KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 7, 2020

Kennesaw State unveils logo sculpture from donor

Standing more than 10 feet tall, a new addition to the Kennesaw Campus will serve as an iconic centerpiece.

A statue of the Kennesaw State logo, donated by KSU Foundation trustee Dave Walens, was unveiled today on the Campus Green near Kennesaw Hall. Walens’ company, Exploring, Inc., designed, built and installed a nearly 8-foot, three-dimensional sculpture of the University’s distinctive “KS” logo, hand-made of aluminum in black and gold atop a 33-inch concrete base.

“This landmark will be a focal point on campus that represents the pride and passion our community has for Kennesaw State,” said KSU President Pamela Whitten. “I expect this to be a popular spot for prospective and current students to take photos, especially during campus tours and graduation celebrations, and for alumni who come back home to campus. We thank Dave Walens for this donation as part of his ongoing support of Kennesaw State.”

Walens said that the University’s new brand launch was the inspiration for adding the iconic centerpiece to campus. A team from ID3 Group, a subsidiary of Exploring, Inc., developed a design that reflected the brand and hand-made the aluminum, three-dimensional intertwining “KS” logo and its accompanying components.

Walens, the CEO and president of Exploring, Inc., began his involvement with Kennesaw State by serving on, and eventually chairing, the advisory board for the Robin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship Center in the Michael J. Coles College of Business. That led to his nomination to the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees, he is in his second year in that role.

“The entire Exploring team is very proud to be able to do this for the University, especially for the students,” Walens said. “I have been impressed by KSU students – not only the ones in entrepreneurship, but across all academic disciplines – for being hard-working and having the mindset to succeed. That has inspired me to get involved and help where I could.”

The logo statue is Walens’ latest contribution to Kennesaw State. Along with his support of the Entrepreneurship Center, Walens was one of the first donors to the Legacy Locker initiative to support The Owls Fund, the fundraising arm of KSU Athletics.

About Exploring, Inc.

Exploring, Inc. is the parent company of several rapidly growing Atlanta-based companies, including ID3 Group, Brumark, Shelmarc Carpets, Chisel 3D, Atlantis WaterJet and GCI Graphics. These companies offer services for amazing exhibits, events and environments — including tradeshow flooring and full-service custom fabrication — as well as commercial and hospitality flooring. Exploring’s operations include facilities in Atlanta and Dalton, Georgia and a distribution facility in Las Vegas. Founded in 1999, Exploring has been named to the Inc. 5000 in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2018. More information is available at www.exploring.com.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.