More than 500 University of Kansas faculty and staff members have grown closer to people and places in the Sunflower State in the last 13 years as part of the annual KU-sponsored Wheat State Whirlwind Tour. Since 1997, as many as 40-50 participants a year, many new to the state, have taken a “whirlwind” tour of more than 20 Kansas communities, passing through as many as 30 counties and covering in excess of 1,000 miles of roadway.

KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway initiated the tour to serve as an experience that will change each participant’s way of thinking about KU, Kansas, and their place in the university. He said:

“On a highway map, the Wheat State Whirlwind Tour looks like a simple drive around Kansas, with scheduled stops at various places. For KU participants and their colleagues, it should be something more than that. It should be a personal odyssey – one that teaches something about you, each other and KU’s responsibilities as the state’s leading university. I initiated this program to not only educate our faculty about the unique resources available throughout the state, but provide an opportunity to bring a richer awareness of this state and its people back to campus. This awareness and appreciation will provide a stronger bond between KU and those we serve statewide.”