Purple Praise: October 2025
Kudos and celebrations of student, faculty and staff achievements
K-State’s talented students, faculty and staff are frequently recognized for their exceptional scholarship, teaching and research or creative inquiry. Let’s celebrate their accomplishments.
Kudos highlight notable professional and student achievements from outside the university, such as awards and honors; fellowships; performances; elections to regional and national boards or committees in professional organizations; and conference presentations. Self-nominations are accepted.
Submit by Nov. 12 for the next feature.
Student success
K-State veterinary students earn scholarships at national bovine practitioner conference
Fourth-year veterinary students Ivy Elkins and Thomas Christensen II received scholarships at the 58th Annual Conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners in Omaha, Nebraska, Sept. 11-13. Elkins and Christensen both received the AABP Foundation/Zoetis Scholarship, a $7,500 award supporting well-trained veterinarians entering food animal practice. Christensen also received the $10,000 Merck Animal Health Bovine Student Recognition Award and the $11,500 Amstutz Scholarship, which recognizes superior veterinary students with strong potential in bovine practice.
Geography graduate student receives NSF grant for wildfire and water research 
Shreya Ojha, doctoral student in geography, received a nearly $25,000 National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant for her dissertation examining wildfire and water infrastructure issues in Colorado. Her project, "Adaptation and Environmental Governance within Changing Landscapes of Wildfire and Water in Colorado’s Front Range," explores how water and fire management institutions shape land management behaviors in rural areas. Ojha’s advisor is Audrey Joslin, associate professor of geography.
Burbank receives Marie O. Ronen Scholarship
Riley Burbank, junior in elementary education, received the Marie O. Ronen Scholarship. Recipients must be graduates of USD 350 and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The scholarship is renewable for up to five years.
Prakash named among Top 40 Under 40 Food Safety Professionals
Shivaprasad Doddabematti Prakash, doctoral candidate in grain science and industry, was named to The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness’ 40 Under 40 Food Safety Professionals, Class of 2025. His research develops strategies to control pathogens such as Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli across grain supply chains, advancing food safety from farm to table.
Students compete in Edward Jones Sales Competition 
Students from the College of Business Administration and the College of Health and Human Sciences competed in the National Strategic Selling Institute’s Edward Jones Sales Competition, simulating needs-discovery calls with prospective clients. Top finishers were Halle Hartner, senior in professional strategic selling; Lexie Pattrin, junior in business and professional strategic selling; Paige Wood, junior in agribusiness and professional strategic selling. Joshua Bichelmeyer, senior in management and professional strategic selling received the top newcomer award in the competition.
Geography doctoral student receives USDA-NIFA grant for research on prescribed burning 
Caroline Ruto, doctoral student in geography, received a nearly $20,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. Her project, "Prescribed burn policies and community norms in agricultural landscapes," investigates how landowners navigate uncertainties related to prescribed burning and how those decisions shape rangeland management practices. Her advisor is Audrey Joslin, associate professor of geography.
NSSI hosts Fall 2025 Mylo Sales Competition
The National Strategic Selling Institute hosted the Fall 2025 Mylo Sales Competition Oct. 3, with 23 students competing in a two-round role-play judged by industry representatives. Skye Finnie placed first, Addie Fogarty in second, Spencer Allen in third, and Zaylor DeBruyn received the Newcomer Award.
Central States Marching Festival draws thousands to Bill Snyder Family Stadium
The K-State Marching Band hosted its annual Central States Marching Festival in Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Thousands of high school students and spectators enjoyed the performances of 40 high school bands, with a finale performed by The Pride of Wildcat Land to end the festival. Throughout the day, 16 bands received one-hour clinics, where they worked with K-State students and staff to help improve their musical and marching performance. The festival was coordinated by Director of Bands Frank Tracz and was worked by K-State Marching Band students and staff. The band thanks K-State Athletics for its support.
Akinseloyin receives ASHRAE Graduate Grant-in-Aid
Mechanical engineering doctoral student Michael Akinseloyin received a $10,000 Graduate Grant-in-Aid from ASHRAE for research advancing sustainable heating and cooling technology. Akinseloyin works with professor Melanie Derby in the Cooling and Heating Innovation Lab, focusing on reducing carbon emissions through low global-warming-potential refrigerants.
Faculty and staff achievements
Hinman to perform solo with Salina Symphony 
Dan Hinman, trombone faculty in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, will perform "Hojarasca" by Carolina Calvache as a soloist with the Salina Symphony on Nov. 9. The piece is a co-commission of the Salina Symphony and Jackson Symphony in Michigan and marks its Kansas premiere.
Hitzler co-authors AI study published in Nature Machine Intelligence
Pascal Hitzler, professor of computer science, co-authored a landmark study published in Nature Machine Intelligence "Aligning Generalisation Between Humans and Machines." The paper brings together 24 international researchers from cognitive science, machine learning, and symbolic AI to explore how human and machine reasoning can be better aligned to create safer, more trustworthy AI systems. The study compares how humans and machines generalize knowledge and identifies key gaps — finding that while machines excel at pattern recognition, they often struggle with the abstraction and flexibility natural to human reasoning. The authors propose new approaches for developing AI that is interpretable, reliable and aligned with human values.
Faculty contribute to new maritime transportation systems textbook 
K-State researchers contributed to "Maritime Transportation Systems – A Future Look at Threats, Countermeasures and Risk Assessments." The publication analyzes vulnerabilities in the maritime transportation system and offers strategies for defense and policy. The book is available through Amazon and Pressbooks, with a free link for K-State students, faculty and staff.
Blake receives KAAN Advising Publication Award 
Ashley Blake, advisor training administrator, received the Kansas Academic Advising Network’s Advising Publication Award for creative use of online publications supporting academic advising. Blake created Canvas courses ADV 101 and ADV 102, an advisor resources website, and in-person training programs. The award was presented at the KAAN annual conference at Fort Hays State University.
Agronomy researchers represent K-State at Kirkham Conference in Japan
Three members of K-State’s department of agronomy represented the university at the 2025 Kirkham Conference in Soil Physics near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan. The conference combined research presentations with field visits to areas undergoing remediation, providing insight into radioactive contamination and recovery.
Presley honored with October Charlie Award
The K-State Advisor Forum has selected DeAnn Presley, professor and advisor in environmental soil science and management, for the October Charlie Award in recognition of her exceptional mentorship and dedication to student success. Presley was nominated by multiple colleagues and students who praised her supportive and empowering advising style. One nominator shared, “From the very beginning, I knew she would be an exceptional mentor. She is supportive, motivating, and genuinely fun to work with. Her intuition is often spot-on regarding when it’s time to push and when patience is the better option.” Another nominator wrote, “DeAnn has a special talent for making teaching—in both the classroom and the field—fun, meaningful, and impactful. As a colleague, she brings energy, positivity, and a collaborative spirit that enhances our departmental culture.” The Advisor Forum thanks Presley for her commitment to K-State students and colleagues and congratulates her on this well-deserved recognition. For more information or to nominate an advisor, visit the Advisor Forum recognition page.
Jackson elected to presidential cycle for the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International 
Derek Jackson, associate vice president for community building, was recently elected to serve the three year presidential cycle for the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International, ACUHO-I. In this role, Jackson will serve sequentially as vice president, president and past president, providing leadership to colleagues around the globe.
ACUHO-I is the premier professional organization for campus housing and residence life, representing more than 17,000 professionals and 950 institutions worldwide. Jackson has been an active leader within ACUHO-I for many years. He previously co-directed the Roelf Visser Student Housing Training Institute in South Africa, helping to develop the next generation of residence life professionals in a global context. He also served as Director of the Facilities and Environment Committee, contributing to international best practices in housing operations. In 2023, Jackson received the Presidential Service Award from ACUHO-I, recognizing his service and commitment to professional development.
New textbook enhances learning in ECE 241 
Marty Kump, professor, and co-author Chase Harvey published a new textbook designed specifically for ECE 241. The text consolidates course materials into one accessible resource, improving learning consistency and supporting student success.
College of Veterinary Medicine celebrates National Custodian Day
The College of Veterinary Medicine hosted a lunch on Oct. 2 to celebrate National Custodian Day. “Our custodians do an excellent job keeping our buildings in great shape, and they are always so friendly,” said Kate KuKanich, professor of small animal medicine. Read more about the day here.
Kaiser earns two Business Relationship Management awards 
Michelle Kaiser received the Trailblazer Purpose in Evolution Award for advancing Business Relationship Management, or BRM, principles in higher education. She helps steer discussions on BRM best practices in collaboration with the Division of Financial Services, Human Resources and Division of Facilities and Parking Services. She also shared the Community Impact Award with the EDUCAUSE BRM Community group for contributions to collaboration and professional growth across institutions.
Hallaq and Groshek publish new book on media literacy
Tom Hallaq and Jacob Groshek, associate professors in the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication, co-authored "Modern Media Literacy: Generative AI, Social Media, and the News." The book explores how AI and social media shape modern news narratives and emphasizes the growing importance of media literacy in a complex information environment.
Kramer receives David L. Kelly Distinguished Engineer Award
Kimberly Waggle Kramer, G.E. Johnson Construction Science Chair and professor of architectural engineering and construction science, received the David L. Kelly Distinguished Engineer Award from the Tilt-Up Concrete Association. The award recognizes individuals whose innovation and leadership have advanced the engineering and construction industry. Kramer was selected based on her decades of research, teaching and professional service, as well as her leadership in developing technical knowledge and advancing the role of tilt-up within the broader concrete industry.
Moore and Sheshukov honored with Excellence in Multistate Research Award
Trisha Moore, associate professor, and Aleksey Sheshukov, professor, both in biological and agricultural engineering, are part of a research team that received the 2025 Excellence in Multistate Research Award from AgInnovation. Their project, "Advanced Understanding and Prediction of Pollutants in Critical Landscapes in Watersheds," focuses on water quality and environmental sustainability.
Maxwell launches new 'Bassoon Buddy' product
Susan Gustavson Maxwell, associate professor of bassoon and division head for music business in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, has launched a new teaching tool called the 'Bassoon Buddy,' developed in collaboration with K-State’s Technology Development Institute. The device is patent pending and serves as a pedagogical tool for students learning bassoon fundamentals.
K-State’s PEAK program recognized during Residents’ Rights Month
Governor Laura Kelly signed a proclamation recognizing October as Residents’ Rights Month, with K-State’s PEAK: Quality Improvement through Person-Centered Care program participating in the signing in Topeka. Read more here.
Send us your kudos!
Do you have a current K-State student, staff or faculty member you'd like to highlight? Submit their information by Wednesday, Aug. 6, for consideration to include in next month's edition of Purple Praise.
Read past editions in the Purple Praise archives.