the U.S. and around the world. — DR. ROBERT” LARSON Professor of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
Ensuring K-State success through endowed faculty positions.
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