CONGRATULATIONS TO MULTIPLE AWARDEES!
President Linton surprised Cydney Alexis with her teaching award during her class on March 25.In case you missed it in the May Purple Praise column of K-State Today, several Arts and Sciences faculty members received awards at the end of the spring semester.
We’re so proud of our dedicated faculty members who go above and beyond to provide students an unbeatable K-State experience!
Congratulations to these university award recipients!
Brian Geisbrecht, university distinguished professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, was selected as K-State’s 2026 Big 12 Faculty of the Year recipient.
Cydney Alexis, associate professor of English, received a Commerce Bank and W. T. Kemper Foundation Undergraduate Outstanding Teaching Award.
Erika Geisbrecht, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, received a Commerce Bank and W.T. Kemper Foundation Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award.
Natasha Rozhkovskaya, professor of mathematics, received a Commerce Bank Presidential Award for Distinguished Service to Belonging.
Andrew Hope, associate professor of biology, received a University Distinguished Faculty Award for Mentoring of Undergraduate Students in Research.
Ryan Rafferty, associate professor in chemistry and interim director of the Johnson Cancer Research Center, received a Graduate Faculty Mentor Award.
Jesse Osnes, mathematics graduate teaching assistant, received the Presidential GTA Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Patricia Calvo, assistant professor of chemistry, was named a Big 12 Faculty Fellow.
A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication received an Excellence in Engagement award for its K-State Digital Summit.
Congrats to 2026 DASH Awardees!
Congratulations to the Arts and Sciences faculty members who received Spring 2026 Design, Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities Awards. A total of $98,338 was awarded to ten people.
Jessica Falcone, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, “Pilgrimage in the Buddhist Pacific: Forging Religious Connections Between Japanese Sacred Space and the Diaspora,” $10,000
Wayne Goins, Music, Theatre and Dance, “The Russell Malone Biography Project – Phase II,” $10,300
Heather McCrea, History, “Eugenics in the Heartland: Institutionalization and Criminalization of Behavior in Kansas,” $10,000
Alyssa Morris, Music, Theatre and Dance, “Aglow Trio: Illuminating New Music Through Immersive Performance,” $9,950
Matthew Wisniewski, Psychological Sciences, with Lishan Su in Marketing, “Towards more effective science communication: a human neuroscience approach to assess learning and engagement with different messaging styles,” $10,000
Congrats and thanks to the mentors of 44 undergraduate research awardees!
The college provided 44 summer and fall 2026 awards of $1,500 each to students doing faculty-mentored research and creative and scholarly activities. The recipients and their mentors are listed on the college’s Undergraduate Research page.
Undergraduate students enrolled full-time in any major in the College of Arts and Sciences are invited to apply for research awards to conduct projects mentored by faculty members in the college. Applications are accepted for spring, summer and fall semesters with applications due Nov. 1, March 1 and May 1.