Every January, the United States celebrates the legacy of civil rights advocate Martin Luther King Jr. with a special holiday named in his honor. This year Kansas State University hosted events throughout the month of January honoring King’s work and promoting diversity. 

 

Events included a Diversity Tea with a documentary about the Underground Railroad; a special art exhibition at the Beach Museum; a candlelight vigil; a civil rights “teach-in” focusing on national, regional and campus civil rights topics; and more. The events provided a variety of ways for people to reflect on diversity and how they can help make Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of freedom for all a reality. 

 

“With our theme, ‘Witnessing the Dream,’ we want all to see yourself in the dream and how you may have an impact whether as a student, faculty or staff in a positive way,” said Zelia Wiley, K-State’s interim associate provost for diversity. “We are the dream!”

 

View photos from the month of Martin Luther King Jr. events below.

 

After graduating from Kansas State University seven years ago, Dalton Henry ’10 and Jorge Mendoza ’10 may have taken different paths, but they are both using their K-State education to make a difference in the world around them. They are being recognized as the K-State Alumni Association Student Alumni Board’s Distinguished Young Alumni for 2017.   

 

The Distinguished Young Alumni Award recognizes two K-State graduates who are younger than 35 and are using the scholarship, leadership and service experience they acquired at K-State to excel in their professions and contribute to their communities. The Alumni Association and Student Alumni Board will honor Henry and Mendoza when they return to campus Feb. 27 through March 1 to visit with student groups and university classes. Alumni and friends are invited to hear Henry and Mendoza’s keynote presentations beginning at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Leadership Studies Building on campus. If you are unable to attend the presentations, you can watch a livestream of the event.

 

“In fulfillment of the Alumni Association’s mission to serve alumni as their link for life to the university, we are pleased to support the Student Alumni Board in presenting this award to simultaneously honor some of our most accomplished young graduates while creating new ties among alumni, students and faculty,” said Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, Alumni Association president and CEO.

 

Dalton Henry, Washington, D.C., is the legislative director for U.S. Representative Dr. Roger Marshall ’82. He previously served as the director of policy at the U.S. Wheat Associates, the export market development organization for the U.S. wheat industry.

 

While at K-State, Henry was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, Blue Key Honor Society, College of Agriculture Ambassadors, Ag Communicators of Tomorrow and Ag Economics Club. He also served as K-State student body president during the 2009-10 school year. He graduated from K-State in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications and journalism.

 

Jorge Mendoza, Columbus, Ohio, is the STEM Exploration Program manager at The Ohio State University. The program supports students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, educating these students about different career paths and the ways they can use their talents to serve others.

 

While at K-State, Mendoza was a member of the Developing Scholars Program, McNair Scholars Program, Research Experience for Undergraduates, Hispanic American Leadership Organization and Bridges to the Future, and he also served as president of the Multicultural Honor Society. He graduated from K-State in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in biology.

 

“We are so excited to bring back two fantastic K-State alumni, Jorge and Dalton,” said Taylor Fry, Student Alumni Board president. “They have both done outstanding things in their careers and have accomplished a great amount at such a young age. As a student, it is inspiring to hear from two individuals that once walked K-State’s campus, impacted the university, and then continued to make a difference in their careers. We are thrilled to honor these amazing leaders.”

 

For more on the Distinguished Young Alumni program, visit www.K-State.com/DYA.

Alumni and friends of Kansas State University who are Wildcats for Higher Education traveled to Topeka on Jan. 19 to help raise awareness about the significant impact that higher education and K-State have on the state.

 

K-State partnered with the Kansas Board of Regents and other Board of Regents universities for Higher Education Day at the state capitol. Kansas universities and colleges had exhibits to share information about academic programs, research and economic impact. In addition, the K-State Wildcats for Higher Education had an opportunity to visit Kansas House and Senate floor sessions from the gallery; eat lunch with legislators who represent K-State campus regions or are K-State graduates; share Call Hall ice cream at a reception; and more. This year, there are 22 new and returning state legislators who are K-State graduates. 

 

As they spoke with government officials, Wildcats for Higher Education advocates’ primary message was the need for fair and stable funding for higher education, which has a positive impact on the state’s economy, quality of life and future prosperity.

 

The Wildcats for Higher Education program provides opportunities for K-Staters to stay informed and contact their legislators about issues impacting K-State and higher education in general. If you’d like to learn more about Wildcats for Higher Education and receive the newsletter, visit www.k-state.com/getinvolved/whe/index.php.

 

View a photo gallery from Higher Education Day below. (Photos by Linda Cook ’77, K-State Alumni Association)

 

Although wintertime brings dreary weather and colder temperatures, students at Kansas State University have a new spot where they can stay warm as they study and socialize on campus.

 

A cozy fireplace and lounge area is one of the many highlights of the current K-State Student Union renovation project. 

 

The union was originally built in 1956 and began a major renovation in September 2015, designed to update the aging facility. 

 

Although the project is slated to be completed in early fall 2017, you can take a virtual tour of the progress through the photo gallery below. 

 

(Photos by Ashley Pauls, K-State Alumni Association)

 

Alumni and friends of Kansas State University spent an elegant evening dining, dancing and donating at the Wabash CannonBall Houston. Approximately 175 guests attended the third annual event Jan. 20 at The Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa in Houston, Texas. The black-tie gala raises scholarship funds for Houston-area students to attend K-State. It also provides an opportunity for Wildcats to network with K-State administrators and other alumni and friends from the Houston area.

 

“It was a wonderful evening celebrating purple pride and supporting scholarships that will help the next generation of Wildcats attend K-State,” said Michelle Elkins ’87, associate director of awards and special events for the K-State Alumni Association. “Thank you to everyone who attended, and we hope to see you all again next year!”

 

View a photo gallery from the event below. (Photos by Alexander’s Fine Portrait Design)

 

Do you know a K-Stater who has used their education, creativity and passion to succeed in entrepreneurship?

 

Kansas State University’s Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship in the College of Business Administration is seeking nominations for its Entrepreneur of the Year awards.

 

Every year, the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship partners with the K-State Alumni Association and the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce to select and honor the Phil Howe Alumnus Entrepreneur of the Year and the John R. Graham Community Entrepreneur of the Year. Recipients are selected for their outstanding entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, personal integrity, strategic direction, market impact and social responsibility.

 

The winners are announced and recognized at the Celebration of Entrepreneurship reception. The 2016 winners were Davy Hartman Campbell ’79 of Fulfillment Plus and Fred Wilich of Hi-Tech Interiors.

 

K-State’s Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship works to enhance the entrepreneurial environment at K-State and throughout Kansas. Their programs are designed to provide a superior academic experience for all K-State students and to deliver key support to Kansas entrepreneurs. In addition to the annual entrepreneur awards, the center also promotes the Launch program, which provides students training and resources to develop a new business idea and compete for prizes; the Launch-a-Business accelerator program, which is designed to help entrepreneurs launch and grow new businesses to support economic growth in Kansas; and more.

 

Learn more about the Entrepreneur of the Year awards or nominate someone you know.  

2016 was a big year for track and field at Kansas State University, with strong performances at both Big 12 and NCAA championships. Seven current and former Wildcats also traveled to Rio de Janeiro to compete in the Summer Olympics, representing K-State on an international stage.   

 

Head coach Cliff Rovelto is hoping those successes will carry over to the new season. Although some of last season’s key players have graduated, he is just as excited about the newcomers’ potential.

 

“When you look at some of the other younger people that have improved significantly over the last year, in addition to some of the other (newcomers), I think that we could score just as many, if not more, points than we did a year ago at the conference meet,” he said. “From a national perspective, if the key people are healthy, and again, it’ll be done in a different way, obviously, but I think we can score just as many points as we did a year ago.”

 

In January, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ranked K-State’s women’s track team No. 18 and the men’s team No. 30 in the indoor preseason poll. The 18th-place ranking marks the third-straight season the Wildcat women have been ranked in the Top 25 in the USTFCCCA’s preseason poll after being ranked fourth to open the 2016 season and tied for 19th to open the 2015 season. The men also made a sizable jump in the polls after finishing ranked No. 50 in the final indoor poll of the 2016 season.

 

Last season at the conference level, both the men and women finished in third place at the Big 12 Championship in Ames, Iowa. The women went on to finish in eighth place at the NCAA Championship meet in Birmingham, Alabama, on the back of national champions Akela Jones (high jump) and Dani Winters ’16 (shot put). The men finished in 40th place.

 

The Wildcats will also get some extra help this season from former K-State track and field national champion and two-time Olympian Erik Kynard Jr. ’13, who has been named an assistant track and field coach. Kynard was an Olympic silver medalist in 2012 and finished sixth in men’s high jump in 2016. In his new role at K-State, he will assist Rovelto with the high jumpers and combined eventers, while also helping in recruiting efforts.

 

“We are really excited to have Erik back as part of the team,” Rovelto said. “He has been training here in Manhattan for a couple of years so the athletes have really gotten to know him. He will play a big role both in training and recruiting.”

 

Follow K-State track and field throughout the season, and stay up-to-date on events and results.

After living in Manhattan and working at Kansas State University for eight years, Tim and Anne de Noble have acquired many connections to the people and programs in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design. Tim serves as the dean of the college, and Anne is highly involved in several community organizations.

 

When the de Nobles decided to give their gift to the development of the Seaton Hall and Regnier Hall Project, they knew it would be vital to represent the importance of giving to the programs and people that have impacted their lives.

 

“The College of Architecture, Planning and Design is such a significant part of our lives,” Tim de Noble said. “When I was hired, it became very clear we needed to do something about the building, and I think the college, students and faculty deserved a better facility that represented the national reputation they have built. I also hope that giving this gift is an example for others of putting your money where your mouth is.”

 

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A critical tool for academic leaders

College deans, department heads and program leaders are often faced with situations that require funding in order to provide a solution. However, most funds available to them are designated for a specific purpose.

 

Excellence funds, on the other hand, are to be used at the leader’s discretion, providing the flexibility to address emerging needs and opportunities. They allow university leaders to take calculated risks for big returns, support innovative ideas and new exploratory projects, attract and retain excellent faculty, staff and students, and provide unique experiences for K-Staters.

 

Donors who contribute to excellence funds make a giant impact and help build a better university. A few K-State leaders share with us how excellence funds have made a difference for their programs.

 

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