K-State Current - June 28, 2017
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
Kansas State University construction projects add 1 million new or renovated square feet
Kansas State University infrastructure improvement projects in the last five years
are building the university up to become a top university.
"By the start of the fall 2017 semester, the university will have added or renovated
more than 1 million square feet of space on the Manhattan campus in the last five
years," said K-State President Richard Myers. "These improvements with new technology
and energy-efficient infrastructure help increase collaborative learning, multidisciplinary
interaction and productivity for our students, faculty and staff — all part of the
university's goal to become a Top 50 public research university by 2025."
On the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus in the past five years, the university
has renovated the Welcome Center, Outreach Center and the unmanned aircraft systems
laboratory. New construction includes the Smoky Hill UAS Pavilion, one of the largest
enclosed unmanned flight facilities in the nation, and the Bulk Solids Innovation
Center.
The current and upcoming large-scale projects:
Seaton Hall renovation and expansion — The Seaton Complex is on schedule and expected to be ready for students and faculty
in August. The 194,000 square feet of improvements include interdisciplinary design
labs, an outdoor teaching amphitheater, a green roof, secure exhibit and gallery space,
20,000 square feet of fabrication and product design labs, collaborative spaces and
an atrium commons. Watch the progress on a live webcam. On Oct. 13, the College of Architecture, Planning & Design will host a dedication of the newly constructed section, Regnier Hall, named in honor
of the family who gave the lead gift.
K-State Student Union renovation — Throughout the 110,000-square-feet renovation, the Union has remained open to serve
students and now features a new south facade with large picture windows, collaborative
student lounges, consolidated student activities offices, and expanded coffee house
and dining options. Wildcat Chamber, formerly the Little Theatre, reopened June 1
and includes new furniture and technology. The Union Station by JP's, a partnership
between the Union and the university's Housing and Dinning Services, will open in
fall 2017 and will emphasize locally sourced ingredients. The renovation project was
approved by a student body vote in April 2013, which increased privilege fees to help
fund the $31 million project. It is expected to be finished in fall with a remodel
celebration scheduled Oct. 13.
Bill Snyder Family Stadium phases IV and V — Work in phases four and five of the stadium project includes adding video and ribbon
boards and making sound system improvements around the stadium for an increased fan
experience. A new limestone wall ties into Vanier Complex at the north end, and the
club level on the east side is receiving cosmetic improvements. All are expected to
be completed in August.
Pittman freezer renovation — Approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in March 2016, the project updates the university's mass food storage freezer to maintain safe
food storage for Housing and Dinning Services. The cost of the project is paid through
Housing and Dining auxiliary funds. The project is expected to be complete in July.
Trotter Hall renovation — Expected to be complete by the spring 2018 semester, the nearly 13,000-square-foot
renovation in Trotter Hall will separate the anatomy labs, microanatomy labs and student
study space to give teaching faculty and students more functional areas for each task.
Before construction, these areas were combined in one large area on the third floor.
The renovation also will include more efficient features for teaching and learning
of animal anatomy; ADA-compliant restrooms, including a shower; and life and fire
safety improvements. The $4.7 million renovation is funded by private gifts and College
of Veterinary Medicine general fees funds.
K-State Office Park — The Kansas State University Foundation broke ground on June 8 for phase II, which will add 59,000 square feet to the K-State Office Park. The Office Park is
expected to attract corporate partners who want to work with the university faculty
and students. Phase II, funded by a private foundation investment, tax credits and
city economic development loans, will feature accommodations of up to 35 tenants,
intentional co-working areas and a restaurant. The phase is expected to be complete
in August 2018.
Electrical systems improvements — Approved by the Kansas Board of Regents on June
14, the university will start upgrading the electrical systems of 18 buildings on
the Manhattan campus. Some systems haven't been updated since 1923, which has caused
power outages in a few buildings affecting students, faculty and staff. Service upgrades
of transformers and low-voltage service for buildings in phase one and planning for
phase two will start in August and are expected to be complete August 2018 and June
2019, respectively. The upgrades will be paid from bonds issued by the Kansas Development
Finance Authority.
Agronomy Education Center — To be built next to Kansas State University's agronomy farm north of Kimball Avenue,
the center will include climate-controlled teaching facilities and an exhibition hall
to facilitate technology sharing and outreach. Construction is expected to start in
winter 2017-2018.
In the past five years, the university has added a new College of Business Building,
Engineering Hall, Wefald Hall, Equine Performance Testing Facility, Purebred Beef
Unit, the Kansas State University Foundation building as part of phase I of the K-State
Office Park, and the Manhattan Campus Chilled Water Distribution and Plant Infrastructure
project, which has given the university about seven miles of chilled water cooling
pipes for most Manhattan campus buildings. The university also has renovated the Chester
C. Peters Recreation Complex, East and West WW1 Memorial Stadium to include the new
Berney Family Welcome Center, many new Jardine Apartments, and built or renovated
many K-State Athletic facilities.
In addition, several repair and rehabilitation projects are scheduled for fiscal year
2018. The projects include roof replacement and maintenance, repair to campus infrastructure,
utility maintenance, fire code compliance, painting, stone replacement and repair,
repairs and updates to general use classrooms, and building repairs on the Manhattan
and Polytechnic campuses.
APDesign graduate program places in Top 10
Kansas State University's Master of Regional and Community Planning graduate program, in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design, APDesign, is ranked among the top programs in the U.S by Planetizen, the leading online network for the urban planning, design and development community.
The "Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs" provides the only comprehensive rankings of graduate urban planning programs in the nation. The recently released fifth edition ranks the Master of Regional and Community Planning program seventh in the U.S. among programs in the Midwest.
In addition, the program ranked eighth among the top small programs in the country, based on enrollment, and sixth in the nation for top programs with city populations less than 50,000.
"These rankings reflect not only the quality of the program and efforts of the faculty, but the embedded nature of the program in our comprehensive design and planning college," said Tim de Noble dean and professor in the college. "The diverse and robust programs in APDesign are enriched by having all the planning and design disciplines under one roof."
The rankings are based on a combination of statistical data collected from the programs themselves and opinion data gathered from planning educators. The data addresses program, faculty and student characteristics. Surveys were sent to the 96 schools with master's programs in planning and 1,115 educators.
"Planetizen's recognition of K-State's place as a top caliber small program reflects our faculty and students' dedication to high-quality academic preparation for professional careers in city planning," said Stephanie Rolley, professor and head of the landscape architecture and regional & community planning department. "We are honored to be ranked among the best in the country."
Students in the Master of Regional and Community Planning program are prepared to remake cities into dynamic places to live, work and play. Coursework in the program provides the knowledge and skills necessary to build vibrant, resilient cities and be leaders in building places of lasting value.
A welcoming place: K-State on list of 50 best colleges for inclusiveness
Kansas State University has earned another recognition for being among the nation's most inclusive universities.
College Choice, an online publication that provides free resources to help students in their college search, includes K-State on its list of the 50 best colleges for LGBTQ students. At No. 45, K-State is the only university from Kansas and one of just four schools from the Great Plains to be ranked. Only one other university from the Big 12 Conference — University of Texas, Austin — made the list.
For its rankings, College Choice looked for schools that protect their LGBTQ students through policy inclusion, that offer a number of resources and services for LGBTQ students, and that intentionally promote LGBTQ perspectives in their curriculum.
In selecting K-State, College Choice called the university "a safe haven among the plains, and an affordable one to boot." The university garnered praise for its nondiscrimination statement that includes both sexual orientation and gender identity, and for providing training to faculty, staff and administrators on inclusivity. University events and celebrations especially for LGBTQ students, Sexuality and Gender Alliance Progressive Dinner, and World AIDS Day events, also were cited by the online publication of the university's inclusivity efforts.
Other recent honors and recognitions for K-State's inclusiveness include a 4.5 star ranking from Campus Pride, the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBTQ students. K-State, for the third straight year in 2016, received a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity, or HEED, award, for its commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Data from the schools' websites, the Campus Pride Index, U.S. News & World Report and the National Center for Education Statistics helped form the listing of best LGBTQ schools.
The LGBT Resource Center at K-State works with many campus partners to evaluate progress toward inclusivity of sexuality and gender identity. Evaluation of current policies and procedures is always evolving and the many partners work to meet expectations of students, faculty, and staff that ensure their respect and safety. These partnerships have been integral in making K-State an open and affirming campus to all students. For more information about the LGBT Resource Center please visit k-state.edu/lgbt.
Faculty Highlights
Food Armor Foundation appoints Kansas State University's Brian Lubbers to board of directors
Brian Lubbers, director of clinical microbiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University, has been chosen as a member of the Food Armor Foundation's inaugural board of directors.
The Food Armor program grew out of an initiative started in 2012, when the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association formed a Residue Task Force to develop an industry-based program to address dairy beef drug residues. The task force worked in partnership with the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin and launched an educational program called "What Matters."
The "What Matters" initiative now includes efforts to educate producers and help provide action plans at the farm level. The Food Armor program incorporates the hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP, approach toward drug use and residue prevention in a manner that is tailored to the needs of the individual dairy farmer.
"The Food Armor program is all about improving food safety by ensuring proper drug use on farms," Lubbers said. "This program has been very successful and it is an exciting opportunity to help them grow their outreach efforts to a national audience of veterinarians and farmers."
"Dr. Lubbers brings invaluable experience and perspective to this new foundation," said Katie Mrdutt, Food Armor outreach specialist. "Food Armor is thrilled to work with him and other industry leaders to bring this innovative grass-roots program to farmers everywhere. Built on the foundation of a veterinarian and producer working closely together, Food Armor is committed to transparency and accountability for how food is produced."
Lubbers earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State University in 2002. He also has a Doctor of Philosophy and is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. Another Kansas State University alumnus, Gatz Riddell '77, also is on the board of directors. The rest of the 12-member board comprises a mix of veterinarians, dairy producers and industry leaders representing farm to fork.
K-State Student News
Manhattan student awarded prestigious Rotary Foundation Global Grant Scholarship
The Rotary Foundation recently awarded a Global Grant Scholarship to Caitlyn Richelle Webb, a 2013 graduate of Manhattan High School and 2017 graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in economics and accounting, and a minor in Spanish.
Webb graduated with honors in May and will use the scholarship to pursue a master's degree in local economic development at the London School of Economics and Political Science in September.
The Global Grant Scholarship is a prestigious, competitive award, and Webb's application had to be approved by the Manhattan Rotary Club, Rotary District 5710 and the Rotary Foundation. The Rotary City and Shoreditch Club in London will host Webb for her year of study.
Webb has a background in working with underdeveloped communities in Asia and Africa. In the summer of her freshman year at K-State, she engaged in an international business internship in Salamanca, Spain. The summer after her sophomore year, she created an internship with the international not-for-profit, the Global Enterprise Network, which afforded her the opportunity to apply her undergraduate majors in accounting and economics to build sustainable financial systems for international entrepreneurs in Japan and Slovakia. The capstone of her internship was a 10-day trip to a successful business startup in Indonesia. There she concluded that long-term economic development is only successful when people groups benefiting from the aid are directly involved in the problem-solving process.
She spent the summer after her junior year in Boston, Massachusetts, with the public accounting firm, Ernst & Young. As an intern in the assurance practice, she worked with startups and biotechnology firms to validate financial statements and assure appropriate compliance. This experience improved her understanding of how to start and sustain entrepreneurial business models.
While a student at K-State, Webb played a leadership role in several campus organizations and activities. These included serving as a member on the K-State Student Alumni Board, cabinet member in the Student Governing Association Presidential Cabinet, and an engaged campus and community member in Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and the Blue Key Senior Honorary. In her Rotary application, she said that these activities enhanced her soft skills and heightened her personal and professional interactions with individuals in the realm of community and economic development. She also became a volunteer with the Schools of Hope and Reading is Fundamental program where she empowered elementary students to gain confidence through literacy. She wrote that these professional and volunteer relationships furthered her conviction that community development is achieved when individuals become personally invested in development initiatives.
She is the daughter of Susan Bailey Webb of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is engaged to Colin Thomas and will be married in October 2018.
