We are wrapping up another very successful year for the department. The list of highlights is quite long:
- The continued success of our crops, soils, and weeds judging teams;
- The creation of a new judging team in forages;
- Enrollment growth and near 100% placement of our graduates in excellent jobs;
- Being the number one department or school on campus for extramural funding;
- Having one of our wheat varieties planted on more acres than any other in Kansas two years in a row;
- Significant contributions to the USAID Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab, the largest grant ever received by K-State;
- The substantial growth in our social media presence and innovative information sharing methods serving the profession;
- The naming of a second University Distinguished Professor among our faculty;
- A very long list of awards received by faculty and students; and
- The continued success of our alumni.
We have plenty to look forward to in 2015 as well. We will continue to implement our 2025 strategic plan, including a substantial curriculum review. We are fortunate to be able to hire new faculty and look forward to their contributions. Raising funds for the Agronomy Education Center will be a high priority. Overall, it is my goal to maintain and enhance the positive environment in the department that supports the outstanding efforts of our faculty, staff, and students.
We appreciate the many ways that alumni continue to support the department. As we approach the end of the year, if charitable giving is of interest to you, please consider a gift to the department excellence fund (fund #D15800) or the Agronomy Education Center fund (fund #D15831). Details are included in the note at the end of this article.
If you have interest in supporting other areas in the department, please feel free to contact me directly to discuss (gmp@ksu.edu, 785-532-6101).
I wish you all a healthy and prosperous 2015 and look forward to working with the department and our alumni to serve agriculture and the environment.
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Note: Details on making a contribution to one of the department funds.
Those who would like to make a donation can make their checks out to the KSU Foundation and indicate the fund number. Donations can be sent to:
KSU Foundation
2323 Anderson Ave, Ste. 500
Manhattan, KS 66502-2911
You can also donate online. The link below takes you directly to a KSU Foundation donation form specific to the Agronomy Education Center:
www.found.ksu.edu/give/agronomy-center
You can use Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover with the online form. Most people use the “Proceed as Guest” option with the online donation form, but you can also sign up as a Registered Donor.
