KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 17, 2026

A transformative $500,000 gift from longtime Kennesaw State University philanthropist Dr. Audrey Morgan will establish the largest scholarship in KSU’s Department of Dance in honor of its founder, Dr. Ivan Pulinkala. The endowment celebrates the leadership and legacy of Pulinkala, who served as Dean of the Geer College of the Arts, prior to becoming KSU’s Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.  

The gift comes at a moment of growing philanthropic momentum for KSU Dance. In August, the Geer College of the Arts announced the Ivan Pulinkala Dance Scholarship, established by Arts Ambassador LaSona Turk and her husband, former Chairman of the KSU Foundation Board Trent Turk, in partnership with Don Vellek, Robin and Doug Shore, and Maureen and John Patton. Together, these philanthropic commitments demonstrate strong community support for Georgia’s largest collegiate dance program built by Pulinkala. Through these two endowed scholarships, generations of future dance students will receive financial support to pursue their collegiate education in KSU’s nationally acclaimed Department of Dance.  

The Morgan-Pulinkala Dance Scholarship will help attract and support talented dance majors, providing them with financial resources to grow as artists, educators and performers. The gift extends Morgan’s longstanding legacy of supporting KSU students through scholarships and philanthropy in athletics, nursing, engineering, computing and music. For Morgan, the scholarship is an opportunity to bring that commitment to a dance program she has followed closely over the years.  

These two scholarships will strengthen KSU’s ability to recruit and retain exceptionally talented students while helping recipients pursue the rigorous physical training and intellectual exploration that is foundational to successful careers in dance. These gifts reflect the Geer College of the Arts’ commitment to cultivating an environment where students can develop their artistic voices, expand their intellectual perspectives and prepare for leadership in creative careers.  

“Dr. Audrey Morgan’s remarkable generosity brings such transformative momentum to KSU Dance,” said Jawshing Arthur Liou, Dean of the Robert S. Geer Family College of the Arts. “Her $500,000 commitment, together with the recently established Ivan Pulinkala Dance Scholarship, represents an unprecedented level of investment in our dance students and the future of the program. They will open doors for talented students, strengthen our ability to attract exceptional dancers, and ensure that Ivan’s legacy continues through the lives and careers of the students.”  

The two dance scholarships join a growing portfolio of philanthropic investments supporting students, faculty, programs and creative experiences across the Geer College of the Arts. As Kennesaw State University continues to expand its impact as one of the Southeast’s largest comprehensive arts programs within a public research university, these investments play an essential role in positioning the college for its next chapter of growth, innovation and national distinction. 

^{Top Image: MOONDUST, Choreography by Ivan Pulinkala, KSU Dance Company, Photo by Matt Young}

^{Middle Image: Audrey Morgan with Ivan Pulinkala, Photo by Arthur Liou}

^{Bottom Image: CHAKRA, Choreography by Ivan Pulinkala, Scenery by Ming Chen, KSU Dance Company, Photo by Robert Pack}