K-State in the news — May 2025
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.
Thursday, May 8, 2025
National/International
Cassava Flour, Chips, Bread, and More Contain High Levels of Lead
5/7/25 Consumer Reports
There’s nothing about the cassava plant that should make it more likely than other root vegetables to absorb lead, according to Ganga Hettiarachchi, PhD, a professor of soil and environmental chemistry who studies trace metal and nutrient chemistry at Kansas State University in Manhattan. But it is possible that some cassava could be grown in highly polluted areas, or handled or processed in ways that introduce lead, she says.
State/Regional
K-State’s Climate Resilient Cereals Innovation Lab regains funding
5/7/25 FarmProgress
Kansas State University announced April 30 in a statement that the Climate Resilient Cereals Innovation Lab will continue its work after federal funding resumed in April.
Local
New agritourism certificate to help K-State students support rural economies
5/6/25 WIBW
A new agritourism certificate at Kansas State University will train students to support the economic development of rural communities.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
National/International
K-State celebrates major milestone in Innovation Center construction
05/05/25 Commerical Banking
A little under a year after Kansas State University broke ground on the Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation (GCGFI), the university has reached the next major milestone in its Agriculture Innovation Initiative. K-State’s College of Agriculture held a Topping Out Picnic on May 2 to mark the placement of the final beam of the GCGFI structure. The event included more than 100 guests, ranging from K-State students and alumni to faculty and supporters of the project, including members of the Kansas Livestock Association and community members.
A Sweet Partnership: Kansas State University is helping keep imported honey pure
05/05/25 RFD-TV
Kansas State University is partnering with the American Honey Producers Association to ensure that imported honey is pure. The United States consumes nearly 600 million pounds of honey each year, but only 125 million of that is produced on U.S. soil. Some of those imports have been found to be altered with cheap sweetener ingredients. The newly formed American Honey Institute at K-State will help provide independent testing for certification to recognize pure, unadulterated honey, ultimately strengthening the honey supply chain.
U.S. pet owners open to insect protein, but knowledge lags
05/05/25 Petfood Industry
As the pet food industry seeks sustainable alternatives to traditional animal-based proteins, insect protein is gaining ground — but consumer education will be critical for widespread adoption. That’s the message from Dr. Lonnie Hobbs, assistant professor at Kansas State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics, who recently presented new research on U.S. dog owners’ perceptions and willingness to pay for insect-based pet food.
Tips to help curb impulse buying habits
05/06/25 Glamour Magazine
According to Megan McCoy, PhD, LMFT, CFT, assistant professor of personal financial planning at Kansas State University, a few quick questions can help you figure out if spending your hard-earned money on your latest whim is truly worth it. The next time you’re hit with an irresistible impulse, she recommends going through a list of questions. “If, after a pause, you still want it, it’s more likely a genuine decision and not an impulse buy,” Dr. McCoy says.
State/Regional
KSU Lab Protecting Food Systems
05/06/25 KSAL-AM
Americans trust the safety and security of their food. Kansas State University plant pathologist Jim Stack says our trust is well-founded, pointing to a series of checks and balances that help to ensure that the food we eat arrives safely and on time at the dinner table. Consider this: Farm crops — be they wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum or many others — face daily challenges in the farmer’s field due to such threats as insects, diseases, weeds and weather events.
Local
Kansas State University Innovation Lab aims to double the world’s food supply by 2050
05/05/25 WIBW-TV
One of Kansas State University’s Innovation Labs aims to double the world’s food supply by 2050. The Climate Resilient Cereals Innovation Lab continues work after federal funding resumed in early April. The innovation lab will aim to help double the supply through crop production improvements for four of the world’s most important cereals: sorghum, millet, wheat, and rice. All four crops are grown in the United States, and more than 50% of sorghum is grown in Kansas.
Monday, May 5, 2025
National/International
Investigation exposes painful new fallout from record-breaking disasters: 'It's a double-edged sword'
5/3/2025 Yahoo! News
When extreme weather hits, such as a hurricane, the effects can be devastating. Lives and homes can be lost. Food and clean water can be difficult to find. But, as an investigation from NC Newsline shows, there's another, often-overlooked loss that can come from these storms: child care. … "Having early care and education as part of a recovery strategy is … one of the first things that I think really should happen," Bradford Wiles, an early childhood development specialist at Kansas State University, told NC Newsline. "That alleviates not only the stress and difficulty of trying to parent in that time, but really frees up the adults to help their entire community recover."
State/Regional
Kansas State University ag research lab only one to get nod from feds to continue work
5/1/2025 Kansas Reflector
The Trump administration defunded 16 of 17 Feed the Future labs across the country … After months in limbo, Kansas State University found out its lab is the lone survivor. Two K-State labs that are part of the Feed the Future network received stop work orders in January. In early April, K-State officials received notice that the Climate Resilient Cereals Innovation Lab could resume work, said Timothy J. Dalton, professor of agricultural economics and interim director of the lab.
Vet Med ROCKS camps return to K-State this July
5/2/2025 Great Bend Tribune
Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine invites elementary, middle school, high school and college students to explore the world of veterinary medicine at the 2025 Vet Med ROCKS summer camps. The series of day camps for youth will take place July 28-30 and are hosted by the Vet Med Recruitment and Outreach Club at Kansas State University, or Vet Med ROCKS, a student organization in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Friday, May 2, 2025
State/Regional
Military Friendly School: K-State’s military-supportive environment helps soldiers thrive
05/02/25 Sunflower State Radio
When U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Hannah Brouwer was transitioning to Fort Riley from Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, she faced a common military challenge: continuing her education while serving on active duty. Her search for flexibility led her to Kansas State University, which was recently recognized as a Top Ten Military Friendly School and a Top Ten Military Spouse Friendly School by Military Friendly.
K-State recognizes Kansas High School Science Teachers of the Year
05/02/25 Sunflower State Radio
Kansas State University is recognizing five outstanding Kansas teachers with its High School Science Teacher of the Year Award. The award highlights and rewards inspirational and impactful high school science teachers throughout the state. Biology, chemistry, geology and physics faculty members in K-State’s College of Arts and Sciences selected the recipients based on student nominations.
Thursday, May 1, 2025
National/International
Funding restored for one of USAID's agricultural research labs at Kansas State
4/30/25 USA Today
President Donald Trump's administration has restored federal funding for an agricultural research grant to Kansas State University worth between $22 million and $37 million.
State/Regional
See the Midwest's only operational roller mill as it makes it once-a-year run Saturday
4/30/25 Salina Journal
In addition to Entz, he said there will be couple more professional millers on hand to operate and guide the tours on that day, plus some students and faculty from Kansas State University. "It's one of the few, if not the only places, you can get a four-year degree in flour milling," Pracht said. "I think it's going to be at least the third year they've sent professors and students to be tour guides."
‘It takes a village’: K-State helps rural Kansas community meet all generations’ needs
4/30/25 Sunflower State Radio
Kansas State University researchers are helping a rural Kansas town evaluate whether its new multi-use, multigenerational community center is meeting residents’ needs in a way that improves educational outcomes, enhances quality of life and is fiscally sustainable.