Chancellor Mauli Agrawal launches innovative ‘Blue and Bold’ campaign

   The “Bold and Blue” campaign was announced Oct. 17 at the 2025 State of the University, which will be pivotal for solidifying UMKC as a top university.

   The $700 million goal, starting in 2020, has already collected $335,869,017 through donors. 

   “People are responding because our students are doing well, then they support us through the financial side,” said Chancellor Mauli Agrawal. 

   Included in the plan are seven main ventures: Momentum UMKC, capital projects, the KC streetcar expansion, Chancellor’s lecture series, launching Roo Ventures, creating a cross-disciplinary institute and proposing the Critical Materials Crossroads. 

   There were additional announcements about furthering partnerships with community colleges, a proposal to include a potential Artificial Intelligence bachelor’s and master’s program and lessening degree credit to financially beneficial students.

   “We have the right leader, and he’s building the right team. We are seeing the continual movement that UMKC is KC’s university,” said Terrence Patrick Dunn, a former alumni board member in attendance. 

   The most emphasized part of the project was the Critical Materials Crossroads, which was compared to Silicon Valley by the chancellor. Metals used in common technology are often exported from other countries, however, the chancellor wants to create a facility in Kansas City to give the option of a national market. 

   “We will need these critical materials. Think about A.I. and the amount of computation and chips that we need. If we don’t have the materials to make those chips and we depend on another country, they can squeeze it off anytime,”  said Chancellor Agrawal. 

   This new crossroads will create research opportunities for students as well as partnerships with local businesses to make an estimated $17 billion industry led by UMKC. 

   “It is a big risk, so we want to be the first ones to launch it in the United States,” said Agrawal.  

   Of this lofty goal $100 million will be dedicated to endowments (a 25% increase), which will increase student financial support and make it more affordable.

   “I’m most excited about the scholarships for incoming freshmen. I feel like being able to go to school and having that impact on their financial affairs is the most important part to me,” said Ariel Fanning, a junior business administration major with an emphasis in human resources who was a highlighted student during the announcement.

    Another $250 million will be going towards physical infrastructure, including the creation of the Olsen Performing Arts Center, the Atterbury Success Center renovation and a new Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building. 

   Chancellor Agrawal is focused on continual growth after reaching Carnegie Research One (R1) status. 

   “Our students succeed because we invest in them, and a research enterprise succeeds for the very same reason,” said Chancellor Agrawal. 

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