K-STATE DEPENDENT/SPOUSE TUITION GRANT INCREASED
Larry Moeder, assistant vice president for student life, recently announced that the K-State Dependent/Spouse Tuition Grant has been increased from three hours per semester to seven hours per semester for full-time spouse and dependent undergraduate students.
"The seven hours is an attempt by the university to increase the benefit to a rate that represents approximately 50 percent of tuition for past participants of the K-State program. It was also determined that recruitment and retention should be positively affected," Moeder said.
The grant increase is effective with the fall 2010 semester.
Additional information and the application can be found at http://www.k-state.edu/sfa/grants/sdg.htm
The increase is a result of recommendations from a task force co-chaired by Brian Niehoff, associate provost, and Marcia Stockham, associate professor. Other members of the committee were Tom Vontz, Jennifer Gehrt, Karlene Varnadore, Robert Gamez and Becki Bohnenblust.
FORMER CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR PHOTOJOURNALIST JOINING K-STATE'S A.Q. MILLER SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS
Andrew Nelson, a Topeka native who earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from K-State in 1987, will be joining the school's faculty in August as an assistant professor and R.M. Seaton Chair.
Nelson is currently an independent photojournalist and multimedia producer based out of Bangkok, Thailand. His clients have included Habitat for Humanity International and Getty Images. Nelson worked at the Christian Science Monitor for more than a decade and was a staff photographer at the Register-Guard in Eugene, Ore., and The Kansas City Times. In addition, he has taught at the University of Oregon as an adjunct instructor.
"I'm looking forward to returning to my alma mater to help inspire a new generation of journalists in an era of rapid change. Convergent journalism and new media offer great opportunities for compelling storytelling, and I am excited to bring my experience from the field into the classroom," Nelson said.
R.M. Seaton, the late editor and publisher of the Coffeyville (Kan.) Journal, established the Seaton chair in 1981 to attract top news professionals with substantive careers "who will help link the newsroom and the classroom to effectively educate future journalists."
"We are fortunate to have such strong ties with the Seaton family, owners of the Manhattan Mercury, which provides funding for the Seaton Chair. This relationship creates the best possible situation for our students," said Angela Powers, director and professor of the Miller School.
"The Seaton family has been synonymous with journalistic excellence, and I am honored to be named R.M. Seaton Professional Journalism Chair," Nelson said.
While working for the Christian Science Monitor out of Bangkok, Nelson covered stories in Vietnam, Japan and China and produced on-deadline multimedia pieces from the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. Out of the publication's D.C. office, he worked on stories in more than 30 countries. He covered the Kosovo refugee crisis, the 2000 and 2004 U.S. presidential campaigns, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.
Nelson has received numerous awards from the White House News Photographers Association as well an Award of Excellence from the Society for Newspaper Design.
LITTLE APPLE JAZZ FEST SWINGS INTO TOWN JULY 17
Beat the heat and enjoy the smooth sounds at this year's Little Apple Jazz Festival, which promises a new family-friendly area as well as all that jazz residents have come to love.
The 10th annual event is Saturday, July 17, in Manhattan's City Park, 1101 Fremont. The fun begins at 4 p.m. with family-friendly events before the live music begins at 5:30 p.m.
From 4-8 p.m. in and next to the Jon and Ruth Ann Wefald Pavilion, families can enjoy the Fort Riley Morale, Welfare and Recreation's horses and troopers from the Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard, inflatables and a HMMWV and armored security vehicle with crew from the 97th Military Police Battalion. Crafts and recycled crafts will be offered by UFM Community Learning Center, the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art and the Manhattan Arts Center. The zoo animal program from the Sunset Zoo and an insect "petting zoo" from the K-State Insect Zoo are also sure to delight. Willie the Wildcat will make an appearance at 5:30 p.m.
The festival, which is free and open to the public, is part of the city's Arts in the Park series -- a collaborative effort between Manhattan's Parks and Recreation Department and the K-State Student Union Program Council. The event is sponsored by the Dow Chemical Multicultural Resource Center, Meritrust Credit Union and Ag Press Commercial Printing, among others.
This year's performance lineup includes different styles of jazz from local, regional and national artists. Performances are as follows:
5:30-6:15 p.m. -- Tommy Lee
6:15-6:45 and 7:30-8 p.m. -- Susan Hancock and the K-State Jazz Combo
6:45-7:30 p.m. -- Michael Bellar and the AS-IS Ensemble
8-8:45 p.m. -- Roxi Copland
8:45-9:30 p.m. -- Tim Seisser Trio
9:30-10:45 p.m. -- Khani Cole
Food vendors will also be on hand.
While some seating is available, blankets and portable chairs are encouraged.
In case of rain, the concert will be held at the Pavilion.
For audio, video and links to the artists' websites, visit http://www.k-state.edu/upc/jazzfestival.htm
For questions, contact Beth Bailey, assistant director of the K-State Student Union and manager of programs, at 785-532-7326 or lebailey@k-state.edu
REMINDER: WINDOWS XP SP2 AND 2000 SUPPORT HAS ENDED
K-State will not allow any Windows XP Service Pack 2, SP2, operating system or older on the K-State network, which includes the wired and wireless networks on campus, the residence halls and dial-up and VPN connections to the campus network from off-campus. This action is due to Microsoft discontinuing support of older systems on Tuesday, meaning security updates will no longer be available for those systems.
However, Windows XP users can upgrade to Service Pack 3, SP3, to retain access to the campus network.
According to the Feb. 9 article in InfoTech Tuesday, prohibited operating systems on the campus network will "include Windows XP SP2, Windows 2000, Windows ME and Windows 98. Allowed versions are Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7, Server 2003 and Server 2008." For more details, see the Feb. 9 article at http://itnews.itac.k-state.edu/2010/02/windows-2000-xp-service-pack-2-support-ends-july-13/
BETTER HEARING AND SPEECH PROGRAM
In recognition of the importance of hearing to communication, the K-State Speech and Hearing Center is offering free hearing screenings and video otoscopic examinations through July 28.
All employees are eligible for this service.
A limited number of test slots are available, so call 785-532-6879 to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Let the receptionist know you are participating in the better hearing and speech screening program.
The hearing screening will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
NEW RESOURCE CENTER TO SUPPORT K-STATE'S LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDERED COMMUNITY
A new resource center opening in the fall semester at K-State will provide support to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students, faculty and staff.
The center, in 207 Holton Hall, will be staffed 20 hours a week by Brandon Haddock, K-State doctoral student in geography, Junction City. Operation hours are being determined.
"I would like to thank the Student Governing Association; Gayle Spencer, associate dean of student life and director of student activities; Kirk Schulz, K-State president; and Pat Bosco, vice president for student life and dean of students, for their efforts in establishing K-State's first-ever Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Resource Center," said Andrea Blair, adviser to K-State's LGBTQ and More student organization and the director of disability support services.
Blair said having a clearly identified center will help create a more inclusive and welcoming campus for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students, prospective students, faculty and staff.
Initially, Haddock's responsibilities will include:
* Working with the LGBTQ and More student organization to ensure the continuous development of student leaders.
* Serving as the K-State resource person for the well-being and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered members of the campus community.
* Providing information, support and referrals.
* Creating programming to help educate the K-State campus.
* Coordinating and providing education, outreach and advocacy on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered concerns within the campus community, including organizing panels to speak to classes and at other diversity events on campus.
K-STATE LIBRARIES' NEW KANSAS AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY INITIATIVE PROVIDING A HISTORICAL RECORD OF HOW KANSAS LANDSCAPE EVOLVED
K-State Libraries at Kansas State University have completed the opening round of a project to digitize U.S. Department of Agriculture aerial photographs of Kansas counties for study and research.
The new Kansas Aerial Photography Initiative includes aerial photographs taken of Riley County in 1939 and Marshall County in 1956. The photos are available to view and download from the K-State Libraries website, http://www.lib.k-state.edu, by searching "KAPI" using the search box on the upper right of the page.
The project showcases one small portion of a much larger collection. In 2004 K-State Libraries undertook a project to conserve, catalog and store nearly 65,000 black-and-white aerial photographs of Kansas from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The project also includes their associated photo index sheets. The original high-quality photographs, most of which date between 1952 and 1971, provide a pictorial record of the cultural and physical features of a large portion of the state.
"This historic collection of photographs will be an invaluable source for researchers in geography, history and agriculture," said Debora Madsen, licensing and metadata librarian for K-State Libraries. "It's a clear record of how the landscape of Kansas evolved through the middle of the 20th century."
In addition to photographs from Riley and Marshall counties, photo index sheets from all but one Kansas county have been digitized and made available online. The index sheets can be used to determine whether specific photographs are held, either as digital or physical copies, in the K-State Libraries collection.
Anyone interested in seeing photographs not yet digitized may request that K-State Libraries staff scan and deliver digital copies. Individuals needing large numbers of images are also welcome to make arrangements to examine physical copies and do their own scanning in Hale Library on the K-State campus.
For more information about the initiative or to make arrangements to access and scan archival photographs from the collection, contact Linda Marston at 785-532-5989 or lmartston@k-state.edu.
IMPROVING CELL PHONE SERVICE IN YOUR HOME
Some of you may have experienced dead spots for cell service in and around your home. Several cellphone companies are selling solutions to boost cell coverage in your home. These devices are know as microcells. The way they work is that they piggyback on a DSL or cable modem connection. They are plugged into a home switch or router and send all of the phone call and data used from the cellphone through the DSL or cable modem connection.
There are two costs for this service. The first is that a microcell must be purchased from your cellphone provider, and the second is a possible monthly service fee for the service itself, depending on provider and options.
Check with your cellphone provider for availability and cost.