Alumnus and former faculty member makes gift to support WKU ROTC

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Western Kentucky University alumnus and former faculty member has made a gift to support WKU students, along with the Department of Military Leadership and Science in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.

According to a release, Lt. Col. Michael Boos served as an assistant professor of military science in the WKU College of Education and Behavioral Sciences from 2020 to 2023.

During his time on the Hill, Boos, a major at the time, earned a master of arts in organizational leadership while teaching, mentoring and coaching WKU ROTC cadets and future leaders of the U.S. Army.

The release says Boos made a gift to support the Bud Sydnor Fund for Excellence, which provides unrestricted support for the Department of Military Leadership and Science.

In recognition of the gift, the release says the Lieutenant Colonel Michael R. Boos Room of Requirement in E.A. Diddle Arena will be named in his honor.

“I really enjoyed my time at WKU, both as an instructor for the ROTC department and as a student,” Boos said. “Luckily, I was in a place where I was able to give a donation to enable the program to provide the best environment possible for future Cadets.”

In addition to his monetary gift, Boos also established the LTC Michael R. Boos Aviation Excellence Award Fund through an additional gift to provide scholarships for WKU ROTC cadets who plan to pursue aviation in the U.S. Army.

“My hope for the scholarship is to allow the recipient to have a little less to worry about as they are starting their aviation career and be able to focus on learning how to be an Army Aviator,” Boos said.

More About Lt. Col. Michael Boos

According to WKU, Boos enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2003 as a helicopter mechanic. While serving, he earned a bachelor of arts in law and justice from Central Washington University in Washington State. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2008, and he graduated as a Chinook helicopter pilot in 2010.

Following positions of increasing responsibility including serving as a Platoon Leader, he was deployed to Afghanistan from 2016 to 2017 as a Company Commander of a Chinook company with responsibility for the lives of more 32 soldiers and their flight systems. He returned from deployment to serve as a Battalion Operations Officer and was soon assigned to WKU. He currently serves as the Deputy Operations Officer at the Army Reserve Aviation Command in Fort Knox, Ky., where he is responsible for planning, coordinating and resourcing all operational, training and resourcing requirements to ensure the Command remains ready and effective. In addition to these duties, he flies military King Air fixed-wing aircraft providing VIP transportation for the U.S. Army.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Lt. Col. Boos and he is a dedicated and compassionate leader that truly cares about the Cadets and their education,” said Lt. Col. Tony Struzik, department chair and professor of military science. “His generosity enables the program to continue to provide unique and rewarding leadership experiences for our cadets. Experiences like staff rides to historic battlefields and off-site leadership retreats that greatly add to Cadet training.”

“Our Western Kentucky University students spend the majority of their lives as alumni,” said Dr. Corinne Murphy, dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. “From the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, our alumni are our forever force for good. Lt. Col. Boos exemplifies this force for good both in his service to our country and to our current university students. Aptly named, the Boos Room of Requirement will serve our current students in their changing needs as they pursue their academic and leadership goals while on the Hill.”