2010 Faculty Achievements
* David Stone, the Pickett Professor of Military History and director of the Institute for Military History and 20th Century Studies at Kansas State University, is editor of the new volume "The Soviet Union at War 1941-1945." The book is published by British publishing company Pen and Sword Books; Casemate Publishing is in charge of U.S. distribution. Dec. 2010
* Kimetris Baltrip, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications, was named a Business Journalism Professors Seminar Fellow by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. She was one of 15 professors chosen for the fellowship and attended the Business Journalism Professors Seminar, Jan. 4-7, in Phoenix, Ariz. Baltrip was selected for her extensive journalism experience at The New York Times, where she was a copy editor on the business and metro desks; her solid academic and teaching credentials; and her enthusiasm for business journalism. Baltrip would like to develop a business journalism course curriculum for K-State. Dec. 2010
* Michael Chilton, associate professor of management, is among the 10 recipients nationwide of a $25,000 ConocoPhillips faculty sponsorship award. The award is supporting Chilton's efforts to expand his existing curriculum and incorporate new, advanced technologies to enhance the management information systems program at K-State. Dec. 2010
* Summer Lewis, a K-State alumna and project coordinator with housing and dining services, was named a Rotary World Peace Fellow by Rotary International. She is one of 50 fellows from 24 countries chosen for the 2010-2012 program. Lewis will spend 18 months studying at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and will earn a master's degree in international studies, peace and conflict resolution. Nov. 2010
* Peter Magyar has been elected a charter member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, an honored extended to architects who have achieved the gold standard in their profession. Magyar also released his latest book, "THINKINK," about the process of conceiving and refining designs through freehand drawing. Nov. 2010
* Kristine Young, assistant provost, officer of international programs, is serving a two-year term as president of Mid-America Universities International, a consortium of 15 universities in the Midwest that work together to actively promote overseas educational opportunities for students and international teaching, consultation and research opportunities for faculty. Nov. 2010
* Four K-State researchers received a patent for their invention, "Compositions and Methods for Controlling Plant Parasitic Nematodes," which aims to control the soybean cyst nematode, a devastating parasite that causes million of dollars in crop damage each year. The researchers included: Harold Trick, professor of plant pathology; Timothy Todd, instructor of plant pathology; Michael Herman, associate professor of biology; and Judith Roe, former assistant professor of biology. Nov. 2010
* Kristine Young, assistant provost, officer of international programs, is serving a two-year term as president of Mid-America Universities International, a consortium of 15 universities in the Midwest that work together to actively promote overseas educational opportunities for students and international teaching, consultation and research opportunities for faculty. Nov. 2010
* Jon Mahoney, associate professor of philosophy, has been named a Fulbright Scholar to Kyrgyzstan. He will work at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek. His research work will focus on democratic equality, with an emphasis on religion and politics. Nov. 2010
* Missy Schrader, a dietitian with housing and dining services and an instructor of hospitality management and dietetics, received the American Dietetic Association Foundation's Mary Abbott Hess Award for Recognition of an Innovative Food and Culinary Effort. The honor is for Schrader's creation of the annual on-campus Culinary Enhancement Workshop. Nov. 2010
* Frank White, professor of plant pathology and an international authority on the molecular basis of plant disease, was named a fellow of the American Phytopathological Society in recognition of his distinguished contributions to plant pathology or society. White discovered a group of genes that are transferred from bacteria to plants during infection. He also identified bacterial genes naturally present in some plant genomes. White recently also characterized the family of bacterial virulence factors that alter the expression of plant genes and condition the plant for either susceptibility or resistance to disease. Oct. 2010
* Anna Whitfield, assistant professor of plant pathology, was named an up-and-comer in virology by the American Phytopathological Society. As part of the award, Whitfield presented at the Schroth Faces of the Future Early Career Professionals Symposium on her current research and research priorities for the future, a part of the society's annual meeting. In addition to presenting, Whitfield received travel assistance funds. Oct. 2010
* A K-State alum, physics professor and research associate are the winners of the American Association of Physics Teachers 2010 Apparatus Competition. Dyan McBride, a May 2009 K-State doctoral graduate in physics and now an assistant professor of physics at Mercyhurst College; Dean Zollman, university distinguished professor, William and Joan Porter professor of physics and head of the department of physics; and Sytil Murphy, research associate in physics, received the award at the 2010 summer conference of the American Association of Physics Teachers in Portland, Ore. The trio's entry, "A Lens To Demonstrate Accommodation in the Focusing of the Human Eye," received a $1,100 prize in addition to first place. The project was funded by the National Science Foundation and began in 2005. The project was part of McBride's doctorate research. Oct. 2010
* Frank Blecha, university distinguished professor of immunophysiology, interim associate dean for research in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and head of the department of anatomy and physiology, has been recognized by the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists as the 2010 Distinguished Veterinary Immunologist of the Year. The title is one of the highest honors in Blecha's field, and is used to recognize those who have advanced the study of the immunology. Oct 2010
* University distinguished professors T.G. Nagarja, diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, and Chii-Dong Lin, physics, received prestigious Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards for 2010. Each award includes a plaque and a $10,000 grant for ongoing research materials. Nagaraja is the recipient of the Irvin Youngblood Award for Applied Science for his research on the microbiology of the gastrointestinal tract in cattle. Lin received the Olin Petefish Award in Basic Science. He is recognized internationally in several fields of atomic, molecular and optical physics, including the study of ultrafast, intense-field, short-pulse, laser-based physics. Oct. 2010
* The Entomological Society of America has recognized K-State's C. Michael Smith with the Recognition Award in Entomology, a $1,500 honor sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection. Honorees must be current members of the entomological society who have contributed significantly to agricultural advancement through their work in the entomology field. Smith is a Fellow of the society. He is a recognized authority in the field of plant resistance to arthropods. Oct. 2010
* Daniel Devlin, professor and extension specialist in agronomy, has received the Agronomic Extension Education Award from the American Society of Agronomy. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to agronomy through education, national and international service, and research. Devlin's extension and research programs focus on developing and implementing water quality extension programs, particularly related to nutrient and pesticide management and on watershed planning. Oct. 2010
* Jianming Yu, associate professor of agronomy, has received the Early Career Professional Award from the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America. His research focuses on developing novel methods of utilizing cutting-edge genetic and genomic tools for complex trait dissection and plant breeding. Oct. 2010
* Guihua Bai and Daniel Devlin have been named fellows of the American Society of Agronomy. Members of the society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Only 0.3 percent of the society’s active and emeritus members may be elected a fellow. Bai is a U.S. Department of Agriculture Research plant geneticist and adjunct professor in agronomy; Devlin is a professor and extension specialist in agronomy. Bai is one of the directors of USDA's Central Small Grain Genotyping Lab and K-State Sequence Facility. His research focuses mainly on hard winter wheat molecular breeding and wheat resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Devlin's extension and research programs focus on developing and implementing water quality extension programs, particularly related to nutrient and pesticide management and on watershed planning. Oct. 2010
* Mary B. Kirkham, professor of agronomy, is the recipient of the Crop Science Research Award from the Crop Science Society of America. The annual award is presented for outstanding contributions to crop science through research. Kirkham's research activities include the uptake of heavy metals by crops and the physiology of drought resistance. Kirkham is on the editorial board of several journals, including Crop Science, Soil Science and Agricultural Water Management. She teaches a class on plant-water relations, works with graduate students, and participates in national and international meetings. Oct. 2010
* James Shroyer, professor and extension crops specialist and Extension agronomy state leader, has been named a fellow of the Crop Science Society of America. Members of the society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Only 0.3 percent of the society’s active and emeritus members may be elected fellow. Shroyer's research focuses on wheat and alfalfa production and management. He has served as associate editor for the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education, and has been active in the Crop Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy. Oct. 2010
* Gerard Kluitenberg, professor of soil and environmental physics at K-State, has received the Don and Betty Kirkham Soil Physics Award from the Soil Science Society of America. The award recognizes mid-career soil scientists who have made outstanding contributions in the area of soil physics. Kluitenberg's primary research focus is the development of thermal sensors for measuring soil physical properties and quantifying water flow in soils. He has been chair of Division S-1 of the society, and has been associate editor for the Soil Science Society of America Journal. He is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy. Oct. 2010
* K-State was among only nine schools from the U.S. selected to participate in an exclusive graduate student recruitment event in China. Carol Shanklin, dean of the Graduate School, and Jishu Shi, associate professor of anatomy and physiology and director of the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health, represented K-State at the China Scholarship Council's 2010 International Graduate Scholarship Fair, Oct. 15-23. The fair gives select schools the chance to recruit top Chinese students who want to attend a graduate program overseas. Other U.S. schools invited to attend included Johns Hopkins University, Washington University, Emory University, University of Florida and Indiana University. Oct. 2010
* Chardie Baird, K-State assistant professor of sociology, and a sociology researcher from Florida State University won the best publication award from the mental health section of the American Sociological Association for their work, "Is There a Downside to Shooting for the Stars? Unrealized Educational Expectations and Symptoms of Depression." The publication appeared in the American Sociological Review, Journal Vol. 75 No. 1. Baird and Reynolds found that there is nothing wrong with encouraging students, even less academically promising students, from pursuing their higher education goals. Sept. 2010
* John Hatcliff, professor of computer and information science, and Robby, associate professor of computing and information science, were part of a seven-member research team that received the Most Influential Paper Award from the International Conference on Software Engineering. The award honors the publication that has the biggest influence on the theory and practice of software engineering in the 10 years since it was published. The team published "Bandera: Extracting Finite-State Models from Java Source code" in 2000. The publication is the most-cited paper published in the 30-year conference history and the second most-cited of more than 10,000 papers published by the Association of Computing Machinery's SIGSOFT -- the leading professional software engineering association. Sept. 2010
* Sunanda Dissanayake, associate professor of civil engineering, is spending seven months in Sri Lanka as a Fulbright Scholar. She will teach and assist with curriculum enhancement at the University of Peradeniya. She also will conduct research on reducing highway fatalities and injuries in Sri Lanka. She has conducted similar research on United States roadways for a number of years. Sept. 2010
* Michael Wesch, associate professor of cultural anthropology, was among the three individuals specially invited to be the first Fellows of the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education. The new fellowship program connects the institute and its members to selected thought leaders in higher education like Wesch. As a Fellow he will spend the next year helping his peers explore the big picture of the learning experience. He will discuss his views on how learning happens and why creative approaches to learning matter. He and the other Fellows will participate in two videoconference sessions during the year and attend the 2011 National Institute of Technology in Liberal Education summit. Aug. 2010
* Capt. Don Stubbings of the K-State police department was among 24 law enforcement executives from across the country selected to participate in the National Campus Law Enforcement Leadership Institute on Violence Against Women in Austin, Texas. The institute is part of a national effort to combat crimes of violence against women. Stubbings, who joined the K-State police department in 1997 and was promoted to captain in 2007, is a certified crime prevention specialist. He also serves as vice president of the Flint Hills Sexual Assault Coalition. Aug. 2010
* Thomas A. Wright, K-State's Jon Wefald Leadership Chair in Business Administration, was named a Fellow of the Western Psychological Association. To become a Fellow, individuals must make outstanding contributions to the field of psychology, and their work must have national impact on the field of psychology. Wright also is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, 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 four prestigious professional organizations, an honor achieved by fewer than 15 scholars worldwide. July 2010
* Daniel C. Marcus, university distinguished professor of anatomy and physiology, will serve a four-year term on the National Committee for the National Association of IDeA Principal Investigators. The 20-member committee assists the National Center for Research Resources, a division of the National Institutes of Health, in strengthening biomedical research in 23 states -- including Kansas -- that are part of the Institutional Development Awards, or IDeA, network. Marcus is the principal investigator for the K-State Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, based in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The center studies epithelial cell function in human health and disease. It supports individual research projects as well as research facilities for confocal microscopy, molecular biology and electrophysiology investigators across eight departments in five K-State colleges. The center is beginning its ninth year of funding through a National Institutes of Health award of about $22 million over 10 years. July 2010
* Harald E.L. Prins, a university distinguished professor of anthropology who has been recognized both at the university and national levels for his teaching, has been honored by his peers as the 2010 recipient of the American Anthropological Association/Oxford University Press Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching of Anthropology. The honor is the top teaching award in Prins' profession and recognizes teachers who have contributed to and encouraged the study of anthropology. July 2010
* K-State's Xinming "Simon" Ou, assistant professor of computing and information sciences, is among a select group of professors chosen worldwide to participate in Hewlett-Packard Co. Labs Innovation Research Program. Ou received $73,000 to help fund his project, "A New Approach to Rigorous Risk Analytics using Attack Graphs," which will pair him with researchers at HP labs. The project involves developing quantitative security metrics for enterprise networks. K-State is one of only 52 universities in the world to receive a 2010 Innovation Research Award. The annual program provides colleges, universities and research institutes around the world with opportunities to conduct breakthrough collaborative research with HP. July 2010
* K-State physics professor Brett DePaola is spending the 2010-2011 school year serving as a scientific adviser to the U.S. Department of State as a Jefferson Science Fellow. DePaola is one of only 12 individuals selected to receive the fellowship this year. Tenured academic scientists and engineers from U.S. institutions of higher learning are eligible for selection as Jefferson Science Fellows. They spend a year at the State Department or the U.S. Agency for International Development for an on-site assignment in Washington, D.C., that may also involve extended stays at U.S. foreign embassies and/or missions. Fellow assignments involve providing up-to-date expertise in the rapidly advancing science, technology and engineering arenas that routinely impact the policy decisions encountered by the State Department/USAID. June 2010
* Retired Army Lt. Col. Art DeGroat, director of military affairs at K-State, was honored with the Lt. Gen. Robert H. Forman Award for Distinguished Service from the Association of the United States Army. DeGroat was recognized for his work in leading the growth of the Fort Riley-Central Kansas Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army as its president; his work in building and directing the K-State Military Affairs enterprise; co-founding the nonprofit foundation, Noble Cause USA; and his support for the care of wounded warriors in the Kansas-Missouri area. June 2010
* K-State chemical engineer Peter Pfromm has developed and patented a new structure that can be used to make all-natural personal care products and purer pharmaceuticals in the laboratory. The mechanism – scientifically referred to as a lyophilizate of an enzyme and fumed silica– is essentially an enzyme-covered nanoparticle of fumed silica. June 2010
* Stephen Dyer, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Instrumentation and Measurement Society Career Excellence Award. The award is the highest of four awards given annually by the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society. It includes a $5,000 stipend and a $1,000 travel grant to cover expenses incurred in traveling to the awards ceremony. May 2010
* A team of K-State researchers has patented a new, more cost effective way to make a gel that can be used in fuel cells, water filtration systems, or perhaps as a net to capture fine cometary dust. The product is a low density, high surface area gel formed in a gas. K-State physics professor Chris Sorensen, lead researcher on the project, said though the new material is like an existing product, it doesn't require an expensive, high-pressure drying step that removes moisture. This could be an advantage when it comes to the commercialization of the material. May 2010
* Ray Weisenburger, professor of landscape architecture and regional and community planning, is the recipient of the 2010 lifetime achievement award from the Kansas Preservation Alliance. Named in honor of a dedicated alliance board member, the Muriel Golobay Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize individuals who distinguish themselves by furthering the cause of preservation in Kansas. Weisenburger has a long, varied and ongoing record of service to historic preservation in Kansas. He was instrumental in establishing the Kansas Preservation Alliance's Brick Streets and Sidewalks Preservation Program. He has served on the alliance's board of directors, including as vice president from 1987-1989 and president from 1989-1992. He also served as the alliance's liaison to the American Institute of Architects Historic Resources Committee from 1996-2007. In addition, he served on the Kansas State Historic Sites Review Board from 1981-1986; was a member of Manhattan's Urban Area Planning Board from 1981-1999, serving as chair from 1985-1987 and 1995-1996; and has served on Manhattan's Historic Resources Board since 2004. June 2010
* Art DeGroat, director of military affairs, received the Distinguished Trooper Award from Fort Riley, one of the post's highest awards for private citizens. The award is given in recognition of a citizen's sustained public service and contributions to the Fort Riley community. DeGroat was recognized his work building and strengthening the bond between K-State and Fort Riley during the last four years. June 2010
* Ron Wilson, a Kansas cowboy poet and rural development specialist at K-State, has been named the first outreach ambassador of the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. As outreach ambassador, Wilson will help educate about the positive and important contributions of multicultural peoples to the settling of the American West. Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at K-State. He also writes and performs cowboy poetry and studies Western history. June 2010
* Chuck Rice, university distinguished professor of agronomy, has been selected again to join other leading international scientists as part of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Rice has been chosen to become one of just two lead authors from the U.S. for the chapter on agriculture in the panel's upcoming Fifth Assessment Report on Climate Change. The assessment report is expected to be released in 2014. Altogether, there will be 201 lead authors involved in writing the upcoming report; of which only 29 are from the U.S., including Rice. In 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was honored as co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for its Fourth Assessment Report, on which Rice served as an author. June 2010
* John Leslie, department head and professor of plant pathology at Kansas State University, is a new honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Leslie was inducted into the academy based on his career achievements, according to the academy's nomination committee. To be considered for membership, candidates must be active scientists in a foreign country whose research is recognized on an international level is and especially pertinent to Hungarian scientists. Honorary members must also neither live in Hungary nor have a connection to Hungary via their parentage. Leslie is one of 35 members elected in 2010. Leslie's contributions to the field of plant pathology include 133 scientific papers, six books and 24 book chapters. Several of his papers are highly regarded in the field, including one that gave a new synthesis of the evolutionary consequences of molecular recombination events, and another paper which shed new light on the role of vegetative incompatibility in preserving pathogenic traits. He also created the first well-received map of G. moniliformis. May 2010
* Gary Pierzynski, interim dean of the College of Agriculture and professor of agronomy at K-State, will serve as president-elect of the Soil Science Society of America beginning Jan. 1, 2011; he assumes the role of president Jan. 1, 2012. He will be the third K-State agronomy faculty member to serve as president of the Soil Science Society of America, succeeding K-State's Chuck Rice, university distinguished professor of agronomy, who will serve as society president in 2011. An international scientific society with more than 6,000 members, the Soil Science Society of America is dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. May 2010
* K-State's Jeff Gwirtz, associate professor of milling science and management, has been honored with the 2010 Thaddeus Bownik Award from the International Association of Operative Millers. The award is presented annually by the association in recognition of a member's many years of support and contributions to the flour milling and grain processing industry, and for special contributions to the association as a member of the board of directors and standing or special committees. Gwirtz, who has been a member of the International Association of Operative Millers since 1983, has served on several different association committees and has had various roles within the organization. May 2010
* To understand how global change is happening, K-State geography professor Kendra McLauchlan is receiving a nearly $440,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award. With this research funding, she will examine contrasts in vegetation history among three sites and reconstruct past changes in nitrogen cycling and other ecosystem properties. That will allow her to look back 10,000 years at nitrogen availability in forest and grassland ecosystems. McLauchlan is the sixth K-State professor in 2010 to receive the award. May 2010
* David Wetzel, K-State professor of grain science and industry, has been named one of two Fellows of the American Association of Cereal Chemistry International for 2010. This is one of the top international honors in cereal chemistry. Wetzel is internationally known for the localized chemical analysis of biological material at the cellular and subcellular levels using infrared microscopy. He has pioneered the use of infrared microscopy to study various biological materials. May 2010
* K-State entomologist John C. Reese has been recognized for his career contributions in making crops and other plants resistant to insects. Reese was honored at the International Plant Resistance to Insects 19th biennial workshop in March in Charleston, S.C. The award noted his outstanding and meritorious contributions to plant resistance to insects. Reese teaches K-State's premier course in host plant resistance. May 2010
* Three K-State entomology faculty members were recognized at the annual meeting of the North Central Branch of the Entomological Society of America. Raymond Cloyd, associate professor of entomology, received the Award of Excellence in Integrated Pest Management, while Jim Nechols, professor of entomology, was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching, and John Reese, professor of entomology, was the recipient of the Recognition Award in Entomology. April 2010
* K-State's student chapter of the Kansas National Educational Association received several honors at the KNEA Student Program Leadership Conference. The chapter received awards for outstanding local website and outstanding local newsletter. The chapter also received the Chapter of Excellence Award. Laurie Curtis, K-State assistant professor of elementary education and adviser to K-State's student chapter received the Outstanding Local Adviser Award. April 2010
* K-State's Theresa Selfa, assistant professor of sociology, is serving on a National Research Council committee studying the economic and environmental impacts of increasing biofuels production. Selfa and 15 other experts from across the country are examining the Renewable Fuels Standard, biofuel tax and tariff policy, and production costs on biofuel and petroleum refining capacity. The committee also is looking at current and future biofuels that are projected to be used by 2022 under different policy scenarios. Their study also will examine the effect of biofuels production on the number of U.S. acres used for crops and forestry, and the associated changes in the price of rural and suburban land. April 2010
* Two female department heads at K-State were tapped to take part in the Oxford University Round Table on women in academia, March 14-19, in Oxford, England. Lorraine Cutler, head of K-State's department of interior architecture and product design, and Geraldine Craig, head of the department of art, attended the invitation-only event "Women in the Academy: Status and Prospects." Topics addressed at the round table included gender equity; discrimination; compensation, tenure and promotion; sexual harassment; and institutional restraints on women's leadership. The Oxford Round Tables are a forum for the study of current issues facing state and national systems of education, and each session is made up of a small select group of leaders from both the public and private sectors of several countries. April 2010
* To put the nature and history back into cross-state travel along the Interstate, K-State's Ted Cable has published "Driving Across Missouri: A Guide to I-70." In the book, Cable and co-author LuAnn Cadden breathe history and culture back into Missouri's Interstate 70 landscapes. The new book is a companion to "Driving Across Kansas: A Guide to I-70," which Cable co-authored in 2003. Cable, a naturalist, is a professor of park management and conservation, is an expert interpreter who takes facts about the natural environment and turns them into stories and experiences to help people understand the world's natural resources. March 2010
* Jianhan Chen, an assistant professor of biochemistry, is receiving more than $670,000 as a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. CAREER is the foundation's most prestigious award for junior faculty to support early career development activities of teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the organization's mission. March 2010
* Stephen Benton, K-State professor of special education, counseling and student affairs, has been selected a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. Benton is one of 67 scholars to earn the honor this year. Fellow selection is based on exceptional scientific or scholarly contributions to education research or significant contributions to the field through the development of research opportunities and settings. Benton's research has covered a variety of education research topics, including college student drinking, reading and writing processes, note taking and college student mental health. He is co-author of a test manual and the book "College Student Mental Health: Effective Services and Strategies Across Campus"; eight book chapters; numerous edited volumes; and more than 60 refereed journal articles and 60 professional papers. March 2010
* K-State's Wenqiao "Wayne" Yuan, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering, has received a five-year, $400,000 grant through the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development program for his project, Multi-scale Structured Solid Careers Enabling Algae Biofuels Manufacturing in the Ocean. The CAREER program supports the early career-development activities of junior teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their institution. Yuan's grant was awarded through the foundation's Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation. The long-term goal of Yuan's project is to make energy manufacturing from algae economically viable. His vision is to identify the best large solid carriers -- thin sheets of metals or polymers -- that oil-rich algae can be grown on for biofuels manufacturing in the ocean. The project also includes determining what surface textures -- such as smooth or dimpled -- are best for algae growth through both experimental and theoretical investigations. March 2010
* K-State's Naiqian Zhang, professor of biological and agricultural engineering, will spend four months this year at the University of the Philippines Los Banos as a Fulbright Scholar. Zhang will teach and continue his research in sensors for precision agriculture. It's Zhang's first time as a Fulbright Scholar, and he is the third faculty member from K-State's department of biological and agricultural engineering to be named a Fulbright Scholar in the last 10 years. March 2010
* The National Science Foundation gave Simon Ou, K-State assistant professor of computing and information sciences, a CAREER Award. It supports the early career-development activities of junior teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their institution. March 2010
* Three K-State faculty members are founding members of the Financial Therapy Association's board of directors. Sonya Britt, an undergraduate and doctoral program instructor for the Institute of Personal Financial Planning and financial therapist at the Financial Therapy Clinic, was elected president of the Financial Therapy Association board; John Grable, the Vera Mowery McAninch Professor of Human Development and Family Studies and director of the Institute of Personal Financial Planning, was elected board treasurer; and Kristy Archuleta, co-director of the Financial Planning Clinic and an assistant professor of family studies and human services, is serving as the board's research liaison. Association members study the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, relational, economic and integrative aspects of financial wellness. Membership consists of individuals from around the world who blend aspects of financial planning, financial counseling, marriage and family therapy, sociology, social work and psychology. March 2010
* Raju Dandu, professor of engineering technology at Kansas State University at Salina, has been selected to serve on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Committee on Technology Accreditation. His term will be at least five years. The technology accreditation committee has frontline responsibility for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' role in the accreditation of engineering technology degree programs through the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, the Accreditation Board for Technology and Engineering. March 2010
* K-State at Salina's Raylene Alexander, assistant professor of aviation has earned Master Aviation Educator accreditation. She is one of only 22 Kansas teachers of aviation and one of seven K-State at Salina faculty members to earn the accreditation. Offered through Master Instructors LLC, the accreditation recognizes individuals who work as professional teachers of aviation in industry but who do not hold Federal Aviation Administration instructor certification. Candidates must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence, professional growth and service to the aviation community. They also must pass a rigorous evaluation by a peer review board. Designees are recognized as outstanding aviation educators for not only their excellence in teaching, but for their engagement in the continuous process of learning. March 2010
* A K-State professor who believes in providing extensive hands-on learning opportunities for her students received the 2009 North Central Region Award for Excellence in College and University Teaching the Food and Agricultural Sciences. Kim Williams, professor of greenhouse management in K-State's department of horticulture, forestry and recreation resources, was among six winners from regions around the U.S. of the $2,000 award. The awards program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Higher Education Programs, Science and Education Resources Development and National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The program recognizes a select group of college and university teachers who excel at teaching, make a positive impact on student learning and influence other teachers by example. Williams is K-State's seventh regional winner in the awards program. K-State also has had three national winners. Feb. 2010
* Yoshiro Ikeda, university distinguished professor of art, is the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts. The conference will be March 31-April 3 in Philadelphia, Pa. The award is given to one professor in the nation who has dedicated many years to being an extraordinary teacher. The recipient also must demonstrate excellence in his or her own work, as well as through the continuing accomplishments of students. Ikeda has taught at K-State for 32 years. He has received more than 50 awards for his work, which has been included in more than 350 exhibitions in North America and 37 international exhibitions in Japan, France, Spain Korea, Taiwan, England, Brazil and New Zealand. Since 1983 he has presented more than 40 workshops and lectures across the United States and in Scotland, Japan, Korea and Brazil. He earned the title of university distinguished professor, K-State's highest faculty honor, in 2004. Feb. 2010
* The Kansas Supreme Court appointed K-State's W. Franklin Spikes to the state's Continuing Legal Education Commission. Spikes, a professor of educational leadership and director of K-State's doctoral program in adult and continuing education, is the only non-attorney to serve on the commission since it was created 25 years ago. He is an expert in the field of adult and continuing education and has more than 30 years of experience in both the academic and corporate settings. The Kansas Continuing Legal Education Commission reviews and approves the various entities and programs offering continuing education for attorneys, considering how closely related the programs are to the practice of law in Kansas and how they can improve the work of participating attorneys. Feb. 2010
* K-State's Elliott Pujol, professor of art, is a recipient of the 2010 Governor's Arts Award for his work as a master metalsmith and Kansas artist. The Governor's Arts Awards are given annually to recognize distinguished Kansas artists, patrons and arts educators. Pujol's work is comprised primarily of vessels, including a copper covered 1960 Dodge truck. Among Pujol's many honors include being selected by the National Endowment for the Arts and Penland School of Crafts in 1971 as one of the 50 outstanding craftsmen in the United States. Pujol also was chosen by the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis in 2005 as a master metalsmith. Jan. 2010
* Brent Maner, associate professor of history, will spend most of the spring semester at a prestigious research center in Vienna as a Fulbright scholar. Maner will be a senior visiting fellow at the International Research Center for the Cultural Sciences in Vienna from March through June. The U.S. and Austrian governments are jointly funding his Fulbright grant. Maner, who is on sabbatical leave from K-State for the 2009-2010 school year, spent much of fall 2009 working in Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany, on his research project, "Cities of Speculation: Cultural Representations of the Vienna, Berlin and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges from 1866 to 1933." He also will work on the project while in Vienna. Jan. 2010
