Board
M at t e r s
A newsletter for current and past members of the K-State Alumni Association Board of Directors “Enhancing our Kansas State University family through lifelong involvement” It is a pleasure to share our 2014 Annual Report, as well as this edition of the Board Matters newsletter with you! There are so many great things happening at K-State! I truly believe there has been no better time to be a Wildcat, and I know you share the appreciation we all feel for the leadership of President Kirk Schulz. Your Alumni Association continues to grow and experience many successes as we work to provide programs that enhance the involvement of our Wildcat family. With nearly 44,000 members, we are so appreciative of the loyalty and support that has allowed us to remain No. 1 in the Big 12 for the 18th consecutive year! I’m also pleased to share that recipients for
the CASE District VI Institutional Awards have been announced, and your alma mater will be recognized with 24 awards this year, including 14 for Association programs. This is the greatest number of program awards the Association has received in a single year and testament to the creativity and dedication our staff brings to everything they do! As always, thank you for all you continue to do to promote K-State and for your ongoing support of the Alumni Association. We could not experience the success we do without you. Best wishes throughout the holiday season and coming new year! Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86 President and CEO
Tradition Founders Kim Ralston ’07, K-State Alumni Association
K-State Alumni Center addition
Thanks to the generosity of Cheryl Maneth Yunk ’72, ’79 and Dan Yunk ’71, ’75, ’87 (above), Manhattan, Kansas, the K-State Alumni Center now features the KSU Obelisk, which displays the words of the K-State Fight Song and K-State’s alma mater. K-State officials, alumni and friends attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the obelisk Sept. 20. The obelisk was created by Richard “Dick” Bergen ’63 and Richie Bergen ’86, ’98, Salina, Kansas, and constructed by Compton Construction Company, which is owned by Gib Compton ’80 and Brenda Compton ’77, Wichita, Kansas.
Coach Bill Snyder and the Wildcat football team will travel to San Antonio, Texas, to play UCLA in the Valero Alamo Bowl at 5:45 p.m. (CST) Jan. 2. For up-to-date information on the pep rally, pregame party and more, visit www.K-State.com/bowl.
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K-State alumni and friends continue to show their support and loyalty for Association programming through contributions to the Tradition Founders Fund. Our goal for this year’s campaign, which kicked off Oct. 1, is to raise $515,000. Tradition Founders donations are directed toward the Association’s annual operating budget and make it possible for the Association to provide the K-Stater magazine and assist with alumni club activities, multicultural programs, student recruitment events and more. Almost $316,000 has been receipted to date for this year’s campaign, which concludes June 30. Contributions are taxdeductible, and if you have not made a gift to Tradition Founders this year, you can give online at www.K-State.com/traditionfounders or contact Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86 at arenz@k-state.com to learn about this fund and additional giving opportunities. We are deeply appreciative of your ongoing support!
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he Association recently welcomed three staff members. Michelle Elkins ’87 is the associate director of awards and special events. She will direct the Colorado and Houston Wabash CannonBall galas, as well as the Iman, Anderson and Jurich awards and other special events. Katelyn Griffen ’14 will assist Elkins with the coordination of these programs. Griffen recently served as a student intern with the Alumni Center and in the administration department at the Alumni Association. Christina Davin started with the Association as an alumni records assistant in November. Davin maintains and updates records of alumni, friends and businesses on the alumni database. We are pleased to share news about two of our newest Wildcats! Congratulations to Terin Walters ’05 and her husband, Kelly Walters ’04, on the birth of their first child, Kaylin Alayne, Nov. 9. We also extend congratulations to Andrea Bryant Gladin ’02 and her husband, Jud Gladin ’06, who welcomed their third child, daughter Everly Kate, Dec. 11. On a final note, more than 2,100 K-State employees — approximately 41 percent of faculty and staff — gave back to the university this year through the All-University Campaign, an internal fundraising effort run by campus faculty and staff volunteers. This resulted in a collective contribution of more than $1.2 million for K-State programs. The Alumni Association staff once again had 100 percent participation in the campaign.
K-STATE ENJOYS SUCCESSFUL YEAR
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e are proud to share just a few of K-State’s recent successes: K-State’s fall enrollment of 24,766 was the largest in the university’s history. The K-State Crops Team recently captured the title of national champion for the sixth year in a row. C. Michael Smith, professor of entomology, and Christopher Sorensen, Cortelyou-Rust distinguished professor of physics and university distinguished teaching scholar, have been named 2014 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. U.S. News & World Report ranked K-State among the best global universities. Through a $50 million grant, K-State is establishing the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Sustainable Intensification, which will lead efforts to increase food production with limited resources and reduced stress on the environment. According to the Princeton Review’s 2015 edition of The Best 379 Colleges, K-State ranks No. 3 in best quality of life; No. 5 for great campus and community relations; No. 7 for happiest students; No. 11 for best career services and for students who pack the stadium; and No. 14 for bestrun colleges. K-State donors set a record with $211 million in philanthropic gifts this past fiscal year.
The Robotics Team is again the winner of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’ annual student robotics design. Since the competition began in 2007, the K-State team has claimed the championship each year. Adam Miller ’12, a master’s graduate in Spanish second language acquisition, Overland Park, Kansas, is a 2014-15 Fulbright U.S. Student grant recipient to Argentina, and Jacob Schroeder, sophomore in chemistry, Silver Lake, Kansas, is a 2014-15 Fulbright U.S. Summer Institute award winner to Scotland. Karen Burg, the university’s new vice president for research, has been named one of seven new American Association for the Advancement of Science-Lemelson Invention Ambassadors. The K-State Salina Flight Team earned the prestigious Loening Trophy, which is given to the nation’s most outstanding all-around aviation program. Ross Allen, junior in economics and philosophy and member of Student Alumni Board, is the university’s newest Harry S. Truman Scholarship recipient. Max Goering, senior in mathematics, McPherson, Kansas, and Christine Spartz, junior in chemistry, Ellington, Connecticut, are the university’s newest Barry M. Goldwater scholars.
Sending warm thoughts this holiday season! From: the staff of the K-State Alumni Association
Happy New Year! [2]
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Sara Liming, K-State Alumni Association
Alumni Association staff update
David Mayes ‘96, K-State Alumni Association
Chair’s Corner At this time of year when we reflect on family and special relationships, I find myself thinking even more about our K-State family and how special that bond is. Through my service to the board, I have realized that there is something really special Roger McClellan ’88 going on between our Alumni Association and its university partners. The synergy and spirit of collaboration between the Association, university, Foundation and K-State Athletics truly is remarkable. The board is engaged in a process to create a new five-year Strategic Plan, which has aptly illustrated just how unique this collaborative effort is at K-State. We have been working with an alumni relations consultant who has extensive experience working with associations throughout the U.S. and Canada. He has reinforced that what we have at K-State with our partners is the exception and not the rule. To accomplish such collaborative efforts, it starts at the top. Amy, President Kirk Schulz, Athletic Director John Currie and Fred Cholick with the KSU Foundation all understand the benefits of having a cohesive unit working together for the betterment of the bigger picture. A few of the examples include: Partnership to create a phenomenal bowl experience including the exhilarating pep rally: Talents and resources of all four entities are needed to continue to elevate this event. Support of scholarships: In 2015, the Association will coordinate three Wabash CannonBall events to raise vital scholarship dollars. We appreciate the support of our campus partners who have made it possible to expand this very successful program from Kansas City to Denver to Houston. Engagement efforts, including enhanced outreach in International Programs: We now reach more than 100,000 alumni and friends annually through our programs and are working to make this a worldwide effort with new programs that will further engage our international populations both while they are on campus and once they leave K-State. This would not happen without the strong partnership we share. I could share much more, but I hope these few examples fill you with pride for what we have here at K-State! Thank you for your ongoing support and leadership. Wildcat Proud! — Roger McClellan ’88
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The 2015 K-State Student Ambassadors, Katie VanDever (second from left) and Nathan Laudan (second from right), are congratulated by Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association, and K-State President Kirk Schulz in Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
STUDENTS ELECT K-STATE’S 2015 AMBASSADORS
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omecoming 2014, K-State Coast to Coast, was capped off by the election of Nathan Laudan and Katie VanDever to represent Kansas State University as the 2015 Student Ambassadors. Their selection was announced at halftime of the football game against Texas on Oct. 25. As Student Ambassadors, Laudan and VanDever will visit with prospective students and alumni at Association events throughout Kansas, serve as members of Student Alumni Board, and assist with programming and campus activities and special events sponsored by the university president’s office. Laudan is a senior in food science and agricultural communications from Osawatomie, Kansas. He is a member of Blue Key Senior Honorary, Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and the Student Governing Association, serving as senator for the College of Agriculture. VanDever is a sophomore in communication studies from Augusta, Kansas. She is a member of Student Alumni Board, Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Christian Challenge.
Alumni chosen for board slate Five alumni have agreed to be slated for service to the K-State Alumni Association board of directors. The new member slate will be presented in the spring 2015 issue of the K-Stater magazine for ratification by our membership base. The 2015 new member slate consists of: Steve Dunning ’86, Hutchinson, Kansas Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins ’96, Washington, D.C. John Morgan ’74, ’76, Spicewood, Texas Kate Perkins ’91, ’93, Howard, Kansas Phillip Stroupe ’76, ’77, Waukesha, Wisconsin
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Awards & Recognitions
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uring the Oct. 3 Alumni Association board of directors dinner, the 2014 Wildcat Pride Award was presented to Olivia Collins, Ph.D., assistant professor emeritus of leadership studies at K-State. The award honors a current or emeritus K-State faculty or staff member for his or her advocacy of alumni relations, with a special emphasis on support and participation in alumni programs that engage members of the Wildcat family. Collins earned her doctorate in human ecology from K-State in 1990. She has served as a member of the K-State faculty since 1988, and in 2003, as an instructor with the Staley School of Leadership Studies, she helped establish the nonprofit leadership minor. Collins also served as director of the American Humanics program from 2006 to 2014. Two exceptional members of the K-State faculty were honored Oct. 30 with Dr. Ron and Rae Iman Outstanding Faculty Awards. Established eight years ago and funded through the generosity of former board member Ron Iman ’62, ’70, ’73 and his wife, Rae, the awards provide two $5,000 awards for K-State faculty to honor outstanding research and teaching. Dr. Jürgen Richt, Regents distinguished professor, university distinguished professor and Kansas Bioscience Authority eminent scholar in the College of Veterinary Medicine, was recognized with the outstanding research award. He serves as director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases. Swinder Janda, Ph.D., professor of marketing and the Robert M. Edgerley chair in global business in the College of Business Administration, was honored with the outstanding faculty award for teaching. An expert in international marketing research, Janda has developed and implemented numerous study abroad courses that blend conceptual knowledge with business site visits internationally. The 2015 Distinguished Young Alumni Awards, sponsored by Student Alumni Board and the K-State Alumni Association board of directors, will be presented in February to Corey Fortin ’06 and Matt King ’07. The award recognizes K-State graduates who are younger than 35 and are using the scholarship, leadership and service experience they acquired at K-State to excel in their professions and contribute to their communities. Recipients will give keynote presentations and visit with student groups and university classes Feb. 23-25. Fortin, a native of Oberlin, Kansas, serves as a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service in Uganda. King, a former president of Student Alumni Board from Wichita, Kansas, is a fund analyst at the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C.
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Kudos & Congrats Penny Heyl Moss and Dr. Max Moss ’64, ’66, Wichita, Kansas, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 17, 2014. Steve Morris ’68, ’69 became an honorary member and was named a Friend of Education in 2013 by the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame. A former state senator from Hugoton, Kansas, Morris also was honored with the Distinguished Service to the States Award by the Council of State Governments. Dave Donnelly ’73, ’77 was named dean of the Henry W. Bloch School of Management for the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Donnelly served as board treasurer from 1990 to 2000. Claudia McVicker ’73, ’02, Ph.D., was invited to speak at the UK Literacy Association in July at the University of Sussex, south of London. Her current paper was titled iPads, Books, and Edmodo: Responding to Books in an eCircle. McVicker serves as reading professor for William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. She was a member of the Association board from 1998 to 1999. Dr. Sara Budden Meng ’00, Goddard, Kansas, was named the 2013 Wichita District Dental Society’s Dentist of the Year. She is the youngest recipient of this award to date. Meng was president of Student Alumni Board and served on the Association board from 1999 to 2000. Warren Weibert ’69 received the 2013 K-State Animal Sciences & Industry Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was a member of the Association board from 1991 to 1994. Mindy Highberger McBee ’12, married Tyler McBee on Nov. 22, 2014. Mindy served as Student Alumni Board president from 2011 to 2012. She is the retail product line manager for Cargill Inc.
In Memoriam It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the recent passing of the following treasured members of the Association board. H. Dean Hess ’50, died Nov. 30, 2014, at his home in Winfield, Kansas. A mentor to many, including current Alumni Association President and CEO Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, Hess served as director of alumni relations from 1961 to 1978. Under his leadership, many Association programs were implemented, including the Traveling Wildcats program and the Tradition Founders fund. He is survived by his wife, Betty Williams Hess (fs), a son and two daughters. Pauline W. Samuel Higdon ’31, died April 7, 2014, in Eugene, Oregon. A former educator, Higdon served as a member of the Alumni Association board from 1974 to 1977. Survivors include her son, Sam. Howard D. Kessinger ’57, Marysville, Kansas, died Feb. 22, 2014. He worked for the Abilene Reflector-Chronicle and later owned and operated The Oberlin Herald before operating The Marysville Advocate for 37 years. Kessinger served on the board from 1977 to 1980. He is survived by his wife, Sharon Totten Kessinger ’59, three daughters and a son. Dr. Jerry Pettle ’60 died March 23, 2014, in Manhattan, Kansas. He was a practicing dentist and principal partner at Dental Associates of Manhattan for 35 years. Survivors include his wife, Mary K. “Katie” Philp ’78, a son and a stepson. Pettle served on the Association board from 1988 to 1991. Patsy Davies Nott ’54 died June 29, 2014, in Iola, Kansas. She was a member of the Association board from 1979 to 1982. Survivors include two daughters and two sons.