Executive Vice President for External Engagement and Chief of Staff
Dr. Marshall Stewart
With a passion for supporting and strengthening the people of land-grant institutions, Marshall Stewart is a nationally recognized leader in higher education and university stakeholder engagement. Stewart joined Kansas State University in January 2023, and now serves as the university's first executive vice president for external engagement and chief of staff.
In his role at K-State, Stewart serves as the president's principal liaison with university, government and community leadership, working to facilitate strategic initiatives and partnerships with significant impact at the local, state, national and international levels. He is the driving force behind universitywide engagement efforts designed to fortify the institution, enhance economic impact and fulfill the promise of being a next-generation land-grant university.
Stewart oversees administrative staff from the Offices of the President, Corporate Engagement, Division of Communications and Marketing, Engagement, Government Relations, Interdisciplinary Programs, K-State Research and Extension, K-State 105, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, McCain Auditorium and Military and Veterans Affairs. He provides leadership for the prestigious Landon Lecture Series and manages special projects in collaboration with the president, provost and other senior university leaders. Additionally, he partners strategically with the KSU Foundation, K-State Alumni Association and K-State Athletics to advance the university’s Next-Gen K-State strategic plan.
Stewart originally joined K-State as the senior vice president for executive affairs, university engagement and partnerships, and chief of staff. Before joining K-State, Stewart served as the chief engagement officer for the University of Missouri System and vice chancellor for extension and engagement at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In these roles, he served on the president's cabinet and worked closely with executive leaders across the system’s campuses, including the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Missouri S&T University. During his tenure, he advanced extension and engagement through strategic partnerships, community listening sessions, legislative relations, the establishment of an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council, and a comprehensive rebranding initiative. He developed an engagement framework that leveraged expertise across UM System universities to maximize benefits for Missouri’s citizens.
Prior to his time at the University of Missouri system, Stewart held several leadership roles at North Carolina State University. He served in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in strategic planning and leadership positions, was an associate director with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and headed the Department of 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences. Stewart began his career at NC State as the state agricultural education coordinator and FFA advisor.
Stewart has also been actively involved with the Association of Public Land Grant Universities, Engagement Scholarship Consortium and National 4-H and FFA Organizations. He started his career as a high school agriculture teacher, which laid the foundation for his extensive experience in education and community engagement.
Currently, Stewart is a professor of communications and agricultural education at Kansas State University. He holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural education, a master's in agricultural education and a doctorate in education with an emphasis in agricultural and extension education, all from North Carolina State University.