As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact lives around the globe, Kansas State University is maintaining a limited operations status in compliance with state and national guidelines. 

Although students may not be present on campus right now, the university is carrying on the land-grant tradition of providing an accessible education and bettering the community. Students are learning through online classes, and faculty and staff are finding creative ways to work remotely.

K-State provost and executive vice president Chuck Taber announced that the university has made the decision to continue remote teaching and learning for intersession and summer school 2020 sessions. All K-State summer school courses on all campuses will be online. Recognizing the financial challenges facing students and families, the university also is significantly reducing online fees for summer school undergraduate and graduate courses this year. Learn more

The university also will extend its limit on face-to-face campus gatherings until at least July 31. The university is forming a special work group to develop a phased-in plan for the resumption of in-person activities. The group will develop timelines for key activities, including classes, research and events. Key factors in the reopening process will include the scope of the pandemic, the availability of widespread testing, and recommendations from federal, state and local health officials.

“Protecting the health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff, and our host communities remain top priorities,” Taber said. “We are hopeful that in the coming months, restrictions to in-person gatherings will be gradually lifted and our campuses will resume normal operations by the fall. We are all looking forward to having our students and the entire K-State family back on our campuses. Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other and stay #kstatestrong.”

Read on for a summary of other news updates related to K-State and COVID-19:
 

Educating online

The university has announced a new A/Pass/Fail course grading option to help with the complications of moving to online operations. Students will have until May 8 to decide how they want to be graded for each course they are taking for the spring 2020 semester. The confidential option is to have a course graded by a letter grade or by the pass/fail system. Learn more

K-State faculty members also have successfully adapted to teaching remotely during this time of quarantine.

“Teaching from home is working well,” reports Mo Hosni, professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering and the Charles and Nona Frankenhoff chair in engineering. “I have had no technology problems thus far, student attendance is great and they are participating well. The time and effort I am putting into this course now are probably more than lecturing in the classroom, but again, student learning has been and continues to be my No. 1 priority. I am happy to do whatever it takes to help them master the material.”

Meanwhile, K-State journalism and mass communications students are learning valuable lessons about communicating in times of crises. With the university’s move to limited on-campus operations, the Kansas State Collegian staff recently relaunched the student newspaper’s online newsletter. It is posted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, which were the paper’s regular print days. The Collegian has been running a feature series that spotlights how the pandemic is affecting individual students, including a first-generation student, an international student, a student from China, a graduating senior, a job-hunting student and others who have found ways to cope.

“Technology is helping us a lot right now,” said editor-in-chief Kaylie McLaughlin, junior in journalism and mass communications. “We have weekly full editorial meetings, regular individual meetings and desk specific meetings as needed exclusively using Zoom.”

Helping the community

Area health care organizations are getting custom-made face shields and cloth face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, courtesy of K-State.

College of Architecture, Planning and Design students are 3D-printing face shields, while the Department of Interior Design and Fashion Studies in the College of Health and Human Sciences has teamed up with the K-State Office of Community Relations and Department of Environmental Health and Safety for a project to sew face masks.

The face shields are being made by students in the Digital Fabrication Club, or DigiFab Club. The shields feature the K-State Powercat and the word “K-State.” Based on an open-source design plan, the shields are produced using the college’s 3D-printing and laser-cutting resources. Learn more

K-State faculty members are working at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to help with COVID-19 testing at the department’s laboratory in Topeka, Kansas, and labs and colleges across K-State have contributed more than 60,000 items of critical personal protective equipment, or PPE, to the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and the Riley County Emergency Operations Center to distribute to health care professionals at the state and county levels. The items include 58,500 gloves and nearly 1,600 N95 masks. Other contributions include lab coats, testing equipment and safety goggles. Learn more

The Veterinary Health Center at K-State also remains open to provide care for urgent and emergency animal patients. It also has taken measures to protect the safety of hospital staff and the community by making scheduling adjustments. These adjustments include a drop-off concierge protocol and a new discharge protocol, just to name a few. Learn more

“As the state’s land-grant university, it is K-State’s mission to serve our state, nation and world, so it’s not surprising to see how K-Staters have stepped up to take on this fight,” said Richard Myers ’65, K-State president. “Whether in the lab, helping in the community or connecting people globally, K-State is making a difference.”

Graduation day will be strangely quiet this spring on the Kansas State University campus. 

Students won’t be gathering in auditoriums this May, dressed in their caps and gowns and preparing to receive their diplomas. Families won’t be snapping photos in front of Anderson Hall, celebrating their graduates. Friends won’t get a chance to say goodbye in person before they embark on their new journey as K-State alumni.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to our lives the past several months, including a transition to online learning and the postponement of commencement ceremonies at K-State.

However, while there may not be a traditional commencement ceremony this spring, students will still be graduating and earning their K-State degrees. The traditional commencement ceremony for spring 2020 graduates will be combined with the December 2020 ceremonies scheduled for Dec. 11 and 12 on the Polytechnic and Manhattan campuses.

“The decision to postpone commencement was not one that anyone took lightly,” Chuck Taber, K-State provost and executive vice president, wrote in a letter to the K-State community. “Commencement is both a beginning and an end for our graduates, their families and the university community. Graduates deserve to have a celebration of their achievements and a worthy send-off into the next phase of their life.”

We asked five K-State students to share, in their own words, their thoughts on graduating during a time of uncertainty, as well as their message of hope and encouragement for the class of 2020.
 

Maddy Mash
Major in microbiology, minor in Spanish

What are some of the ways you have been impacted by the university’s limited operations this semester and the COVID-19 pandemic? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as you approach your graduation?

Although this isn’t what I imagined the final months of my senior year to look like, I am trying to find the positives of the situation. I have been able to reconnect with many people with handwritten notes via snail mail, something that I find a lot of joy in, but rarely have the time to keep up with. Many seniors, including myself, are accustomed to a busy, meeting-filled lifestyle, and this has been a great opportunity to reflect and truly appreciate many things in my life.

I think one of the biggest challenges weighing on our minds is the feeling that we missed out on our “lasts” and those final memories. Those memories just have to be reimagined, and I am sure we will get the closure we need in the months to come.

What are some of your favorite memories from your K-State experience overall? What lessons/experiences will you remember most?

Luckily, I could write multiple volumes filled with amazing, wholesome memories; I am truly filled with gratitude for all that this university has given me. Many of my best memories include life chats while hanging out on Anderson Lawn, over a cup of coffee at Bluestem Bistro, or on a late-night drive past Bill Snyder Family Stadium and up to Top of the World.

The events I was able to attend while serving as the 2019 K-State Student Ambassador provided me with some of my most impactful memories. These included attending the Wabash CannonBall, both in Kansas City and in Denver, and the many alumni/student events across the state of Kansas. The people you meet at K-State will undoubtedly change your life and help propel you to become the best version of yourself.

What are your plans post-graduation, and how do you think your time at K-State will impact your future career?

My plans for the future right now are uncertain, which can be scary, but I also have found a lot of excitement and growth through this process. K-State gave me so much more than just an academic education; it gave me a life education — one that cultivated personal development and skills that will be invaluable in my future career. I was able to find that connecting with others is what I am truly passionate about, and I have no doubt that I am fully prepared for whatever the future has in store!

What message of hope/encouragement would you like to send to other graduates of 2020?

Sadly, our short time at K-State has come to an end, but only as an undergraduate. There are so many things ahead to be excited for as alumni, and I know our class, especially, will take advantage of every opportunity to reconnect with our alma mater because of our unique situation. Have gratitude for the great memories that were made and continue to check in on your fellow Wildcats; we all can’t wait to be back together again at the spot we love full well!

Keaton Petite
Major in finance

What are some of the ways you have been impacted by the university’s limited operations this semester and the COVID-19 pandemic? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as you approach your graduation?

As a student at K-State I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in a lot of different ways. One of the biggest things the pandemic has impacted, is the activity of the organizations I’m involved in. I’ve had 30+ meetings cancelled, 10+ events cancelled, and several banquets cancelled then moved online. Beyond that, my classes have largely been reduced to online quizzes, exams and projects. While I have taken many online classes, it has been an interesting transition from in-person lectures. I don’t feel that I’m posed with any particular challenges as I near graduation.

What are some of your favorite memories from your K-State experience overall? What lessons/experiences will you remember most?

My favorite K-State memories have largely consisted of time spent with the people I’ve met here. Whether it be traversing Canada with friends before the school year started or attending my fraternity’s formal every fall. One of my favorite K-State experiences was watching K-State’s opening football game from the Skybox on the stadium’s west side with President Myers ’65, Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86 and many other K-State legends.

My time in quarantine will definitely be something I won’t ever forget. Not because it’s been such a poor experience but because it has been truly refreshing and entertaining. This is the first (and probably only) time in my “adult life” that I’ve been able to spend nearly 100% of my time with friends and focus on my mental and physical health. While I still have homework, the lack of work, meetings and extracurricular activities has given me an exponential amount of free time.

What are your plans post-graduation, and how do you think your time at K-State will impact your future career?

After I graduate this May, I will be moving out to Chicago, Illinois, to work full-time for Huron Consulting Group as a consulting analyst in their higher education department. I think my time at K-State has shown me how important relationships are. I wouldn’t have accomplished any of the things I’ve done at K-State without the help of my classmates, professors, advisers, mentors and friends. As I move into my career, where I’ll be working to help solve problems at higher ed institutions, it’s important I keep this in my mind.

What message of hope/encouragement would you like to send to other graduates of 2020?

I think everyone can find solace in the fact that life will go on. While we may not know when this whole thing will end, it will eventually end, and we can hopefully semi-return to our lives as usual. For those of us who won’t be able to make the graduation in December, it’s important to remember that a ceremony doesn’t dictate our success and we are still full-fledged graduates.

Ayyappan Elangovan
Doctorate in chemistry

What are some of the ways you have been impacted by the university’s limited operations this semester and the COVID-19 pandemic? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as you approach your graduation?

As a graduating Ph.D. student, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to some significant changes in research plans. I have to skip a few experiments that were originally planned for the thesis and now focus on reorganizing my thesis based on the current results. The pandemic has hit the 2020 graduates hard, and there are very limited jobs available at entry-level positions. Being an international student, there is an added struggle and I have to find a job sooner to maintain a valid visa status after graduating.

What are some of your favorite memories from your K-State experience overall? What lessons/experiences will you remember most?

I don’t know where to start! Traveling across the globe to a whole new place to get your education is challenging but honestly, I think coming to K-State was the best choice. The people I met at K-State have been extremely kind and they have helped me with various things for the past five years of graduate school. They have made me feel Manhattan as a home away from home. I am extremely lucky to make some lifetime friends at K-State.

I have made some wonderful memories at K-State that I will cherish forever. One such memory is serving as the president of the Indian Students Association. Coming from the extreme south of India, I have not interacted much with people from other parts of my country before graduate school. Our team was comprised of eight other people from different parts of India who speak different languages and share different cultures. We worked together to organize events that represent us and our tradition, and I am happy as we were able to accomplish certain things for the very first time.

K-State has helped me to learn what my interests were, the things that I am more passionate about and how to balance my life. It has also showed me the importance of giving back to the community.

What are your plans post-graduation, and how do you think your time at K-State will impact your future career?

After graduation, I want to take on a challenging research and development role in a creative environment. Apart from academic knowledge, K-State has given me the opportunities to prepare me for real-world problems. I have learned to overcome the challenges, increased my self-confidence, and improved the ability to succeed under pressure. I strongly believe that the qualities gained through various leadership experiences at K-State will help me be successful in my future career. 

What message of hope/encouragement would you like to send to other graduates of 2020?

Our career is just getting started and the current scenario can make us extremely stressed. Let’s not give up, and continue to believe in ourselves. It might be stormy now, but it can’t rain forever. So, keep fighting and be at your best!

Buddhika Patalee
Doctorate in agricultural economics

What are some of the ways you have been impacted by the university’s limited operations this semester and the COVID-19 pandemic? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as you approach your graduation?

Since I am done with all my class work I did not have much issues with this new situation. However, it would be easier to have in-person contact with my major adviser, but he is more than willing to have Zoom meetings whenever possible.

What are some of your favorite memories from your K-State experience overall? What lessons/experiences will you remember most?

Getting to know new people, working with my adviser and my committee. Those are excellent people. More importantly I got the chance to work closely with graduate school dean Dr. Carol Shanklin and Dr. Megan Miller and all the other graduate school staff. All are kind and generous.

What are your plans post-graduation, and how do you think your time at K-State will impact your future career?

I became a better researcher, critical thinker and better communicator. I believe these skills will help me to land my dream job.

What message of hope/encouragement would you like to send to other graduates of 2020?

Be willing to embrace wonder and to experience unknown directions.

Jessie L. Piper
Doctorate in applied family science

What are some of the ways you have been impacted by the university’s limited operations this semester and the COVID-19 pandemic? What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as you approach your graduation?

I have moved the class I am teaching online. It was an incredibly easy transition, honestly. I have also had to have only remote conversations with my advisers as I work to complete my dissertation. Completing the analysis from home was difficult due to software issues, but we were able to figure it out. My defense will also take place on Zoom.

What are some of your favorite memories from your K-State experience overall? What lessons/experiences will you remember most?

I don’t really have particular memories that are my favorite. But I do have experiences I enjoyed. Many of my classes were very enjoyable and I learned a lot from them. I have also learned many lessons and had wonderful experiences working with various faculty, other students and the Graduate Student Council.

What are your plans post-graduation, and how do you think your time at K-State will impact your future career?

I have accepted a job with the Center on Aging at K-State. Working at the same place I receive my degree from will be very helpful. I have learned a lot through my time at K-State and I’m certain it will take me far in my career.

What message of hope/encouragement would you like to send to other graduates of 2020?

Just because it didn’t go as we pictured it would, we’ve still put in the work and have so much to be proud of. Don’t let the changes in circumstances keep you from celebrating!

Kansas State University’s spring 2020 semester is drawing to a close in a different way than many of us anticipated. In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the university has limited its operations and students have been learning remotely.

At the K-State Alumni Association, we regret that we can’t celebrate our annual student award winners in person, but we’re still proud to draw attention to these outstanding students and their accomplishments. Whatever the future holds in the next several months, we know these students will be making the world a better place.

“The spring semester is such a special time for the Alumni Association as we have the opportunity to recognize graduating students for the contributions they made on campus,” said Jessica Elmore ’06, ’15, associate director of diversity programs. “This semester is obviously different due to the COVID-19 world pandemic. Although I am sad that we are not able to recognize and celebrate with our student award winners in person, this has provided a growth opportunity for me to get creative and figure out how to meaningfully celebrate our students through social media. Nothing can replace physical connection, but our digital world has the capacity to share our excitement of these stellar students with the world.”

“As this is my first year facilitating the selection process for the Anderson Senior, Graduate Student and Tony Jurich Awards, I was beyond impressed by the caliber of nominations we received,” said Collin Just ’18, assistant director of student programs. “It’s truly humbling to see all that these K-State students have accomplished at such a young age. It saddens me knowing that we won’t be able to celebrate these recipients in person, as has traditionally been done in the past, due to the current state of the campus. However, my hope is that receiving their awards in the mail and recognition via social media will still bring some joy and encouragement to these deserving Wildcats in this time of uncertainty.”

Anderson Senior Awards

The Anderson Senior Award recognizes four graduating seniors for excellence in academics, leadership, inspiration and service. The award was established in 1998 and pays tribute to K-State’s second president, John Anderson, who served from 1873 to 1879.

• Clara Wicoff, Iola, Kansas, bachelor’s candidate in agricultural economics with a secondary major in global foods systems leadership, for academics
• Darrell Reese Jr., Plano, Texas, bachelor’s candidate in human resource management, for leadership
• Megan Briggs, Leavenworth, Kansas, bachelor’s candidate in social work, for inspiration
• Katheryn Gregerson, Herman, Nebraska, bachelor’s candidate in agricultural economics with a secondary major in global foods systems leadership, for service
  
  

Graduate Student Awards

The Alumni Association recognizes two graduate students with its Graduate Student Award, which was established in 2010. The award recognizes outstanding graduate students for academics, service and leadership.

• Hojjatollah Fallahi, Marvdasht, Iran, doctoral candidate in electrical engineering, for academics
• Emily Pascoe Oertling, Forked River, New Jersey, doctoral candidate in human ecology – specializing in apparel and textiles, for leadership and service
  
  

International Leadership Awards

These awards are given annually to four outstanding international graduating students for service and leadership within the international K-State and Manhattan communities.

• Ayyappan Elangovan, doctoral candidate in chemistry, India
• Takayuki Kijima, bachelor’s candidate in athletic training, Japan
• Narmadha Mohankumar, doctoral candidate in statistics, Sri Lanka
• Cecilia Pick Gomez, bachelor’s candidate in elementary education and English, Paraguay
  
  

Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Awards

These awards are given annually to four outstanding students and recognize them for leaving a legacy of enhancing multicultural engagement at K-State through their leadership.

• Francisco Cardoza, Kansas City, Kansas, bachelor’s candidate in management information systems
• Darrell Reese Jr., Plano, Texas, bachelor’s candidate in human resource management
• Dariyan Springfield, Kansas City, Kansas, bachelor’s candidate in animal sciences and industry
• Chelsea Turner, Kansas City, Kansas, bachelor’s candidate in American ethnic studies
  
  

The award is named in honor of the Roy and Sylvia Robinson family of Kansas City, Kansas, who endowed the program. Both are graduates of K-State: Roy in 1970 and Sylvia in 1971.

Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Student Awards

Two students have been recognized with the Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Award. The award was established in honor of the late K-State professor Tony Jurich, who taught in the College of Health and Human Sciences — formerly the College of Human Ecology — for more than 39 years. It recognizes both graduate and undergraduate students who have demonstrated a commitment to community leadership and service through Jurich’s core leadership tenets.

• Katie Buhler, Pratt, Kansas, bachelor’s candidate in elementary education
• Michelle Washburn-Busk, Pleasant View, Utah, doctoral candidate in family studies and human services
  
  

Learn more about the K-State Alumni Association’s awards programs.

Logan Francis Julstrom ’02, ’06 still remembers one of her very first creations as a food science student at K-State’s Call Hall: pink lemonade ice cream. 

She started working at Call Hall through her dairy science classes, and she fell in love with the process of taking ingredients and transforming them into a totally new product.

“I really fell in love with the hands-on R&D [research and development],” she said. “We made cheese in that class. We made ice cream. It sparked my creativity.”

Julstrom’s time at K-State inspired a lifelong passion for food science, and has opened the door for a variety of experiences, including developing brand-new products and even appearing on the reality TV series Celebrity Apprentice.

As a career, food science is certainly never boring.

“You can go a lot of different directions in the food industry,” said Julstrom, who is currently working in sales as a national account manager at Symrise Flavor Division NA. Symrise is a producer of flavors and fragrances. “I'm really loving my current role. It definitely puts you out of your comfort zone — you have to be able to adapt on the fly. Things don’t always go as expected, but I love the challenge and that keeps me going!”

A flavorful beginning

Julstrom wasn’t necessarily always planning on a job in the food science industry, but as a college student, she was searching for a career that promised stability and opportunity.

“Everybody needs to eat,” she said. “I was really looking for a career with job security.”

K-State was already on her radar due to her family legacy.

“I knew I wanted to go there, and fortunately, they had the program I was interested in,” she said, adding that during her time at the university, “I felt that I got a lot of support, attention and insight.”

After college, she was hired at Blue Bunny Ice Cream, helping create new flavors for the “Better for You” product line.

“It’s really exciting when you see your first launch available nationwide,” she said.

She also went to culinary school, a decision that helped her build on the skills she gained at K-State and really paid off in her career. She stayed in the ice cream industry, transferring to Kemps, a regional dairy based near the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

She served as the lead for every Kemps Minnesota State Fair fan flavor creation contest up to 2017. Kemps would select a theme, fans would submit their ideas, and then Julstrom would work with them to bring their creation to life.

A once in a lifetime experience

Through her work at Kemps, Julstrom even got to appear on the Celebrity Apprentice TV series, which she calls a “once in a lifetime experience.”

Kemps received a top-secret invite to help the contestants on Celebrity Apprentice with their final challenge, which was creating a new flavor of ice cream.

Julstrom and other Kemps employees got to fly ingredients to New York City, meet the celebrities competing on the show, and even appear on TV themselves (the episode aired in 2013).

Julstrom said what impressed her most about the experience was how the celebrities genuinely wanted to do a good job. Country singer Trace Adkins was the lead on her team, and he was kind and easy to work with. Julstrom intentionally wore purple gloves on the show, a nod to K-State, and Adkins even congratulated her for K-State being No. 1 in football at the time.

Due to her experience with the show, Julstrom was even invited to an Academy Awards party in Hollywood and got to walk the red carpet.

Looking ahead

Currently working in sales, Julstrom said she likes to keep growing and challenging herself when it comes to her career. Right now she is enjoying helping customers achieve their goals and visions. Having a technical background in food science helps her anticipate their needs.

Being quarantined at home during the COVID-19 pandemic has also given her an opportunity to teach her children more about the science behind cooking. And she’s already begun sharing her love for K-State with them as well. She and her daughter recently traveled to the Liberty Bowl to watch K-State play football.

“I love K-State, I really do,” she said. “I bleed purple. I really believe that as K-Staters we have such a strong bond, and it's amazing to visit with other grads in the industry and share stories.”

Are you missing K-State? 

Get a little taste of campus with our series of multimedia articles adapted from issues of the award-winning K-Stater magazine. 

You can learn more about how K-State picked purple to be the official university color; the stories behind K-State's famous sayings; the statewide impact of K-State Research and Extension; and more! 

READ NOW

The K-Stater magazine is published for K-State Alumni Association members and is full of news about campus happenings, research, athletics, students, nostalgia and alumni. LEARN MORE