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.

Monday, May 18, 2026

National/International

Golden oyster mushroom begins to invade Boone County. It's not pretty.
5/17/026 Your Wyoming Link
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. According to Jumpponen, 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.

The Value of Academia & Industry Collaboration
5/14/2026 Balchem
Strong partnerships between academia and industry are shaping the future of pet food research, innovation, and workforce development. In this episode, panelists from Kansas State University and leading pet food companies explore what successful collaboration really looks like. They discuss how both sides can build relationships that deliver long‑term value.

Extreme temperature swings, disease lead to troublesome Kansas wheat outlook
5/14/2026 Gulf Coast Media
The wheat crop in Kansas is three weeks ahead of a normal schedule, according to Romulo Lollato, a K-State Extension professor of agronomy. He specializes in wheat and forages production and oversees a training program for Ph.D. and master's degree students. He told the K-State Extension News Service that freezing or near-freezing temperatures in March and April affected the wheat crop during crucial growth stages, including stem elongation and flowering. Freezes and recent storm-related damage to fields could reduce grain yield, he said.

State/Regional

K-State Research Explores Effects of Tuttle Creek Reservoir Dredging
5/15/2026 Sunflower State Radio
As Trisha Moore wades through a knee-deep portion of the Kansas River in northeast Kansas, each squish-squish movement in her rubber boots gets her one step closer to answering a difficult water quality question. Moore, an associate professor in Kansas State University's Carl and Melinda Helwig Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, is using satellite-driven equipment to measure the buildup of sediment downstream from where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is testing a water injection dredging system in the Tuttle Creek Reservoir, a vast 10,900-acre artificial lake built more than 60 years ago for flood control.

Protein Demand Reshaping Dairy Marketplace
5/15/2026 FeedLot
"There's been some major changes in market demand and some things that have changed within our consumer base that is really going to have a major impact on our markets going forward," said Mike Brouk, Kansas State University dairy expert. While dairy producers continue managing strong milk supplies and processing capacity challenges, some product categories are seeing increased value. "One of those key factors is actually the price of protein powders," Brouk said. Protein powders produced from whey have grown steadily in popularity over the last several years, but Brouk said recent changes in the health industry have accelerated demand even further.