* K-State students Jennifer Crainshaw, Olathe, and Samuel Brinton, Perry, Iowa, received 2008 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships, an honor worth up to $5,000 for study abroad. Crainshaw is studying in Ghana and Brinton in China. The Gilman asks winners to propose a service project to promote study abroad after they return. More than 1,200 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded this academic year for U.S. citizen undergraduates to study abroad. K-State has been competitive among other universities for Gilman scholarships. With these two latest winners, 22 K-State students have won Gilman scholarships since the award's inception in 2002. August 2008
* K-State is among the best undergraduate institutions in the nation, according to the 2009 edition of "The Best 368 Colleges," published by Random House and The Princeton Review. Schools are selected for the book based on their outstanding academics, as well as evaluations of institutional data, feedback from students attending each school and campus visits. "The Best 368 Colleges" also ranks the top 20 schools in 60 categories. K-State is ranked among the top 20 in college athletics and in town and gown relations, with Manhattan called a "great college town" that is "just big enough" and that has "everything you need for college life." August 2008
* K-State was one of 16 universities nationwide recognized for bioenergy initiatives by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Bio Energy Awareness Days in Washington, D.C., June 19-22. K-State won a Grand Challenge award for a vision paper, "Food, Feed, Energy and Ecosystem Services: A Role for American Agriculture." Co-authors are agronomy professors Charles W. Rice and Scott Staggenborg, and Richard Nelson, associate professor and head of the Kansas Industrial Extension Service. The Grand Challenge is the major award made during the event, and promotes the development of a vision that the winning universities will contribute in the emerging bio economy. June 2008
* Strong leadership skills and a demonstrated interest in free enterprise have earned K-State's Nick Gay a prestigious $10,000 scholarship from Students in Free Enterprise. Gay, senior in electrical engineering, Lenexa, received the Jules and Gwen Knapp Students in Free Enterprise Ambassador Scholarship at the organization's national exposition May 13-15 in Chicago. Along with the scholarship, Gay will receive training from Students in Free Enterprise USA. As the Knapp Students in Free Enterprise Ambassador, he also may be asked to represent the organization on various campuses and at events throughout the academic year. The purpose of the scholarship, the largest awarded by the organization, is to recognize the leadership, teamwork and communications skills developed in students who are members of Students in Free Enterprise. Gay is president of K-State's chapter of the organization. Members work in teams to create economic opportunities in their communities by organizing outreach projects that focus on market economics, entrepreneurship, personal financial success skills and business ethics. May 2008
* A K-State professor whose students' work has been viewed online by millions is a finalist for the Inspire Integrity Awards from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Michael Wesch, assistant professor of anthropology, is one of 15 finalists for the awards, which recognize faculty who have had a significant impact on their students' lives and instilled a high degree of personal and academic integrity. Undergraduate members of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars nominate faculty members who inspire integrity through their classroom lectures, activities and curriculum. The nominees then write a brief essay on the concept of integrity and its meaning to them personally. Competition is conducted at a regional level, with three finalists from each of the society's five regions selected to advance to the national competition. Wesch was among the finalists from the society's region four and receives a $250 stipend for the regional honor. A national selection committee will choose the national winner and one runner-up in June. May 2008
* The National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program's first designated training facility in the nation has named K-State's BRI -- Biosecurity Research Institute -- the first National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program's first designated training facility in the nation designated training facility in the nation. The BRI, at K-State's Pat Roberts Hall, is the only biosafety level-3 biocontainment research and training facility in the U.S. that can accommodate high-consequence pathogen research on food animals, food crops and food processing under one roof, which allows for a more comprehensive research approach. The National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program was established in 2004 and aims to provide the latest in professional education to those who operate, maintain and work in biocontainment laboratories. May 2008
* Two K-State graduate students in agricultural economics were selected to participate in the 2008 Copenhagen Consensus Center Youth Forum in Copenhagen, Denmark, May 25-30. Koichi Yamaura, Hidaka, Japan, was selected to represent the country of Japan and Michael Burns, Jetmore, was selected as one of two students to represent the United States. Eighty students from 37 countries were selected to participate in the conference. The Youth Forum represents more than 70 percent of the world’s inhabitants. The overall objective of the Youth Forum is to listen to a group of young future decision makers from around the world and having them voice what solutions they believe should be given. The vision of the Youth Forum is to contribute to an open, public debate on how to prioritize solutions to 10 of the most pressing challenges. May 2008
* K-State's A. Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications was re-accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The Council met in Arlington, Va., May 2 and voted unanimously in favor of re-accreditation. The school successfully passed all nine of the council's standards including curriculum, diversity, research and student services. The council accredits 110 schools of journalism across the country. Eighteen programs were evaluated this year, and only five of those programs, including the Miller School, were found in complete compliance. The team listed a number of strengths of the program including internships, satisfaction and loyalty of students, quality of instruction, significant research production and commitment to scholastic journalism. May 2008
* Michael Herman, associate professor in the Division of Biology at K-State, will head to the Netherlands for the fall 2008 semester to serve as a J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholar. Fulbright Program scholars, sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential. While in the Netherlands, Herman will be collaborating with several scientists throughout the country to further his research and knowledge in ecological genomics and quantitative genetics. April 2008
* K-State's Jessy Ohl, senior in political science from Denison, Iowa, continued his winning ways by capturing the National Forensic Association national individual sweepstakes championship April 18-21 at Tennessee State University in Nashville. This school year Ohl has won six titles at national forensics competitions, giving him seven national titles during his junior and senior years at K-State.
K-State President Jon Wefald said, "Academics are priority No. 1 through five at K-State. We have a commitment to excellence, which Jessy Ohl and the forensics team have embraced. If somebody had a football season like Jessy just had in forensics, he would be a unanimous Heisman Award winner. Jessy is definitely an academic champion of the first magnitude."
K-State's forensics team placed fifth in the nation among 90 schools, competing with just five students. The team also placed first in the nation in the President's II Division, a sweepstakes division for schools with smaller entries. An average 200 students competed in each event. April 2008
* K-State's Elizabeth Voigt, senior in mechanical engineering, McPherson, won a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Germany. Voigt will attend Virginia Tech and work on a master's degree in mechanical engineering. Thanks to a dual degree program between Virginia Tech and the Technical University of Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Germany, she will be able to spend one year at each university and earn a master's degree from both schools. Voigt said she then plans to work toward her doctorate degree at Virginia Tech. April 2008
* A K-State senior in political science has won four titles at a national forensics competition, making him only the second person in the event's 31-year history to do so. Jessy Ohl, Denison, Iowa, won the overall individual trophy at the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament April 5-7 in Austin, Texas. He also placed first in extemporaneous speaking, informative speaking and communication analysis. As captain, Ohl led the K-State team to a fourth-place finish overall, out of 90 teams that qualified for the country's most prestigious forensics competition. It was K-State's best finish in the tournament since 1998, when the team also placed fourth. April 2008
* One current and one recently graduated engineering student from Kansas State University have received National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. Three K-State seniors also received honorable mentions. The fellowship awards a $30,000 stipend and a $10,500 cost-of-education allowance per year for three years of education, totaling about $120,000 over three years for students pursuing research-based master's or doctoral degrees in an engineering or science discipline. Winners are Emily A. Voigt, McPherson, senior in chemical engineering with a minor in German, and David Thompson, formerly of Burlingame, a 2006 K-State summa cum laude graduate in electrical engineering with an emphasis in biomedical engineering and minors in physics and Japanese. Thompson is currently a graduate student at the University of Michigan. In 2006 while at K-State, he received an honorable mention for the Graduate Research Fellowship he won this year. Named to receive honorable mention were seniors Amir Bahadori , Kansas City, Kan., majoring in mathematics and mechanical engineering; Amy Twite, Olathe, majoring in biochemistry, microbiology and chemistry; Lydia (Roberts) Barrigan, Pomona, senior in chemistry and biochemistry with a minor in biology. All plan to graduate from K-State in May. April 2008
* K-State students Iris Wilson, Manhattan, and Nicholas Long, Topeka, are among the 80 students nationwide who are receiving $5,000 Morris K. Udall Scholarships. The Udall is a congressional scholarship that honors the former Arizona congressman for his legacy of public service. Scholarship recipients must be seeking either a career related to the environment or be a Native American or a Native Alaskan seeking a career in health care or tribal policy K-State is now third among state universities with 20 winners since the competition began in 1996. Wilson is a junior in geography and natural resources and environmental sciences, and Long is a senior in architectural engineering. According to the Udall Foundation, this year was the most competitive yet for the Udall scholarship, with more than 500 scholarship applications reviewed. Since 1986, K-State students have won 124 nationally competitive scholarships -- the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater and Udall -- more than any other public university in the nation. April 2008
* Three K-State students are recipients of 2008 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships, while a fourth student has been recognized as an honorable mention for the award. The winners are Michelle Higgins, Manhattan; William Carlson, Overland Park; and Scott McCall, Parker Colo. Samuel Fahrenholtz, Tribune, received honorable mention honors. The three K-State students are among 321 students from across the nation to receive the Goldwater Scholarship this year, which are awarded for academic merit. The scholarships are worth up to $7,500 annually for a student's final one or two years of undergraduate studies. This year's recipients were selected from a field of 1,035 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. With three Goldwater recipients this year, K-State students have now won 63 Goldwater Scholarships. K-State remains first in the nation among state universities in Goldwater Scholarship winners. Among all universities, K-State is tied for third place with Duke. Princeton has 68 and Harvard has 67 Goldwater scholars. All three of K-State's newest Goldwater scholars plan careers in research. March 2008
* K-State's Panhellenic Council has been recognized as the top Greek sorority council, while K-State's Interfraternity Council has been recognized as the runner-up for the top Greek fraternity council award. Both recognitions came at the Mid-American Greek Council Association conference in Chicago, Feb. 21-24. K-State's Panhellenic Council was named the winner of the 2007 Sutherland Award for Division III. K-State's Interfraternity Council was named runner-up for the 2007 Jellison Award for Division IV. It is the seventh time in the last 12 years the K-State Panhellenic Council, which represents the university's 11 Greek sororities, has received the Sutherland Award, the top award for a Greek sorority council. Division III includes colleges in the U.S. with nine to 12 Greek sorority chapters. The award recognizes the K-State Panhellenic Council for excellence in academic achievement, council management, leadership and educational development, membership recruitment, philanthropy and community service, public relations, risk reduction and management, and self-governance and judicial affairs. Interfraternity Council was recognized as the runner-up for the Jellison Division IV Award. The award is the top award a Greek council can receive. Division IV consists of all colleges in the United States with 24 or more Greek chapters. The K-State Interfraternity Council, which represents the university's 25 Greek fraternities, was recognized for excellence in academic achievement, council management, membership recruitment, philanthropy and community service, public relations, and self-governance and judicial affairs. March 2008
* The Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation and Koch Industries Inc. have announced donations totaling $400,000 to Kansas State University to increase enrollment of multicultural students and help them succeed in college. The grants will support Project IMPACT to provide recruiting and mentoring programs, scholarships and a diversity faculty fellowship in the K-State department of accounting. The Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation's contribution of $220,000 will fund a College for a Day program at K-State for high school and community college students. Koch Industries will donate $180,000 for programming that focuses on student scholarships, mentoring and retention. February 2008
* K-State students Kathryn Glanville, Oskaloosa , Mark McCreary, Wichita, and Ruth Ruggles, Winfield, have each received a 2008 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, an honor worth up to $5,000 for study abroad. More than 1,100 students nationwide applied for as many as 400 scholarships. The scholarship is part of a congressionally funded program offered through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. Twenty K-State students have now won Gilman scholarships since the award's inception in 2002. February 2008
* K-State has been recognized as one of the top 30 colleges or universities in the nation for military students by Military Advanced Education magazine. The magazine's first review of top colleges and universities for service members, released in late 2007, recognizes institutions that make significant contributions to military education and serve the needs of military students. K-State has provided educational opportunities specifically to the military and their families by working on post at Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth, on the Manhattan campus, through K-State at Salina, through 2+2 agreements with community colleges, and through distance education. In addition to providing a variety of degree and certificate programs for military members, K-State offers Servicemember Opportunity Colleges for the Army agreements for military students, which make it possible for them to complete 15 credit hours with K-State and earn the rest of an associate degree, or complete 30 credit hours and earn the rest of a bachelor's degree from anywhere in the world. K-State also offers online as well as face-to-face degree and certificate programs, including master's and Ph.D. securities programs with Fort Leavenworth. February 2008
* A $1.548 million investment from the Kansas Bioscience Authority and top-notch federal biosafety training both came to K-State's BRI -- Biosecurity Research Institute -- in spring 2008. The Kansas Bioscience Authority's board of directors dedicated $1.548 million to the BRI to add high-end video capabilities to the institute's educational infrastructure. The grant will be used to purchase and install several high-resolution cameras with pan, tilt and zoom capabilities, as well as mobile video systems for use in the research labs. High-quality audio capture, editing and reproduction technology also was purchased to allow the BRI to produce and distribute professional-level training videos, as well expand its capabilities in the distance-training arena. In addition, the BRI will be the first in the nation to host the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program's biosafety and biocontainment curriculum. The training is a recent initiative of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Division of Occupational Health and Safety at the National Institutes of Health. The Frontline Foundation organizes the program, which will provide the latest in professional education to those who handle biohazardous materials in biocontainment laboratories. February 2008
* Research and publications by faculty members in 2007 earned the department of plant pathology a top 10 ranking in The Chronicle of Higher Education's annual assessment of scholarly productivity. The department ranked eighth among all U.S. research universities. February 2008
* The Kansas Bioscience Authority has announced a $2.5 million initiative to add more horsepower to K-State's research capabilities in addressing threats to the nation's food supply. The Collaborative Biosecurity Research Initiative will bring K-State's unique biosecurity research capabilities to investigators across the nation. The program will offer researchers from academia, the federal government and non-profit groups a chance to conduct research at K-State's Biosecurity Research Institute and develop solutions to today's biosecurity problems. Under this program, the authority will fund research awards of up to $500,000 to investigators for projects conducted in partnership with Kansas researchers, and that take place at the Biosecurity Research Institute. January 2008
* K-State and Fort Riley are strengthening their commitments to assisting soldiers and their families by creating a Cooperative Extension program tailored to the needs of military personnel. A new memorandum of understanding will allow K-State Extension family and consumer science programs, affiliated with the College of Human Ecology, to give military families information on diverse family-related issues. Topics could include parenting, family communication, child and youth development, nutrition and food preparation, physical activity and health, and money management. K-State also will be contracting with the Department of Defense and Fort Riley to deliver education based on their specific needs. In a related effort, the College of Human Ecology is working to increase the clinical services it provides to Fort Riley families through K-State's Speech and Hearing Center and the Family Center. January 2008
* Juergen Richt, K-State's Regents Distinguished Professor, is one of Kansas' first Bioscience Eminent Scholars. The Kansas Bioscience Eminent Scholars Program is designed to attract distinguished bioscience researchers to Kansas research institutions, as well as their research and commercialization activities. An eminent scholar is a relatively new hire and an individual acknowledged as a scholar of distinction by national measures. The honor also comes with roughly $2 million in research funding over the next five years. Richt, an expert in emerging zoonotic diseases, is a veterinary microbiologist who has worked with multiple agents of zoonotic potential, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease, animal flu, borna virus and other emerging diseases. Zoonotic diseases, those that can be transmitted between humans and animals, are a growing concern for pubic health. He is one of two Kansas Bioscience Eminent Scholars for 2008. January 2008
* A nationwide survey rates academic programs offered in K-State's College of Architecture, Planning and Design as among the tops in the nation, as well as the interior design program offered through K-State's College of Human Ecology. According to the 2008 survey of leading design firms across the nation, conducted by the journal DesignIntelligence and the Design Futures Council in conjunction with the Almanac of Architecture and Design, K-State ranks first among bachelor of landscape architecture programs; fourth among master of interior architecture/design programs; sixth among master of landscape architecture programs; eighth among bachelor of architecture programs; eighth among bachelor of interior architecture/design programs; and13th among master of architecture programs. K-State offers programs in both interior architecture and product design, through the College of Architecture, Planning and Design, and in interior design through the College of Human Ecology; for survey purposes, the programs are combined. The annual survey is conducted to determine the top 15 colleges and universities for architecture and design in the U.S. A cross-section of firms with a disbursed geographic profile -- including firms that are leaders in their market sector and that have won major national, state, local and market-sector awards -- were surveyed. January 2008