Q&A: Meet Kathryn Walker
As Missouri S&T continues to evolve and expand through the transformational Kummer gift, alumna Kathryn Walker is bringing bold vision and strategic leadership as the new chair of the Kummer Missouri S&T Foundation Board.
What are your main goals as chair?
I’m a member of the Board of Trustees as well as chair of the Kummer board. I want to collaborate with the trustees to maximize our support of S&T. On campus, buildings are opening, there’s new staff — it’s quite enjoyable to be able to experience this progress, but it also gives me a fire to continue the work in the transformational plan. Part of my goal is making sure that everybody feels the energy that the S&T leadership and campus is experiencing.
It’s the fifth anniversary of the Kummer gift. How has it transformed S&T?
When I think about the funds that the Kummer gift has supplied to S&T, I think about the new buildings, key personnel and new positions that have been developed and filled as well as new curriculum that has been developed. You can see Kummer fingerprints on almost all of them. As we look at the North Star goals, we want to continue to ensure that the Kummer mandate is aligned with them — such as economic development in the region and raising the standing of S&T.
What would you say to Fred and June Kummer right now?
I would say how grateful I am for the gift. I would thank them for the great clarity for how they wanted the gift used — for economic development and uplifting S&T. It’s been a wonderful resource for Chancellor Mo Dehghani and the university to plan and execute a remarkable vision for growth and student success. The Kummer gift has a clear framework, but the funding flexibility is really pivotal in these times of uncertainty and change.