[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 105 (Thursday, June 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2121-S2122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO DR. SUSAN PETERSON THOMAS

 Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, I rise today to thank Dr. Susan 
``Sue'' Peterson Thomas for her many years of service to the State of 
Kansas and Kansas State University--K-State--as well as honor her for 
all that she accomplished during her career.
  The daughter of a dairy farmer and former mayor of Abilene, KS, Sue 
began her journey at K-State as a student, where she graduated with a 
bachelor of science degree in political science and history. She would 
go on to earn a master of public administration degree from the 
University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from K-
State.
  Sue's service to the State of Kansas began in 1978, where she worked 
for Mike Hayden during his time as the speaker of the Kansas House of 
Representatives and Governor of Kansas. She also served on the 
transition teams for Governor Hayden and Governor Sam Brownback.
  Sue would go on to work for her alma mater, beginning her 
distinguished career at K-State in 1989. During her 33 years of service 
to the university, Sue worked her way up to chief government relations 
officer, where she was directly responsible for all university liaison 
activities with the State and Federal legislature. She also served as a 
political science instructor since 1992, where she taught Kansas 
politics and government to over 1,000 students.
  During her time at K-State, Sue was responsible for multiple 
different projects that have had a tremendous impact on the university. 
She was instrumental in securing State funding to renovate Farrell 
Library and add 153,000 square feet of new space to the library on K-
State's Manhattan campus; she coordinated the successful legislative 
effort to merge the Kansas College of Technology in Salina into
K-State, forming the K-State Salina campus; she led the efforts to 
secure State and Federal funding for the construction and equipment of 
Pat Roberts Hall, the home of K-State's Biosecurity Research Institute. 
The fruits of her labor culminated at the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture's National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility's ribbon-cutting 
ceremony this last May, which she worked tirelessly on, helping pass 
multiple pieces of legislation that were crucial to the State's efforts 
to land the facility adjacent to K-State's campus in Manhattan.
  Throughout her career, Sue has been recognized at the local, State, 
and national levels. She has been awarded the prestigious Marvin D. 
``Swede'' Johnson Achievement Award, the Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat 
Pride

[[Page S2122]]

Award, and the Career Excellence Award from the Association of Public 
and Land-Grant Universities' Council on Governmental Affairs.
  Sue officially retired from K-State on April 7, 2023, after 33 years, 
8 months, and 6 days of service to the university. I now ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing the distinguished career of Dr. 
Susan Peterson Thomas, as well as thank her for all of her work on 
behalf of the State of Kansas and Kansas State University.

                          ____________________