Kansas State University

Dr. Andrew Barkley

Summer Santillana

Dr. Zelia Wiley

Andrew Barkley is Professor and University Distinguished Teaching Scholar in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University, where he has taught since 1988. Barkley teaches courses in the economics of agriculture and public policy.

Summer Santillana is the Diversity Programs Office Coordinator in the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. She has a specific focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts for faculty, staff, students, and extension. Santillana is a recent graduate, 2021, in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University. In her current role, she acts as a primary office contact and liaison for corporate, University, and community partnerships. She also plans and assists in the execution of numerous student, faculty, and extension DEIB workshops and programs.

Zelia Z. Wiley is the Chief Diversity Officer for the College of Agriculture and K-State Research & Extension (KSRE) at Kansas State University (KSU) in Manhattan, Kansas. Dr. Wiley is an experienced Administrator with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.  She has a strong education with a doctorate in Agricultural Extension Education and is skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Career Development, Instructional Design, Fundraising, and Leadership. She is the advisor to the KSU MANRRS chapter, IDI (Intercultural Development Inventory) administrator, and KSU Black Faculty Staff Alliance (BFSA) Chair.

Raymond Thomas

Lonnie Hobbs

Raymond Thomas is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University from Houston, TX. Raymond serves as Graduate Student Vice Present for Kansas State MANRRS Chapter. He also serves as the Diversity advocate for the Graduate Student Council and as a member of the President’s Commission for Multicultural Affairs at Kansas State University. Raymond received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agribusiness from Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and his master’s in Agriculture Economics at Kansas State University. His research interest includes production and gaining insight into farmers’ decision-making when it comes to participating in various sustainable farming practices that can benefit the environment and introduce new market opportunities. Raymond was accepted as an R3 Natural Resource Trainee through the National Science Foundation where he will participate in interdisciplinary research centered around natural resource management and sustainable production.

Lonnie Hobbs, Jr. is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University. Originally from Clarksville, Texas, Hobbs earned a B.S. in Agribusiness from Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and a M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University. His research focuses in the areas of agribusiness, marketing, pet food, supply chain sustainability, and diversity & inclusion. He serves as a co-advisor for Kansas State’s Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS).