Congratulations to all Recipients
For more information on grants below see Grant Announcements
2021 — Kays Foundation awarded Kelli Listenbee, Director of Learning Support Services a grant to aid in the completion of the “Academic Hub” center located on the third floor in the Dean B. Ellis Library. The academic hub is comprised of library and faculty resources along with three student-tutoring centers. It held it’s grand opening on Monday, October 3, 2022. For more info on the Academic Hub
2021 — Kays Foundation provided funds to Jody Nutt, assistant professor of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences to acquire a 3-D Scanner for Medical Imaging. The images will be used in medical 3-D printing applications, such as construction of organ and anatomic models to enhance students educational experience.
2020 — Kays Foundation granted funds to Dr. Kyle Gustafson, assistant professor of Biology and Environmental Health to purchase twelve (12) Olympus CX-23 microscopes which will enhance teaching infrastructure in biological sciences courses.
2020 — Kays Foundation awarded funds to Dr. Shawn Drake, in the College of Health Professions for partial funding to purchase hospital beds for the new Acute Care Simulation Lab (ACSL) for training in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting.
2020 — Kays Foundation provided funds to Dr. Than Boves in the Department of Biological Sciences for his proposal “Uncovering the factors associated with host-switching of specialized parasites” which was a study of one lineage of feather mites and a set of fifty (50) closely related avian host species of Warblers to examine how parasites can switch hosts or even species.
2019 — Kays Foundation awarded funds to Dr. Katherine Baker, in the Department of Art + Design to support two (2) programs. The first one is the A-State Art-in-A Box program which was an outreach program for high school art students and the A-State Art Summer Residency Program which brought prospective students to campus for a summer camp. The camp was used as a recruitment initiative.
2019 — Kays Foundation granted funds to Dr. Philip Tew, ASU Associate Professor of Finance for the “SCARLET to Black Program (“S2B”)” A plan to develop and present workshops and educational resources to ASU students to improve their financial knowledge and well-being while in school. In addition to assisting the incoming ASU students, the program has begun to increase its reach to assist other colleges and universities and place Arkansas State University’s name in the discussion of top financial literacy programs. For the 2019-2020 academic year, the Scarlet to Black Program was named one of the Top 50 Collegiate Financial Literacy Programs in the country. The program will continue to present workshops on financial literacy topics of interest to students, staff, and faculty at ASU, as well as conduct research in the area of college students and financial literacy.
2018 — Kays Foundation granted funds to Dr. Shivan Haran, ASU College of Mechanical Engineering for the Robotics initiative for elementary schools. It allowed A-State’s student chapter of (ASME) American Society of Mechanical Engineers to visit several area elementary schools to instruct, guide and help the 2nd/3rd grade children build a working model of a robot from kits.
2018 — Kays Foundation awarded the Department of Mathematics and Statistics a grant to host the “Nurturing Young Women Interested in Launching STEM Careers Conference” which was held on May 17, 2019. Sixteen (16) female students from two local schools attended and had hands-on-experiences that gave them an opportunity of working in modern science laboratories as well as work with fish DNA.
2017 — Kays Foundation awarded the Arkansas State University Physical Therapy Department funds to purchase a ArjoHuntleigh Sara 3000 Power Standing Lift which is a standing and raising aid used for patient handling activities. The equipment was received and implemented in the fall of 2017 in the lab-based courses related to patient care and allows students to be better prepared to use equipment that they will use in a clinical sitting outside the class room.
2016 – Kays Foundation awarded to the Bradbury Art Museum a grant in the amount of $50,000.00 to endow and name the “Kays Gallery”, a new exhibition space within the museum and assist with obtaining matching funds.
2016 – Kays Foundation awarded the matching grant to assist Dr. Richard Grippo in the ASU Department of Biological Sciences with his research project of “Mangroves as Nurseries for Caribbean Coral Reef Fish”.
2016 – Kays Foundation granted Dr. Anne A. Grippo, Associate Dean of the ASU College of Science and Mathematics funds to support the “Arkansas Science Festival’s (ASF) Event” which will be held at ASU during Homecoming weekend.
2015 – Kays Foundation has provided funds to the University Police Department. The grant was used during the fall 2015 semester on campus for “Safety Week” which sponsored a drinking/texting driving simulator for students to experience firsthand the dangers and the results of these actions.
2012 – Kays Foundation Awards $20,000 to The College of Communications, Dr. Mary Jackson Pitts. The funds were used to assist in securing a matching grant to upgrade the (RTV) Radio-Television Department from Broadcasting in Analog to Broadcasting in (HD) High Definition television with state of the art lighting. It helped convert everything to digital and also reduced the amount of space needed to house the top of the line equipment and helped save money by using new LED lighting which is more energy efficient. For more information see the article in Voices Fall 2012 edition.
2011 – Kays Foundation selects Ray Winters, Associate Professor and Chair in the ASU Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences Department for a Grant in the amount of $11,000 to assist in the purchase of equipment to be used in the Department of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences for a new “positioning mannequin” to be used in their new, state-of-the-art x-ray labs. This technology allows students the opportunity to simulate real-life situations, making the transition from lab to clinic easier, more meaningful and safer. It boost their confidence levels and their abilities to function in the clinic. Very few universities have the set up ASU has with the new x-ray lab.
2011 – Kays Foundation also selected to grant funds to Dr. E. T. Hammerand ASU Department of Computer Science in the amount of $3,000.00 for the Crowley’s Ridge BEST Robotics Program.
2010 – Kays Foundation chose to fund a grant to the ASU College of Fine Arts and Department of Music Band Program which will support the ASU Wind Ensemble;
2010 – Kays Foundation Awards Dr. E. T. Hammerand, Associate Professor, funds to support Crowley’s Ridge BEST (Boosting, Engineering, Science and Technology) Robotics competition hosted by the ASU Department of Computer Science. It allows student teams from area high schools to participate in a competition to design and build a robot to solve a given problem. The event was held in the fall and expands on students interest and future careers in these areas it also teaches them cooperation, teamwork, sportsmanship, and time management while learning and having fun.
2009 – Kays Foundation Grants funds to the Centennial Celebration Office & Arkansas Heritage SITES, ASU Centennial Book to cover half the production and publication cost for the “Arkansas State University Centennial Book: 100 Years; 100 Stories” which will be part of the ASU Centennial Celebration.
2009 – Kays Foundation Awards a grant to Dr. E. T. Hammerand in the ASU Department of Computer Science to continue to further fund the expansion of the Crowley’s Ridge BEST Robotics Program.
2008 – Kays Foundation Awards Tom O’Connor, Chair of the ASU Music Department a grant to purchase six new sousaphones to be in full use by the Sound of the Natural State Marching Band.
2008 – Kays Foundation provides a grant to (BEST Robotics) to help upgrade equipment and expand the amount of teams participating in the BEST Robotics competition held by ASU Computer Science, Dr. E. T. Hammerand.
2007 – Kays Foundation makes a gift of $300,000 to the “The Cooper Alumni Center” the funds will be used for the alumni center’s Board Room which will be named in honor of V. C. Kays, V. H. Kays and the Kays Foundation in recognition of the significant contributions of the Kays family and the Kays Foundation to the growth and development of Arkansas State University.
2007 – Kays Foundation Grants funds to Dr. Susan Hanrahan, Dean of the ASU College of Nursing & Health Professions, for the purchase of a “patient ventilator” for use in a critical care lab of the ASU Nursing Program.
2007 – Kays Foundation Awards a grant to ASU Dept. of Biological Sciences, Dr. Thomas Risch, Associate Professor for research with Eastern Bluebirds.
2006 – Kays Foundation Awards seed money to Dr. E. T. Hammerand in the ASU Computer Science Department, to support the BEST (Boosting, Engineering, Science and Technology) robotics competition hosted by Arkansas State University.
2006 – Kays Foundation Grants funds to Beth Smith, Exec. Director of the ASU Alumni Association, to assist in completion of the exterior landscaping for the Cooper Alumni Center.
2006 – Kays Foundation provided funds to the ASU Art Department to assist Les Christensen and John Salvest, in the Art Department to travel to Participation in the Florence International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Florence, Italy.
2006 – Kays Foundation Awards the ASU Music Department, Tom O’Connor, Chair funds to purchase stringed instruments for use in music education classes.
2005 – Kays Foundation Awards $15,000.00 to the ASU Graduate Student Recruiting Fund to aid in the Recruitment of Graduate Students and to use funds to sponsor a one-day (March 1, 2006) on-campus seminar “101 Great Ideas for Recruiting Graduate Students” which was attended by department chairs and graduate program directors. It also allowed them to purchase promotional items to give out to prospective students at the recruitment fair and to participate in additional on-campus recruiting trips.
Past areas we have provided funding for:
ASU College of Nursing & Health Professions
ASU Police Departments Annual Kid’s Day out
Library Archives
Delta Study – Oral History
Seismic Project
Oral History Project