Kansas State University

K-State in the news — January 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, Jan. 29, 2021

National/International

Syngenta : Effective weed management tops considerations for maximizing soybean yield potential
1/28/21 Market Screener
'Having the best crop genetics is like having the keys to a fast car,' said Sarah Lancaster, Ph.D., assistant professor and extension specialist at Kansas State University. 'Agronomics and fertility are like the gas in the tank. Having weeds is like having a leak in that tank.'

Regional/State

*K-State compound chosen as potential treatment against COVID-19
1/28/21 KSN
Kansas State University professors are one step closer in helping fight against COVID-19 with a protease inhibitor.

Local

Manhattan man receives statewide health award
1/28/21 WIBW
Richard Rosenkranz, also of Manhattan, was named an honorable mention for his work teaching the next generation of health professionals at Kansas State University.

K-State computer science initiative expands offerings of programming fundamentals to small colleges, high schools
1/28/21 Junction City Post
An initiative by Kansas State University could soon bring university computer programming courses to high schools and small colleges across the state, providing students with an in-demand job skill.

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021

National/International

*K-State researchers study how to control coronavirus in meat, poultry facilities

1/27/21 Meat+Poultry
A team of Kansas State University researchers is using a $1 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture – and an additional grant from the State of Kansas – to study how to effectively control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the nation's meat and poultry processing facilities.

Regional/State

Kansas hospitals keep Kansas healthy and strong

1/27/21 Hiawatha World
These are just a few of the findings in the January 2021 report, The Importance of the Health Care Sector to the Kansas Economy, which details estimates of the “gross” impact of the health care sector on economic activity in the State of Kansas. In the report, K-State researchers identify three primary ways health care influences local economic development: health care attracts and retains business, attracts and retains retirees, and creates local jobs.

Student housing a hot issue as Salina flourishes

1/28/21 Salina Post
“We need more on-campus housing because there isn’t a whole lot of quality off-campus housing for students,” said Alysia Starkey, PhD, CEO and dean at Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus, Salina.

Local

Biotech company selects coronavirus-fighting compound developed by KSU researchers for further study

1/27/21 The Manhattan Mercury
A biotech company has selected a compound developed at K-State for further study in the fight against COVID-19.

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021

National/International

50 years later, ‘The Monster at the End of This Book’ is still selling — and inspiring authors
1/26/21 The Washington Post 
As a TV tie-in and a Little Golden Book, it didn’t necessarily get the attention it deserves, according to Philip Nel, an English professor at Kansas State University who studies metafiction and postmodernism in children’s literature. 

State/Regional

‘McCain Connected’ provides virtual access to the Arts
1/26/21 WIBW
“We’re having fun, kind of learning about the new technology, and pivoting to this new way of delivering these arts experiences to the community, so we’re having fun and hope the community is having fun.” McCain Auditorium at Kansas State University, director, Todd Holmberg says.

Local

*KSU-licensed compound selected as candidate against COVID-19
1/26/21 Junction City Post 
As the pandemic continues, hope is in sight with the production and distribution of new vaccines and treatments. Kansas State University is continuing to help in the fight with a licensed technology against coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

*Geary County Students receive academic recognition at K-State
1/26/21 Junction City Post 
Nearly 5,000 Kansas State University students have earned semester honors for their academic performance in the fall 2020 semester.

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021

National/International

Reimagine Office Furnishings Now Offering Synexis™ System to Dramatically Reduce Airborne Bacteria and Pathogens in Offices
1/25/21 Yahoo! Finance
Kansas State University and the University of Oklahoma are two universities that have utilized Synexis technology to reduce exposure to perilous microbes.

State/Regional

K-State Gives Students One Day Off To Relieve Stress After Covid Canceled Spring Break
1/25/21 KCUR-FM
Yet Kansas State University students said they need at least some time off because of another health crisis — the damage to their mental health posed by a semester without a pause. K-State agreed and scheduled a “wellness day” for the spring.

Local

*K-State expands on-campus COVID-19 testing for spring semester
1/25/21 The Collegian
As the spring semester gets underway, Kansas State is making efforts to expand its on-campus testing to include locations across campus beyond the COVID-19 clinics at Lafene Health Center.

Monday, Jan. 25, 2021

National/International

*Pandemic still wreaking havoc on university budgets, personnel: new actions by Marquette, William Paterson, and Kansas Board of Regents
1/23/21 Forbes
Still, it was not clear how many of the schools would shelve their existing procedures and use the new policy. As reported in Inside Higher Education, Jeffery Morris, a spokesperson for Kansas State University, said that it has ‘no plans to use this option and will continue to address budgetary issues through the shared governance model under existing policies.” He added that Kansas State will “continue to work together with our faculty and staff members to get through this trying time and emerge as a stronger university.” Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, and Wichita State also indicated they did not anticipate implementing the new policy.

Filipino-American appointed by US President Biden as acting head of USAID
1/24/21 The Filipino
Born and raised in the Philippines, Steele first began her government career as a management consultant to the secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture. Her work was recognized by the USAID’s partners in the Philippines and was offered a scholarship to further her studies at the Kansas State University.

State/Regional

*K-State expands COVID-19 testing for students, staff
1-22-21 WIBW-TV
Kansas State University is expanding its COVID-19 testing for the spring semester.

Local

*Still in the tunnel: K-State students return for spring semester as pandemic wears on
1/23/21 Manhattan Mercury
Kansas State University students can expect to follow many of the same health protocols from the fall as they return for the spring semester.

*Hale Library at K-State to open first floor Monday
1/22/21 Manhattan Mercury
Hale Library on the Kansas State University campus will open the first floor to visitors from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. beginning Monday. The remaining floors of the library are tentatively scheduled to open Feb. 8 as construction is finished.

Friday, Jan. 22, 2021

National/International

Kansas Regents Make It Easier to Dismiss Tenured Professors
1/21/21 The Chronicle of Higher Education
Meanwhile, Kansas State will “continue to address budgetary issues through the shared-governance model under existing policies,” Jeffery B. Morris, vice president for communications and marketing, told The Chronicle in an email.

Suspending the Rules for Faculty Layoffs
1/22/21 Inside Higher Ed
Kansas’s six state universities are reeling from a proposal by Governor Laura Kelly to slash state funding to higher education in 2022. The state universities face a 5.5 percent budget cut. This would be the most significant cut since 2009, Kansas State University president Richard Meyers wrote in a campus memo this week.

Local

*K-State celebrating record year of graduates in Ice College of Engineering
1/21/21 KMAN
A record number of graduates received degrees in 2020 through Kansas State University’s Carl R. Ice College of Engineering.

Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021

National/International
K-State experts offer advice on getting heifers prepared for their first breeding season

1/20/21 KTIC Radio
In much the same way, growing beef herd replacement heifers also need to have their nutritional needs met so that they reach puberty at around 12 months of age, according to Kansas State University veterinarian Bob Larson during the recent Beef Cattle Institute Cattle Chat podcast.

Regional/State
Facing $37M in funding cuts, Kansas colleges given broader latitude to fire employees  

1/20/21 Topeka Capital journal
Kansas State University president Richard Myers had also before Wednesday’s Regents meeting urged faculty and alumni to contact legislators and ask them to vote for increased higher education funding, against the 5.5% overall decrease for K-State proposed in Kelly’s budget.

*K-State introduces employee self-reporting form for COVID-19

1/20/21 WIBW
Kansas State University will be launching an updated online dashboard to include employees who have tested positive for or been exposed to COVID-19.

Local
K-State president: Governor's budget includes 'significant budget reduction' for university

1/20/21 The Manhattan Mercury
The president of Kansas State University says the proposed state budget from Gov. Laura Kelly would feature the “most significant budget reduction since 2009” for the university.

Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021

National/International

Confluence Continues Growth Streak with Acquisition of Denver Landscape Architecture, Planning & Urban Design Firm studioINSITE
1/20/21 AP
Over the last two decades, Confluence has completed hundreds of projects including the Minnesota Vikings practice facility and Viking Lake Developments, Krause Gateway (in collaboration with Renzo Piano Workshop) in Downtown Des Moines, the redevelopment of historic Seaton Hall/Regnier Hall at Kansas State University, the Iowa State Capital West Terrace, the Downtown River Greenway in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the Streetcar Starter Line in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

Regional/State

Kansas State employee sewing custom masks for Willie the Wildcat
1/20/21 KSNT
Many people around Manhattan and Kansas State University are wearing masks as we get through this pandemic. Willie the Wildcat is no exception, as he doesn’t get caught around campus without one thanks to a Manhattan woman.

K-State vows to continue work with governor, legislature on necessary funding
1/20/21 WIBW
Kansas State University will continue to work with the governor and legislature to ensure that necessary funding is provided for its land-grant mission.

Local

K-State president bracing for deepest budget cuts since 2009
1/20/21 1350 KMAN 
Kansas State University’s top official is asking community members to reach out state officials as it anticipates some of its deepest budget cuts in over a decade.

Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021

National/International

Why future homes could be made of living fungus
1/15/21 Phys.org
One of the few other people who have explored working with fungi in construction is Jonathan Dessi Olive at Kansas State University in the US. He says that working with living mycelium is a very interesting new idea because it offers the possibility of the building being able to heal itself. 

Local civil rights icon shares his experience with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
1/18/21 ABC 27
Homer Floyd spent 41 years with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. On Jan. 18, 1968, he was part of a panel discussion at Kansas State University regarding race and inequality at the university.

Regional/State

*K-State encourages students, staff to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine
1/15/21 WIBW
Kansas State University is encouraging students, staff and faculty who live in Riley, Geary and Pottawatomie counties to complete the COVID-19 vaccine request forms for their respective counties.

Man recalls Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech at K-State
1/18/21 KSNT
On January 19, 1968, King spoke at Kansas State University. 

Local

SCHOOL NOTEBOOK | K-State Rodeo canceled because of pandemic
1/15/21 Manhattan Mercury 
The 2021 K-State Rodeo has been canceled because of COVID-19 restrictions.

*Large appointed acting deputy general counsel for K-State
1/15/21 Manhattan Mercury 
Robert Large, an experienced higher education attorney, has been appointed acting deputy general counsel for Kansas State University.

Friday, Jan. 15, 2021

National/International

Kansas Researchers Working for More Viable Rural Communities
1/14/21 Associated Press/U.S. News & World Report
Composed of researchers from four U.S. universities, including The University of Kansas and Kansas State University, the five-year project will build an online virtual tool that will take information about rural communities, such as its population size, number of available acres, average wind speed and amount of money the community has available to invest in projects.

Bachelor's Degree Center Releases National Rankings of Nuclear Engineering Degree Programs
1/14/21 Yahoo! Finance
All institutions in the Bachelor's Degree Center Nuclear Engineering Degree Rankings: … Kansas State University.

Regional/State

Kansas Researchers Working for More Viable Rural Communities
1/14/21 The Wichita Eagle
Composed of researchers from four U.S. universities, including The University of Kansas and Kansas State University, the five-year project will build an online virtual tool that will take information about rural communities, such as its population size, number of available acres, average wind speed and amount of money the community has available to invest in projects.

Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021

National/International

Why future homes could be made of living fungus

1/14/21 Horizon Magazine
One of the few other people who have explored working with fungi in construction is Jonathan Dessi Olive at Kansas State University in the US. He says that working with living mycelium is a very interesting new idea because it offers the possibility of the building being able to heal itself. But for him the real attraction of what he calls ‘myco-materials’ is that they ‘give us a way of reshaping how we think about the permanence of architecture.

Getting the facts about GMO foods

1/13/21 RFDTV
According to Karen Blakeslee with Kansas State University Extension, "There's been no evidence that any of these food products have caused any kind of food safety issues... There's a lot of misinformation about these food products, and why they are out there in the food system... We are trying to get that science based information out there."

Regional/State
*Vaccine distribution plan being developed at Kansas State University

1/13/21 KSNT
Kansas State University was chosen as a vaccine distribution site. The university applied for the role and was accepted, allowing them to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to students, staff and faculty.

Local

K-State’s Lafene Health Center beginning preparations ahead of vaccine administration

1/13/21 KMAN
Kansas State University’s Lafene Health Center has been selected as a vaccine distribution site and will receive and administer vaccines for students, faculty and staff, based on the state and local priority groups and vaccine availability.

 

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021

National/International

Best Master's Programs Releases Ranking of the Top 25 Online Mechanical Engineering Master's Programs
1/12/21 Yahoo! Finance 
Best Master's Programs, an online guide to the best master's degrees and careers, is pleased to share their 25 Best Online Master's in Mechanical Engineering for 2021 at bestmastersprograms.org/best-online-mechanical-engineering-masters/.

Local

*K-State medical director uses student athlete data to help inform CDC quarantine guidelines
1/12/21 Manhattan Mercury 
The medical director of Lafene Health Center at Kansas State University is part of a team contributing research on quarantine guidelines for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021

National/International

*Kansas State, Washburn to Begin Semester Online
1/11/21 Inside Higher Ed
Kansas State University and Washburn University -- located in Manhattan, Kan. and Topeka, Kan., respectively -- will begin their semesters online due to concerns about COVID-19, the Associated Press reported this weekend.

Local

*K-State’s Lafene Health Center beginning preparations ahead of vaccine administration
1/11/21 1350 KMAN
Kansas State University’s Lafene Health Center has been selected as a vaccine distribution site and will receive and administer vaccines for students, faculty and staff, based on the state and local priority groups and vaccine availability.

Monday, Jan. 11, 2021

National/International

*Washburn, Kansas State start semester late due to COVID-19
1/9/21 U.S. News and World Report
Kansas State and Washburn universities will begin the spring semester online as the pandemic rages.

Testing for radon in the home: Tips for young, first-time homebuyers
1/8/21 Cheddar
On this episode of 'Your Future Home': The director of National Radon Program Services at Kansas State University discusses the general procedure for testing a home for radon; The co-founder of Open House Austin shares advice for first-time homebuyers; What every homeowner should consider after the big buy.

Regional/State

*Washburn, Kansas State start semester late due to COVID-19
1/9/21 KCTV5
Kansas State and Washburn universities will begin the spring semester online as the pandemic rages.

*Virtual performance provides silver lining to KSU marching band season for Salina native
1/10/21 Salina Journal
Drum major Gillian Falcon didn't get to help lead the Kansas State University Marching Band onto the field this season because of COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the Salinan earned an unexpected opportunity to help conduct an even bigger band virtually.

Local

'A dream car': Manhattan man wins rare Japanese supercar in giveaway
1/9/21 Manhattan Mercury
The Manhattan resident and mechanical engineering student at K-State Polytechnic Campus was the winner of a sweepstakes giveaway from TunerCult, a website dedicated to a sector of modified car culture focusing on mostly Japanese brands.

Friday, Jan. 8, 2021

National/International

Manhattan to Rename Street Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
1/7/21 Associated Press/U.S. News & World Report
The city estimates finalizing the street change within 90 days. City administrators will create an ordinance for commissioners to review and notify those with an address change. The change will affect about 43 addresses and 10 buildings on the Kansas State University campus.

Regional/State

Kansas State considering starting spring semester online
1/7/21 Fox4 Kansas City
Kansas State University has warned that the spring semester could begin online because the coronavirus continues to rage in the surrounding community and statewide.

Local

K-State President, Provost condemn Capitol violence, call for communities to lead in peace
1/7/21 WIBW
The Kansas State University President and Provost have both condemned the violence that happened in the Capitol on Wednesday.

Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021

National/International

*Kansas State Considers Online Start to Semester Due to Virus
1/6/21 U.S. News & World Report 
Kansas State University has warned that the spring semester could begin online because the coronavirus continues to rage in the surrounding community and statewide.

Regional/State

*The public health generation — COVID-19 is driving Kansas students to careers in medicine
12/26/20 Topeka Capital-Journal
“I think every generation has something that is really impactful in their lives,” said Fischer, a freshman pre-veterinary medicine major at Kansas State University. “There are so many major events that have helped determine the priorities of the people who live through them.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Task Force formed to help advise Manhattan
1/6/21 WIBW
According to the City, Gonzáles is a professor of American Literature and Latinx Studies at Kansas State University.

Local

*K-State considers completely remote start to spring semester
1/6/21 Manhattan Mercury 
A completely remote start to Kansas State University’s spring semester is on the table as administrators closely watch the number of COVID-19 cases.

*University officials discuss possible remote start for spring semester
1/6/21 The Collegian
In K-State Today on Tuesday, President Richard Myers said various planning groups are creating contingency plans for the semester.

Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021

National/International

5 Surprising Ways You Can Get Food Poisoning
1/5/21 Yahoo news
“If you look at the last few years, it’s one of the most common things being recalled due to safety,” says Randall Phebus, PhD, a professor of food safety and defense at the Food Science Institute at Kansas State University in Manhattan.

Regional/State

K-State considering starting spring semester completely remote
1/5/21 WIBW
Kansas State University announced Tuesday that it is considering starting the spring semester completely remote.

K-State professors’ project sends Christmas care packages to soldiers overseas
1/5/21 KSNT
The project was started by K-State professor Jess Martin as a way to send some homemade items to soldiers during the holidays like her cousin, Captain Kevin Frey, who is serving overseas.

Local

K-State considering starting spring semester in remote setting
1/5/21 1350 KMAN
Kansas State University is considering starting the spring semester in a fully remote setting.

Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021

National/International

10 SUCCESSFUL FARMING LISTENS FOR CATTLE FARMERS AND RANCHERS
1/4/21 Successful Farming 
Lameness is a disease challenge in feedlot cattle. One cause of lameness that often goes under-diagnosed is toe abscesses. Veterinarian AJ Tarpoff of Kansas State University explains how to spot and treat this disease.

Regional/State

Corn management tools available
1/4/21 Great Bend Tribune 
A newly revised K-State Research and Extension publication, Kansas Corn Management 2021, is now available and can be accessed online.

Local

Sen. Roberts' legacy more than just Ag Committee work
1/4/21 Junction City Post
The investigation eventually led to creation of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility at Kansas State University in Manhattan.

Monday, Jan. 4, 2021

National/International

*K-State receives $1 million research grant from William M. Keck Foundation
1/3/21 MSN
Kansas State University has received a $1 million grant from the William M. Keck Foundation.

Money addictions, anxieties, depression: How your mental health can affect your finances
1/4/21 MarketWatch/NerdWallet
“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.

Regional/State

Backroads: Sewing machines inspired homemakers in 1921
1/3/21 Killeen Daily Herald
Selected from the collection of the Historic Costume Textile Museum of Kansas State University, the exhibit focuses on the 1930s Great Depression era. Advertisements in the Temple Daily Telegram and Temple Times reveal that flour and feeds sacks used by homemakers in the 19th century. Even in the 1890s, dry goods stores sold empty flour cotton sacks for household use.

Grad enthused as K-State Poly anticipates more pilot job demand when COVID subside
1/3/21 Salina Post
“Demand was insane” in 2016 when he graduated high school in Denver.
“I thought I’d give this a shot,” Kierstein said, and he opted for enrollment at Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus in Salina — among the top five flight programs in the nation.

Local

*'Investing in basic science': K-State research on virus mutations in animals could benefit human fight against COVID-19
1/3/21 Manhattan Mercury
As scientists discover mutations of the virus that causes COVID-19, a K-State researcher said those mutations offer a teaching moment for the entire planet.