March 2026

K-State in the news

Some of the top stories mentioning Kansas State University are posted below. Download an Excel file (xls) with all of this month's news stories.

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

National/International

The Best Money Advice of All Time
03/10/26 Kiplinger
Financial advice is everywhere these days. In the digital age, you can find insights and tips about how best to save, invest and manage your money from adviser and financial services websites; YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms; podcasts, newsletters and Substacks; and your 401(k) provider, among other outlets. Megan McCoy, certified financial therapist and acting personal financial planning program chair, says "People give too much advice, like telling people to spend less, that relies on motivation and has a negative connotation, like you are somehow the problem. I prefer to create automatic systems so that doing the right thing with your money is the default."

State/Regional

Cancer rates are rising in western Kansas. K-State is helping community members address the issue
03/09/26 Great Bend Tribune
When residents of three western Kansas counties raised concerns about rising cancer rates and potential environmental cancer risks in their communities, Kansas State University researchers responded with research and collaboration that led to results. A project led and funded by K-State’s Johnson Cancer Research Center has been studying and testing groundwater contamination in private wells and radon levels in homes in Russell, Ellsworth and Lincoln counties since March 2024. The project was initiated from residents’ concerns about increasing cancer rates in these counties, including colorectal cancer in Russell County and prostate and lung cancers in Lincoln County.

Local

K-State economist warns of raised gas prices and agricultural impact
03/10/26 Manhattan Mercury
Rising crude oil prices following military action in the Middle East could soon adversely affect farmers and push gasoline prices higher across the country, according to a Kansas State University economist. Gregg Ibendahl, associate professor of agricultural economics at K-State, said increases in oil prices typically translate to higher gasoline prices within weeks.

Monday, March 9, 2026

National/International

At a loss for words? Gen Z is outsourcing the hard conversations to AI
3/8//26 CNN
Russell Fulmer, an associate professor at Kansas State University who studies AI and behavioral sciences, said the two forces created the “perfect storm” for AI to be integrated into social interaction. Adolescence — roughly ages 10 to 19, according to the World Health Organization — is the critical window for developing confidence, a stable sense of identity and emotional regulation. If adolescents don’t fully develop their social skills during this time, people may be “more prone to lack confidence, more apt to escapism or avoidance and maybe there’s a lack of resiliency,” Fulmer said.

Mealworms May Help Deliver Avian Flu Vaccine
3/6/26 Lancaster Farming
Laura Miller, a veterinary virologist at Kansas State University, outlined her “bugs to birds” project at the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum on Feb. 19.

State/Regional

Kansas scientists explore mealworm-based vaccine to fight bird flu
3/4/26 KSN
The agriculture industry is working to get control of the bird flu outbreak, and Kansas could be at the forefront of a solution. Researchers at Kansas State University say the key to protection may be in what poultry eat.

Local

K-State SAE fraternity serves at Flint Hills Healing Farm for True Gentleman Day of Service
3/8/26 WIBW
Members of the Kansas State Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity spent part of their Sunday volunteering at a local ranch that helps people heal through nature, as part of their national True Gentleman Day of Service at Flint Hills Healing Farm.

Friday, March 6, 2026

State/Regional

A new breed of vet wants to make clinic trips 'fear free' for pets and their owners
3/6/26 KMUW
It sounds simple enough, but what fear free requires is a major shift in how the humans in the exam room think about the animal experience, said Dr. Neala Boyer — a board-certified vet and associate clinical professor at Kansas State University’s Hill’s Pet Health and Nutrition Center. In 2021, she received her elite Fear Free certification.

K-State study findings could explain increase of cancer cases in three Kansas counties
3/5/26 KWCH 12
The Johnson Cancer Research Center at Kansas State University is studying elevated cancer cases in Ellsworth, Russell and Lincoln counties. Researchers found many homes in those counties had elevated radon levels and elevated mineral levels in private water wells that could pose health risks.

Cancer rates are rising in western Kansas, and K-State is helping communities address the issue
3/5/26 KSRL
When residents of three western Kansas counties raised concerns about rising cancer rates and potential environmental cancer risks in their communities, Kansas State University researchers responded with research and collaboration that led to results. A project led and funded by K-State's Johnson Cancer Research Center has been studying and testing groundwater contamination in private wells and radon levels in homes in Russell, Ellsworth and Lincoln counties since March 2024.

Local

Manhattan AAUW chapter to host International Women's Day panel
3/5/26 The Manhattan Mercury
Each year, the organization welcomes a panel of women speakers to discuss what has led them from their home countries to Kansas. Chapter president Usha Reddi said this year’s panel of K-State graduate students is no different. Speakers include Barbara Baker (drama therapy), Maryam Ghasempour (photography), Nicole Kucherov (entomology), Meghan Rice (organic chemistry) and Vinusha Wickramasinghe (biology).

Newly elected student body leaders are here for the students
3/4/26 The K-State Collegian
Christian Peña, junior in agricultural education and Caden Bastian, junior in political science and history, were both elected Kansas State’s next student body president and vice president, respectively, on Feb. 26. Peña and Bastian cemented their campaign’s focus on being there for the student body. “Making sure that students always know that we’re right beside them through everything that we do is our number one priority,” Peña said. “We have a lot of ideas that are going forward that we’re hoping we can maybe get some momentum on. But everything we have planned is going to benefit students.”

Thursday, March 5, 2026

National/International

Will Crop Insurance Pay for Fire Damage?
3/4/26 Successful Farming
Even though fire is covered, the loss may be too small to trigger indemnity payments, especially if a farm or ranch buys federal crop insurance for large enterprise units. This type of coverage is popular due to its lower premiums, said Jennifer Ifft, a Kansas State University agricultural economist and Extension specialist who studies crop insurance.

New Poultry Vaccine Delivered Through Feed
3/4/26 Farms.com Group
Researchers at Kansas State University are exploring a new way to protect poultry from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), a disease that threatens global animal health and food security. Their innovative project focuses on using mealworms, commonly included in poultry feed, to deliver vaccines to birds.

State/Regional

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

National/International

Connecticut gas prices jump as U.S. strikes in Iran push fuel toward $3 a gallon
03/03/26 Yahoo News
And at least one expert, Gregg Ibendahl, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, forecast a scenario in which nationwide gas prices could approach $4 a gallon.

Rainfall can shape bird populations as much as temperature, global study reveals
03/03/26 MSN.com
For the study, Boyle and her former postdoctoral scholar at Kansas State University, Katy Silber, undertook an ambitious global review, combing through decades of published research to identify studies that documented links between rainfall and bird reproduction.

State/Regional

Kansas research finds bugs as a vaccine for avian flu amongst poultry
03/03/26 KSNT
Kansas State University researchers have discovered a unique vaccine strategy to help fight avian flu amongst poultry.

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

National/International

How IACH is Shaping Future Providers
03/02/26 The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
When Matthew Ruether arrived at Irwin Army Community Hospital for the first day of his clinical rotation as a Kansas State University physician assistant student, he expected to gain experience. Ruether is one of three KSU physician assistant students welcomed Feb. 23, marking the first time IACH has hosted PA students from Kansas State University. While the hospital has long served as a training platform through the Army’s Interservice Physician Assistant Program, the addition of civilian PA students reflects a growing clinical education mission.

State/Regional

Kansas professor, drivers discuss impact on gas prices after strikes on Iran
03/02/26 KWCH-TV
Lance Bachmeier, an economics professor at Kansas State University, said that if action in Iran ends quickly like the administration is hoping, then the impact on gas prices will be minimal. “So the most likely outcome, as I see it, is there would be a pretty minor blip in gasoline prices. I wouldn’t see that having a big affect on the US economy, because we don’t import very much oil, or import any oil from Iran,” Bachmeier said.

Kansas State University to develop AI-driven technology aimed at helping soybean farmers
03/02/26 KSNT
Kansas State University announced on Monday that its researchers and partners from international universities are developing an artificial intelligence-driven computer system aimed at helping soybean farmers. K-State researchers and partners from universities across Japan, India and Australia are developing an AI-driven computer vision system called Smart Scout as a way to detect soybean yield and lodging — the risks of the crop falling before harvest.

Local

K-State horticulture expert says the presence of water in a natural space can benefit mental well-being
03/02/26 Manhattan Mercury
Limited by space in your garden? Looking for a new project to enhance your space? Wanting to attract birds and pollinators to your garden? Kansas State University horticulture expert Matt McKernan suggests adding a water element to the garden.

Monday, March 2, 2026

National/International

Meat consumption rises as plant-based diets decline nationwide
2/27/2026 FarmProgress
A comprehensive five-year study by Kansas State University's Meat Demand Monitor has uncovered unexpected shifts in American eating habits, challenging popular assumptions about plant-based diet adoption.

State/Regional

Why topdressing crops before spring can increase crop yield
2/27/2026 KSNT
Agronomists at Kansas State University believe that the months before spring can be the time to topdress wheat and canola. Topdressing, which is the practice of covering crops with nutrients or any organic matter, can provide benefits for canola and wheat producers to ‘maximize’ getting more yield out of the crops — especially before spring, according to K-State agronomists. As Kansas' wheat is progressing fast throughout the state, K-State agronomists recommend preparing to topdress wheat crops with nitrogen fertilizer during green-up to help maximize crop yield. The only times when producers should delay topdressing wheat is when the soil is sandier, poorly drained or frozen from snow.

Local

Cross-Cultural International Program provides students with a global learning experience
2/27/2026 The Mercury
When Ross Latta boarded a plane for Indonesia, he expected an academic experience. What he found instead was a week that reshaped how he understands culture, collaboration, and the future of his career. A May 2025 graduate in human resources management and now a human resource administrator for Dollar General, Latta traveled to Pontianak City, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, as part of the Cross-Cultural International Program, a partnership between the K-State College of Business Administration and Universitas Tanjungpura, or UNTAN.