Kansas
State University achievements
2004
Arts and Sciences
*
Eckhard von Toerne, K-State assistant professor of physics, has
been recognized as one of the top young scientists in the world
with the Sofja Kovalevskaja Prize from Germany's Alexander von
Humboldt Foundation. The prize, which includes a stipend of 900,000
euros or $1.2 million, will allow von Toerne to travel to Germany
to concentrate mainly on his research for the next two to four
years. December 2004
*
K-State Student Publications Inc., received several top honors
at the annual national convention of College Media Advisers, Nov.
3-7 in Nashville, Tenn. The 2003 Royal Purple yearbook received
a National Pacemaker Award, the 15th time in 16 years it has earned
the honor. The editor of the 2003 book was Lindsey Thorpe, K-State
alumna.The Royal Purple for the fourth time won first place Best
in Show for its 2004 book, edited by Lindsay Porter, senior in
print journalism. Five spreads from the book were featured in
"The Best of Collegiate Design," a supplemental publication
published annually by College Media Advisers. Zach Long, former
Student Publications Inc., photographer, won first place in sports
photography. The Kansas State Collegian staff received second
place Best in Show for its Oct. 29, 2004, issue, as well as its
Oklahoma Gameday special section (both edited by Patrice Holderbach,
senior in print journalism); also, three page designs from fall
2003 and spring 2004 issues (edited by alumnus Paul Restivo and
Katie Lane, senior in print journalism, respectively) were featured
in "The Best of Collegiate Design." November 2004
*
M. Duane Nellis, K-State provost, was recognized as a Distinguished
Mentor by the National Council of Geographic Education. Nellis
was one of three individuals presented with this award as part
of the annual meeting of the National Council for Geographic Education
held this year in Kansas City, Mo. The award was presented to
Nellis for his distinguished role as a mentor of graduate students
while at Kansas State University and West Virginia University
and for his work funded through the National Geographic Society
with Kansas K-12 teachers to enhance the teaching of geography
in Kansas schools. Recognition at the annual meeting also included
two special sessions in his honor presented by his former students.
November 2004
*
K-State's Lewis Cocke, a university distinguished professor of
physics, received the Olin Petefish Award for research achievement
in the basic sciences from the University of Kansas in recognition
of his research achievement and leadership in the field of experimental
physics. The award was presented Oct. 29 in the Bruckmiller Room
of KU's Adams Alumni Center. The $10,000 Higuchi award recognizes
research excellence by faculty members at Kansas Regents institutions.
Recipients may use their awards for research materials, summer
salaries, fellowship matching funds, research assistance or other
support. An experimental physicist, Cocke is one of the world's
foremost authorities in the area of medium- and high-energy ion-atom
collisions. He examines the fragments that result from smashing
extremely fast-moving particles into various types of matter.
The aim of this research is to find out how the electrons of the
atoms behave when they are exposed to such violent conditions.
The Higuchi awards were established in 1981 by Takeru Higuchi,
KU distinguished professor of chemistry and pharmacy and chair
of pharmaceutical chemistry, and his wife, Aya. Higuchi created
the award with the stipulation that faculty members at all Kansas
regents institutions be eligible. November 2004
*
Lt. Col. Arthur DeGroat, professor and head of K-State's military
science department, has been selected for a two-year term on the
Congressionally-mandated Army Education Advisory Committee; with
service to the national ROTC sub-committee. DeGroat was nominated
by his ROTC commander in Colorado and was recommended and endorsed
by K-State President Jon Wefald and Michael Holen, dean of the
College of Education. With this appointment, DeGroat holds one
of only four committee chairs representing academic institutions
in America. This is the first time a K-Stater has been selected
to serve at this level in the history of this national military
committee. September 2004
*
A K-State graduate student won a national award from the Analytical
Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society. Kenneth Dokken,
graduate student in biochemistry, El Paso, Texas, won the Pfizer
Travel Award for Graduate Research. The award was presented at
the society's conference, Aug. 22-26, in Philadelphia. Dokken
was one of five winners nationally. His presentation was "Synchrotron
Fourier Infrared Microspectroscopy as a Tool to Monitor the Uptake
of Organic Contaminants by Plants." Dokken discussed his
research on phytoremediation -– a method using plants to
remove organic contamination from soil and water. September 2004
*
Craig Weston, assistant professor of music, is the recipient of
a 2004-2005 ASCAP Award from the American Society of Composers,
Authors and Publishers. The awards are granted by an independent
panel and recognize composers who are building catalogs of unique
prestige value, according to the society. August 2004
*
K-State professor Dallas Johnson received a major award from the
American Statistical Association at the recent Joint Statistical
Meetings. Johnson, professor of statistics, received an ASA Founders
Award for distinguished and long-time service to the association.
John Boyer, statistics department head, said Johnson's award holds
great significance in the statistics profession. "It's given
for long-time and distinguished service," Boyer said. "They
give two to five per year in an organization of nearly 20,000
members." Johnson was one of four recipients this year. Boyer
also said this is the first time someone from K-State has won
this type of award. Johnson was nominated for the award for more
than 35 years of service within the American Statistical Association,
according to the association's Web site. He is founding editor
of the Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics
and has contributed editorial service to The American Statistician
and other statistical journals. He is co-founder of the Mid-Missouri
chapter of the American Statistical Association and president
of the Kansas-Western Missouri chapter. Johnson was also recognized
for outstanding service on various association committees as well
as the board of directors. September 2004
*
Sanjay Rebello, assistant professor of physics, is one of very
few scientists in the nation to receive the Presidential Early
Career Award for Scientists and Engineers -- a White House honor.
He is among 57 of the nation's most promising young scientists
and engineers recognized by President George W. Bush. The award
honors and supports the extraordinary achievements of young professionals
at the outset of their independent research careers in the fields
of science and technology. June 2004
*
Dean Zollman, a K-State distinguished professor of physics, is
one of eight scientists to receive the National Science Foundation
Director's Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholars. Zollman
was honored along with the other recipients at a ceremony June
2 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. The
National Science Foundation Director's Award for Distinguished
Teaching Scholars recognizes and rewards individuals who have
contributed significantly to the scholarship of their discipline
and to the education of students in science, technology, engineering,
or mathematics, as well as those who exemplify the ability to
engage productively in both research and education. This award
is part of the National Science Foundation's efforts to promote
an academic culture that values a scholarly approach to both research
and education. May 2004
* Martin Ottenheimer, emeritus professor of anthropology at K-State,
has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture at Charles
University, Prague, Czech Republic, during the 2004-05 academic
year, according to the United States Department of State and the
J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Ottenheimer is
one of approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will
travel abroad to some 140 countries for the 2004-05 academic year
through the Fulbright Scholar Program. He will teach ethnology
classes at Charles University. He also will consult with faculty
on curriculum issues and train graduate students in field methods.
K-State has had an exchange program with Charles University since
the early 1990s. May 2004
*
A K-State student was awarded a 2004-05 National Security Education
Program Boren Undergraduate Scholarship. Seth Bridge, Buhler,
a junior in political science, history and international studies,
was among 181 winners from more than 860 applicants. These international
scholarships support and encourage students who plan to work in
areas of national security. This summer, Bridge will study in
a Russian Language immersion program in Irkutsk, Siberia, at the
School of Russian and Asian studies. Then in the fall, he will
travel to Moscow State University and study international relations
and Russian foreign policy at the Moscow State Institute of International
Relations. May 2004
*
The Mathematical Association of America released the results of
the prestigious William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition
and K-State's Jeffrey Amos, a sophomore mathematics major from
Olathe, ranked 56th among the 3,615 students in the competition.
This was the best performance by a student in the Big 12 Conference,
and it was one of the best performances ever by a K-Stater. The
Putnam is the highest level mathemtical competiton for undergraduates
in North America. Matthew Burkemper, a junior mathematics and
physics major from Derby, placed in the top 13 percent. Manhattan
residents Michael Higgins, a junior mathematics and statistics
major, placed in the top 18 percent; Asma Al-Rawi, a sophomore
physics and mathematics major, placed in the top 25 percent; and
Adam Gelroth, a sophomore mathematics major, placed in the top
31 percent. K-State's Putnam team finished 78th in the Putnam
Mathematical Competition and ranked in the top 19 percent of the
401 teams and 479 colleges in the competition. K-State's Putnam
team finished 12th overall and first among all public universities
in 1996. Five of K-State's best 10 finishes have come in the last
decade, and, during that time, K-State finished first in the Big
12 Conference four times. MIT won the Putnam competition. April
2004
*
K-State students placed eighth in the 2004 Mathematical Contest
in Modeling. Two teams from K-State participated in the competition.
Both teams were awarded Meritorious. Only seven teams around the
world did better. A total of 599 teams competed. Teams of three
students worked on their projects together at their institutions.
Teams had to choose and solve one of three different mathematical
modeling problems. K-State student winners included Chris Bonnell,
junior in mathematics, Andover; Michael Higgins, junior in mathematics
and statistics, Asma Al-Rawi, sophomore in mathematics and physics,
and Steven Gilbertson, senior in physics, all of Manhattan; Mark
Norfleet, senior in mathematics, Wichita; and Jonathan Whitmer,
senior in physics and mathematics, Wilson. The K-State team consisting
of Bonnell, Higgins and Norfleet designed a quick pass system
for an amusement park together with a mathematical model to predict
and evaluate how the system would work. The K-State team consisting
of Al-Rawi, Gilbertson and Whitmer designed a model to evaluate
the effectiveness of fingerprint identification in forensic investigation.
March 2004
*
A K-State computer and electrical engineering graduate student
received a national fellowship from the National Physical Science
Consortium. Daniel Bayouth, Lawrence, is eligible to receive $16,000
a year for up to six years of graduate study. His fellowship is
provided in part by Sandia National Laboratories, a corporate-industrial
member of the alliance of universities and industry that constitutes
the National Physical Science Consortium. Bayouth is pursuing
a master's degree in computer and electrical engineering. His
research involves the new field of Internet provider quality of
service and is being supervised by Don Gruenbacher, associate
professor of electrical and computer engineering. Bayouth said
Sandia National Labs is considering switching its dedicated telephone
or voice network onto its data network. Because calls are time
sensitive, they are the highest priority and have to be carried
across the network before lower priority data like e-mail or Web
browsing. Bayouth's research includes configuring a large data
network in a way that will assure that first priority would go
to phone calls without stifling data traffic. March 2004
*
Kelly Glasscock, a K-State senior in print journalism, received
two awards in the national Hearst Journalism Awards Program. Glasscock
represented K-State among 28 other schools and 50 other students
in the competition. The Hearst Journalism Awards Program has three
areas of competition — writing, photojournalism and broadcast
news. Glasscock competed in the photojournalism competition, which
has three categories: portrait/personality and feature; sports
and news; and picture story/series. He placed 10th in the portrait/personality
and feature category and seventh in the sports and news category;
Glasscock received $500 scholarships for each award. The Hearst
Journalism Awards Program is funded by the William Randolph Hearst
Foundation, with a mission to encourage and support excellence
in journalism and journalism education in America's colleges and
universities. Only undergraduate students attending accredited
journalism programs are allowed to compete. February 2004
*
A K-State postdoctoral fellow in physics was awarded one of Australia's
top scientific awards. Michael Bromley won the Bragg Medal, awarded
by Australian Institute of Physics for the best Ph.D. thesis.
He attended Charles Darwin University in Australia. February 2004
2005
Arts and Sciences
2003
Arts and Sciences
2002
Arts and Sciences
Achievements
index
K-State
College of Arts and Sciences
