MORE THAN 50 K-STATE FACULTY MEMBERS EARN PROMOTIONS, TENURE
K-State is promoting 18 faculty members to full professor, 34 to associate professor with tenure, and is awarding tenure to four additional faculty members.
K-State President Kirk Schulz has approved the promotions and tenure, which go into effect July 1.
Promoted to full professor are: Laurie Bagby, political science; Raymond Cloyd, entomology; John Crespi, agriculture economics; Joel DeRouchey, animal sciences and industry; Karen Garrett, plant pathology; Kurt Gartner, music; Bruce Glymour, philosophy; Kenneth Harkin, clinical sciences; Craig Harms, kinesiology; Keith Hohn, chemical engineering; Barney King, aviation; Charles Martin, geography; Jane Mertz Garcia, family studies and human services; Christopher Pinner, mathematics; Jacqueline Spears, secondary education; David Steward, civil engineering; Harold Trick, plant pathology; and Robert Wolf, biological and agriculture engineering.
Promoted to associate professor with tenure are: Vincent Amanor-Boadu, agricultural economics; Jennifer Askey, modern languages; Timothy Bower, engineering technology; Johann Coetzee, clinical sciences; Melinda Daniels, geography; Michael Dudek, apparel, textiles and interior design; Xiang Fang, mathematics; Todd Gabbard, architecture; William Genereux, engineering technology; Glen Horton-Smith, physics; Takashi Ito, chemistry; Julia Keen, architectural engineering and construction science; Butch KuKanich, anatomy and physiology; Thomas Logan, architectural engineering and construction science; Andrew Long, political science; Lester Loschky, psychology; Diego Maldonado, mathematics; Yurii Maravin, physics; Jeremy Marshall, entomology; Leland McKinney, grain science and industry; Christy Moran Craft, special education, counseling and student affairs; Brian Olson, agronomy and Northwest Area Extension office, Colby; Julie Pentz, communication studies, theater and dance; Eduard Plett, engineering technology; Andrew Smith, aviation; Lisa Tatonetti, English; Mark Ungerer, biology; Haiyan Wang, statistics; Brian Washburn, physics; Michael Wesch, sociology, anthropology and social work; Brad White, clinical sciences; Jeff Whitworth, entomology; Samantha Wisely, biology; and Jianming Yu, agronomy.
Earning tenure are the following faculty members, all associate professors, are: Yong Cheng Shi, grain science and industry; Kimberly Kirkpatrick, psychology; Caterina Scoglio, electrical and computer engineering; and Masaaki Tamura, anatomy and physiology.
K-STATE'S SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM RECEIVES CONTINUING ACCREDITATION FROM COUNCIL ON SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION
A key accrediting agency for social work education in the U.S. has approved continuing accreditation for Kansas State University's social work program.
The accreditation is from the Council on Social Work Education. K-State's program in social work, offered through the department of sociology, anthropology and social work, has been continuously accredited by the council since 1974.
"We've always known that we have a great program and that we send highly qualified social workers out into communities all across Kansas, but it is also good to have this acknowledged from the people who look at hundreds of programs each year," said Janice Dinkel, K-State associate professor and social work program coordinator. "Also noteworthy is that we are reaccredited until February 2018 without having to write an interim report, which, in the past, has almost been standard."
The Council on Social Work Education is a nonprofit national association representing more than 3,000 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 1952, the organization is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the U.S.
"Our accreditation represents an enormous amount of work on the part of the faculty and our Community Advisory Committee. We have spent the last three years preparing the documents and getting ready for the site visit, which occurred in September 2009," Dinkel said. "It is wonderful to have this behind us with the recognition from our accrediting body that we continue to do an excellent job providing social work education at K-State."
Dinkel credits the excellence of K-State social work students and faculty in helping the program retain its accreditation.
"According to figures from K-State's career and employment services, our graduates have the highest employment rate of all majors in the College of Arts and Sciences with 10 or more recent graduates reporting their job status," she said. "From 2004 to 2008, social work students in the Introduction to Social Work course volunteered at community agencies for a total of 632 hours and an estimated economic impact of $318,255; in that same period, social work students in their field practicums completed 73,030 hours in social work agencies across the state for an estimated economic impact of $1,395,740."
K-State social work faculty also practice what they teach, Dinkel said.
"Our faculty members include two Kansas state social workers of the year, and the 2009 K-State Inspire by Example award went to a K-State social work faculty member for his work with our social work students' community projects and with the American Red Cross," she said.
Dinkel said social workers help people deal with their relationships with others; their personal, family and community problems; and with growing and developing by learning to cope with or shape the social and environmental forces affecting daily lives.
K-STATE FOR ALL WEEK MARCH 28 THROUGH APRIL 3
K-State for All week, which is intended to raise campus awareness of disabilities, is from March 28 through April 3.
The K-State For All committee chose this year to highlight ability and creativity in overcoming barriers generated by a disability, said Jacyln Anderson, assistant director of disability support services at K-State.
Several activities will be taking place, all of which are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. They include:
* Nacho buffet and game night, 6-8 p.m. Sunday, March 28, Derby Dining Center;
* Screening of the film "Adam," a drama-comedy about a young man with Asperger's Syndrome pursuing a young woman who does not have a disability, 7 p.m. Monday, March 29, Little Theater, K-State Student Union.
* Presentation about assistance dogs, noon Tuesday, March 30, courtyard, K-State Student Union. Canine Companions for Independence from Kansas City will show off the amazing skills of their highly trained animals from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
* Kevin Saunders, a 1978 graduate of K-State and accomplished Paralympian will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, K-State Student Union Ballroom. Saunders, a nationally recognized advocate for physical activity who also was recently nominated to serve as a chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness, will talk about overcoming adversity.
* "Candyland: The Musical" is an original one-act play by the Barrier-Free Theatre featuring a cast including students with and without developmental or physical disabilities. The play will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 2, and at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 3, at the Manhattan Arts Center, 1520 Poyntz Ave. Adult tickets are $5 at the door and children get in free. Attendees at the Saturday matinee also will be treated to ice cream donated by the Kansas Dairy Association, while supplies last.
* Student musicians with disabilities will be featured prior to the presentation of the "Promoting Accessibility Across Campus" faculty/staff award. They will play at noon Friday, April 2, courtyard, K-State Union.