News

Emporia State University celebrated the grand opening of its new Nursing and Student Wellness Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. The center’s opening is a historic university milestone, bringing nursing instruction on campus for the first time since the program’s founding in 1922.

The Emporia State University campus, including the ESU Alumni Association and Foundation at the Sauder Alumni Center, will close at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and reopen at 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.

The Emporia State University Foundation received a $150,000 grant from the Patterson Family Foundation, a Kansas City-based family-led foundation whose initiatives serve rural counties across Kansas and western Missouri. The generous funding supports the purchase of equipment for simulation labs in the university’s new Nursing and Student Wellness Center.

In an unprecedented move, Ken Hush is donating a gift equivalent to the compensation he has earned over the past four years as president back to Emporia State to continue building on the university’s momentum. This gift marks one of the largest one-time individual gifts in ESU’s history.

It was a night centered on students. During Emporia State University’s Black & Gold Gala last Friday night, over $1 million was raised for student scholarships and contributions continue to come in. This moment reflects the power of Hornet Nation’s generosity and belief in the transformational impact of higher education.

The Emporia State University Foundation and Alumni Association proudly announces the appointment of Marcia Novacek as Vice President for Alumni and Constituent Engagement, starting Sept. 2. In this newly elevated executive leadership role, she will shape a bold, expansive engagement model designed to strengthen lifelong connections and unify the Hornet community across generations.

On Thursday, April 4, 12 outstanding students were honored with the prestigious Shepherd Scholarship during the Shepherd Scholars Recognition Ceremony and Reception, held in Butcher-Boertman Hall at the Sauder Alumni Center on the Emporia State University campus.

Emporia State University will celebrate its rich baseball tradition and generous supporters at “Pack the Park” on Saturday, April 12, featuring a special field dedication, ceremonial first pitch and free admission for all fans.

The Emporia State University Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Martin “Marty” Smith as its new Senior Vice President of Development. Smith will officially assume his role on Monday, June 2, bringing a wealth of experience in institutional advancement and fundraising.

For more than a decade, the Donald Reichardt Center for Publishing and Literary Arts has served as a creative hub for Emporia State University students to pursue and practice the craft of writing.