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About K-State

2012 Agricultural Achievements

* Andrew Strasburg, senior in agribusiness, Elk City, was awarded a 2012 Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship to study economics at VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the spring 2013 semester. Strasburg chose the Netherlands to study abroad because of its influence on global agriculture. December 2012

* The Kansas State University Crops Team recently captured the title of national champion for the fourth year in a row. K-State teams have now won the crops contest championship in 11 of the past 14 years. To win the national title, the team won both the Kansas City Board of Trade and the Chicago CME Group Collegiate Crops Contests that took place on Nov. 13 and 17, respectively. November 2012

* Candice Shoemaker, professor of horticulture and human health, was one of two professors in the country to win the 2012 Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences National Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The award recognizes outstanding faculty members for their ability as classroom teachers, use of innovative teaching methods, service to students and their profession and scholarship. December 2012

* Sunish Sehgal, research associate in plant pathology, and Bikram S. Gill, university distinguished professor of plant pathology and director of the university's Wheat Genetics Resource Center, were part of an international collaboration that successfully sequenced most of the genes of common wheat, also known as bread wheat. Researchers anticipate using this information to genetically improve wheat so that growers can meet the world's increasing demands for food and feed. November 2012

* The K-State Meat Judging team claimed reserve national champion honors at the 2012 International Meat Judging Contest in Dakota City, Neb. The team finished first in beef grading and overall beef, second in pork judging, third in reasons and placings, fourth in beef judging and specifications, and fifth in lamb judging. Individually, Team member Brandy Cleveland was third overall and was named a first team All-American. She finished first in beef grading and specifications, and second in lamb judging. Thomas Buckham was named a second team All-American. November 2012

* McKayla Brubaker, freshman in agricultural communications and journalism, won a $50,000 independent scholarship for an essay about her hero in Dollar General’s “My Teacher, My Hero” essay contest. Brubaker wrote about her high school math teacher Cynthia Beall. Brubaker took Beall's geometry and trigonometry classes at Minneapolis High School. Beall also helped her through college algebra during her senior year. November 2012

* Doug Jardine, extension plant pathologist with K-State Research and Extension, was a member of the research team receiving the 2012 Experiment Station Section Award of Excellence in Multistate Research from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. Jardine and colleagues were recognized for the project NCERA-208, "Response to Emerging Soybean Rust Threat." November 2012

* William T. Schapaugh Jr., professor and soybean breeder in the agronomy department, received the Crop Science Society of America Fellow award for 2012 at the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America annual meetings He was one of just 11 recipients nationally of this prestigious recognition from the Crop Science Society of America this year. October 2012

* The Meats Judging Team captured reserve high team overall honors at the Cargill Meat Solutions' Eastern National Contest in Wyalusing, Pa. The team earned first in total placings, second in lamb, second in pork, third in specifications and third in reasons. October 2012

* Natarajan Padmanabhan, master's student in grain science, won the best student paper award from AACCI International in the Engineering and Processing Division for the paper "Novel-sorghum based fortified blended food for infants, young children and adults." October 2012

* Instant sorghum noodles won the university's student product development team second place in the AACCI Student Product Development Competition. Team members were Oscar Ramos and Moses Khamis, both doctoral students in grain science; and Swathi Sree Kodavali, and Anubha Garg, both master's students in grain science. October 2012

* Navneet Grewal, an August 2012 master's graduate in grain science, received the outstanding paper award from the Corn Refiners Association for his paper, "Structure of waxy maize starch hydrolyzed by maltogenic amylase in relation to its retrogradation." October 2012

* Xiuzhi "Susan" Sun, university distinguished professor of grain science and industry, received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society. This award is given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to scientific advancement, has demonstrated outstanding ability, and has made phenomenal scholarly accomplishments with specific impact in the fields of biopolymers, biobased materials, bioplastics and materials related to bioenergy systems. October 2012

* Bikram S. Gill, university distinguished professor of plant pathology and director of the Wheat Genetic and Genomic Resources Center, received the National Friendship Award from the Chinese government. The award is China's highest recognition for foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress. October 2012

* Subramanyam "Subi" Bhadriraju, professor of grain science, has received the 2012 Award of Excellence in Integrated Pest Management from the Entomological Society of America Foundation. The international award is given annually to one scientist who has made outstanding contributions to integrated pest management with special consideration to independence of thought and originality. October 2012

* Minjung Kim, doctoral student in grain science, received an outstanding student poster presentation award from the BioEnvironment Polymer Society at its annual conference. Her poster was "Development of soy protein-­based biocomposites for adhesives." Her adviser is Susan Sun, university distinguished professor of grain science and industry. October 2012

* The Great Plains Sorghum Conference/Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America awarded Vuyiswa Bushula, plant pathology doctoral student, first prize for her talk "Genetic diversity and pathogenicity of Fusarium thapsinum isolates from sorghum." The $500 award is sponsored by Pioneer Inc. and is given to the student with best overall presentation at the conference. September 2012

* Raymond Cloyd, professor of entomology, was awarded the 2012 Outstanding Extension Educator Award by the American Society for Horticultural Science. The award honors professionals who have made distinguished contributions over a period of 10 or more years to the profession and science of horticulture, the horticultural industry and home and urban horticulture, through innovative extension programs. August 2012

* The 2012 Kansas State University Weed Science Team finished in first place overall in the undergraduate teams category and had the top two undergraduate individual scorers at the North Central Weed Science Society Collegiate Weed Contest hosted by Diamond Ag Research. Team members included Kim Kerschen, Jake Wyrill, Jessie Zimmermanand David Brachtenbach. Individual award winners included Wyrill, first place overall undergraduate score, top score in Farmer Diagnostic Problem Solving Event, and top score in Written Sprayer Calibration Event; and Kerschen, second place overall undergraduate score, and top score in Weed Identification Event. August 2012

* Jennifer Bormann and Tim Rozell, both associate professors of animal sciences and industry, each received Teacher Fellow awards from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. The award recognizes outstanding teaching of agriculture at the higher education level. July 2012

* Jeff Stevenson, professor of animal sciences and industry, was named a fellow of the American Society of Animal Science in the research category. He also received the Endocrinology Award the society's Physiology and Endocrinology Award. July 2012

* Barry Bradford, associate professor of animal sciences and industry, received the American Dairy Science Association's Foundation Scholar Award in Dairy Production at the association's 2012 annual meeting. July 2012

* Anubha Garg, master's student in grain science, received a U.S Borlaug Fellowship to attend and participate in the Summer Institute on Global Food Security at Purdue University in July. July 2012

* Krista McKay, a master's student in food science, and Josh Sinning, senior in food science and industry, won second place in the Danisco Product Development Competition. Their product was a sweet potato crisp. They each receive $2,500. Kelly Getty, associate professor of animal sciences and industry, served as their coach. July 2012

* Chad Mullins, a December 2011 doctoral graduate in animal science, received the Richard M. Hoyt Award for Outstanding Graduate Student from the American Dairy Science Association. July 2012

* The American Seed Trade Association recognized Rodrigo Pedrozo, graduate student in plant pathology, with the Roger Kreuger Memorial Scholarship at the association's 129th annual convention. The scholarship is for $2,000. Pedrozo, a native Brazilian, is working to complete his doctorate in seed pathology and seedborne pathogens. June 2012

* Two graduate students in grain science, Blossom Sehgal and Mario Andrada, received U.S. Borlaug fellowships to attend the Summer Institute on Global Food Security at Purdue University July 8-21. The two-week long learning program for graduate students provides a holistic understanding of challenges in attaining global food security. Both students work in the laboratory of Bhadriraju "Subi" Subramanyam, professor of postharvest protection. June 2012

* Blossom Sehgal, a master's student in grain science, earned second place for her oral presentation as part of master's student competition in the Systematics, Evolution and Biodversity; Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology; Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology section at the recent annual meeting of North Central Branch Entomological Society of America. Her talk was on "Variation in susceptibility of laboratory and field strains of three stored product insect species to insecticides recommended for empty bin treatments." June 2012

* Mike Tokach, extension specialist and professor of swine nutrition will receive the 2012 American Society of Animal Science Extension Award. He will be honored at the society’s annual meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. June 2012

* Bhadriraju "Subi" Subramanyam, professor of postharvest protection, received the Entomological Foundation Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management from the North Central Branch Entomological Society of America. June 2012

* Barry Flinchbaugh, professor of agricultural economics, was selected as a 2012 Leader in Agriculture Award recipient by Agriculture Future of America. The Leader in Agriculture Award is presented annually to two outstanding individuals in the agriculture industry whose personal and professional accomplishments and contributions have served them in mentoring students to be successful leaders in their careers. A recognized leader in the agriculture industry, Flinchbaugh represents the agricultural community through his active participation in the development of United States agricultural policy. June 2012

* The American Meat Science Association honored Melvin C. Hunt as the recipient of the 2012 American Meat Science Association R. C. Pollock Award. Hunt is internationally recognized for his expertise in meat color measurement and was the primary author of the Guidelines for Meat Color Measurement, the only comprehensive document on meat color measurement available to meat scientists. June 2012

* Brandy Cleveland, senior in animal sciences and industry, was selected to receive a 2012 Undergraduate Scholastic Achievement Award from the American Meat Science Association. May 2012

* The Dairy Judging Team placed third overall at the Western National Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contest, the highest ever finish for the university in the contest. This year's event was in Richmond, Utah. May 2012

* Three professors of animal sciences and industry are receiving national awards at the July meeting of the American Society of Animal Science/American Dairy Science Association. Jeff Stevenson will receive the American Society of Animal Science Physiology and Endocrinology Award and will also be named a fellow of the society in the research category. Mike Tokach will receive the American Society of Animal Science Extension Award. Barry Bradford will receive the American Dairy Science Foundation Scholar Award in Dairy Production. May 2012

* Daniel Y. C. Fung will receive the 2012 GMA Food Safety Award given by the International Association for Food Protection at the association's national meeting in in July. May 2012

* Chad Miller, assistant professor of horticulture, forestry and recreation resources, has been selected by Greenhouse Product News as one of the top 40 individuals under the age of 40 who will help shape the future of the horticulture industry. May 2012

* Kansas State University is the only American university invited to participate in a six-year plant pathology and entomology research collaboration with Australia's Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre, or CRC. The center is a consortium of Australia's leading governmental research institutions and universities. Through this partnership, K-State and Australian researchers will study emerging plant diseases and insect pests that threaten U.S. and Australian agricultural systems, and develop new strategies and technologies to defend against these threats. Additionally, this initiative is expected to begin academic exchanges between K-State and many of Australia's universities. February 2012

2012 Agriculture

2011 Agriculture

2010 Agriculture

2009 Agriculture

College of Agriculture