HomeNewsAt K-StateJune 2017

At K-State

June 2017

General

Graduation

K-State celebrates spring 2017 graduates, presents honorary doctorate

Nearly 3,000 Kansas State University students earned degrees in May, closing one chapter in their lives and opening another. Although they end their time on campus as students, they are welcomed into the K-State alumni family.

 

Grad giftThe 2017 graduates are part of the 150th class to graduate from K-State since the first class graduated in 1867. The K-State Alumni Association partners with the colleges to provide all new graduates with a complimentary one-year membership to the Alumni Association. The Alumni Association also presents undergraduates with a business card holder and graduate students with a lapel pin. 

 

During K-State’s spring commencement ceremonies, nearly 2,300 bachelor’s, 570 master’s, about 80 doctorates, 109 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and four associate degrees were awarded. More than 330 students earned their degrees through K-State Global Campus online degree programs.

 

At the Graduate School commencement, 2017 honorary doctorate recipient and National Medal of Science winner Geraldine “Geri” Richmond ’75, ’17 offered several words of wisdom to the students. She encouraged them to take advantage of their K-State education and embrace new opportunities as they begin their careers.

 

“The degree opens doors for you that you cannot imagine at this point, and opportunities yet to become,” she said. “But often, you must play a role in opening those doors too, and creating those opportunities.”

 

Honorary doctorateRichmond’s story is an example of the hardworking, innovative spirit of K-State grads. She worked to help pay her way through college and got an early start in research as an undergrad. She is now presidential chair in science and professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon.

 

“I’m back home,” she said during her commencement address. “Let me say how deeply honored I am to get this honorary degree. It was here at Kansas State University that I developed my love for science that has withstood the test of time and many challenges over all these years.”

 

K-State Alumni Association honors graduates

The K-State Alumni Association celebrated graduation with a variety of events, including Grad Bash, International Graduation Celebration and Multicultural Graduation Celebration (learn more and view photos from the International and Multicultural events).

 

Grad BashAt Grad Bash, students enjoyed free hamburgers and ice cream while listening to live music from the Mikey Needleman Band and snapping photos with Willie the Wildcat.

 

Carina Metzgar, Mound City, Missouri, and Katie Proctor, Manhattan, Kansas, attended Grad Bash. They both came to K-State to study athletic training and said their time at K-State has helped prepare them for their careers ahead. Metzgar plans to earn a master’s in sports psychology while Proctor wants to pursue physical therapy.

 

“I always wanted to go to K-State,” said Metzgar, whose mother and sister also attended K-State. “The family aspect has played a key role.”

 

Proctor agreed. “It’s prepared me really well to work with people in a professional environment,” she said. “The atmosphere here has been awesome.”

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Alumni Center

Meet the new members of the Alumni Association board of directors

The K-State Alumni Association welcomed a new group of members to its board of directors at the annual meeting in June.  

 

Alan Fankhauser ’82, Brookfield, Wisconsin, will serve as the 2017-18 chair, with Sylvia White Robinson ’71, Kansas City, Kansas, serving as chair-elect. Dan Yunk ’71, ’75, ’87, Manhattan, Kansas, is immediate past chair.

 

The five new members of the board will serve four-year terms and will continue to June 2021.

 

Frank Hernandez III

Frank Hernandez III ’92
Houston

Hernandez is the regional sales director for the Spectranetics Corporation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Hernandez was a wide receiver for K-State’s football team and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He is involved with K-State Athletics through Golden Cats and the Ahearn Fund. Additionally, Hernandez is a visiting faculty adviser for the Staley School of Leadership Studies’ Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows. Hernandez is a life member of the Alumni Association. He and his wife, Veronica Gutierrez Hernandez, have three sons: Frank, Christian and Marcus.

Debbie Leckron Miller

Debbie Leckron Miller ’75
Council Grove, Kansas

Miller earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She is a contributing writer for Midwest Living magazine. As a student, she was a member of the K-State Marching Band, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and the editorial staff of the Kansas State Collegian. She and her husband, Bill Miller ’74, are trustees of the KSU Foundation and serve on the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism Advisory Council. Additionally, they are life members of the Association. She also is on the Symphony in the Flint Hills board of directors. They have two daughters, Anna Miller Adams ’10, ’11, Sydney, Australia, and Christina Miller ’12, Kansas City, Missouri.

Jeff Luty

Dr. Jeff Luty ’89
Abilene, Kansas

Luty graduated from K-State with a degree in life sciences. In 1993, he earned his doctor of optometry degree from the University of Houston’s School of Optometry. Luty was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and the original ICAT student board. He has served as president of the Dickinson County K-State Alumni Club. He also is involved with Rotary International and the Great Plains Theater board of directors. He and his wife, Mary Kate Jordan Luty ’91, are life members of the Alumni Association. They have three children: Jordan, Ben and Kate.

Tim Oswalt

Cmdr. Tim Oswalt ’93
Washington, D.C.

Oswalt is the U.S. Naval Attaché to Pakistan at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. He graduated from K-State with a bachelor’s degree in finance and joined the Navy in 1995. As a naval aviator, he has logged over 3,200 flight hours, 374 carrier landings and 141 combat missions. While at K-State, Oswalt was involved with the K-State Crew Team, Student Governing Association, Student Alumni Board and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. He is a life member of the Alumni Association. He also is involved with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Tailhook Association, 4-H and the American Legion. He is married to Lisa Oswalt.

Laura Propp

Laura Propp ’06
San Antonio

Propp earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design. She is a senior communications partner with USAA, and previously worked for K-State as an admissions representative in Texas. While at K-State, she was a member of Student Alumni Board, the K-State Family Day Committee, a New Student Orientation leader, a New Student Services tour guide, and co-founder of the Emerging Green Builders group. Propp is a life member of the Alumni Association and also is involved with the San Antonio Food Bank, Haven for Hope and the United States Tennis Association. She is married to John Carr.

Jack Ayres and Matthew Grosdidier

 

New student representatives joining the board for 2017-18 are Jack Ayres, Overland Park, Kansas, student body president, and Matthew Grosdidier, Lenexa, Kansas, Student Alumni Board president. View a complete list of the current Alumni Association board of directors.

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Multicultural Celebration

Photo gallery: Alumni Association offers International and Multicultural Graduation Celebrations

As part of its graduation activities, the K-State Alumni Association hosted celebrations for international and multicultural graduates, in addition to presenting leadership awards. At these events, students had a chance to enjoy free refreshments and prizes, as well as reflect on their time at Kansas State University.

 

View photos from these events below (all photos by David Mayes ’96). 

 

Sampling food

 

Graduates sample refreshments at the International Graduation Celebration on May 3 at the K-State Alumni Center. 

Celebration

 

International Graduation Celebration is a time for students to share memories from their K-State experience and to recognize their achievements.

Award winners

 

The Alumni Association presented 2017 International Leadership Awards to Tendai Munyanyi, bachelor’s degree in management and leadership studies, Zimbabwe; Syed Asrar Ahmed, master’s degree in mechanical engineering, India; Zayed Ahmed, master’s degree in industrial engineering, India; and Sai Pradeep Medarametla, master’s degree in mechanical engineering, India.

K-State cheer

 

Attendees at the K-State Alumni Association’s Multicultural Graduation Celebration on May 12 show off their K-State pride. 

Student speaker

 

Raquel Ortega speaks during the Multicultural Graduation Celebration. She is a recipient of the Alumni Association’s 2017 Anderson Senior Award for Outstanding Academics. Learn more about the Alumni Association’s other 2017 award recipients. 

Group photo

 

Graduates pause for a group photo during the Multicultural Graduation Celebration, wrapping up their time as students and celebrating their new status as K-State alumni. 

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Wabash fun

Photo gallery: Alumni Association hosts inaugural Wabash CannonBall North Texas

The K-State Alumni Association hosted the inaugural Wabash CannonBall North Texas on May 19 at the Dallas Marriott Las Colinas Hotel — an evening of dining, dancing and donating to support scholarships that will help North Texas-area students attend K-State.

 

Approximately 225 guests attended the first Wabash CannonBall in North Texas. In addition to supporting scholarships, the black-tie gala provided an opportunity for Wildcats to network with K-State administrators and other alumni and friends from the North Texas area, celebrating their purple pride.

 

“K-Staters in North Texas have been incredibly loyal to our university,” said Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, K-State Alumni Association president and CEO. “We are honored to bring the Wabash CannonBall to the region and look forward to helping more students join the Wildcat family and attend K-State.”

 

Thank you to all of our generous Wabash CannonBall North Texas sponsors:

 

Title Sponsor
Carl and Mary Ice

 

Powercat
Scott and Julie Jimison
Doug and Kathy Mann
Charlie and Debbie Morrison

 

Purple and White
Lisa Acosta and Manny Fernandez
American Airlines
The Castañeda Firm/Canterbury Communications
Jan and Charlie Cole
Conrow Commercial Real Estate
Kip and Sheri Hanzlicek
The Lacy Family
Rod and Charlene Lake
Cami Large
Woody and Lynne Leel
Munck Wilson Mandala
Dallas/Ft. Worth Alumni Association co-founders: Pat Sargent, Barbara Kille, Joleen Moden
Qualified Plan Advisors
Marilyn Sullivan Family and Friends
Sims Global Solutions
Doug Weyer
Kay Yates Family and Friends

 

University Sponsored Tables
Office of the President
K-State Alumni Association
K-State Athletics and the Ahearn Fund
KSU Foundation
College of Engineering
College of Business Administration
College of Human Ecology
Parents and Family Association 

 

View some of the photos from the event in gallery below, or learn about how you can be a part of our upcoming Wabash CannonBall galas. 

 

(Photos by Grapevine Photo)

 

Dinner

 

Wabash North Texas guests enjoy a delicious dinner of seared beef tenderloin with jumbo lump crab meat, a baby wedge salad, and ultimate chocolate cake as part of the evening's events.

Walters

 

K-State supporters Shannon Snyder Walters and James Walters pose for a photo with Willie the Wildcat. 

Ices

 

2017 committee chairs, Carl ’79 and Mary Ice ’80, ’88, speak during the gala. View the full list of 2017 Wabash CannonBall North Texas committee members. 

Betts

 

Willie the Wildcat entertains guests at the gala, including Amanda Betts and Aaron Betts ’07. 

Gene Taylor

 

Gene Taylor attends his first Wabash CannonBall as K-State’s new director of athletics.

Dancing

 

Guests dance the night away at Wabash CannonBall North Texas. 

Quinn tweets

 

Thank you to Quinn Barker ’16 (left) for taking over the Alumni Association’s Twitter account to give followers an alumni perspective of attending a Wabash event. (Courtesy photo) 

Checking in guests

 

John ’72, ’74 and Jennifer Miesse check in at Wabash CannonBall North Texas. We hope to see you at a future Wabash CannonBall event! 

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Pete Souza

Pete Souza to receive Alumni Association’s first Alumni Excellence Award

Renowned photographer and Kansas State University alumnus Pete Souza ’06 will be awarded the K-State Alumni Association’s Alumni Excellence Award. He will receive the award at a banquet on Friday, Oct. 13, at the K-State Alumni Center.

 

The Alumni Excellence Award, in its inaugural year, is an annual award recognizing an alumna or alumnus of K-State whose career, service and achievements exemplify the spirit, values and excellence of the university.

 

Souza was the chief official White House photographer for President Barack Obama and director of the White House Photo Office. He also was the official White House photographer for President Ronald Reagan. Additionally, he has worked as an assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University; the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune based in their Washington bureau; and a freelancer for National Geographic.

 

Souza has covered stories all around the world. After the Sept. 11 attacks, he was among the first journalists to cover the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, after crossing the Hindu Kush mountains by horseback in three feet of snow. His photographs have also been published in many other publications, including the covers of Life, Fortune, Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report.

 

He is a native of South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in public communication from Boston University and received his master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from K-State. As a student at K-State, Souza worked as a student photographer shooting photos for the Kansas State Collegian and the Royal Purple. 

 

“We are incredibly honored to present the first Alumni Excellence Award to such an outstanding K-State graduate,” said Michelle Elkins ’87, associate director of awards and special events for the Alumni Association. “Pete Souza’s photography has allowed so many of us to see current events from a perspective we wouldn’t otherwise get to see.”

 

The Alumni Excellence Award is made possible by the generosity of the Curt ’73 and Sherry ’73 Frasier family of Beloit, Kansas. More details about the banquet will be made available in the coming months. Learn more about the Alumni Association’s awards programs or call the K-State Alumni Association at 800-600-ALUM (2586).

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Track cheering

K-State women’s team claims Big 12 track and field title

Although track and field is sometimes viewed as a sport for individuals, that’s not how the Kansas State University team sees it. The Wildcats look at track and field as a true team effort, and that spirit of camaraderie and teamwork paid off for the K-State women as they claimed the program’s first Big 12 Outdoor Championship since 2002.

 

“When it came down to (the final) night, it was a team. And it wasn’t only a team, it was a family that was out there competing and making sure we brought home this title,” K-State junior A’Keyla Mitchell said. “When we know we have to go out and do something, it’s a team sport, it’s not individual anymore. We compete as a team.”

 

The Wildcats totaled 133 points, a school record at the conference meet, to bring home the Big 12 crown. They did so with a youthful surge of scoring. K-State’s freshmen combined for 46 points, while the sophomores collected 34 and the juniors added 38, leaving just four individual points from the seniors.

 

K-State certainly celebrated as a team — dancing, yelling, crying and taking pictures with the program’s third Big 12 outdoor championship trophy. Among current Big 12 schools, only Texas has more women’s outdoor titles than K-State.

 

Track teamFreshman Nina Schultz was recognized as high jump champion and also was named high point scorer of the meet. Junior Janee’ Kassanavoid (hammer throw) and sophomore Shadae Lawrence (discus) both repeated as Big 12 champions. Senior Morgan Wedekind won the 3,000-meter steeplechase for her first conference title.

 

In other Big 12 honors, K-State Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto was unanimously named Women’s Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, and Schultz became the third-straight Wildcat woman named Outstanding Freshman of the Year. On the men’s team, sophomore Brett Neelly won the shot put title.

 

“Championships and awards are a reflection of the efforts of a whole lot of people,” Rovelto said. “Our athletes, coaching staff, support staff and administration should all also be recognized for their efforts this season.”

 

Other K-State Athletics recognition in the Big 12

K-State’s sports medicine department has been honored as the Big 12 Conference Sports Medicine Staff of the Year. The award is the second in department history, after also being recognized in 2004. K-State’s department is made up of nine full-time athletic trainers as well as five graduate assistant athletic trainers. The Wildcats also employ a full-time sports nutritionist who oversees two graduate assistants, as well as a full-time director of sport psychology. Services provided to student-athletes by the department include preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions.

 

K-State also has seen success in rowing. A gritty performance by a Third Varsity Eight boat made up of eight underclassmen and one senior helped guide the K-State women’s rowing team to a third-place finish for the first time since the 2015 season at the Big 12 Championship. K-State finished the two-day competition with 92 total points. The score is the Wildcats’ highest point total since finishing with 112 in 2014.

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Join in June

Join in June and get a clear stadium bag!

Join the K-State Alumni Association in June, and you’ll receive a free clear stadium bag!

 

This Join in June offer is available to new members and annual members who upgrade to a three-year or lifetime membership. 

 

The bags are stadium regulation and can be used at K-State Athletics facilities and other facilities that require a clear bag. The offer is available through June 30, while supplies last.

 

In addition to the clear bag offer, as a member of the Alumni Association you’ll receive a variety of great benefits throughout the year, including the quarterly K-Stater magazine, annual wall calendar, 10 percent K-State Campus Store discount and more.

 

You also can take advantage of this special upcoming offer from K-State Athletics: Alumni Association members can purchase a football ticket combo package for the Charlotte (Sept. 9) and Oklahoma (Oct. 21 – Homecoming) games for just $75. Available June 19-21 only, while supplies last (June 19 online for Association members who also are members of the Ahearn Fund; June 20 online only; and June 21 in person and by phone). Call 800-221-CATS for more information.

 

Learn more about becoming a member of the K-State Alumni Association.

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Good for You magazine

Good for K-State magazine — K-State going above and beyond 

Philanthropic gifts to K-State make a difference every day in the lives of faculty and students.

 

The spring issue of Good for K-State magazine shares stories of how Kansas State University goes above and beyond for K-State students, from their first day to their last. You’ll also learn how the K-State Proud campaign has instilled a culture of philanthropy on campus and in young alumni. Discover how farmers’ gifts of grain advance K-State, and meet the new K-State Medal of Excellence honorees. Learn about the Innovation and Inspiration Campaign raising $1.4 billion for K-State and how you can make a difference.  

 

Read more

 

K-State hosts young African leaders with support from philanthropy

Young African Leaders InitiativeThe K-State family is growing globally more than ever before, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In the summer of 2016, the Staley School of Leadership Studies, in partnership with the Office of International Programs, hosted 24 of Africa’s brightest emerging civic leaders for a six-week academic and leadership institute.

 

Out of 40,000-plus applicants, these young leaders were among 1,000 selected to receive the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). They were chosen because of their accomplishments in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations, institutions, communities and countries.

 

K-State was one of a select group of institutions who hosted fellows in 2016 and has been selected to host another group of fellows this summer.

 

“Leadership is a thing that is talked about a lot but not very well understood. Leadership is the one single item, I believe, that has the most impact for making change,” said Dave Everitt.

 

Dave ’75 and Ellie ’73 Everitt, both K-State graduates, fund the endowment that enabled the Staley School of Leadership Studies to fulfill the YALI application requirement of providing matching funds to the grant award.

 

Read more

 

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Agriculture

Ag Honors

College recognizes outstanding seniors

Thirteen outstanding seniors were recognized for their leadership and achievements at the College of Agriculture Honors Reception on May 12 at the K-State Alumni Center. They represent the broad scope of organizations, majors, internships, research projects and career paths available to the more than 460 spring 2017 graduates.

 

Agribusiness
Karly Frederick, Alden, Kansas. Organizations: Center for Risk Management Education and Research student fellow, Agricultural Economics/Agribusiness Club, Food for Thought, Agriculture Ambassadors president. Internship: CoBank. Future Plans: Marketing and business intelligence manager with Bucklin Tractor Implement in Pratt, Kansas.

 

Agricultural Communications and Journalism
Audrey Schmitz, Axtell, Kansas, also majored in animal sciences and industry with a dairy emphasis. Organizations: Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow president, secretary and public relations director; Dairy Science Club public relations director; K-State Tap Dance Ensemble. Future Plans: Editor for Progressive Dairyman magazine.

 

Agricultural Economics
Kenan Reeh, McDonald, Kansas. Organizations: Agriculture Student Council student and faculty awards chair, FarmHouse Fraternity, Open House Core Planning Committee chair. Future Plans: Manage 2,200-acre, fifth-generation family farm that produces corn, wheat and grain sorghum.

 

Agricultural Education
Jacob Rutledge, Keene, Kansas. Organizations: Agricultural Education Club president, Animal Science Leadership Academy, Agricultural Education faculty selection committee. Future Plans: Agricultural education teacher/FFA adviser at Beloit High School.

 

Agricultural Technology Management
Ross Niehues, Seneca, Kansas. Organization: ATM Club chairman. Internship: Mid Kansas Coop. Future Plans: Seed salesman with AgReliant Genetics.

 

Agronomy
Erin Bush, Franklin, Indiana. Organizations: Wheat State Agronomy Club vice president; Agronomy Ambassador; soil judging team, placing fourth overall in the 2015 International Soil Judging Contest in Gӧdӧllo, Hungary; Golden Opportunity Scholar through the American Society of Agronomy; undergraduate research project. Future Plans: Master’s degree in agronomy at Kansas State University.

 

Animal Sciences and Industry
Joseph Limbach, Eugene, Missouri. Organizations: 2016 national champion meat animal evaluation team, placing fifth overall; All-American in livestock judging and 2016 reserve national champion livestock judging team. Internships: Graduate research project and three internships. Future Plans: JBS United as a research coordinator for the Frankfort, Indiana, commercial farm.

 

Bakery Science and Management
Gideon Butler-Smith, Overland Park, Kansas. Organization: Bakery Science Club. Internship: Kroger Manufacturing. Future Plans: Full-time position with Kroger Manufacturing in Layton, Utah.

 

Feed Science and Management
Kyle Anderson, Abilene, Kansas. Organizations: Alpha Mu Honorary Grain Science Society, Feed Science Club, committees within the grain science and industry department. Internships: Kent Nutrition Group, Archer Daniels Midland, K-State feed mill operator. Future Plans: Feed equipment manager for Waitt Equipment in Cicero, Indiana.

 

Food Science and Industry
Macy Sherwin, Lenexa, Kansas. Organizations: Food Science Club social chair and president, food science quiz bowl team. Internships: Cargill, K-State Olathe Sensory and Consumer Research Center, student-to-student recruiter for the Food Science Institute. Future Plans: Full-time position with Cargill. 

 

Horticulture
Conner White, Wichita, Kansas. Organizations: Horticulture Club, past national champion in the business management event at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition. Internship: Southern Botanical in Dallas. Future Plans: Southern Botanical professional management team.

 

Milling Science and Management
Ramsey Hundley, Horton, Kansas. Organizations: Milling Science Club secretary and vice president, Grain Elevator and Processing Society and International Association of Operative Millers annual conferences. Internships: Bunge Milling in Atchison, Kansas; Archer Daniels Midland Milling in Chicago, Illinois, and Enid, Oklahoma. Future Plans: Full-time position with ADM in Enid, Oklahoma.

 

Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management
Jared Heiman, Axtell, Kansas. Organizations: Founded Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management Club; Pheasants Forever; Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Future Plans: Pursue a doctor of veterinary medicine degree at Kansas State University.

 

Photo: These outstanding seniors were recognized during the Honors Reception on May 12 at the K-State Alumni Center. Front row (left to right): Jared Heiman, Audrey Schmitz, Erin Bush, Karly Frederick, Macy Sherwin, Conner White. Back row: Ross Niehues, Joseph Limbach, Jacob Rutledge, Gideon Butler-Smith, Ramsey Hundley, Kyle Anderson. Not pictured: Kenan Reeh. (Courtesy photo)

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John Floros

Floros to co-chair National Academies’ study of food and agriculture breakthroughs

Kansas State University will have a prominent role in helping the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine identify compelling future directions for research in food and agriculture.

 

John Floros, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension, and Susan R. Wessler, distinguished professor of genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor, University of California, Riverside, will serve as co-chairs of the academies’ Science Breakthroughs 2030 project.

 

The yearlong study will explore novel scientific approaches suggested by members of the scientific community.

 

Floros and Wessler will lead the strategy development to answer these questions through research:

 

  1. What are the greatest challenges that food and agriculture are likely to face in the coming decades?

  2. What are the greatest foreseeable opportunities for advances in food and agricultural science?

  3. What fundamental knowledge gaps limit the ability of scientists to respond to these challenges as well as take advantage of the opportunities?

  4. What general areas of research should be advanced and supported to fill these knowledge gaps?

 

Special attention will be given to ideas that include aspects of science and engineering not typically associated with food and agriculture. Based on community input, the committee will produce a report describing ambitious and achievable scientific pathways to address major problems and create new opportunities for the food and agriculture system. The Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation and the Foundation on Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) are providing major support for the study.

 

“Given the challenges facing agriculture — from producing more food, to using less land and fewer resources — we need innovation more than ever,” said Thomas Grumbly, president of SoAR, which helped conceive and fund Breakthroughs 2030. “Dr. Wessler and Dr. Floros have excellent reputations, and their backgrounds are ideal for the crucial task ahead.”

 

“I look forward to the leadership of Dr. Wessler and Dr. Floros as co-chairs of this important effort to identify prime areas of scientific opportunity and spur collaboration across disciplines and stakeholder groups,” said Sally Rockey, executive director of FFAR, another major study funder. “I am confident that with these outstanding co-chairs at the helm, Breakthroughs 2030 will result in a compelling scientific vision for the future that incorporates the diverse expertise and innovative approaches being applied to address food and agriculture challenges.”

 

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide expert advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and the world. For more information on the study, visit the Science Breakthroughs 2030 website.

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Architecture, Planning and Design

Katie Kingery-Page

Katie Kingery-Page receives 2017 Treanor HL Faculty Award

Katie Kingery-Page ’06, associate professor in the department of landscape architecture and regional and community planning (LARCP) at Kansas State University, was awarded the 2017 Treanor HL Faculty Award. This award recognizes outstanding efforts by faculty by involving the design profession in the education of students.

 

Kingery-Page is a K-State alumna and licensed landscape architect. After undergraduate education in sculpture at Wichita State University, she studied ecology and art theory through Antioch College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually earned a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from K-State. Prior to teaching, she worked in an interdisciplinary design practice focused on downtown redevelopment.

 

Kingery-Page’s scholarly work explores the value of arts and humanities knowledge for landscape architecture. This inquiry is tested through design outreach, often during community-engaged projects with graduate students. Her interest in participatory design has led to work with communities for aging, with a public school district, and with not-for-profit development and cultural institutions. She is currently deepening her use of ethnographic methods in participatory design and exploring the ethical implications of landscape maintenance and installation practices.

 

“One of Katie’s most impactful activities is her work with professional organizations to teach children about landscape architecture and design,” said Stephanie Rolley ’82, department head and professor for LARCP. “She brings those organizations, people and practices into her classroom on a daily basis. That integration has created tangible benefits to Kansas communities while providing opportunities for students and professionals to research and design together.”

 

Tim de Noble, dean and professor for the College of Architecture, Planning and Design said, “Associate Professor Kingery-Page’s teaching and design research portfolio is full of superb projects leveraging interaction with the design profession, as well as public agencies across Kansas.”

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Arts and Sciences

Books

English department wins awards from Children’s Literature Association 

Kansas State University scholars have been recognized with awards from the Children’s Literature Association.

 

Joe Sutliff Sanders, professor of English, won the organization’s 2017 Article Award for “‘Almost Astronauts’ and the Pursuit of Reliability in Children’s Nonfiction,” which was published in the international quarterly journal Children’s Literature in Education. Sanders’ article considers a conflict in literature written for children between modeling inquiry and presenting authoritative facts. Sanders uses one of the most-decorated recent works of children’s nonfiction to demonstrate the counterintuitive point that when nonfiction tries to be authoritative at all costs, it actually becomes less honest. The article provides the basis of a chapter in Sanders’ book, A Literature of Questions: Nonfiction for the Critical Child, forthcoming in January 2018 from the University of Minnesota Press.

 

“Joe has become a prominent figure in conversations about nonfiction for children, having won a significant grant to study the subject, and then having taught a highly successful course on it at K-State,” said Anne Phillips, professor and associate head of the English department. “I’m not a bit surprised that he has won ChLA’s Article Award for his nonfiction scholarship.”

 

The department also garnered a student award that K-State students have often pursued but have never before won. Emily Allan ’16, a College of Education graduate, wrote the 2017 Honor Essay for the Carol Gay Award in recognition of the best undergraduate article about literature for children. The award is open to any undergraduate writing about literature for young people anywhere in the world. Papers must be written in English and nominated by a member of the association. Allan’s essay, “‘A Dem Fine Woman’: Visual Representation of Beautiful Evil in Narnia,” was nominated by Phillips, who specializes in children’s and adolescent literature.

 

“Emily’s project, originally written last spring for English 725, ‘Film Adaptations of Children’s Classics,’ is original, insightful and compelling. It was a great privilege to work with her on this project,” Phillips said.

 

Allen’s paper drew from extensive research on the award-winning British illustrator Pauline Baynes and applied the visual theories of Molly Bang and William Moebius, leading theorists of illustration, to explain how Baynes’ work in C.S. Lewis’ classic Narnia novels “creates a visual representation of female power.” The essay also assesses the visual representation of the White Witch in the 2005 feature film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

 

K-State also claims a portion of a research award. Sara Austin ’12, who received her Master of Arts in English from K-State, received a Beiter Graduate Student Research Grant. Austin is now a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut.

 

Awardees will be honored at the annual ChLA conference on June 24 in Tampa, Florida.

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Sierra Leki

K-State student receives Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship 

Kansas State University’s Sierra Lekie, senior in economics and political science, Lenexa, Kansas, is one of 20 students selected nationally for a 2017 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship with the U.S. State Department.

 

The fellowship, administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, provides up to $37,500 annually for a two-year master’s degree in foreign service-related fields.

 

“When I first met Sierra as a senior in high school, she indicated that she aspired to become a foreign service officer,” said Jim Hohenbary, director of the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships. “Her receipt of the Pickering Fellowship is really a reflection of her determined pursuit of that goal over the last four years and it is exciting to know that the Pickering will help her toward a career in international diplomacy.”

 

Fellows participate in one domestic internship at the U.S. State Department and one overseas internship at a U.S. embassy; receive mentoring from foreign service officers in the State Department; and after completing a master’s degree, are expected to become foreign service officers.

 

“This fellowship will allow me to fulfill my dream of becoming a foreign service officer,” Lekie said. “For more than six years, it has been my dream to work for the State Department by serving as a diplomat at embassies around the world.”

 

Lekie said that the process of becoming a foreign service officer is difficult because candidates must pass several different stages, including a written exam and oral assessment. If they fail any section, they must wait one year before starting the entire process again. Lekie will start at the School of International Service at American University in fall 2017.

 

“The Pickering Fellowship will provide me with the graduate education, mentorship and professional experiences necessary to succeed in becoming a foreign service officer,” Lekie said. “This dream is now a reality.”

 

In addition to her double major, Lekie is working on a secondary major in international studies and minors in Spanish and statistics.

 

At K-State, Lekie has been active in the Student Alumni Board, Blue Key Senior Honor Society and the Economics Club. She also has been involved in the Student Governing Association, the College of Arts and Sciences Ambassadors, Model United Nations, Silver Key Sophomore Honorary and Quest Freshman Honorary. She was a 2015 Harry S. Truman Scholarship nominee and a 2014 Cargill Global Scholar. Lekie is a 2013 graduate of Shawnee Mission West High School.

 

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Business Administration

Andrea Labiste Teme

Andrea Labiste Teme earns Outstanding Senior Award 

Andrea Labiste Teme, a May 2017 bachelor’s candidate in general management and operations and supply chain management with a minor in French, Encarnación, Paraguay, is the Kansas State University College of Business Administration’s Outstanding Senior in Business for spring 2017.

 

The award is presented each semester to a graduating senior who has made notable contributions to the college.

 

The list of Labiste Teme’s accomplishments as an undergraduate are extensive. She was selected for the college’s 2017 Mentee of the Year Award, which recognizes the student who models the expectations of the Executive Mentor Program — initiative, good communication and the drive to develop oneself professionally. In addition to her degree, she has earned the Professional Strategic Selling Certificate and the Professional Advantage Certification from the college.

 

While an undergraduate, she has been an excellent ambassador for the college and an exceptional student scholar. She served as a Business Ambassador, a Sales Ambassador, an undergraduate research assistant and the secretary of the Global Supply Chain Club. She was chair of the Open House committee for the college, and is a member of both the Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Societies.

  

She has been active in the National Strategic Selling Institute’s Sales Cat team, taking part in numerous competitive sales competitions, and earning first place at the Frito Lay Sales Competition. She has also served as a Sales Teacher Assistant. She was recognized as one of the top 10 students in the sales program in 2017.

 

A native of Paraguay who speaks five languages, she has been an authentic and exemplary advocate for diversity in the college and at K-State, serving as an International Student Representative on the Diversity Programming Committee. 

 

“I’ve really enjoyed meeting and working with great people here at K-State as well as exploring and being a part of so many of the great programs we have available here in the College of Business,” Labiste Teme said. “As an international student from South America, I felt it was important to get involved as much as possible to take advantage of my time here.”

 

Following graduation, she will return to Paraguay where she will put her language skills to use in international sales for her family business with her parents, Oscar Labiste and Rossana Teme. After a few years in the workforce, she plans to go back to school to obtain a master’s degree somewhere in Europe.

 

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Sales Ambassadors

National Strategic Selling Institute named one of the nation’s top sales programs for sixth straight year 

For the sixth consecutive year, the National Strategic Selling Institute in Kansas State University’s College of Business Administration has been named one of the top sales programs in the country by the Sales Education Foundation.

 

“We are so excited to be named one of the top universities in sales for the sixth year in a row,” said Dawn Deeter, director of the National Strategic Selling Institute. “This achievement is a testament to our innovative sales curriculum and our outstanding K-State students.”

 

The institute features a curriculum focused on the application of selling skills through role-playing and real sales experience. This spring semester, for example, students were able to prospect and make sales calls to sell tickets and find items for the institute’s benefit auction, an event to raise money for the NSSI Sales Cup Merit Awards for outstanding students.

 

The institute sponsors the college’s sales team, which takes part in national sales competitions across the country with other top collegiate sales programs. The institute also organizes K-State Sales Week, an annual event featuring workshops, competitions and networking sessions to develop students’ sales skills and expose them to careers in sales, and other competitions throughout the year.

 

The program has seen a huge demand for graduates who have earned their certificate in professional strategic selling, with more than 30 companies who actively recruit students at the institute’s annual sales career fair. In fact, students who earn their certificate have a 100 percent job placement rate following graduation.

 

“I receive phone calls weekly from companies searching for great sales talent,” Deeter said. “Studies have shown that almost 50 percent of students will be doing some type of sales in their first job out of college, so a student who graduates from our program really has a leg up on the competition.”

 

The certificate program is open to all majors at the university, and allows students to distinguish themselves by demonstrating professionalism and competency in selling skills. Learn more about earning a certificate.

 

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Education

GPU pennant

Be part of history with this year’s Grandparents University class 

Be part of K-State history and register for this year’s Grandparents University, or GPU, the on-campus adventure for people who love K-State and a tween.

 

Celebrating its fifth anniversary, GPU offers a unique opportunity for grandparents (or aunts, uncles and great friends) to spend time together in a meaningful and fun way with children between the ages of 8-12. This year’s GPU is set for July 30-Aug. 1.

 

The tentative schedule includes activities at several colleges, including education, architecture and engineering. Got an itch to see the insect zoo? Now’s your chance. Always wanted to learn how to tap dance? Double tap on this link and complete the registration form. The cost is $250 per adult and $200 per child, which includes meals and lodging in dorms.

 

For more information, including the schedule, FAQs and registration details, please visit the website. Or, contact GPU coordinator Anthony Ho at gpu@ksu.edu or 785-532-6041.

 

See you at GPU!

 

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Force for Good

K-Staters are a #Force4GoodKS 

The Kansas State Department of Education launched a year-long campaign to promote teaching, and one of the profession’s most ardent supporters, College of Education Dean Debbie Mercer ’84, ’88, ’96, ’99, played a leading role.

 

“Be a Force for Good” was the brainchild of KSDE’s Professional Standards Board, which Mercer chairs. The effort was created to address issues identified in the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Teacher Supply and Retention, and the board opted develop a new website, EducateKansas.org, and social media posts with the hashtag #Force4GoodKS.

 

The website offers detailed information about the pathways to becoming a teacher, and the social media posts are designed to offer a new narrative about education and teaching. Some posts and videos are lighthearted, others are touching.

 

“This campaign was designed to celebrate the great teachers we have in Kansas, share their successes and attract the best and brightest to the profession,” Mercer said. “Quite often others define our profession and that’s only possible as long as our voices aren’t part of the discussion.”

 

Mercer explained many people with all levels of expertise shaped the campaign but identified a few individuals whose input was substantial.

 

“This could not have happened without the talent and commitment of many professionals who support education in Kansas,” Mercer said. “I’d like to personally thank my fellow board members on the Professional Standards Board for their vision and support and extend my sincerest gratitude to KSDE’s experienced staff members Scott Myers ’87, ’10, Denise Kahler and Ann Bush for adeptly taking on this demanding new project. I would also like to thank the College of Education’s Rusty Earl and Patrice Scott ’88, ’90 for their creative contributions.”

 

Mercer hopes the videos and social media posts go viral and encourages those in the profession and all Kansans interested in education to be a force for good and share the messages. Please join the initiative and use #Force4GoodKS in related posts.

 

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Carl R. Ice College of Engineering

Stacy Hutchinson

Fulbright experience expands professor’s global perspective 

Stacy Hutchinson ’96, ’98, Kansas State University professor of biological and agricultural engineering, recently spent five weeks in Dnipro, Ukraine, as a participant in the Fulbright Specialist Program.

 

Hosted by the National Mining University, Hutchinson shared technical engineering expertise on surface hydrology, and watershed assessment and management to students and interested faculty. She also conducted teaching workshops on active learning techniques, assessment, engineering accreditation and curriculum design.

 

“I was able to participate in a mining forum with faculty from across Ukraine and Europe, as well as several meetings on campus with visiting faculty from European universities,” Hutchinson said. “I also visited and spoke at a local lyceum, or high school, on water and water security.”

 

Hutchinson said she received good feedback during her stay from both students and faculty, and believes she made a significant impact on the university.

 

“I was able to give the technical students some different ideas about environmental quality and methods for potentially realizing these changes in Ukraine,” she said. “I assisted many students with learning English, and also helped show how the U.S. engineering accreditation process could assist Ukraine in connecting education and industry, as well as improve academic mobility for its students.”

 

By sharing American culture, education, ideals and friendship, Hutchinson believes she showed a very positive side of America and even helped to “make the world a little bit smaller.”

 

As part of a continuing collaboration with the Fulbright project, Hutchinson is currently working on a NATO Science for Peace and Security research proposal with three research faculty at the National Mining University.

 

“There are several topics of interest within our group, and we plan to search for appropriate funding to realize the work and continue our collaboration,” Hutchinson said.

 

“I am also in contact with the English language department there and will continue to assist with language training as a native speaker a few times a semester using Skype. We also are exploring ways to connect different departments at Kansas State and National Mining University, to include the English language program and physical education department.”

 

Hutchinson plans to continue professional relationships with faculty there in English, ecology, hydrogeology and mathematics. She also is working to connect the lyceum with a local environmental education group to help U.S. students learn more about global environmental issues, while assisting Ukrainian students in English studies.

 

“One of my favorite things about working and traveling abroad,” she said, “is realizing how similar we are across the globe — basic life needs do not change, basic education does not change. Exploring the differences is what I truly enjoy — the teaching styles and methods, the work day, the food, the grocery store.

 

“This trip was amazing for expanding my beliefs about people. I was treated very well and the people were happy to share their city, their culture, their thoughts and their hopes. I learned a lot about Ukraine — the wonderful people, their need for better leadership and their great desire to create a more prosperous country. I definitely feel like I increased my cultural competence and moved toward being a global citizen.”

 

Hutchinson joined the faculty in the biological and agricultural engineering department in 2000. Her areas of research focus include the use of vegetated systems for mitigation of nonpoint source pollution, development of sustainable stormwater and land management techniques, and remediation of contaminated soil and water.

 

She completed her master’s and doctoral degrees at K-State, and her bachelor’s degree from Montana State University, all in civil engineering.

 

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John Hatcliff

Computer science team awarded grant to aid in innovative medical care for the military 

Computer scientists at Kansas State University are partnering with Adventium Labs in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to develop tools for modeling and evaluating the safety and security of a new breed of app-based medical systems.

 

Funded by a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research award of $999,974 from the U.S. Department of Defense, the tools will help support the U.S. government’s vision of providing innovative medical care for soldiers in the field as well as improving healthcare outcomes at lower cost for the general U.S. population.

 

Heading the research is John Hatcliff ’94, university distinguished professor of computer science, along with Robby ’04, and Eugene Vasserman, computer science professor and associate professor, respectively.

 

“This project enables K-State researchers to work with innovative medical companies around the world to potentially commercialize technology developed in the College of Engineering over the last eight years,” Hatcliff said.

 

The medical systems addressed in “Methodologies and Tools for Securing Medical Device Systems in Integrated Clinical Environments” allow suites of medical monitoring and therapeutic devices to be flexibly configured and controlled by software apps to target patient needs with greater precision and effectiveness.

 

“We anticipate the project will establish a commercialization pathway for computer-based modeling tools that will aid companies in assuring the safety and security of novel interoperable medical systems,” Hatcliff said. “Such systems will significantly reduce the burden of bringing innovative medical solutions to market.”

 

The U.S. Congress created the Small Business Innovation Research program in 1982. It requires 11 eligible governmental agencies, with extramural research budgets of more than $100 million, to set aside a percentage of their budget to fund domestic small businesses engaging in research and development that has a strong potential for technology commercialization.

 

The grant process is highly competitive, with only about 15 percent of submitted applications being funded.

 

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Human Ecology

Edward Jones portfolio

Personal financial planning undergraduates win Edward Jones challenge 

Kansas State University students in George Belin’s PFP482 Investments II course participated in a challenge set forth by Edward Jones, an investment company. Edward Jones is piloting a program out of its St. Louis office and because of K-State connections, wanted personal financial planning students at the university to take on the challenge.

 

Belin’s class included eight undergraduate students, whom he split into two teams of four. Each team was given a packet that contained a fictitious scenario that detailed a married couple with one child in college and included a listing of the couple’s assets and financial goals. The student teams worked on developing an executive summary for the couple, in context of the couple’s future goals, as well as a personal portfolio.

 

Local Edward Jones professionals, D.C. Hackerott and Catherine McKinley, visited Belin’s investments class to review the student teams’ portfolio presentations and declared the team with the best portfolio winners of the challenge. Personal financial planning seniors Josh Harper, Courtney Hoffman, Dayton Schmalzried and junior Aubrianna Graham were on the winning team.

 

“This challenge allowed us to piece together many of the specifics that we’re learning about in class and I have discovered more about my personal investment philosophy,” said Harper, a member of the winning student team. “Being able to speak through our plan with professional advisers was extra helpful because they see these scenarios every day.”

 

The Investments II course covers so much pertinent information — including how stocks work, investment options, bonds and portfolio options — that the course is now two courses. Students who participated in the portfolio challenge are in the second course, having taken the first course, also taught by Belin, in the fall.

 

“Projects like the Edward Jones Portfolio Challenge allow the students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-life situations,” Belin said. “The more hands-on skills the students can develop during their time in school, the better prepared they are for their financial planning careers.”

 

These personal financial planning majors also were excited to be involved in a project in which they could be creative in developing a portfolio and know that their research and work would be critiqued by actual Edward Jones’ advisers, who spend their careers managing finances. These students reiterate that the final presentation to the advisers definitely brought another layer of competition to the challenge.

 

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Terrie McCants and Nancy O'Conner

McCants and O’Conner bring home the Acorn Award 

Terrie R. McCants, conflict resolution program director and clinical associate professor, and Nancy O’Conner ’85, director of the K-State Family Center Clinic and clinical associate professor, received the Acorn Award from Heartland Mediators Association on April 7.

 

The Acorn Award is presented to honor members of the Heartland Mediators Association who have contributed extensively to the field of mediation and to the association. McCants and O’Conner were recognized for their roles in conceptualizing and then implementing Riley-Geary Domestic Mediation Services at K-State.

 

“Terrie and I were surprised and honored by the recognition from Heartland Mediators Association. Mediation is such an important service to provide for families who navigate divorce — often a painful process,” O’Conner said. “Riley-Geary Domestic Mediation Services also provides for the development of future mediators with state-approved mediators who mentor, support and are committed to meeting the needs of both the student mediators and families.”

 

Riley-Geary Domestic Mediation Services helps parents make sound decisions regarding the co-parenting of their children. The goal of third party mediation is to provide children the opportunity to develop and maintain positive relations with each of their parents, post-divorce, through the development of a mutually acceptable parenting plan. Mediators assist parents through helping define key issues, clarify communications and develop possible alternatives or solutions.

 

In summer 2013, McCants and O’Conner identified three distinct community needs: affordable, quality domestic mediation services; a process to locally educate experienced, state-approved mediators; and the ability to provide K-State students in conflict resolution with hands-on learning opportunities. A pilot domestic mediation program was initiated through a collaboration between the Kansas Supreme Court’s Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution, the judges in the 21st and 8th judicial districts; and K-State conflict resolution faculty. The success of the pilot in the first year resulted in a unanimous decision to move it forward with permanent status as Riley-Geary Domestic Mediation Services.

 

Heartland Mediators Association is a not-for-profit organization that brings together individuals in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and surrounding states who share a common interest in mediation as an alternate form of dispute resolution.

 

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Technology and Aviation

Flight Team

Flight Team soars at nationals with several top 10 individual finishes, places 13th overall 

The flight team on the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has landed several individual awards and an overall 13th place finish after competing at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association, or NIFA, Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference, or SAFECON, National Championship.

 

Held May 9-14 this year at Ohio State University, the annual competition brings together the top collegiate aviation teams from across the country to battle it out in a variety of tests both on the ground and in the air. Competing against 27 other colleges and universities made up of more than 250 aviators, the Kansas State Polytechnic Flight Team scored four top 10 awards in individual events: first in message drop, third in certified flight instructor, third in instrument simulated flight and eighth in crew resource management/line oriented flight training. Additionally, the team placed 13th overall and senior Chris Messing won Regional Top Pilot.

 

“I am impressed by the dedication and perseverance of each member of the flight team to do their best during nationals and am inspired by the way in which they supported one another from practice to competition,” said Ben Jaffee, flight team faculty adviser and senior assistant chief flight instructor at Kansas State Polytechnic. “The flight team represented the university well and while many of them took home honors, they all improved their aviation knowledge and skills and got a chance to meet and network with the next generation of aviation professionals.”

 

In October 2016, the Kansas State Polytechnic Flight Team placed third in their region at NIFA SAFECON, which secured their place at nationals. The team will now reconvene when the fall semester begins and hold tryouts for the 12 open spots. Jaffee says it is not a requirement for students to be a professional pilot major in order to make the team.

 

“Any student enrolled in a four-year degree program is welcome to join the team – a passion for aviation and aircraft can go a long way on ground events, and to compete in flight events, students need to hold at least a private pilot certificate.”

 

Along with competing annually, flight team members also use their club as a 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 All-University Open House and Candy Canes and Airplanes. The group also conducts two aviation camps for kids and one for high school students in the summer.

 

The Kansas State Polytechnic Flight Team’s individual events and placings at the 2017 NIFA SAFECON National Championship are as follows:

 

Kansas

Nicholas Terrapin, junior, Alma, first in message drop, eighth in the crew resource management/line oriented flight training event, 45th in navigation, 75th in aircraft recognition, 104th in power-off landing, 105th in short field landing and 108th in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation; Caleb Strahm, freshman, Sabetha, 35th in power-off landing, 38th in message drop, 39th in ground trainer, 45th in navigation, 79th in computer accuracy and 107th in short field landing; Brendan Borcherding, sophomore, Salina, 68th in computer accuracy, 93rd in message drop, 104th in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation and 109th in power-off landing; Chris Messing, senior, Wichita, eighth in the crew resource management/line oriented flight training event, 14th in power-off landing, 25th in ground trainer, 33rd in the aircraft preflight inspection event, 55th in navigation, 70th in short field landing, 96th in aircraft recognition and 115th in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation; and Maddie Perry, sophomore, Wichita, 38th in message drop and 55th in navigation.

 

Out-of-state:

Jacob Mitchell, junior, Foxfield, Colorado, third in the certified flight instructor event, 36th in the aircraft preflight inspection event, 64th in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation, 65th in short field landing, 66th in navigation, 81st in computer accuracy and 93rd in message drop; Jason Rohlf, freshman, Tipton, Iowa, 37th in aircraft recognition; Brian Kimani, freshman, Middle River, Maryland, 69th in message drop; Christopher Pennington, senior, El Paso, Texas, first in message drop, 35th in aircraft recognition; Christopher Jansen, sophomore, The Woodlands, Texas, third in the instrument simulated flight event, 64th in computer accuracy, 102nd in aircraft recognition; and Matthew Katzke, junior, Waukesha, Wisconsin, 66th in navigation, 69th in message drop, 82nd in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation and 97th in computer accuracy.

 

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

 

Photo: Members of the Kansas State Polytechnic Flight Team who competed at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association SAFECON National Championship pose with their individual awards, from left: Christopher Pennington, Christopher Jansen, Matthew Katzke, Maddie Perry, Nicholas Terrapin, Jacob Mitchell, Caleb Strahm, Chris Messing, Brendan Borcherding, Brian Kimani and Jason Rohlf. (Courtesy photo)

 

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Michael Wilson

Student competes in first-ever collegiate drone racing competition 

The list for unmanned aircraft applications continues to grow — the technology is now being utilized as a racing sport and a student from the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has participated in the first-ever collegiate competition.

 

Michael Wilson, a junior in the unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, flight and operations degree option, Iola, Kansas, was the only student from the state of Kansas to be selected for the inaugural Collegiate Drone Racing National Championship held April 15 at Purdue University. Representing Kansas State Polytechnic, he joined nearly 50 other UAS pilots from schools across the country battling it out on a complex obstacle course. The national competition was hosted by Purdue University’s student drone club, who wanted to create an event that promotes UAS education, and featured more than $15,000 worth of equipment and prizes for the winner.

 

Wilson says each participant was required to build the unmanned aircraft that was being raced. In each of the heats, the pilots flew around the course using first-person view — cameras mounted on the aircraft to see where they were going — attempting to score as many laps as possible in two minutes. The top 16 pilots with the most laps moved on to the finals, which a student from Georgia Tech eventually won.

 

Though Wilson didn’t bring home the national championship title, one of his professors, Christopher Senn, says he is “hands-down one of the best UAS flight instructors at Kansas State Polytechnic.” Students can act as a flight instructor for other UAS students once receiving a certain rating.

 

“Michael holds an extensive amount of knowledge in unmanned aircraft systems and is one of my top students,” Senn said. “Every chance he gets, he is outside flying his aircraft, and as a flight instructor, he has successfully taught a number of other students how to proficiently operate multirotor unmanned aircraft in a safe manner.”

 

After graduation next year, Wilson plans to work either as a UAS test pilot for various industries or as a UAS pilot performing inspections.

 

To learn more about Kansas State Polytechnic’s UAS academic degree options, contact the option coordinator, Michael Most at 785-826-2681 or mtmost@ksu.edu. For professional UAS training offerings, contact the campus’s professional education and outreach office at 785-826-2633 or profed@k-state.edu. To inquire about UAS opportunities with the campus’s Applied Aviation Research Center, contact Kurt Carraway, UAS executive director of the center, at 785-826-7170 or kcarraway@k-state.edu.

 

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Veterinary Medicine

Surgery saves dog

Emergency tracheal surgery at Veterinary Health Center saves dog after suspected wildlife attack 

Logan Craghead faced one of the worst dilemmas a pet owner might encounter: another animal had attacked his dog. Quick action led Ace, a black Labrador mix, to the Veterinary Health Center at Kansas State University, where emergency surgery was needed for injuries to his neck.

 

Craghead had recently moved to Manhattan, Kansas, where he started a new job as coordinator of partnership services for K-State Sports Properties. Ace had been living temporarily at his parents’ home outside of Alma, Kansas, while Craghead was getting settled into his apartment.

 

One cold evening in January, after arriving home from work and calling for the family’s four dogs, Craghead’s mother discovered that Ace was hobbling and was covered in blood. A local veterinarian determined the dog had been attacked and had a very bad bite wound to his throat.

 

Ace was taken to emergency services at the Veterinary Health Center, where he was seen by interns and emergency clinicians who then called in Dr. Megan Wilson, a small animal surgery resident.

 

“[Ace] had some injuries that made us suspicious he had a torn trachea,” Wilson recalled. “We elected to anesthetize him and explore the wounds he had on his neck to see if we could find the tracheal tear. We sutured the area around the tear and sewed him back up and put some drains in.”

 

Ace was kept in the Veterinary Health Center’s Intensive Care Unit to recover, where he received around-the-clock care. He became very popular and well-known with veterinary students and staff during his stay, but his recovery was tentative.

 

“He did okay for a few days, but then unfortunately like a lot of bite wounds do, it declared itself,” Wilson said. “We didn’t see the full extent of the damage the first day — and it got worse.”

 

Wilson said another procedure was necessary. “We actually took out part of his trachea and sutured it back together,” she said. “Then we had to manage his wounds open. After several days, we are able to go back in and close all the wounds for him.”

 

Craghead had originally thought that leaving Ace with parents would be completely safe, but he admitted there may have been some unforeseen risks at the family farm.

 

“We’ve seen coyotes run around,” Craghead said. “They try to chase down cattle and lure dogs out, so there’s definitely plenty of wildlife in the area that could have done this.”

 

Charlie Lee, wildlife control specialist with K-State Research and Extension, said coyotes and other animals are known for attacking pets.

 

“When domestic dogs come close to those den sites, then they may get chased off or attacked or killed,” Lee said. “Coyotes are predators and they are competitors with others for food and space, and they look at a domestic dog as competition.”

 

Fortunately Ace’s injuries were treated in time. After a long recovery, he was able to move back in with his owner.

 

“Now he’s full of energy and back to his normal self,” Craghead said. “He’s getting a little ornery, but he’s doing well.

 

Photo: Dr. Valerie Head, a 2017 DVM graduate, sits with Ace in the ICU at the Veterinary Health Center. Ace required multiple surgeries to repair a severe tear in his trachea. (Courtesy photo)

 

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Signing ceremony

New agreement will bring Taiwanese students to K-State for pre-veterinary studies 

The U.S.-China Center for Animal Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine has announced the signing of an historic agreement with National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan for a pre-veterinary studies program that will bring Taiwanese students to Kansas State University.

 

The agreement was signed in conjunction with the 8th Joint Symposium of Veterinary Research among Universities of Veterinary Medicine in East Asia and Pacific, which was held at the National Chung Hsing campus in Taichung.

 

Dr. Tammy Beckham, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, was invited as the keynote speaker for the symposium.

 

“This was a tremendous honor to speak at the symposium,” Beckham said. “There were students and young scholars and faculty from approximately 20 different universities and 10 different Asian countries who attended. We are extremely grateful for the relationships we have built with our partners in China, and now, in Taiwan. We look forward to being able to bring new students to Kansas State University, enriching our academic environment and helping to build animal health leaders for a new global community.”

 

The pre-veterinary studies program with Taiwan is similar to the U.S.-China Joint Doctor of Veterinary Medicine that is already underway at K-State. The main difference is that selected Taiwanese students will attend K-State for two years of pre-veterinary studies, instead of one year for Chinese students, after which the students may apply for admission into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree program.

 

During the meeting in Taiwan, representatives in the Joint DVM Program interviewed and selected four prospective students. The selected students, who will start attending K-State this fall, must maintain a 3.4 grade point average to remain in the program.

 

“We are very excited for this opportunity to expand our educational program to include students from Taiwan,” said Dr. Peggy Schmidt, associate dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Veterinary medicine is rapidly becoming a global community. These students will enhance our learning environment by connecting individuals from different cultures and countries around the common goal of learning how to improve the health and welfare of animals.”

 

Each student interview lasts about 45 minutes, giving each member of the interview team a chance to ask questions designed to help identify the students who will have the best chance of succeeding in one of the DVM degree programs at K-State. The interview team was led by Dean Beckham and Dr. Jishu Shi ’95, director of the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health, who were joined by Associate Dean Schmidt and Lei Wang ’95, manager of education programs for the U.S.-China Center.

 

Photo: Dean Tammy Beckham shakes hands with Fuh-Sheng Shieu, president of National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan after signing an agreement for a cooperative degree program with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. They are joined by Jane Lu, dean of the Office International Affairs, and Dr. Chi-Chung Chous, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at National Chung Hsing University. (Courtesy photo)

 

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