Source: Mary Hale Tolar, 785-532-6085, mtolar@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Katie Mayes, 785-532-6415, kmayes@k-state.edu

Friday, April 9, 2010

DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR K-STATE'S NEW SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES BUILDING APRIL 16

MANHATTAN -- A dedication ceremony for Kansas State University's new School of Leadership Studies building will be 1 p.m. Friday, April 16. The new building is on the corner of Petticoat Lane and Mid-Campus Drive.

A reception and building tours will follow the ceremony, which is open to the public.

The newest addition to the K-State campus is 36,000 square feet and has a lecture hall, six classrooms, a student services center, resource library and study areas, as well as office space for faculty and staff. The $11 million dollar project was privately funded by more than 350 donors.

"We are so grateful for the support we've received to bring leadership studies at K-State together under one roof," said Mary Hale Tolar, director of the School of Leadership Studies. "Having a place to call home enables us to further enhance our programs and make sure opportunities for leadership development and practice are available to all K-State students."

Speakers at the dedication ceremony will include Kirk Schulz, K-State president; April Mason, K-State provost and senior vice president; Ed O'Malley, president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center and a K-State alum; Careem Gladney, a recent K-State and leadership studies program alum; Kari Phelan, senior in management and leadership studies, Omaha, Neb.; and Tolar.

The Leadership Studies building is seeking LEED certification, which is a U.S. Green Building Council standard that takes into account how a project is designed, constructed and ultimately operated to mitigate its impact on the environment and those who occupy the building.

"We wanted the building to both fit in with the rest of the campus, and fit our function and mission," Tolar said. "We wanted to demonstrate what is possible."