Kansas
State University achievements
2006
Faculty
*
Yar M. Ebadi, dean of K-State's College of Business Administration,
is a mentor for Prince Sultan University as it strives to earn
accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools
of Business. The Saudi Arabian institution has expressed interest
in developing academic partnerships with K-State that could open
doors for Saudi Arabian students and faculty to come to K-State
and possibly provide opportunities for both K-State students and
faculty to study and teach internationally. December 2006
*
A K-State professor has been named the next president of a national
scientific council. Kassim Al-Khatib, professor of agronomy, has
been elected president-elect of the Council for Agricultural Science
and Technology. His one-year term as president of the council
will begin in October 2007. The Council for Agricultural Science
and Technology is a nonprofit organization with 173,000 members
nationwide. It is composed of 38 scientific societies and many
individual, student, company, nonprofit and associate society
members. The council assembles, interprets and communicates credible,
science-based information regionally, nationally and internationally
to legislators, regulators, policymakers, the media, the private
sector and the public. Al-Khatib, a weed physiologist, has been
on the agronomy faculty at K-State since 1996. December 2006
*
Three K-State agronomy professors were recognized by the Soil
Science Society of America at the 2006 annual meeting in Indianapolis,
Ind. Gary Pierzynski, professor and interim head of the department,
received the Marion L. and Chrystie M. Jackson Soil Science Award.
This award recognizes midcareer soil scientists who have made
outstanding contributions in the areas of soil chemistry and mineralogy.
Chuck Rice received the Soil Science Research Award for outstanding
achievements and original and significant research in soil science.
His research focuses on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in the soil,
and microbial ecology. George Ham, professor emeritus and former
director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, was recognized
for a lifetime achievement of outstanding service to soil science.
Ham received the Soil Science Distinguished Service Award. This
award is based on the recipient’s contributions during a
career of 25 years or more. December 2006
*
K-State Provost M. Duane Nellis began his term on the Executive
Committee at the recently-concluded National Association of State
Universities and Land Grant Universities national meeting Nov.
12-14 in Houston. Nellis was among six new chief academic officers
elected to a three year term as a member of the executive committee.
The NASULGC Council on Academic Affairs serves as the coordinating
body for the provosts/vice presidents of NASULGC universities.
November 2006
*
Body armor with greater ballistics resistance is the aim of the
research being carried out by Youqi Wang, K-State associate professor
of mechanical engineering, with support from two U.S. Department
of Defense agencies. The Army Research Lab and Army Research Office
awarded Wang grants totaling $350,000 for her new approach to
how next-generation ballistic-resistant fabrics/textiles/materials
might be designed. The three-year projects are "High-speed
penetration failure mechanisms of textile fabrics and armor-grade
textile composites" and "High-performance cluster for
the simulation of ballistic penetrations." An earlier composites
design project sponsored by the Air Force brought Wang's unique
design approach to the attention of the Army agencies. She is
developing a computational model for the ballistics simulation
of a fabric given its basic physical and mechanical properties.
November 2006
*
As a 2006-2007 Fulbright Scholar, K-State's Mark Schrock will
use his expertise in alternative and renewable fuels and machinery
systems management to help the people of the Philippines find
ways to modernize their agricultural industry. A professor of
biological and agricultural engineering, Schrock recently arrived
in the Philippines and will stay through February 2007. he will
lecture on general mechanization topics and machine design at
the University of the Philippines in Los Banos. He also wants
to do research on the production and harvesting of perennial oil
crops, or biodiesel feedstock, that can be grown in the tropical
places like the Philippines. November 2006
*
Lorne Render, director of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of
Art at K-State, recently was awarded the Presidential Award for
Outstanding Service to both regional and Kansas museum communities.
Render was honored Nov. 2 at the Kansas Museums Association annual
conference in Hays, where he was the keynote speaker for the event.
The Kansas Museums Association is a nonprofit corporation dedicated
to increasing and promoting interest in Kansas museums. November
2006
*
M. Duane Nellis, provost of Kansas State University, has been
elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science. He is among a select group of members receiving the
honor this year because of their scientifically or socially distinguished
efforts to advance science or its applications. Election as a
Fellow is an honor awarded to association members by their peers.
As part of the association's Section on Geology and Geography,
Nellis was elected for his contributions to understanding of remote
sensing and geographic information sciences and for contributions
to the advancement of science through leadership as a dean, provost
and co-editor of the journal, Geocarto International. November
2006
*
Chuck Rice, professor of agronomy at K-State, has been selected
by Mike Johanns, U.S. agriculture secretary, to serve as a member
of the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force. Rice will serve a
two-year term, ending Sept. 30, 2008. The task force members are
noted scientists and experts in agriculture, industry, health
and science, according to Johanns. The task force advises the
secretary of agriculture on air quality issues. Its mandate is
to strengthen and coordinate the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
air quality research efforts, and identify cost-effective ways
to help the agriculture industry improve air quality and meet
federal and local air quality emissions requirements. November
2006
*
Krishna Tummala, professor of political science and director of
graduate program in public administration at K-State, has been
recognized as a leading Asia specialist by the National Bureau
of Asian Research. Tummala received this honor based on his sustained
research in public administration and politics in India, specifically
with a current interest in regime corruption and federalism. The
National Bureau of Asian Research is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
research institution that was established in 1989 with a grant
from the Henry M. Jackson Foundation. The institution conducts
advanced research on Asia-Pacific policy issues and makes its
findings available to the public through AccessAsia.org, a site
that facilitates collaboration by enabling specialists to track
their colleagues' current work. November 2006
*
Harald E.L. Prins, a K-State University Distinguished Professor
of anthropology, has been selected as the 2006 Kansas Professor
of the Year by CASE, the Council for the Advancement and Support
of Education. Prins is the ninth K-State faculty member recognized
as the state's top professor since CASE began the awards program
in 1981. Prins has been recognized at K-State for his outstanding
teaching, plus he has published extensively, and made award-winning
films. Born and raised in The Netherlands, Prins was trained in
anthropology, archaeology and comparative history at various universities
in The Netherlands and the United States. A K-State faculty member
has been recognized as either the CASE Kansas Professor of the
Year or the CASE National Professor of Year in 1985, 1986, 1990,
1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2006. The 1996 award, to K-State's
Dean Zollman, professor of physics, was for CASE's National Professor
of the Year. Previous Kansas Professor of the Year award winners
from K-State include Bryan Schurle, professor of agricultural
economics and a university distinguished teaching scholar, 2000;
Andrew Barkley, professor of agricultural economics, 1993; Melvin
Hunt, professor of meat sciences, 1992; Deborah Canter, professor
of dietetics and now head of the department of hotel, restaurant,
institution management and dietetics, 1991; Miles McKee, university
distinguished professor emeritus of animal sciences, 1990; and
Richard Consigli, university distinguished professor emeritus
of biology, a silver award winner , a level beyond the state winner,
in 1985 and 1986. Zollman won the national Professor of the Year
award in 1996. Criteria for the state Professor of the Year honor
include extraordinary commitment to teaching demonstrated by excellence
in the following areas: scholarly approach to teaching and learning;
contributions to undergraduate education in the institution, community
and profession; impact on and involvement with undergraduate students;
and support from colleagues and current and former students. Novermber
2006
*
Deborah Meyer-Brosdahl, associate professor in the department
of apparel, textiles and interior design at K-State, has been
selected a 2006 Apparel magazine All-Star Award winner. The award
recognizes those who make outstanding contributions through teaching,
research or service activities in the textile and apparel field.
Meyer-Brosdahl will receive the award at a ceremony Nov. 8 in
New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She also will
be featured in the December issue of the magazine. Meyer-Brosdahl
was the only educator among the 10 national winners selected.
October 2006
*
Mohammad Hosni, professor and head of the department of mechanical
and nuclear engineering at K-State, has been elected chair of
the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Executive Committee
of Mechanical Engineering Department Heads. He will assume his
first duties at the 2006 American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Congress, Nov. 5-10, in Chicago, Ill. The two-year appointment
also includes a position on the board of directors, Center for
Education, for the professional society. The committee, made up
of nearly 245 mechanical engineering department heads nationwide,
operates under the charge of encouraging communication, collaboration,
and innovation in education among faculty leaders and allied programs
worldwide. October 2006
*
John Boyer Jr., professor and head of the department of statistics,
was recently awarded the American Statistical Association's Founders
Award for distinguished and longtime service to the organization.
Boyer received the award at the annual Joint Statistical Meetings.
Of the 18,000 members in the association, only five were chosen
for the Founders Award this year. Award winners are nominated
by other members of the association and then ultimately selected
by the founders award committee. According to the association,
Boyer was selected for the award based on his long and distinguished
leadership of a major university statistics department; for enduring
contributions to Section and Council of Chapters activities including
promoting prominence for statistics in science fair competitions
at the state, national and international level; and for excellence
in statistical consulting. October 2006
*
Ron Trewyn, K-State vice provost for research and dean of the
Graduate School, has been appointed to the board of directors
of the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation, or KTEC, by Gov.
Kathleen Sebelius. KTEC promotes technology-based economic growth
and job creation by partnering with businesses and entrepreneurs
to connect them to financing, facilities, equipment and expertise.
Trewyn, a professor of biology and president of the Kansas State
University Research Foundation, is a member of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science and the American Association for
Cancer Research. He also is member of the Kansas BIO board of
directors, serving as its public policy committee chair from 2004-06.
October 2006
*
Steve Starrett, associate professor of civil engineering, is part
of a collaborative effort between researchers from the University
of Kansas and the University of Missouri-Kansas City that will
examine graduate ethics education in engineering and science education.
The University of Kansas Initiative on Ethics Education in Science
and Engineering, with a $300,000 grant from the National Science
Foundation, will bring together experts in ethics, educators and
graduate students in the sciences and engineering, and determine
best practices related to learning methodologies to address this
area of need. October 2006
*
Two K-State professors in the department of counseling and educational
psychology have been recognized as Outstanding Faculty by two
national organizations. Sheryl Benton, associate professor of
counseling and educational psychology, and assistant director
of K-State Counseling Services, has been awarded the Education
Advocacy Distinguished Service Award by the American Psychological
Association's Board of Educational Affairs. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood,
assistant professor of counseling and educational psychology,
received the 2006 Outstanding Faculty Member award from the National
Association of Student Personnel Adminstrators Region IV-West.
The award is presented to a member who has contributed significantly
to the preparation of student affairs professionals. October 2006
*
Steve Benton, professor and chair of the department of counseling
and educational psychology at K-State, has been elected a fellow
in the Division of Educational Psychology of the American Psychological
Association. The association, based in Washington, D.C., is a
scientific and professional organization representing psychology
in the United States. With 150,000 members, it is the largest
association of psychologists in the world. According to the association,
election to Fellow status requires evidence of unusual and outstanding
contributions or performance in the field of psychology and that
a person's work has had a national impact on the field of psychology
beyond a local, state or regional level. October 2006
*Edgar
Chambers IV, a K-State professor of human nutrition, is being
recognized with the international David R. Peryam Committee E-18
Award. This is an honor granted to individuals who best exemplify
the life and career of the applied sensory science pioneer, David
R. Peryam. Chambers, also director of the Sensory Analysis Center
at K-State, is the second K-State faculty member to receive this
notable achievement since the award's establishment in 1995. October
2006
*
The Russian military and how it has fared under the country's
top political leadership since the end of the Cold War is the
topic of the latest book by K-State's Dale Herspring. "The
Kremlin and the High Command: Presidential Impact on the Russian
Military from Gorbachev to Putin" was released recently by
the University of Kansas Press. Herspring is a professor of political
science and an expert on foreign policy, particularly with Russia,
Germany and Eastern Europe. Herspring's latest book is the first
to assess the relationship between the Russian military and the
political leadership under Presidents Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris
Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. October 2006
*
Nancy Muturi, professor of journalism and mass communications
at K-State, has been invited to present her paper on health communications
at the first World Congress on Communication for Development.
The conference will be in Rome, Italy, Oct. 25-27. Muturi will
be joining 500 selected participants including scholars, policymakers,
funding agencies, researchers and practitioners from around the
world with the goal of incorporating the development communication
discipline into mainstream development policies and practice.
The congress is organized with support from the World Bank, Food
and Agriculture Organization and the Communication Initiative.
Muturi was invited to present at the conference following a competitive
review process. She was selected based on her research on health
and development communication -- specifically the role of information
communication technologies in AIDS/HIV prevention. October 2006
*
A kinesiology professor at K-State has been recognized for his
significant contributions to the fields of kinesiology and physical
education. David Dzewaltowski was inducted as Fellow of the American
Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the academy's
recent 76th annual meeting. Dzewaltowski is only the 463rd individual
since 1926 to be inducted into the honorary organization. To be
inducted, a person must be nominated and approved by members of
the academy based on significant contributions to scholarly literature,
professional literature, leadership activities and other evidence
of leadership in the field of kinesiology or physical education
over a period of 10 years. October 2006
*
Two K-State administrators are among 18 elite educators from across
the nation being recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense
for providing superior support to ROTC programs at their institutions.
K-State's Charles Reagan, associate to the president, and Bob
Krause, vice president for institutional advancement, have each
received a letter from Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense,
thanking them for their support of the U.S. Armed Forces through
the Army and Air Force ROTC programs at K-State. Reagan and Krause
were nominated for the recognition by Col. Thomas "Randy"
O'Boyle, commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 270 and head of
the department of aerospace studies. Nominations were solicited
earlier this year by the office of the under secretary of defense.
O'Boyle said both Krause and Reagan have shown their support for
ROTC programs at K-State in a variety of ways that have helped
enrollments in both the Air Force and Army ROTC programs grow
rapidly. K-State has several distinguished ROTC graduates, including
retired Gen. Richard Myers, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, and Gen. Ron Keyes, commander of the Air Force Combat
Command. October 2006
*
Three K-State administrators are among 18 elite educators from
across the nation being recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense
for providing superior support to ROTC programs at their institutions.
K-State's Charles Reagan, associate to the president; Bob Krause,
vice president for institutional advancement; and Steve White,
dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, have each received a
letter from Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, thanking them
for their support of the U.S. Armed Forces through the Army and
Air Force ROTC programs at K-State. October 2006
*
Elizabeth Unger, vice provost for academic services and technology
and dean of continuing education, was invited to speak at her
alma mater, Michigan State University, about her contributions
to computing at the school and at K-State. Unger, who earned a
master's in mathematics and a bachelor's in mechanical engineering
from Michigan State, is a distinguished engineer, mathematician
and computer scientist. Before pioneering computing at K-State,
Unger helped develop computing at Michigan State, which built
its first computer shortly before she became a student there.
Her Michigan State presentations included taking part in a panel
discussion, with six other computing pioneers, about 50 years
of computing at Michigan State. She also delivered a lecture about
her latest technology initiative at K-State: a humanities common,
an experimental high-tech facility designed to bring students
and faculty from various humanities disciplines together through
technology in a facility supported by informational technology
and application experts. September 2006
*
Barbara Anderson, assistant professor of interior design, has
been selected to participate in Future Vision, the effort by the
Council for Interior Design Accreditation to define new accreditation
standards for interior design education programs. She is one of
15 outstanding leaders in interior design selected to participate.
Future Vision participants must demonstrate a well-informed view
of interior design education, knowledge of the industry, leadership,
the ability to identify future issues and professionalism. September
2006
*
Chris Sorensen, a university distinguished professor of physics
and adjunct professor of chemistry, is part of an interdisciplinary
team of researchers that has received a four-year, $1 million
grant from the National Science Foundation's Nanoscale Interdisciplinary
Research Team Award program to conduct curiosity-based nanoscience
and technology research. Other team members include Amit Chakrabarti
interim head of the department of physics; Ken Klabunde, university
distinguished professor of chemistry; Christer Aakeroy, professor
of chemistry; and Xiaomin Lin, a scientist at Argonne National
Lab, who earned both a master's and doctorate from K-State. September
2006
*
Russian historians often have underplayed the role of the military,
and military historians often have ignored Russia altogether.
But a new book by a K-State's David Stone, associate professor
of history, sets out to change that. Stone said he was inspired
to write "A Military History of Russia: From Ivan the Terrible
to the War in Chechnya" because previous accounts of Russia's
military history have not tied together the Russian empire, the
Soviet Union and today's post-communist Russia. Moreover, the
story needs updating and Russia's military history is relevant
now. Stone also said there's been a considerable amount of research
done since the fall of the Soviet Union because scholars have
better access to sources. The book was published in August by
Praeger Security International. September 2006
*
Bryan Vandiviere, technology coordinator in K-State's office of
mediated education, has received the Outstanding Support Staff
Award from Colleague to Colleague. The award is given to an individual
that best exemplifies customer service and outstanding performance
in assisting with technology advancements. Colleague to Colleague
is a Kansas-based, professional association of faculty, staff
and administrators from a variety of Kansas institutions. September
2006
*
K-State at Salina flight instructors continue to be among the
nation's elite. The National Association of Flight Instructors
has renewed Troy Brockway's designation as a Master Certificated
Flight Instructor. Brockway is one of only 12 Kansas aviation
educators who have earned the prestigious "Master" title.
The designation must be renewed every two years. Brockway is assistant
chief flight instructor at K-State at Salina. K-State's other
Master Certificated Flight Instructors are Barney King, professional
pilot section head, Bill Gross, chief pilot, and Eric Shappee.
The master instructor designation is a national accreditation
recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration that is earned
by candidates through a rigorous process of continuing education
and peer review. August 2006
*
Larry Erickson, a professor of chemical engineering at K-State,
has been recognized by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
for his outstanding contributions and achievements in the preservation
and improvement of the environment. Erickson will receive the
2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Lawrence K. Cecil
Award at the institute's national meeting in November in San Francisco.
Qualifications for the award include demonstrated leadership in
research, teaching and engineering; new discoveries or development
of processes in protecting the environment; and distinguished
service in environmental protection as a professional engineer
or educator. Erickson has been a K-State faculty member since
1964. He also is a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers. August 2006
*
K-State was selected as a 2006 HP Technology for Teaching Higher
Education Leadership grant recipient. HP is awarding a total of
$1.2 million in cash and equipment to 10 two- and four-year colleges
and universities in the United States. All grant winners were
previous recipients of HP Technology for Teaching higher education
grants and were selected because of their success integrating
the HP technology into their classroom curriculum, demonstrating
measurable, positive impact on student achievement and proposing
innovative plans to expand and sustain their new approaches to
teaching and learning. K-State receives an award package valued
at more than $120,000, including two wireless HP Tablet PCs, two
HP digital projectors, two HP printers and two HP digital cameras
for faculty use, 40 additional HP Tablet PCs for student use,
and a cash stipend of $10,500. The grant will help the physics
department expand the use of its "K-State InClass" project,
according to N. Sanjay Rebello, associate professor of physics.
Developed and implemented in 2005, K-State InClass is Web-based
interaction software that provides students and instructors a
wide range of communication options. Using the HP Tablet PCs,
which are personal digital assistants, instructors can communicate
digitally with students to determine if they are comprehending
the subject matter. August 2006
*
K-State's C. Michael Smith, professor of entomology, is among
the six new Fellows of the Entomological Society of America. Smith's
election was made by the society's governing board. Candidates
are selected for outstanding contributions in research, teaching,
extension or administration. For the last 30 years, Smith has
been recognized as an international leader in research on plant
resistance to arthropods. His work has involved several crops,
including clover, soybeans, rice and wheat. He has received more
than $4.9 million in extramural support for his research. He is
the author of more than 80 refereed scientific papers and three
books, including "Plant Resistance to Arthropods – Molecular
and Conventional Approaches." He co-authored "Techniques
for Evaluating Insect Resistance in Crop Plants," the basic
"how-to" reference for students and established scientists
in the area of host plant resistance. He also has been invited
to give presentations around the world, with more than 50 invited
lectures in 20 different countries. August 2006
*
Bernard King, associate professor of aeronautics at K-State at
Salina, has been elected to serve on the Board of Educator Trustees
of the Aviation Accreditation Board International. The organization,
formerly known as the Council on Aviation Accreditation, is the
only nongovernmental, specialized accrediting body for aviation
programs in the world. It sets the standards for all aerospace
programs taught in colleges and schools around the U.S., as well
as some programs internationally. Programs that meet the Aviation
Accreditation Board International's standards -- including the
professional pilot program at K-State at Salina -- are accredited
for a five-year period. As a member of the board, King also will
serve as co-chair for the organization's Curriculum Development
Committee and as a member of its Outcomes Implementation and Standards
committees. July 2006
*
Doug Jardine, professor of plant pathology, is the recipient of
the 2006 Distinguished Service Award from the North Central Division
of the American Phytopathological Society. Jardine was recognized
at the division's annual meeting in mid-June. The division includes
Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and contiguous
provinces in Canada. He is a longtime member of the society, which
has a membership of more than 5,000 plant pathologists and scientists
worldwide. Jardine currently serves as director of the society's
office of public affairs and education. He also has served in
several other officer and committee positions of the society and
the division. July 2006
*
Those annoying houseflies buzzing around your meal at a fast-food
restaurant may be more than a nuisance -- they also may pose
a health threat. According to researchers at K-State, the flies
can carry and have the capacity to transfer antibiotic-resistant
and potentially virulent bacteria to your food. Ludek Zurek, assistant
professor of entomology, and Lilia Macovei, an entomology research
associate, screened houseflies from five different restaurants
in mid-size communities in Kansas. They found that the majority
of the flies carried antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This indicates
the flies either developed in the manure of animals that were
heavily exposed to antibiotics or that they were in contact with
feces of some animals that were exposed to antibiotics. Zurek
said the study showed that houseflies in food-handling and serving
facilities carry antibiotic-resistant and potentially virulent
Enterococci that have the capacity for horizontal transfer of
antibiotic-resistant genes to other bacteria. Zurek and Macovei
wrote about their findings in the June 2006 issue of the journal
Applied and Environmental Microbiology. June 2006
*
Dennis Kuhlman, dean of K-State at Salina, has been named engineer
of the year by the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers. Kuhlman
was recognized for his leadership during the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer
project in early 2005, during which famed aviator Steve Fossett
completed the first nonstop solo flight around the world and set
the absolute speed record for such a flight. Mission control was
based at K-State at Salina, and more than 100 students were involved
in the project as volunteers. A dozen students were in leadership
positions that included working in mission control and providing
ground maintenance on the plane. The GlobalFlyer project also
was recognized with the Engineering Achievement Award for 2005
at the conference. Kuhlman has been dean at K-State at Salina
since 1997, after serving for many years as an extension agricultural
engineer and faculty member on K-State's Manhattan campus. June
2006
*
K-State's Stephen A. Dyer , professor of electrical and computer
engineering, was recognized April 25 with the Distinguished Service
Award from the Instrumentation and Measurement Society of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The award consists
of a $2,000 honorarium and a certificate, and is given annually
by the I&M Society to one of its present or past members who
has given outstanding service to the society and to the profession.
Dyer, professor of electrical and computer engineering at K-State,
is serving his third term as president of the Instrumentation
and Measurement Society. He is a former editor of the I&M
Transactions, founding editor-in-chief of the Instrumentation
and Measurement Magazine and vice president for two terms. Dyer
was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers in 1996. May 2006
*
K-State's Chris Culbertson, assistant professor of chemistry,
is the recipient of the 2006 Award for Young Investigators in
Separation Science. The award is given by the American Chemical
Society Division of Analytical Chemistry and is sponsored by Agilent
Technologies. It recognizes young scientists who have made unique
and outstanding contributions to the field of separation science.
Earlier this year, Culbertson received a $530,000 National Science
Foundation grant to develop "lab-on-a-chip" technology.
The award is through the foundation's Early Career Development
program, which helps promote the careers of university researchers
and teachers who show promise of becoming academic leaders in
this century. Culbertson's research centers on using microchips
to analyze chemicals as an alternative to methods that rely on
bulky instruments. April 2006
*
Getting interviews and other primary research from terrorists
is understandably difficult, but a Kansas State University faculty
member said a fellowship program will offer him the next best
thing. Craig Stapley, visiting associate professor of political
science at K-State, has been accepted as a 2006-2007 Academic
Fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracy. The fellowship
includes a program in Israel later this spring. The fellowship
program strives to educate participants about terrorism and how
democratic states combat the threat. Stapley said the fellowship
will benefit K-State in establishing the university's security
studies program nationally and internationally. Stapley, who is
helping to develop the new interdisciplinary master's and doctoral
programs, has made terrorism the focus of his study and expertise.
He said the fellowship program will give him additional expertise
in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence and counter-intelligence
programs, terrorism financing, target selection, and the arms
terrorists use. April 2006
*
Charlene Simser, associate professor and head of cataloging and
serials of K-State Libraries, has been elected vice president/president-elect
of the North American Serials Interest Group. Simser, who has
been at K-State since 1996, will serve three years on the group's
executive board beginning in May. April 2006
*
Melvin Hunt, professor of meat science at K-State, was named the
Harry L. Rudnick Educator of the Year by the North American Meat
Processors Association. The group´s members honored Hunt
in Chicago March 25. Hunt joined K-State´s faculty in 1975
and teaches the introductory meat science class. Hunt´s
classes typically fill quickly and his former students, including
some he has never met, number into the thousands. That's possible
because in 1988, Hunt launched a distance education version of
his introductory meat science course to make it possible for students
from other colleges and universities and food company employees
to enroll. April 2006
*
A K-State faculty member has been invited to participate in a
summer research institute at Cornell University about the National
Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. Ryan Spohn, assistant
professor of sociology, will be in New York from May 31 to June
4 for training to analyze data from the archive. The archive is
sponsored by the federal government, which seeks to increase knowledge
of causes and consequences of child maltreatment. The research
institute's goals are to facilitate analysis projects which will
result in publication of the results, as well as providing opportunities
for networking and collaborating with other researchers. April
2006
*
The third annual Spotlight on Intellectual Property at K-State
will honor two teams of K-State researchers who were awarded patents
in 2005. Kenneth Klabunde, university distinguished professor
of chemistry, and Aleksandr Bedilo, a former postdoctoral research
associate of Klabunde's were issued a patent for carbon-coated
metal oxide nanoparticles. A patent for methods of treating cataracts
and diabetic retinopathy with tricyclic pyrones was issued to
Duy Hua, professor of chemistry; Dolores Takemoto, professor of
biochemistry; Alan Brightman, now professor emeritus of clinical
sciences; and Bradley Fenwick, a former K-State professor of diagnostic
medicine and pathobiology. March 2006
*
David Soldan, a professor of electrical and computer engineering,
is the recipient of the Robert M. Janowiak Outstanding Leadership
and Service Award from the Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department Heads Association. The award is presented annually
to an individual in the association who has provided substantial
leadership and service contributions. As a longtime member, Soldan
has previously held posts of secretary-treasurer, vice president,
president and member of the board of directors. He also is a Fellow
of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and has
served on the Accreditation Board of the Engineering and Technology
Engineering Accreditation Commission since 2003. March 2006
*
K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine has received an $815,000
sponsorship from Merial to fund research on ticks that infest
dogs and cats. The research, to be conducted by Michael Dryden,
professor of veterinary parasitology, will help veterinarians
and pharmaceutical companies understand more about the biology
of ticks and how to prevent them from infesting domestic animals.
Dryden is a world-renowned expert on fleas, having reversed misconceptions
about fleas during his 20 years of research. This research led
to the inception of Merial's products, Frontline and Frontline
Plus. March 2006
*
A long record of promoting women in science and engineering has
earned Ruth Dyer, associate provost at K-State, selection as a
Fellow of the Association for Women in Science. Dyer, who also
is a professor of electrical and computer engineering, is one
seven individuals recognized with fellow status by the association
this year. The fellows were honored at the recent annual meeting
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in
St. Louis, Mo. The Association for Women in Science is dedicated
to achieving equity and full participation for women in science,
mathematics, engineering and technology. Its fellows program recognizes
women and men who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to helping
women achieve in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics
fields. Dyer served as faculty adviser to K-State's student chapter
of the Society of Women Engineers from 1990-98. The professional
society encourages the retention and professional development
of women engineering students. While adviser to the group, Dyer
developed and implemented K-State's Society of Women Engineers'
annual Girl Scout Day event. The day includes hands-on activities
led by K-State College of Engineering faculty, as well as engineering
graduate and undergraduate students. February 2006
*
The National Science Foundation has awarded $530,000 to Kansas
State University's Christopher Culbertson, assistant professor
of chemistry, for his research to develop chemical analysis tools
for "lab-on-a-chip" devices. The five-year award is
through the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career
Development, or CAREER, program. The CAREER program helps promote
the career development of university researchers and teachers
who show promise of becoming academic leaders of the 21st century.
Culbertson has proposed developing universally applicable methods
for detecting and identifying proteins and peptides. His method
will not require tagging these molecules, as is generally necessary
now to measure them at low concentrations. Rather, his chemistry,
in a field called microfluidics -- an emerging field within the
realm of the nanotechnologies -- will create the basis for miniaturized,
hand-held instruments capable of analyzing proteins and peptides
in very small sample volumes, such as from a single white blood
cell. February 2006
*
Two Kansas State University weed scientists were recognized at
the 60th annual meeting of the North Central Weed Science Society.
Dallas Peterson, professor of agronomy, was elected a Fellow of
the Society, its highest distinction. Curtis Thompson, professor
and Southwest Area Extension crops and soils specialist in Garden
City, received the society's 2005 Distinguished Achievement Award
for Service. January 2006
*
Robert Newhouse, director of K-State's Center for Rural and Small
Schools, is the 2006 president of the National Rural Education
Association. Newhouse is a longtime association member and served
one term as the association's president-elect. The association
is a leading national organization providing services which enhance
educational opportunities for rural schools and their communities.
It serves as a national advocate and representative for rural
education at the local, state, regional and national levels. January
2006
2005
Faculty
2004
Faculty
2003
Faculty
2002
Faculty
Achievements
index
