October 2026
K-State in the news
Some of the top stories mentioning Kansas State University are posted below.
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026
State/regional
Pink Pumpkin Project supports breast cancer awareness
10/06/2026 Hays Post
The Pink Pumpkin Project is turning a fall tradition into a reminder that breast cancer affects women and men, and that early detection does make a difference. The Pink Pumpkin Project brings together Kansas State University research and extension teams, the Cottonwood Extension District, master gardeners, conservation partners, HaysMed, the HaysMed Foundation and local businesses. Proceeds support the K-State Agricultural Research Center, the Cottonwood Extension District and the HaysMed Breast Care Center. The project began after Brian Olson, head of the Western Kansas Research and Extension Centers at K-State, heard about pink pumpkins and saw a way to connect the idea with local families affected by breast cancer.
Your Flower Friends: An Exercise In Recycling Love
10/05/2026 The KC Independent
The non-profit Your Flower Friends is a local example of recycling fresh, fragrant flowers used in weddings and events and repurposing them to brighten the days of people in nursing homes, hospitals, children’s hospitals, care centers, and more. Claire Taylor, a K-State student, envisioned a way for the perfectly good flowers left over from weddings and events in the Kansas City area to be donated, redesigned, and delivered to brighten others' lives. Claire and her mother bring volunteers together to pick up donated flowers and deliver them to be arranged in vases for the following day.
K-State veterinarians go on location to highlight learning opportunities at the Kansas State Fair Birthing Center
10/06/2026 Sunflower State Radio
Kansas State University veterinarians recently aired a long-running podcast at the Kansas State Fair Birthing Center, giving listeners a firsthand look at animal agriculture, livestock production and the birthing process. For decades, the birthing center has been a popular stop at the Kansas State Fair, where visitors can see calves, piglets and lambs being born while learning about animal health and care.
Monday, Oct. 5, 2026
State/regional
KCIA commits $1.5 million to research, promotion and value creation
10/02/2026 High Plains Journal
KCIA intends for collaboration to be central to the effort. The association plans to continue working with Kansas State University, Kansas Wheat, producer and commodity organizations, genetic suppliers, grain handlers, end users and private sector stakeholders to identify opportunities that align with the board’s vision and strategy.
K-State Hosts Nutrition Research Leader Yanni Papanikolaou
10/02/2026 Kansas Ag Connection
Kansas State University will host the 2026 Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems Lecture on October 5, 2026, featuring nutrition researcher Yanni Papanikolaou. The event will be held at McCain Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Local
Call Hall's next chapter: Ice cream returns in new 1863 Marketplace next spring
10/02/2026 Collegian
For students who arrived at K-State after the dairy bar closed for renovations in 2025, Call Hall ice cream has been more of a legend than reality. That is set to change next spring. The renovated Call Hall dairy plant is expected to resume production next March for the opening of the 1863 Marketplace, bringing back Purple Pride ice cream, milk, cheese and other Call Hall products after a nearly two-year absence. While an exact opening date has not been announced yet, the goal is for it to be officially open for production after spring break.
K-State enrollment inches up as statewide numbers decrease
10/02/2026 Wildcat 91.9
Four years ago, K-State’s enrollment dipped below 20,000 for the first time since 1988. Since then, it has slowly increased and continues that trend this year. President Richard Linton announced Sept. 18 during his State of the University Address that enrollment has risen 7.96% since he took office in February 2022.
Friday, Oct. 2, 2026
National/International
How El Niño will drive up the cost of foods you love
10/2/26 CNN
Nelson Villoria, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University, said there can be a time lag between an El Niño and its effects on food prices. “Tropical commodities such as palm oil, coconut oil, coffee and fishmeal, show the largest increases,” he said. With vegetable oils and coffee, prices can stay elevated for up to a year after an El Niño.
Exercise may blunt the genetic risk of depression, landmark study finds
10/2/26 ScienMag
But a new study published in Stress Biology by Veerendra K. Sharma, Sandeep Marla, and David E. Cook of Kansas State University and Oregon State University reveals an unexpected vulnerability: proteins that plant viruses evolved long ago to defeat one RNA-silencing system can also defeat another. The viral suppressors of RNA interference known as HcPro and P19, the researchers found, block not only the plant’s native RNAi machinery but also CRISPR-Cas13-mediated transcript interference, effectively acting as anti-CRISPR factors.
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026
National/International
Explainer-What Is Red-Dyed Diesel and Can It Help Lower Prices, as Trump Wants?
9/30/26 US News and World Report
"It would help less than it sounds like, and the version the administration can do without Congress wouldn't lower pump prices at all," said Gregg Ibendahl, an agricultural economics professor at Kansas State University. "It's a much safer idea than the export ban — mostly because it does less."
Plant Viruses Already Carry Weapons That Can Blind CRISPR-Cas13
9/30/26 ScienMag
But a new study published in Stress Biology by Veerendra K. Sharma, Sandeep Marla, and David E. Cook of Kansas State University and Oregon State University reveals an unexpected vulnerability: proteins that plant viruses evolved long ago to defeat one RNA-silencing system can also defeat another. The viral suppressors of RNA interference known as HcPro and P19, the researchers found, block not only the plant’s native RNAi machinery but also CRISPR-Cas13-mediated transcript interference, effectively acting as anti-CRISPR factors.
State/Regional
This grain could be an answer to drought-prone fields – if more Americans eat it
9/30/26 Harvest Public Media/NPR
Sorghum thrives in conditions that make other crops wilt. It welcomes heat and tolerates drought. The plant grows deep roots to capture hard-to-reach moisture beneath the soil, according to Sarah Sexton Bowser, director for the Center for Sorghum Improvement at Kansas State University. "A connecting thread of sorghum production across the globe is you find sorghum production in spots where things are tough," said Sexton Bowser.
Wichita middle school deals with bats as KDHE warns of potential rabies exposures
9/30/26 KMUW
Drew Ricketts, a wildlife expert at Kansas State University, said bats don’t typically attack humans. But their claws and mouths are so small that it can be hard to detect a bite or scratch.
K-State opens Western Star Global Grain and Food Center
9/30/26 Kansas Farmer/Farm Progress
Kansas State University’s College of Agriculture is renowned for its excellence in all aspects of agricultural research and education. On Sept. 18, members of the faculty and staff, along with dignitaries from across the state, gathered to cut the ribbon on the Western Star Global Grain and Food Center, a $130 million guiding star in the future of collaboration and discovery.
Local
New Call Hall facility will offer frozen treats and much more
9/30/26 Marysville Advocate
While there’s been plenty of excitement for Kansas State University’s new Western Star Grain and Food Center — a new state-of-the-art interdisciplinary center for food and grain research, development and education — there’s also been a lot of buzz surrounding the return of Call Hall ice cream and other dairy products.