At K-State

December 2016

Richard B. Myers to serve as 14th president of Kansas State University

The Kansas Board of Regents has announced the appointment of Richard B. Myers ’65 as the 14th president of Kansas State University. Myers has served as the interim president of K-State since April 2016.

“It is with great pleasure that we…make this announcement,” said Zoe Newton, chair of the Kansas Board of Regents. “General Myers is perfectly positioned to bring K-State into the future, but understands as an alumnus the importance of honoring the traditions and history of this great university.”

Myers said he and his wife, Mary Jo Rupp Myers ’64, are excited for this opportunity to serve K-State and support education and research, honoring K-State’s land-grant heritage.

“The kindness that’s been extended to Mary Jo and me has been just actually overwhelming from the time we’ve been here as the interim,” Myers said during his appointment Nov. 15. “The opportunity to come back to a state I love and has helped shape me was important, and the same goes for the university. I’m passionate about our mission here at Kansas State University.”

Born and raised in Merriam, Kansas, Myers joined the Air Force in 1965 through the ROTC program at K-State and became a four star general. His distinguished military career includes serving as the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2001 to 2005. As the nation’s highest ranking military officer, Myers served as the principal military adviser to the president, the secretary of defense and the National Security Council.

Regent Dennis Mullin, chair of the K-State Presidential Search Committee, said Myers’ leadership experience and love for K-State will serve the university well.

“The decision was a hard choice because of the quality of candidates that applied,” Mullin said. “General Myers surfaced to the top because of his strong leadership and vision. When the board looked at the needs of K-State today, they believed that his skill set was aligned closely to those goals. His effectiveness as interim president and his love for K-State were also great attributes.”

Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association, is excited to work with President Myers going forward.

“We are very proud to have such a distinguished graduate of Kansas State University selected to serve as our 14th president,” she said. “President Myers is an incredible individual who readily shares how his education at K-State helped shape who he is today. His warm, sincere personality resonates with members of our Wildcat community, and people really appreciate how he willingly embraces our Midwest values. We are also fortunate to have his wonderful partner, Mary Jo, a past member of the alumni board, serving as first lady of our university.”

K-State Alumni Association board members Sylvia White Robinson ’71 and Travis Lenkner ’01 also expressed their excitement about President Myers’ appointment.

“His commitment to the students, employees, faculty, administration and alumni is beyond reproach,” Robinson said. “I am confident that his leadership, as president of K-State, will continue to advance the university toward academic excellence and being the No. 1 choice of students and families in the state of Kansas.”

“A proven leader and passionate K-Stater, General Myers is uniquely positioned to help the university meet its strategic goals while addressing significant challenges,” Lenkner said. “The General and Mary Jo will help take Kansas State to new heights. Our alma mater is in great hands!”

Watch President Myers’ full comments on his appointment as the next president of Kansas State University.

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K-State to play in Texas Bowl

Riding a 5-1 record over the final half of the 2016 season, including three straight wins to secure its fifth eight-win season since 2010, Kansas State University is heading to Houston for the first time since 2006 to play in the 2016 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

The game, which dates back to 2006 when K-State played in the inaugural bowl matchup, pits the Big 12 against the SEC and will be played at NRG Stadium at 8 p.m. CST, with a nationwide television audience watching on ESPN. The Wildcats will be facing Texas A&M.

“We are proud of the young men in our program for the way they improved throughout the season and very pleased to represent Kansas State University and the Big 12 Conference in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl,” said head coach Bill Snyder. “The Texas Bowl is a first-class bowl organization with a rich history, and we appreciate the entire bowl staff for their efforts and support of our program. We have a wonderful fan base, and so many people that save up their nickels and dimes throughout the course of the year, and the only vacation they take is the one after our (regular) season is over. They love to attend bowls and it’s why we have such great attendance year in and year out at bowl games. They are fully invested in our program, and this means a great deal to them.”

Bowl game tickets are available through the K-State online ticket office, the K-State Athletics ticket office in Bramlage Coliseum, or via phone at (800) 221-CATS. Watch the K-State Alumni Association’s official bowl page for information on travel, a pep rally, watch parties and more. The Alumni Association pregame will start at 5 p.m. Dec. 28 at the NRG Center, located next door to NRG Stadium. Enjoy a fun and relaxing meal while socializing with fellow Wildcats and gearing up for the game. The pregame party is included in the Alumni Association official travel package. Other Wildcat fans traveling on their own may also purchase tickets for this event.

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Photo gallery: New Berney Family Welcome Center serves as ‘front door’ to K-State

The K-State Alumni Center’s new neighbor — the Berney Family Welcome Center — was formally dedicated Nov. 4, and Kansas State University alumni and supporters gathered to celebrate the latest addition to campus.

The Welcome Center transforms East Memorial Stadium, blending tradition and innovation to create a place for welcoming prospective students, industry partners and other visitors to campus. The center also is a resource for current students and houses the Career Center, which offers job search training, career advising and more.

Construction on the Berney Family Welcome Center began in January 2015. It has 25 interview rooms that allow prospective students to meet with admissions representatives during their personalized university visit, as well as a professional environment to host employers who are interviewing students for internships and full-time employment. Interactive technology offers customized information on campus wayfinding, academics, student life and support services.

The Berney Family Welcome Center, an Innovation and Inspiration Campaign project, was entirely funded through philanthropic gifts from generous individuals and corporations. It is named in recognition of a lead gift from Rand ’77 and Patti Berney.

“We are so grateful to the alumni and friends who made this possible, and for the inspirational vision of Rand and Patti Berney,” said Pat Bosco ’71, ’73, vice president for student life and dean of students. “This facility, in the fully transformed east side of the historic Memorial Stadium, will serve our current and future students, their families and staff for many generations to come.”

If you are unable to travel back to campus, you can still take a virtual tour of the Berney Family Welcome Center through the photo gallery below.

Pat Bosco ’71, ’73, vice president for student life and dean of students, chats with Rand ’77 and Patti Berney during the dedication event for the Berney Family Welcome Center on Nov. 4. (Credit: David Mayes ’96)

Donors and student hosts explore the interactive video wall in the Berney Family Welcome Center during the dedication Nov. 4. (Credit: David Mayes ’96)

The lobby of the new Berney Family Welcome Center is a place for visitors to relax while on campus. (Credit: Ashley Pauls)

Staff greet K-State visitors at the front desk of the Berney Family Welcome Center. (Credit: Ashley Pauls)

Large video screens in the Berney Family Welcome Center lobby display images projecting purple pride. (Credit: Ashley Pauls)

The Berney Family Welcome Center transforms East Memorial Stadium, blending tradition and innovation to create a place for students, parents and visitors to start their campus experience. (Credit: Ashley Pauls)

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Shop purple this season: Holiday gifts for K-Staters

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for your favorite Wildcat? The K-State Alumni Association offers a variety of items that can help your friends or family members show off their purple pride throughout the year.

K-State Stones: K-State Stones are made in Manhattan, Kansas, using top-quality, real limestone engraved with fade-resistant, long-lasting, monument-grade lithichrome paint. Choose from a variety of designs; personalization is available.

Membership: Give the gift of membership this holiday season. Membership in the K-State Alumni Association supports student recruitment, scholarships and alumni events, and also includes benefits such as the K-Stater magazine, annual wall calendar, discounts and more. You can also purchase a Wildcats Forever membership for students currently enrolled at K-State; the program offers events, contests, discounts and giveaways throughout the year.

License Plate: Drive with pride with the official K-State License Plate. Plates are available in Kansas, Texas and Maryland and help fund student scholarships and recognition of achievements.

Ornament: This year, the annual K-State Alumni Association holiday ornament honors the famous K-State Marching Band, The Pride of Wildcat Land. Ornaments from previous years also are available.

K-State Ring: The official K-State Ring showcases the university’s history and tradition. Various styles are available.

K-State Wine: Serve wine from an elegant K-State bottle at your holiday gathering. Various designs are available, including the Powercat, the university seal and more.

Alumni Center Pavers: Leave a lasting mark on campus with a personalized stone paver at the K-State Alumni Center. The purchase of pavers also benefits the Alumni Center building campaign, which ensures the quality and beauty of the Alumni Center for generations of Wildcats to come.

Cat Tales: This book by K-State alumnus Mark Janssen ’72 takes a behind-the-scenes look at K-State athletics, coaches and teams, covering more than four decades.

To find more items, visit our Shop Purple page.

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Conferences and noncredit programs expand Global Campus’ reach

For the last 50 years, Kansas State University Global Campus has rapidly evolved to meet the educational needs of place-bound and nontraditional students in Kansas and across the world.

While K-State Global Campus is most known for its large number of online degree offerings, the conferences and noncredit programs (CNCP) unit has also spent the last 50 years innovating.

Conferences and noncredit programs is charged with a variety of tasks in support of the overall goals of K-State Global Campus, including handling the logistics for 120 conferences and professional development sessions and more than 20,000 annual participants. In many cases, faculty and professionals from across the country attend these gatherings of industry leaders that span a variety of topics, from the more than 450 attendees at the Academic Chairpersons Conference to the 1,000-plus attendees at the annual Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Some of these conferences are held at K-State, while others meet across the nation.

Some conferences offer professional development while others act as a vehicle for best practices, networking and re-certification. Some of the group’s longer-running conferences have been meeting annually for decades, with the Kansas Transportation Engineering conference nearing its 100th birthday.

But the conferences and noncredit programs unit does more than just help plan events. They are also looking to innovate and create new programs in high demand.

In addition to partnering with each of the colleges at K-State, the CNCP unit at K-State Global Campus also partners with outside agencies and entities. The Kansas Register of Deeds Association hosts its training seminars through K-State Global Campus. Other noncredit training opportunities span a wide variety of topics, including radon measurement and mitigation, an engineering professional development series and 12 courses in legal studies.

While going back to school and getting additional degrees or certificates can enhance careers, CNCP director Jeff Wolfe said corporate America is increasingly looking for more specialized training that doesn’t necessarily correspond with an academic degree.

“Part of it is time, part of it is cost,” Wolfe said. “And for those that are already in the job, now they expect lifelong learning opportunities that will provide them with the necessary skills. They need the ability to take what they’ve learned and immediately apply it. It allows you to learn more specifically and apply what you’re learning.”

Looking forward, Wolfe sees online noncredit programs as the next big growth area for K-State Global Campus and his unit.

“It’s a way to reach out to people who are wanting to take a few additional courses, but need the flexibility to do so on their schedule,” Wolfe said. “The online noncredit courses could be a recertification process, additional training or a follow-up to face-to-face learning that requires putting into action what was learned at their previous session.

“We are always looking to develop new ideas that generate interest with our partners on campus. We want to support the ideas they’ve always wanted to implement, but maybe they don’t have the resources or the staffing to make it happen.”

Story by Grant Guggisberg ’10, K-State Global Campus

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Wabash CannonBalls help future K-Staters’ dreams come true

Kaitlin Foley ’15 wanted to be a veterinarian. Zach Boal ’14 wanted to connect with the K-State Family. Karmen Harris ’12 wanted to become the first student in her family to go to college.

The K-State Alumni Association helped make the dreams of these students — and many other students — possible thanks to scholarships funded by the Wabash CannonBall events. With Kansas City, Colorado, Houston and now North Texas galas, the Wabash CannonBalls are black-tie events that provide an opportunity for K-State alumni and friends to dine, dance and raise scholarship funds for students from their area.

“I would encourage alumni to continue to give to the Wabash scholarship because it really does give students a foundation to come to college, to continue on and strive to be the best,” Harris said in a past video for the Wabash Kansas City event.

The first Wabash CannonBall took place in Kansas City in 2007, drawing its name from the song Wabash Cannonball, which has played a vital role in the traditions and spirit of K-State since 1968. Through the years, the galas have raised more than $2.7 million for scholarships for students.

Be sure to mark your calendar for these upcoming Wabash CannonBall events:

Houston: Jan. 20, 2017
Kansas City: Feb. 24, 2017
North Texas: May 19, 2017
Colorado: Aug. 11, 2017

To learn more about how you can attend a Wabash CannonBall or become a sponsor, email Andrea Bryant Gladin ’02 for Kansas City, or Michelle Elkins ’87 for Houston, North Texas or Colorado.

(Photo credit: Alexander's Fine Portrait Design)

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Cheer on K-State basketball at the Wildcat Classic this weekend

Help pack the Sprint Center in Kansas City with purple as the Kansas State University men’s basketball team takes on Washington State in the Wildcat Classic on Dec. 10.

The eighth edition of the Classic between K-State and Washington State will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on FOX Sports Kansas City. Tickets are available through the K-State Athletics ticket office at (800) 221-CATS or online at www.kstatesports.com. Fans can also order through the Sprint Center by calling (888) 929-7849 or online at www.sprintcenter.com.

Fans have packed the Sprint Center for its seven previous Wildcat Classic games, including an average of more than 16,000 for K-State’s last four contests against UNLV, Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M. K-State is 6-1 all-time in Wildcat Classic games at the Sprint Center.

For the 2016-17 season, K-State returns six players with starting experience and nine total lettermen, including All-Big 12 Third Team selection Wesley Iwundu and All-Newcomer honorees Barry Brown and Dean Wade. Overall, the squad returns five of their top six scorers from last season, along with nearly 70 percent of their rebounding, assist, steal and minute totals.

If you’re traveling to Kansas City for the Wildcat Classic, be sure to stop by the K-State Alumni Association’s pregame party at 4 p.m. at McFadden’s – Kansas City Power and Light District, 1330 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri. Reservations are not required, and guests can order food and beverages off the menu.

Find other K-State Alumni Association basketball pregames this season — including an event before the Dec. 17 game vs. Colorado State — and view the complete 2016-17 schedule for men’s and women’s basketball in our Ultimate Basketball Guide.

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K-State recognized for diversity, excellence in outreach and communications

This fall, Kansas State University has been recognized for its diversity and inclusion initiatives, as well as for its excellence in outreach and communications.

For the third consecutive year, K-State has received a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity, or HEED, award from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine. HEED award institutions are selected based on their exemplary diversity initiatives and inclusion of all aspects of diversity, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.

“This recognition is another motivator for the Office of Diversity to continue its efforts toward diversity and inclusion at K-State and to soar to even greater heights,” said Zelia Wiley, interim associate provost for diversity. “It is the combined effort and collaboration of all who help make our university one of the best for multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion across the country.”

K-State creative teams receive CASE awards

K-State’s Division of Communications and Marketing, the KSU Foundation and the K-State Alumni Association have received 35 awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE. K-State is a part of CASE District VI, and every year the district presents awards highlighting the best practices in alumni relations, fundraising, public and governmental relations, advancement services, special events and communications.

The K-State Alumni Association will receive 12 CASE awards for creative works and programs from 2015-16.

“We are honored to be recognized by CASE for the programming, communications and other services the Alumni Association provides to the greater Wildcat Community,” said Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association. “These awards showcase the dedication, creativity and passion to K-State that our staff possesses.”

The association’s awards:

Gold awards for excellence in research, medicine and science news writing for K-Stater magazine; innovative uses of technology for the exclusive holiday gifts email; Alumni Fellows special event; marketing and branding of the 100th Homecoming celebration; design of the Wildcats Forever poster; and the May 2016 @K-State alumni e-newsletter.

Silver awards for the K-State License Plate Program in the best practices in alumni relations platinum category; the August 2015 @K-State alumni e-newsletter; the design of the K-State Alumni Association 2016 member calendar; Kansas State University’s 100th Homecoming celebration special event; and best uses of social media for #DormWars social media campaign.

A bronze award for the Kansas City Wabash CannonBall 10th Anniversary Fund-A-Wildcat fundraising video.

The KSU Foundation will receive eight CASE awards for creative works and programs from 2015-16.

“The public launch of the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign was a central tenet of the foundation’s work this year, so it is rewarding to receive so many awards recognizing those efforts,” said Greg Willems, KSU Foundation president and CEO. “Moreover, it was an honor to collaborate so closely with our campus partners and many volunteers to advance this transformational campaign."

The foundation’s awards:

Grand gold awards for Innovation and Inspiration Campaign Launch event and the spring 2016 Good for K-State magazine.

Gold awards for the foundation’s gift planning package; the Innovation and Inspiration case statement; and the winter 2015 Good for K-State Innovation and Inspiration commemorative campaign edition.

A silver award for the winter 2015 Good for K-State magazine design.

Bronze awards for personalized trustee engagement Pinchbook, and the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign #KStateInspires social media initiative.

K-State’s Division of Communications and Marketing will receive 15 CASE awards for creative works from 2015-16.

“Kansas State University’s unified voice is successful at inspiring teamwork and creativity among many talented individuals,” said Jeff Morris ’80, university vice president for communications and marketing. “We are honored to receive 35 of these prestigious awards across the university’s teams, and proud to continue advancing and supporting higher education in the state of Kansas.”

The division’s awards:

A grand gold award for the statewide Extension website branding and integrated marketing in the best practices in communications and marketing platinum category.

Gold awards for the K-State Admissions Holiday Greetings Video; spring 2016 Seek research magazine in the special constituency magazine category; and design of the spring 2016 Seek research magazine.

Silver awards for the #WildcatWay Brand Experience Campaign; university website news distribution RSS technique; The Wildcat Way “What makes traditions unforgettable?” institutional spot; and excellence in research, medicine and science news writing.

Bronze awards for the K-State economic impact website; The Experience Matters annual magazine; 2016 K-State Open House postcard; K-State Research Showcase information video; spring 2016 Seek research magazine in the institutional relations research publication category; the Johnson Cancer Research Center “The fight starts here” commercial; and Archeological Field School photograph.

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Thank you for your pledges in the ‘Don’t Text Just Drive’ campaign

Thank you to all of our Kansas State University alumni and friends who made pledges not to text while driving in the Kansas Insurance Department’s “Don’t Text #JustDrive” campaign.

Seven Kansas universities competed to see which could generate the highest percentage of pledges, based on the number of enrolled students. While Emporia State University won the contest, K-State had the highest number of pledges, with 6,272. In all, nearly 35,000 pledge votes were cast by students, alumni and supporters of each university, all committing not to text while driving.

“We are gratified by the number of students, alumni and school supporters who pledged their vote and their willingness to stop needless traffic accidents because of distracted driving,” said Ken Selzer ’75, CPA, Kansas Commissioner of Insurance.

A national study found that three out of four people surveyed admitted to texting while driving, even though they agreed the activity is dangerous to themselves and others.

“All Kansans are winners through this campaign,” Selzer said. “We’ve shown pride in our universities and made a safety statement at the same time. Now it’s up to those who pledged to follow through on their commitments.”

As you travel during the holiday season, remember to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road — don’t drive distracted!

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Foundation news: New Good for K-State issue, investing in Purple Masque Theatre

Read the latest issue of Good for K-State

Philanthropic gifts to K-State make a difference every day in the lives of faculty and students. The fall issue of Good for K-State magazine shares stories of K-State heroes — ordinary people doing extraordinary things. You’ll also learn about the work done by the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees, the importance of excellence funds to academic leaders and how you can help make a difference at K-State today.

Alumna invests in Purple Masque Theatre after pursuing her lifelong dream of acting

When Sandy Kirmser Chastan ’92, ’16 went through a difficult time — her husband passed away in April 2013 — she found she had more free time on her hands that she could direct toward something she had always wanted to do: acting.

“Suddenly I was left with nothing much to do, having retired in 2011 to care for my family,” Chastan said. “I thought about it and decided why not do what I had always wanted to do and take some courses in acting?”

The Sandy Chastan Purple Masque Enhancement Fund gave a gift of $100,000 this semester to help with the renovation of the Purple Masque Theatre.

“It dawned on me that this gift would be a way I could give back to all the people who had taken me in and helped me through a very difficult time in my life,” Chastan said.

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College News

Agriculture

From left, Martin Draper, plant pathology department head; Richard B. Myers ’65, then interim president; Barbara Valent, university distinguished professor; Sen. Jerry Moran; Christian Cruz ’13, research assistant professor; and Giovana Cruppe, doctorate student from Brazil.

Agricultural research vital to Kansas economy

A recent outbreak of wheat blast brought Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) to the Kansas State University campus where he met with then Interim President Richard B. Myers and a team of plant pathologists studying how to combat the wheat disease. First reported in 1985, wheat blast has caused severe damage to wheat crops in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay and has now spread to Bangladesh.

As the group gathered in a Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center laboratory, Myers stressed the need to fund new agricultural research facilities at K-State to conduct vital research. The College of Agriculture recently asked architects to assess the condition of its current mid-campus space. They evaluated the facilities as 21 percent acceptable; 68 percent needs renovation; and 11 percent does not support renovation.

Barbara Valent, university distinguished professor; Martin Draper, department head; and Christian Cruz ’13, research assistant professor, explained the dangers of wheat blast and the importance of research facilities such as K-State’s Biosecurity Research Institute, or BRI.

Valent joined the K-State faculty in 2001 with expertise in rice blast. She now leads an international research project on wheat blast funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Her wheat blast research is the longest running project in the BRI, a unique biocontainment research, training and education facility in Pat Roberts Hall.

Cruz, a native of Ecuador, came to K-State in 2009 specifically to study wheat blast. In 2013, he received a $30,000 Rotary International Ambassadorial Grant to spend several months in Brazil and Bolivia studying wheat blast. As a K-State faculty member, he now trains students interested in protecting Kansas crops from disease.

“I’m pleased to see the kind of research that’s being done here, to learn of its importance … to find young students and young Ph.D. scientists who have found K-State as the place to do that research,” Moran said.

Draper, who worked for USDA NIFA for 10 years before becoming department head of plant pathology, said because wheat blast disease has the potential to threaten food security, the research they are doing should remain a top priority with the USDA.

In addition to wheat blast research, other department faculty members have been lauded for recent research innovations:

K-State researchers recently announced a significant breakthrough in controlling the spread of the soybean cyst nematode, a parasitic roundworm that the USDA estimates has reduced yearly returns in soybeans by $500 million and yields by as much as 75 percent.

K-State scientists say they have isolated and cloned a gene that provides resistance to Fusarium head blight, or wheat scab, a crippling disease that caused $7.6 billion in losses in U.S. wheat fields between 1993 and 2001.

Photo: From left, Martin Draper, plant pathology department head; Richard B. Myers ’65, then K-State interim president; Barbara Valent, university distinguished professor; Sen. Jerry Moran; Christian Cruz ’13, research assistant professor; and Giovana Cruppe, doctorate student from Brazil. (Courtesy photo)

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Holiday greetings from the College of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension

Dear alumni, friends and colleagues,

As dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension, I wish you and your family a joyous holiday season.

You may be familiar with Kansas State University’s strategic plan to be recognized as one of the nation’s top 50 public research universities by 2025. With input from stakeholders across the state, each college and department also developed complementary plans and goals.

At this point, the College of Agriculture/K-State Research and Extension has met or exceeded its goals for the first five years of K-State 2025. Congratulations to our faculty and staff for their hard work toward our goal to be a top five College of Agriculture and a global destination for education, research and extension.

I am proud of our students and faculty and their many accomplishments, but we face challenges. Tuition dollars now contribute 28 percent to the university’s operating budget with only 18 percent coming from the state. The budget situation limits our ability to expand valuable research, teaching and extension programs.

The college’s enrollment is stable and job placement numbers are high. With 38 college organizations, 21 competition teams and many other hands-on activities, more than 500 students gain leadership experience each year. Our competition teams consistently win national and international competitions.

Faculty advisers work closely with students throughout their college careers, encouraging them to participate in experiences beyond the classroom — campus jobs, research projects, study-abroad opportunities and internships — that prepare them for life after college.

Our faculty members are nationally recognized for their expertise. Many have been recruited to lead prestigious campus, state and national committees and organizations. With a long history of serving producers well in Kansas, our experts are increasingly included among the brightest minds in the world working to solve global hunger, ag production and food-supply challenges.

Yes, we are working our way through substantial funding challenges and serving an industry that faces continual fluctuations and uncertainty. But we are comforted knowing that students and faculty are proud to call K-State their home; we are confident that we will accelerate our growth with increased support; and we are committed to education, research and extension that improves peoples’ lives in our state, nation and world. Why? Because we are part of the K-State family.

I am grateful that you are part of this extended family and wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for your continued support.

John D. Floros

Dean of the College of Agriculture

Director of K-State Research and Extension

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Architecture, Planning and Design

APDesign faculty and students receive awards for outstanding architecture

AIA Kansas Design Excellence Awards were given as part of the AIA Kansas-AIA Central States Region annual conference, “Infrastructure,” Oct. 19-21 in Manhattan, Kansas. The AIA Kansas Design Excellence Awards recognize outstanding architecture coming from the state of Kansas.

The AIA Design Excellence Awards were developed to encourage and recognize excellence in architecture, to elevate public awareness and to recognize the architects, consultants, contractors and owners whose efforts enhance the built environment. Recipients of the 2016 awards include members from the faculty and students of Kansas State University’s College of Architecture, Planning and Design (APDesign).

The 2016 Design Excellence Awards celebrate the work of central states architects who have enhanced the infrastructure regionally and nationally. The awards are divided into two groups, the AIA Central States Region and the AIA Kansas. Within the award categories, work was awarded Honor, Citation or Merit.

APDesign Studio consultant and principal architect for el dorado inc., David Dowell, AIA, received AIA Kansas honors for his work on the Illinois Creek Ranch. Located on a historic farmstead in Wabaunsee County, Alma, Kansas, Illinois Creek Ranch was designed for a family of five, their extended family, friends and guests. The goal of the project was to forge an emotional bond between people and unique landscape. Structures were purposefully straightforward in their vernacular appearance with a focus on innovative, nuanced detailing and contemporary material selection.

Dowell also was recognized with a Merit Award for Excellence in Preservation/Adaptive Reuse for work on the Volland Store. After sitting empty for 30 years, the century-old Kratzer Brothers Mercantile building in Volland, Kansas, was purchased and renovated into an art gallery and community event space with a small loft apartment on the second level serving as an artist’s retreat. The design solution was simple, relying on clean forms and honoring the integrity of original materials and context of the surrounding Tallgrass Prairie.

KSU’s Design+Make Studio was recognized with a Citation for Excellence in Student Architecture for their work on Preston Outdoor Education Station. The project consists of a sequence of experiential educational stations along a trail that begins with a 300 linear foot dry stacked limestone wall at YMCA’s Camp Wood located in the Flint Hills. Built from locally-sourced materials to focus on essential elements of the prairie — insects, wind, stone, grass and sky — the stations collectively begin to articulate the story of the Tallgrass Prairie for camp visitors. Students awarded include: Torrence Campbell, Tamra Collins, Luke Custer, A.J. Henry, Brent Higgins, Daniel Johnson, Phil Macaluso, Alias Martinez, Kelsey Middlekamp, Briana Reece, Jake Rose, Sevrin Scarcelli and Blake Toews. Consultants and mentors were David Dowell, el dorado Inc., and APDesign professor and department head Matthew Knox ’87.

APDesign architecture student Kelly Pyle, Overland Park, Kansas, received the AIA Kansas Citation for the project “A Pediatric Hospice House,” Oakland, California. The project is envisioned as a camp focusing on children’s experiences of rich and fulfilling lives until death. The building, appearing as a group of “cabins” in the forest, is intended to accentuate the sensory elements of nature. Materials, details, interior and exterior settings and the quality of daylight act to engage patients and visitors with the architecture, working together to create a rich, healing experience in support of this difficult time of life. Consultant/mentor was APDesign architecture professor Susanne Siepl-Coates.

Two distinguished groups juried the work submitted. The AIA Central States Region jury was chaired by Allison Williams, FAIA, that included Mark R. Cavagnero, FAIA, and Laura Hartman, AIA. The AIA Kansas jury was chaired by Steve Dumez, FAIA, and included Byron J. Mouton, AIA, and Judith A. Kinnard, FAIA.

The awards ceremony was sponsored by Action Pact Design and JE Dunn Construction.

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Arts and Sciences

Latest book by noted K-State historian earns top recognition

A Kansas State University history professor is a winner of the Midwestern History Association’s prestigious Hamlin Garland Prize, which is awarded to projects that represent the best in popular history writing about the American Midwest.

James Sherow, a professor of history who has taught and researched at K-State for more than 20 years, received the award with John Charlton for their book Railroad Empire Across the Heartland: Rephotographing Alexander Gardner’s Westward Journey. The award was presented Oct. 21 at the annual meeting of the Midwestern History Association in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Charlton is a retired photographer for the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas.

Railroad Empire Across the Heartland: Rephotographing Alexander Gardner’s Westward Journey, which was also named a 2015 Kansas Notable Book by the State Library of Kansas, was published by the University of New Mexico Press. Gardner was a noted Civil War photographer who also documented the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad across Kansas, which started in 1867. In their book, Sherow and Charlton look at how the landscape has changed in the nearly 150 years since the railroad’s construction.

“I’m truly excited to receive the Hamlin Garland Prize,” Sherow said. “As an academic historian, I’m delighted to see my work recognized for its appeal to a broad public audience.”

Sherow is the author of four other books: Manhattan, in 2013; The Grasslands of the United States: An Environmental History, in 2007; A Sense of the American West: An Anthology of Environmental History, in 1998; and Watering the Valley: Development along the High Plains Arkansas River 1870-1950, in 1990.

He also has published four book chapters and 17 refereed articles. His teaching and research interests are environmental history, Kansas history, North American Indian history and the history of the American West. He also is the managing editor of Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains. He is currently completing his next book, a history of the Texas cattle trade and the Chisholm Trail.

He is actively involved in public history and historic preservation and served for 10 years as the governor-appointed Kansas historian on the Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review. He also has served as mayor of the city of Manhattan.

The history department is in the College of Arts and Sciences.

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Aakeroy and Nel to receive research achievement awards

Four faculty members at two universities in Kansas have been named recipients of the state’s most prestigious recognition for scholarly excellence: the Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards. The four will be recognized Dec. 13 during a ceremony at the Kansas Memorial Union.

This year’s recipients from K-State are both faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences: Christer Aakeroy, university distinguished professor of chemistry, and Philip Nel, university distinguished professor of English. The awardees from KU are Judith Carta, professor of special education and senior scientist at the Schiefelbusch Institute for Lifespan Studies, and Randolph Nudo, Marion Merrell Dow Distinguished Professor in Aging and professor and vice chairman of Research in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center.

This is the 35th annual presentation of the awards, established in 1981 by Takeru Higuchi, a distinguished professor at the University of Kansas from 1967 to 1983, and his wife, Aya. The awards recognize the exceptional long-term research accomplishments of faculty at Kansas Board of Regents universities. Each award includes a citation and a $10,000 award for ongoing research efforts. The money can be used for research materials, summer salaries, fellowship matching funds, hiring research assistants or other support related to research.

Awards are given in four categories: humanities and social sciences, basic sciences, biomedical sciences and applied sciences. Each award is named for former leaders of KU Endowment who played key roles in recruiting Higuchi to KU. Their financial support of KU helped enhance university research throughout Kansas.

Nel is the recipient of the Balfour Jeffrey Award in Humanities and Social Sciences. He is an internationally renowned expert in literature, with a specific area of focus on the understanding of literature written for children. At K-State, he co-founded and serves as the director of the program in children’s literature. He has presented and published extensively, including 10 books and 24 refereed articles. His most recent book, The Complete Barnaby, Volume Three: 1946-1947, is the third of five co-edited volumes that will comprise the first complete collection of the Crockett Johnson comic strip. His 11th book, forthcoming from Oxford University Press in summer 2017, will be Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books. Nel came to K-State in 2000. His academic background includes a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester and a master’s degree and doctorate from Vanderbilt University.

Aakeroy is the recipient of the Olin Petefish Award in Basic Sciences. He an international leader in the emerging fields of crystal engineering and supramolecular chemistry, which involve exploration and application of chemistry “beyond the molecule.” His research program combines fundamental and applied aspects of intermolecular interactions and materials science. His research has garnered more than $9 million in external support since 2000, attracting major grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, NIH, the Petroleum Research Fund and industry. Aakeroy joined the faculty in the chemistry department at K-State in 1996. His academic background includes a master’s degree from Uppsala University, Sweden, and a doctorate from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little will speak at the presentation ceremony. She will be joined by Jim Tracy, vice chancellor for research. Past Higuchi Award recipients who attend also will be recognized.

Attendance at the Dec. 13 ceremony is by invitation. More information about the Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Awards is available online.

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Business Administration

Hormel Foods chairman presents College of Business’ fall Distinguished Lecture

Jeffrey Ettinger, current chairman of the board and recently retired CEO of Hormel Foods, presented the College of Business Administration’s fall Distinguished Lecture on Nov. 7.

Under Ettinger’s leadership, Hormel Foods has grown through strategic acquisitions and a continued focus on new product innovation. In 2016, Ettinger was named one of the World’s Best CEOs by Barron’s and in 2012 he was named Responsible CEO of the Year by Corporate Responsibility magazine. In addition, Ettinger is the founding chair of the company’s diversity and inclusion council, which aims to meet the growing needs of its diverse workforce and consumer base.

The College of Business Administration’s Distinguished Lecture Series brings successful business professionals to campus. Lectures are given every semester and are sponsored by Commerce Bank and the William T. Kemper Foundation.

You can watch Ettinger’s full lecture at cba.k-state.edu/about/distinguished-speakers/ettinger-lecture.html.

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Phillips 66 Business Ethics Case Competition awards $2,750 to K-State students

Five teams of Kansas State University students were awarded $2,750 in cash prizes as part of the recent Phillips 66 Business Ethics Case Competition, a collaboration between the university’s College of Business Administration and Phillips 66.

The competition saw 63 teams made up of three to four students putting their skills to the test by completing a written analysis of a complex business ethics case study. Their analysis and recommendations needed to incorporate important ethical principles while balancing with the bottom line of the business and its financial goals.

After submitting their written analysis, the teams’ responses were ranked, and the top five teams were selected as finalists to present their final report to a panel of judges.

“The case competition provides students with a good opportunity to examine a real-world issue while balancing both ethical and business/financial considerations,” said William Turnley, the Sam and Karen Forrer chair in business ethics and interim head of the department of management. “We are very grateful to those who so willingly gave their time and resources to allow us to provide students with this opportunity.”

Taking first place and a $1,000 prize was the team of Maxwell Bankowski, senior in civil engineering, Brisbane, Austrailia; Eric Braun, senior in marketing, Overland Park, Kansas; and Brian Click, senior in management information systems, Olathe, Kansas.

In second place, with a $750 prize was the team of Joseph Descartes, senior in accounting, Arkansas City, Kansas; Jumanna Khamis, senior in marketing, Manhattan, Kansas; Weston Prockish, senior in marketing, Manhattan, Kansas; and Samuel Wickersham, senior in management, Manhattan, Kansas.

Finishing in third place with $500 was the team of Taylor Wilson, senior in finance, Centennial, Colorado; Stephen Shelton, senior in marketing, Lenexa, Kansas; and Mason Schoen, senior in finance, Overland Park, Kansas.

Two teams also earned honorable mention honors, and a $250 prize. The first honorable mention team was made up of Connor Rockrohr, senior in management, Lenexa, Kansas; Bret Cook, senior in marketing, Overland Park, Kansas; and Cody Schlitzer, senior in marketing, Stilwell, Kansas. Rounding out the top five was the team of Shelby Heydon, senior in marketing, Manhattan, Kansas; Lukas Weber, senior in marketing, Wichita, Kansas; Brett Neely, senior in management, Lenexa, Kansas; and Madi Plankers, senior in business, Olathe, Kansas.

Photo: Rachel Locke, a representative of Phillips 66, presents the first place prize to the winning team, from left to right: Maxwell Bankowski, Eric Braun and Brian Click. (Courtesy photo)

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Education

Education professor receives international research award

A College of Education professor was recently invited to present at a conference in Cuba where she was unexpectedly presented with an international award for her research and textbook concerning the cultural dimension.

Socorro Herrera, professor and executive director of the Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy, or CIMA, received the World Science and Research Award from the World Council of Academics and University Researchers for her book entitled Biography-Driven Culturally Responsive Teaching. She was presented with the award last month at the organization’s conference in La Habana, Cuba. Twenty-three countries worldwide were represented.

“I was honored to receive this research award because it represents the work that I’ve done my entire professional life, which is grounded in understanding the learner,” Herrera said. “It was truly humbling because in Cuba, and many of these other countries, emphasis is on the learner and they open the door to the learner through caring about them, learning about their families, then they address the curriculum.”

At the conference, Herrera presented “Preparing Classroom Teachers for a Transnational, Transcultural World: New Realities in the Post-Millennial Era.”

Under Herrera’s leadership, CIMA has secured more than $38 million in external funding. She has authored/co-authored nine textbooks, 11 book chapters and 16 articles published in refereed publications.

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Registration open for 2017 iCamp

Registration is officially open for the College of Education’s 2017 iCamp, a daylong professional development workshop on Jan. 13 in Bluemont Hall for educators at all levels who embrace technology in the classroom.

This year’s theme is “Note to Self” and includes sessions on motivation, planning, teaching, learning and reflecting. The featured presenter is Mary Frazier, an adjunct professor at Sterling College who taught fifth and sixth grades in Goodland USD 352 and served as the technology specialist at Buhler USD 313. There, she assumed a leading role in the district’s Teaching and Learning Initiative with 1:1 devices in grades 5-12.

Cyndi Kuhn, event organizer and instructor of curriculum and instruction, said this year’s event promises to be packed with real-life applications.

“Mary has done it, she has lived it, and she has worked with teachers integrating technology on a daily basis,” Kuhn said. “She understands technology integration from the teacher perspective, and I have no doubt everyone will leave this iCamp excited and ready to implement new technology-based teaching strategies into their classrooms.”

The cost is $50 and includes lunch. To register, please visit https://coe.k-state.edu/events/ipad-camp.html.

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Carl R. Ice College of Engineering

A good night’s sleep: Engineers develop technology for special needs children

A Kansas State University engineering team is developing a technology collection that can make a big difference in the lives of children with developmental disabilities.

The team’s projects so far have addressed around-the-clock technology: bed-based sensors to track child breathing and heart rates; wearable sensors to track child behaviors; and designs that can improve the quality of life for paraeducators who work with these children.

Now the team has received a three-year $400,000 National Science Foundation grant to expand these ideas and better establish a link between nighttime wellness and daytime learning and behavior. The project, “UNS: GARDE: Research to quantify the health and development of children with disabilities around the clock,” involves several K-State engineering researchers who are combining their expertise.

“While relationships between sleep quality and daytime performance are well-characterized for neurotypical children, these relationships are not well known for severely disabled, autistic children, many of whom are nonverbal and have multiple co-existing disabilities,” said Steve Warren ’89, ’91, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and project leader. “Polysomnographs used for traditional sleep studies require electrodes, wires and equipment that are not suitable for these children. We seek alternative nighttime tools that, once hidden in a child’s bed and bedroom, can provide effective surrogate data when compared to traditional polysomnographs.”

Other K-State researchers involved include Punit Prakash, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; David Thompson ’06, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; Bala Natarajan, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Charles Carlson ’13, ’15, doctoral student in electrical engineering; Ahmad Suliman ’10, doctoral student in electrical engineering; Tianyu Lin ’14, master’s student in electrical engineering; and Alaleh Alivar, doctoral student in electrical engineering. (The project also has involved several undergraduate students in electrical engineering: Austin White ’16, Shangxian Wang and Taishan Li.)

The university research team is collaborating with Heartspring Inc., a Wichita-based nonprofit organization that is a therapeutic residential and day school program. Heartspring uses evidence-based and emerging best practices to serve students who often have multiple diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, speech and language impairments, and other developmental disabilities.

The NSF grant will help the university researchers develop more effective nighttime and daytime monitoring tools, acquire data from selected Heartspring children in their residential apartments, and use these data to establish linkages between nighttime well-being and daytime learning and behavior.

“In contrast to existing approaches, the goal of our effort is to measure sleep quality and daytime well-being by exploiting advanced signal processing algorithms and fusion of information from multiple low-cost noninvasive sensors,” Natarajan said. “The ease of deployment and portability of the sensor suite greatly increases the likelihood of this technology reaching the homes of children with special needs.”

Early elements of this project began in senior engineering design courses managed by Warren, Prakash and other university engineering faculty members. These efforts were supported by a previous NSF grant that provided material and equipment funds for senior design projects geared toward children with severe disabilities and their caregivers. K-State students designed customized devices informed by the needs of the Heartspring children.

Wayne Piersel, a child psychologist and the Heartspring clinical director, is leading the collaborating Heartspring team. Other Heartspring team members include Janine Kesterson, child psychologist; Steve Stoffregen, director of information technology; Dusty Buell, director of marketing; and David Stupay, president and CEO.

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Grant helps researcher improve manufacture of ultra-thin precision parts

A grant from the National Science Foundation will help a Kansas State University engineer develop better ways to machine ultra-thin precision parts, which are micro-sized components for high-performance products.

Shuting Lei, professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, has received a $300,000 NSF Manufacturing Machines and Equipment grant for his work with the manufacturing of ultra-thin precision parts.

These precision parts often must be measured in microns of width — the same way, for example, width of bacteria are measured.

“Precision parts made from brittle materials such as glass and ceramics have broad applications in the health care, biomedical, energy and photonics areas,” Lei said. “A major problem in machining these materials is random crack propagation into the work piece. This results in subsurface cracks and thus degrades the strength of the machined parts.”

Lei’s award, which is anticipated to involve two doctoral students and three or more undergraduates, will support his fundamental research for development of a novel machining process to overcome this main limitation with controlled crack propagation. The new process will enable high-efficiency machining of brittle materials without compromising part quality.

“This significant award recognizes Shuting’s leadership and expertise in this crucial area of advanced manufacturing,” said Bradley Kramer ’80, ’81, ’85, professor and department head of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering at K-State. “But this is the caliber of research and professors we must produce as the college moves toward the goal of being a top 50 public research university and a top 25 college of engineering by 2025.”

Lei’s other research interests include femto-second laser micro/nano machining and surface texturing of various materials for a variety of potential applications, including sensing, photonic and microfluidic devices, and nanotechnology. His work involves difficult-to-machine materials such as structural ceramics, titanium alloys, super alloys, rocks and composites; laser-assisted materials processing with an emphasis on laser-assisted machining of ceramics; and development of novel cutting tools.

Lei completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tsinghua University in China, as well as a doctorate from Purdue University, all in mechanical engineering.

He was the principal investigator on another NSF grant completed in 2015. Lei has been recognized by the NSF with its CAREER Award and a Kansas NSF Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research First Award. He also has received the K-State President’s Faculty Development Award, College of Engineering Dean’s Award of Excellence, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Research Initiation Award and a Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Award.

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Human Ecology

Dean John Buckwalter with staff visiting a university in Paraguay

College of Human Ecology recognized by the Office of International Programs

As part of International Education Week, the College of Human Ecology has been named the recipient of the 2016 Outstanding Support for International Initiatives Award from Kansas State University’s Office of International Programs. The college received the award at the International Education Awards ceremony Nov. 17.

The Outstanding Support for International Initiatives Award honors a department, unit or organization within the university that has gone above and beyond to support the Office of International Programs’ international initiatives or who serves our global student body in extraordinary ways.

The College of Human Ecology prioritizes international engagement as a tenant of experiential learning offered to students in the college. International experiences are part of the college’s 2025 strategic plan, and every department either has an international experience available to students or is in the midst of developing international travel opportunities.

“The college encourages these international trips because they are transformational educational experiences,” said John Buckwalter, dean of the College of Human Ecology. “Special thanks goes to Assistant Dean Shawna Jordan ’96 ,’06, who works with faculty on international collaboration and partnership opportunities, setting up faculty-led programs, as well as acts as liaison for students in the college looking for international learning experiences.”

In the last few years, conflict resolution students trekked Northern Ireland; apparel and textile students traveled to China and Guatemala; early childhood students explored Italy; hospitality students visited Costa Rica; interior design students built relationships with students at a university in South Korea and explored Italy and England; personal financial planning doctoral students visited Belgium, the Netherlands and South Korea; sensory students journeyed to India; and marriage and family therapy students studied in China and Malaysia, among others.

Human ecology’s administration sees inherent value in developing relationships with people in other countries. The dean was accompanied by staff members to Paraguay this year to reinvigorate reciprocal research and student exchange. In addition to encouraging international travel and relationships, the college partners with the Office of International Programs on seminars and the Vernon Larson Lecture Series, and hosts visiting dignitaries and presenters.

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College of Human Ecology celebrated eight alumni and friends with luncheon and awards

College of Human Ecology celebrates eight alumni and friends with luncheon and awards

A university president, a luxury wedding planner and a physician for Kansas State University Wildcat football were among those recognized at the College of Human Ecology’s annual Celebration of Excellence.

For 2016, eight honorees were selected across disciplines for their contribution to the college, devotion to their area of specialization and the difference they make for people. They all live out the college’s motto, “In a world that focuses on things, we focus first on people.”

John Buckwalter, dean, presented the awards at a luncheon at the Holiday Inn at the Campus in late October.

The eight awardees were Brett Horton ’91, David W. Andrews ’80, Haley Van Wagenen ’08, Heidi Jeanneret Pickerell ’96, Dr. Keith Wright ’76, Nelli Feehan Sparkman ’10, Tracy Gault-Shields, and Kristie Stirewalt Winter ’97 and Michelle Stirewalt Hutton ’97, sharing an entrepreneur award.

Brett Horton

Brett Horton is a 1991 graduate in restaurant, hotel and institution management and has been selected for the executive leadership award. Horton is the senior director of operations for the WinShape Foundation, recently promoted from director of WinShape Retreat, Mount Berry, Georgia.

On a daily basis, Horton manages the WinShape Retreat, formerly the Normandy-inspired educational dairy farm of Berry College. Today the buildings offer meeting space, activities, meals and overnight stays to those who are interested in a spiritual haven that is free from media and outside influence. Groups of all sizes utilize WinShape Retreat for marriage, leadership, ministry, corporate and relationship programming. Horton oversees the Cathy Family operation, which consists of an 80-room facility, 100-acre campus, and all sales, events and food service that result in grace-based hospitality.

From K-State, Horton traveled to West Virginia to the Greenbrier Hotel and Resort for the first three years of his career. His next leap was to the Broadmoor Hotel and Resort, managing one of its restaurants. While at the Broadmoor in Colorado, Horton earned a MBA in finance. Soon after, Horton acquired his doctorate in restaurant, hotel, institution and tourism management from Purdue University, also developing a passion for teaching as he took a faculty position at Iowa State University and then James Madison University. His passion for students fueled his desire to make a difference one student at a time.

David W. Andrews

David W. Andrews earned a master’s degree in child development in 1980 and is the recipient of the distinguished service award. He recently became president of National University, California’s second-largest private, nonprofit university, which serves 30,000 students. With three decades of acclaimed higher education experience in a broad range of academic and educational leadership posts, Andrews is leading National’s commitment to transforming higher education through innovation, collaboration and an exceptional student experience.

Prior to coming to National University, Andrews was dean of the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. During his tenure, the school established a reputation for quality that earned it U.S. News & World Report’s No. 1 ranking of graduate schools of education for two years in a row. While at Hopkins, Andrews helped found the nonprofit organization Deans for Impact and led the design and build of the first new public elementary school in East Baltimore in over 25 years. Before his work at Johns Hopkins, Andrews led a merger that resulted in the creation of the College of Education and Human Ecology at Ohio State University and was the new college’s founding dean.

Andrews earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Auburn University, a master’s degree in child development from K-State and a doctorate, also in child development, from Florida State University. His scholarly work has focused on intervening in the life course of high risk students.

Haley Van Wagenen

Haley Van Wagenen will receive the rising professional award. Upon graduation from K-State’s interior design program in 2008, she began working at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, SOM, in Washington, D.C., where she gained experience working on large projects in the government sector. An interest in history and a desire to promote sustainability took her to the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a master’s degree in historic preservation and a certificate in ecological architecture. Van Wagenen’s thesis work focused on using building information modeling to create living models of historic buildings to aid in renovations and reuse. As a full-time student in Philadelphia, she worked part time for SOM New York, splitting time between the two cities for work and studies. After earning her master’s, she joined the New York office full time, and began to focus on global corporate headquarters for financial institutions and technology companies.

Van Wagenen has recently joined SOM’s London office, where she leads interior design initiatives on projects in Europe. She travels weekly to Geneva, Switzerland, where she serves as the on-site client contact for one of the major international organizations headquartered there. The 2.2 million square foot project involves renovation of a historic building and the design of a new office building on the campus.

Van Wagenen is a certified interior designer in the State of New York, holds a National Council for Interior Design Qualification certificate and has earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED AP BD+C credential. She takes time to give back to K-State through video conferencing with interior design classes and hosting design study tour students at SOM’s London office.

Heidi Jeanneret Pickerell

As a 1996 graduate in family studies and community services, and gerontology with an emphasis in long-term care administration, Heidi Pickerell is the recipient of the public advocacy award. She has built on her K-State education in community services, gerontology and long-term care administration in her current role as president and chief executive officer of Meals on Wheels of Shawnee and Jefferson Counties. She has both a heart for client needs and almost two decades of experience with executive management. In her previous role as vice president of program development for Midland Care Connections Inc., Pickerell became well versed in state and federal regulations, grant writing and strategic planning. These skills benefited the Midland clients, who are hospice patients, respite care clients and elderly, not unlike those Pickerell helps every day at Meals on Wheels.

With her desire to serve, Pickerell is president of the Meals on Wheels Association of Kansas and president of the Topeka American Business Women’s Association Career Chapter. She volunteers in her community — on the local school board and as PTO president for 13 years. Pickerell stays in touch with K-State by speaking to gerontology students about career opportunities in aging.

Dr. Keith A. Wright

Because of his ongoing involvement with K-State, Keith A. Wight will be recognized with the friend of the college award. Since he has been a lifelong K-State fan, there was only one university for Wright to attend, so he walked onto the football team to play two seasons under Coach Vince Gibson. When a chronic back condition ended his football dreams, Wright focused on academics and earned a bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine in 1976. His next steps were a University of Kansas Medical School medical degree in 1979 followed by a three-year residency at Baptist Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, which exposed Wright to sports medicine.

Wright moved to Bolivar, Missouri, to join other family physicians in the creation of the Bolivar Family Care Center. In 1991, Wright returned to Manhattan to become the medical director for Coach Bill Snyder’s football program’s medicine department. He also went into private practice with Manhattan Family Physicians and in 2000 began Stonecreek Family Physicians with fellow physicians.

In his voluntary role as K-State football’s team physician, Wright is also directly involved in educating K-State students about sports medicine. He has allowed students to obtain observation hours with him both at Stonecreek, as a general practitioner, and in the training room at K-State, treating athletes. At least once per year, Wright visits the classroom and provides didactic instruction on various sports medicine topics. He has worked side-by-side educating and instructing K-State athletic training staff and athletic training students on a daily basis as they all support the ’Cats.

Wright’s involvement in the community isn’t limited to giving back to K-State students, as he is a senior aviation medical examiner for the FAA, medical director for Manhattan’s Homecare and Hospice, keyboardist in the Manhattan Barefoot Dixieland Band, First United Methodist Church choir member and Colbert Hills’ Champions Club member.

Nellie C. Feehan Sparkman

Starting her own successful business has earned Nellie C. Sparkman the entrepreneur award just five years after receiving her 2010 degree in hospitality management. As she grew up in the restaurant and catering industry, Sparkman was groomed for a career in event planning. She started Events by Nellie while still in school at K-State in 2007 and over the last nine years has coordinated hundreds of events. Sparkman plans and implements events ranging from nonprofit galas to luxury weddings. Her niche as one of Kansas City’s premier wedding planners has made her a preferred event planner for elite venues such as the Brass on Baltimore, the Hilton President, the Bauer and the Grand Plaza event space.

Experience is evident in Sparkman’s approach to diverse events and the wants and needs of her Events by Nellie clients. In addition to a family history of food, beverage and catering, Sparkman took advantage of her time at K-State to work in the hotel industry and after graduation took a position in Ireland with a national hotel chain. Upon returning to Kansas City, she worked in nonprofit and corporate event planning coordinating fundraising events and large auctions; event management in hotels, local and international; and catered small birthday parties and large award celebrations.

Simultaneously, Events by Nellie continued to grow and in 2016, with over 30 weddings and events to coordinate, Sparkman took the business full time. Also in 2016, she was chosen to plan and execute a 48-hour proposal for Helzberg Diamond’s national Valentine’s Day campaign, “We Propose, You Propose.” Events by Nellie’s weddings have been featured on theknot.com, in EA Bride, Borrowed & Blue, BeSpoke Bride and Glamour & Grace, and Sparkman has earned the Wedding Wires Couples’ Choice Award in 2015 and 2016, and The Knot Best of Weddings recognition in 2016. In July 2016, Sparkman launched and co-produced a unique bridal show alternative, Bridal Bash, in Kansas City. She remains connected to her K-State roots through presenting on campus to hospitality management classes and continually taking on hospitality students as interns for Events by Nellie.

Tracy Gault-Shields

Tracy Gault-Shields is the recipient of the partner award for the ways in which she supports students in the College of Human Ecology. For more than a decade, she has been with Darden, parent company of more than 1,500 restaurants, including Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Yard House, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and The Capital Grille. She is a talent acquisition manager and is responsible for recruiting and hiring top-notch managers for the Longhorn Steakhouse brand in the Eastern, Midwestern and Western regions of the U.S. Gault-Shields staffs management at 129 restaurants in 17 states.

Gault-Shields knows it is important to have an enjoyable career, and she loves meeting and networking with new people and accepting the challenge of finding the right person to become a part of the Longhorn Steakhouse family. She spends time on college campuses, where she can share with students about Longhorn Steakhouse and Darden, but also discuss other pertinent issues college students face in the business world.

Since 2005, Gault-Shields has hired 16 hospitality management students from K-State, and beginning in 2015, when Longhorn Steakhouse began its internship program, the first intern at the Longhorn Steakhouse in Manhattan was a K-State hospitality management student who was hired into management following his internship. Between presenting to classes on campus and attending K-State’s hospitality career fair each year, Gault-Shields is a genuine partner to furthering the education and professional experiences of K-State students.

Michelle Stirewalt Hutton and Kristie Stirewalt Winter

Commonly known as the Trasey Twins, Michelle Stirewalt Hutton and Kristie Stirewalt Winter will be accepting the entrepreneur award as co-owners of TwinFitness, a female-centered, private personal training studio in Overland Park, Kansas. Founded in 2003, TwinFitness has a goal of inspiring every woman to be her very best. From their two locations and alongside their 13 employees, Hutton and Winter offer comprehensive personal training, nutrition coaching and preparation for fitness, figure and bikini competitions.

With their 1997 K-State bachelor’s degrees in exercise science and nutrition, the twins utilized their education to specialize in training the female body for competition. They have furthered their education through certifications in endocrinology, nutrition coaching from Precision Nutrition, and personal training and group exercise instruction from the American Council of Exercise. To provide comprehensive resources to their clients, the twins created an online nutrition program that compliments their personal training business and developed their own supplement line, formulated especially for women.

After graduating from K-State, Hutton and Winter began competing in fitness and bikini competitions; they have collectively walked the stage for over 80 shows, earned more than 900 trophies from National Physique Committee, or NPC, competitions, and for eight years straight have won the best team award at the biggest NPC show in Kansas City. In 2011, both Winter and Hutton earned their International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness, or IFBB, bikini pro cards, marking each as a professional bikini competitor.

As industry experts, they have trained over 5,000 clients and customers. The twins are a dynamic pair who have written three cookbooks together and been featured in many fitness-based magazines, including Flex, KC Fitness, NPC News Online and Oxygen. They have the expertise, education and personal training experience to lead their TwinFitness clients to success in achieving their goals.

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Technology and Aviation

Flight team advances to nationals, senior Chris Messing wins Top Pilot

The Kansas State Polytechnic Flight Team has landed the honor of competing on a national stage after qualifying in regional play with a third-place finish as well as winning several individual awards.

Attending the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s SAFECON competition Oct. 17-20 in Norman, Oklahoma, the flight team — from Kansas State University’s Polytechnic Campus — battled it out against other colleges in its region for the chance to advance to the national championship. After participating in a variety of events consisting of tests both on the ground and in the air, the Kansas State Polytechnic Flight Team placed third overall, securing its spot at nationals in May.

“During the weeks leading up to regionals, the team spent many hours working on the intricacies of each event, and then during the competition, everyone did an excellent job of executing what they had learned,” said Austin Bally, Wichita, Kansas, a senior in professional pilot and captain of the flight team. “Along with the third-place team finish, we earned several top 10 placings in the ground events and many top five scores in the flight events. Our success was a collaborative effort and proved that practice pays off.”

The Kansas State Polytechnic Flight Team faced six other universities during the SAFECON regional: Oklahoma State University, which placed first; University of Nebraska, Omaha, which came in second; Southeastern Oklahoma State University; University of Central Missouri; St. Louis University, Parks College; and University of Oklahoma. Members of each team entered ground and flight events, such as landing a plane accurately in a designated area, recognizing different types of aircraft from ambiguous photos and attempting to hit a target while dropping an item from the air. Participants earned points for each event entered, which were then accumulated to score single event winners as well as the top three teams and the overall top pilot.

One of the individual standout moments came from Kansas State Polytechnic senior Chris Messing, Wichita, Kansas, who, because of his placings in seven events, accrued enough points to win both Top Scoring Contestant and the Top Pilot award out of more than 80 total participants from the seven universities. Messing — who enjoys being a flight team member because of the family atmosphere, continued development of his aviation knowledge and the opportunity to network — says earning the principal honors was unexpected, but it has given him validation and confidence.

“Going into the competition, I just wanted to do my best so I could give my teammates the opportunity to experience nationals,” Messing said. “I’m proud to win these awards because they demonstrate that my hard work and preparation for the competition have been worth it. They also give me more confidence to know I can accomplish anything as long as I study, stay focused and do what’s right.”

Along with Messing, the following members of the Kansas State Polytechnic Flight Team competed at regionals; included are individual placings:

Nicholas Terrapin, junior, Alma, Kansas, first in message drop, fifth in navigation, 22nd in aircraft recognition and 22nd in power-off landing; Mason McMillan, senior, Ozawkie, Kansas, eighth in power-off landing, 10th in aircraft preflight inspection, 22nd in short field landing and 22nd in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation; Caleb Strahm, freshman, Sabetha, Kansas, 25th in computer accuracy; Austin Bally, senior, Wichita, second in power-off landing, fifth in navigation, 11th in computer accuracy, 14th in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation and 16th in short field landing; and Maddie Perry, sophomore, Wichita, 15th in short field landing and 34th in computer accuracy.

Jacob Mitchell, junior, Foxfield, Colorado, eighth in navigation, ninth in aircraft preflight inspection, 10th in power-off landing and 22nd in computer accuracy; Jason Rohlf, freshman, Tipton, Iowa, second in aircraft recognition; Scott Agee, senior, Independence, Missouri, first in message drop, sixth in ground trainer, 13th in navigation, 24th in short field landing and 26th in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation; Zachariah Smith, freshman, Hendersonville, North Carolina, 28th in aircraft recognition; Christopher Pennington, senior, El Paso, Texas, first in aircraft recognition; and Matthew Katzke, junior, Waukesha, Wisconsin, eighth in navigation, 21st in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation and 23rd in computer accuracy.

The flight team has 20 members, with 12 on the travel team after a tryout process. Along with competing annually, flight team members also use their club as way to give back to the community and to connect children with aviation. Throughout the year the team is a part of several events like the All-University Open House and Candy Canes and Airplanes. It also conducts two aviation camps for kids and one for high school students in the summer.

In 2014, the flight team won the Loening Trophy at nationals, which is considered the oldest and most elite of all collegiate aviation awards. It recognized the team as having the most outstanding all-around aviation program in the country.

For more information on the flight team, including sponsorship, contact faculty adviser Benjamin Jaffee at (785) 826-2978 or bjaffee@k-state.edu.

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Polytechnic Campus expands learning fleet with four new Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft

The aviation program at Kansas State University’s Polytechnic Campus is enhancing its students’ flying experience with the addition of new aircraft to its fleet.

Kansas State Polytechnic has purchased a quartet of Beechcraft Bonanza G36 aircraft from longtime university partner Textron Aviation as part of its plan to continuously provide professional pilot majors with the most relevant and cutting-edge flight training possible. The new planes arrived intermittently throughout 2015 and 2016, with the final delivery in mid-October. Kansas State Polytechnic’s aviation program is now outfitted with 34 learning aircraft, all of which are Textron Aviation products.

“For more than 50 years, this campus has been offering innovative aviation education, and it is important that we continue that rich tradition with an investment in our students’ future,” said Verna Fitzsimmons, dean and CEO of Kansas State Polytechnic. “We are proud to add the Bonanza G36 to our fleet family because its state-of-the-art technology and amenities are exactly what students will experience professionally, preparing them for a successful transition from college to career.”

“Kansas State Polytechnic continues to be a strong partner for Textron Aviation and we are thrilled they have selected Textron Aviation products to modernize their flight training fleet,” said Doug May, vice president, Piston Aircraft. “The Beechcraft Bonanza will provide the students a modern and sophisticated training platform to advance their skills. We are excited to continue building our relationship with the university to support the next generation of aviators.”

The Bonanza G36 aircraft, which are being used primarily in the aviation program for commercial and certified flight instructor, or CFI, ratings, feature a Garmin G1000 avionics system that aids situational awareness, simplicity and safety in the cockpit. They also are equipped with the satellite-based surveillance system ADS-B, which broadcasts an airplane’s location to air traffic control as well as other nearby airplanes that are outfitted with the technology. An FAA requirement of all aircraft by Jan. 1, 2020, ADS-B gives the professional pilot students increased awareness by alerting them to approaching aircraft and is another component they will use in industry.

Zach Davis ’16, Hutchinson, Kansas, who graduated from Kansas State Polytechnic with a bachelor’s degree in professional pilot in May, is now a CFI for the aviation program and believes the students he is teaching are getting a well-rounded experience when flying the G36.

“An early variant of the Beechcraft Bonanza was first produced in the late 1940s, so students are getting to fly a solid aircraft with a well-established track record,” Davis said. “Beyond its prestige, the brand-new planes give students increased reliability and current technology found in the commercial and corporate world. And because the G36 is a high performance aircraft, it trains students to think ahead and make smart decisions more quickly.”

“I think the Bonanza G36 offers our students a more diverse and advanced aircraft that many other schools are not able to provide for training,” said Austin Bally, Wichita, Kansas, a senior in professional pilot, captain of the campus’s flight team and a CFI. “Having G36s in our fleet introduces students to a more complicated aircraft early in their training, giving them the confidence and experience needed to fly complex aircraft in their careers.”

Along with the boost in its fleet, Kansas State Polytechnic’s aviation program will be upgrading a portion of its flight center. Textron Aviation recently donated $150,000 to modernize the Certified Flight Instructor Lab. The renovation will increase the area’s square footage, creating more workspace for flight instructors and a better learning environment for students enrolled in the program.

Kansas State Polytechnic also was recently approved as a Cessna Pilot Center, one of only five in the state of Kansas. Cessna Aircraft Company is a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc.

To learn more about Kansas State Polytechnic’s aviation program, including its professional pilot, airport management, aviation maintenance management, and unmanned aircraft systems bachelor’s degrees, contact admissions at 785-826-2640 or polytechnic@k-state.edu. For more information on Textron Aviation products, visit txtav.com.

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Veterinary Medicine

College of Veterinary Medicine selects new group of scholars for rural training program

Five new students in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University have been chosen for the largest veterinary educational program offered by the state of Kansas: the Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas.

This year’s recipients, all first-year veterinary medicine students, are Anna Hickert, Hays, Kansas; Elizabeth Farney, McPherson, Kansas; Meredith Schmidt ’16, Overland Park, Kansas; Shanlyn Hefley, Wellington, Kansas; and Ashley Zelenka ’15, Wilson, Kansas.

“We are very pleased the state of Kansas continues to support this program,” said Tammy Beckham, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “We had a very talented pool of applicants, and the students who were chosen are very deserving of this award. These students are from Kansas and already appreciate how this program will help them to serve in a rural area where veterinarians are needed.”

The Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas, passed by the Kansas Legislature in 2006, provides a financial incentive for veterinary students to practice in rural areas of the state upon their graduation.

Program participants are eligible for up to $20,000 in loans per year to pay for college expenses and advanced training. Once they complete their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, participants are required to work at a full-time veterinary practice in one of the 91 Kansas counties with fewer than 35,000 residents. For each year the student works in rural Kansas, $20,000 worth of loans will be forgiven by the state. Students can work a maximum of four years through the program, receiving up to $80,000 in loan waivers.

Each student in the Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas is required to participate in additional activities beyond what is required for their veterinary degrees. The scholars spend their summer breaks learning about foreign animal disease preparedness, natural disaster preparedness, rural sociology and public health.

To date, a total of 50 students (26 males and 24 females) have received VTPRK debt forgiveness loans. A total of 35 of these students have graduated. All have, with the exception of two, fulfilled their four-year obligations to practice in a rural community in Kansas or are currently fulfilling their obligations. One practiced for a year in Pennsylvania and then moved back to Kansas to a rural community. This graduate paid the college $20,000 plus interest for that year. One graduate is currently completing a food animal internship at K-State before going into a rural practice in Kansas.

Photo: The new class of Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas scholars with Tammy Beckham, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, front row from left: Meredith Schmidt ’16, Beckham and Elizabeth Farney; and back row, from left: Shanlyn Hefley, Anna Hickert and Ashley Zelenka ’15. (Courtesy photo)

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Benjamin Hause works with graduate student Rachel Palinski to identify a unique virus suspected of causing recent cases of disease in swine.

Novel swine virus discovery could help prevent history from repeating

Researchers at Kansas State University have identified a new swine circovirus.

Its discovery is auspicious, as a related swine circovirus, porcine circovirus type 2, also known as PCV2, has had a devastating history in swine production. Associated diseases caused millions of dollars in losses globally in the 1900s and early 2000s.

The new circovirus — identified as porcine circovirus 3 — discovered by Benjamin Hause and Rachel Palinski, who is with the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, along with collaborators at K-State, Iowa State University and Smithfield Hog Production, is different from other known circoviruses.

“The Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory was sent samples from sows with signs of clinical disease typically caused by PCV2 infection; however, the samples were negative for PCV2,” said Hause, an adjunct professor at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “Through further investigation, we identified an extremely novel, divergent new species of circovirus. We also performed polymerase chain reaction testing, or PCR, on random samples submitted to the lab to see how widespread this virus is in the U.S. swine herd. Twelve percent were positive for this new virus. We are hoping this is not the beginning of what could be a whole new epidemic of circovirus infections.”

Palinski is a doctoral student in pathobiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The results of the discovery were published in the article “A novel porcine circovirus distantly related to known circoviruses is associated with porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome and reproductive failure,” which appears in the November issue of the Journal of Virology, produced by the American Society for Microbiology.

Porcine circovirus type 2 was first identified in Canada in the mid-1990s during sporadic outbreaks of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome, or PWMS, where young pigs fail to thrive and progressively lose body condition.

“PCV2 caused sporadic disease at first, but then there were massive epidemics of PMWS in Asia and Europe, and in North America in the early 2000s,” Hause said. “When I started working in the industry in 2005, this was about the height of this disease, and it literally killed millions and millions of pigs.”

Hause said that vaccination for porcine circovirus type 2 has successfully controlled the disease, but that it continues to be one of the most significant viruses of swine.

“Now we have a novel porcine circovirus that is distantly related to known circoviruses and that has been identified in sows with porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome, or PDNS, and reproductive failure,” Hause said. “Porcine circovirus 2, which has previously been associated with these clinical presentations, was not identified here. This virus is clearly not a variant of PCV2, but a novel virus in its own right.”

Photo: Benjamin Hause works with graduate student Rachel Palinski to identify a unique virus suspected of causing recent cases of disease in swine.

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General

Richard B. Myers to serve as 14th president of Kansas State University

K-State to play in Texas Bowl

Photo gallery: New Berney Family Welcome Center serves as ‘front door’ to K-State

Shop purple this season: Holiday gifts for K-Staters

Conferences and noncredit programs expand Global Campus’ reach

Wabash CannonBalls help future K-Staters’ dreams come true

Cheer on K-State basketball at the Wildcat Classic this weekend

K-State recognized for diversity, excellence in outreach and communications

K-State creative teams receive CASE awards

Thank you for your pledges in the ‘Don’t Text Just Drive’ campaign

Foundation news: New Good for K-State issue, investing in Purple Masque Theatre

Read the latest issue of Good for K-State

Alumna invests in Purple Masque Theatre after pursuing her lifelong dream of acting

In this issue

College News

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Agriculture

Agricultural research vital to Kansas economy

Holiday greetings from the College of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension

Architecture, Planning and Design

APDesign faculty and students receive awards for outstanding architecture

Arts and Sciences

Latest book by noted K-State historian earns top recognition

Aakeroy and Nel to receive research achievement awards

Business Administration

Hormel Foods chairman presents College of Business’ fall Distinguished Lecture

Phillips 66 Business Ethics Case Competition awards $2,750 to K-State students

Education

Education professor receives international research award

Registration open for 2017 iCamp

Carl R. Ice College of Engineering

A good night’s sleep: Engineers develop technology for special needs children

Grant helps researcher improve manufacture of ultra-thin precision parts

Human Ecology

College of Human Ecology recognized by the Office of International Programs

College of Human Ecology celebrates eight alumni and friends with luncheon and awards

Brett Horton

David W. Andrews

Haley Van Wagenen

Heidi Jeanneret Pickerell

Dr. Keith A. Wright

Nellie C. Feehan Sparkman

Tracy Gault-Shields

Michelle Stirewalt Hutton and Kristie Stirewalt Winter

Technology and Aviation

Flight team advances to nationals, senior Chris Messing wins Top Pilot

Polytechnic Campus expands learning fleet with four new Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft

Veterinary Medicine

College of Veterinary Medicine selects new group of scholars for rural training program

Novel swine virus discovery could help prevent history from repeating

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