K-Statement

 

KONZA PRAIRIE BARN UNDERGOING RENOVATION Surrounded by rolling hills of tallgrass prairie near Manhattan is an old 10,000 square foot limestone barn, rich with historic value and ecological importance. The barn, built in 1910 as part of the Dewey Ranch, was recently renovated into a conference center and meeting facility for K-State's Konza Prairie Biological Station. Konza Prairie, managed by the K-State Division of Biology, unveiled the first stage of the barn's renovation at the Sept. 26 dedication for the Cortelyou Lecture Hall. The Cortelyou family made a key contribution of $300,000 toward the renovation to honor the late John Van Zandt Cortelyou, a K-State faculty member from 1904 to 1934. That is the largest single donation to Konza since its original acquisition. Rushton Gardner Cortelyou, son of John Van Zandt Cortelyou, willed the funds to K-State upon his death in 2004 to honor his father's name at K-State. However, it was Rushton Cortelyou's interest in nature, especially birding, which led to the gift coming to Konza. The cost of the barn's first phase was more than $700,000 and additional funding came from a variety of sources. Konza Prairie was developed as an ecological research site in 1971 and is located on 8,600 acres of native tallgrass prairie preserve jointly owned by the Nature Conservancy and K-State.   NOTEWORTHY   Michel D. Ransom, professor of agronomy, received the Soil Science Education Award at the 2008 Soil Science Society of America annual meeting in Houston, Texas, Oct. 5-9. More Noteworthy   On Campus - November   Nov. 7 Sandzèns from the Sandzèn Birger Sandzèn came to America from Sweden the early 1900s. As a professional artist Sandzén produced an astonishing number of oils, watercolors, and prints, which found their way into literally thousands of homes and schools. Through Feb. 22, Beach Museum of Art. 'Memory of Water' The play Memory of Water brings together three adult sisters for their mother's funeral. As Teresa, Mary and Catherine are going through their mother's items, the sisters bring up a mix of memories that fuel old grievances. 7:30 p.m., Nov. 6-8, Purple Masque Theatre, East Stadium. For ticket information call 532-6428. Nov. 8 Training: Making a Podcast Learn the basic techniques for making a podcast using Garageband. 4 to 5 p.m., 213 Hale Library. Nov. 9 Training: Introduction to iMovie Learn the basics of video editing using iMovie HD. 4 p.m., 213 Hale Library. Nov. 10 'Role of Engineers in Poverty Reduction: Challenges and Opportunities' A lecture by Bernard Amadei, founding president of Engineers Without Borders -- USA. 3:30 p.m., Fiedler Hall Auditorium.

Tribute to Wefald

Recognizing Jon Wefald's contributions to K-State, the state of Kansas and the nation, the Kansas Bioscience Authority held a "Tribute to Jon Wefald" Oct. 28 at K-State's International Grains Program Conference Center. Wefald has been an ex-officio member of the authority's board since its inception. Read more

 

Lighting the way

For decades, the J.R. Macdonald Laboratory at K-State has been known worldwide as a center for atomic collision physics using particle accelerators. Now, researchers at the lab are working toward making it known for ultrafast laser science. Read more

 

UP CLOSE

Capturing campus

The first time David Mayes picked up a camera things clicked -- literally. Now 20 years later, his chance encounter with a camera has turned into an award-winning career in photojournalism. And he'll now bring his eye and talents to bear on the K-State campus as university photographer. Read more

 

PLAUDITS

 

STONE NAMED PICKETT CHAIR

David Stone, professor of history, has been awarded the Richard A. and Greta Bauer Pickett Chair for Exceptional Faculty at K-State.

The Richard A. and Greta Bauer Pickett Chair is one of five chairs endowed by Frank and Elizabeth Burke. It has been put at the disposal of the university president, provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who awarded it to the department of history and the Military History Institute.

Stone teaches courses on the history of Russia and the Soviet Union, India and South Asia, and Western civilization. This semester he is teaching the first part of the Russian survey course, an introductory course for graduate students, and the final project course for master's students in K-State's security studies program.

Stone said serving as the Pickett Chair will not only allow him to continue his teaching and research, but also help the history department expand its growing military history program.

AGRONOMY PROFESSORS NAMED FELLOWS

Kassim Al-Khatib and Alan Schlegel, professors of agronomy, were recently named Fellows of the American Society of Agronomy at the 2008 American Society of Agronomy annual meeting in Houston, Oct. 5-9.

Al-Khatib focuses on plant-environment-herbicides interactions and herbicide-resistant plants. He is also the president of Council of Agricultural Science and Technology and is associate editor for the International Journal of Agronomy. He and a colleague have recently introduced an herbicide-resistant sorghum technology, which will be commercialized in the near future.

Schlegel, an agronomist at K-State's Southwest Research-Extension Center, focuses on nutrient and water management in dryland and limited irrigated cropping systems. He is also currently serving as associate editor for Soil Science Society of America Journal.

The American Society of Agronomy has been naming outstanding members as Fellows since 1924. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Only .3 percent of the Society's active and emeritus members may be elected Fellow.

 

PICTURE PERFECT A work in progress Greg Bramlage (on the lift), Mike Engroff and Bill Valentine of KBS Construction, Inc, Topeka, replace a damaged window frame in Weber Arena Thursday, Oct. 30. The frame was damaged in the tornado. Whether you need candid shots for departmental publications or a professional headshot, contact university photographer David Mayes at 785-532-6304 or photo@k-state.edu

 

 

OH, BY THE WAY

 

REMINDER: FL SHOTS STILL AVAILABLE

K-State's Lafene Health Center has three flu shot clinics remaining on Nov. 6, 13 and 20. The vaccine is available for students, faculty and staff, as well as their spouses and children 18 years or older.

To get the vaccine, check in at Lafene's front entrance on the above clinic dates. Vaccines are available on a walk-in basis. As with all vaccines administered through Lafene, there is a required 20-minute wait following the vaccine injection. The cost of the vaccine is $14 for students and $19 for faculty, staff and their family members.

For students, the vaccine also is available weekdays from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. by appointment at Lafene Health Center.

GRANT TO BOOST ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAMS

Nearly $200,000 has been awarded through the Division of Continuing Education for the development of 26 distance education programs and courses from six K-State colleges. The funds will be used to develop several new online graduate degrees, including horticulture therapy and criminology and justice studies, as well as an online bachelor's degree in family studies and human development. A new certificate in turf grass management will be developed with the funding, along with programs in grain science and industry for professionals in the grain storage, handling and processing industries.

Funding also was awarded for the development of several single courses that will enhance current programs and professional needs, including Environmental Communications, New Media Technology, Introduction to GIS, Structural Analysis, Personal Finances for College Students, The Army Family: From Challenge to Resilience, Organizational Conflict and Aviation Weather. A complete listing of funded grant proposals for the 2008-2009 academic year is available at http://www.dce.k-state.edu/faculty/grants

NEW OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL AVAILABLE

New Prairie Press, an open journal imprint founded and supported by K-State Libraries, has its first open access journal available, The Baltic International Yearbook of Cognition, Logic and Communication. It is edited by Sandra LaPointe, assistant professor of philosophy at K-State, and a colleague at the Center for Cognitive Sciences and Semantics at the University of Latvia. Open access journals are freely available to readers everywhere without restriction. K-State Libraries began New Prairie Press to support the move toward a publishing model where access is not restricted by ability to pay. In addition to The Baltic Yearbook, other titles are currently under development. New Prairie Press can be accessed at http://newprairiepress.org/ and the Baltic Yearbook is available at http://thebalticyearbook.org/

MEDIA DEVELOPMENT CENTER CAN HELP FACULTY, STAFF

The media development center has purchased new equipment to better serve K-State students and faculty/staff. That equipment includes: several new cameras, terabyte-sized hard drives for video editing, equipment for a high-definition editing suite, a Pro Tools sound-recording suite in the sound booth, with a Mac Pro, a Roland Fatom X6 series keyboard, and a Digidesign Digi 003 Pro Tools sound board.

The center's student coordinators also are gearing up to teach classes on how to make podcasts, and use software including Dreamweaver MX, iMovie HD, Final Cut Pro, and After Effects. All dates and times will be posted at http://www.k-state.edu/infotech/mdc

 

 

OPPORTUNITIES CLASSIFIED • A recording of classified job opportunities is available 24 hours a day on the Employment Information Line, 785-532-6271. • A list of employment opportunities is posted at www.k-state.edu/hr/ • For additional information, call 785-532-6277 or come to the Division of Human Resources in 103 Edwards Hall. Applications are accepted 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays. UNCLASSIFIED • A complete listing of vacancies can be seen at www.k-state.edu/affact/ • For additional information, call the office of affirmative action at 785-532-6220 or come by 214 Anderson Hall.