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K-State Today

February 24, 2015

Academic Excellence funded proposals for FY15

Submitted by Gail Zeak

A wide variety of projects were supported by the Academic Excellence Fund during the academic year. All of the supported projects help advance Kansas State University toward its goal of becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025.

The fund combines the resources of the offices of the president, provost, and administration and finance. Faculty and staff have two opportunities during the academic year to propose projects for funding. For each round of funding, proposals are reviewed and selected projects are funded. The funded projects for each round during the 2014-15 academic year are shown below.

Funded projects from fall 2014:
Joel DeRouchey, animal science and industry, Mike Tokach, animal science and industry, Cassie Jones, grain science and industry, Steve Dritz, diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, swine nursery pig feeders at the K-State Swine Teaching and Research Center; Lorn Clement, landscape architecture and regional and community planning, Ryadi Adityavarman, interior architecture and product design, attendance at three workshops to complement a new freehand drawing course; Bruce Law, physics, Chris Sorensen, physics, attendance at Faraday Discussion meeting in Chicago; Stephen Kiefer, psychological sciences, improvements to surgery and wet laboratories; Gary Brase, psychological sciences, renovations to the Student Reading Room in the psychological sciences department; Cora Cooper, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, bring violinist/teacher Charles Castleman to campus for a recital and master class in March 2015; Ping Li, chemistry, software license for KinTek global kinetic explorer with SpectraFit add-on; Karin Westman, English, public lecture by Laura Micciche and a symposium on cross-disciplinary collaboration in the digital humanities; Jennifer Vellenga, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, direct a workshop of the final draft of the play, "Forward" with Norwegian theatre artists; Shannon Blake Skelton, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, provide opportunity to student playwrights to have their works staged.

Fred Hasler, architectural engineering and construction science, blackout shades and solar shades in the department's building lighting and electrical systems lab; Craig Harms, kinesiology, creation and development of a new anatomy and physiology teaching lab in Justin Hall; Sandra Stith, School of Family Studies and Human Services, Marcie Lechtenberg, School of Family Studies and Human Services, bring Ruben Parra-Cardona to campus for a full-day program in March 2015; Sarah Pilgrim, inter-campus academic programs, equipping a digital audio/video recording studio on the K-State Salina campus; Greg Stephens, arts, sciences and business, continued funding for the Civic Luncheon Lecture Series.

Leigh Fine, school of leadership studies, technology for the Staley School of Leadership studies to allow tracking of student engagement in classes and activities; Trisha Gott, Staley School of Leadership Studies, Mary Hale Tolar, Staley School of Leadership Studies, bring Dr. Patti Clayton, an expert on engagement, in as a consultant for the university; Linda Duke, Beach Museum of Art, Prairie Studies Initiative, a program designed to foster cross-disciplinary research related to the prairie and high plains regions of Kansas; Casey Pennock, K-State Student Sub-chapter of the American Fisheries Society, signage around Campus Creek focusing on keeping it clean; Scott Velasquez, totally tutoring, peer tutoring collaboration.

Funded projects from spring 2015
Duane Davis, animal science and industry, Jeff Stevenson, animal science and industry, Jim Drouillard, animal science and industry, Tim Carson, animal science and industry, Cassie Jones, grain science and industry, Steve Dritz, diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, wireless networking equipment to provide high speed internet access to the K-State livestock teaching and research facilities; Shawn Hutchinson, geography, John Harrington, geography, renew K-State's membership in the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science and re-establish the University GIScience Lecture Series; David Stone, history, translate a series covering the Russian Civil War, 1918-1921; Andrew Casto, art, and Stephen Kiefer, interim art department head, travel, artwork shipping and materials for the 2015 annual conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts in March 2015; Marci Maullar, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, production of a presentation "The Power of The People, Civil Disobedience in America: Songs and Perspectives;" Karin Westman, English, dissertation writing camp; Tom Hallaq, journalism and mass communications, production of a video documentary about the history of flight in Kansas.

LaVerne Bitsie-Baldwin; K-State multicultural engineering program, Dwanna Robertson, American ethnic studies, re-establish the Alumni Pow-Wow at K-State to engage alumni, campus and community members; Nathan Bean, computing and information sciences, Ben Ward, computing and information sciences, support for first Annual Invitational Game Jam; Mei He, biological and agricultural engineering, ultra violet ozone cleaning system; Meng Zhang, industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, equipment to advance undergraduate research and creative inquiry activities on additive manufacturing/3D printing; Bin Liu, chemical engineering, attendance at the 2015 Cottrell Scholars Collaborative New Faculty Workshop; Briana Nelson Goff, Institute for the Health and Security of Military Families, conduct a 10-year follow-up study with this cohort of 50 Army couples to determine areas of stability and change since 2005; Dorothy Durband, School of Family Studies and Human Services, improving the entryway to the school to accurately identify the school with appropriately branded signage; David Poole, kinesiology, Timothy Musch, anatomy and physiology, travel funds to send five students to the Experimental Biology meeting in Boston in March 2015 and the American College of Sports Medicine national meeting in San Diego in May 2015.

Livia Olsen, faculty and graduate services, Cindy Logan, undergraduate and community services, support for exhibit and activities during Open House; Lori Kniffin, school of leadership studies, attendance at the 2015 International Service-Learning Summit at Duke in March 2015; Mary Hale Tolar, Staley School of Leadership Studies, travel with an undergraduate student presentation team to the McDonough Leadership Conference, Marietta College in April 2015; Eric Hartman, Staley School of Leadership Studies, arrange a faculty learning community dedicated to deepening understanding of internationalization best practices; Linda Teener, UFM Community Learning Center, 2015 Lou Douglas Lecture Series; Wing Wong, international programs, start up a tutoring center for international students; Anthony Ybarra, career and employment services, Susana Valdovinos, office of academic personnel, support for Alianza.