Five years of the Kummer Institute

In five years, the Kummer Institute has transformed Missouri S&T through historic investments, research, academic programs and new facilities that strengthen student success and economic growth.

2020

October 2020

The Kummer Institute Foundation Board of Directors is established with eight founding members.

Two elderly people sit on a beige sofa in a home setting, dressed formally and wearing glasses.

Oct. 9, 2021

S&T receives the largest single gift in the history of Missouri higher education from June and Fred Kummer with a donation of $300 million. The gift transforms S&T’s research capacity, student support and economic impact. Between the time the award was announced and funds were transferred, the value of the gift grew to $312 million.

Dec. 1, 2020

Alumnus Tim Bradley and his wife, Kay, contribute $5 million to S&T for the university’s new Havener Arrival Complex.

Group of five people wearing bright green Kummer Vanguard Scholars T-shirts standing together indoors.

Dec. 14, 2020

The Kummer Vanguard Scholars program begins. It provides annual scholarships for up to four years to qualified undergraduate students pursuing a STEM degree.

Read how the program is preparing students for success with entrepreneurial thinking

2021

Campus master plan map showing buildings, roads, and green spaces with labeled zones for future development.

Sept. 2, 2021

The University of Missouri Board of Curators approves the Campus Master Plan, which outlines S&T’s efforts to develop an arrival district for campus visitors.

Learn more about the Campus Master Plan

Person speaking at a podium during Kummer Day event with a large screen displaying event details.

Oct. 9, 2021

S&T celebrates the one‑year anniversary of June and Fred Kummer’s historic gift with the first Kummer Day event on campus.

Watch the celebration

Nov. 18, 2021

S&T receives approval from the University of Missouri Board of Curators to advance the Missouri Protoplex and arrival district, including phase one of the Protoplex; a geothermal energy plant for the Innovation Lab; the development of an arrival court at Bishop Avenue and Miner Circle, and the construction of a subsurface parking garage.

2022

Jan. 12, 2022

Twelve S&T research teams are awarded the first Kummer Ignition Grants for Research and Innovation, totaling $365,000. The seed grants help faculty pursue major funding from federal agencies, foundations and industry partners.

People in suits and hard hats clapping at a groundbreaking event with green confetti falling.

April 21, 2022

S&T holds a groundbreaking ceremony for its new 50,000-square-foot Innovation Lab.

Watch the groundbreaking ceremony here

July 1, 2022

The Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development is officially established.

Learn how the college is expanding opportunities for students

Three students walking together on a campus pathway surrounded by fall foliage and ornamental grasses.

July 27, 2022

S&T’s new bridge scholarship program reaches its
$1 million goal thanks to a $500,000 investment from the Kummer Institute Foundation.

Read the news release about the program

Speaker at podium with Missouri S&T banner presenting during Kummer Day event.

Oct. 9, 2022

S&T commemorates the two-year anniversary of the transformational gift during the second annual Kummer Day.

Watch the celebration

2023

Group of people in hard hats shoveling dirt at a groundbreaking ceremony.

April 20, 2023

S&T holds a groundbreaking ceremony for the 32,000-square-foot Welcome Center.

Watch the groundbreaking ceremony

Group of people in hard hats holding shovels at Missouri S&T Protoplex groundbreaking ceremony.

Oct. 5, 2023

S&T holds a groundbreaking ceremony for the Missouri Protoplex.

Oct. 5, 2023

A new biography is published about the life and work of Fred Kummer called Master Builder, authored by S&T historian Larry Gragg.

Three people in formal attire talking and holding event booklets at a gathering.

Oct. 9, 2023

The university celebrates Fred and June Kummer’s historical gift at S&T’s third annual Kummer Day.

See the celebration

Oct. 27, 2023

The Kummer Institute Foundation welcomes four new members.

Meet the members who joined

2024

Row of Missouri S&T hard hats and shovels on a table at a groundbreaking event.

April 18, 2024

S&T breaks ground on the expansion of the newly renamed Applied Research Center (formerly Engineering Research Lab), which adds 33,000 square feet to support interdisciplinary research.

Read how the expansion will support faculty and student research

Adult showing a child a workbook at a classroom table.

September 2024

The Kummer Center for STEM Education launches Miners in the Making, a free after-school STEM program for K–12 students in the Rolla, Newburg and Phelps County R-III school districts, supported by a nearly $2 million grant.

Learn more about the program

Sept. 26, 2024

The Kummer Institute Foundation is officially renamed the Kummer Missouri S&T Foundation to reinforce the partnership between the foundation and university.

Portrait of Gary Havener, wearing a suit, patterned tie and wide-brimmed hat.
Gary Havener, photo by Locations Photography

Sept. 27, 2024

Alumnus and entrepreneur Gary Havener donates $25 million in support of S&T’s Havener Arrival Complex.

Read how this gift is creating a bold new chapter for S&T

Speaker at podium during Kummer Day event with a presentation slide about June Kummer and higher education.

Oct. 9, 2024

The S&T campus and Rolla community celebrate the fourth annual Kummer Day.

Watch the celebration

People signing a white steel beam at a construction site during a beam-signing ceremony.

Oct. 25, 2024

The S&T campus and Rolla community members sign the final beam of the 32,000-square-foot Welcome Center, marking a milestone for the Havener Arrival Complex.

Watch the beam raise up

Nov. 20, 2024

The University of Missouri Board of Curators approves the Master of Economics and Innovation degree, or MEI, offered by Kummer College.

Learn more about the MEI program

Graduate in academic regalia with a green and white stole and medallion during a commencement ceremony.

December 2024

The first Kummer Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) Doctoral Fellow graduates.

Read how his family and the fellowship program helped him succeed

2025

Person in a green flight suit speaking to students seated around a classroom table.

January 2025

Over 1,000 first-year engineering and computing students begin exploring entrepreneurship through an updated FE 1100 course, following S&T’s membership in the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) in collaboration with Kummer student programs.

Read how the course is bringing entrepreneurship front and center to the curriculum.

Person in green “S&T” jacket adjusts optical device in lab with yellow background and equipment.

Feb. 13, 2025

S&T earns Research 1 (R1) classification from the Carnegie Foundation, recognizing it as one of the nation’s top research universities.

Learn more about the designation

Seven people at S&T event table with green university banner and “MISSOURI” backdrop.

April 2, 2025

Representatives from Solvus Global sign a lease to establish a manufacturing facility in the Protoplex, becoming the first company to do so. The partnership marks a significant step forward in advancing workforce and economic development through manufacturing collaborations in Rolla.

Read how this partnership will help elevate S&T, the economy and the workforce

Speaker at a podium in front of a sign reading 'Future Home of the BioPlex' at a groundbreaking event.

April 2025

S&T hosts groundbreaking ceremonies for the 127,000-square-foot Bioplex, S&T’s largest capital project to date.

Watch the groundbreaking ceremony