2011-12 issue26

Washburn University

TheReview

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volume 138, Issue 26 • wednesday, May 2, 2012

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Board of Regents pass spending on energy audit A&E Matt Kelly

WASHBURN REVIEW

The Washburn University Board of Regents approved a proposal Tuesday for a heating, ventilating and air conditioning company to be selected to perform a detailed energy audit of both Washburn and the Washburn Institute of Technology and make recommendations for a comprehensive energy program. Qualified proposals to provide the conservation and improvement services were received from Johnson Controls, Honeywell, Schneider Electric and Trane according to the WBOR agenda. But Honeywell didn’t “make the cut.” Only the remaining three companies were selected to proceed in the selection process. Washburn should be able to recoup its expenses from the program in no more than nine years according Vice President of Admissions and Treasurer Rick Anderson. “We don’t want to take any money away from our other purposes, so anything that we do will be at least revenue neutral or better in terms of further energy savings,” said Anderson at the WUBOR meeting on Tuesday. “A number of institutions have done this around the country. What I’m looking for here is how to improve our energy efficiency and improve our infrastructure in the same process without spending any more money.” In the WUBOR meeting agenda,

Washburn University President Jerry Farley recommended the contract be awarded to Trane, who has a long history of helping institutions save money by reducing energy expenses. In 2009 the University of Central Missouri signed a $36.1 million contract with Trane that addressed necessary upgrades in energy efficiency and maintenance. The project generated $500,000 in savings before it was completed in 2010, and is still paying for itself. Regent David Moses summed up his understanding of the initial project expenses at the WUBOR meeting. “If we don’t make any improvements, it will cost us about $60,000 for the audit,” said Moses. “If we do some things it will still cost us $60,000 plus whatever it costs to do the work. We will then recoup those dollars over time.” Anderson mentioned that the University of Missouri Kansas City, where he used to work, replaced i t s

chiller plant and, among other things, improved its lighting in a similar program. The project cost was $19.4 million, and was funded through utility savings from the improvements. “I have had the pleasure of being able to do this at several institutions,” said Anderson. “The recommendation here is that Washburn, through a request for proposal, move toward selection of an energy services company to perform a detailed energy audit and from there we will make recommendations to the board on what types of energy savings and investments the institution could make.”

Matt Kelly is a senior mass media major. Reach him at matthew.kelly@washburn. edu.

Senior Artists display their art off campus

Photo by Aj Dome, Washburn Review

WU alumni donate $6 million Luke Warnken

WASHBURN REVIEW

In today’s economy of pinching pennies and higher tuition rates, money has become an even more vital commodity to any teaching institution. On April 27th, Washburn University President Jerry Farley and Washburn Foundation President JuliAnn Mazachek held a news conference in Mabee Library to announce that Washburn will be receiving a generous donation. “A gift of this magnitude is truly transformational,” said Farley. “It will permit us to do some things that, without the gift, we wouldn’t have the resources to do otherwise.” That gift was a large sum of a little over $6 million donated by Jacki Summerson and her late husband, Frank, who passed away a few years ago. “We wanted to choose something we felt would be a significant contribution to something here in Topeka and we chose Washburn,” said Summerson. “We’ve always felt that our education here has helped us with our successful careers.” Summerson and her husband both graduated from Washburn University after transferring from Kansas State University. “The small class sizes and the fact the professors have a real interest in the students was amazing,” said Summerson. Summerson was fascinated with how Washburn’s faculty and class sizes allowed students and teachers to have more one-on-one interaction. Because of their fondness for Washburn’s terrific faculty, the Summerson’s decided to graciously donate a substantial amount of money towards helping Washburn’s

faculty in the future. “Truly an exceptional opportunity that we’ll be able to provide to our faculty in the future and be able to continue to our strong commitment to teaching excellence,” said Mazachek. The Summersons created a trust fund in Frank’s name that houses the six million donation. Washburn held a news conference to tell the community of the donation and how Washburn University is now the beneficiary of the irrevocable trust fund. Many prominent members of Topeka and Washburn attended the press conference including Topeka Mayor Bill Bunten and Kansas

Graphic by Kelsey Wagers, Washburn Review

Senator Garrett Love. The money will not transfer until Jacki passes away. The money will be used in various ways to help out the faculty of Washburn University. The terms to the agreement are very lenient allowing the Washburn administration to use the money in whatever way they deem suitable, as long as it pertains to the faculty. Salaries, technological advancements, and traveling expenses are just a few of the mentioned ways the money is intended to be used. As technology and research increases, there will be a growing demand for pedagogical changes which will be costly. Summerson’s much appreciated endowment will help Washburn overcome the challenges of the struggling economy. Jacki grew up in the small town of

Clearwater, Kan., while her husband, Frank, originated from Hoxie, Kan. The couple met at Kansas State and transferred together to become Ichabods. Jacki graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physical sciences while Frank graduated with a business administration bachelor’s degree. The couple purchased the Manpower franchise in 1987 and expanded the business with offices now in Wichita, Kan., Springfield, Mo., and parts of east Texas. They went on to start Professional Security, Inc. with offices in the same places as the Manpower franchise. They then created PSI Armored, Inc., with offices located in Topeka, Wichita, Springfield, Kansas City, and St. Louis. Summerson is still very much involved in Washburn affairs as a member of the Washburn University Foundation’s Board of Trustees and Board of Directors. The soft spoken Summerson made a brief statement during the announcement but her gift said enough. Farley was very grateful for Summerson’s donation and willingness to help the school out in tough financial times. “We want to continue our long term commitment to teaching. We are a teaching institution,” said Farley. “Our faculty are exceptionally good at teaching. We want to be able to recognize and reward those faculty members for their excellence.” The donation by Summerson of $6 million is the largest gift ever given to Washburn University, beating out the $5 million donated a few years back that is being used right now by the university.

Luke Warnken is a sophomore history education and athletic training double major. Reach him at luke.warnken@ washburn.edu.

Pen To Paper: Senior fine art student Shelby Leach’s artwork are on display at the Barnes and Noble on Wanamaker Road. Leach specializes in scientific illustration. piece, a painting based on a kidney Kelly Hurla structure, or a digital work of specific WASHBURN REVIEW anatomy based off an imaginary creaYou might put “Pen to Paper” ture. while peering “Through the Looking Like most of the approach Leach Glass.” uses in her art, her choice of a title for These two senior exhibits are just her exhibit was to the point. a couple of many exhibits new to cam“When you have science, it’s pretpus and a few other locations around ty much straight forward,” said Leach. the city of Topeka. The exhibits are “It’s pen to paper.” part of an exit requirement of seniors “Through the Looking Glass” is pursing their Bachelor of Fine Arts de- Gwaltney’s exhibit title, although he gree. got the idea from the sequel to “Alice’s “For scientific illustration, the Adventures in Wonderland.” main purpose is to educate and to give “The author was able to just disobvious information,” said Shelby tort Alice’s perception on herself, othLeach, senior fine arts major. “Not just ers and the world around her,” said to tell a story, because art itself is com- Gwaltney. “It’s a very warped, dismunicating and this is just being more torted twisted perception of the world direct and detail oriented.” and others and that’s kind of what my Scientific illustration is Leach’s show is about.” chosen emphasis for bachelor of fine Gwaltney describes his personal arts degree. attachment of the title further as more Although scientific illustration is along the lines of behavioral, humanthe kind of thing you would find in istic and missed assumptions in psytextbooks, Leach says that her exhibit chology. He views this as a different is more of a showcase of what you can approach to how we view ourselves, do with that in mind. others and the world around us. Not so much scientifically speakLeach’s gallery talk took place ing, another senior will mostly show- Monday, April 30. As part of the talk, case his works of photography and Leach spent a good part of the show digital media along with variations going through a step by step creation and manipulations of the two media. of scientific illustration for the art de“Pretty much everything influenc- partment students and faculty in ates my art because art is very adaptable tendance. Her exhibit will remain disto other forms, not just other things,” played at Barnes and Noble through said Jason Gwaltney, senior fine arts May 14. major. “It’s used for so many purposGwaltney’s work will premiere as es, but it can go so well with literature, part of May’s first Friday art walk at music, psychology and everything else the Upstage Gallery. His gallery talk that it’s able to interact with in every will be held at the art building at noon, aspect of the world pretty much.” Friday, May 4. Later that evening, his Gwaltney likes the interaction and gallery reception will be held from 6 being able to throw his own twist on it. to 8 p.m. at the Upstage Gallery. The His emphasis is on photography and gallery is located at 720 S.W. Jackson computer graphics. in the Jayhawk Towers. Gwaltney’s For Leach, the influences were a exhibit will be displayed May 4 until little more straightforward. She cred- June 1. its mainly biology, some anatomy and her pet chameleon for that aspect of her work. For her favorite piece in her Kelly Hurla is a sophomore mass collection, Leach couldn’t decide be- media major. Reach her at kelly. tween two. Either her more abstract hurla@washburn.edu

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