K-Staters in the news - August 2014
The top stories mentioning Kansas State University are posted below. Download an Excel file with all of this month's news stories.
Sunday, Aug. 31, 2014
Kansas senators pledge support for NBAF
8/30/14 Kansas Public Radio
The two U.S. Senators from Kansas have indicated they won’t play politics with the budget bill containing the final $300 million in federal funding for a state-of-the-art biosecurity lab under construction adjacent to the Kansas State University campus, in Manhattan. As Kansas Public Radio’s Bryan Thompson reports, the $1.25 billion lab is scheduled to open in 2023—barring any further hurdles.
*Researchers find food safety habits vary by country
8/30/14 Sacramento Bee
Kansas State University researchers have found widespread variations in the food safety practices used in different countries.
*Our opinion: Key sector relies on investment
8/30/14 St. Joseph (Mo.) News Press Now
The former CEO of MRIGlobal, previously known as the Midwest Research Institute, is at the helm of this new venture. Michael Helmstetter will lead a private capital firm that includes co-founding partners Kansas State University and Bicknell Family Holding Co.
Friday, Aug. 29, 2014
Report: Student loan education efforts lacking
8/28/14 The Washington TimesTwo Kansas State University professors helped write the white paper, called “Financial Literacy in Higher Education: The Most Successful Models and Methods for Gaining Traction.”
Australia’s cuddly koalas are rapidly dying out
8/29/14 Global PostInstead, her 16 years of data caught the attention of two American academics: Jeffrey Skibins, assistant professor in the Recreation, Sport and Tourism Management Department at the University of St. Francis Illinois, and Peg Shaw-McBee, assistant professor of Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management at Kansas State University, who are in the process of validating the research and preparing it for peer review.
Pets Q&A: Teach biting kitten to hunt toys
08/29/14 The Buffalo News
Dr. Michael Dryden, a veterinary parasitologist at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine-Manhattan, says, “Using brewer’s yeast is totally illogical because brewer’s yeast is used in labs to grow fleas.”
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014
*Are young female drivers any safer than males?
8/27/14 CBS News
Researchers from Kansas State University analyzed data from 2007 to 2011 for accidents involving drivers 16 to 24 years old, and found different patterns of behavior and different types of accidents among male and female drivers.
*Student debt growing, number of university financial education programs still deficient
8/27/14 Science Daily
As student debt load grows -- its doubled since 2007 -- most universities aren't offering sufficient financial education programs to help students understand this financial burden, according to a new report whose authors include two Kansas State University professors.
The Auditorium Organ by David Pickering
8/24/14 At the Organ
David Pickering, assistant professor of music, was interviewed by Brent Johnson of the Organ Media Foundation at the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence, Missouri about The Auditorium Organ, his recent book detailing the history of the Auditorium organ that is published by the Organ Historical Society Press. The interview was broadcast this past Sunday on the website At the Organ and has been archived on the website's homepage. To listen to the interview and Pickering's performance of a work by composer Daniel E. Gawthrop, please click on this link.
Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014
*9 sneaky reasons you're in a bad mood (and what to do about it)
8/25/14 Huffington Post
Workaholics don't just set themselves up for poorer physical health, but mental health, too. A study from Kansas State University researchers showed that people who work more than 50 hours a week had decreased physical well-being (from skipping meals), as well as "reduced mental well-being as measured by a self-reported depression score," study researcher Sarah Asebedo said in a statement.
*New gluten-free ingredient may cause allergic reaction, expert warns
8/25/14 Science Daily
A popular new ingredient in gluten-free products could be causing an allergic reaction, according to a Kansas State University food safety specialist.
*Physics research removes outcome unpredictability of ultracold atomic reactions
8/25/14 Science Daily
Findings from a physics study by a Kansas State University researcher are helping scientists accurately predict the once unpredictable.
Monday, Aug. 25, 2014
*When faculty step away from campus
8/25/14 University Business News
Kansas State University created and filled a new position this summer called vice president for human capital, which facilitates the recruitment, retention and development of a diverse, high-performing workforce. Susana Valdovinos, director of the office of academic personnel, says she hopes transactions such as manually tracking sabbaticals will soon be automated. Meanwhile, the Office of Planning and Analysis prepares a report that includes the number of sabbatical-eligible faculty for each college or unit along with their salaries. It’s distributed to Valdovinos’ office, the provost and the vice president for administration and finance. Roughly 50 of the school’s 1,370 faculty members (4 percent) are typically eligible for sabbaticals each year.
*Benefits of working out with a buddy
8/24/14 The Strait Times, Asia One
Working out with someone whom you think is fitter than you can help increase your workout time and intensity by up to 200 per cent, a Kansas State University study in 2012 found.
Petersens charge out of gate with natural pet foods
8/23/14 Greeley (Colorado) Tribune
The Petersens, with their father’s considerable background in the pet food distribution industry, work with a veterinarian at Kansas State University to develop their foods. Their first idea would have cost consumers $100 per 25-pound bag; they got the price down to $65-$75 among their varieties.
Friday, Aug. 22, 2014
*Busting Myths About Ticks
8/21/14 Epoch Times
Michael Dryden, D.V.M, Ph.D., is a university distinguished professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and one of the world’s leading experts on ticks. He said when thinking about sheer tick numbers, Kansas is considered “tick central,” especially the eastern and southeastern regions. People should know and understand the common myths associated with ticks to protect themselves, their children and their pets.
X-ray laser probes tiny quantum tornadoes in superfluid droplets
9/21/14 Science Daily
Other research collaborators were from the Stanford PULSE Institute; University of California, Berkeley; the Max Planck Society; Center for Free-Electron Laser Science at DESY; PNSensor GmbH; Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Kansas State University. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (Basic Energy Sciences) and the Max Planck Society.
You can now earn a degree in chocolate
8/21/14 Tech Times
But that's okay because there are plenty of food-related college majors out there for you to satisfy your hunger for knowledge. You can learn all about the wine industry with theViticulture & Enology major at Cornell University, get your brew on by taking classes inFermentation Sciences at Appalachian State University or learn how to concoct the perfect pastry with a degree in Bakery Science and Management from Kansas State University.
Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014
WaferGen announces appointment of chief operating officer and chief financial officer
8/18/14 Sacramento Business Journal
Keith Warner is a seasoned executive in the life science and diagnostic industry. He has created significant value for investors by assembling high-performing organizations and combining them with targeted asset building strategies. Prior to joining WaferGen, Mr. Warner served as a consultant to several life science investment firms since 2009 and was instrumental in assessing new technologies and building early stage companies toward successful M&A transactions. As a senior executive, Mr. Warner has served in leadership roles in both commercial and general management at such firms as Novartis/Chiron as Vice President, Worldwide Marketing, and as Chief Executive Officer of Biodesix, an early stage technology firm focused on personalizing cancer therapies through advanced detection solutions. Earlier in his career, Mr. Warner held numerous positions of increasing responsibility in manufacturing, sales and marketing and management at Abbott Diagnostics. Mr. Warner received his undergraduate in microbiology from Kansas State University and his MBA from Pepperdine University.
5 biggest vacation budget busters
8/19/14 NASDAQ
Following in the footsteps of our neighbors or friends when we can't afford to is a common but potentially serious mistake, says Brad Klontz, financial psychologist and associate professor at the Kansas State University Institute of Personal Financial Planning.
Celebrity Big Brother line-up incudes White Dee and Lauren Goodger
8/19/14 STV Shows
Gary Busey
Attending Kansas State University in his youth, dreams of following a career in sport were shattered after he injured his knee. He moved to Hollywood to pursue a music career but acting beckoned.
Monday, Aug. 18, 2014
*Largest Private Gifts to Higher Education, 2013-14
8/18/14 Chronicle of Higher Education
No. 2: Kansas State U. Foundation, Oklahoma State U. Foundation, and U. of Oklahoma Foundation, Dolese Bros. Co., concrete company, $210,000,000, stock, divided evenly among three recipients, 2013; No. 19: Kansas State U., Jack Vanier family, cattle rancher (Mr. Vanier), $60,000,000, not disclosed*, 2014
Higher education hoping to avoid budget cuts
8/18/14 Lawrence Journal World
By 2024, tuition, fees and philanthropy will be the largest income streams and state revenue will drop into the single digits percentage-wise, said Kansas State University President Kirk Schulz.
*McCormick Recalls Ground Oregano Due To Salmonella Risk
8/16/14 Medical Daily
What is it about these spices that makes them so vulnerable to harmful bacteria? Spices, especially fresh ones sold in farmer's markets, tend to be key contributors to foodborne illnesses. In a May study, researchers from Kansas State University found dead whole insects, insect parts, human hair, and other contaminants in batches of black pepper, thyme, oregano, and turmeric. They also reported that some of the spices they purchased from farmer’s markets tested positive for Salmonella. This happens because organic spices in farmer's markets tend to be uncovered, allowing people to touch them freely, and insects to land inside. In the case of the McCormick oregano, the spice may have been contaminated while factory workers handled it.
Friday, Aug. 15, 2014
Farmers and Consumers Seeing Spike in Food Prices
8/14/14 Yahoo! News
Gregory Ibendahl, an associate professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, said in an interview that while the current glut of grains and declining prices poses a serious challenge for farmers, today’s large stockpiles of corn, wheat and soybeans eventually will give way to large profits – provided the current price depression doesn’t last too long.
Edward Jones Sponsors Program to Train Future Brokers
8/14/14 Bloomberg
The program, to begin at Kansas State University as students return for the fall semester, will prepare prospective U.S. stockbrokers for the Series 7 exam that they must pass before they can trade. Edward Jones, with more than 13,000 advisers, eventually plans to fund the course at 10 schools in partnership with finance education firm Securities Training Corp., the brokerage said today in a statement.
Meltpoint, a Caldwell firm, wins KSU business competition
8/15/14 Find Law
A Caldwell company has won a business competition sponsored by Kansas State University.
MeltPoint Environmental was the inaugural grand prize winner of KSU's Launch a Business program, earning a package of services and resources valued at more than $50,000, according to a news release from the school.
Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014
How to contain Ebola in isolation units
8-13-14 Wired U.K.
This kind of design is likely the blueprint for future facilities, with Biosafety Level 4 labs under construction at Kansas State University and Boston University. The nature of outbreaks is changing, so the hospitals and labs must change as well -- building expensive medical suites that researchers hope they'll never have to use.
Lithium-based neutron detector named among Top 100 technologies of the year
8-13-14 Phys.org
Kansas State University engineers have developed a lithium-based neutron detector that is being recognized as one of the year's Top 100 newly developed technologies.
Bovine Temperament: A Feedlot Focus
8-13-14 AGWeb
Recent research involving many universities, including Kansas State, examined the genetics of bovine temperament and how it relates to two important aspects of production: immune function, specifically animals’ susceptibility to bovine respiratory disease (BRD), and carcass merit. It found, as previous research has also indicated, that temperament is a moderately heritable trait producers can select for in their herds.
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2014
Epiq Sysstems announces appointment of Douglas M. Gaston to its board of directors
8/12/14 Yahoo! Finance
Mr. Gaston holds a master's degree in accounting from Kansas State University.
Sierra Club questions loss of ozone monitor
8/12/14 San Francisco Gate
The Sierra Club in Kansas says state health officials and Kansas State University removed an ozone pollution monitoring site near Manhattan to prevent data collection that might support federal limits on Flint Hill grassland burns.
*Comment: Why names are so easy to forget
8/12/14 Special Broadcasting Service (Australia)
You're not really that interested: Maybe you're just making an appearance at this party and are planning to abscond shortly to a superior kick-back. Your level of interest can impact how well you remember something. "Some people, perhaps those who are more socially aware, are just more interested in people, more interested in relationships," Richard Harris, professor of psychology at Kansas State University, told ScienceDaily. "They would be more motivated to remember somebody's name."
Monday, Aug. 11, 2014
*25 Years Ago, Different Ebola Outbreak in Virginia
8/10/14 NBC News New York
Gerald Jaax, one of the leaders of a team of Army scientists that responded to the 1989 outbreak in Reston, Virginia, closely watched the meticulously planned transfers this month of two American aid workers from Liberia to a specialized facility in Atlanta, the first Ebola patients ever brought to the U.S. Jaax recalled his days urgently trying to corral the country's first known outbreak.
Study: Shoppers Spread Raw Poultry Juices at the Store and at Home
8/10/14 Food Safety News
Kansas State University professor Dr. Edgar Chambers presented these findings last week at the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) conference in Indianapolis. The study involved shadowing 96 grocery shoppers in three U.S. cities to monitor how they handled raw poultry both in the market and back at home.
An opportunity to redefine college sports
8/10/14 Chronicle of Higher Education
Our greatest fear arising from the O’Bannon decision and the Big Five conference system of autonomy is that there will be a significant reduction of opportunities for men and women to reap the educational benefits from participating in college athletics. Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder was quoted as saying that "education has become a second thought" in college sports. Let’s make it our first thought."
Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014
The Colleges With The Happiest Students, According To The Princeton Review's 2014-15 Ranking
8-6-14 Huffington Post
No. 7 Kansas State University
Huelskamp wins narrow victory
8-6-14 Politico
Huelskamp will face Jim Sherow, a Kansas State University professor and former Manhattan mayor, in the November election.
Best Counseling Degrees Ranks Most Affordable Online Graduate Programs in School Counseling
8-6-14 WSMV Nashville
9. Kansas State University, College of Education: Manhattan, Kansas
M.S. in Counseling with an emphasis in School Counseling
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014
*5 reasons to get off your butt at work
8/5/14 Yahoo! Finance
*2. Sedentary habits boost the risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
According to one study published in the clinical journal Diabetologia, sitting for protracted periods of time increases a person’s risk for diabetes, heart disease, and death. A Kansas State University and University of Western Sydney study of middle-aged men found a strong correlation between sitting for long periods of the day and self-reports of chronic illness at some point.
2 Kansas congressmen face tough GOP primary races
8/4/14 San Francisco Gate
Huelskamp ran unopposed two years ago. This time he not only faces a primary challenge, but two Democrats are seeking their party's nomination to run against him — former Manhattan Mayor Jim Sherow, a history professor at Kansas State University, and Bryan Whitney, a political science student at Wichita State University.
New article by Great Value Colleges ranks 50 great affordable college towns
8/4/14 Bloomberg Businessweek
49. Manhattan, Kansas: Kansas State University
