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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Source: M. Duane Nellis, 785-532-6224, provost.nellis@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Susan Scott, 785-532-6085, smscott@k-state.edu

Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008

MARY TOLAR SELECTED AS INTERIM DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES AT K-STATE

MANHATTAN -- M. Duane Nellis, provost and senior vice president at Kansas State University, announced the selection of Mary Hale Tolar as the interim director of the School of Leadership Studies effective Jan. 1, 2009.

"I am confident Mary will do an excellent job providing leadership during this dynamic time for the school and in the context of its potential impact on the university," Nellis said. "My decision was based on the strong support Mary received from faculty, staff and students of the school, the search committee and executive members of the Leadership Advancement Council."

"I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Dr. Susan Scott for her outstanding leadership of the school as its founding director and for her vision, energy and dedication to Leadership Studies and Programs since its inception. I am pleased that she will continue to contribute in important ways to the school in the future."

Currently Tolar serves as associate director for civic leadership, and directs the community service, service-learning, nonprofit leadership and student civic engagement efforts of the campus; teaches in the leadership studies curriculum; and serves as director of the Coffman Leadership Institute.

Prior to joining leadership studies, Tolar served as executive director of Kansas Campus Compact , a statewide member organization hosted by K-State, working with college presidents and their campuses across
the state to advance civic engagement and the public purpose of higher education.

Before returning home to Kansas in 2003, Tolar served as deputy executive secretary and chief of staff of the Truman Scholarship Foundation in Washington, D.C. Tolar is a Truman Scholar, a Rhodes Scholar, founding member of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors and co-author/editor of "The Lucky Few and the Worthy Many: Scholarships and the World's Future Leaders." She has spent more than a dozen years in higher education administration, serving five institutions in capacities ranging from scholarship adviser to development officer. The focus of her professional work has been and continues to be developing students as scholars and citizens, Scott said.

"I value the school’s progressive spirit, commitment to collaboration and devotion to a student-centered learning community, and I am excited to develop the infrastructure necessary to advance our programs on campus, into the community, and to national recognition," Tolar said.

Lydia Peele, current student body president and student in leadership studies said, "Students commend the visionary leadership that Dr. Scott has provided to the School of Leadership Studies. Without her passion
and dedication, the program most certainly would not be where it is today. I am confident that there is no better person to continue what Dr. Scott started than Mary Hale Tolar. She motivates and inspires others to reach their greatest potential, and is living proof of what the impact of servant leadership can be."