Meet Our Donors

Our donors make a major impact on the programs, colleges and scholarships they support through their philanthropy. Whether its a donor supporting a campus initiative or funding a scholarship, the student experience at KSU is significantly improved and enhanced when donors connect with the causes that are important to them.

  • Chris and Amanda Arrendale pictured on the Never Stop Learning bench on Marietta Campus.

    Donor and Kennesaw State student Jim Wallace reflects on Onyx Theater endowment

    At 62, Jim Wallace decided to pursue his passion and enrolled in the Theatre and Performance Studies program in Kennesaw State’s College of the Arts.  

  • Chris and Amanda Arrendale pictured on the Never Stop Learning bench on Marietta Campus.

    Alumni establish scholarship to help Kennesaw State computing students in need

    Chris and Amanda Arrendale, both graduates from Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU), now Kennesaw State University, feel like they have come full circle. 

  • ksu motorsports

    Donor establishes endowment to support Kennesaw State competition teams, Honors students

    Longtime Technical Manager Jim J. Hills has always been a firm believer that competition breeds ingenuity. 

  • Amyah K. Dowdy

    Scholarship to honor memory of Kennesaw State student

    Two parents grieving the unexpected loss of their daughter during her sophomore year at Kennesaw State University have partnered with the KSU Foundation to create the Amyah K. Dowdy Memorial Scholarship to honor her memory.

  • Melodie and Frank Howard

    Howard family finds worthy cause in helping Kennesaw State students

    As an executive at Atlanta automotive giant Genuine Parts Company, Frank Howard’s awareness of Kennesaw State University grew when he began hiring its accounting and information technology graduates. 

  • Ellen and Shep Long

    Kennesaw State Scholarship Endowment to Benefit Students Facing Homelessness, Food Insecurity

    In life, Ellen Long constantly supported others, whether it was by introducing more women to the field of engineering, providing much-needed support to students experiencing homelessness or mentoring women early in their careers.

  • Michael and Donna Coles

    Michael and Donna Coles Launch Scholarship Endowment to Support Veterans

    Building upon a three-decade-long relationship with Kennesaw State University, Michael and Donna Coles recently announced a significant gift to establish a scholarship endowment benefitting veterans of the armed forces. 

  • Harry and Athena Vardis

    Harry Vardis International Students Scholarship

    Harry Vardis knows firsthand the value of receiving a college scholarship as an international student, so he is providing that same opportunity to students at Kennesaw State University.

  • Rick and Julie Bennet

    Rick and Julie Bennet Memorial Scholarship

    Inspired by the lessons from their own fathers to work hard and help others, Rick and Julie Bennett have established an endowment to provide scholarships for many Kennesaw State University students in the years to come.

  • Doug and Robin Shore

    Doug and Robin Shore Endowed Scholarship

    Doug and Robin Shore have developed a close relationship with Kennesaw State through two decades of supporting the University, including funding several scholarships, serving on advisory boards, visiting KSU’s educational site in Italy and attending countless on-campus events. Their latest gift will support a group near and dear to Doug, the next generation of entrepreneurs.

  • Mel and Stephanie Clemmons

    Clemmons Athletic Gift

    When he moved to the Atlanta area 20 years ago, Mel Clemmons decided early on that he would put his energy into supporting the local college team.

  • Andre Schnabl and Denny Marcus

    Andre Schnabl and Denny Marcus Endowed Scholarship and CARE Partnership

    From the moment they first heard about Kennesaw State University’s Campus Awareness, Resource and Empowerment (CARE) Services, Andre Schnabl and Denny Marcus knew they found an avenue through which they could make an impact.

  • Ariel Walley

    Ariel Walley Stimulus Check Donation

    Before her one-time stimulus payment from the U.S. government arrived in late spring, Kennesaw State alumna Ariel Walley already had decided that she wanted to give the extra money to someone in need.

  • John Slocum

    John Slocum Memorial Scholarships from multiple donors

    In life, John Slocum was revered as a tireless engineer, a steadfast friend and devoted father. Following his untimely passing in February, his colleagues chose to carry on his legacy by generating a lasting impact toward what he held most dear – a college education.

  • Christie and Tom Emerson

    Christie and Tom Emerson Study Abroad

    Christie and Tom Emerson have long believed in the importance of giving back to their community. Now, the couple is helping students at Kennesaw State spread their wings.

  • Barry and Sylvia Hyman

    Barry and Sylvia Hyman Honors Students Scholarships

    Barry Hyman is a tireless advocate for the students of Kennesaw State University and KSU Journey Honors College. He has taken the time to understand the financial challenges that KSU students face and has made it his mission to support students and engage the larger Atlanta community in the effort to raise scholarship funds for students. Over the course of the last decade, Hyman has had an enormous impact leading by example.

  • Rosemary and John Brown

    Kennesaw State receives $10 million for Honors College

    Kennesaw State is receiving a $10 million gift from Rosemary and John Brown to establish an endowment matching fund to benefit the University’s Honors College. 

  • Koger Scholarship

    Koger, wife establish endowed scholarship for majors on Marietta campus

    Longtime Kennesaw State University administrator Dr. Ron Koger, along with his wife Gerre, recently established an endowed scholarship to benefit KSU students on the Marietta campus.

  • Michael Coles

    Coles College of Business to honor Michael J. Coles on Oct. 17

    The Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University will honor Michael J. Coles with a celebration October 17, in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Atlanta business executive’s gift to name the nationally ranked business school.

  • Dunn baseball donation

    Dunn Makes Historic Gift to KSU Baseball Program

    Mickey Dunn, President and CEO of ML Industries, has committed $2.5 million in support of the Kennesaw State University baseball program. It equals the largest one-time single donation and one of the most impactful gifts from an individual donor to the KSU Department of Athletics.

  • Construction Management Scholarships

    Construction Management Fundraising Efforts Reach New High At Annual Gala

    In its most successful fundraiser yet, Kennesaw State University’s Department of Construction Management raised more than $167,000 for scholarships and the development of state-of-the-art teaching facilities.

  • Art Student Scholarships

    Arts receives gift for student scholarships

    Kennesaw State University announced Thursday it has received a $336,000 donation to the Department of Dance in the College of the Arts.

  • Coca Cola Scholars

    First Coca-Cola scholars cohort announced

    Thirty-five Kennesaw State University students have been selected as the first cohort of the Coca-Cola First Generation and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Scholars program, which commences during the fall semester.

  • Howard Hughes Donation

    Howard Hughes Medical Institute awards $1 million grant to Kennesaw State

    Led by the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM), Kennesaw State University was awarded a $1 million grant by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to improve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) diversity and inclusion, with a focus on increasing science degree success for African-American and Hispanic students.

  • Radow

    Businessmen pledge $1 million toward engineering scholarship endowment

    Atlanta real estate executives Norman Radow, of The RADCO Companies, and Peter Fitzgerald, of Fightingtown Companies, have announced a $1 million donation to the Paul Radow Endowment, which provides annual scholarships to mechanical engineering students with military service or who are adult learners.

  • Jim J. Hills

    Hills '77 challenging other engineering alumni to give

    Jim J. Hills '77, the recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from Kennesaw State University in 2016, continued the generous support of his alma mater with a recent gift to the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology General Scholarship Fund.

  • Coca-Cola donates $1.25 million

    Coca-Cola donates $1.25 million to support Kennesaw State scholarship program

    Kennesaw State University has received a $1.25 million donation from The Coca-Cola Foundation for the creation of a scholarship program supporting first-generation students.

  • Construction management gala

    Construction management department raises $140,000 for scholarships, facility improvements

    An annual fundraiser held to support Kennesaw State University’s construction management department reached new heights this year by collecting more than $140,000 for scholarships and the development of teaching facilities.

  • Coles College of Business

    Michael J. Coles College of Business receives $3.25 million to launch new economic center

    The Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University has launched a new center to study the economic and social factors that impact economic prosperity.

  • Birla Carbon Scholar

    College of Science and Mathematics recognizes 2017 Birla Carbon Scholars

    Kennesaw State University senior Rebecca Webster’s research project on the parasitic Harper’s Dodder (Cuscuta harperi) plant’s ability to select certain plant hosts based on smell won the Top Poster Award at the Birla Carbon Symposium, at which the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) officially recognized 10 new Birla Carbon Scholars.

  • CARE Center Marietta Campus

    Donor's gift targets at-risk students on Kennesaw State's Marietta Campus

    A $45,000 gift from The American Opportunity Foundation will soon provide emergency, on-campus housing and scholarships for students at risk for homelessness on Kennesaw State University’s Marietta Campus.

  • Chris and Debbie Pike

    Alumnus, wife continue support of KSU with endowed scholarships

    Chris Pike ’84 and his wife Debbie Pike have been major contributors to Kennesaw State University in many ways. Both are trustees of the KSU Foundation and have impacted the institution and lives of students for several years.

  • Prillaman

    Longtime trustee Prillaman establishes endowed scholarship in wife's name, receives award from WellStar Foundation

    Bob Prillaman, a trustee of the Kennesaw State University Foundation for more than 31 years, and his wife Lillias have established an endowed scholarship for deserving KSU students majoring in the visual arts through the College of the Arts.

  • Katherine Scott

    Kennesaw State announces Katherine Scott Rehearsal Hall Endowment

    Encouraged at an early age by her mother, Katherine Scott followed her passion for music and the arts – and it led her to donate $500,000 to Kennesaw State University’s School of Music.

  • Jim and Ann Wallace

    Jim and Ann Wallace endow Onyx Theater

    The anonymous couple behind one of the most significant gifts in the history of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies stepped into the limelight on March 22, almost five years to the day after secretly bestowing a $250,000 gift to name Kennesaw State’s then-new black box theater as the Onyx Theater.

  • Long Engineering

    Ellen, Shepherd Long endow scholarship for women in civil engineering

    Shepherd Long, a trustee of the Kennesaw State University Foundation, and his wife Ellen have established an endowed scholarship to support Kennesaw State University students who are women majoring in civil engineering.

  • Shore

    Doug and Robin Shore

    For years, Doug and Robin Shore have been making contributions to Kennesaw State University. Now, their names indelibly will be linked to the Michael J. Coles College of Business.

  • Michael Leven

    Michael Leven

    Michael A. Leven adds name, clout to new School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality.

  • Lockheed Martin Math

    Lockheed Martin Supports Math Education

    Lockheed Martin is partnering with Kennesaw State University to invest dollars and talent in high school students interested in mathematics.

  • Bill and Nina Beddingfield

    Bill & Nina Beddingfield

    For Bill and Nina Beddingfield, supporting the arts at Kennesaw State University is more than a gift to the students; it also serves as a tribute to Bill’s mother, Florence.

  • Joesph Cook

    Joesph Cook

    Joseph Cook, a retired professor from Florida and one of Kennesaw State’s newest supporters, has established scholarships in honor of two individuals who have impacted his life.

  • Virginia Hinton

    Virginia Hinton

    KSU retiree Virginia Hinton has recently committed to a planned gift to benefit the KSU Retiree Legacy Scholarship, established by members of the KSU Retiree Association.

  • Lockheed Martin

    Lockheed Martin

    Lockheed Martin recently established a scholarship for students interested in science and technology.

  • Rich Foundation

    The Rich Foundation, Inc.

    The Rich Foundation, Inc. recently awarded a substantial gift to The Academy for Inclusive Learning and Social Growth at Kennesaw State University.

  • Rosa Bobia

    Rosa Bobia

    Rosa Bobia established the Dr. Rosa Bobia Endowed Scholarship for students studying Modern Language and Culture or African and African Diaspora Studies.

  • Oral Moses

    Oral Moses

    Oral Moses, Professor Emeritus of Voice and Music Literature since 1984, established the Dr. Oral L. Moses Endowed Scholarship in May 2013.

  • Marina Koether

    Marina Koether

    As a chemistry professor, Marina Koether works to inspire more women to pursue the sciences.

  • Ann D. Smith

    Ann D. Smith

    Recently retired, Smith was inspired by her experiences at KSU to endow the Ann D. Smith Scholarship with the assistance of the Bagwell College of Education.

  • Cam Graham

    Cam Graham

    Having earned degrees from both Kennesaw Junior College as well as Kennesaw State University, Cam Graham elected to give back in hopes that KSU will continue to evolve.

  • Tom Scott

    Tom Scott

    Tom Scott has been part of KSU history for 45 years, having served as the first faculty member to teach the Georgia history course.

  • Mary Lou Fish

    Mary Lou Fish

    With two granddaughters now enrolled, twenty-one years of service to Kennesaw State established more than a career; it established a family tradition.

  • Assistance Leage of Atlanta

    Assistance League of Atlanta

    Over the past decade, Assistance League of Atlanta has awarded funds to forty-six KSU students through their annual scholarship.

  • Betsey and William Duffey

    Betsey and William Duffey

    The Duffeys were instrumental in helping establish the Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery (CYAAR), a program for students struggling with and recovering from addiction.

  • Lil and Bob Prillerman

    Lil and Bob Prillaman

    Lil and Bob Prillaman are longtime community leaders. Bob is a KSU Foundation trustee, a loyal supporter of the WellStar School of Nursing as well as co-chair of KSU’s first-ever comprehensive capital campaign.

  • Ruth Ann Harnisch

    Ruth Ann Harnisch

    Ruth Ann Harnisch, president and founder of the The Harnisch Foundation, is very clear about what she expects when it comes to her charitable contributions.

  • Gene and Pat Henssler

    Gene and Pat Henssler

    Gene and Pat Henssler and the partners of the Henssler Financial Group established the Student Management Fund at the Coles Collge of Business.

 

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