Building strong, building better
Investment from the construction materials company Dolese lays a strong foundation for success.
By Marisa Larson, KSU Foundation
Just as any construction project requires strong materials to be successful, building a bright future for engineering students requires robust investments.
A decade ago, Dolese Bros. Co. — Oklahoma’s largest supplier of ready-mix concrete, crushed stone, gravel and sand — donated all of its nonvoting stock to the university foundations of Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. The three portions of stock were valued at roughly $70 million each and were made with one goal in mind: to increase the number of engineering graduates at each institution.
“The gift from Dolese has impacted every undergraduate student in the college,” said Matt O’Keefe, dean of the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering. “These funds support scholarships, student organizations and teams, our Scholars Assisting Scholars tutoring program and our facilities, like the Fiedler Learning Commons. These gifts have been foundational to our retention efforts and are a key component of the college’s increased graduation rates over the last 10 years.”
"Private gifts allow us to be bold in charting our own future."
— Matt O'Keefe
At K-State, the Dolese gift has enhanced student recruitment and retention efforts in many ways. The fall 2022 incoming class was 15% larger than the previous two years, thanks in part to the increase in scholarships awarded. Additional outreach efforts through on- and off-campus activities have helped grow and diversify the student body.
K-State’s College of Engineering has increased the annual number of graduates by more than 100 since receiving the Dolese gift, and the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate has increased by 12.8% since 2012. This growth is due in part to programs such as Scholars Assisting Scholars tutoring, Women in Engineering mentoring and first-year instruction programs, all supported with Dolese funds.
"The Dolese funds have allowed our Carl R. Ice College of Engineering to continue to focus on what matters most to us: our students," K-State President Richard Linton said. "Through increased recruiting opportunities and expanded support programs sustained by these funds, our engineering program is prepared to offer students the high-caliber experience worthy of today’s and tomorrow's innovators.”
O’Keefe said philanthropy plays a vital role in the success of the college and its faculty and students.
“Investments by companies like Dolese help us graduate the next generation of diverse and inclusive engineers who are ready to meet the increasing demands of society,” O’Keefe said. “Without philanthropic support from corporate partners, we would not be able to accomplish many of our student-centric goals. Private gifts allow us to be bold in charting our own future, from the students we recruit with scholarships, to the facilities those students have access to on a daily basis.
“It would not be possible to continue building on our long history of past success without the help of generous donors who see the value in what we do.”