MANHATTAN, KS — Ernie Minton, PhD, dean of Kansas State University (KSU)’s College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension, will transition into a new role, effective July 1, 2025. He will drive the philanthropic priorities of the university’s Agriculture Innovation Initiative. Minton will serve as dean through June 2025.
“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.”
In this new role, Minton will focus on securing funding for the Ag Initiative and collaborate with the KSU Foundation to engage with stakeholders, partners and donors. He will also oversee the transition of new and renovated spaces, which involves nine buildings that house departments within the College of Agriculture.
Minton’s vision of integrating innovative programmatic approaches with state-of-the-art facilities has already driven substantial philanthropic success for the project. To date, the university has secured more than $186 million of the total $210 million in funding needed.
“Dean Minton’s enthusiasm for the Agriculture Innovation Initiative parallels his dedication to the academic and extension endeavors within the College of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension,” said Jesse Perez Mendez, provost and executive VP of K-State. “I appreciate his work now and as he continues to advance K-State’s interdisciplinary work within the agriculture space.”
The Ag Initiative invests in interdisciplinary education; research; and industry partnerships in grain, food, animal and agronomic sciences. Earlier this year, the College of Agriculture broke ground on the Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation, the core facility for the initiative.
A national search for dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension will begin soon.
