New SEMO observatory named after benefactors Dennis and Kathy Vollink

Southeast Missouri State University’s Board of Governors voted to approve naming its new observatory in recognition of a “generous gift and longstanding support” from Dennis and Kathy Vollink.

The new Vollink Family Observatory will be located near the Show Me Center on SEMO’s Cape Girardeau campus. It will support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs and provide additional educational opportunities for students, faculty and the local community.

“We are truly grateful for the generosity of Dennis and Kathy Vollink,” SEMO president Carlos Vargas said in a news release. “Their commitment to education, science, SEMO and our students has made a lasting impact, and it is fitting that this observatory will bear their name as a testament to their legacy.”

Dennis Vollink is a former pilot and engineer for Drury Southwest, spending more than 40 years with the company before his retirement in 2022. According to the release, Vollink has played a “key role” in many Cape Girardeau construction projects, including the St. John Henry Newman Center, various school expansions and “other local developments”. He has previously partnered with local schools and organizations to promote science and exploration through astronomy research.

The university said the Vollink family has been “generous supporters” of SEMO and the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, contributing to programs that benefit international graduate students, River Campus performances, KRCU public radio and the University Fund. Dennis Vollink played a vital role in the development of SEMO’s pilot program and in the success of its recent eclipse events. Both Vollinks are members of the foundation’s President’s Council.