The purpose of the College of Agriculture is to lead the development and promotion of resilient, commercially viable plant, animal and food systems that are necessary for human well-being and community development in Kansas, the Great Plains, and similar semi-arid regions worldwide through integrated education, research and extension. Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness. THOMAS JEFFERSON The College of Agriculture plays an important part in helping Kansas State University reach the ambitious goal to be a top 50 public research university by 2025. The college is home to an abundance of nationally recognized award winners, from big-name scholarships such as Rhodes and Truman recipients to distinguished professors to national champion teams. Many of our departments are ranked in the top 10, and we are striving to be a top five College of Agriculture. We couldn t have accomplished such a high level of success without the support of alumni and friends, and we call on you now to help us reach this transformational goal. Through the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign, we will raise $100 million for the College of Agriculture to advance us toward our 2025 goals and to benefit four areas: student success, faculty development, facility enhancement and an excellence fund to support new and emerging needs.
Student success The student experience at K-State and in the College of Agriculture can be enhanced through scholarships, diversity, study-abroad experiences and support for extracurricular activities, all of which are key components of K-State s 2025 goals. Scholarships: We have a nearly 100 percent job placement rate for our graduates, and there are more jobs available. Because of the quality of education we provide to our students, we can almost guarantee a job for every single one of them. If we were able to provide more scholarships, we d be able to attract more students to place in those jobs, benefitting Kansas agriculture and society as a whole. Diversity: The more diverse the population, the greater diversity of ideas that are generated. Scholarships would make it possible to attract more multicultural students, and the entire student body would benefit by seeing the world through a more realistic lens. International experience: Agriculture is a global enterprise. Whatever happens in one part of the world affects other parts of the world. Many companies that hire our students are international in nature. International scholarships help our students have an experience that is fundamental to preparing them to live and work in a global society. Extracurricular support: Students learn best through hands-on experience. By participating in product competitions, judging teams and national meetings, students learn to work together to solve real-world problems. These meaningful experiences demand a lot of time and resources from faculty and the college. Faculty development The heart of any academic program is its faculty. The quality of our faculty will directly determine the quality of our educational, research and outreach programs. This campaign will substantially strengthen our ability to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and give them the tools they need to thrive. A central vehicle for faculty support is the creation of more endowed chairs and professorships prestigious positions that provide continuous funding for faculty members teaching, graduate student work, research, outreach and activities tied to industry. Having remarkable faculty raises the level of our programs long term and is a necessity for being a top 50 public research university. Your participation can support endowed faculty positions, which provide a powerful way to attract and retain eminent scholars who care about nurturing students, creating new knowledge and serving society. Facility enhancement The College of Agriculture is experiencing record-breaking enrollment. Most of our student education takes place in labs, and we don t have the space to accommodate our growing enrollment. Our faculty has become more successful in acquiring grants, requiring them to have more space to accommodate student assistants and technicians. To advance K-State s goal of becoming a top 50 public research university and our goal to be a top five College of Agriculture, we must have state-of-the art facilities to accommodate more students and the faculty s increased research needs. With your help, we can provide our faculty and students with the advanced facilities they need to push us to the pinnacle of success. Excellence funds Excellence funds give the dean and department heads flexibility to take advantage of opportunities as they arise or to address emerging needs. They allow the dean to advance teaching, research and outreach. Your gifts provide the resources to launch new fields of study and leverage the research strengths developed already. Excellence funds seed intellectual property and technology transfer activities and support faculty and students who present their research at national and international venues. Endowed funds connect generations Endowed funds create a lasting legacy and the assurance that your fund will make a difference well beyond your lifetime. The principal of the gift is never invaded and is expected to continually increase, while awards are made from the earnings. This means that the endowed fund you create today will reach into the future to continue to provide support for the purpose that is close to your heart. Whether you choose to support students, faculty, or another area, your heart goes with your gift to future generations. Because the size of the endowment is directly correlated to our capacity to serve future generations of K-Staters, the endowment is an important benchmark toward our goal to become a top 50 public research university by 2025.
A global outlook Many agricultural jobs require a global outlook and in today s competitive market, students need a way to stand out. Studying abroad is one experience that gives students an edge, as well as a life-changing experience. Reagan Kays, from Weir, Kansas, studied at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. I was able to use this knowledge this past summer in my internship with John Deere Ag & Turf Marketing, Kays said. John Deere is a global company and I was able to come to the table with an experience that many of the more experienced employees didn t even have. It was experiences like Kays that inspired Ruth and Roger Wolfe of Hiawatha, Kansas, to create an international study program award for College of Agriculture students. The opportunity to study abroad will broaden their horizons and enhance their global perspective, Roger said. It s better for young people to be exposed to and understand other cultures and the world earlier in life rather than later. Tools for success Skills necessary to be successful in a career are often not taught in a classroom but are gained through a variety of experiences. For some K-State agronomy students, the crops judging team provides them the tools necessary to be successful. The team, coached by Kevin Donnelly, has won the national crops judging competition six years in a row, and in 13 of the past 16 years. That type of record takes dedication and support. Some of our peers have minimized extracurricular activities such as crops judging teams. K-State is unique in supporting this, Donnelly said. Employers are telling me students need the soft skills the teamwork, the work ethic, commitment to goals skills that aren t taught in the classroom. These out-of-class activities help to strengthen their personal resumes and pay off down the line. Providing these types of opportunities for students is one key goal of K-State s vision to be a top 50 public research university by 2025, and donor support is helping to make sure it happens. The support has really helped me out because I ve had to cut back on my work hours to have time to study for the team, said Morgan Halderson, team member from Delphos, Kansas. Halderson has a job lined up with Monsanto for when she graduates in May. She credits her experience on the crops judging team with her employment success. 4
Dr. Charles Stark (left) confers with Reed Staver, student in feed science and management from Darby, Pennsylvania, in the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Center. A permanent investment in success Opportunity and commitment those are just two things endowed faculty positions represent. Endowed positions create opportunities for faculty to do things they couldn t do otherwise because of lack of resources. And by endowing a faculty position, donors are showing their commitment to education, research and the university. The donor-supported professorship has had a great impact, said Dr. Praveen Vadlani, the Gary and Betty Lortscher Associate Professor of Renewable Energy in the College of Agriculture. We do get funding through grants and college support, but when we have alumni or industry partners set up a fellowship, it adds value to the program. It shows that the program is recognized and worthy of support, and it also helps with our resources. Dr. Charles Stark, the Jim and Carol Brown Associate Professor in Feed Technology, couldn t agree more. His position is funded by the Browns, who are majority owners of Key Feeds in Clay Center, Kan. Industry donors establishing an endowed faculty position show a large commitment to what s going on in education, teaching and research, Stark said. It demonstrates the commitment of industry to the education system here at K-State. Offering endowed faculty positions is an essential part of being a premier land-grant institution, and a key component of K-State fulfilling its goal of being a top 50 public research university by 2025. Chairs and professorships empower K-State to attract and retain the researchers and educators who are vital to the success of students and the university. They also support the university as a whole, supplementing the professor s salary while also providing additional operating support for assistants, travel, equipment, research and other expenses. Donors who fund endowed faculty positions are making a permanent investment in the future of K-State. This fellowship will continue on and help researchers for many years to come, Vadlani said. I feel fortunate to be the first recipient and to know the founder of the fellowship. Dr. Praveen Vadlani works to create renewable biofuels in his lab at the Bioprocessing and Industrial Value Added Program facility. 5
Contact us John D. Floros, Ph.D. Dean and Director College of Agriculture/Kansas State Research and Extension 785-532-7137 floros@k-state.edu Your gift will make a difference The $1 billion Innovation and Inspiration Campaign supports K-State s goal to become a top 50 public research university by 2025. Our success will depend in large measure on the support of alumni, friends, foundations and industry partners who believe in the power of education, the promise of research, and the principle of service to humanity. To learn more about K-State s progress toward 2025 goals, please visit www.k-state.edu/2025. Kim Schirer Senior Director of Development College of Agriculture 785-532-7517 kims@found.ksu.edu Emilie Fink Assistant Director of Development College of Agriculture 785-532-7571 emilief@found.ksu.edu Funding priorities: $100 million Student success General undergraduate scholarships General graduate scholarships Study abroad Diversity Extracurricular support Faculty development Endowed chairs and professorships Research support Faculty teaching support Facility enhancement New buildings Renovations $40,000,000 $23,000,000 $12,000,000 Excellence funds $18,000,000 Programmatic support $7,000,000 1800 Kimball Avenue, Suite 200 Manhattan, Kansas 66502-3373 785-532-6266 800-432-1578 www.found.ksu.edu 6 091515
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