Missouri S&T will celebrate the fifth anniversary of Fred and June Kummer’s $300 million gift during Kummer Day on Thursday, Oct. 9, on the university’s campus in Rolla, showcasing the gift’s transformative impact on the university and community.

All are welcome to attend graduate research presentations by Kummer Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) Doctoral Fellows and the student panel, “Real Entrepreneurs, Real Stories.” The I&E presentations will be held 10-11:30 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m. in the Missouri and Meramec Rooms at the Havener Center. The student panel runs 4-5 p.m. in the Carver-Turner Room at the Havener Center. 

“Kummer Day is an opportunity for us to step back and consider the transformative changes made possible by Fred and June’s generosity — transformations not just to our physical infrastructure, but to who we are and what we do,” says Dr. Richard Brow, executive director of operations for the Kummer Institute.

S&T has launched a variety of initiatives in student success, STEM outreach and capital projects in the last five years.

STEM outreach has expanded through the Kummer Center for STEM Education. Since 2021, the center has reached 16,424 participants through 58 campus events, 67 STEM Mobile visits to 29 Missouri counties and tutoring support for 211 students. Summer camps have grown to 3,500 campers from 30 states and nine countries across 90 camps. More than $370,000 in scholarships have been awarded to help students explore STEM fields. The center also opened Miners in the Making, a free afterschool program for three Phelps County school districts.

The gift has provided $14.5 million in student support, including through the Kummer I&E Fellows and Kummer Vanguard Scholars programs. In 2020, the Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development was founded. 

At the same time, capital projects have been transforming the campus. The Havener Arrival Complex, supported by a $25 million gift from alumnus Gary Havener, now serves as a new front door to S&T. The Applied Research Center expansion, the Missouri Protoplex, the Innovation Lab and the Bioplex are opening doors to interdisciplinary research, industry collaboration and hands-on learning.

“Fred and June Kummer’s legacy is not just in buildings: it’s in the students and research that will shape the future of Missouri and beyond,” says Fred Stone, associate vice chancellor of facility planning and operations. “In just five years, the gift has fueled new facilities, programs and opportunities that are reshaping S&T for generations to come.”

See the full schedule and more information about Kummer Day 2025 at go.mst.edu/kummerday.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to The Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.