August 2026

K-State in the news

Some of the top stories mentioning Kansas State University are posted below.

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

National/International

You don’t have to leave rural America to get an ag degree
8/25/26 Next Gen Podcast by Brownfield Ag
On this week's episode of Brownfield's Next Gen Podcast, Kellan Heavican and Erin Anderson sit down with Jason Ellis and Sydney Flax of Kansas State University to talk about K-State's new bachelor's degree in diversified agriculture. The program is designed to give students a broad foundation across agriculture while allowing them to build expertise in areas like crops, animal science, business, leadership and communications.

Economists don’t expect reopening the US to Mexican cattle imports to reduce high beef prices
8/24/26 AP News
But Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, said the potential effect on beef prices from the smaller supply of cattle was lessened because the U.S. beef industry is more efficient and has been able to get more meat from each animal than in past years.

State/Regional

Young Roots Market receives $10,000 grant to grow youth entrepreneurship in Dickinson County
8/26/26 Abilene Reflector-Chronicle
Chisholm Trail Extension District will provide hands-on workshops in gardening, cooking and maker skills, helping youth develop products they can bring to market.

Report: Livestock Producers Concerned About Lack of Rural Veterinarians
8/26/26 KPR
Brad White, a professor at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, says the group brings together producers, veterinarians and educational institutions. "We get many different perspectives as we look at how we evaluate these issues to make sure we have enough service to rural Kansas," he explained. The group has helped expand the K-State Veterinary Training Program which offers up to $25,000 to graduates who stay in Kansas. In its 20 years, 108 students have started the program and 95% of graduates are still in Kansas.

K-State Salina plane going on display at The Garage's Red Hot Rides
8/26/26 Kansas City Star
Kansas State University Salina transported its vintage 1950 Piper PA 20 Pacer airplane across town to be on display at The Garage's next exhibit, Red Hot Rides.

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026

National/International

Biotech’s Quest To Eliminate Food Allergies
8/25/2026 Forbes
Another research team, headed by Professor Eduard Akhunov at Kansas State University, is working on gene-edited wheat with fewer immunogenic gluten proteins.

State/Regional

The Kansas dairy industry is growing, and it’s on the shoulders of immigrant workers
8/26/2026 KCUR
Mike Brouk, an expert in the dairy industry at Kansas State University, has watched the dairy industry explode in Kansas over the past couple of decades.

Local

Within Reason with Mike Matson: Richard Linton, Kansas State University president
8/25/2026 1350 KMAN

Monday, Aug. 24, 2026

National/International

To reach pet owners, focus on outcomes, not ingredients
8/21/2026 PetFoodIndustry
For example, a 2025 survey of 1,054 U.S. pet owners conducted by Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Ph.D., assistant professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, showed 32% of respondents indicated they bought pet food promoting digestive health, followed closely by skin and coat health at 31%.

State/Regional

K-State cuts ribbon on first of its kind research, innovation center
8/21/2026 BrownfieldAgNews
The president of Kansas State University says its new innovation and research center will be a game changer for the future of the ag industry. Richard Linton says the L. Eldon Gideon Agronomy Research and Innovation Complex helps the University expand its capacity to develop tools and management practices for producers. "Agriculture, today, is being shaped by new technologies, changing markets, pressure on our natural resources, workforce needs and challenges that move faster and reach father then they have ever done before." The complex is part of KSU's $210 million agriculture innovation initiative supported by state, philanthropic and commodity check off funding to expand research, teaching and engagement in food and agriculture.

Kansans without tornado shelters could soon find safety in 3D-printed structures
8/21/2026 The Lawrence Times
Reese Greenlee is an assistant professor of architecture at Kansas State University. When he moved to Kansas, he said the lack of publicly available storm shelters in the state stuck out. … "Unfortunately, manufactured housing has really been stigmatized culturally, and so architecture has kind of overlooked it," he said. "That's where my research starts, looking at them as a significant American housing landscape." Greenlee started working with Shelby Doyle, associate professor of architecture at Iowa State University, and researchers at Iowa State's Computation and Construction Lab on a solution.They are currently exploring whether shelters made from 3D-printed concrete bricks can be effective for these communities.

Local

K-State celebrates opening of new research facility
8/21/2026 KSNT
A complex that aims to improve research in regenerative agriculture, sustainable crop production, and protecting natural resources opened in Manhattan on Thursday. Kansas State University has officially opened the L. Eldon Gideon Agronomy Research and Innovation Complex. The President of K-State Dr. Richard Linton said the state contributed $75 million towards the project and is part of a broader agriculture initiative.

Friday, Aug. 21, 2026

National/International

What does Tyson’s shutdown of two US beef plants mean for grocery costs?
8/21/26 The Guardian
Glynn Tonsor, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University, said the US has had excess capacity for processing and packaging beef for several years now, and beef that would have been processed in Tyson’s Iowa and Utah plants will just be rerouted. “For the majority of the last 40 years, nationally, the US has had more capacity to harvest cattle than we’ve had cattle,” he said. “Anytime you have too much capacity, or ‘too much’ supply relative to what is needed in the market, that puts downward pressure on the margins in that sector. That’s not new.”

State/Regional

Kansans without tornado shelters could soon find safety in 3D-printed structures
8/21/26 Kansas Public Radio
Reese Greenlee is an assistant professor of architecture at Kansas State University. When he moved to Kansas, he said the lack of publicly available storm shelters in the state stuck out. Greenlee said while more than 20 million people live in manufactured homes across the country, architects have sometimes ignored them. They might not devote time to building important resources, like storm shelters, in these communities because they’re often in out-of-the-way locations or are perceived as “cheap” housing. “Unfortunately, manufactured housing has really been stigmatized culturally, and so architecture has kind of overlooked it,” he said. “That's where my research starts, looking at them as a significant American housing landscape.”

K-State opens L. Eldon Gideon Agronomy Research and Innovation Complex
8/21/26 KSNT
Kansas State University celebrated the opening of a new facility yesterday with the opening of the L. Eldon Gideon Agronomy Research and Innovation Complex. The complex is part of a broader $210 million public-private project and aims to improve research in agriculture, sustainable crop production and protecting natural resources.

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026

National/International

Unusual college majors in California and the US and how much grads can earn
8/19/26 Sacremento Bee
Bakery Science and Management - Kansas State University Students can enhance their understanding of the baking industry and train for a number of positions including product development, production management, quality control or research and development. Bakery owners can make an average of $114,000 annually, according to ZipRecruiter.

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026

National/International

USDA and the Birth of America’s Land-Grant Universities
8/18/2026 AgNet West
The Kansas State Agricultural College, now known as Kansas State University, was established in 1863 under the Morrill Act. Kansas State identifies itself as the nation’s first land-grant university created under the act.

Meatpacking plants close as U.S. cattle herds shrink to a nearly 75-year low
8/18/2026 Marketplace
It’s 86.2 million, to be exact. Glynn Tonsor, professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, said that makes meatpackers’ operating costs jump.

State/Regional

3D printed concrete
8/18/2026 KMUW
Manufactured housing is plentiful and affordable, but often the communities don't have access to storm shelters. A Kansas State University assistant professor is looking at how 3D-printed concrete can offer protection.

CoSearch solving water challenges
8/18/2026 KMBZ
K-State recently had faculty brainstorm ways to solve Kansas water challenges. It's an effort called CoSearch.

Monday, Aug. 17, 2026

National/International

Bringing space down to earth
8/16/2026 Europe Says, Hutch Post and Salina Post
Orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth, the International Space Station feels worlds away. But for seven Kansas State University Salina seniors, an ambitious capstone project brought the microgravity laboratory to America's heartland for youth to experience. As part of the students' senior capstone project, they collaborated to design, develop and build an immersive experience through computer coding, virtual reality, or VR, and augmented reality, or AR. The game is called "ISS: Rupture," an interactive game that simulates fixing micro air leaks — a complex, real-life scenario that astronauts aboard the International Space Station, or ISS, may encounter.

What To Do If You Find A Bat In Your Attic
8/14/2026 HouseDigest
Usually, if you find bats during their most active season, which for most areas runs from spring to August, your only option is to wait, as physical removal is both illegal and not very practical even if you wanted to do it. "If the bats are in the attic, or they're living in the upper portion of the house, it's really hard to go in there and actually find all of those bats, catch them effectively, and try to take them back outside the house," said Kansas State University wildlife expert Drew Ricketts.

State/Regional

Lawn stressed? September is time for relief
8/14/2026 High Plains Journal
The state's high temperatures – 100 degrees and higher in many parts – and sporadic rainfall often cause cool-season varieties to become thin by summer's end. September typically signals a good time to replenish those stands, said Kansas State University horticulture expert Matt McKernan. "When overseeding, start by mowing the grass short (1 to 1 ½ inches) and removing the clippings," he said. "This will make it easier to achieve good seed-soil contact and increase the amount of light that will reach the young seedlings."

Friday, Aug. 14, 2026

National/International

How to build a financial plan when your income is unpredictable
8/13/26 MoneySense Canada
Megan McCoy, program chair for the Personal Financial Planning program at Kansas State University, says that variable income is uniquely challenging in a lot of ways. The pressures of living with variable income can lead us to make decisions that aren’t in our best interest. We take shortcuts when we have too much information, too little information, or need to act quickly. “Our brains do not like ambiguity,” she says. “When we’re worried about money being tight, we may end up making more short-term, impulsive decisions.”

State/Regional

A year later, pandemic ‘victory gardens’ are still blooming in KC
8/14/26 All for Gardening
But it’s not just stores seeing a boom. At Kansas State University, the horticulture extension provides education and technical assistance to farmers and gardeners. Johnson County horticulture extension agent Zac Hoppenstedt says he’s seen an uptick, too. “We definitely saw an increase in the quantity of inquiries coming into the office, this spring honestly probably even more so than at the beginning of the pandemic.”

Local

Environmental ed. director says drones and fire are saving the world’s most threatened biome
8/12/26 The Manhattan Mercury
“They are being lost to agricultural development,” said Jill Haukos, director of environmental education at Konza Prairie Biological Station. “You could just say ‘conversion.’ They’re being converted into something other than what they were before.”

Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026

National/International

Nearly 30,000 pounds of Argentine beef sold in Texas, Florida recalled by Miami-area company
8/11/26 MSN.com
Further, Kansas State University agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said Argentina can't produce enough beef to offset those other losses of imports.

"We're always going to have uncertainty in the world. But the more uncertain something is, the less likely most are to put money on the line," Tonsor said.

Local

Beach Museum celebrates 30 years with spotlight on contemporary Osage art
8/11/26 Manhattan Mercury
Kansas State University’s Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art is celebrating 30 years of serving Kansas and the region by launching a new exhibition on Aug. 18 featuring works by three contemporary Osage artists who consider the significance of land, language and culture in shaping ideas about home.

Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026

National/International

Photos: Teen wins scholarship for Constitution-inspired duct tape dress
8/10/26 KRQE-TV
Fankhauser plans to use her scholarship at Kansas State University, where she will study fine arts.

State/Regional

Extreme summer heat in Kansas poses challenges for cattle producers and livestock welfare
8/10/26 KAKE
AJ Tarpoff, a beef extension veterinarian for Kansas State University, explains cattle can release heat, but because they have few sweat glands, they pant.

What’s next for Nicodemus, the Kansas town where freedom took root for Black Americans
8/10/26 KSN
The project was supported by architecture students at Kansas State University, who planned and designed homes.

Monday, Aug. 10, 2026

National/International

In 2002, a Kansas landowner began restoring 320 neglected acres with winter burns; 20 years later, native tallgrass and wildflowers returned
8/8/26 The Times of India
Researchers from Kansas State University tracked more than 3,000 woody plants at the Konza Prairie Biological Station after a prescribed burn. The study by Jesse B. Nippert et al., published in the journal Rangeland Ecology and Management, found severe burn damage and high mortality among young woody plants, including eastern red cedar, one of the prairie's biggest threats.

State/Regional

Kansas wheat harvest projected to be lowest in decades, adding to agriculture stress
8/7/26 Kansas Reflector
“I think it’s challenging to see six months down the road when we’re uncertain of what’s happening today or tomorrow,” said Dan O’Brien, agricultural economist and Kansas State University professor. “Within the last three months, we’ve had a lot of market volatilities — at first a run up that had to do some with geopolitical issues, but then weather was entering into that.”

Friday, Aug. 7, 2026

Local

‘A model high school’: US education secretary McMahon visits K-State, MHS
8/6/26 Manhattan Mercury
McMahon, secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, marked the Sunflower State as her 40th stop of a “Returning Education to the States Tour” on Wednesday, visiting both Manhattan High School and Kansas State University.

Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026

National/International

Voluntary vs. Mandatory Labeling: Which One Wins at the Meat Case?
8/5/26 Drovers
Hard economic data backs up this observation. Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University agricultural economist, tracks these consumer preferences monthly through K-State’s Meat Demand Monitor (MDM). “Past research done clearly showed there was no evidence of a consumer demand benefit when mCOOL was last implemented,” Tonsor says.

Sun’s Surface Is Blanketed in Vortices That May Solve a Decades-Long Heat Mystery
8/5/26 Tech Times
In the May 2024 Gannon storm — the strongest since 2003 — GPS disruption from elevated solar activity resulted in a $500 million loss to the US agricultural sector alone, according to a Kansas State University economics study published in 2025.

State/Regional

Secretary Linda McMahon visits K-State during national university tour
8/5/26 WIBW
United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon toured Kansas State University Wednesday, Aug. 5, as part of her ongoing tour of learning institutions across the country.

U.S. Secretary of Education visits K-State’s campus
8/5/26 KSNT
Kansas State University hosted the United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on Aug. 5. McMahon toured the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine and got a firsthand look at the technology college students use daily.

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026

National/International

Mom of 4 recovering after suspected spider bite leads to severe complications: reports
8/4/2026 Yahoo News and KAKE
Raymond Cloyd, a horticultural entomologist at Kansas State University, told KAKE the brown recluse and black widow are two venomous spiders commonly found in Kansas.

State/Regional

K-State watershed specialists, livestock experts emphasize importance of water sources
8/4/2026 High Plains Journal
Water is likely the most important nutrient in raising livestock, and yet Kansas State University Extension cow-calf specialist Jason Warner says it is often the most overlooked.

A Kansas town was just named 9th best ‘up-and-coming’ US city for new homebuyers
8/4/2026 Wichita Eagle
Home to Kansas State University and nestled in the Flint Hills, “The Little Apple” has been named a top “up-and-coming” city for new homebuyers.

Local

Pushing the limits | Architecture professor Reese Greenlee is designing 3D-printed concrete shelters to withstand tornadoes and protect Kansas’ manufactured home residents
8/1/2026 Manhattan Mercury
Greenlee, an assistant professor of architecture in Kansas State University’s College of Architecture, Planning & Design and Big 12 Faculty Fellow, is researching the intersection of architecture, structural performance, digital fabrication and housing resilience.

Monday, Aug. 3, 2026

State/Regional

Architecture professor designs 3D-printed concrete shelters to withstand Kansas tornadoes
7/29/2026 START LAND
As extreme weather intensifies, Reese Greenlee is testing the limits of 3D-printed concrete to create stronger, more accessible storm shelters for vulnerable communities. Greenlee, an assistant professor of architecture in Kansas State University’s College of Architecture, Planning & Design and Big 12 Faculty Fellow, is researching the intersection of architecture, structural performance, digital fabrication and housing resilience. Specifically, he is investigating whether off-site construction using 3D-printed concrete can provide affordable, adaptable and code-compliant storm shelters for manufactured home communities that lack adequate access to shelter.

Kansas lawn owners warned to watch for fall armyworm damage this season
7/31/2026 KWCH
Kansas State University is warning people about fall armyworm moths that are already showing up across the state, especially in south central Kansas. Dry patches of grass can be a potential sign that armyworms are coming for your lawn. While the extreme heat could be to blame for some dried up lawns, K-State says that fall armyworm moths could be the cause of the dry patches. "Right now, traps around Kansas are showing some of the presence of adult moths, which means the adult moths will be laying eggs and starting to see fall armyworms appear in the lawn and agronomic crops in the coming weeks," explained Matthew McKernan with Kansas State Research and Extension.

Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are a vital part of K-State Extension
8/1/2026 Rural Messenger
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are a vital part of K-State Extension. Donating time in return for horticultural training, Extension Master Gardeners help local agents meet the need for horticultural information in their communities. The means of providing this information are diverse, including demonstration gardens, garden shows, public presentations and tours.