Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — Alan and Jan Levin, Tucson, Ariz., have made a commitment of $1.5 million to the College of Engineering at Kansas State University to support the phase IV building addition currently underway.

When the $45 million phase IV expansion opens in fall 2015, it will be a first-class facility that will impact the daily experience of more than 3,500 students and 300 faculty and staff at the College of Engineering. The project will consolidate functions currently dispersed over multiple locations, creating a flexible environment to inspire and support interdisciplinary learning and collaboration. It will enhance student recruiting, enrich the educational experience and empower faculty with the resources they need to mold the future of the engineering profession.

The Alan and Jan Levin Student Design Team Suite will be a hallmark feature, offering designated space for student competition teams to create engineering designs while developing practical skills like leadership and collaboration.

The Levins are natives of Kensington, Kan., who married 48 years ago and moved to Blue Valley Mobile Home Park near the Kansas State University campus. Alan Levin studied mechanical engineering and Jan Levin worked for K-State Research and Extension. The son of a farmer from a hometown of 600 residents, Alan Levin recalled how it felt "almost like a miracle" to attend Kansas State University and earn his bachelor's degree in 1969.

The Levins own and operate Century Park Properties LLC in Tucson with their three grown children, Michael, Laura and Matthew. They most recently founded Port of Tucson, an intermodal and logistics center with about 52,000 feet of railroad infrastructure.

"The College of Engineering gave me a home and a goal in life. It definitely changed my life and made all the difference in the world," Alan Levin said. "There are so many people out there who can succeed if they just have someone to give them a helping hand. And if they succeed, then that's just a benefit to us all."

The Levins are members of the College of Engineering's Seaton Society and the Kansas State University Foundation's President's Club, a philanthropic leadership organizations for friends and alumni. Alan Levin serves on the board of the Arizona Cancer Center and is a member of the Kansas State University College of Engineering Hall of Fame, while Jan Levin is a member of the Arizona 4-H Hall of Fame. The couple supports many local charities such as Child and Family Resources, Boys & Girls Clubs, Pima County 4-H, Christian Family Care, Tucson Girls Chorus, Arizona Cancer Center, YMCA and El Rio Community Health Center.

"The charitable work of Alan and Jan Levin is well-established," said Gary Clark, interim dean of the College of Engineering. "We are honored and deeply grateful to see the Levins step forward in such a meaningful way to support the phase IV building expansion and the next chapter of success for our college and students."

"We are proud to count Alan and Jan Levin among the K-State family," said Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University. "We are grateful for their visionary gift toward the College of Engineering's phase IV expansion. Their generosity will have resounding influence for years in the college, its students, the engineering industry and in K-State's plan to become a Top 50 public research university by 2025."

To learn more about the Phase IV expansion, visit www.engg.ksu.edu/phaseIV.

Philanthropic contributions to Kansas State University are coordinated by the KSU 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.