Whenever Carol W. Shanklin travels as dean of Kansas State University’s Graduate School, it’s not unusual for her to return with a large stack of business cards — each card representing a connection she’s made with a K-State alumnus during her trip. Shanklin, who also is a professor of dietetics, is a passionate advocate for keeping K-Staters connected to their alma mater, and networking with Wildcats while traveling is just one of the many ways she supports the Alumni Association’s efforts. In honor of her contributions to alumni engagement, Shanklin has been selected to receive the 2018 Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award. She received the award during the K-State Alumni Association’s winter board of directors meeting Jan. 26.

 

“Dean Shanklin has long exemplified the spirit of this award through her in-depth understanding of, and appreciation for, the value of alumni relations,” said Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association. “Her support of outreach efforts worldwide has been an invaluable asset to the Alumni Association, and we deeply appreciate her ongoing commitment to actively promote our programs to current and prospective students, graduates and friends of the university.”

 

The Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award honors a current or emeritus K-State faculty or staff member for his or her advocacy of alumni relations, with a special emphasis on support and participation in alumni programs that engage members of the Wildcat family. Shanklin was nominated for the award by Jessica Elmore ’06, ’15, associate director of diversity programs at the Alumni Association.

 

As dean of the Graduate School, Shanklin coordinates all aspects of graduate education at K-State, including recruitment and retention of graduate students, promotes graduate and professional education, and coordinates professional development and the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. She represents the Graduate School on numerous university committees and task forces.

 

Shanklin assists with coordination and sponsorship of alumni events, both domestically and internationally. As she travels, she takes the time to interact with K-State alumni across the globe and provides the Association with valuable contact information for alumni engagement. She also is a life member of the Alumni Association.

 

“Carol is an active leader on campus spreading the word about the importance of supporting the Alumni Association,” Elmore said in her nomination form. “[She] intentionally makes the Association a priority in her professional interactions, and she leads the way through offering her time, personal networks and resources to the Association.”

 

Shanklin has served the dietetics profession for more than 25 years. Since joining K-State in 1990, she has taught master’s and doctoral courses in food service and hospitality management and has mentored many graduate students. She was named dean of the Graduate School in 2009.

 

“I was honored to receive the Finchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award,” Shanklin said. “I have enjoyed my partnership with the Alumni Association’s outstanding team as we have collaborated to increase graduate students and alumni engagement in Association events. I look forward to continuing building strong relationships with KSU alumni and my partnership with the Association.”

Fifty years ago — on Jan. 19, 1968 — Martin Luther King Jr. visited Kansas State University. More than 7,000 people crowded into Ahearn Field House to listen to a speech from this prominent civil rights advocate. King reflected on history, inequality, progress and the work that remained to make the world a better place for all.  

 

King’s message of hope and call to action live on today. In honor of his legacy, K-State hosted a variety of events Jan. 19-26, including a lecture Jan. 25 from Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of the late Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, followed by a candlelight vigil.

 

The university’s Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Week events both celebrated the 50th anniversary of King’s visit to the Manhattan campus and raised awareness about the civil rights work that is still needed today.

 

“It is an incredible opportunity to have Martin Luther King III visit our campus and celebrate the 50th anniversary of his father’s speech at K-State,” Adrian Rodriguez, associate vice president for student life for diversity and multicultural student affairs, said in advance of the event. “I encourage the university community to participate in the week of observance events to build on our KSUnite effort and continue our work toward strengthening diversity, inclusion and equity.”

 

K-State remains committed to diversity and promoting a voice for all. In January, the university received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity, or HEED, award for the fourth consecutive year from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine. The HEED award is the only national recognition available for colleges and universities demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Schools are evaluated on all areas of diversity, including gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.

 

“This award underscores the university’s commitment to the continual progress of our diversity and inclusion efforts,” said April Mason, provost and senior vice president. “It is an honor to have our intentional and collaborative diversity efforts across the university recognized.”

 

View photos from some of the Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Week events below.

 

The two plaques mounted on the south towers of Kansas State University’s historic Memorial Stadium feature 48 names — the names of the K-Staters who lost their lives during World War I. Each name represents a life — their hopes and dreams, their families, their friends — and the sacrifices these students and faculty made as part of the war. The plaques help to preserve this important chapter in history, and it’s a legacy that K-State continues to honor.

 

In 2017, as part of the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into WWI, the university formally dedicated World War I Memorial Stadium. The ceremony included the unveiling of new signage proclaiming the stadium’s status as a WWI memorial and also recognized the surviving relatives of the 48 Fallen.

 

The recognition of the 48 Fallen continues this year, thanks to the work of K-State’s Pershing Rifles Company G-7, the university’s rifle drill team and a cooperative effort between Army ROTC, Air Force ROTC and K-State students. The Pershing Rifles are conducting honor guards and ceremonial tributes on the centennial anniversary of the death of each of the 48 Fallen. When class is in session, they perform 24-hour silent guards, and when class is not in session they will lay a wreath in tribute.

 

In early January, one of these wreaths (pictured above) was placed beside the WWI Memorial Stadium sign for Pvt. Lester Hanawalt, a former student of the Kansas State Agricultural College. According to Jed Dunham ’96, who is a consultant, Military/Veterans Cultural Programs, and researcher-writer with K-State’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, Hanawalt died of pneumonia on Jan. 9, 1918, while serving with the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army. He was from Jewell, Kansas, and his brother Lloyd also died during the war. Both brothers are buried side by side in a small cemetery near the Nebraska border.

 

“It is not difficult to find division in our current society and what the 48 Fallen are able to do, even 100 years past their deaths, is to show us what we have in common,” Dunham said. “Our shared history, regardless of its pain, provides us with a place to begin, and I feel the stories of the 48 Fallen are as much a part of the Kansas State family today as they were so long ago. The efforts of the Pershing Rifles, ROTC and the student body to honor these individuals achieves something which I think is very special.”

 

Construction on Memorial Stadium began in the early 1920s. Although the facility was designed to serve as a memorial to the 48 K-Staters who sacrificed their lives during WWI, the stadium was never fully completed based on the original designs, as funding dried up and the Great Depression loomed. Dunham helped uncover some of this history, and the K-State Alumni Association and other K-State entities assisted in this research.

 

You can learn more about the legacy of K-State’s 48 Fallen through the K-State Alumni Association’s collection of historical information on WWI Memorial Stadium.

A random act of kindness in the K-State Campus Store from an anonymous stranger is inspiring K-Staters, once again proving that Wildcats are “one big purple family.”

 

Amy Buckley, junior in animal sciences and industry, was in the K-State Campus Store buying books and supplies for her new classes for the semester. When her purchase was totaled and she swiped her debit card, she found she was $194 short. She was about to cancel the purchase, realizing she had forgotten to check her debit card balance. That’s when the student at the cash register next to her offered to pay for her books with a check. He told Amy he had a good job, could afford it and wanted to pay it forward. He also declined to give her his name, not wanting her to repay him.

 

Amy’s story has since been picked up by various media outlets, including the Kansas State Collegian and the Wichita Eagle. For the Buckley family, the anonymous student’s small act of kindness makes them even more proud to be K-Staters.  

 

“I was really grateful to him and profusely thanked him,” Amy told the Collegian. “This encounter has reaffirmed my feelings for K-State. The people here are good to each other and are one big purple family.”

 

Amy’s mom, Sharon Buckley, said she and her husband became K-State football fans when she was stationed at Fort Riley in the 1990s, but they didn’t know much else about the school. For some reason, Amy wanted to attend K-State since the fifth grade.

 

Sharon said that once they visited K-State for a school tour, they knew right away that it was the right place. Admissions staff was helpful and proactive, and the family was impressed by how friendly everyone was on campus.

 

“Once we visited K-State, we all decided this was the place and there was no need to look elsewhere,” Sharon said. “Since then, we have become diehard K-State fans. We’re so glad Amy decided to become a Wildcat. What a great place!”

Kansas State University’s creative teams collectively received 28 awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE, at the council’s District VI conference, Jan. 28-30, in St. Louis.

 

The council is an international association of educational institutions. Along with K-State, other District VI members include educational institutions in Kansas, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Each year the district selects CASE institutional awards to highlight the best practices in alumni relations, fundraising, public and governmental relations, advancement services, special events and communications.

 

K-State Alumni Association

The K-State Alumni Association received 11 CASE awards for creative works and programs from 2016-17.

 

“The CASE awards recognize the talent and quality of work done by our collective staffs at K-State,” said Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association. “It’s rewarding in itself for our teams to produce programming, materials and services that engage our alumni and friends. To be recognized by our peers at CASE adds to the excitement of receiving this recognition. Everyone has a role in the success and we congratulate everyone on our staff for a job well done.”

 

In the platinum category for Best Practices in Alumni Relations, the K-State Wabash CannonBall events won gold and will advance to compete in the international Circle of Excellence awards.

 

The association’s additional awards:

 

• Three gold awards for Student Alumni Board Diversity Recruitment initiatives; winter 2016 K-Stater magazine cover design; and the World War I Memorial Stadium dedication single-day event.

• Four silver awards for the K-State Alumni Association 2017 member calendar design; @K-State e-newsletter in the innovative uses of technology category and in the external audience digital newsletter category; and Total Solar Eclipse events in the special events multiday category.

• Three bronze awards for best use of social media with the Born to Be a Wildcat coloring pages; K-State Alumni Clubs website; and excellence in news writing for the K-Stater magazine.

 

K-State Communications and Marketing

Kansas State University’s Division of Communications and Marketing received 16 CASE awards for creative works from 2016-17.

 

“It is impressive that K-State’s creative teams can win these prestigious awards in multiple disciplines,” said Jeff Morris ’80, vice president for communications and marketing. “It shows that we have a diverse array of talents aiming to advance higher education in the state of Kansas.”

 

In the platinum category for Best Practices in Communications and Marketing, K-State Today e-newsletter won gold and will advance to compete in the international Circle of Excellence awards. The K-State home page and the Solar Eclipse communication package tied for silver.

 

The division’s additional awards:

 

• A grand gold for “Introduction to ALICE” general information long video.

• Seven gold awards for the K-State Global Campus “Always On, Always There” commercial; “#YouAreWelcomeHere” short recruitment video; the K-State “APDesign Difference” package short recruitment video; the 2017 “Wabash CannonBall” fundraising short video for the K-State Alumni Association; and Seek magazine in three categories — institutional relations research publications category, special constituency category and periodicals design category.

• Four silver awards for Stages of the Eclipse photography; K-State Today internal audience digital publication; “Many paths, one destination” commercial spot; and “Tap to Togetherness” long recruitment video.

• A bronze award for excellence in research and science news writing.

 

KSU Foundation

The KSU Foundation received one silver CASE award for periodical staff writing in the spring 2017 issue of Good for K-State.

 

“Effectively telling the story of how philanthropy makes a difference at K-State is essential to engage the imagination of K-Staters everywhere and inspire the next generation of donors in the K-State family,” said Greg Willems, president and CEO of the KSU Foundation. “We are very proud of this recognition of the communications talent here at the KSU Foundation, and across the academy.”

In January, a group of Kansas State University alumni and friends visited the state capitol in Topeka for Higher Education Day, spreading awareness about the importance of higher education across the state.

 

Universities and community colleges throughout the state convened in the capitol building Jan. 18 to promote the positive impact higher education has on the state, such as training the workforce, supporting groundbreaking research, boosting the economy and more.

 

The K-State group traveled as part of the Wildcats for Higher Education program, which provides regular legislative news updates for K-Staters as well as opportunities to be involved as advocates for K-State and higher education. The day’s activities included visiting the House and Senate Chambers, lunch with a group of legislators, and serving Call Hall’s famous ice cream in the rotunda of the capitol building.

 

If you would like to be a part of Wildcats for Higher Education and learn how you can be an advocate for K-State, sign up for the Wildcats for Higher Education e-newsletters. When the Kansas Legislature is in session, you can also read REGULAR UPDATES from the K-State Office of Governmental Relations.

 

View photos from Higher Education Day in the gallery below. (All photos by Taylor Anderson, K-State Alumni Association)

 

The groundbreaking research taking place at Kansas State University has a wide-reaching impact, benefiting students in the classroom, creating key partnerships with industry, and helping the community at large through advances in food science, health, technology and more.

 

Those who would like to learn more about K-State’s research capabilities, facilities and resources are invited to attend the upcoming 2018 Research Showcase on May 16 at K-State Olathe.

 

This event for business and industry builds on a successful showcase in 2017 and serves as a large-scale networking session with a wide breadth of research expertise and resources on display for prospective public and private corporate partners.

 

“Kansas State University has long demonstrated strength in economic engagement and industry collaboration, and the Research Showcase helps our researchers identify new avenues for engagement with industry,” said Peter Dorhout, vice president for research.

 

The Research Showcase will highlight many areas, including:

 

• Global food systems, including agriculture and food science

• Animal and human health and nutrition

• Engineering and technology, including construction, architecture and software

• Workforce development and diversity

• Life sciences and analytics, including sensory analysis and consumer preferences and behavior

 

“Companies in the Greater Kansas City region showed us last year that they are hungry for collaboration and innovation with talented researchers,” Dorhout said. “Industry benefits from academic partners who help develop and advance the technologies of tomorrow so that they can be brought to a commercial market and used to improve lives.”

 

Dorhout said prospective collaborators also appreciate meeting promising future experts.

 

“Companies know K-State has an excellent talent pipeline, from our faculty researchers and postdocs to our graduate and undergraduate students,” he said. “I hope faculty and staff are excited about this opportunity that could lead to collaborations, which will advance their research, engage their students and potentially develop new solutions and technologies.”

 

Faculty can visit k-state.edu/research/showcase/faculty to register for the 2018 Research Showcase by April 2. Industry registration is due by May 1, and is available at k-state.edu/research/showcase.

K-State track and field ended its 2017 season on a high note, with junior Christoff Bryan claiming the outdoor men’s high jump title and sophomore Shadae Lawrence winning K-State’s first-ever discus title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. With the 2018 indoor season already underway, the Wildcats are aiming for even further heights this year.

 

“We should be really good if we’re healthy,” said Cliff Rovelto, entering his 26th season as K-State’s director of track and field and cross country. “On paper, we’ve got people that can compete at the very top of the conference in almost every event.”

 

Wildcats to watch this season include Janee’ Kassanavoid, a senior with only outdoor eligibility left, and now-junior Shadae Lawrence, who both won Big 12 outdoor titles last season to help boost the K-State women’s team to a Big 12 Outdoor Championship. Sophomore Nina Schultz, a multi-event standout, was the high jump champion at that same Big 12 meet and went on to place second in the heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

 

On the men’s side, Rovelto said he anticipates stronger results from a year ago, again adding that it depends on avoiding injuries and how quickly a few mid-year additions transition. The men’s team finished sixth at the 2017 Big 12 Indoor Championships.

 

One of the mid-season boosts will be Aaron Booth, a decathlete out of New Zealand. The incoming freshman has an impressive resume already, placing third in the decathlon at the World University Games with 7,523 points.

 

The indoor season appears to be off to a good start so far in 2018, with K-State track and field sweeping the Wildcat Invitational on Jan. 6, boasting 22 K-State event titles and numerous personal bests.

 

The K-State track and field team also used a total team effort to claim the fourth annual KU-KSU-WSU Triangular Trophy on Jan. 13, as the men’s and women’s teams combined to total 230 points, defeating Kansas (225.5) and Wichita State (174.5) for the first time since 2015.

 

Schultz claimed the High Point Scorer honors, totaling 15.25 points in the meet. A Wildcat has now won the High Point Award each of the last four years, with Wurrie Njadoe winning it in 2017 and Akela Jones in 2016 and 2015.

 

“I think we had some really strong performances,” Rovelto said after the meet. “We had some individuals with lifetime personal bests. At this point of the year, that is pretty good, so there were some really good things from today.”

 

Kansas State University junior Erin Graber, Newton, Kansas, is the winner of a Wildcats Forever scholarship sponsored by AT&T.

 

Wildcats Forever is the K-State Alumni Association’s student organization. The AT&T scholarship is given to one student per semester.

 

Graber is majoring in hospitality management, with an emphasis in food and beverage management. She said she decided to become a Wildcats Forever member after her friends encouraged her to join.

 

“The second I did I immediately started seeing the benefits of joining,” she said.

 

She thanked Wildcats Forever and AT&T for the scholarship, and said she was surprised and thrilled to get the call.

 

“It took me by surprise — it is such a blessing to receive this right now, and I can’t express how much this will aid me,” she said. “My gratitude for K-State and Wildcats Forever is so undeniable and I encourage everyone to get involved because the benefits are extraordinary.”

 

If you know a new or returning student who would like to get more involved at K-State, WILDCATS FOREVER — one of the largest organizations on campus — is a great opportunity. For only $20, students receive a membership T-shirt, a collectible glass and discounts to their favorite places in town, such as Call Hall Dairy Bar, Acme Gift, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and much more. There also are opportunities throughout the year to participate in events, contests and giveaways. Wildcats Forever gives away items such as snacks during finals week, pizza, K-State apparel and more. All students have to do to get these great benefits is verify their membership through our K-STATE ALUMNI LINK FOR LIFE APP!  

 

To join Wildcats Forever, students can sign up anytime online through their KSIS ACCOUNT. You can also GIFT A MEMBERSHIP to a student. LEARN MORE about Wildcats Forever or download the K-STATE ALUMNI LINK FOR LIFE APP to stay connected.

Kansas State University’s Innovation and Inspiration Campaign has surpassed the $1.1 billion mark in December, making significant progress toward its $1.4 billion goal by 2020.

 

Led by the KSU Foundation, the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign was launched in October 2015, with an original goal of $1 billion. In April 2017, Kansas State President Richard Myers ’65 announced that the campaign’s original goal was exceeded one year ahead of schedule and extended the effort with a new goal of $1.4 billion.

 

“The continued success and momentum of the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign is rooted in the generosity and commitment of the K-State family to the future of Kansas State University,” Myers said. “We sincerely thank our donors who have invested in K-State faculty, students and programs. Their support is key to the university’s success, now and in the future.”

 

Funds raised through the campaign will be used to support students, faculty, facility enhancements and program support and will advance the university toward becoming a top 50 public research university by 2025. Three signature drives have helped to build momentum during the campaign’s extension period:

 

• The land-grant mission of providing an accessible and affordable education to the people of Kansas and beyond.

• Centers of excellence and interdisciplinary programs — areas where K-State has a competitive advantage and the potential to change the world.

• Substantially increasing the endowment for the future of K-State through estate-planning gifts.

 

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Ray Navarro finds purpose in supporting the Pride of Wildcat Land

Sometimes your purpose finds you.

 

Ray Navarro grew up in Manhattan, Kansas, in the purple shadow of Kansas State University. He attended local schools, got drafted and moved all the way to nearby Fort Riley. He built a local business. One day Navarro received a call from a former K-State marching band director inviting him to a meeting downtown. He learned how the outdated solid dark purple band uniforms were held together with safety pins. Navarro was asked to give a gift to help purchase new band uniforms.

 

“That’s how I got started; a small gift long ago that I’ve continued each year,” Navarro said. “Now, I feel like part of the band family. By helping K-State, I just feel purposeful!”

 

Navarro’s band-inspired giving now includes the Navarro Marching Band Percussion Leaders Scholarship, which financially helps student section leaders as they devote their time and energy to the Pride of Wildcat Land. Working with the KSU Foundation, Navarro provides annual gifts — scholarships available today — and has created a plan that will build an endowment through a deferred gift.

 

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