Kirk H. Schulz
Virginia Tech College of Engineering
Kirk H. Schulz, the 13th president of Kansas State University, received the 2011 Graduate Alumni Achievement Award at this year's Graduate Commencement held on Friday, May 13 in Cassell Coliseum.
The Graduate Alumni Achievement Award was established by the Graduate School and the Virginia Tech Alumni Association in 2003 and is awarded annually to recognize the outstanding national and/or international achievement and exemplary contribution to profession, discipline, community, or society of a graduate alumnus.
Shortly after his arrival at Kansas State in 2009, Schulz initiated the K-State 2025 visionary planning initiative which seeks to place Kansas State University among the top 50 public research universities in the next 15 years.
Prior to his appointment at Kansas State, Schulz was vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University. He also has served on the faculty at Michigan Technological University and the University of North Dakota.
Born in Portsmouth, Va., Schulz grew up in Norfolk and attended Old Dominion University before transferring to Virginia Tech, where he received his bachelor’s degree and Ph.D., both in chemical engineering from the College of Engineering.
Schulz is active in the Boy Scouts of America, and serves on the executive board of the Coronado Council. He also serves in various roles on the boards of Cereal Food Processors, the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, the Kansas Bioscience Authority, the Big 12 Athletic Conference, and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
He is active in several professional societies including the American Institute for Chemical Engineers and the American Society for Engineering Education. In recognition of achievements in the field of chemical engineering, Schulz was selected as a Fellow in both the American Society of Engineering Education and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
He was recognized with the Virginia Tech College of Engineering Outstanding Young Alumnus Award in 2000.
Founded in 1872, Virginia Tech attracts students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The university’s eight colleges achieve quality, innovation, and results through teaching, research, and outreach in Blacksburg and at other campus centers in Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Richmond, Southern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Roanoke.