K-State achievements--2002 agriculture

2002 Agriculture

* Three K-State graduate students, who work with insects and other arthropods, represented the institution well at the national meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Tom Clarke, a doctoral student in biological sciences, received first place in Section C, insect pathology and microbial control, for his paper "Apoptosis as an anti-viral defense in spodoptera frugiperda caterpillars." Rollie Clem, assistant professor of biology, mentors Clarke. Huarong Li, a doctoral student in entomology, received first place in Section B, insect physiology, biochemistry, toxicology and molecular biology, for his paper "Gut proteinase activity and Bt-toxin binding to brush border membrane vesicles of Bt-resistant and susceptible European corn borer." He is mentored by Randy Higgins, professor of entomology, and Brenda Oppert, adjunct assistant professor of entomology. Olgaly Ramos, a doctoral student in entomology, received second place in Section C, biological control, for her paper "Entomopathogenetic nematodes as potential biological control agents of stored product pests." She is mentored by Jim Campbell, adjunct assistant professor of entomology, and Sonny Ramaswamy, professor and head of the department of entomology. December 2002

* K-State's Collegiate Crops Judging Team has claimed the title of national champions for the fourth consecutive year, a feat last accomplished by Texas Tech University in the early 1970s. The team captured victories at both the Kansas City Board of Trade and Chicago Collegiate Crops contests to with the national championship. K-State placed first in all three phases of each contest: seed analysis, grain grading and plant and seed identification. The national competition required participants to identify more than 200 different plants or seeds of crops and weeds. Students were required to perform grain grading, which involves examining eight different grain samples to determine the grade of grain according to Federal Grain Inspection Service Standards. The competition also included seed analysis, which requires competitors to determine whether seed samples contain impurities and if so, what contaminants exist. November 2002

* K-State senior Tom Patterson won the individual title, leading his team to an eighth place finish at the National Collegiate Livestock Judging Championships in Louisville, Ky. Derek Azeuedo, a K-State senior from Modesto, Calif., placed 10th individually. Participants ranked sheep, beef cattle and swine based on breeding and market values, as well as provided oral reasons for their rankings. K-State had placed second as a team the past two years, after winning five straight team titles from 1995 to 1999. Prior to the national competition, K-State finished second at both the Mid-American Classic in Wichita, Kan., and the World Beef Expo in Madison, Wis. The team also placed sixth at the American Royal in Kansas City, Mo. November 2002

* Kansas State University is one of the country's top three universities serving the meat and poultry industry for the second consecutive year, according to Meat & Poultry magazine. Texas A&M University and Iowa State University were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the magazine's November, 2002 issue. It recognizes the country's top 10 programs the Meat & Poultry staff believes offers educational and value-added incentives. K-State has a 23,000-square-foot K-State meat science complex. The facility provides equipment needed to harvest, chill, process, cure, smoke, package, display, cook and present food safety teaching. Hands-on learning laboratories include a meat lab, three processing labs, a sensory lab, meat chemistry lab, analytical lab, meat microbiology lab and post-processing lab. According to the report, K-State aided in the success of its faculty and their ability to graduate knowledge-rich students [with] facilities that allow for demonstration of all phases of meat processing. The school is also known for its interaction with other universities and research professionals, ranging from livestock scientists to food microbiologists." K-State faculty members collaborate on research projects conducted with such companies as Tyson Foods, Farmland Foods, Pioneer Foods, Stork, Townsend Engineering and numerous Kansas-based meat and poultry processors. November 2002

* Two K-State students won scholarships in the 2002 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Scholars Competition for their superior academic and leadership achievements. One of the students also received a scholarship from Bayer Environmental Science. Ty McClellan, senior in horticulture, Glasco, received the MacCurrach Award in the Scholars Competition. The award is funded by the PGA Tour and includes a $5,000 scholarship. He will also receive an all-expense paid trip to the 2003 International Golf Course Conference and Show in Atlanta. Bryan Taylor, senior in horticulture, Manhattan, was a merit winner and received a $500 scholarship in the Scholars Competition. He also received a scholarship from Bayer Environmental Science. Bayer scholarships were awarded to students pursuing turf-related degrees who demonstrated superior academic and leadership skills and were nominated by university professors who recognized their promising potential in the turf grass profession. September 2002

* K-State's Jan E. Leach has been appointed an honorary scientist of the Rural Development Administration in Korea. Leach, a distinguished professor of plant pathology, was nominated for a three-year term that began July 1. The Rural Development Administration is a central government organization responsible for the agricultural rresearch and extension in Korea. Leach will participate in discussions with the scientists at Rural Development Administration to suggest better ways to solve agricultural problems they are facing. The honorary scientists are often invited as resource persons to the Rural Development Administration or its constituent institutes for scientific consultation. A nomination letter Leach received indicated that the honorary scientists are carefully selected on the basis of the leadership and excellence in the area of specialty of each nominee. July 2002

* The American Distance Education Consortium, a national consortium of land-grant universities, recognized two distance education initiatives at K-State for excellence. The consortium selected the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance to receive its Excellence in Distance Education Award. The alliance, an association of human sciences colleges at 10 universities, is coordinated by K-State. The award, which includes $5,000 and a trophy, recognizes the alliance's interinstitutional graduate program in family financial planning; the faculty development opportunities provided by the alliance; and the alliance's creation of model policies and practices for distance education alliances. The consortium also is awarding honorable mention honors for distance education excellence to K-State's master in agribusiness program. Alliance members include K-State's College of Human Ecology and human sciences colleges at the following universities: Colorado State, Iowa State, Michigan State, Montana State, Nebraska, North Dakota State, Oklahoma State, South Dakota State and Texas Tech. Seven of the alliance members are partners in the delivery of an interinstitutional distance education master's degree and postbaccalaureate certificate in family financial planning. The master in agribusiness program, launched in 1998, is the first graduate agribusiness program in the nation to be offered through distance education. It allows agribusiness professionals to earn an advanced degree without career interruption. The program currently has 87 students and 13 alumni. They represent 25 states and seven countries. The award-winning program also was honored with the 2001 University Continuing Education Association/Peterson's Award for most innovative distance education program. February 2002

* Two K-State juniors in agronomy took the top two honors at the National Agronomy Student Research Symposium Contest held in Charlotte, N.C. Jesse Poland, Junction City, placed first; Nick Bowser, Mayetta, placed second. Undergraduate agronomy students participating completed an independent research project that is presented at the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science of America annual meeting. The contest exists to develop the ability of students to conduct research. Each student gave a 10-minute presentation over the completed research project followed by three minutes of questions by a panel of judges. Cash awards were presented during the meetings, and recognitions were made during the student awards program and presentation. Poland received $300 for taking the top honor and Bowser received $200 for second place. January 2002

K-State College of Agriculture