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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.
Kansas State University achievements
2009 All-University
* Bhanu Kalia, a graduate research assistant in plant pathology at K-State, is one of 12 recipients of a Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program fellowship. The fellowship will provide a full package of support for her to pursue her Ph.D., which will include research on wheat breeding. Kalia's research mentor is University Distinguished Professor Bikram S. Gill. She will collaborate on her work with CIMMYT, a non profit organization that researches sustainable development of wheat and maize farming. A citizen of India, she received an M.S. in genetics from Punjab Agricultural University. The Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program honors the accomplishments of Dr. Henry Beachell and Dr. Norman Borlaug, who pioneered plant breeding and research in rice and wheat, respectively. Oct. 2009
* K-State is the recipient of the 2009 Sloan Consortium Effective Practice Award for ELATEwiki, a collaborative Web site that allows students and faculty to post messages and interact through a dynamic information exchange. It is the first time K-State has received an award from the consortium, which advocates the integration of online education into the mainstream of higher education and helps entities improve effectiveness by assessing the affordability, quality and satisfaction of online education. ELATEwiki was originally intended to enhance and support faculty development and student learning at K-State, but was broadened for use by all institutions of higher learning. ELATEwiki is used for sharing ideas and encouraging synergistic improvement of teaching practices. Articles posted on the wiki can include text, videos, images and embedded Web applications, and may be shared via RSS feeds. A community of users helps promote collaborative, active learning among students, faculty and outside experts in the field. Oct. 2009
* A special ice cream cone developed by two K-State graduate students is the first-place winner in an international product development competition. Angela Dodd, a master's student in food science, Carrington, N.D., and Melissa Daniel, doctoral student in animal sciences, Cypress Inn, Tenn., took first place at the recent 2009 International American Association of Cereal Chemists' Product Development Competition. The K-State duo earned a cash prize of $2,550 for their creation of the Gluten-free Fun Flavored Waffle Cone. It is the second year in a row that a K-State student team has won the competition. Oct. 2009
* A record number of 1,717 international students joined Kansas State University's student body this fall. Enrollment by international students increased nearly 20 percent in fall 2009 over the prior year. International student enrollment was 1,433 a year ago. Oct. 2009
* Two K-State professors are winners of the prestigious Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards for 2009. Charles Rice, university distinguished professor of agronomy, is the recipient of the Irvin Youngberg Award for Applied Sciences, and Duy Hua, university distinguished professor of chemistry, is the recipient of the Olin Petefish Award in Basic Science. Rice is ranked among the premier soil scientists in the world, with his research in the area of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling is especially well-known. The focus of his work is how soil management influences microbiological processes, and how that affects crop productivity, the release of greenhouse gases, and global climate change. Huy's research interests include studies of bio-based polymers and the synthesis of bioactive molecules, including anti-cancer, anti-norovirus, anti-malarial and anti-Alzheimer's agents. Each award includes a plaque and a $10,000 grant for ongoing research efforts. The award money can be used for research materials, summer salaries, fellowship matching funds, research assistants or other support related to research. Oct. 2009
* K-State's Douglas McGregor, professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, and his team of researchers designed and developed a microstructured semiconductor neutron detector that was awarded a 2009 R&D 100 award. The award is sponsored by R&D Magazine and recognizes the 100 most technologically significant new products of the year introduced into the marketplace. Sept. 2009
* Engineering Extension Services in the College of Engineering at Kansas State University, as a partner in the Midwest Universities Radon Consortium, has assumed the administration of national radon services and projects, formerly provided by the National Safety Council for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 1989, K-State partnered with the University of Minnesota, forming the Midwest Universities Radon Consortium that has since served as an EPA regional radon training center for Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. In the same year, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment contracted with K-State to form the Kansas Radon Program to provide public radon-related services for the state. Since that time, the program has provided design and delivery of educational programs and hands-on radon reduction and measurement training, as well a serving as an information source for radon issues in homes and public buildings. The program's new responsibilities will include conducting the national radon poster contest and staffing national radon hotlines, as well as handling referrals to state radon programs, radon test kit coupons, radon mitigation promotions and other outreach activities. Sept. 2009
* Seven cadets with K-State's Army ROTC Wildcat Battalion have graduated from the U.S. Army's Leadership Development and Assessment Course with honors. Honor graduates are cadets who are in the top ranks of their platoons and display strong leadership capabilities professionally and tactically. Nationally, around 17 percent of cadets graduate with honors from the course. This summer, nearly 39 percent of K-State's cadets took honors. Army ROTC cadets take part in the Leadership Development and Assessment Course in the summer between their junior and senior years at Fort Lewis in Washington. The course is designed to assess each cadet's leadership ability and is critical to determining what type of jobs cadets will assume when they are commissioned as active-duty Army soldiers. Sept. 2009
* K-State is using a special $50,000 grant to expand university efforts for the retention and academic success of Latino students. JohnElla Holmes, coordinator of multicultural recruitment and retention for the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dawne Martin, assistant to the dean for diversity at the College of Business Administration, are the recipients of a 2009 Semillas grant, funded by the Walmart Foundation. K-State is one of only 20 institutions to receive the grant, which is part of the nonprofit organization Excelencia in Education's "Growing What Works" national initiative to refine and replicate model education programs to advance Latino student achievement at two-year and four-year colleges. Semillas is the Spanish word for seeds. Holmes and Martin will use the grant for Semillas de Excelencia Learning Communities, a program that expands and extends a current K-State program for recruitment and retention of Latino students to now include Latino freshmen experiences and learning communities. Sept. 2009
* K-State's student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association had the highest documented student participation in its 2008 World Rabies Day events within the United States and it's territories, making K-State the site for the 2009 World Rabies Day National Symposium, Sept. 19. The symposium contest is hosted by the Alliance for Rabies Control, a nonprofit organization that developed the World Rabies Day campaign. The symposium sponsor is Merial, one of the world's leading animal health companies. Sept. 2009
* K-State's English Language Program has received four-year accreditation from the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation, the only agency that actually assesses programs on a standard set of criteria. Some of the requirements for accreditation included extensive documentation of policies and procedures, as well as an on-site visit in which students, faculty and university administrators were all interviewed. The program also had to ensure that it had student services set up to aid international students in a variety of ways, including orientation and one-on-one counselor interviews. The program currently serves around 480 students -- mostly international students -- in the area of English preparatory courses. It also offers three part-time English courses that aid students who are taking university classes but who still need some help in the areas of reading, writing or listening. Sept. 2009
* Korea's top publication for designers has named K-State's interior design program among the top 15 design schools in the world. K-State is the only public university in the U.S. on the list. Design Journal's special August 2009 report listed 15 schools, dividing them by whether they were in the U.S. or England. K-State held honors along with Yale University, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, The Rhode Island School of Design and the School of Visual Arts of New York. The report includes an interview with Hyun-Chang Kim, K-State assistant professor of apparel, textiles and interior design, who was born in South Korea and is an expert on Asian interiors. Aug. 2009
* Chuck Rice has been appointed as a member of the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, a major program unit of the National Research Council. Rice, university distinguished professor of soil microbiology, joined the board this year; his term will expire in 2012. The National Research Council functions under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine. The four organizations are collectively referred to as the National Academies. The mission of the National Research Council is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in matters involving science, engineering, technology, and health. The institution works to inform policies and actions that have the power to improve the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world. Aug. 2009
* Women's basketball 13th in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. Highest GPA of any BCS team!
* All student-athlete graduation rate of 75% vs. all student rate of 58%. Football 4-class cohort average of 70.25%
* Highest all-student-athlete graduation rate in Big 12 for most recent four-class cohort.
* 433 student-athletes on Big 12 Honor Roll in fall or spring 08-09.
* 92 student-athletes with 4.0 GPA
* Both men's and women's track/cc honored as USTFCCCA All-American teams.
* Four Academic All-Americans.
* G.I. Jobs magazine has designated K-State one of the most military-friendly schools in the nation for 2010. The honor means that K-State is in the top 15 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide, and that the institution actively recruits military students and enacts programs to meet their needs. This is the second publication that has recognized K-State for being military friendly. For the last two years, Military Advanced Education magazine has recognized K-State for its commitment to serving military students, ranking it among the top 60 institutions in the nation in 2009. In spring 2009, nearly 1,000 members of the military or their dependents were enrolled at K-State, with more than 300 of those students pursuing graduate-level degrees. K-State has provided educational opportunities to military personnel and their families for more than 100 years through programs and services for Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth, on campus and through distance education. Aug. 2009
* Ray Yunk, associate professor of architectural engineering and construction science at K-State, is the first university faculty member in the world to be certified as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional in building design and construction. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design professional credentialing program was developed to encourage green building professionals to maintain and advance their knowledge and expertise. Yunk's certification means he has met the advanced level standard for professionals participating in the design and construction phases of high-performance, healthful, durable, affordable, and environmentally sound commercial, institutional and high-rise residential buildings. July 2009
* Three K-State students received one-year fellowships to study, work or conduct research abroad from the 2009 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients are Mike Reppert, Manhattan, for study in Poland; Jacque LaRue, Moran, to teach in South Korea; and Nora Johnson, Dell Rapids, S.D., to study in Germany. K-State now has had 50 Fulbright student scholars since 1975. July 2009
* NASA is recognizing K-State engineers and their colleagues for developing wireless technology aimed at the search for water -- and ultimately life -- on Mars. The Mars Proximity Micro Transceiver team received NASA's Group Achievement Award for "outstanding innovation in the design and prototyping of a highly miniaturized, in situ, communications transceiver for use in future NASA missions." The award recognizes outstanding accomplishment through the coordination of many individual efforts that contribute substantially to the NASA mission. Bill Kuhn, professor of electrical and computer engineering, led the effort at K-State. The development was supported by K-State's Electronics Design Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research lab directed by Tim Sobering. June 2009
* For the eighth time in the last 11 years, the K-State Crops Team won first place in the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture national crops contest. This year's event was April 17 at the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio, and featured 17 teams from two- and four-year schools. K-State placed first in the laboratory practical, math practical, and plant and seed identification parts of the contest, and second in the agronomic quiz. Team coach is Kevin Donnelly, professor of agronomy. May 2009
* Officials from the U.S. Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth honored K-State President Jon Wefald with the Department of the Army's Outstanding Civilian Service Medal. The medal, which recognizes those not employed by the Army for their noteworthy support, was presented by Brig. Gen. Edward Cardon, deputy commandant of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. As of the spring of 2009, the partnership between Fort Leavenworth and K-State, has yielded than 450 master's and doctoral degrees. May 2009
* Molly Hamm's commitment to civic leadership and public engagement has earned her the Frank Newman Leadership Award from Campus Compact for 2009-2010. Molly Hamm, senior in English literature and secondary education, Shawnee, is one of only two national recipients of the $5,000 award. She also is K-State's first-ever recipient of the honor. The award provides financial support and mentorships to help students achieve their civic and academic goals. Hamm will be starting a mentorship program in the fall that she developed with the help of K-State President-elect Kirk Schulz. May 2009
* K-State's Nicole Wayant, senior in geography and mathematics, Topeka, has received a Science and Mathematics Research for Transformation scholarship through the U.S. Department of Defense for graduate studies in geography. The award includes payment of full tuition and employment placement through department. The scholarship recruits civilian scientists and engineers to work for the department and is for students that demonstrate potential for a successful career in research and development. Wayant, a May 2009 K-State graduate, received a third consecutive summer internship with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. She will attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to pursue a master's in geography. In agreement with the Science and Mathematics Research for Transformation scholarship, Wayant then plans to work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Engineering Center in Alexandria, Va. April 2009
* K-State's Michael Reppert, senior in biochemistry, chemistry and mathematics, Manhattan, is the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, which provides three years of funding for graduate studies that includes a $30,000 annual stipend and payment of tuition and fees. The fellowship is awarded to outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees. Reppert will pursue a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His career goal is to work at a university where he would conduct research on fundamental physical and chemical principles as they apply to biological systems. At K-State, he is involved with research projects with Ryszard Jankowiak, K-State professor of chemistry, and Virginia Naibo, K-State assistant professor of mathematics. April 2009
* Andrew McGowan, senior in agronomy with a soil and environmental science option, Prairie Village, has been named K-State's 21st Morris K. Udall scholar. McGowan is among 80 students to win a 2009 Udall scholarship, a $5,000 national scholarship that is awarded to students who demonstrate a commitment to a career related to environmental protection or to students who are Native Americans or Native Alaskans seeking careers in health care or tribal policy. He was selected from a pool of 515 candidates nominated by 233 colleges and universities. K-State ranks third in total Udall scholars among state universities and fifth overall since the scholarship program began in 1996. April 2009
* Tim Weninger, research associate in computer science at K-State, received a 2009 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship. The award pays for tuition and fees and an average annual stipend of $31,000 for doctoral studies. The fellowship is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research in cooperation with the American Society for Engineering Education. The three-year graduate fellowship has been awarded to just more than 3,000 people throughout the 20 years of the competition's history; it is meant to increase the number and quality of U.S. scientists and engineers trained in disciplines of military importance. Fellows are selected based on demonstrated ability and special aptitude for advanced training in science and engineering. Weninger is a full-time research associate in K-State's Laboratory for Knowledge Discovery in Databases under the direction of William Hsu, associate professor of computer and information sciences. His current research focuses on using and developing computer programs that make sense of unstructured textual data. He will use the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. April 2009
* Dena Bunnel is K-State's 31st Harry S. Truman Scholarship winner. Bunnel, Welda, is a senior in political science and agricultural communications and journalism. As a 2009 Truman scholar, she receives up to $30,000 for graduate studies toward a career in public service. K-State ranks first in the nation among public universities in producing Truman scholars, and Bunnel's award brings the university's total to 31 and one alternate since the first scholarships were awarded in 1977. K-State is sixth among all 2,000 four-year colleges in America, 500 state and 1,500 private. Bunnel is planning a career in sustainable agriculture, working as a project designer or manager for agriculture development programs in low-income countries. Specifically, she would like to work in Africa with extension programs promoting sustainable agriculture practices. March 2009
* Media relations' Twitter feed, http://twitter.com/k_state_news, was listed at No. 32 among the "Top 100 Edu tweeters in higher education by Online Degree World." March 2009
* Ryan Gallagher, senior in microbiology and premedicine, Olathe, is K-State's 64th Barry M. Goldwater scholar, while K-State's, Erik Stalcup, junior in physics, Wellington, received honorable mention in the scholarship competition. The 2009 Goldwater scholars were selected based on academic merit from a field of 1,097 mathematics, science and engineering students nationwide. Gallagher is among 278 Goldwater scholars this year. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 annually for the scholar's final one or two years of undergraduate studies. In the Goldwater competition, K-State ranks first nationally among all 500 state universities and is tied for third place nationally among the 2,000 four-year colleges and universities. March 2009
* For the third time in the last four years, the Big 12 Council on Black Student Government has named Kansas State University's Black Student Union as the best in the Big 12 with the Clarence Wine Most Outstanding Council of the Year Award. The council also has named K-State's Careem Gladney, senior in finance and a Black Student Union member, as the most outstanding senior. The awards were presented at the 32nd annual Big 12 Council on Black Student Government Conference, Feb. 26-28, at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Gladney, Manhattan, received a $1,000 scholarship, while the Black Student Union received a $1,000 prize. President of the organization is Carmen Ellis, senior in elementary education, Kansas City, Kan. K-State's Black Student Union also was named the best in the Big 12 in 2006 and 2008. March 2009
* Studies by veterinary researchers at K-State, with collaboration from Epitopix LLC, have resulted in the United States' first vaccine against E. coli O157 in beef cattle. "Controlling foodborne pathogen outbreaks, and specifically E. coli O157, has been a major research initiative of many government and private agencies for the last two decades," said Dan Thomson, the Jones Professor of Production Medicine and Epidemiology in the department of clinical sciences at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine. "We're really excited about the potential of this vaccine to aid pre-harvest food safety in beef cattle." Thomson led both challenge studies and field studies to help the vaccine garner approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was developed by researchers Daryll Emery, Darren Straub and Doug Burkhardt of Epitopix LLC in Willmar, Minn. Thomson collaborated with T.G. Nagaraja, university distinguished professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at K-State, and Guy Loneragan of West Texas A&M University. March 2009
* Two K-State students are recipients of the 2009 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship that provides up to $5,000 for undergraduate study abroad. Scholarship winners Laura Carlson, Lindsborg, and Manuel Garcia, Ulysses, both chose to study in Prague, Czech Republic, in the spring 2009 semester. Carlson and Garcia, who are among the 600 scholars to receive the scholarship in spring 2009, bring K-State's total of Gilman scholars to 24 since the first scholarships were awarded in spring 2002. Carlson is a junior in sociology and family studies and human services and is seeking minors in music and Spanish. Garcia is a senior in mechanical engineering with a minor in business. March 2009
* The National Geographic Society has named Michael Wesch, a K-State assistant professor of cultural anthropology, one of its Emerging Explorers for 2009. The honor, which goes to only 10 people each year, recognizes gifted individuals who have made a significant contribution to world knowledge while still early in their careers. Wesch's specialty is the impact of social media and digital technology on society and culture. He is an award-winning teacher active in the development of innovative teaching techniques, who also is the 2008 Carnegie/CASE national professor of the year for research/doctoral universities. Feb. 2009
* Advancement professionals at K-State took home the Sweepstakes Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, also known as CASE, at the 2009 District 6 meeting in Kansas City, Mo. K-State received 17 individual awards, the most for any school in the division for colleges and universities with enrollments of 7,500 or more students, to claim top honors. The K-State Alumni Association won eight awards, and three awards were presented to each of the following university units: the Kansas State University Foundation, university publications and K-State at Salina. Of the 17 total awards presented to K-State, three were grand gold awards, five were gold, three silver and six bronze. The grand gold, which is the best in its class, were for the alumni association's K-Stater magazine for news and feature photography; the foundation's tornado relief e-appeal in the fundraising videos and DVDs category; and university publications' "K-State e-news" in the electronic newsletter or magazine category. K-State also received the Sweepstakes Award in 2006. Feb. 2009
* The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City honored President Jon Wefald with the Buck O'Neil Legacy Award, recognizing him for his long-standing support of the museum. K-State's College of Education also got involved. Through the efforts of Dean Mike Holen and numerous faculty members, an Internet project carries the league's story all over the world. A video introduction to the museum is online at http://www.coe.ksu.edu/nlbemuseum/intro.html and teacher resources are on the Web at http://www.coe.ksu.edu/nlbemuseum/about.html Jan. 2009
* A recent survey of architecture and design firms has ranked K-State's bachelor degree programs in interior design and interior architecture as the best in the nation, with three other architecture degree programs also earning top 10 rankings. According to the 2009 survey of leading architecture and design professionals published in the journal DesignIntelligence, K-State ranks first among bachelor of interior design and interior architecture programs; second among master of interior design and interior architecture programs; second among bachelor of landscape architecture programs; and eighth among master of landscape architecture programs. K-State's master of architecture program also was ranked 11th in the nation. For survey purposes, K-State's bachelor's programs in interior architecture and product design and interior design are combined. K-State offers interior design through the College of Human Ecology, and interior architecture and product design through the College of Architecture, Planning and Design. Jan. 2009