KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- The Kutztown University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced Dr. Robert "Bob" C. Ziegenfus '65 as the recipient of the 2022 Kutztown Athletics Legacy Award.
 
The Kutztown Athletics Legacy Award was created in 2019 as a way to honor individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Kutztown University athletic department and the university through their time, dedication, commitment, philanthropy, and/or general support. Honorees may be nominated by the public, the Golden Bear community, and the selection committee. The selection committee consists of KU's vice president for Athletics, executive director of the Kutztown University Foundation, Hall of Fame committee chair, athletic director, director of Athletic Advancement and a representative of the Alumni Relations staff.
 
John "Jack" Wabby '68 won the inaugural award in 2019, followed by the duo of Dr. Carol Teske and Margaret Francis Rothermel-Kantner in 2021. The award was not presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Ziegenfus will be presented the Legacy Award at the 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Friday, Nov. 4, in the Nancy Jean Stump Seiger '54 Multipurpose Room of the McFarland Student Union with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by a buffet dinner at 6 and the induction ceremony at 7.
 
The cost is $35 for adults, ages 12-3 are $15, and kids under two are free. Registration is required.
 
Ziegenfus graduated from Kutztown University in 1965 and returned to his alma mater in 1982 as a professor of geography, a position he held for 34 years. After his undergraduate experience at KU, Ziegenfus went on to earn his master's degree in geography from the Pennsylvania State University before receiving his Ph.D. from Rutgers University with a specialization in environmental and medical geography.
 
During his time at KU, Ziegenfus went above and beyond with his time and support for Kutztown athletics. He served as the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) for 14 years, bringing stability to a position which had seen notable turnover previously. The overall GPA of student-athletes increased significantly with Ziegenfus serving as FAR.
 
Ziegenfus had a passion to help student-athletes gain perspective on where their athletic and academic priorities met. His goal was to help student-athletes address any issues that held them back from success on the field and in the classroom. When an informal evaluation was done via a survey completed by Kutztown coaches and athletes about Ziegenfus' work with them, he received one of the highest ratings of any FAR in NCAA Division II.
 
Ziegenfus also served as the Chair of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Committee for FARs for several years. He was a member of the DII Executive Board for the Faculty Athletic Representative Association (FARA) in 2004 and 2005 before being named vice president of FARA from 2006-08. In this role, he was the lead planner for the DII portion of the meeting for FARs at the NCAA national convention. He also chaired legislative review committees for DII and presented at the NCAA national convention.
 
In the classroom, Ziegenfus received the 2005 Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberger Award for Excellence in Teaching, which is given annually to a faculty member who has demonstrated superlative teaching skills and service to the university. He was the 12th recipient in KU history at the time. The immense pride Ziegenfus feels from that achievement is still something that resonates with him to this day. His nomination was submitted by his students and he still cherishes reading through their remarks about how he helped them personally and professionally.
 
Ziegenfus and his wife Susan '64 remain connected to the Golden Bears. They continue to support and give back to the institution that gave them their start and allowed them to go on and become successful professionals. Ziegenfus' work as FAR and continued support for KU comes from his belief in the potential of KU athletics and the desire to "keep advancing the goalposts" for the athletic department.
 
In 2016, Ziegenfus became a founding member of the KU Football Legacy Club. The mission of the club is to engage KU football alumni, parents, faculty/staff, businesses and loyal fans to make a difference in the success of KU football moving forward. Along with the help of his wife, they established the Dr. Robert C. '65 and Susan B. '64 Ziegenfus Athletic Scholarship in 2019.
 
Robert and Susan still live in Kutztown and have two adult children, James C. Ziegenfus and Dr. Jennifer M. Ziegenfus.