K-State Current - August 26, 2015

K-State Current is a weekly news update for the Kansas Board of Regents in an effort to apprise the Regents on a few of the many successes and achievements made by K-State faculty, staff and students.

K-State News

University, KSU Foundation receive fundraising award

Kansas State University and the Kansas State University Foundation have received national recognition for overall improvement in fundraising from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE.

The university was one of five higher education institutions recognized in this category among public research/doctoral institutions with endowments over $250 million. The award selection is based on data submitted to the Council for Aid to Education's annual Voluntary Support of Education survey.

In fiscal year 2015, philanthropic gifts and commitments by alumni, friends, parents, faculty, students and corporate partners of Kansas State University totaled $141.5 million. This level of philanthropic support marks the third most successful year in charitable giving in the more than 70-year history of the KSU Foundation, and the fourth consecutive year fundraising has topped $100 million.

"Some years back, there was a focused effort to reorganize some aspects of how the KSU Foundation serves K-State," said Greg Willems, president and CEO of KSU Foundation. "The goal was to reposition the foundation to address a significantly increasing need for resources to support the K-State 2025 vision and close the comparative resource gap between K-State and peer institutions. Thanks to the K-State administration and deans' commitment to partner with the foundation, we've maintained a three-year fundraising average in excess of $167 million. We are honored that CASE has recognized our successful efforts with this award."

Kansas State University President Kirk Schulz appreciates the recognition for the foundation and all who support the university.

"As state funds become a smaller percentage of our overall budget, the KSU Foundation has intensified its efforts to increase the amount of philanthropic dollars coming to K-State," Schulz said. "This award from CASE not only recognizes the impressive work of the foundation, but also honors all the generous donors who support our university. As we build on the successful fundraising of the past few years, we move ever closer to reaching our goal to be recognized as a top 50 public research university by 2025."

Philanthropic contributions to Kansas State University are coordinated by the KSU Foundation. The foundation staff works with university partners to build lifelong relationships with alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students through involvement and investment in the university.

Groundbreaking for K-State Student Union renovation Sept. 2

The K-State Manhattan campus, community and surrounding area are invited to attend a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony for Your Union renovation at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, outside the north entrance of the K-State Student Union.

The groundbreaking will give attendees an opportunity to browse renovation plans and renderings while being entertained by students from the K-State Marching Band. The program will feature remarks from President Kirk Schulz; Pat Bosco, vice president for student life and dean of students; Bill Smriga, Union director; and several student leaders as well as the ceremonial turning of dirt. Guests may enjoy Call Hall ice cream and an appearance from Willie the Wildcat following the program.

"We are excited to break ground on Your Union renovation and celebrate the next phase of our building," Smriga said. "For the last three years, students, faculty, staff and administrators have worked with the renovation architects to develop plans that will provide the Union the improvements and enhancements it deserves as the living room of campus."

The $25 million renovation plan for the Union includes a new south facade with windows, up-to-date retail areas, collaborative student lounge space, consolidated student activities offices, enhanced dining services with a sports pub and expanded coffee house and an innovate tech lounge.

In April 2013, the student body voted to approve the project, including a flat $20 per semester increase to the student privilege fee for students taking classes on the Manhattan campus effective fall 2014. Partnering firms of Bowman Bowman Novick Inc. and Workshop Architects, Inc. were selected in September 2014 to design the final plans for the Union renovation.

Bowman is a local, multi-discipline design firm with offices in Manhattan and Kansas City, Mo. The four principals directing the firm are Brent Bowman, Lorie Doolittle-Bowman, Paul Novick and Patrick Schaub. Their portfolio includes Hale Library, academic buildings, visitor and interpretive centers, religious buildings, residences, office buildings, recreational and athletic facilities and downtown redevelopment.

Workshop, led by Jan van den Kieboom, focuses on creating environments for social interaction for colleges and universities. Kieboom has led planning and design projects for more than 25 colleges and universities nationwide, including the University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, Oklahoma State University and Northwestern University.

Turner Construction Company was selected to provide construction manager at-risk services throughout the renovation. The company is headquartered in New York City with local offices across the country, including Kansas City. Turner has a long and extensive track record of successfully completing higher education projects, completing more than $5 billion in education construction across the country in the past three years.

Construction is scheduled to begin Sept. 8. The Union will remain open throughout the renovation with varied services and programs relocating within the building during the project.

Faculty Highlights

Journal ranks Sensory Analysis Center top in research publication worldwide

When it comes to sensory research influence, Kansas State University's Sensory Analysis Center is tops in the world according to the first-ever ranking of institutions by the Journal of Sensory Studies.

Rankings were based on a combination of research articles published and number of citations from 2009 to 2015.

Edgar Chambers IV, university distinguished professor and director of the center, was ranked No. 1 in list of 784 individuals worldwide for sensory research influence. Delores Chambers, professor and co-director of the center, ranked No. 5.

"We are especially proud that Kadri Koppel, our newest assistant professor who has only been with us for three years, ranked No. 40," Edgar Chambers said.

Kansas State University's influence score was almost double the No. 2 institution, North Carolina State, and triple that of the University of California, Davis, which ranked No. 4.

"The Sensory Analysis Center is an integral part of the teaching and research mission of the College of Human Ecology," said John Buckwalter, dean. "For example, the College of Human Ecology's research and scholarship focus on health and human behavior is exemplified by the Sensory Analysis Center's work related to consumer behavior and food safety. As international leaders in conducting important, high-impact research, the sensory analysis program educates graduate students for leading sensory roles in business and industry as well as academia."

"We are proud of the entire team, and especially Dr. Edgar Chambers, for succeeding well above their peers in research publications," said Mark Haub, head of the human nutrition department. The center is part of the department in the College of Human Ecology.

For nearly 30 years, the Sensory Analysis Center has conducted sensory and consumer research all over the world, serving clients and investigating scientific understand in the field. Academic research encompasses food science, marketing and psychology.

Published by Wiley, the international, multidisciplinary Journal of Sensory Studies promotes technical and practical advancements in sensory science. The journal keeps statistics so it can track key authors and institutions.

Kansas State University's College of Human Ecology offers Master of Science and doctoral degrees that specialize in sensory analysis and consumer behavior. 

K-State Student Achievements

Kansas State University student to use Gilman Scholarship to prepare for career helping others

Kansas State University student and community volunteer Marcus Dominguez is looking forward to a semester studying abroad because he believes it will help him better serve others.

Dominguez, junior in sociology and pre-law, Sycamore, Illinois, will expand his Spanish-speaking skills in Costa Rica during the fall 2015 semester as a part of the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Program.

The scholarship program is congressionally funded and established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. The Gilman Scholarship gives U.S. undergraduate students up to $5,000 to participate in study abroad programs worldwide. It is awarded to students with a high financial need and the potential to assume significant roles in a global economy.

Dominguez plans to attend law school with an emphasis in immigration, international, child or family law and believes that studying in Costa Rica will help him prepare for that career.

"Learning Spanish while studying abroad will help me communicate with and help so many more people," Dominguez said. "Being surrounded by a different culture will teach me lessons that I can fall back on in the future."

Dominguez will live with a host family in San Jose, Costa Rica, and take Spanish classes from September to December. In addition, Dominguez will immerse himself in the culture, which will help him communicate with people from diverse backgrounds while volunteering and as an immigration attorney.

"Seeing a new country and being immersed in a new culture will be a valuable learning experience — one that I think we should all experience," Dominguez said. "Right now I can speak Spanish pretty well, but not fluently, which will I need to do to better help the Spanish-speaking community in the United States — especially to explain complex issues that could come up in the law."

As a member of the university's Developing Scholars Program, Dominquez researches immigration reform. He presented his research "Land Use, Immigration and Legislation in Kansas" at Undergraduate Research Day at the state capitol in February. His research compares three Kansas farms that are affected by immigration legislation.

"Through this comparison, we hope to learn more about the relationship between land use, immigration and legislation," Dominguez said. "The results of our study may help to shed light on broader economic, political and demographic changes in other parts of the country."

Dominguez also is a police response advocate at the Crisis Center in Manhattan where he provides crisis intervention and safety planning services to victims of domestic violence. He also volunteers at the Manhattan Boys and Girls Club and volunteered at the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals office in Salina in 2012.

His additional honors and awards include the Eclipse Award from the Developing Scholars Program, the Goss Discovery Scholarship, Kansas State University Undergraduate Research Award, James Coffman Award of Excellence, Kansas State Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship and Kansas State Heritage Scholarship. Dominguez is a 2012 graduate of Sycamore High School and the son of Carlos and Jenny Dominguez, Sycamore, Illinois.

Dominguez is a student in the College of Arts & Sciences.