The standing president at Kansas State University is moving to the Pacific Northwest.
Just after the noon hour on Friday, Hannah Street of The Daily Evergreen, the student newspaper of Washington State University, reported from a Board of Regents meeting in Richland, Wash., that Kirk Schulz will be the new president at WSU.
Schulz was one of the three finalists for the position and received an unanimous vote. Washington State is a public research university that operates on four campuses across the state and competes in the PAC 12 athletic conference.
The selection process was kept very secretive, with the three finalists for the position announced as candidates “A, B and C” before the winner was formally announced.
Schulz succeeds Elson Floyd, who lost his battle to cancer last June.
Welcome Kirk H. Schulz as @wsu’s 11th president! #WSU #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/j4hXbuZSHY
— WSU News (@WSUNews) March 25, 2016
Mike Worthy said Schulz was “proud to accept our offer” and is “willing to serve.”
— Hannah Street (@heyhannahstreet) March 25, 2016
. @WSUNews @WSUCougars and AD Bill Moos – You have hit the presidential lottery with @kstate_pres !! Tremendous leader, person and friend!
— John Currie (@John_Currie) March 25, 2016
Schulz became the 13th president of K-State in February of 2009 after John Wefald announced his retirement. Since then, Schulz has worked toward the vision of having K-State become a Top 50 research university by 2025. Schulz also currently serves on the NCAA Board of Governors.
Dr. Noel Schulz, the wife of the outgoing president, currently serves as an associate dean of graduate programs in K-State’s college of engineering. A report from The Seattle Times said the regents also offered a faculty position to her, teaching engineering in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture.
Schulz posted this message on K-State’s website shortly after he accepted the offer:
K-State Faculty, Staff, and Students,
Earlier today, I accepted an offer to serve as the next President of Washington State University.
I will continue to serve as K-State President through mid-May, and will transition to Washington State in mid-June. The Kansas Board of Regents will conduct a search for an Interim President as soon as possible.
Noel and I have thoroughly enjoyed our 7 years at Kansas State — it has been an exciting time to be a Wildcat and a part of the K-State Family. Being part of transforming our multiple campuses has been the highlight of my career in higher education.
I will continue to communicate monthly with the K-State community with Letters to Campus as we finish up the 2016 Spring Semester.
With Purple Pride,
Kirk
KMAN will continue to bring you updates on the story as they become available.
