Students to gain research experience, mentorship through K-State Developing Scholars Program

Fifteen Kansas State University students will gain hands-on research experience alongside faculty experts in their fields as the newest cohort of the university's Developing Scholars Program.

For more than 25 years, the program, hosted by Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research, has helped fulfill K-State's land-grant mission by increasing access and broadening participation in undergraduate research. Scholars in the program receive academic, social and financial support while becoming integrated into the intellectual environment of the university.

Hans Coetzee, vice president for research, said the program is another example of K-State's commitment to undergraduate research as a cornerstone of academic and professional development.

"The Developing Scholars Program exemplifies how K-State empowers undergraduates to engage in meaningful research that shapes their futures and strengthens communities," he said. "Through their work, these students create new knowledge that fuels innovation, supports economic vitality, and helps solve real-world challenges across Kansas and beyond."

The scholars are eligible to continue in the program for up to three years, which creates a vibrant community of engaged scholars from many different majors across the university.

Viv Nguyen, a double major in physics and mechanical engineering, was admitted to the program last year.

"The Developing Scholars Program helped me find my place at K-State through research, community and the encouragement of people who believe in me," said Nguyen. "It has opened doors to scholarships, jobs and friendships that have made a huge difference in my college experience."

New Developing Scholars Program cohort to continue legacy of student success

Susan Rensing, Ph.D., associate director of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research and program director, said the incoming 15 students will continue the Developing Scholars Program's legacy of providing students with a best-practice model for student success.

"I am honored to work with this year's cohort of scholars as they embark on their research journeys," Rensing said. "Under the guidance of their mentors, they will be at the forefront of new breakthroughs in water conservation, renewable energy and treatments for infectious diseases."

The new program participants were chosen from a highly competitive pool of candidates. The following 15 students are in the 2025-2026 Developing Scholars Program cohort:

Ava Gustin, freshman in medical laboratory science, pre-medicine, Carbondale; Holly Lane, sophomore in biochemistry, Colwich; Juan Becerra, junior in mechanical engineering, and Felix Sandoval Garcia, junior in mechanical engineering, both from Dodge City; Emily Espino-Mendoza, sophomore in mechanical engineering, Garden City; Sarahy Salamanca-Perez, junior in environmental engineering, Holcomb; Lizeth Moreno Valles, junior in biomedical engineering, Liberal; Elizabeth Banuelos, freshman in agronomy, McPherson; Brandy Gocken, sophomore in animal sciences and industry, Manhattan; and Cassidy Huynh, sophomore in biomedical engineering, pre-optometry, Wichita.

From out of state: Kaytlin Skeans, sophomore in animal sciences and industry, pre-veterinary medicine, Warsaw, Indiana; Alyson Dingle, freshman in criminology, Greenwood, Missouri; Gracie Allison, freshman in microbiology, St. Joseph, Missouri; Tierney Schoch, freshman in biology, pre-medicine, Benedict, Nebraska; and Sara Lopez, sophomore in animal sciences and industry, pre-veterinary medicine, Grand Island, Nebraska.

Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research is in the Staley School of Leadership, which develops bold, curious and connected learners to address the world's most complex challenges. The school also includes undergraduate and graduate leadership studies academic programs, leadership and service cocurricular programs, Applied Learning Experiences, and the University Honors Program.

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