Last week this newspaper carried a feature on the new building to house the Kansas University School of Business. The building itself will be named Capitol Federal Hall, recognizing the $20 million leadership gift from the Capitol Federal Foundation headed by the Dicus family of Topeka.

The building is expected to cost approximately $60.5 million with the price tag for the overall project approximately $70.5 million.

As the story noted, this will be the university’s most expensive privately funded building (to date) and is located directly east of Allen Fieldhouse.

There is one glaring omission in the story.

Granted, many individuals have played a significant role in raising the money to pay for the building. The need for a new business school building has been recognized for years. There has been a lot of talk about this need, but little action. Former deans were unable to launch the necessary drive for private monies to pay for a new building.

The Journal-World story tells about the role of the KU Endowment Association, its president, Dale Seuferling, and efforts of many within the association’s capital campaign effort such as Kurt and Sue Watson, who chaired the campaign and many others within the KUEA staff, all of whom played a significant role. Likewise, the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of others who made private gifts.

KU chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little played a role, and it’s likely big names on the campus, such as KU basketball coach Bill Self, perhaps the KU athletics director, and other deans all played a role by supporting and encouraging individuals and KU fans to participate in the funding drive.

All these individuals were involved, but this new building would not be under construction were it not for Neeli Bendapudi, dean of the KU School of Business. She has been a positive, enthusiastic and highly effective leader for the university from the day she stepped on campus to assume the deanship in 2011. Even before she arrived on campus she carried a bright torch for KU, as her father was a KU graduate and she and her husband, Venkat Bendapudi, are both graduates of KU.

She realized there was no way for the KU School of Business to achieve her expectations without a new building. She wants the School of Business to be one of the nation’s best, not merely a run-of-the-mill state-aided operation.

She has crisscrossed the country, tirelessly calling on major business leaders and KU alumni, telling her story and the KU story and receiving generous pledges. It’s her enthusiasm, vision and commitment that make the sale, along with the strong KU ties of many who have committed their dollars for the new facility. It has been a physically exhausting effort, and her successful involvement has boosted the morale of many others in leadership positions of other schools and departments at KU. They see what leadership and vision can accomplish and what is necessary, actually critical, if KU is to grow in excellence and not just tread water and talk about excellence.

All of the above — Seuferling, Capitol Federal and the Dicus family, the Watsons, staffers at KUEA, Kevin Corbett of the KU Alumni Association, the chancellor, coaches, athletic director, other deans and generous alumni and friends have played an important and necessary role in building a new KU School of Business building — but it would not have become a reality without Neeli Bendapudi.

She is special in so many ways, a tremendous asset for the university and the state.

As long as she is dean of the school, it will grow in excellence and national recognition, drawing outstanding faculty and students and elevating the overall excellence of the university.