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About K-State

2009 Faculty Achievements

* The American Society for Microbiology has awarded one of its international professorships to John Leslie, professor and head of the plant pathology department. The society awarded Leslie with an International Professorship for Latin America. He will be a visiting professor at the Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto in Argentina, where he will present his Fusarium Laboratory Workshop in March 2010. Dec. 09

* William "Bill" Gross, chief pilot and professor of aviation at K-State at Salina, has renewed his Master Certificated Flight Instructor accreditation for a fourth time. Gross, who has held the professional accreditation continuously since 2003, is one of only 54 flight instructors worldwide to earn the credential four times. He also is one of only 19 master certified flight instructors in Kansas. The national accreditation is recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration. Fewer than 700 of the approximately 93,000 certified flight instructors in the nation have achieved the master distinction. K-State at Salina has six faculty members who have earned this top designation. Along with Gross, they are Kurt Barnhart, professor and head of the department of aviation; Bernard King, associate professor of aviation; Troy Brockway, associate professor of aviation; Eric Shappee, associate professor of aviation; and Andrew Smith, assistant professor of aviation and the aviation maintenance training program lead. Dec. 2009

* G.A. "Art" Barnaby Jr., professor of agricultural economics and state Extension specialist at K-State, received the 2009 National Award for Excellence in Extension at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities 122nd annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated high impact programming, visionary leadership and anticipation of emerging issues for clientele and the system. The recipient also has shown commitment to diversity and integration of programs in partnerships with university colleagues outside clientele. Barnaby, who also has served as an Extension specialist and instructor of agricultural economics at K-State for more than 28 years, is becoming a recognized global leader for developing practical risk management strategies. Dec. 2009

* Noel Schulz, K-State's first lady and Paslay professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been elected to lead the IEEE Power & Energy Society, a worldwide, non-profit association of more than 24,000 individuals engaged in the electric power energy industry. In January, Noel Schulz will begin a six year term with two years as president-elect; two as president (2012-2013); and two years as past president. Nov. 2009

* Christer Aakeroy, professor of chemistry, is serving a four-year term on the board of governors of the prestigious Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre. The center is a nonprofit, charitable institution based at the University of Cambridge in England. It is best known as the provider of the Cambridge Crystallographic Database, the world's foremost repository of molecular crystallographic data with nearly 500,000 crystal structures on file. Aakeroy is one of eight distinguished scientists on the board and is the only member from North America. Nov. 2009

* Yasmin Patell, assistant teaching scholar in chemistry at K-State, has received the society's E. Ann Nalley Midwest Regional Award for Volunteer Service in recognition of her exemplary service to the chemistry profession. Patell serves the American Chemical Society both nationally -- as a member of the General Chemistry Examination Committee -- and locally -- as the K-State section's scholarship coordinator and secretary-treasurer. She organizes many American Chemical Society outreach activities, including the annual National Chemistry Week events at the Manhattan Town Center and Manhattan Public Library. Nov. 2009

* The dean of K-State's College of Agriculture and two faculty members from K-State's department of agronomy are recipients of national honors from the American Society of Agronomy. Fred Cholick, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension, received the Agronomic Service Award, which recognizes the development of agronomic service programs, practices and products for acceptance by the public; Dave Mengel, professor of agronomy, received the Werner L. Nelson Award for Diagnosis of Yield-Limiting Factors for his work in the development, acceptance and/or implementation of diagnostic techniques and approaches in the field; and Chuck Rice, university distinguished professor of agronomy, received the Environmental Quality Research Award for his contributions that have enhanced the basic understanding of environmental sciences in relation to agriculture, or demonstrated sound and effective management practices for maintaining or improving the quality of soil, water and air resources. Nov. 2009

* Dana Minihan, assistant academic coordinator and an instructor for K-State's department of agronomy, has been appointed to a one-year term on the Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Sciences' national advisory committee. The group is the undergraduate organization of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America. Minihan is representing the Crop Science Society of America on the advisory committee and will help plan the students' portion of the annual meetings of the three societies, which will be Oct. 31-Nov. 4, 2010, in Long Beach, Calif. Nov. 2009

* A new scholarship will help K-State science majors who want to become certified teachers. K-State TEACH is a collaboration between the departments of secondary education, physics, geology, chemistry and biology. It is funded by the National Science Foundation's Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, which awarded K-State $875,000 over a five-year period. The program is designed to increase the supply of highly qualified middle- and high-school teachers in the science areas. Through K-State TEACH, freshmen and sophomores majoring in a science field with a possible interest in teaching are eligible for paid summer internships in various teaching-related positions both on and off campus. These internships help students further explore their interest in teaching and could help attract them to the teaching field. Juniors or seniors currently completing a baccalaureate science degree or postbaccalaureates holding a science degree are eligible to apply for the Robert Noyce Scholarships. The awards range from $13,000 to $15,000 per year for up to two years. After being accepted into the program, students are required to complete a semester internship experience in a public school. Oct. 2009

* Stephen Wolgast, instructor of journalism and mass communications and K-State's expert in academic regalia, has been named a Fellow of the Burgon Society. To become a Fellow, Wolgast researched academic regalia at Columbia University and wrote a paper that delved into the history of academic dress at Columbia University. He found that the effort to create a standard code of dress for university graduates in the U.S. started earlier than traditionally thought. The Burgon Society is a British academic group dedicated to the study of academic dress. Oct. 2009

* David Dzewaltowski, professor and head of K-State's department of kinesiology, is a new member of the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame. Dzewaltowski, who received his master's degree from West Virginia University in 1985, joins 99 other West Virginia University alumni and/or faculty to be entered into the hall of fame. To be eligible for nomination, an individual must hold a degree awarded by the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences or a certification in athletic training prior to 1997, or have been a faculty or staff member who made significant contributions to the college, their profession and society. Oct. 2009

* Thomas A. Wright, K-State's Jon Wefald Leadership Chair in Business Administration, was recently named a Fellow by the American Psychological Association. To become a Fellow, individuals must have made outstanding contributions to the field of psychology and that person's work must have had national impact on the field of psychology. In addition to the American Psychological Association, Wright is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Association for Psychological Science. He is the first K-State scholar to achieve Fellow status in each of these three prestigious professional organizations, an honor thought to belong to only about 80 people worldwide. Oct. 2009

* Two K-State professors are winners of the prestigious Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards for 2009. Charles Rice, university distinguished professor of agronomy, is the recipient of the Irvin Youngberg Award for Applied Sciences, and Duy Hua, university distinguished professor of chemistry, is the recipient of the Olin Petefish Award in Basic Science. Rice is ranked among the premier soil scientists in the world, with his research in the area of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling is especially well-known. The focus of his work is how soil management influences microbiological processes, and how that affects crop productivity, the release of greenhouse gases, and global climate change. Huy's research interests include studies of bio-based polymers and the synthesis of bioactive molecules, including anti-cancer, anti-norovirus, anti-malarial and anti-Alzheimer's agents. Each award includes a plaque and a $10,000 grant for ongoing research efforts. The award money can be used for research materials, summer salaries, fellowship matching funds, research assistants or other support related to research. Oct. 2009

* Michael Cates, director of K-State's master of public health program, has been named secretary and treasurer of the One Health Commission, a national group established to spotlight the connections between human, animal and environmental health and the benefits of a collaborative approach to better health for all. The commission is made up of representatives from eight major organizations involved in health education, research and practice, and represents a call for greater cooperation across multiple disciplines at the local, national and global level. The goal is optimal health for people, domestic animals, wildlife and the environment. Cates, who is also K-State's James B. Nichols Professor of Veterinary Public Health, will represent the American Veterinary Medical Association as a member of the commission's board of directors. Sept. 2009

* An article co-written by K-State's Chwen Sheu, professor of management, received the Indiana University CIBER Best International Collaboration Paper Award. "The Effects of Environmental Regulations on Global Supply Chain Management: Transaction Cost Analysis" was recognized with the top best paper honor at the third International Conference on Operations and Supply Chain Management, July 28 to Aug.5. Sheu's paper was one of only two that received the honor. Sept. 2009

* John Leslie, professor and head of the K-State department of plant pathology, has been named a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society. The designation recognizes distinguished contributions to plant pathology or the society. It is limited to no more than 0.25 percent of the society's membership in any one year. Leslie also has been named an adjunct professor at Seoul National University in South Korea. The university awards adjunct professorships as an honor and as a way to recognize professors working together with their faculty. Leslie is the first adjunct professor in the South Korean university's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Sept. 2009

* A multimillion-dollar grant from the National Science Foundation will help K-State train new Ph.D. students in developing the technology and policies needed for sustainable biorefining. K-State has received a five-year grant of nearly $3.2 million from the foundation's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program, known as IGERT, for the project "From Crops to Commuting: Integrating the Social, Technological and Agricultural Aspects of Renewable and Sustainable Biorefining," or ISTAR. Principal investigator is K-State's Mary Rezac, professor of chemical engineering. Co-principal investigators are Peter Pfromm, professor of chemical engineering; Jeffrey Peterson, associate professor of agricultural economics; and Kyle Douglas-Mankin, professor of biological and agricultural engineering. The project will prepare new doctoral students to have a comprehensive perspective on the biorefining industry through an integrated, interdisciplinary graduate program for achieving transformative advances in the development of next-generation biorefineries. Sept. 2009

* Robert Wolf, an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering, has been named a 2009 Fellow of the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators. Fellow is the highest recognition bestowed by the association. Individuals are nominated because of their superior achievement in research, education, public service, personal achievement and recognition. Wolf, also an extension specialist, is a nationally recognized expert on pesticide application technology. His research program has included the evaluation of sprayer technology to determine best practices to improve coverage and minimize spray drift. His contributions to drift mitigation programming and training have been paralleled by a 25 percent reduction of drift incidents over the past decade. Sept. 2009

* K-State's Douglas McGregor, professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, and his team of researchers designed and developed a microstructured semiconductor neutron detector that was awarded a 2009 R&D 100 award. The award is sponsored by R&D Magazine and recognizes the 100 most technologically significant new products of the year introduced into the marketplace. Sept. 2009

* Linda P. Thurston, professor, assistant dean in K-State's College of Education and director of the Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation, has been appointed a program director for the National Science Foundation in Washington D.C. Her appointment begins this month. Thurston's responsibilities will include evaluation and work on increasing the representation of underrepresented groups in science, math, engineering and technology. Her duties will specifically involve disability and gender projects. Thurston was tapped for the one-year appointment under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Program. She will be program director in the Research in Disabilities Education Program, Division of Human Resource Development, Directorate for Education and Human Resources. Her selection by NSF honors her significant achievements, experience, and ability; her appointment marks only the third time in our college's history one of our colleagues was chosen for this role, according to Mike Holen, dean of the College of Education. Sept. 2009

* K-State has received a $257,000 four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education for a U.S.-Brazil student exchange program. The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, also known as FIPSE, award will provide for an exchange of students and faculty between the two countries. The specific project title for the program is "Providing Education in Face of Climate Change, Food and Energy Scarcity." Four universities are participating in this program. K-State is the lead university on the U.S. side, and the Federal University of Santa Maria is the lead university in Brazil, according to Chuck Rice, university distinguished professor of agronomy and lead contact for the program at K-State. The other two universities involved are Mississippi State University and Brazil's Federal University of Mato Grosso. Aug. 2009

* Bernard King, associate professor of aviation at K-State at Salina, has earned Master Certified Flight Instructor designation for the fifth time. King has continuously held the national accreditation since 2001 and is one of only 18 master certified flight instructors in Kansas. When King initially earned this designation he was the first from K-State at Salina and the sixth in Kansas. Today, five master certified flight instructors teach in K-State's department of aviation. Aug. 2009

* James Goddard, K-State professor of architectural engineering and construction science, has been named vice president and president-elect of the American Council for Construction Education. The council is the accrediting agency for the more than 80 construction management programs in the United States, Canada and Australia. After serving a two-year term as vice president, Goddard will serve as president of the council from 2011-2013, with another term as past-president to follow. Goddard teaches and coordinates the university's construction science and management program and has advised a number of award-winning construction management teams, the K-State student chapter of Associated General Contractors and Sigma Lambda Chi, the international construction science honor society at K-State. Aug. 2009

* Julia Keen, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering's department of architectural engineering and construction science, has received the 2009 Outstanding Teaching Award from the Midwest Section of the American Society of Engineering Education. The award, given by each section of the association, recognizes outstanding classroom performance by teachers of engineering and engineering technology students. Candidates must be from ABET/CEAB-accredited engineering or engineering technology programs. The awards committee cited Keen for creating a foundation of industry-based concepts and problem-solving skills in her classes, creating valued-added education for her students and the K-State architectural engineering and construction science programs. Additionally, the committee noted that her efforts are drawing acclaim from the programs' stakeholder industries and from both her current and former students, and that she has set a high measure for teaching at K-State and for the society's Midwest Section. Aug. 2009

* Chuck Rice has been appointed as a member of the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, a major program unit of the National Research Council. Rice, university distinguished professor of soil microbiology, joined the board this year; his term will expire in 2012. The National Research Council functions under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine. The four organizations are collectively referred to as the National Academies. The mission of the National Research Council is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in matters involving science, engineering, technology, and health. The institution works to inform policies and actions that have the power to improve the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world. Aug. 2009

* Joseph Harner, professor and interim head of K-State's department of biological and agricultural engineering, has received the Henry Giese Structures and Environment Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. Harner, who also is an Extension engineer in grain and livestock systems, was honored for his distinguished accomplishments ad contributions in the design and development of engineering practices for grain handling, storage and livestock systems. Harner has been internationally recognized for his efforts involving improved grain storage, handling and processing technology, and for improved animal production and waste management systems. July 2009

* Lori Goetsch, dean of K-State Libraries, was elected chair of the advisory board of the State Library of Kansas. The library, housed in the state Capitol Building, serves state agencies, legislators and the general public. It serves as a depository of legal and historical documents and is a ready resource for the executive and legislative branches of state government. It also serves the residents of Kansas through direct service and support of local libraries. June 2009

* Donna Potts, associate professor of English, has been re-elected to a three-year term on the National Council of the American Association of University Professors. The 40-member council meets at least twice a year to determine association policy. The association is a nonprofit charitable and educational organization that promotes academic freedom by supporting tenure, academic due process, shared governance and standards of quality in higher education. Potts represents District II, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. June 2009

* NASA is recognizing K-State engineers and their colleagues for developing wireless technology aimed at the search for water -- and ultimately life -- on Mars. The Mars Proximity Micro Transceiver team received NASA's Group Achievement Award for "outstanding innovation in the design and prototyping of a highly miniaturized, in situ, communications transceiver for use in future NASA missions." The award recognizes outstanding accomplishment through the coordination of many individual efforts that contribute substantially to the NASA mission. Bill Kuhn, professor of electrical and computer engineering, led the effort at K-State. The development was supported by K-State's Electronics Design Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research lab directed by Tim Sobering. June 2009

* Kathrine Schlageck, senior educator at K-State's Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, received a 2009 Governor's Arts Award for arts in education. The Governor's Arts Awards, which were started in 1974, are given each year to distinguished Kansas artists, organizations, patrons and educators. The awards are given jointly by the governor and the Kansas Arts Commission. Schlageck has been with the Beach Museum of Art since before its official opening in 1996. She has 23 years of museum education and curriculum development experience in both art and history museums. Schlageck' s programs have been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kansas Department of Education and the Kansas Arts Commission. June 2009

* David Soldan, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has received the 2009 Meritorious Service Award from the American Society of Engineering Educators' Electrical and Computer Engineering Division. The award honors Soldan's past service to the organization and his contributions to the field of electrical and computer engineering. Soldan is a Fellow and active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He is also the faculty adviser to K-State's chapter of Eta Kappa Nu and is the trustee of K-State's Amateur Radio Club. June 2009

* Michael Cates, director of K-State's master of public health program, was named the American Veterinary Medical Association's representative to the One Health Joint Steering Committee. Cates, the first veterinarian to head the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, the Army's primary public health organization, will bring a considerable amount of experience to the committee. One Health is a collaborative effort of multiple disciplines, working to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment. May 2009

* K-State's housing and dining received honors in the Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards Competition, sponsored by the National Association of College and University Food Services. K-State received a silver award in the Single Stand-Alone Concept category and a bronze award in the Catering-Special Event category. The competition recognizes colleges and universities for creativity when it comes to menus, presentations and special event planning and dining concepts. May 2009

* Ruth Douglas Miller, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at K-State, received an award for Outstanding Leadership in the Application of Wind for Schools from the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America program. Miller is director of the Kansas Wind Applications Center at K-State. The center helps place wind turbines for educational purposes at schools across Kansas. Miller also researches where to site turbines and the applications of wind energy, such as studying how to best integrate it into the power grid. May 2009

* Gary Conrad, a university distinguished professor of biology, received a four-year grant renewal of $1.48 million from The National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health to study the cornea. The renewal makes Conrad's grant the longest continuously funded R01 grant in the state of Kansas at 41 years. Conrad's research on embryonic development of the eye has led to knowledge that could possibly improve LASIK surgery. He and his research associates have identified a difference in the connective tissue of normal corneas compared to those that have been cut during LASIK. May 2009

* K-State's Chuck Rice, a university distinguished professor of agronomy, has been selected president-elect of the Soil Science Society of America. Rice's term as president-elect will start Jan. 1, 2010; he will assume the presidency Jan. 1, 2011. The society is an international scientific society with more than 6,000 members. It is dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. Rice has gained international fame for his work in carbon sequestration. His research has been supported by more than $15 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy and others. May 2009

* Officials from the U.S. Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth honored K-State President Jon Wefald with the Department of the Army's Outstanding Civilian Service Medal. The medal, which recognizes those not employed by the Army for their noteworthy support, was presented by Brig. Gen. Edward Cardon, deputy commandant of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. As of the spring of 2009, the partnership between Fort Leavenworth and K-State, has yielded than 450 master's and doctoral degrees. May 2009

* Jana Hawley, head of K-State's department of apparel, textiles and interior design, is the 2009-2010 president-elect of the International Textile and Apparel Association. She will assume the presidency of the organization in September 2010. Hawley previously served as the association's vice president for operations. The association is a professional, educational association of scholars, educators and students in the textile, apparel and merchandising disciplines in higher education. It is also open to professionals in the field. April 2009

* Carol Shanklin, dean of the Graduate School at K-State, has been elected as member-at-large of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools. The member-at-large serves a four-year term on the executive committee in the roles of member-at-large, chair-elect, chair and past chair. April 2009

* Two faculty members from K-State's College of Education have earned recognition for their teaching and research. Susan Dillinger, instructor of special education, counseling and student affairs, has received a Lucile Cornetet Individual Award for professional development from the Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation. The award helped Dillinger attend the Council for Exceptional Children 2009 Convention and Expo in Seattle, Wash. Jeong-Hee Kim, assistant professor of secondary education, received an award from the American Educational Research Association for an outstanding narrative research theory article. Kim's article, "A Romance with Narrative Inquiry: Toward an Act of Narrative Theorizing," was published in 2008 in Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue. Kim also received the award in 2007 for her article, "For Whom the School Bell Tolls: Conflicting Voices Inside an Alternative High School." April 2009

* Noroviruses make most people sick to the stomach, but not K-State's Kyeong-Ok Chang. Instead, the study of noroviruses has become his career focus and has now resulted in a $5.1 million cooperative research grant, over a five-year period, from the National Institutes of Health for his project. Chang is the principle investigator of the norovirus research project at K-State. His co-principle investigators include Duy Hua, a university distinguished professor of chemistry at K-State, as well as a researchers from Wichita State and Ohio State universities. The project has already established a comprehensive plan aimed at developing anti-noroviral therapeutics in cooperation with medicinal chemists and virologists from various institutions. Researchers also have identified two classes of hit compounds that have significantly reduced virus replication with distinct mechanisms. Chang said the project aims to develop novel small molecule therapeutics against human noroviruses by advancing the hit compounds through the stage prior to filing an investigational new drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. April 2009

* K-State's LeAnn Brazeal, associate professor of communication studies, and Bonnie Lynn-Sherow, associate professor of history, each received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities for "We the People" projects that encourage and enhance the teaching, study and understanding of American history, culture and democratic principles. Brazeal received $16,800 for her project, "Protecting Dissent: Integrating Freedom of Speech into the Public Speaking Course," while Lynn-Sherow received $24,987 for "Lost Kansas: Recovering the Legacy of Kansas Places and People." March 2009

* Three K-State professors have received Mid-Career Fellowships from the Kansas Arts Commission. Jonathan Holden, university distinguished professor of English, Nancy Morrow, associate professor of art, and Julie Pentz, assistant professor of dance, were honored at a Topeka reception March 4. The awards recognize artistic merit, sustained achievement and excellence in all art disciplines. March 2009

* The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology named Thomas Wright, K-State's Jon Wefald Leadership Chair in Business Administration, a Fellow of the society. This makes Wright the first K-State faculty member to have been named a Fellow of both the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Association for Psychological Science, an honor he received in 2007. Society Fellows are distinguished industrial and organizational psychologists who have made unusual and outstanding contributions to the field. March 2009

* The National Geographic Society has named Michael Wesch, a K-State assistant professor of cultural anthropology, one of its Emerging Explorers for 2009. The honor, which goes to only 10 people each year, recognizes gifted individuals who have made a significant contribution to world knowledge while still early in their careers. Wesch's specialty is the impact of social media and digital technology on society and culture. He is an award-winning teacher active in the development of innovative teaching techniques, who also is the 2008 Carnegie/CASE national professor of the year for research/doctoral universities. Feb. 2009

* The latest book by K-State's Ted Cable, professor of natural resource management, took first place in the small book division of the Interpretive Media Awards Competition in Portland, Ore. Cable's "The Compact Guide to Birds of Kansas" is a reader-friendly compilation of Kansas bird statistics and pictures of the scores of birds that can be seen in Kansas. Jan. 2009

* The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City honored President Jon Wefald with the Buck O'Neil Legacy Award, recognizing him for his long-standing support of the museum. K-State's College of Education also got involved. Through the efforts of Dean Mike Holen and numerous faculty members, an Internet project carries the league's story all over the world. A video introduction to the museum is online at http://www.coe.ksu.edu/nlbemuseum/intro.html and teacher resources are on the Web athttp://www.coe.ksu.edu/nlbemuseum/about.html Jan. 2009