Celebrations of faculty, staff and students

K-State's talented faculty, staff and students frequently make a meaningful impact through their work. From scholarly and organizational accolades to research discoveries and creative achievements, 'Cats across campus continue to advance K-State's culture of excellence.

Purple Praise highlights notable accomplishments earned outside the university, including awards and honors; fellowships; performances; elections to regional and national boards or committees in professional organizations; and conference presentations.

March 2026 Purple Praise nominations are due Wednesday, March 11. Self-nominations are welcome.

 

Student recognitions

Austin and Hernandez selected as newest Gilman Scholars

Alex Austin, a sophomore in hospitality management, and Marian Hernandez, a senior in clinical psychology, have been selected by the Office of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research as K-State Gilman Scholars.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides up to $5,000 in merit-based scholarship funding for credit-bearing academic studies and career-oriented internships abroad. Hernandez is studying in Spain for the spring 2026 semester, and Austin will travel to Italy in the summer of 2026.

APDesign students recognized in 2025 Steelcase NEXT Competition

Four graduate students from the College of Architecture, Planning & Design were recognized in the 2025 Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition.

Interior Architecture student Kelly Marek has been named a top-five semi-finalist. Interior architecture student Marissa Cart and interior design students Samantha Riggs and Becca Hughes placed in the top 29.

Now in its 13th year, the Steelcase NEXT Competition saw record participation in 2025, with entries from 86 academic programs, 119 professors and more than 1,700 students across North America. Projects were evaluated through an anonymous, multi-stage review process.

"This competition rewards the clarity and originality of ideas," said Nathan Howe, professor and department head for the Department of Interior Architecture and Industrial Design. "To have four students rise to the top — including one semifinalist — demonstrates the rigor, creativity and critical thinking we emphasize across our programs."

Marek will also travel to Steelcase headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI, to present her project in person, with the winner announced on Feb. 27. Her project will also be featured on the Steelcase NEXT website after the competition.

Blue Key Senior Honorary receives two national awards

K-State's Blue Key Senior Honorary received the Outstanding Chapter and Outstanding Feature awards at the 2026 Blue Key National Leadership Conference, held in Clemson, SC.

The Outstanding Chapter Award recognizes one model chapter amongst all Blue Key chapters that "best exemplifies the spirit and purpose of Blue Key Honor Society." The Outstanding Feature Award recognizes a special contribution to campus life, which the chapter won for Catalyst — a development program for underclassmen that promotes leadership, personal growth and service.

Collegian Media Group hosts training for Kansas journalists

The Collegian Media Group hosted a spring training workshop to support the development of writing, reporting, photography and design skills for Kansas journalists.

The group welcomed high school newspaper, yearbook and magazine staffers, K-State media and communication students, and student journalists from other college media outlets across Kansas. Visiting professionals included Scott Kraft from the L.A. Times, Neil Nakahodo from the K.C. Star and local professional photographer Kelly Glasscock.

Cyber Defense Club excels in regional competition

Four of K-State Cyber Defense Club's placed second among collegiate teams and third overall in the Capture the Flag competition, held as part of the annual Central Area Networking and Security Workshop.

The team, nicknamed the HackCats, included senior Matthew Kelley and juniors Kyle Hamor, Mikayla Lebruska and Sam Newwitt.

The competition followed a scavenger-hunt format in which the HackCats solved challenges and found potential flags related to cryptography, forensics, website exploitation, reverse engineering, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Homecoming Committee raises $5k for local charity

The K-State Student Homecoming Committee raised $5,000 for Be Able through its annual Homecoming Philanthropy 5K Run/Walk. Be Able, a Manhattan nonprofit that supports individuals experiencing homelessness, unemployment, addiction and mental illness, was selected as the 2025 recipient by the student committee.

The proceeds were presented to Marlon Jackson, Be Able program director, and Chad Wormstadt, Be Able housing director, during the Feb. 1 K-State men’s basketball game.

Johnson named Agriculture Future of America Ambassador

Amara Johnson, a senior in animal science and industry, has been selected as a 2026-27 Agriculture Future of America, or AFA, ambassador.

Joined by 40 other collegiate students from across the United States, Johnson will serve as an advocate for AFA experiences, industry opportunities and campus engagement.

"I'm most looking forward to strengthening my leadership skills through broadening students' perspectives and helping them get involved in the agriculture community," said Johnson. "Serving in this role will give me immense personal and professional growth and lifelong connections."

Jump Start event celebrates academic excellence in electrical and computer engineering

The Mike Wiegers Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering welcomed students back for the spring semester with a Jump Start celebration honoring more than 100 students who earned 4.0 certificates during the fall semester.

“We are very proud of our students,” said Samee Khan, department head. “This event not only celebrates their academic excellence, but also reflects the strength of our department and our commitment to student success.”

The department provides a rigorous, hands-on and innovative educational experience that prepares students for impactful careers, advances transformative research across electrical, computer and biomedical engineering, and fosters a collaborative environment that supports lifelong learning and benefits society.

Percussion ensemble performs at international competition

K-State's percussion ensemble participated in the Concert Chamber Percussion Ensemble Competition, held as part of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

The ensemble, comprised of undergraduate and graduate members of K-State's percussion studio, performed in the invite-only competition in Indianapolis, IN, on Nov. 13.

Personal financial planning students win national competition

Four students from K-State's personal financial planning program earned first place at the 2026 Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education Knowledge Bowl.

One of only three schools selected to attend, the team competed against Utah Valley University and Utah State University in a game-show-style competition, answering questions based on Accredited Financial Counselor core competencies.

Representing K-State were Leah Meek, Alivia Kaiser and Katelyn Wilson, with Katie Dinkel serving as the team's alternate.

Veterinary students receive livestock-related scholarships

Two veterinary students recently received livestock-related scholarships from different organizations.

First-year student Sadie Marchiano received the $1,500 Cartridges for Cash Scholarship, awarded by Merck Animal Health and the Kansas Livestock Foundation. Marchiano was one of 35 scholarship winners announced for the 2025-26 school year and was recognized during the annual Kansas Livestock Association Convention.

Second-year Noah Larson received a $3,000 scholarship from Lallemand Animal Nutrition. The scholarship, built to support students pursuing careers in animal sciences, nutrition, veterinary medicine and innovation in animal agriculture, has five annual recipients. Larson, the only veterinary student awardee, hopes to provide veterinary services globally to improve animal care and public health. “Partnering in microbial solutions for a changing world means using science and collaboration to address challenges in animal health, food safety and sustainability,” Larson said.

Faculty and staff recognitions

Arp-Dunham leads workshops at international symposium

Joelle Ré Arp-Dunham, assistant professor in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, led two workshops during the 2025 "The S Word: Stanislavsky and Contemporary Theatre symposium," held at the L-Universitá ta' Malta.

Arp-Dunham led a workshop on consent and staged intimacy, as well as a workshop titled "The Final Face: Active Analysis brought to 21^st Century Practice," which analyzed a Stanislavsky practice for actor training and direction.

Eppley adds rural education lens to international literacy survey

Karen Eppley, associate professor and director of the College of Education's Rural Education Center, was selected to participate in the prestigious What's Hot in Literacy 2025 survey. The annual survey, which selects 25 respondents each year, identifies the most critical and emerging issues in the field.

Eppley was one of only six educators invited to participate for the first time and is the only scholar in the group who studies rural education. Her selection recognizes the vital importance of her work in addressing literacy challenges specific to rural communities.

Hinman performs at Big 12 Trombone Conference

Dan Hinman, assistant professor of trombone, performed and presented at the 23rd annual Big 12Trombone Conference, hosted at Texas Tech University.

Hinman, as a member of the FORGE trombone quartet, offered a clinic/performance at the conference entitled "So you think you want a career in Trombone?" on Jan. 18.

K-State faculty and staff instrumentalists release new album

K-State School of Music, Theatre and Dance faculty members Alyssa Morris and Amanda Arrington, as a part of the classical music ensemble, Aglow Trio, have released their second album, "Infinities." Morris, oboist, and Arrington, pianist, are part of the trio alongside Karen Large, flutist and former K-State professor of flute and music theory.

"Infinities" features contemporary works composed by Morris, Ingrid Stölzel, Amanda Harberg and Tony Rodriguez. The album highlights the trio's expressive musicianship and reflects the depth of artistic innovation at K-State.

K-State Radon Chamber hosts Hirosaki University

The Kansas Radon Program, housed in K-State’s Engineering Extension department, hosted a delegation from Hirosaki University Jan. 17–19. The visit supported the development of an international standard for radon chamber calibration facilities through the International Organization of Standardization, or ISO.

“With the only university-based QA/QC laboratory in the United States, the K-State Radon Program is uniquely positioned to provide valuable insight into this ISO standard,” said Alexandra Bahadori, lab manager for the Engineering Extension Radon Chamber.

Dr. Shinji Tokonami, director of the Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Yasutaka Omori met with K-State radon experts to exchange information on quality assurance and quality control practices for radon chambers.

Lam Named 2026 AACTE Outstanding Dissertation Award Winner

Chanh Bao Lam, data analyst for the College of Education, was named the recipient of the 2026 James D. Anderson Outstanding Dissertation Award.

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, or AACTE, recognizes one outstanding scholarly contribution each year that advances equity, research and practice in educator preparation. Lam's dissertation, "Teacher attrition in the midst of geographical, societal and economic realities: Insights from fifteen years of the Kansas teacher workforce," was awarded for its valuable long-term analysis of challenges affecting the teaching profession.

Lam will receive the award on Feb. 20 at the association's annual conference in New Orleans.

Nguyen named 2026 Community Faculty Champion

Huyen Nguyen, professor in the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication, has been named a 2026 Center for Community News Faculty Champion. The program recognizes journalism leaders who build partnerships between newsrooms and college reporting programs.

Nguyen was recognized for her published works focusing on state media management, community news subscriptions and innovative media formats, as well as her work with local news, where she's helped outlets prioritize interactive and immersive news production.

Westbrook awarded MICRA early career seed grant

Sophie Westbrook, research and teaching assistant professor of agronomy, has been selected as the 2025-2026 recipient of the Microbial Innovations for Climate-Resilient Agriculture, or MICRA, early career seed grant. MICRA, an NSF-funded EPSCoR collaborative project, focuses on climate-resilient agriculture in the Central High Plains.

Westbrook's research examines how management decisions mediate ecological relationships within crop fields, including crop-crop, crop-weed, crop-insect and crop-microbe interactions. As a member of the MICRA team, Westbrook looks forward to exploring the impacts of soil amendments on competition between crops and weeds.

Advisor Forum presents February Charlie Award

The K-State Advisor Forum has selected Sarah Hassle, study abroad advisor, for the February Charlie Award. Hassle was nominated for this award for her work to improve K-State students’ experiences.

One of her nominators wrote, “Sarah has taken on key education abroad advising roles for the College of Business Administration, the College of Health and Human Sciences, and the College of Arts and Sciences. One area of Sarah’s particular leadership has been her allyship for students underrepresented in education abroad participation, especially students with high financial need. She has helped mentor new advisors and supervise education abroad peer advisors. I feel her collaborative approach has been beneficial to the numerous campus units and stakeholders that work closely with Education Abroad. People who know Sarah seem to genuinely enjoy working with her.”

According to another nominator, “Sarah has been an integral part of our office since she started at K-State. She has helped the office navigate challenging situations, multiple new hires, and manage systems changes that affected the entire university. She is accountable and adaptable, always willing to step in when needed.”

The K-State Advisor Forum thanks Hassle for her work and congratulates her on this award. For more information on the Charlie Award or how to learn how to nominate someone, please visit the recognition page. The Advisor Forum Committee will make the decision and deliver awards once a month.

DASSA celebrates student success at annual awards

On Jan. 8, the Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs gathered to recognize the extraordinary contributions of K-Staters who live out DASSA’s shared values. During the annual award ceremony, the division honored individuals and teams whose work strengthens students, colleagues and the university community.

The six awards presented included:

• Unsung Hero: Tyler Vela, academic coach and student services manager for the Academic Achievement Center
• Innovators of the Year: Issac Crowder, assistant community coordinator for K-State Housing and Dining, and Stef Delatorre, case manager for the Office of Student Support and Accountability — creators of the Paws and Chat program
• Friend of the Division: Erin Sommer Good, senior associate general counsel for the Office of General Counsel
• Collaborators of the Year: K-State Housing and Dining staff, led by Aisha Lee, assistant director, and Garrett Satterly, community coordinator for Student Programs and Involvement
• Leader of the Year: Andy Thompson, assistant vice president and senior associate dean for Student Support and Accountability
• New Employee Impact: Lindsey Barragar, project administrator for the Health Promoting University initiative

Together, these honorees reflect a deep commitment to care and belonging, a proactive approach to solving challenges and a spirit of collaboration that helps students and colleagues feel supported, valued and empowered.