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2012 All-University Achievements

* Kansas State University was one of just 11 universities nationally this year with five or more recipients of scholarships through the prestigious IEEE Power and Energy Society Scholarship Plus Initiative program. The initiative recognizes undergraduate students majoring in electrical engineering who are high achievers with strong GPAs and distinctive extracurricular commitments, and who are committed to exploring the power and energy field. Electrical engineering majors receiving the scholarships, which are worth $2,000 in the first and second years and $3,000 the third year, are Shae Pelkowski, Taylor Barber, Jesus Sanchez, Joshua Loyd and William Duren, sophomore. As recipients they also get to take part in career experience opportunities for up to two years. December 2012

* President Kirk Schulz received the 2012 Chief Executive Leadership Award by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE. The award recognizes the leadership of a higher education chief executive officer who demonstrates the ability to create a vision and inspire others. According to the criteria used by the CASE selection committee, Chief Executive Leadership Award recipients have established a positive image for the institution; increased the institution's stature in the community; encouraged innovation among employees; and actively supported advancement. December 2012

* Sue Peterson, director of governmental relations and assistant to the president, received the 2011 Marvin D. "Swede" Johnson Achievement Award. The award is one of two state government relations awards presented annually by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. It recognizes extraordinary contributions that have advanced an academic institution's government relations. December 2012

* The Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE, District VI recognized the work of the university's creative teams with more than 35 awards. Publications, news releases, videos and more from the K-State Alumni Association, Kansas State University Foundation and the Division of Communications and Marketing were among the award recipients. Works honored included the university's research magazine, Perspectives, with a gold award. December 2012

* The Kansas Wheat Commission named a new variety of wheat, 1863, in honor of Kansas State University's opening in 1863 as the nation's first operational land-grant university under the Morrill Act. The wheat will be introduced in February 2013 and will be commercially available in fall 2013. December 2012

* The American Association for the Advancement of Science named four Kansas State University researchers among its 2012 fellows, a prestigious recognition given to association members by their peers. The four fellows are: John Blair, university distinguished professor of biology; Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology; Kun Yan Zhu, professor of entomology; and Ron Trewyn, vice president for research. The four Kansas State University fellows are among the 702 fellows chosen this year. The American Association for the Advancement of Science chooses fellows because of their distinguished efforts to advance science. November 2012

* The Kansas State University Crops Team recently captured the title of national champion for the fourth year in a row. K-State teams have now won the crops contest championship in 11 of the past 14 years. To win the 2012 national title, the team won both the Kansas City Board of Trade and the Chicago CME Group Collegiate Crops Contests that took place on Nov. 13 and 17, respectively. November 2012

* The College of Architecture, Planning and Design has again been ranked one of the best in the nation. According to the annual survey by DesignIntelligence magazine, three of the college's programs are among the Top 10 programs in the nation, and five are among the Top 15. The rankings are included in the magazine's "America's Best Architecture and Design Schools 2013" issue. The interior architecture and product design program is the highest ranked graduate program at a public university in the nation. All three of the college's design programs -- architecture, landscape architecture, and interior architecture and product design -- were ranked in the top six nationally among graduate programs at public universities. November 2012

* The interior design program in the College of Human Ecology has been ranked in the Top 10 of the nation according to an annual survey conducted by DesignIntelligence. The bachelor's program checks in a shared ranking of eighth with Boston Architectural College, Cornell University and Parsons The New School for Design. The ranking is based on a survey of principals, design directors and human resource directors from 392 professional practice organizations in the United States. They were asked to name the schools from which they've had the best experience hiring employees. November 2012

* KOIN, the Kansas Opportunity Innovation Network, an economic development project developed by the Advanced Manufacturing Institute, was honored at the University Economic Development Association's 2012 annual conference in Chattanooga, Tenn., with the Award of Excellence in the leadership and collaboration category and also received the Judge's Award -- a new award recognizing work that is a marquee example of university-based economic development. KOIN helps rural and distressed Kansas companies and communities innovate and compete in the marketplace. November 2012

* The Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship received the 2012 Emerging Center Award from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, a 200-member organization of university-based entrepreneurship centers. Award judges called the center, which is in the College of Business Administration, impressive and credited its leadership for accomplishing so much in such a short period of time. Founded in 2008, the center offers an entrepreneurship major and a minor, which are open to students in all colleges. October 2012

* Kansas State University's Bilingual/Bicultural Education Students Interacting to Obtain Success, or BESITOS, scholarship program has been recognized as a 2012 Example of Excelencia finalist at the baccalaureate level. Examples of Excelencia is part of Excelencia in Education, a national nonprofit organization with a mission to accelerate Latino student success in higher education by applying knowledge to public policy and institutional practice. The university's program was chosen as the finalist among 150 schools that applied at the baccalaureate level. October 2012.

* Xiuzhi "Susan" Sun, university distinguished professor of grain science and industry, received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society. This award is given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to scientific advancement, has demonstrated outstanding ability, and has made phenomenal scholarly accomplishments with specific impact in the fields of biopolymers, biobased materials, bioplastics and materials related to bioenergy systems. October 2012

* Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines, recognized the Kansas State University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi as a Chapter of Merit. The award is given to chapters that excel in recognizing and promoting academic excellence in all fields of higher education and engaging the community of scholars in service to others. October 2012

* Bikram S. Gill, university distinguished professor of plant pathology and director of the Wheat Genetic and Genomic Resources Center, received the National Friendship Award from the Chinese government. The award is China's highest recognition for foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress. October 2012

* Kansas State University's personal financial planning team won the 2012 National Collegiate Financial Planning competition in San Antonio, Texas. As part of the win, the team brought home $10,000 for the personal financial planning program, which is offered through the School of Family Studies in the College of Human Ecology. Team members include Matt Gould, Wende Witthuhn and Kristen Moore. The team was coached by Ann Coulson, assistant professor of personal financial planning. K-State is the only university to send a team to the finals ever year since the competition began in 2000. In 2011 the team tied for second place. October 2012

* The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association voted to accredit Kansas State University for the next 10 years. The university's next accreditation review will be in the 2021-2022 academic year. Among the aspects noted repeatedly in the accreditation commission's report was K-State 2025, a series of goals that includes rising in the ranks among the nation's public higher education institutions. The commission also took note of the university’s initiatives to encourage diversity among faculty, staff and students. This includes a $3.5 million National Science Foundation grant to increase women's success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as actively recruiting undergraduate students from around the world. September 2012

* Kansas State University moved up in the 2013 U.S. News and World Reports' list of the best colleges in the country. The university ranks 139th in the Best National Universities category -- up from 143rd in 2012's rankings. Also moving up as one of the best in the nation was the College of Engineering, which is ranked at 75, up from 93 in 2012. September 2012

*The BNSF Railway Foundation's made a commitment of $337,500 to Kansas State University to support universitywide programs as well as initiatives in the College of Engineering. This gift enhances the long-standing relationship between BNSF and the university by bringing its total giving to more than $1 million. Among the initiatives supported by BNSF are the career and employment services' corporate partner program; BNSF high school outreach program; engineering student competition teams, open house student awards and student professional society chapter events and projects; and the Women in Engineering program. September 2012

* Cybersecurity researchers at Kansas State University are securing their status as leaders in their field thanks to a strong month of project funding. In August the National Science Foundation awarded more than $3 million in funding to support three projects in the department of computing and information sciences. The projects will help protect digital information and boost the nation's cybersecurity workforce. September 2012

* Kansas State University is recognized in the 2012 edition of the Princeton Review's "The Best 377 Colleges." Only 15 percent of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges and three international colleges are recognized in the publication. Also in the review, the university ranks, based on student surveys, No. 2 for great campus and community relations; No. 4 for the best quality of life; No. 8 for the happiest students; No. 12 in best-run colleges; No. 13 in their students love these colleges; No. 14 in the jock schools category; and No. 16 in the most religious students category. August 2012

 *Matthias Kling, assistant professor of physics, has received the Early Career Research Program Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. Kling will receive $750,000 to support his research titled "Electron Dynamics in Nanostructures in Strong Laser Fields." August 2012

* The student robotics team won its sixth consecutive championship in the student robotics competition sponsored by the American Society of Biological and Agricultural Engineers. The university has never lost the international competition in which students must design a solution to a common agricultural issue. August 2012

* The Big 12 Conference appointed President Kirk Schulz as its representative on the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, Division-I Board of Directors. The board is made up of presidents or chancellors from institutions in each of the association's 11 conferences. Schulz will serve a four-year term, ending in August 2016. July 2012

* The Sales Education Foundation is sold on K-State. For the first time, the foundation has named the university to its list of top universities for professional sales education. Kansas State University is the only school from Kansas on the 2012 list. The foundation promotes the profession of sales and its role as the driving force to the economy. Schools on the list offer foundation-approved programs in professional sales and are included in the 2012 Sales Education Foundation Annual. K-State's has offered a program in professional sales since 2010. July 2012

* Alumni, friends and corporate partners of the university set a new record for fundraising activity, with philanthropic gifts and commitments to the KSU Foundation totaling $121 million in fiscal year 2012. The total surpasses the previous record of $107 million in fiscal year 2011. July 2012

* Bryan Rogler, a May 2012 bachelor's graduate in mechanical engineering, is the university's 22nd Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship recipient. Rogler was one of 51 students nationwide to receive the $5,000 fellowship. Winners are selected based on the applicant's promise of success in graduate or professional study determined by academic achievement, service and leadership experience, career goals, and acceptance at an approved graduate or professional program. Rogler will pursue a master's in aeronautics and astronautics, with a focus on guidance and control, at Stanford University in the fall. July 2012

* Three recent K-State graduates are Fulbright Scholars for 2012-2013. Ariel Anib is going to Mexico to teach English and work with battered women. Mark Sowers will leave in September to perform research at the Amboseli Elephant Research Project in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. And McKenzie Snow will leave in January 2013 to teach English to students in South Africa. June 2012

* The GoTeacher program, a partnership between the Kansas State University, Ecuador's Ministry of Education and SENESCYT -- Ecuador's governing body of higher education -- brought more than 80 teachers to campus in June. K-State is the first institution in the nation to host a group for this program, which is funded by the government of Ecuador to improve English language proficiency among Ecuadorean teachers and increase their teaching effectiveness. June 2012

* Kansas State University has signed memorandums of understanding the University of Queensland in Brisbane and the University of Western Australia. The MOUs include student exchange agreements with both schools, which will allow K-State students to spend one or two semesters in these institutions, are in the signature process. June 2012

* The International Animal Health and Food Safety Institute at the K-State Olathe campus received LEED silver certification. The building provides classrooms, offices, laboratories, a teaching kitchen and instructional space. June 2012

* Earning a bachelor's degree is time well spent for K-State alumni, according to a recent survey by the university's office of assessment. The survey polled 1,718 one-year alumni and 1,807 four-year alumni. Of those who responded, 98 percent of the one-year alumni and 99 percent of the four-year alumni stated they would recommend the university to prospective students. Also, 95 percent of respondents in both areas indicated that -- if given the opportunity -- they would attend K-State again. June 2012

* Kansas State University has signed an agreement with the China Scholarship Council that allows up to 20 Chinese students to attend the university each year on a doctoral fellowship. The first group of Chinese doctoral students will begin in the fall 2013 semester. May 2012

* The graduate programs in the College of Engineering are ranked among the nation's top 100 by U.S. News and World Report. The graduate engineering program was ranking 93rd. Among its graduate programs, biological and agricultural engineering was the highest ranked at 16th. May 2012

* Powercat Financial Counseling was cited in a reported issued by the President's Advisory Council on Fiscal Capability as an example of an effort to improve financial capability of college students. May 2012

* Ethics and morals are award-winning priorities and practices at Kansas State University's College of Education, which has been honored with the 2012 Best Practice Award for Professional Ethics and Moral Dispositions in Teacher Education from The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The honor recognizes excellence in a school, college or department of education for illustrative and purposeful attention to professional ethics and moral dispositions in teacher education. The college was selected because of its ability to provide clear coherence among vision, development and assessment of dispositions across the unit. March 2012

* Ben Dietrixhe, junior in geography; Jim Wells, doctoral student in geography; and Tyra Olstad, doctoral student in geography, were on the six-member team Great Plains/Rocky Mountain Region team that won the 2012 World Geography Bowl at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers, Feb. 24-28, in New York City. Also on the team were students from the University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Colorado at Denver and the University of Wyoming. It's the second consecutive year that the Great Plains/Rocky Mountain team won the event. The 2011 team also had three K-State members. March 2012

* A K-State online degree program is being rated as one of the best in the nation for students to master education technology. GetEducated.com, a website dedicated to comparing and rating online degree programs, has ranked the university's online master of science in curriculum and instruction-digital teaching and learning program in the top 10 for programs of its kind. The program exposes its students, who range from certified K-12 teachers to administrators with doctorates, to the technology available for enhancing education and course structure. Its focus is to equip them with the skills to effectively integrate that technology into their own curricula. March 2012

* K-State is getting another salute from Military Advanced Education, which has ranked the university as a top military friendly institution for soldiers and their families for the fifth year in a row. The recognition is because of the university's reputation for quality programs and services that meet soldiers' unique needs. February 2012

* Kansas State University is opening a new office in Vietnam. It will be the third international office established by the university. An office in China was opened in 2006 and an office in India began in 2008. February 2012

* For the fifth time in the last seven years, the university's Black Student Union has been named the most outstanding black student government council in the Big 12 Conference. The organization received the Most Outstanding Council award at the 35th annual Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government, Feb. 23-25, at the University of Oklahoma. In addition to the group honor, two members of the group also received recognition at the event. Shahna Campbell was named the most outstanding junior in the Big 12 Conference on Black Government, while Lorenza Breckenridge, was elected chair of the conference's Historical Committee. February 2012

* Kansas State University is the only American university invited to participate in a six-year plant pathology and entomology research collaboration with Australia's Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre, or CRC. The center is a consortium of several of Australia's leading governmental research institutions and universities. Through this partnership, K-State and Australian researchers will study emerging plant diseases and insect pests that threaten U.S. and Australian agricultural systems, and develop new strategies and technologies to defend against these threats. Additionally, this initiative is expected to begin academic exchanges between K-State and many of Australia's universities. February 2012

* A new guide lists Kansas State University as one of the top undergraduate schools in the nation offering excellent academics, generous financial aid and/or relatively low cost of attendance.The university is included in "The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition," a new book by the Princeton Review that identifies the top 75 public and top 75 private colleges and universities as true values when it comes to getting a quality education. February 2012

* Mary Molt, assistant director of housing and dining services, received a 2012 Silver Plate Award from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association. The award recognizes outstanding achievement and innovation in the industry and is one of the highest honors in the food industry. Molt is the second K-State recipient of this award -- ranking K-State as a leader in the food service industry. February 2012

* Noel Schulz, K-State's first lady and Paslay professor of electrical and computer engineering, has begun serving a two-year term as president of the IEEE Power and Energy Society. The worldwide, nonprofit association has more than 28,000 members engaged in the electric power energy industry. January 2012

* K-State won the 2012 Sweepstakes Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, also known as CASE, at the recent District 6 meeting in Denver, Colo. The university received 16 awards, accumulating the most points for any school in the division for colleges and universities with enrollments of 7,500 or more students. It's the third time in the last seven years that the university has won the sweepstakes award. The top title also was claimed in 2006 and 2009. January 2012

* A new designation earned by the university and the department of architectural engineering and construction science is providing students with scholarship opportunities. The Robert J. Besal Lighting Education Fund designated the university as a qualified Besal campus for its extensive offering of course work related to lighting and lighting systems design. The designation allows lighting students to be eligible for scholarships that have totaled nearly $600,000 since the inception of the fund in 1983. January 2012

2012 All-University

2011 All-University

2010 All-University

2009 All-University