The Duensing Business Teaching Scholar Award supports professors who focus on the student experience at Kansas State University
To award teachers who engage and inspire students, Jim Duensing and his wife, Julie, recently established the Duensing Business Teaching Scholar Award in the College of Business Administration at Kansas State University. Duensing, a 1981 graduate in finance, was inspired to create the gift as a way to give back to the university, to recognize student-focused faculty members dedicated to teaching excellence at the university, and to support its ongoing commitment in shaping future global business leaders.
Before starting his 37-year career in finance at Caterpillar Inc., Duensing was shaped by many of his professors at K-State. He especially remembers the support and mentorship of long-serving finance department head Verlyn Richards, who “had a big influence on me and many others during our years at K-State. I always saw him as an enthusiastic supporter of his students. He wanted us to do well and helped prepare us for professional careers in the global business world,” Duensing said.
So, when the Duensings considered ways to give back to K-State, they looked for an approach that would identify and reward educators with similar skills. “Outstanding professors are important in developing high-quality students who are better prepared to succeed in today’s business environment,” Duensing said.
They recently established the Duensing Business Teaching Scholar Award, which recognizes and provides an annual award to faculty members “who are very student-focused, who dedicate themselves to creating outstanding learning experiences for students, and who continually challenge them,” as Duensing described it. Last fall, Dr. Tareque Nasser, associate professor in finance, was named the first recipient of the award.
“The inception of the Duensing Business Teaching Scholar Award embodies the true spirit of education by strengthening the foundation of our college — the faculty,” said Kevin Gwinner, Edgerley family dean of the College of Business Administration. “Thanks to the Duensing’s generous support, we are able to shape the minds and the futures of our graduates by rewarding excellent teachers like Dr. Nasser for his outstanding commitment to his students.”
Duensing, who grew up in Marysville, retired from Caterpillar Inc. in 2018 following management and executive roles across the business and in locations throughout the United States and Europe. He spent the last 11 years of his career at Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation in Nashville, Tennessee, as its executive vice president and chief financial officer. By then, Cat Financial Services was operating in approximately 115 countries and managing about $30 billion in assets. He currently sits on the boards of the College of Business’ Department of Finance, serves as board chair of TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville and several other boards in the Nashville area. In 2012, he was named “CFO of the Year” in his business category by the Nashville Business Journal and later received the Ned McWherter Leadership Award in Nashville in 2017, named after former Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter, and awarded by the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence.
Duensing said, “KSU certainly helped provide me with a solid foundation and prepared me for future challenges and opportunities in the business world. We hope this annual faculty award will allow K-State to continue to grow their impact on future business leaders and encourage others to consider similar gifts to the university.”
As Kansas State University’s strategic partner for philanthropy, the KSU Foundation inspires and guides philanthropy toward university priorities to boldly advance K-State. Visit www.ksufoundation.org/impact/category/release for more information.
To learn more about supporting the Kansas State University College of Business, visit https://ksufoundation.org/give/give-to-k-state-colleges/college-business-administration/.
