Missouri University of Science and Technology will recognize the success of its seven-year Advancing Excellence Campaign with a celebration from 4-5 p.m. Friday, April 23, in Leach Theatre of Castleman Hall. The doors will open at 3:30 p.m. The Campaign Celebration is open to the public.
Speakers will include Missouri S&T Chancellor John F. Carney III; Barbi Wheelden of Sparta, Ill., a senior in chemical engineering and a member of Engineers Without Borders; and Col. Tom Akers, an instructor of mathematics and statistics at Missouri S&T. Akers is a retired NASA astronaut who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in math from S&T.
The event will also include a video produced by Tom Shipley, manager of video productions at S&T, and a performance by the Rolla Community Children’s Choir.
The Advancing Excellence Campaign began on July 1, 2003, with a focus on preparing students for leadership through knowledge and opportunity, enhancing Missouri S&T’s core strengths, enabling emerging technologies, and increasing private grants. The campaign recently surpassed its $200 million goal but will continue throughout the remainder of the university’s fiscal year, which ends July 1.
Donations to the campaign include gifts from alumni, corporations, foundations, friends of the university, faculty, staff and students, as well as private corporate grants.
This event is part of Missouri S&T’s Miner Pride Weekend, which includes many university advisory board meetings; the groundbreaking for the new Hasselmann Alumni House at 3 p.m., prior to the Campaign Celebration; a scholarship banquet; and a weekend meeting of the Order of the Golden Shillelagh, the university’s major donor organization.