K-State in the news

Recent news highlights

Read some of today's top stories mentioning Kansas State University. Download an Excel file (xlsx) with all of the day's news stories.

See more K-State faculty, staff and students in the news in the clip archives.

Thursday, May 21, 2026

National/International

Rural America’s Shift From Five And Dimes To Modern Grocers
5/19/26 Forbes
A small, and growing, community of rural grocers are operating across America, and they collaborate to share their successes and best practices. This year the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit, widely considered the premier gathering for independent grocers and rural food access partners, met this May in North Dakota, co-hosted by University of Minnesota Extension, Kansas State’s Rural Grocery Initiative and other partners.

State/Regional

High School Band Instruments Take a Beating. These Guys Fix Them.
5/20/26 Kansas Public Radio
Musicians have a special connection with the instruments they play. Some call them an extension of themselves, a confidant, a second voice. So, keeping those instruments in good repair is essential. That can be tough, especially for high school music programs. Instrument repairs are often costly. But a Kansas State University program is helping rural high schools keep their bands sounding good.

Cosmosphere and K-State Salina partner to develop immersive VR space simulation for camp programs
5/20/26 Salina Post
Through a continued partnership between the Cosmosphere and Kansas State University Salina, a team of senior students led by Dr. Balaji Balasubramaniam, Dr. Annie Hoekman, and Dr. Michael Oetken, have developed an immersive virtual reality experience that will soon become part of the Cosmosphere’s educational camp programming.

Golden oyster mushroom have begun to invade Missouri. It's not pretty
5/20/26 KCUR
Ari Jumpponen, a mycology professor and researcher at Kansas State University, said the golden oyster mushroom is far from the first invasive fungi to pose a threat to native wildlife. Jumpponen said the damage of invasive fungi is largely irreversible once introduced. "This is one of those examples where we have actually transported a foreign organism into our continent and it has taken off," he said.