February 26, 2024
Mary Sullivan and Neal Bloomquist recognized as Professional Staff and Professor of the Week
Mary Sullivan, communications coordinator in agricultural economics, and Neal Bloomquist, teaching assistant professor in the department of aviation, were recognized as Professional Staff and Professor of the Week at the Feb. 24 men's home basketball game.
Faculty Senate, the Office of the President, K-State Athletics, and the Division of Communications and Marketing wish to recognize their contributions to K-State.
Sullivan goes above and beyond helping students in the Master of Agribusiness program and the faculty and staff of the department and has done so faithfully, even through a great deal of transition this past year. Sullivan coordinated and staffed several recruiting events, communicated individually with prospective and current undergraduate and graduate students, and worked across departments to make sure that questions found answers, and all were well-served.
Still serving as the key communicator for the agricultural economics department, Sullivan works hard to keep content current on the website and social media channels. Coverage of the impact of research and engagement efforts of the faculty and extension staff in the department has not suffered or waned, even in this busy time. The annual newsletters, press releases, videos and photo shoots Sullivan is known for continue to be forthcoming. Additionally, Sullivan recorded and produced the Producer of the Year award video, traveling with a team across state to make sure that it was correctly captured.
In addition to this recognition, Neal is also the 2023 Marchbanks Award recipient at Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus.
Neal instructs Air Carrier Operations and Crew Resource Management courses at K-State Salina. These courses train student pilots on using their available resources for safety and efficiency in their piloting. He also assists students in their aviation education by instructing flight training in aircraft simulators. Bloomquist brought more than 30 years of aviation experience from working for United Airlines and Lockheed Martin Aerospace when he joined K-State in 2016.