MANHATTAN, KANSAS, US — Ernie Minton, the Eldon Gideon dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension, will move to a new role championing the philanthropic priorities of the Kansas State University (KSU) Agriculture Innovation Initiative, effective July 1, 2025.

In his new position, Minton will collaborate with the KSU Foundation, engaging with stakeholders, partners and donors to secure the necessary funding for the initiative. He also will oversee the transition of new and renovated facilities from construction to occupancy and use. 

To date, the university said it has secured more than $186 million of the $210 million in required funding for the initiative, in large part due to Minton’s vision of integrating innovative programmatic approaches with the new facilities. Construction and renovations under the Agriculture Innovation Initiative are expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

The initiative invests in interdisciplinary education, research and industry partnerships in grain, food, animal and agronomic sciences. It will provide new and improved teaching spaces for more than half of all the students taking College of Agriculture courses. It is also critical support for the Kansas economy, KSU said, as the agriculture industry generates about $81 billion annually.

“The Agriculture Innovation Initiative is a $210 million project and the largest infrastructure effort ever undertaken at K-State,” Minton said. “I look forward to the concentrated efforts of this role and continuing to advance K-State as a worldwide, next-generation leader in value-added grain and livestock-based food.”

Minton, who was appointed as dean and director of K-State Research and Extension in 2019, will continue as dean through June 2025. Prior to being named dean, Minton spent 25 years as a faculty member for the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at K-State. Starting in 2008, Minton began serving in administrative roles, including associate dean for research and graduate programs and associate director for the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station.