Kansas State University has announced a $60 million gift from Jack Vanier and his family in support of students, faculty, programs, and athletics on the university's Manhattan and Salina campuses.

The largest private donation ever to the university includes $40 million in support of newly created scholarships and fellowships in the College of Technology and Aviation, the College of Business Administration, and the Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI), as well as existing Presidential Scholarships and the K-State Proud Student Opportunity Awards. The funds also will support new professorships and fellowships in the College of Human Ecology and the biosecurity institute, a research fellows program at BRI, professorships in various university colleges, and flexible "excellence funds" earmarked for urgent needs and emerging opportunities. In addition, the east side of Memorial Stadium on the university's Manhattan campus will be renovated to include a welcome center.

"The generosity of this contribution will ensure that talented researchers are attracted and retained to collaborate with other scientists throughout the world who study a wide range of high-consequence disease-causing pathogens that pose a threat to animals, humans, plants, and food,” said BRI director Stephen Higgs. "This gift will also enable us to expand our interdisciplinary educational and training programs to better prepare our students for careers in this area."

The remaining $20 million will go to K-State Athletics to fund Phase III of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium master plan, which includes an academic learning center, football operations offices, sports medicine operations, and strength and conditioning spaces.

"Kansas State has always been a very important part of our lives. We feel very fortunate and are honored to be able to make this gift to the university," said the Vanier family, who have cattle and ranching interests across Kansas and have been major supporters of the university for some fifty years. "More importantly, we are thrilled to see so many other K-Staters from across the country investing in the lives of young people in Manhattan and Salina. The confidence we have in President Schulz and his leadership team, and the transparency with which they guide the university made the decision to make this gift an easy one. Our hope is that this will inspire others to make their investments in this great university."