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WSU Receives $11.25M: Largest Corporate Foundation Gift To Date

Abigail Wilson

The largest corporate foundation gift in the history of Wichita State University was announced Tuesday. KMUW’s Abigail Wilson has more….

Wichita State University will receive $11.25 million from Koch Industries and the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation. President John Bardo says it will be split five ways.

Credit Abigail Wilson
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KMUW
WSU President John Bardo

"It really covers almost the whole waterfront of the University," says Bardo. "Obviously, it starts in athletics and will help us expand our capacities around Koch Arena. That’s particularly important as athletics is always an arms race and this gets us the next step.”

Koch will contribute $4.5 million to help expand and renovate Koch Arena. Among improvements planned is a major expansion of the Student Athlete Success Center. The funds will also go toward a "Maker Space" in a new building for inventors and entrepreneurs, Honors College scholarships, student inventions, and moving expenses when the new Global Trading Center relocates to a new building.

Elizabeth King WSU Foundation president and CEO says the donation represents the lead gift in a comprehensive campaign underway at Wichita State.

Recorded interview courtesy of Matthew Harding, KFDI News.