Kansas State University

K-State in the news — April 2021

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.

Friday, April 30, 2021

National/International

Channel migration plays leading role in river network evolution, study finds
4/29/21 NSF
A U.S. National Science Found-funded study led by Abigail Langston of Kansas State University and involving collaborators Jeffrey Kwang of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Gary Parker of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign takes a closer look at the vertical and lateral -- or depth and width -- components of river erosion and drainage patterns. The results are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

*Tyson to invest in U.S. CattleTrace program
4/29/21 Yahoo News
In 2018, a partnership between Kansas State University, the Kansas Livestock Association, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and individual producer stakeholders launched the CattleTrace Inc. pilot project.

Regional/State

*K-State Poly student is 2021 Pelton Student Employee of the Year
4/29/21 KSAL
The top student employee at Kansas State University is a senior in airport management from the Kansas State Polytechnic Campus.

*College of Veterinary Medicine Launches New Database For Listing Externship Opportunities
4/29/21 KSAL
A new tool at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine will make it easier for veterinary practices and related pet health companies to connect with veterinary students who are seeking externship opportunities.

Thursday, April 29, 2021

National/International

President Biden Announces 16 Key Administration Nominations
4/28/21 The White House
Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in key administration positions.
…
Geraldine Richmond, Under Secretary for Science, Department of Energy
A native of Kansas, Richmond received her B.S. in chemistry from Kansas State University in 1975 and her Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley in 1980. 
…

Increase In CO2 Is Turning Prairie Grass Into Junk Food For Grasshoppers
4/28/21 WBUR Boston
In one of the storage rooms at the Konza research building on the campus of Kansas State University, brown paper bags full of grass and dirt samples fill the walls from the floor to the ceiling. And those bags are just some of the samples from last year.

State/Regional  

*Tyson to invest in U.S. CattleTrace program
4/28/21 The Joplin Globe
In 2018, a partnership between Kansas State University, the Kansas Livestock Association, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and individual producer stakeholders launched the CattleTrace Inc. pilot project.

Local

*McCain Connected series to feature pandemic film about local doctor Steve Short
4/28/21 The Manhattan Mercury
A documentary about a Manhattan doctor’s work in New York City during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic is part of a double feature hosted by K-State’s McCain Auditorium.

 

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

National/International

Here's Why You Shouldn't Worry About COVID-Carrying Houseflies
4/27/21 Verywell Health
Study coauthor Jürgen A. Richt, DVM, PhD, a professor at Kansas State University and director of the Center on Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, tells Verywell that he and his fellow researchers decided to study this because “there are many cases of COVID-19 where we don’t know how someone contracted the virus.”

State/Regional  

KRUG: Promoting the mission of K-State Research & Extension
4/27/21 Hays Post 
Our local extension program is a partnership of K-State Research and Extension and residents of Ellis and Barton Counties. Residents can become active partners by serving as members of a program development committee, or PDC.

Local

*Tyson supports University-developed US animal disease ID system
4/27/21 WIBW
A national cattle identification system that was first developed at Kansas State University has received a big boost of support from one of the country’s largest food companies.

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

National/International

Tyson Foods First Meat Company to Join Cattle Traceability Program
4/26/21 Perishable News
In 2018, a collaborative partnership between Kansas State University, the Kansas Livestock Association, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, USDA, and individual producer stakeholders launched the CattleTrace Inc. pilot project. The goal of the pilot was to develop a purpose-built infrastructure for an animal disease traceability system, evaluate the infrastructure, and determine the value proposition of the system at each production segment and across the industry. 

Local

Health expert discusses mental health impacts of pandemic
4/26/21 JC Post
Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State University, said 46% of adults do not feel comfortable going back to living life like they used to before the pandemic 

*Dr. Goerl discusses masking, vaccine requirement for fall semester
4/26/21 Collegian
Other schools, some of them private schools, have announced they will require vaccines for students who live on campus or any local student, but Goerl said Kansas State is not currently considering a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for the fall 2021 semester.

Monday, April 26, 2021

National/International

*Drone operators challenge surveyors' turf in mapping dispute
4/25/21 Washington Post
But Kurt Carraway, executive director of the Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State University, said licensing boards should do more to embrace partnerships by researching the accuracy of drone mapping and encouraging the use of drones, particularly in places where a surveyor can’t safely do the work.

State/Regional

*Student from KCK to receive Blue Key scholarship at K-State
4/23/21 Wyandotte Daily
Eric Terrazas of Kansas City, Kansas, has been selected to receive a Blue Key scholarship for the 2021-2022 academic year at Kansas State University, Manhattan.

Local

*Silence: Rose vigil at K-State honors those lost to police violence
4/24/21 Manhattan Mercury
Half a dozen K-State students and staff observed a moment of silence Friday during a rose vigil to honor those nationwide who died from police violence.

*Fire as a tool: Konza Prairie researchers maintain ancient grassland with modern techniques
4/24/21 Manhattan Mercury
Portions of the 13.5 square-mile prairie research and experiment station, jointly owned by Kansas State University and The Nature Conservancy, are scorched in individually marked sections during the months of April and May as part of a long-term study on tallgrass management practices. Different areas are burned at different frequencies, cattle are introduced for feeding at different times, and some plots are left unburned for longer.

Friday, April 23, 2021

National/International

Tim Scott often talks about his grandfather and cotton. There’s more to that tale.
4/22/21 Washington Post
Spencer Wood, a leading expert on Black farms at Kansas State University, said Ware’s land ownership “was definitely unusual,” as so few Black farmers at the time owned land. He said that post-emancipation, most Black people acquired land because they knew or were related to the White landowner who sold it to them.

House flies can carry SARS-CoV-2 up to 24 hours after exposure, study finds
4/22/21 NewsMedical Life Sciences
A team of researchers in the USA – at Kansas State University and Agricultural Research Service – found that house flies can acquire and harbor infectious SARS-CoV-2 for up to 24 hours after exposure.

Local

*K-State Symphony Orchestra preparing for upcoming performance
4/22/21 WIBW
KSU has announced that the K-State Symphony Orchestra will present its final performance of the season, “Symphony at Sunset,” live and in person at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 29, on the Anderson Hall Lawn. The concert is free to the public.

Council on Parking Operations proposes 10 percent increase in parking permit rate for upcoming year
4/22/21 Collegian
In Thursday’s virtual town hall, director of parking and transportation Jeff Barnes and other members of the Council on Parking Operations addressed the proposed increase in parking fees for fiscal year 2022.

*April Is National Heartworm Awareness Month
4/22/21 KSAL
April is National Heartworm Awareness Month. Susan Nelson, clinical professor at the Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine, is reminding pets owners that the risk of heartworm transmission to pets increases as the weather warms up.

Thursday, April 22, 2021

National/International

WISHH & KSU Advance Cambodian Aquaculture with Soy Feeds Tools
4/21/21 Market Screener
ASA's World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program, Kansas State University (KSU) and other partners have collaborated to produce new fish feeding and growth charts. These vital new tools will assist Cambodian fish farmers in their transition from homemade feeds based on rice bran and wild fish to pelleted soy-based feeds manufactured in Cambodian feed mills.

Local

* K-State receives $10M from Wingstop CEO for new student wellness center, initiatives
4/21/21 The Mercury
Kansas State University is receiving a multimillion-dollar donation to create a student wellness center and fund other student initiatives.

*K-State Team Studying Algae Blooms
4/21/21 KSAL
To address this concern, a Kansas State University research team is developing novel mobile monitoring platforms to better understand spatial dynamics of cyanoHABs. The team will then use the data to couple mechanistic and machine-learning models to improve cyanoHAB prediction.

*Net Positive Studio receives awards at prestigious DOE Solar Decathlon Build Challenge
4/21/21 Junction City Union
A Kansas State University fifth-year architecture studio is taking top honors for designing a zero energy home in St. John.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

National/International

*Study finds reduction in milk production among anaplasmosis-infected cattle
4/20/21 Phys.org
Researchers at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine have published new data suggesting a negative effect on a dairy cow's milk production because of bovine anaplasmosis, a globally widespread livestock disease.

State/Regional 

Invasive species of worm makes way to Midwest, could be harmful to Kansas soils
4/20/21 WIBW
Matt McKernan with K-State Research and Extension in Sedgwick County said even though the jumping worm hasn’t been officially identified in Kansas, it could cause problems in The Sunflower State.

Local

OUR NEIGHBORS | K-State Japanese instructor takes pride in sharing culture
4/20/21 Manhattan Mercury
Amama, 44, is a Japanese instructor in K-State’s Department of Modern Languages, a position she has had for about two years.

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

National/International

K-State Selected for $5 Million in EPA Funding to Deliver Training, Technical Assistance to Brownfield-Impacted CommunitiesHappiness Is Good For Business: 6 Ways To Create It For Employees
4/19/21 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that Kansas State University (K-State) is one of six organizations nationwide to receive a total of $11 million in grants to provide training and technical assistance to communities across the country under the Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) program. 

*K-State plan vigil, counseling sessions in anticipation of Chauvin verdict
4/19/21 Yahoo News
Kansas State University will host counseling sessions and a vigil later this week in anticipation of a verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial.

Local

Climate change has turned Kan. Prairie into junk food that’s killing grasshoppers
4/19/21 JC Post
In one of the storage rooms at the Konza research building on the campus of Kansas State University, brown paper bags full of grass and dirt samples fill the walls from the floor to the ceiling. And those bags are just some of the samples from last year.

Monday, April 19, 2021

National/International

Happiness Is Good For Business: 6 Ways To Create It For Employees
4/18/21 Forbes
Based on Kansas State University research, by creating the conditions for happiness, businesses experience a positive impact on employee decision making and job performance, reduced health costs and reduced turnover costs.

Regional/State

Two local universities make list of top 10 best value colleges in Kansas
4/16/21 Fox4
Kansas State University in Manhattan takes the top spot among Kansas colleges and universities, and the University of Kansas in Lawrence came in a close second.

Local
* Nearly 3 years after a devastating fire, Hale Library has completely reopened
4/16/21 WIBW
Nearly three years after a devastating fire tore through Hale Library on K-State’s campus, the library has reopened following an extensive remodel and restoration project.

Truth, Racial Healing, Transformation Committee to address equity on campus
4/14/21 K-State Collegian
Soon, Kansas State students will begin to see the fruits of the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Framework Committee’s labor. Healing circles and a Cats For Change podcast will be available for students sometime in May.

*One-year master's program provides path for professional biomedical studies
4/16/21 Junction City Union
Kansas State University continues to fulfill its land-grant mission through new programs that help serve unique educational needs.

Friday, April 16, 2021

National/International

KSU research suggests burning small patch of pasture at a time has multiple benefits
4/15/21 Yahoo News
K-State researchers say they are finding some environmental and cattle performance benefits to burning only small portions of pastureland at a time.

Intelligent.com Announces Best Online Masters in Computer Engineering Degree Programs for 2021
4/15/21 WRDE Coast TV - Delaware
Intelligent.com analyzed 166 schools, on a scale of 0 to 100, with only 30 making it to the final list for Online Masters in Computer Engineering Degree Programs, including Kansas State University.

Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus Selects Rah Rah To Enable a Mobile-First Campus Experience that Enhances Student Engagement
4/15/21 Houston Chronicle
Rah Rah, a community engagement system for higher education, today announced that Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus, is now implementing Rah Rah’s enterprise-grade campus community engagement platform. Rah Rah will help K-State Polytechnic deliver a one-stop, mobile-first campus experience that enhances student engagement.

Local

Ribbon-cutting celebrates Hale Library re-opening
4/15/21 WIBW
A roof fire caused major damage to Kansas State University’s Hale Library back on May 22, 2018. Thursday, K-State celebrated the official grand re-opening with a virtual ribbon-cutting event.

Thursday, April 15, 2021

National/International

Keeping middle seats vacant on airplanes can reduce risk of Covid-19 exposure by up to 57%, CDC study says
4/14/21 CNN
Researchers from the CDC and Kansas State University used laboratory models to simulate how much exposure to virus particles could be reduced when middle seats are kept vacant in an aircraft cabin.

Channel migration plays leading role in river network evolution, study finds
4/14/21 Science CodeX
A new study by former University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate student Jeffrey Kwang, now at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Abigail Langston, of Kansas State University; and Illinois civil and environmental engineering professor Gary Parker takes a closer look at the vertical and lateral – or depth and width – components of river erosion and drainage patterns. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Updated Ag Guide expands on pain management
4/14/21 JAVMA News
Dr. Hans Coetzee is a professor and head of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and he was part of the team that revised the Ag Guide chapter on agricultural animal health care. He said the latest edition strengthens calls for use of pain management—appropriate for the age and species of animal—during painful husbandry procedures, as well as encourages people to reduce use of procedures that cause pain.

Regional/State

These Kansas City area employees are being paid $250 to take COVID-19 vaccines. You?
4/14/21 Kansas City Star
“During our vaccine campaign efforts over the past month or so, we have observed excitement from a vast majority of faculty, staff and students to get the vaccine,” said Jim Parker, director of Lafene Health Center at Kansas State University. “Anecdotally, our community has, by and large, demonstrated a high level of motivation to become vaccinated.”

Local

* K-State's new Coffman chair to focus on effective hybrid teaching formats
4/14/21 JCPost
Jason Bergtold is turning the challenge of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity to help his students and his fellow faculty members at Kansas State University.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

National/International

Solar Decathlon Build Challenge Goes Viral
4/13/21 Electric Energy Online
Kansas State University is one of nine teams selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Build Challenge.

We're creating 'humanized pigs' in our ultraclean lab to study human illnesses and treatments
4/12/21 Yahoo News
In 2012, groups at Iowa State University and Kansas State University, including Jack Dekkers, an expert in animal breeding and genetics, and Raymond Rowland, a specialist in animal diseases, serendipitously discovered a naturally occurring genetic mutation in pigs that caused SCID.

State/Regional

RCPD receives KDOT “People Saving People” Award
4/12/21 WIBW - TV
Operation Accident Reduction Citations, or A.R.C., is a traffic enforcement campaign built around procedural justice and local crash statistics. Using data from research conducted by Kansas State University as well as recent crash data, the campaign aims to reduce the amount of accidents on Kansas roadways.

Monday, April 12, 2021

National/International

The business case for happiness: Evidence happiness is good for organizations, people, communities
4/11/21 Forbes
Happiness contributes to business success. In another study by Kansas State University, researchers found when people were happier, they demonstrated better decision making and job performance. They also enjoyed higher levels of physical and emotional wellness which reduced costs to businesses. In addition, they were more likely to remain with their employer, thus reducing the costs of turnover. The effects of happiness on these outcomes were true regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, job tenure and educational levels.

Coronavirus origins: how unseen Wuhan research notes could hold the answers – and why lab-leak rumours refuse to die
4/10/21 South China Morning Post
Juergen Richt, director of the Centre of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases at Kansas State University, echoed this point and added a suggestion of his own for the labs of Wuhan.

State/Regional

*K-State Polytechnic launches student mentorship program
4/10/21 WIBW-TV
A student at the Kansas State Polytechnic Campus has initiated a student mentorship program.

Local

*Vax talk: Lafene director says vaccines a step toward a 'safe environment'
4/11/21 Manhattan Mercury
Lafene Health Center director Jim Parker doesn’t know what school will look like at K-State in the fall, but distributing vaccines is a step toward normalcy.

Friday, April 9, 2021

National/International

*The Solar Decathlon Going Virtual This Year
4/8/21 Forbes
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Build Challenge this year gets underway next week where top science and engineering students in the United States and Europe are preparing to “virtually” showcase their high-tech solar houses.
…
The following are the teams that will be competing in this 2020 upcoming event:
Kansas State University

Local

*K-State Virtual Open House runs Thursday through Saturday
4/8/21 Junction City Post
Game on! Kansas State University's All-University Virtual Open House is a virtual event this year with events happening over three days: April 8, 9 and 10.

*Over $503,000 raised for Textbooks 2.0 All In for K-State
4/8/21 WIBW
Kansas State University says on March 24, alumni, facility, staff, students and friends gave $503,161 to help students save money on textbooks by supporting Textbooks 2.0 through All In for K-State, which is the KSU Foundation’s second 24-hour fundraising event. Once deployed, it said the investment will save students at least $5 million or more per year.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

National/International

$1.4 million grant given to MSU to expand slavery database research
4/7/21 WLNS
According to the university, the project is a collaborative effort between Matrix: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Department of History both within the College of Social Science at MSU; the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland; the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University; the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture; and the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at Kansas State University.

Local
*Fort Riley, Kansas State University renew years-long partnership
4/7/21 WIBW, Collegian and KMAN
Kansas State University and Fort Riley signed an agreement on Wednesday to renew their 12-year partnership.

*Committee chooses Dr. Kimathi Choma as new student ombudsperson
4/7/21 The Collegian
The Student Ombudsperson Selection Committee chose Dr. Kimathi Choma, assistant dean of diversity, recruitment and retention and diversity point person for the College of Arts and Sciences, to serve as the new Kansas State student ombudsperson.

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

National/International

Experts discuss springtime weed pasture management
4/6/21 AG Daily 
Weed management strategies for cattle grazing pastures was a recent topic on the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute Cattle Chat podcast. 

State/Regional

*Single-dose vaccine available for K-State students, staff
4/6/21 WIBW
The single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine will be available to Kansas State University students, faculty, and staff this week.

Local

*K-State to hold virtual Open House this weekend
4/6/21 Manhattan Mercury
Kansas State University is ready for three days of virtual events meant to enlighten people and connect them to the campus community.

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

National/International

Genetic Hopes - Antimicrobial Alternatives High Priority for Beef Industry
4/5/21 Progress Farmer DTN
Mike Apley, veterinarian and professor of production medicine and clinical pharmacology in the College of Veterinary medicine at Kansas State University, says the FDA report seems to indicate a dramatic drop. But he says it's unclear how much of that was due to decreased authorizations for use and how much was due to stockpiling prior to the VFD's implementation.

State/Regional

*$500k+ raised to help KSU students save on textbooks
4/5/21 WIBW
Kansas State University announced Monday that the KSU Foundation’s 24-hour “fundraising sprint’ for Textbooks 2.0, through All In for K-State raised $503,161. The university says once the money is deployed, it will save K-State students at least $5 million per year, or more.

Local

FROM THE PUBLISHER | The slow burn
4/5/21 Manhattan Mercury
Most landowners like to burn about now because it’s right before the new growth would start to kick in. Research at K-State continues to probe the effectiveness of burning at other times, or in smaller episodes, or less frequently. 

Monday, April 5, 2021

National/International

Opinion: Science is rescuing us from COVID — It's time for the US to return the favor
4/3/21 MSN News
In another example, a study on aging and memory at Kansas State University was paused at the beginning of the epidemic. Thankfully, the lab recently reopened using technology that allows for remote access. But that comes with its own issues, including finding and purchasing remote data collection technology and teaching participants how to use it.

Course Hero, meet CourseVillain
4/2/21 Inside Higher Ed
Camilla Roberts, president of ICAI and director of the Kansas State University Honor and Integrity System, said academic integrity offices have seen a big increase in student use of popular “homework help” sites like Course Hero and Chegg since classes moved online due to the pandemic.

State/Regional

Are you winning the war on fleas?
4/2/21 Catster
“The good news is in the war against fleas and ticks, we are in good stead,” says Dr. Michael Dryden, distinguished professor emeritus of veterinary parasitology at Kansas State University. “The new generation of flea and tick products are remarkable at the speed of killing fleas not only when first given, but throughout the duration of the label. The key is following the label instructions and using consistently.”

Local

AI buzz: K-State researcher develops artificial intelligence to identify different bee species
4/2/21 Manhattan Mercury
A K-State entomology researcher says an artificial intelligence program he developed to identify bumble bees could help conservation efforts.

*K-State veterinarian has tips for keeping pets safe from household dangers
4/4/21 Junction City Union
Certain everyday household items can pose a threat to pets’ health, says Susan Nelson, clinical professor at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Here are some items and situations pets owners can watch for.

Friday, April 2, 2021

National/International

Birds versus bees: Here are the winners and losers in the great pesticide trade-off
4/1/21 Science Magazine
Ultimately such decisions come down to how society values various groups of species, says Edward Perry, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University, Manhattan. For example, regulators could restrict the use of neonicotinoids, as has happened in the European Union, to benefit pollinators. But farmers would likely switch to other insecticides that could pose different hazards to species—or face lower yields and higher food prices.

Subject: Teaching: After the Pandemic, What Innovations Are Worth Keeping?
4/1/21 The Chronicle of Higher Education
Kari Morgan, a teaching associate professor at Kansas State University, wrote in to say that during the pandemic she decided that all late work would earn full credit, a policy she plans to keep.

Local

K-State virtual town hall meeting provides updates
4/1/21 WIBW
Kansas State University leaders hosted a virtual town hall to update faculty and staff on COVID-19 and university initiatives.

Local officials begin early steps of exploring alternatives for indoor aquatics
4/1/21 KMAN
One of the biggest blows to Manhattan out of the pandemic has been the loss of the use of Kansas State University’s Natatorium.

At a virtual town hall with faculty and staff Thursday, K-State Chief of Staff Linda Cook said the university is in the early stages of conversations with a local committee that includes representatives from the city, USD 383 and the Marlins swim club for a replacement indoor aquatic center.

Thursday, April 1, 2021

National/International

*New publication summarizes potential for African swine fever virus to spread through feed
3/31/21 Farms.com
Eight years of extensive research, including work at Kansas State University, has led to a disquieting scenario for swine producers: Feed and feed ingredients could potentially serve as means for the introduction and transmission of foreign animal diseases of swine.

Supramolecular cage unlocks mild aldehyde reduction strategy
3/31/21 Chemistry World
Whilst enzymes use intricate and complex structures to catalyse reactions, the cage used here is remarkably straightforward in comparison. ‘When I’m thinking of enzyme mimicry, you have to have the confinement and all these extra functional groups from amino acid side chains, to activate your reactants,’ comments Tendai Gadzikwa, who researches supramolecular catalysis at Kansas State University in the US. ‘Seeing this drastic change in the pK_A of the aldehyde was unexpected. Just using the aromaticity [of the cage] seems to be enough - that’s really simple but effective.’

Regional/State

Demand for hemp fiber growing as producers consider untapped market
3/314/21 The Kansan
Kansas State University, along with other land grant universities across the U.S., is continually researching which seeds do the best in each school's environment.

Local

On-campus vaccine clinics open to all students, staff — here’s what you need to know
3/31/21 The Collegian
When vaccines first started coming to K-State for on-campus clinics, the state was still under its structured phase approach to vaccine distribution. That meant eligibility was limited to ensure vaccines were available for populations most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection or more likely to contract the virus, like senior citizens and essential workers.