PLAUDITS
K-STATE BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR TO SERVE AS FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR IN THE PHILIPPINES
K-State professor Naiqian Zhang has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar to the Philippines.
Zhang, a professor of biological and agricultural engineering, will spend four months later this year at the University of the Philippines Los Banos. Zhang will teach and continue his research in sensors for precision agriculture.
It's Zhang's first time as a Fulbright Scholar, though he is the third faculty member from K-State's department of biological and agricultural engineering to be named a Fulbright Scholar in the last decade.
The Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 U.S. faculty and professionals abroad each year. Grantees lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Under a cooperative agreement with the bureau, the Council for International Exchange of Scholars assists in the administration of the Fulbright Scholar Program for faculty and professionals.
Zhang joined K-State in 1990 and was promoted to full professor in 2001. He is faculty adviser to the K-State's Robotics Team. He also is a member of Alpha Epsilon, the honor society of agricultural, food and biological engineering; Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society; Gamma Sigma Delta, agriculture honorary; and Sigma Xi, the scientific research society.
FACULTY EARN HONORS AT PHI ZETA RESEARCH DAY
Outstanding research efforts earned two faculty of K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine honors at Phi Zeta Research Day.
The event was sponsored March 2 by K-State's Sigma chapter of Phi Zeta, the veterinary medicine honorary society. The day showcases the research efforts of the college's instructors, house officers, graduate students and professional students. Oral presentations are given on basic or clinical research areas and case reports.
David C. Poole, professor of anatomy and physiology, received the Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence, while Wenjun Ma, research assistant professor in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, was honored with a first place in basic science research presentation for "Viral Reassortment and Transmission After Co-Infection of Pigs with Classical H1N1 and Triple Reassortant H3N2 Swine Influenza Viruses."
K-STATE AT SALINA FACULTY MEMBER TO SERVE ON TECHNOLOGY ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
Raju Dandu, professor of engineering technology at K-State at Salina, has been selected to serve on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Committee on Technology Accreditation.
Dandu's term will run for at least five years.
The committee has frontline responsibility for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' role in the accreditation of engineering technology degree programs through the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, the Accreditation Board for Technology and Engineering.
As a member of the committee, Dandu will review matters related to accreditation criteria for mechanical engineering technology, drafting/design engineering technology and related-degree programs in the U.S.; develop and maintain a cadre of about 50 highly qualified program evaluators; and help support 25 to 60 on-campus evaluation visits each year.
Dandu has previously served as a mechanical engineering technology programs evaluator for ABET.
Dandu joined K-State at Salina in 1997 as an assistant professor and was promoted to full professor in 2008. Along with being active in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, he is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education, Society of Automotive Engineers and Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in thermal and nuclear power engineering from Slovak Technical University, Bratislava, Slovakia, and his doctorate in mechanical engineering from North Dakota State University.