Koch Industries, Inc., Wichita, Kansas, has announced a gift of $2,635,000 to Kansas State University. The gift will benefit many areas of the university and campuswide programs, with the majority of the funds supporting diversity initiatives and research and creative inquiry.
The gift reaffirms Koch’s commitment to diversity programs at K-State. Nearly eight years ago, Koch was a founding corporate sponsor of Project IMPACT, a program developed and administered through K-State’s Office of Diversity. The program focuses on student recruitment, retention initiatives, staffing support and scholarships for multicultural and first-generation college students. Due to the success of the program, Koch has renewed its support and increased its commitment to include funding for the Kompass program, an orientation and first-year retention program that teaches incoming multicultural and first-generation students effective study habits.
This gift also establishes Koch as a founding corporate sponsor of the Research and Creative Inquiry Enrichment Fund, which will provide students with real-world, team-based learning experiences. Funds will support faculty-led research projects, undergraduate research and enhancement of the Annual Research Symposium. The remainder of Koch’s gift to K-State will support educational excellence funds, the Center for Risk Management Education and Research, College of Business Administration, Career and Employment Services and university-wide student-engagement programs.
“K-State and Koch Industries share a commitment to excellence, leadership and service,” said Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University. “Koch’s support and commitment to our university helps develop outstanding student leaders, supports faculty development, and provides resources to drive us toward our goal to be a top 50 public research university by 2025.”
“For the Office of Diversity’s most important recruitment and retention initiatives, Koch Industries has meant everything,” said Myra Gordon, associate vice provost for diversity at K-State. “Koch believed in these initiatives when they were mere words on paper. Today, these initiatives bring distinction to the university and support record multicultural student enrollments all across the university and in the targeted disciplines of business, engineering, and agriculture. I appreciate and respect Koch for all it has been doing for the multicultural student populations in this state, and now, for the entire university.”
“This gift reflects our desire to partner strategically with K-State to prepare students for college and beyond,” said Koch Industries spokesperson Mark Soucie. “We are pleased to support K-State students as they discover their talents, pursue creative inquiry, and develop the knowledge and skills needed to lead successful lives.”
Philanthropic contributions to K-State are coordinated by the Kansas State University Foundation. The foundation staff works with university partners to build lifelong relationships with alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students through involvement and investment in the university.
About Koch Industries, Inc.
Based in Wichita, Kan., Koch Industries, Inc. is one of the largest private companies in America with annual revenues of about $115 billion, according to Forbes. It owns a diverse group of companies involved in refining, chemicals, grain processing and biofuels; forest and consumer products; fertilizers; polymers and fibers; process and pollution control equipment and technologies; electronic components; commodity trading; minerals; energy; ranching; glass; and investments. Since 2003, Koch companies have invested more than $70 billion in acquisitions and other capital expenditures. With a presence in about 60 countries, Koch companies employ more than 100,000 people worldwide, with about 60,000 of those in the United States. From January 2009 to present, Koch companies have earned more than 930 awards for safety, environmental excellence, community stewardship, innovation, and customer service.
