Archive for October 2006

10/19/06 — Chicago alumna creates scholarships for KSU Konza Prairie Biological Station

Monna Schaper Ray, Chicago, has made a commitment of $50,000 through a bequest to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Monna Schaper Ray Konza Prairie Scholarship and the Harry Weber Schaper Konza Prairie Scholarship,in honor of her father. This commitment will also supplement the Hazel Buck Memorial Scholarship in the College of Human Ecology.

Recipients for both Konza Prairie scholarships will be undergraduate or graduate students who are enrolled in any curriculum at K-State and are conducting research at the Konza Prairie Biological Station. Operated by K-State’s Division of Biology, the Konza Prairie Biological Station is an 8,600-acre native tallgrass prairie preserve that serves as a unique outdoor laboratory and provides opportunities for basic biological research on a wide range of plants, animals and processes.

Monna S. Ray is a native of Glasco, Kan. She is a 1952 graduate of Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in human ecology education. Ray earned a master’s degree in child development and family relations at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, in 1955.

“Some years ago I learned of the Konza Prairie and its relationship with Kansas State University,” Ray said. “Having grown up in Kansas, my identity with the land made giving to support the Konza a fitting bequest. Later, working with the KSU Foundation, the scholarship provided a meaningful memorial to my father, Harry W. Schaper, who was a graduate of KSU and taught vocational agriculture for more than 30 years in Kansas schools. I feel he would approve of my choice to support education and the preservation of the prairie.

“The scholarship in my name expresses my gratitude for the education I received at KSU. This designation from my estate enables me to in a small way to support the Konza, honor my father, and to express thankfulness for my years at KSU.”

“Konza Prairie Biological Station is dedicated to research, education and prairie conservation,” Interim Director Eva Horne said. “Without education, research and conservation would not be possible. The Schaper-Ray scholarships will help continue K-State’s excellent record of science education and the preservation of our dwindling prairie ecosystem.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive
$500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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10/19/06 — Iowa couple pledges $100,000 gift through KSU Perpetual Pet Care Program

Lark Leazar and Kay Harold, Clinton, Iowa, have made a commitment of $100,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Lark Leazar and Kay Harold Fund.

The purpose of this fund is to provide financial assistance for Leazar and Harold’s dog and three cats to enter in the Perpetual Pet Care Program (PPCP) in the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine. When their animal companions no longer need care, the College of Veterinary Medicine will direct support to its diagnostic laboratory through the fund’s annual earnings. Harold was an instructor in the diagnostic laboratory in the late 1970s.

The PPCP is designed to help pet owners ensure the lifelong care and placement of their animals in loving and caring homes. It helps meet pets’ future needs, while simultaneously helping train tomorrow’s veterinarians through scholarships and support for the learning environment. Owners can make arrangements to enroll in the PPCP and define specific preferences for the short-term and long-term care of their pet(s). Inquiries about the PPCP may be directed to Sharon Greene, Pet Trust coordinator, at 785-532-4013.

“Because of my former employment at KSU, and the wonderful work that is done at the veterinary college, I would feel good about leaving part of our estate to the college,” Harold said. “My great aunt, Florence Harold Marcoux, was a generous donor to the KSU scholarship fund several years ago, and I would like to carry on that tradition of giving, while establishing a way to see about the care of our pets if something should happen to my husband and me.”

“The College of Veterinary Medicine is very thankful for the careful planning that has been done by Lark and Kay,” Dean Ralph Richardson said. “Not only have they made sure that their pets will be cared for if needed, they have continued a great tradition of supporting Kansas State University. The support that will eventually go to K-State’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory where the diagnostic tests that are conducted help veterinarians across the country make better diagnoses and enhance the health of animals, both large and small.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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10/17/06 — Texas couple creates civic leadership scholarship at K-State

Brian and Christine Wicks, Georgetown, Texas, have made a commitment of $100,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Wicks Civic Leadership Scholarship. The Wicks also made a $6 million commitment through a bequest in 2005 for the enhancement fund in the College of Agriculture at K-State.

Each recipient of the Wicks Leadership Scholarship shall be an undergraduate student properly enrolled in any curriculum at K-State, and who has received the K-State Civic Leadership Scholarship presented by Farm Bureau Financial Services the previous year. The Wicks Civic Leadership Scholarship may be awarded to the same recipient for three years if the recipient maintains a cumulative 3.3 grade point average or higher.

Brian Wicks is a 1967 graduate of Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in dairy production. While he was in college, he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity and dairy science club. Christine Wicks is a K-State friend and volunteer who served as an exceptional hostess for Changing Lives Campaign events. The Wickses are members of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of
K-State. They are also members of the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees.

“I believe that ‘past performance predicts future performance,’” Brian Wicks said. “I also know that my extracurricular activities coupled with my educational experience at Kansas State gave me a competitive edge in the business world. By supporting this scholarship we feel that we can provide the opportunity for the recipients to continue to ‘make a difference’ during their academic careers and in their post-graduate lives. We are looking forward to supporting these young leaders.”

“Chris and Brian Wicks have supported our school in so many very special ways,” said Pat Bosco, vice president for institutional advancement and dean of student life. “This gift provides scholarship support to some of the very best of our freshman-class student leaders in their schools, churches and communities who have made their environments better. This speaks to what K-State stands for — making a difference.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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10/12/06 — Engelkens make gift to Women in Engineering and Science program at K-State

Larry and Holly Engelken, Morrison, Colo., have made a commitment of $50,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign to establish the Larry and Holly Engelken Women in Engineering and Science Program Enhancement Fund.

The purpose of this fund is to provide support for the Women in Engineering and Science Program (WESP), jointly sponsored by the colleges of Engineering and Arts and Sciences at K-State. WESP is designed to cultivate the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) interests of women by promoting awareness of related careers, providing support for student success and building community. In cooperation with the Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP), WESP recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to create a comprehensive set of retention programs for STEM students. This initiative, known as K-State STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP) creates six programs, including an extensive tutoring program and a family involvement program.

Larry Engelken is a native of Goff, Kan. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. While in college, he was a member of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity, student professional societies and participated in the engineering cooperative work study program. Holly, with a BSBA in marketing from the University of Phoenix, operates quilting supplies retail stores in the greater Denver area.

The Engelkens are members of Presidents Club, a KSU Foundation leadership organization for friends and alumni of K-State.

“We are pleased to support the mentoring and retention goals of WESP,” Larry Engelken said. “It is our desire to contribute to the increase in students’ success.”

“K-State STEP creates retention programs to support the success of all engineering and science students, but they are designed to be particularly beneficial for female students and students of color,” WESP Director Kimberly Douglas said. “We help students understand the roles engineers and scientists play in making the world a better place. The programs are designed to give beginning students visibility on engineering and science careers while supporting their academic success. The Engelkens’ generosity will allow us to enhance K-State STEP and change the lives of K-State engineering and science students who participate in these programs.”

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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10/06/06 — Flint Hills Iris Society Donates to Kansas State University Gardens

(left to right): Joyce Marr, Irene Johnson, Larry Langemier, Barbara Peck, Scott McElwain, De McGlashon, Vera Langemier, Ginger Biesenthal, Mary Havenstein, Evelyn Lacy, Les Rubottom and Kay Hummels.

The Flint Hills Iris Society, Manhattan, Kan., has made a gift of $30,000 to the Kansas State University Foundation Changing Lives Campaign in order to sustain the iris collection in the K-State University Gardens.

“This is the largest donation made to the gardens by an all-volunteer group,” said Scott McElwain, director of the gardens.

The Flint Hills Iris Society is the organization that maintains the iris collection at the gardens. Each year in July, the society has an iris sale at the gardens. These sales generated were the primary source of the gift. The group is host to a Mother’s Day event, Iris Day. On Iris Day, members separate the irises into different beds, and visitors may vote on their favorites. Throughout the year the group keeps the collection at its best.

“When we first started, we just wanted to make enough money to get the supplies we needed to keep the collection alive. So this has been a very rewarding experience because we have seen the iris collection grow,” said De McGlashon, president of the Flint Hills Iris Society.

The KSU Foundation’s Changing Lives Campaign for Kansas State University is a comprehensive $500 million campaign that will infuse new funds into virtually every dimension of the university. The KSU Foundation coordinates fundraising efforts with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to secure private support for Kansas State University.

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