Celebrations of faculty, staff and students

From scholarships and awards to research discoveries and creative achievements, K-State's talented faculty, staff and students continue to advance the university's culture of excellence by providing and participating in hands-on, world-class experiences.

Purple Praise highlights notable accomplishments both on and off campus, including awards and honors; fellowships; performances; elections to regional and national boards or committees in professional organizations; conference presentations; and unique learning and engagement opportunities.

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The September 2026 edition of Purple Praise will be published on Friday, Sept. 11. Nominations are due by Wednesday, Sept. 9.

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Student achievements

College of Agriculture students win award for video highlighting University Printing

A glass award in the shape of a blue wave, with a commemorative plaque placed on the base

Agricultural communications students Miriam Fernandez and Carlos Avelino won the 2026 Larry Clements Award from the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association for their video project highlighting the work of K-State University Printing.

Fernandez and Avelino produced the video, which focused on University Printing's operations, as part of their final project for AGCOM435: Video in Agriculture and Food. University Printing director Anne Oswald submitted the video on Fernandez and Avelino's behalf to the association's amateur division video competition. Watch the video here.

Kappa Sigma wins international chapter award

Kansas State University's Gamma-Chi chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity received the Founder's Award of Chapter Excellence, or FACE, for the 2025-26 academic year. One of the fraternity's highest honors, the award recognizes chapters that demonstrate excellence in recruitment, philanthropy, community service and international engagement. Just 29 of nearly 300 chapters earned the distinction this year.

In addition to the FACE Award, the Gamma-Chi chapter received the Founder's Circle Award, presented to only the top 2% of FACE-winning chapters. The fraternity's highest honor for an individual chapter was given to just eight chapters nationwide.

The dual recognition reflects the chapter's outstanding commitment to Kappa Sigma's four pillars of fellowship, leadership, scholarship and service, as well as the dedication and hard work of its members.

Kansas State Agriculturist wins student publication award

Cover of the Fall 2025 Agriculturalist, featuring a hand holding a glass of wine with a vineyard present in the background

The Kansas State Agriculturist — the College of Agriculture's publication for students, alumni and industry leaders — and its student-led team took home a first-place award during the 2026 National Agricultural Alumni Development Association's annual conference.

Honored for their Fall 2025 edition, the magazine won the "Print Media — Magazine produced by students" division of the conference's Publications and Projects competition. Read the award-winning edition here.

Mortar Board selects new members

Members of the 2026-27 Mortar Board group

The K-State chapter of the Mortar Board Honor Society inducted 14 new members and elected new officers for the 2026-2027 school year. Mortar Board members must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and uphold the society's ideals of leadership, scholarship, and service on the college campus and in the Manhattan community.

The new members and officers of Mortar Board XIX Chapter are: Brenna Chism, vice president of service; Amelia Dold; Ella Fusco; Aubree Hanna, vice president of leadership; Hadley Hines; Luana Hipolito; Tyler Hughes, vice president of outreach; Jennifer Kim; Jordan Kramer; Katie Krumins, treasurer; Abby Meyer; Brandt Smith; Kiersten Tholstrup, vice president of scholarship; and America Zarate.

Second-year returning members are: Sarah Arraiga, secretary; Zane Burton; Connor Dove; Abby Fleischer; Kara Kunselman; Vivian Lacey; and Emily Pray, president.

Out-of-state students receive Wabash CannonBall Houston, North Texas scholarships

The K-State Alumni Association has awarded scholarships to two incoming out-of-state freshmen from the Houston area, utilizing funds from the Wabash CannonBall galas, alumni golf tournament and crawfish boils. Read more here.

The Alumni Association has also awarded Wabash CannonBall scholarships to four students from the North Texas region. Read more here.

Roles receives nationally competitive design scholarship

Lindsey Roles, a master's student in industrial design, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Richard Frinier Design Scholarship, a national honor recognizing exceptional emerging talent in furniture and product design. Read more here.

Rybowicz awarded Wildcats Forever scholarship

Emily Rybowicz, sophomore in interior architecture, is the recipient of the $1,000 spring 2026 Wildcats Forever scholarship. Read more here.

Faculty achievements

Anna Marie Wytko performs as international soloist in Costa Rica

Anna Marie Wytko, University Distinguished Professor of saxophone, presented multiple concerts as an international concerto soloist with the National Band of Alajuela in Costa Rica.

Wytko presented premiere performances of Puerto Rican American composer Giovanni Santos' "I Dream Awake," as well as solo pieces paired with master classes at universities, museums and recital halls in San José, San Ramón, Santa Cruz and Heredia.

Antonioli publishes in prestigious Critical Lives series

Cover of "Colette" novel.

Kathleen Antonioli, associate professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages, has solidified her international reputation as an expert on modern French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette by publishing the critical biography "Colette" with Reaktion Books. The London-based publisher's acclaimed Critical Lives series features concise, highly illustrated biographies written by leading scholars.

Antonioli's contribution frames the novelist Colette as a strikingly modern celebrity, one who carefully controlled her public image and the advertising and merchandise around her books.

Antonioli explores Colette's tumultuous experience working as a ghostwriter for her first husband, Willy; her quest for autonomy and her exploration of girls' and women's lives; her positive reception across the political spectrum; her declared anti-feminism; and her reclamation by United States feminists in the 1960s and 70s.

College of Agriculture faculty, doctoral student win teaching awards

Two faculty members and one doctoral student received teaching awards from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. Logan Britton, associate professor of agricultural economics, received the Teaching Scholar Award; Gaurav Jha, assistant professor of precision agriculture, received the Educator Award; and Sourajit Dey, doctoral student in agronomy, received the Doctoral Student Teaching Award. The awards were presented during the 2026 NACTA annual conference, held at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi.

Department of Agricultural Economics wins 12 national honors during two associations' annual conventions

Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Agricultural economics faculty, graduate students and an alumnus received six honors at the 2026 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, or AAEAheld, annual meeting held in Kansas City, Missouri.

Awardees

Allen Featherstone, university distinguished professor and department head, was named an AAEA Fellow, the association’s most prestigious honor. AAEA selects no more than six Fellows each year. Featherstone’s research focuses on agricultural finance and production economics, including land markets, agricultural lending, taxation, farm management and risk. Since joining K-State in 1986, he has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and helped develop the university’s Master of Agribusiness program.

Logan Britton, associate professor, received the AAEA Distinguished Teaching Award in the Less than 10 Years category. Britton prepares students for professional decisions through applied teaching while mentoring doctoral student instructors and advising undergraduate and graduate students.

Western Agricultural Economics Association

Five agricultural economics faculty members and one spring 2026 graduate received honors from the Western Agricultural Economics Association, or WAEA, at its annual meeting in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Awardees

Jason Bergtold, professor, was named a WAEA Fellow for contributions to teaching, research and the profession. Since joining K-State in 2008, Bergtold has taught more than 4,500 undergraduates, mentored 43 graduate students and published more than 90 journal articles and book chapters. His research examines conservation, land use, rural resilience and renewable energy.

Logan Britton, associate professor, received the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award for less than 10 years. Britton teaches agricultural finance, agribusiness logistics, contemporary issues and decision tools, using economic and quantitative analysis for agricultural and supply-chain problems.

Elizabeth Yeager, professor and director of undergraduate programs, received the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award for more than 10 years. Yeager's teaching spans farm and ranch management, agricultural finance, commodity markets and quantitative decision tools, and she has co-authored multiple editions of Agribusiness Management.

Nathan Hendricks, professor and graduate program director, and Gabe Sampson, associate professor, received the Outstanding Published Research Award for "The Capitalization of Property Rights to Groundwater," a study that found groundwater access rights added an average of 71%, or $1,445 per acre, to Kansas agricultural land values.

Carissa Dalquest, '26, was selected as a WAEA Outstanding Senior and presented "U.S. Processor Participation, Risk Tradeoffs, and Policy Design in Foreign Animal Disease Response Programs" at the meeting. After a summer internship with the Kansas Soybean Association, Dalquest will be attending Texas A&M University School of Law in the fall.

Greiner, Self participate in hazard incident management training cohorts

Two K-State National Agricultural Biosecurity Center, or NABC, staff participated in all-hazards incident management training cohorts, strengthening emergency preparedness and response capacity for K-State, Kansas and the country.

Savannah Greiner participated in the O-305: Type 3 All-Hazards Incident Management Team course, which emphasizes team-based response operations to animal disease scenarios, allowing participants to apply incident management concepts to realistic agricultural emergency conditions. Adrian Self participated in the L956: All-Hazards Position-Specific Liaison Officer course, which trains liaison officers to coordinate with both internal and external stakeholders during complex incidents, such as animal disease outbreaks.

The training opportunities grew out of a strong partnership through the Multistate Partnership for Security in Agriculture, with Kansas and Michigan serving as significant and active member states. For NABC, participation in the trainings supported the center's ongoing mission to strengthen preparedness, response and resilience for threats affecting agriculture, food systems and the bioeconomy.

Hock named 2026 Postsecondary Professional

Gaea Hock

Gaea Hock has been named the 2026 Postsecondary Teacher of the Year from the Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education.

This recognition reflects her dedication to preparing the next generation of agricultural educators, her commitment to student success and her outstanding contributions to career and technical education.

K-State Parking Services receives national award

Members of K-State Parking post on stage with their award

Parking Services has earned Accredited Parking Organization, or APO, status from the International Parking & Mobility Institute — awarded to organizations that demonstrate excellence in parking and mobility operations, customer service, leadership, financial management and innovation.

This accreditation highlights Parking Services' dedication to providing safe, efficient and customer-focused parking and transportation services for the K-State community.

To obtain this designation, the department completed a thorough review of its policies, operational procedures, technology, financial management, communications, sustainability initiatives and long-term planning to ensure alignment with nationally recognized best practices.

"Achieving APO accreditation is an exciting milestone, but it also serves as a reminder that there's always room for growth," said Adrienne Tucker, director of Parking and Transportation. "We are committed to continually improving our services, exploring new ideas and collaborating with our campus partners to meet the evolving transportation and mobility needs of the K-State community."

K-State United Way named Top 10 Workplace Campaign

The 2026 Kansas State University United Way campaign, which raised $62,000, was named a Top 10 Workplace Campaign by the Konza United Way. A certificate of appreciation was presented in honor of the dedication and generosity of participating K-State faculty and staff.

Seven staff members stand in front of a purple K-State seal in Anderson Hall, holding the commemorative award received from Konza United Way