K-State achievements--2003 Arts and Sciences

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Kansas State University achievements

2003 Arts and Sciences

* K-State university distinguished professor Michael Suleiman was awarded the prestigious Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship to conduct research in Tunisia. This is the fifth time Suleiman has been awarded a Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship. In Tunisia, Suleiman will be studying the attitudes concerning tolerance, openness and diversity and attitudes towards people who are "different" as represented in elementary and junior high school Arabic readers and social studies textbooks in Tunisia. December 2003

* Bradley Hammerschmidt, Salina, K-State senior in geography and natural resources and environmental sciences, received the Richason Award. Presented by Gamma Theta Upsilon, an international geography honor society, the Richason scholarship is awarded nationally to a junior or senior undergraduate with either career or graduate school aspirations. Hammerschmidt has both. Following graduation, he hopes to attend graduate school to study atmospheric science. He then plans to pursue a career as a research meteorologist. Hammerschmidt also was recently chosen as a recipient of the Gene Lortz Memorial Scholarship by the Central Region of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. The scholarship is awarded exclusively to students in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. This is the second consecutive year that Hammerschmidt has been awarded the scholarship. In August 2003, Hammerschmidt was one of the recipients of the first Homeland Security Scholars and Fellows Program award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He was the only geographer to receive the award. Other previously awarded scholarships include the Philip Morris Scholarship and the Huber Self Geography Scholarship. December 2003

* The K-State Student Brass Quintet has been selected to represent the United States at the Ensemblekurs und Workshop fur Blechblaser chamber music festival. The students will travel to Lichtenberg, Germany, in June to appear in two recitals, perform with two other quintets from Europe and be coached by Rekkenze Brass, a professional quintet from Germany. More than 40 students auditioned for a place in the K-State Student Brass Quintet in August. The select five will be joined in Germany by primary coach Gary Mortenson, associate professor of music and chair of graduate studies, who will instruct European quintets at the music festival. Students selected for the Student Brass Quintet who will perform in Germany in June are: Trombonist Ben Deaver, Augusta, senior in music education; tubist Rich Kimball, Belle Plaine, sophomore in music performance; trumpeter Kari Brooks, Great Bend, freshman in music education; hornist Crystal Lee, Salina, junior in math with a minor in music; trumpeter David Montgomery, Charlotte, N.C., second year master's-level student in music. December 2003

* Christopher Sorensen, university distinguished professor of physics at K-State, is the 2003 recipient of the David Sinclair Award presented by the American Association for Aerosol Research. According to the association, the award recognizes sustained excellence in aerosol research and technology by an established scientist still active in his or her career. The individual's research must have a lasting impact in aerosol science. Sorensen has researched aerosols for more than 10 years, focusing on the physical characterization of aerosol particles and their aggregation. Aerosols are solid or liquid particles in a gas such as clouds or smoke. When in a gas, they naturally bond to one another in chainlike networks, forming what is called an aggregate. In his research, Sorensen studies how aerosol particles are formed, how they grow together, how the aggregates scatter light and how this affects the environment. The application of this research is particularly important in the areas of global warming and visibility problems due to smog in large cities. There are also various industrial applications including the production of carbon black, a substance made from soot that increases the durability of tires, and in the production of titania, the product that replaced lead in lead-based paint. Sorensen's research has been used in the design of various instruments to measure the size of aerosol particles. December 2003

* Michael R. Kanost, professor and head of K-Statey's department of biochemistry, has been designated a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The distinction is awarded to outstanding scientists. Kanost's research includes investigating proteins present in the blood of insects, with special interest in the proteins' functions in the insect immune system. His research has been supported with nearly $6 million in grants from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation and others. He is the author of about 90 journal articles and book chapters. October 2003

* In recognition of his research achievement and leadership in the field of developmental genetics, Robin Denell, distinguished professor of biology and director of the Terry C. Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research at K-State, has been presented with the Dolph Simons Award in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Kansas. The Simons Research Award is given in recognition of research achievement in the biomedical sciences that has had a major and substantial impact and is of national and/or international interest. Denell conducts genetic, developmental and molecular research on insects, focusing on the genetic control of early embryonic organization. The genes he studies are shared with humans and are especially important because they have been implicated in the origins of some cancers. September 2003

* Brad Hammerschmidt, senior in geography and natural resources and environmental science, Salina, and Renee Ecklund, junior in electrical engineering, Herington, are among the 100 recipients of the first Homeland Security Scholars and Fellows Program awards from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The new scholarship program was created to support the growth and mentoring of the next generation of scientists who study ways to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism and minimize the damage and recovery efforts from attacks that occur. August 2003

* K-State's Rollie Clem, assistant professor of biology, and Paul Smith, associate professor of chemistry, have received Faculty Scholar awards from the Kansas Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network. The competitive awards, which include $10,000 from the network and a $10,000 match from K-State, are designed to keep outstanding young researchers in Kansas and help make them more competitive for grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. August 2003

* K-State's speech team finished ninth overall at the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. This is the team's 10th top-10 finish in the last 12 years. K-State's speech team had three events in final rounds, two of which won national titles. Approximately 89 schools and more than 800 competitors attended the tournament. Nathan Jackson won national titles in Prose Interpretation and Poetry Interpretation. Jackson, a senior in theater, also won a national title in 2001 for Prose Interpretation. He was the only competitor at the 2003 tournament to win multiple national titles, and K-State was the only school at the tournament to win more than one national title. Jackson's first place in Poetry Interpretation means that K-State has won national titles in 10 of the 11 possible events. K-State's other student in a final round, Cortney Moriarty, finished second in the nation in Communication Analysis. Among all speakers at the tournament, Moriarty placed 16th. She also placed seventh in Persuasive Speaking and received top 24 honors for Extemporaneous Speaking. April 2003

* K-State students placed 17th in the world in the 2003 Mathematical Contest in Modeling. The contest was released on the World Wide Web Feb. 6 and teams of three students worked on their projects together at their institutions. The contest ended Feb. 10. A total of 679 teams competed. Two teams from K-State participated in the competition. Both teams successfully solved a mathematical modeling problem. K-State's highest scoring modeling team included Julia Galstad, Valley Center; and Julie Stilson-Thornton and Mark Norfleet, both of Wichita. They earned the meritorious ranking in this worldwide competition. The top 16 team papers are designated outstanding and will be published. Only 89 teams in the world were awarded the second highest ranking of meritorious. Members of the second successful K-State team were (Stephen) Briar Conner, Centralia; John Rapalino, Parsons; and John Miller, Prairie Village. Faculty advisers were David Auckly, Mikil Foss and Marianne Korten, of the K-State math department. April 2003

* K-State's yearbook, the Royal Purple, and student newspaper, the Kansas State Collegian, received the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's top award, the Gold Crown, at the Spring National College Media Convention Saturday, March 22, in New York City. The Royal Purple has received a Gold Crown award for 12 consecutive years. K-State was the only university whose yearbook and newspaper both were awarded Gold Crown awards. April 2003

* Jeremy Stohs, Marysville, was selected as a 2003 National Phi Kappa Phi Fellow. The Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship program is one of the nation's most respected scholarship programs for the support of post-baccalaureate study. The award provides $8,000 to each of 52 recipients for the first year of graduate study, and Active-for-Life membership in Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Stohs will graduate summa cum laude in May from K-State with a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in leadership studies. K-State students who earn a 3.95 or above academic average graduate summa cum laude. In the fall, Stohs will be starting on a master's degree in public policy with a concentration in applied political science studies at either American University or The George Washington University. Ultimately, he plans to pursue a career in policy and advocacy. The K-State Phi Kappa Phi honor society has an impressive record in this competition. Since 1982, K-State has had 21 winners, a total unmatched by any university in the nation. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, has had 20 in the same time period. April 2003

* Two K-State English professors won National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipends. George Keiser, professor, and Phil Nel, assistant professor, received $5,000 to fund their research. Keiser is working on a monograph-length study of the transmission, circulation and text of a medieval, vernacular English medical book. And Nel is finishing a book titled "Dr. Seuss: American Icon," which will be published next year. April 2003

* Eight K-State students competed in the University of Iowa's Japanese Speech Contest March 8, taking home five prizes. This is the largest contingent of students K-State has ever sent to the competition. Students had to write an essay in Japanese, submit it for screening at K-State and submit the essay for screening at the regional level. If students were selected as finalists, they were responsible for memorizing the essay, preparing for a question and answer session and making an oral presentation to judges at the contest. John Harder, senior in electrical and computer engineering, took first in Level III competition. Harry Kearns, senior in history, placed first in Level IV competition. Tiffany Leidich, sophomore in anthropology, placed second in Level II competition. Marie-Lou Lomibao, senior in graphic design, placed third in Level III competition. Tyler Stout, junior in psychology and philosophy, took third in Level II competition. March 2003

* K-State debaters Melissa Newton, Hutchinson, and Michael Shultz, Wichita, received speaker awards and All American honors at the Cross Examination Debate Association national tournament. Newton was named to the academic All American team, which recognizes a combination of scholastic success and competitive success. Shultz was named to the All American debate team, which recognizes competitive success. K-State debaters have consistently been named All Americans. K-State's debate program also received the Founder's Award. The award is based on cumulative points accumulated over each season from a school's top two teams at six tournaments. This is the first time K-State has won the Founder's Award. March 2003

* The social work program in K-State's department of sociology, anthropology and social work has been granted continued accreditation for eight more years. The program was first accredited in 1974 and has maintained continued accreditation since then. Accredited schools must meet rigorous standards set by the profession and members of the public. In order to be a licensed social worker in the state of Kansas, students must graduate from an accredited school. The Council on Social Work Education reviews a self-study prepared by the social work program and sends site visitors to meet with students, faculty and community members. After a thorough review of the program's curriculum and requirements, they write a report that is reviewed for accreditation. March 2003

* K-State assistant professor of economics Tracy Turner was awarded the Homer Hoyt Institute Best Dissertation Award by the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association. Turner received one of only two awards given this year. In her dissertation,"House Price Uncertainty, Homeownership and Housing Demand," Turner analyzed the extent to which the investment risk of homeownership and market volatility affects family housing decisions. One of the papers from her dissertation, "Does Investment Risk Affect the Housing Decisions of Families?" was submitted for consideration for the award in place of Turner's entire dissertation. In September 2002, the paper was selected for forthcoming publication in Economic Inquiry. February 2003

* K-State's Dean Zollman, university distinguished professor of physics, was chosen as the U.S. representative to the International Commission on Physics Education. This commission is concerned with making sure that physics is taught at the highest possible standards around the world, even in the most isolated areas. Zollman is one of only 10 members of the commission. The International Commission on Physics Education is a division of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, and draws its members from a range of different countries and cultures. February 2003

* A K-State student earned regional attention for an original work performed on K-State's campus this fall. "The Mancherios," a play by senior Nathan Jackson, was selected by the American College Theater Festival to compete with eight other productions at the University of Northern Iowa Jan. 21-26. The American College Theater Festival, a national theater program sponsored by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., holds eight regional festivals throughout the country in January and February. The top productions in each region are selected to participate in the national festival held at the Kennedy Center every April. January 2003

2005 Arts and Sciences

2004 Arts and Sciences

2002 Arts and Sciences

Achievements index

K-State College of Arts and Sciences