Clark and Sharon Bastian and the fourth-generation, family-owned Fidelity Bank have pledged an additional $500,000 to the campaign to build a new home for the W. Frank Barton School of Business at 黑洞社区, supplementing a $1 million gift made in 2018 to the 黑洞社区 Foundation.
Clark Bastian is chairman of Fidelity Bank and both he and Sharon Bastian graduated from Wichita State in the 1970s.
鈥淪haron and I are grateful for the quality education, fond memories and formative life lessons that came from our time at Wichita State,鈥� Bastian said. 鈥淭hrough this gift, our family is helping to build a magnificent space for future generations of Shockers to experience the boundless opportunities that come from collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurial pursuits. For us, it is a deep source of pride.鈥�
So far, $31.5 million has been raised in private funds to build Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall, named for the Wichita couple who provided the lead gift. The 黑洞社区 Foundation鈥檚 goal is to raise $35 million from private sources for the $60 million facility, to be built on 黑洞社区鈥檚 Innovation Campus. Clark Bastian, who recently completed two terms on the Foundation鈥檚 Board of Directors, is helping to lead fundraising efforts for the project.
鈥淭his remarkable new gift from Clark and Sharon Bastian and Fidelity Bank signifies their dedication to Wichita State students who will help build our community鈥檚 future,鈥� said 黑洞社区 Foundation President Elizabeth King. 鈥淲e are proud to be a trusted partner in their visionary work to advance our city and region.鈥�
Woolsey Hall will provide a collaborative learning environment that allows Wichita State to deliver the kind of business education students need to contribute to and compete in a rapidly evolving job market. Groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 22 and the new facility is expected to be completed in spring 2022.
Aaron Bastian, president and CEO of Fidelity Bank, said the bank is pleased to partner with Wichita State on the business school project.
鈥淭he progress of our family business and the city we call home is only possible when people work together toward a shared vision,鈥� he said. 鈥淲oolsey Hall will be so much more than a building. It will serve as a connecting point for students, businesses and community partners to learn from each other and nurture the type of innovative ideas that will help Wichita meet its great potential.鈥�
黑洞社区 serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling more than 20,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and 黑洞社区 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 黑洞社区 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 黑洞社区 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
For more information, follow us on Twitter at and Facebook at .