K-State in the news — November 2020
Some of the top stories mentioning Kansas State University are posted below. Download an Excel file (xls) with all of this month's news stories.
Monday, Nov. 30, 2020
National/International
4 Spider Plant Benefits (Plus, How to Make Sure They Thrive)
11/29/20 Yahoo!
According to a study by researchers at Kansas State University, adding the spider plant to hospital rooms can speed up the recovery rate of surgical patients compared to patients in rooms without a plant. The researchers found that the patients in rooms with plants required less pain medication, didn’t suffer from blood pressure or heart rate issues, experienced less anxiety or depression and were released from the hospital sooner.
Regional/State
*Pandemic means fewer snow days in Kansas
11/27/20 KAKE-TV
“Having those snow days is part of the tradition of being a student, being a teacher,” said Tom Vontz, the director of the Master of Arts in Teaching program at Kansas State University. “Bucking that tradition probably won’t be easy for administrators.”
AAAS selects K-State distinguished professor as 2020 fellow
11/28/20 WIBW-TV
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has chosen a Kansas State University distinguished professor as its 2020 fellow.
*Global collaboration is unlocking wheat's potential
11/29/20 Hays Post
In a paper published Wednesday, Nov. 25, in Nature, Kansas State University researchers, in collaboration with the international 10+ Genome Project led by the University of Saskatchewan, have announced the complete genome sequencing of 15 wheat varieties representing breeding programs around the world — an invaluable resource to improve global wheat production.
Local
City notebook: Officials estimate about 50k e-scooter rides completed since August
11/27/20 Manhattan Mercury
Many of the rides take place on the Kansas State University campus, areas surrounding campus as well as Aggieville, said Jared Wasinger, assistant to the city manager. He reported on progress of the program during an intergovernmental luncheon earlier this week.
K-State researchers to work on team targeting foodborne illness in Cambodia
11/29/20 Kansas State Collegian
Kansas State researchers received a $760,000 grant from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety to help protect against foodborne diseases and increase food safety awareness in Cambodia.
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020
National/International
Airlines Stir Doubts With ‘Flying Is Safe’ Claim on Covid Spread
11/24/20 Bloomberg
“I haven’t seen any studies come out and say it’s highly risky,” said Byron Jones, an engineering professor at Kansas State University who has studied airliner cabin-air safety. “But I haven’t seen the study that says it’s definitively safe either.”
Economist reviews shocks to beef industry with implications for cattle, beef prices ahead
11/24/20 SouthernLivestock.com
The beef cattle industry has already experienced three big “shocks” this year and the effects are ongoing, but have been blunted to some extent, according to a Kansas State University agricultural economist.
Regional/State
*K-State researchers study cats, pigs with coronavirus
11/24/20 KSNT
Cats and pigs could be helping Kansas State University researchers better understand how coronavirus spreads.
K-State senior discusses missing in-person graduation due to pandemic
11/24/20 FOX4
A break with tradition for some surrounding colleges and universities.
Local
Officials: COVID-19 cases spreading outside of school at KSU, USD 383
11/18/20 The Collegian
The spread of coronavirus cases in students and school employees is mostly happening off-campus, according to Manhattan-Ogden school district and K-State officials.
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020
National/International
Your Mental Health Can Affect How You Save Money
11/23/20 Yahoo! Finance
"There is some point where you need to balance your financial goals with some need for immediate gratification,” says Megan McCoy, director of the masters program for personal financial planning at Kansas State University, a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified financial therapist.
Keep Food Poisoning Off the Menu
11/23/20 MSN
A 2018 study published in the Journal of Food Protection found that 61 percent of poultry packages had meat juice on their outside surfaces, which was often transferred to shoppers' hands, grocery bags, and kitchens—in addition to other food items in their carts. Researchers from Kansas State University recommend using the bags for raw poultry and meat while you're shopping and when storing the products in the fridge.
Regional/State
Researchers aim to mitigate COVID-19 in meat and poultry processing facilities
11/24/20 High Plains Journal
Kansas State University researchers are involved in a U.S. Department of Agriculture–funded project to protect meat plant workers and their surrounding communities from the spread of COVID-19.
Local
Countywide mask mandate to last indefinitely
11/23/20 The Collegian
This action was supported by Kansas State President Richard Myers in a letter to the community.
“Now is the time to put political differences aside and do what is right for the health and safety of everyone in our communities while keeping businesses open to help restore our economy,” Myers wrote in K-State Today. “Now is the time to be prudent and require face coverings.”
Monday, Nov. 23, 2020
National/International
Face recognition isn't just for humans — it's learning to identify bears and cows, too
11/22/20 CNN
Hoagland approached KC Olson, a professor at Kansas State University, who brought together a group of specialists at the school in areas like veterinary science and computer science in order to gather pictures of cattle to create a database for training and testing an AI system. They built a proof-of-concept system in March that included more than 135,000 images of 1,000 young beef cattle; Olson said it was 94% accurate at identifying animals, whether or not it had seen them before.
Keep food poisoning off the menu
11/23/20 Consumer Reports
A 2018 study published in the Journal of Food Protection found that 61 percent of poultry packages had meat juice on their outside surfaces, which was often transferred to shoppers' hands, grocery bags, and kitchens—in addition to other food items in their carts. Researchers from Kansas State University recommend using the bags for raw poultry and meat while you're shopping and when storing the products in the fridge.
Regional/State
*K-State Shelter Medicine Mobile Surgery Unit performs 25,000th procedure
11/21/20 WIBW-TV
Kansas State University says the numbers keep adding up while veterinary students continue to gain valuable surgical experience with its Shelter Medicine Mobile Surgery Unit.
How likely is a wildfire this time of year in Kansas? The risk may be higher than you think.
11/22/20 Topeka Capital Journal
Dry land, low humidity and high winds are a triple threat when it comes to creating conditions in which wildfires thrive, according to Christopher Redmond, a Kansas State University meteorologist. And he said those risk factors can be common this time of year.
Local
*K-State celebrates completion of new multicultural student center
11/20/20 KMAN
A new campus building will bridge cultures for years to come at Kansas State University.
*Faculty furloughs cut costs and morale, provost says
11/20/20 Kansas State Collegian
In response to budget declines resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Kansas State implemented faculty and staff furloughs for the College of Arts and Sciences effective from Aug. 9, 2020 to June 12, 2021.
“To date, the university has an estimated financial impact of $111 million in new costs or lost revenues from the still-evolving COVID impact, declining enrollment and uncertain state funding,” provost Charles Taber wrote in an email.
Friday, Nov. 20, 2020
National/International
Industry giant invests in K-State, animal health hub
11/19/20 Veterinary Practice News
Boehringer Ingelheim and Kansas State University’s (K-State’s) College of Veterinary Medicine have entered into a partnership that will see the company’s U.S. Animal Health business donate $800,000 over the next five years to the KSU Foundation.
Regional/State
Kansas State cancels fall commencement as virus surges
11/19/20 KCTV 5
Kansas State University has canceled its fall commencement set for this weekend as the coronavirus outbreak worsened on campus and across the state.
Local
K-State president, mayor ask Riley County to go with Gov. Kelly's mask mandate
11/19/20 The Manhattan Mercury
K-State President Richard Myers and Manhattan mayor Usha Reddi want Riley County to go along with Gov. Laura Kelly’s mask mandate.
US Sen. Moran surprises late Flinchbaugh's class at K-State
11/20/20 The Manhattan Mercury
Like he has done so many times in the past, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, joined an agricultural policy class at Kansas State University, surprising students.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020
National/International
*Are Cats Spreading COVID-19? Study Finds Domestic Cats Can Be Asymptomatic Carriers of SARS-CoV-2
11/18/20 scitechdaily.com
Two recently published studies from Kansas State University researchers and collaborators have led to two important findings related to the COVID-19 pandemic: Domestic cats can be asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2, but pigs are unlikely to be significant carriers of the virus. SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19.
Regional/State
*2 K-State studies focus on coronavirus disease transmission in domestic cats, pigs
11/18/20 KSNT
Cats can be asymptomatic carriers of coronavirus, but pigs are unlikely to be significant carriers of the virus according to a recently published study from Kansas State University.
Local
As in-person semester comes to a close, more than 300 students are in quarantine
11/18/20 The Collegian
With just under 72 hours left in the in-person part of the fall semester, Kansas State reported more than 300 students were in quarantine during the week of Nov. 9 as COVID-19 cases surge worldwide.
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020
National/International
*Kansas State Cancels Fall Commencement as Virus Surges
11/17/20 U.S. News & World Report
Kansas State University has canceled its fall commencement set for this weekend as the coronavirus outbreak worsened on campus and across the state.
Cocrystal Pharma Reports Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Provides Update on Antiviral Programs
11/16/20 Yahoo! Finance
Our first program is with compounds licensed from Kansas State University Research Foundation (“KSURF”) that have demonstrated in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 (responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic) activity, and in vivo efficacy in MERS-CoV-infected animal models. Cocrystal continued preclinical studies of these COVID-19 inhibitors during the third quarter. We anticipate the selection of a lead preclinical molecule by the end of 2020.
Regional/State
*Kansas State cancels fall commencement as virus surges
11/17/20 Kansas City Star
Kansas State University has canceled its fall commencement set for this weekend as the coronavirus outbreak worsened on campus and across the state.
Local
*K-State cancels fall commencement
11/17/20 Manhattan Mercury
K-State is canceling its fall commencement because of a surge of COVID-19 cases on campus and throughout the state, university officials announced Tuesday morning.
*Boehringer Ingelheim, KSU partner to invest in future of vet medicine
11/16/20 Junction City Post
Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading provider of animal health products, and Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine have announced a strategic collaboration that will support a strong pipeline of highly skilled veterinarians and continued innovation in the heart of the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, according to a media release from the university.
Monday, Nov. 16, 2020
National/International
*Friday the 13th: How it came to be and why it's considered unlucky
11/13/20 CNN
1 in 4 Americans say they are superstitious. While the other 3 out of 4 Americans might scoff at this, there is actually psychological science to back superstition. Psychologists at Kansas State University say superstitions are all about trying to control your fate. People often use superstitions to try to achieve a desired outcome or to help alleviate anxiety. A perfect example of this is performers and athletes who perform specific and sometimes quirky rituals before a big event.
Checkoff or check out: Are commodity assessment programs helping farmers?
11/13/20 Successful Farming
In 2012, the Kansas Wheat Commission opened the doors to the $15 million Kansas Wheat Innovation Center, a sprawling complex of office, laboratory, and greenhouse space near the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan. Wheat farmers paid for the building through the 2¢-per-bushel Wheat Checkoff. It is home to the KWC plus Heartland Plant Innovations, a for-profit company that has developed a method for creating wheat doubled haploids, which helps reduce development time for new wheat varieties.
Regional/State
*How Kansas universities are sending students home for Thanksgiving in a pandemic
11/14/20 Wichita Eagle
Kansas State University has been the one state school encouraging all students to get tested before leaving — specifically three days before they travel to get results before they go.
A riveting new photo book shares vulnerable portraits of the football team that inspired ‘Friday Night Lights’
11/14/20 Texas Monthly
R0bert Clark was working as a contract photographer at the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1988 when he heard that one of the newspaper’s star reporters, Buzz Bissinger, was planning to move to West Texas to write a book about high school football. Just 28 years old and three years out of Kansas State University, Clark worked up the courage one day to buttonhole Bissinger. He only had one question: “Permian?”
Local
*K-State experts: Pandemic had effect on method of voting, reflected polarization of US
11/13/20 Manhattan Mercury
Timothy Shaffer, associate professor in the department of communication studies and director of the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at K-State, said the way each candidate talked about mail-in ballots was reflected in how his supporters voted.
*Steps toward ‘more inclusive K-State’ remain in early stages
11/13/20 Kansas State Collegian
As the end of in-person classes for the fall semester approaches, Kansas State is in the beginning phases of planning and implementing its Action Plan for a More Inclusive K-State.
Friday, Nov. 13, 2020
National/International
Lessons learned with African swine fever virus in feed biosecurity
11/13/20 National Hog Farmer
To further understand these observations, a study was recently conducted at Kansas State University under biosafety level 3Ag conditions in collaboration with Jürgen Richt and his team to evaluate the distribution characteristics of ASFV if introduced into feed manufacturing equipment.
Regional/State
* How Kansas universities are sending students home for Thanksgiving in a pandemic
11/13/20 KSN/Kansas News Service
Kansas State University has been the one state school encouraging all students to get tested before leaving — specifically three days before they travel to get results before they go.
University of Missouri shifts to all online classes, tells students to stay home
11/13/20 The Kansas City Star
With the latest announcement, MU joins University of Kansas and Kansas State University, which both will do all remote instruction after Thanksgiving.
Local
*K-State offers ‘Test optional’ scholarships for Fall 2021 freshmen
11/12/20 WIBW
Kansas State University started a new program to help students get scholarships -- without an ACT score.
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020
Regional/State
How Kansas Universities Are Sending Students Home For Thanksgiving In A Pandemic
11/11/20 KMUW
Kansas State University has been the one state school encouraging all students to get tested before leaving — specifically three days before they travel to get results before they go.
Local
On-campus positivity rate surpasses 10 percent
11/11/20 The Collegian
With about a week and a half left in the in-person portion of the fall semester, the campus positivity rate is surging. For two consecutive weeks, the positivity rate doubled, leaving Riley County and Kansas State health officials warning people to take the COVID-19 pandemic more seriously.
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020
National/International
Prep water systems for winter
11/10/20 Morning Ag Clips
As beef producers manage the herd in dropping temperatures this winter, Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts stress that now is the time to make sure the watering systems are set up for full time access to clean, drinkable water.
Regional/State
Global Food Systems & Kansas
11/6/20 Smoky Hills PBS
We take a look at the global food systems with Professors at Kansas State University as well as get some perspectives from the farmers themselves as we look at Global Food Systems and how Kansas fits in on this episode of Real Ag.
New coin to celebrate Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas
11/10/20 KSN
“Conserving these grasslands is really important for a number of reasons, it harbors tremendous amount of biodiversity of plants and animals. In Kansas, this is on the flyway for many migratory birds that use this habitat,” said John Blair, a K-State biology professor and director of the Konza Prairie Biological Station.
Local
K-State’s Lafene Health Medical director urges caution leading up to fall break
11/10/20 KSNT
With Thanksgiving a few short weeks away, the Kansas State medical director is urging students to use caution when returning home.
Tuesday, Nov. 10. 2020
National/International
Farmers are depleting the Ogallala Aquifer because the government pays them to do it
11/9/20 Yahoo News
Matthew R Sanderson, Professor of Sociology and Professor of Geography and Geospatial Sciences, Kansas State University, Jacob A. Miller, PhD Student in Sociology, Kansas State University, and Burke Griggs, Associate Professor of Law, Washburn University.
How to be a better college and university student
11/10/20 Human Window
A Good Student Brings Their Own Identity And Culture Into Their Classrooms
Lior Shamir, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Kansas State University
Regional/State
*It’s 2020 and ‘The Hip Hop Nutcracker’ may be just what you need this Christmas
11/9/20 KSNT
Kansas State University’s McCain Auditorium is offering, via livestream, the “The Hip Hop Nutcracker.” The contemporary dance spectacle will be available Friday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
Local
In Focus 11/9/20
11/9/20 1350 KMAN
On Monday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with Brad Crauer with KSU Vet Med.
Monday, Nov. 9, 2020
National/International
*K-State research team looks for ways to fight tick-borne diseases
11/8/20 MSN Canada
A research team from Kansas State University is searching for patented ways to fight tick-borne diseases.
Regional/State
*More teachers are coming to Kansas than leaving it, data shows
11/8/20 Topeka Capital Journal
While teacher pay in Kansas may not be competitive nationally, the state’s average still outpaces salary figures in the region, said Tuan Nguyen, a Kansas State University professor who researches teacher policy and the education labor market.
*Kansas State University adjusts plans for graduation ceremonies
11/6/20 KSBH-TV
Kansas State University announced changes to upcoming commencement ceremonies, citing a projected surge of COVID-19 cases across Kansas.
*K-State grad student from Murdock wins teaching award
11/6/20 Fremont Tribune
A Kansas State University graduate student from Murdock has been honored for teaching excellence.
Local
*K-State launches theater podcast to offer performance opportunities during pandemic
11/8/20 Manhattan Mercury
K-State theater faculty and students have found their own way to navigate shuttered stages.
*McCain Auditorium launches new livestream series
11/7/20 WIBW-TV
Due to the cancellation of performances through December, McCain Auditorium is launching a new livestream series.
Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
National/International
7 ag stories you might have missed this week
11/05/20 BEEF Magazine
Kansas State University emeritus professor Barry Flinchbaugh died Nov. 2. He was 78. Flinchbaugh was one of the United States' leading experts on agricultural policy and agricultural economics.
Regional/State
Flinchbaugh memories bring shared smiles
11/05/20 Kansas Farmer
Grief is strong in Wildcat country as word spreads of the loss of a Kansas State University icon who influenced more than four decades of farm and economic policy and thousands of students, many of whom have, in turn, made their mark on the world. Professor Emeritus Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh died on Monday, Nov. 2.
Local
Riley County has sent more than $7 million in COVID-19 relief funding
11/05/20 The Manhattan Mercury
The county already reimbursed $760,000 to Kansas State University. K-State has since submitted $1.2 million more in reimbursements. Robison said the county expects to send that money to the university by next week.
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020
National/International
Causes of non-hereditary DCM in dogs explored
11/5/20 FeedStuffs.com
Scientific experts from academia, industry and veterinary medicine came together Sept. 29, 2020, in a virtual scientific forum hosted by Kansas State University (KSU) to examine potential causes of non-hereditary canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, including the emerging issue between canine DCM and certain diets.
Local
Officials announce K-State track and field team as COVID-19 outbreak
11/4/20 The Manhattan Mercury
The K-State track and field team is Riley County’s latest coronavirus outbreak with 10 people testing positive.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020
National/International
Researchers offer advice for weed management in 2021
11/3/20 Ag Update
“For corn, early-season weed control is especially important because key elements of yield potential are determined early in the growing season,” said Sarah Lancaster, assistant professor and Extension specialist at Kansas State University. “Any limitations created by weeds during that time will limit the yield potential of the crop.”
Local
*Launch of KSU physician assistant program delayed
11/3/20 The Manhattan Mercury
Kansas State University has delayed the start of its new physician assistant program pending approval from the accrediting body. The program was originally slated to begin in the spring 2021 semester. The university will announce a revised schedule in the future based on the accreditation process.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020
National/International
How to match cattle needs to feed resources
11/2/20 The Cattle Site
Just as families make plans, cattle producers need to be looking into their fall grazing options, according to the team of experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute.
Make the most of banker relationships
11/2/20 Iowa Farmer Today
“Building a team of trusted advisors is key to running a successful ranching operation,” said Bob Weaber, Kansas State University beef cattle Extension specialist, during a recent Beef Cattle Institute Cattle Chat podcast.
Regional/State
K-State’s Barry Flinchbaugh helped draft farm bills, was ‘icon of agricultural policy’
11/2/20 Wichita Eagle
Barry Flinchbaugh, a Kansas State University professor and economist who regularly assisted in the drafting of farm bills, has died.
Monday, Nov. 2, 2020
National/International
It's time for designers to embrace fire as the ecological and cultural force that it is
11/2/20 ArchDaily
Prescribed burns aren’t suited only to large, undeveloped landscapes. In Kansas, where pasture burning is a common practice among ranchers and land managers—again, inherited from Indigenous people—the parks departments of cities like Wichita have been burning their public parks for years. “People are appreciating more and more that landscapes are complex and that what would seem to some to be detrimental is, in fact, helpful,” said Rod Harms, a custom home builder in Manhattan, Kansas, who, with his wife, Stephanie Rolley, a professor of landscape architecture at Kansas State University, has annually burned their 130-acre residential property since the mid-1990s.
Regional/State
Unmanned air crafts present a new way to examine crops and cattle — students in Kansas at the forefront
10/31/20 Topeka Capital Journal
Logan North, 19, plans to go back to his family’s farm in McCracken in Rush County and use a drone to look after the family’s cows while they’re calving. Fellow student, Laura Doll, 19, plans to attend Kansas State University after graduation from Hutch and major in agronomy. “I took this class because I want to be a crop adviser,” said Doll, who grew up on a farm in Andale. “I want to be able to scope the fields.”
Local
*Title IX policy changes affect reporting requirements
11/1/20 Manhattan Mercury
A federal change to Title IX that led to K-State altering its policy means students reporting sexual harassment now have to clear a higher bar to prove harassment occurred.
*Staying connected: K-State's arts venues increase virtual offerings as pandemic closures continue
11/1/20 Manhattan Mercury
The arts world is slowly coming back to life after performance venues and museums closed in March. K-State’s McCain Auditorium and Beach Museum of Art are still closed to the public, but both are seeking new ways to offer connections to the arts from home.
