Kansas State University

K-State in the news — March 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.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

National/International

Findings from Kansas State University in Engineering Reported (Smart Grid Cyber-physical Attack and Defense: a Review)
3/30/21 Energy Central 
According to news originating from Manhattan, Kansas, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Recent advances in the cyber-physical smart grid (CPSG) have enabled a broad range of new devices based on the information and communication technology (ICT). However, these ICT-enabled devices are susceptible to a growing threat of cyber-physical attacks.”

Regional/State

*New Publication Summarizes Potential For African Swine Fever Virus to Spread Through Feed
3/30/21 KSAL
Megan Niederwerder, assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, recently published an overview on the significance of the collective feed research related to swine viruses and specifically to African swine fever virus. 

Local

In Focus 3/30/21
3/30/21 1350 KMAN 
Kansas State University Division of Communications and Marketing Vice President Jeffery Morris joined us for the hour to talk about a variety of university related matters including enrollment, COVID-19 in campus communities, commencement and plans for the fall semester as well as the financial state of the university.

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

National/International

2021’s Most & Least Stressed States
3/29/21 WalletHub
For the best ways to cope with stressors, we turned to a panel of experts.
Sonya Lutter: Ph.D., CFP® – Department Head and Mary L. Vanier Professor, Applied Human Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Kansas State University
HanNa Lim; Ph.D., CFP® – Assistant Professor, Department of Personal Financial Planning, College of Health and Human Sciences – Kansas State University

More Shoppers Are Buying Meat Alternatives, But Some Are Still Concerned About Taste And Texture
3/29/21 KOSU
Kansas State University and Purdue study finds shoppers chose beef about three times as often as all meat alternatives.

Regional/State

Manage the serious sitting disease
3/29/21 Great Bend Tribune
Kansas State University Research and Extension Fact Sheet describes what happens when the body does not move for a long time and how it affects physical and mental health.

Monday, March 29, 2021

National/International

Best places in every state to live on a fixed income
3/26/21 Yahoo! Finance
Kansas — Manhattan. In Manhattan, the location of Kansas State University, the median home value is $222,661, up about 3.1% year over year. The average rent fell substantially, dropping about 7.2% to $1,023 a month.

The incredible health benefits of flowers
3/26/21 Nature World News
Researchers at the Kansas State University reported that that fresh flowers could lessen pain in patients, lower blood pressure, and overall, accelerate recovery. Flowers induce positive physiological responses in patients and effectively reduce the chances of the flu during dry winters. Do you ask how? Flowers as natural humidifiers can help keep your interiors hydrated, thus safeguarding you from getting sore throats and dry coughs. 

Regional/State

Opinion: Sean Tarwater wants universities to give refunds for classes taught online. A Kansas State professor answers back
3/26/21 Topeka Capital Journal
Jessica Falcone lives in Manhattan, where she teaches anthropology at K-State. (Her views are her own.)

*K-State veterinarian has tips for keeping pets safe from household dangers
3/26/21 WIBW-TV
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.

Local

*School notebook: K-State offers summer STEM Institute
3/27/21 Manhattan Mercury
K-State is expanding its Summer STEM Institute with a new virtual opportunity for students to learn more about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

*K-State Poly aviation student initiates mentorship program
3/26/21 Salina Post
College mentoring programs traditionally pair students with professional mentors who assist with academic and personal growth. Trey Varner, a senior aviation student from Russell, is modifying this concept as he develops the Wildcat Mentor Program at the Kansas State University Polytechnic campus.

Friday, March 26, 2021

National/International

Intelligent.com Announces Best Master's in Industrial Engineering Degree Programs for 2021
3/25/21 Houston Chronicle
2021 Master's in Industrial Engineering Degree Programs featured on Intelligent.com (in alphabetical order):
….
Kansas State University

Regional/State

Chamber: No charge for individual tickets to virtual annual meeting
3/25/21 Salina Post
Richard B. Myers, current Kansas State University president, retired four-star general, and 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be the featured speaker at the meeting. He will be interviewed by Michael Schwanke, news anchor with KWCH in Wichita. Topics to be discussed include Myers' leadership and military experience, as well as Salina’s K-State Polytechnic campus. In addition, viewers will hear an update from Past Board Chair James Lambert and Current Board Chair Jeff Maes about the chamber’s activities and initiatives.

*K-State Signs Athletic Director to Extension with Raise
3/25/21 Kansas Public Radio
Kansas State University and its athletic director, Gene Taylor, have agreed to a contract extension. It includes a significant jump in base salary to $925,000 per year through June 2027.

Local

Mask mandate extended to May 16 in Riley County
3/25/21 KSNT
The extended mandate falls under the latest health order, which expires at 11:59 p.m. on May 16. The county said this is when the school year for area K-12 schools will be ending and K-State will have completed its graduation ceremonies.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Regional/State
*K-State Student From Assaria Named to Soph. Leadership Honor Society
3/24/21 KSAL
A Kansas State University student from Assaria is named to a sophomore leadership group on campus.

*K-State signs AD Gene Taylor to extension with raise
3/24/21 KAKE
Kansas State and athletic director Gene Taylor have agreed to a contract extension. It includes a significant jump in base salary to $925,000 per year through June 2027. 

*Double vision: New Beach Museum exhibit features unique animal pairings
3/24/21 Salina Post
The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University has put two and two together to offer a virtual exhibition for kids and animal lovers of all ages.

*Summer STEM program to include in-person and virtual options
3/24/21 WIBW
For the 11th year, Kansas State University and USD 383 will continue their partnership to host a Summer STEM program.

Local

K-State's diversity officer to leave for job in Texas
3/24/21 The Mercury
K-State’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer is leaving the university in two months.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

National/International

Intelligent.com Announces Best Master's in Educational Technology Degree Programs for 2021

Intelligent.com Announces Best Master's in Computer Engineering Degree Programs for 2021

3/23/21 Houston Chronicle 

State/Regional 

*K-State Polytechnic gifted flight trainers
3/24/21 WIBW
Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has received a gift of three flight trainers.

Local

K-State receives $2M grant from Department of Energy for wastewater management project
03/22/21 Manhattan Mercury
A research team at K-State will receive $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to help with water efficiency projects.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

National/International

Native North Americans Were Making Cooper Tools in 7,500 BC
03/22/21 Ancient Origins
A team of researchers, led by Kansas State University geologist David Pompeani, performed  a fresh round of radiocarbon dating  on 53 separate copper tool discoveries associated with the  Old Copper Culture  in the Great Lakes region. Using the most modern and reliable dating technology available, they proved that the oldest artifact in their possession was an 8,500-year-old 10-centimeter (4-inch), sharped-pointed projectile that was left by hunter-gatherers near Eagle Lake in Wisconsin. 

Local

*Gift of three flight trainers helps Kansas State Polytechnic aviation students
03/22/21 JC Post
John and Kim Vanier, Salina, have gifted three flight trainers to Kansas State University Polytechnic. The two flat-panel trainers and one full trainer will enable faculty to instruct future aviators in some of the best state-of-the-art training devices.

From the Publisher: Paying to stream college
03/22/21 Manhattan Mercury
K-State has already suffered a $96 million loss in revenue due to the pandemic, according to testimony from President Richard Myers. That’s without having to cough up tuition payments that students have already made.

Monday, March 22, 2021

National/International

Ancient Native Americans were among the world’s first coppersmiths
3/19/21 Science
Earth’s largest and purest copper deposits are found around North America’s Great Lakes. At some point, Native Americans learned to harvest the ore and heat, hammer, and grind it into tools. They left behind thousands of mines and countless copper artifacts, including lethal projectile points, hefty knives and axes, and petite fish hooks and awls. Today, it’s not uncommon to meet residents of the region “who have buckets of copper artifacts [that they’ve found] tucked away in their basements,” says David Pompeani, a geologist at Kansas State University, Manhattan, who studies ancient mining.

Regional/State

*K-State professor’s new book breaks down history of Alzheimer’s
3/19/21 KSNT-TV
Kansas State University Professor Han Vo broke down the history of the disease in her new book “Mind Thief: The Story of Alzheimer’s.”

Wichita Urban Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge gives young people golden ticket
3/20/21 KSN
Camp Destination Innovation, NetWork Kansas and K-State recently hosted the Wichita Urban Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. Young businessmen and women had the opportunity to compete for money to fund their business goals and participants are excited about the possibility of achieving their dreams. 

Local

*K-State offers free webinar introducing Lean Six Sigma
3/19/21 Junction City Daily Union
The College of Business Administration and Global Campus at Kansas State University will offer a free, two-hour webinar from 7-9 p.m. CDT Wednesday, March 31, to introduce the purpose and benefits of Lean Six Sigma.

Student senate amends, passes bill decreasing Fine Arts privilege fee, passes resolution on inclusivity
3/19/21 Kansas State Collegian
On Thursday, the K-State student senate decreased the Fine Arts privilege fee allocation for the 2021-22 school year by 41 percent.

Friday, March 19, 2021

National/International

Lawmakers take up backlog of court cases caused by pandemic
3/18/21 Associated Press
Most of the universities now plan on attempting to hold at least some in-person commencement ceremonies in May, while maintaining virtual access to those celebrations. That will be accomplished by moving graduations to outdoor stadiums, such as at Kansas State University, said president Richard Myers.

Rising Margins Push U.S. Beef Packers to Add Slaughter Capacity
3/17/21 Bloomberg and Yahoo Finance
“It is important to appreciate the impact of adding second shifts to existing facilities that largely run single shifts versus the addition of brand-new facilities that often have smaller per-day volumes,” said Glynn Tonsor, agriculture economics professor at Kansas State University.

Regional/State

Kansas native, KU grad’s research laid groundwork for COVID-19 vaccine development
3/18/21 KMBC
Graham will share more about the science behind the vaccine in a webinar hosted by Kansas State University. You can watch the event at 7 p.m. by clicking this link.

Thursday, March 18, 2021

National/International

Biting innovation: Sensory tool shows majority of Japanese and Korean snacks are hard textured, offers NPD ideas
3/18/21 Food Navigator-Asia
About 65% of Japanese snacks and 76% of South Korean snacks have hard textures, according to a Kansas State University study assessing new snack food ideas from existing products.

One year later: Pandemic introduces unprecedented supply, demand issues into livestock sector
3/17/21 Agri-Pulse
Glynn Tonsor, agricultural economist at Kansas State University, believes the meat industry’s shift away from multi-pound packages toward smaller retail-focused packages could persist. Going forward, he said, the industry will consider making its processes less distinct to allow for more “on-the-fly” adjustments.

Regional/State

Studies indicate patch burning of tallgrass prairie is a valuable option
3/17/21 High Plains Journal
Recent Kansas State University studies have focused not only on how varying the time of burning affects forage quality and cattle health, but also on how a practice called patch burning compares with traditional spring burning.

Local

Only time will tell if Fake Patty’s Day gatherings reignite COVID-19 spread, campus officials say
3/17/21 Collegian
Those mass-gatherings could become a catalyst for more rapid COVID-19 spread in the community and higher testing rates, Dr. Kyle Goerl, medical director at Lafene Health Center, said.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Regional/State

K-State beef cattle experts offer advice for reducing the impact of mud on cattle performance
3/16/21 High Plains Journal 
Not only is mud an inconvenience, but the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute said if not managed properly, it can negatively impact cattle performance.

Local

*K-State helps with global COVID-19 dashboard
3/16/21 WIBW
A new global COVID-19 surveillance dashboard has been developed with partial funding through the United States Agency for International Development’s Feed the Future Program is hosted at K-State.

Annual spring blood drive to continue with new safety precautions
3/16/21 The Collegian 
The Red Cross returns to the K-State campus March 22-25 for its annual spring blood drive in the K-State Student Union Ballroom and the Tallgrass Ballroom in Kramer Dining Center.

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

National/International

Riley County Commission informally agrees to extend mask ordinance to May 16
3/15/21 Yahoo! News
County commissioners said they wanted to wait and see how the city commission votes to determine how they will need to adjust the language of the county order, but Julie Gibbs, Riley County Health Department director, and K-State's Chief of Staff Linda Cook, on behalf of the university, voiced their support for extending the mask mandate until at least May 16.

Regional/State

*Father of the COVID-19 shot offers vaccine webinar March 18
3/15/21 High Plains Journal
Dr. Barney Graham, deputy director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health, will be the featured guest in a live webinar hosted by Kansas State University Research and Extension and Lafene Health Center on the K-State campus.

Local

K-State Poly professor to share sabbatical experiences with students
3/15/21 Salina Post
Andrew Smith, Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus professor of aviation, is using his sabbatical to participate in a faculty internship with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.

Monday, March 15, 2021

National/International

*K-State hasn't determined effects of potential tuition rebate amendment
3/13/21 Yahoo! News
K-State officials aren't sure how much money the university would need to refund students if a proposed amendment to the state budget is approved.

Regional/State

‘Part of your world.’ Playing princess is a business model for this Olathe teenager
3/12/21 Kansas City Star
Next school year, when she goes to Kansas State University, she’ll take things a little slower, with just a few parties on weekends, saving most of her appearances for summer vacation. For more information about Once Upon A Princess KC, visit onceuponaprincesskc.com.

Local

K-State doctoral student works to introduce Latino families to STEM careers
3/13/21 Manhattan Mercury
Guzman, who hails from a community called Florida — “the smallest town in Puerto Rico” — is a doctorate student in the middle of her fifth year researching microbial interactions through the biology department at Kansas State University. She said most of the Latino families she interacts with through her outreach program are lower to middle class and tend to hold more blue-collar jobs rather than science or technology jobs.

*K-State rated one of the most LGBTQ-friendly campuses in the nation
3/12/21 Kansas State Collegian
Campus Pride named Kansas State among the top 40 LGBTQ-friendly colleges for the fourth consecutive year because of the campus’s commitment to LGBTQ-inclusion in policy, program and practice.

Friday, March 12, 2021

National/International

Aaron Rose, Photographer Whose Work Long Went Unseen, Dies at 84
3/11/21 The New York Times
Mr. Rose made his own cameras and other devices, and Rebecca Hackemann, who was his assistant and archivist from 1999 to 2005, said his studio was a sight to behold.
...
“I had never seen a darkroom like this one,” Dr. Hackemann, now an associate professor of photography and art at Kansas State University, said. “The feeling I got upon entering was that I was entering into a wonder workshop of sorts, a shrine or a magical place.”

Kansas native and 'father of COVID vaccines' to give presentation through K-State
3/11/21 Yahoo! News
Dr. Barney Graham, deputy director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health, is to be the featured guest in a webinar from K-State Research and Extension and Lafene Health Center on March 18.

Regional/State

University officials push back at proposal to refund tuition for online classes
3/11/21 KSN
President Richard Myers of Kansas State University noted the institution is expecting $96 million in losses this past fiscal year. 

Kansas Communities Set For Broadband Improvements
3/11/21 Kansas Patch/Kansas Reflector
Ron Wilson is the director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University and owner of Lazy T Ranch in Zeandale, one of the communities set to receive investment via WTC Communications. When he and his wife moved to the family ranch 15 years ago, they realized that internet providers had almost ignored the area, though it was less than five miles from Manhattan.

Local

*Blue Key Honor Society selects 2021-2022 members
3/11/21 The Junction City Union
The 2021-2022 Blue Key Honor Society class has been selected for Kansas State University. The 18 senior students will have unique opportunities to serve the campus and the local community through mentorship, leadership and service throughout the upcoming year.

 

Thursday, March 11, 2021

*Kansas State Polytechnic hosts free webinar on UAS operations in public safety organizations
3/10/21 sUAS News
Kansas State Polytechnic is offering a free webinar and live question and answer session from noon to 1 p.m. CDT Thursday, April 15, to provide guidance to public safety and emergency management organizations on how to start a UAS operation.

Report: $11.5B in lagging facilities hampering US ag research
3/10/21 Agri-Pulse
But “you can go to Arkansas, you can go to Michigan State, you can go to Kansas State, you can even go to Cornell, and you'll find similar situations.”

Regional/State

USDA relocations curtail agriculture research, farmers’ confidence
3/10/21 Lawrence Journal-World
Dan O’Brien, a grain market specialist at Kansas State University Research and Extension, acknowledged that farmers have increasingly been questioning the reliability of the government’s agricultural data over the past few years. However, he said those frustrations have dealt more with reports published by other USDA agencies, and that some farmers may be confusing them.

Local

Dowd wins student body presidential election
3/10/21 Collegian
Michael Dowd, senior in animal science and global food systems leadership, will be the next student body president at Kansas State.

Faculty senate committee looks for causes for, solutions to decreased enrollment
3/10/21 Collegian
Kansas State’s Faculty Senate Committee on University Planning met Thursday, March 4 to discuss reasons behind and solutions for decreased enrollment.

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

National/International

Intelligent.com Announces Best Interior Design Degree Programs for 2021
3/8/21 WFMZ News - Pennsylvania
Kansas State University named in the top 50 best interior design programs based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation and post graduate employment.

Regional/State

Hodgkinson and others earn post-prep academic honors
3/8/21 The Pratt Tribune
K-State graduate in agribusiness, Ciara Hodgkinson, awarded the David and Susan Barton Cooperative Leadership Scholarship through the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center and the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University.

Local

Flint Hills Burning Season Tips
3/8/21 KSAL
State health officials reminds Kansans that March and April are a time when large areas of the state’s Flint Hills rangeland are burned. According Kansas State University, these burns help preserve the tallgrass prairie, control invasive species such as Eastern Red Cedar and Sumac and provide better forage for cattle

Monday, March 8, 2021

National/International

FDA continues investigation into dog heart damage linked to diet
3/7/21 NBC News
The FDA, along with experts from academia, industry and veterinary medicine, met virtually in September in a scientific forum hosted by Kansas State University to explore the potential causes of nonhereditary DCM in dogs.

USDA relocations curtail ag research, farmer confidence
3/6/21 Washington Post
Dan O’Brien, a grain market specialist at Kansas State University Research and Extension, acknowledged that farmers have increasingly been questioning the reliability of the government’s agricultural data over the past few years. However, he said those frustrations have dealt more with reports published by other USDA agencies, and that some farmers may be confusing them.

Looking to make your house more eco-friendly? Here are some ideas
3/7/21 MSN (via Wichita Eagle)
"We all think of offices, shopping centers and parking lots with their lights left on all night as being the big 'energy hogs' but we can, and should, be doing much better at home," said Michael Gibson, a licensed architect and associate professor of architecture at Kansas State University. "The bright side of this is that in the climate where we live it is actually quite easy to reduce energy and emissions in our homes, even if you don't have a new house.

Regional/State

*K-State students designed a prototype of solar homes that cost about $100,000
3/7/21 Wichita Eagle
On a recent Friday, three Kansas State graduate students, fondly dubbed the “A-team” by their professor were working on a house in St. John, a small town of less than 2,000 about an hour and a half northwest of Wichita. They had gotten up at 5:30 that morning to drive two and a half hours from Manhattan, Kansas for their class project.

Kansas City actor follows up viral mask video with 'Lion King' COVID vaccine tune
3/5/21 Kansas City Star
The 25-year-old Lindquist, a Kansas State University music graduate, lives in Topeka and had been working hard to make a name for himself in Kansas City musical theater circles when the pandemic struck.

Local

*K-State to have in-person graduation at Bill Snyder Family Stadium
3/5/21 Manhattan Mercury
K-State is preparing to celebrate its 2020 and spring 2021 graduates with outdoor commencement ceremonies.

From the publisher: Right motives, wrong methods
3/6/21 Manhattan Mercury
The activists on the K-State campus are well-intended. They want the best. They just happen to be doing almost exactly the wrong things, over and over

Friday, March 5, 2021

National/International

Scores Of Colleges Announce Plans For Near-Normal Fall Semesters
3/4/21 Forbes
Other public flagship and research universities revealing their plans to resume something approximating normal in-person operations for fall include Louisiana State University, University of Mississippi, University of New Mexico, University of Wyoming, and both the University of Kansas and Kansas State University.

Regional/State

Meet the Kansas professor who was among the first to reveal racism in Dr. Seuss books
3/4/21 The Kansas City Star
But Philip Nel — a 51-year-old professor at Kansas State University, and author of the 2017 book “Was the Cat In the Hat Black?” — thinks it’s as evident as a star on a Sneetch’s belly.

Local

*K-State 2020, 2021 graduates to have in-person ceremonies outside
3/4/21 WIBW
Kansas State University announced Thursday that its 2020 and 2021 graduates will have in-person commencement ceremonies outside this spring.

Thursday, March 4, 2021

National/International
*Racing to save humans through animal research

3/3/21 American Veterinary Medical Association
Dr. Jurgen A. Richt’s team began studies on SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals months before funding arrived.

Intelligent.com Announces Best Master's in Education Degree Programs for 2021

3/3/21 Chron.com
Kansas State University named in the top 50 best Master's in Education Degree Programs for 2021 based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation and post graduate employment.

Regional/State
Meat wins over alternative protein products in K-State taste test

3/3/21 Newton Kansan
In a research study conducted by Kansas State University, consumers chose meat products over substitute meat products. 

Local
Biological and Agricultural Engineering students participate in accessibility equipment demo at K-State

3/3/21 WIBW
Students and faculty from Kansas State University’s Biological and Agricultural Engineering department took part in an accessibility equipment demonstration Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

National/International

The time is right to cancel Dr. Seuss’s racist books
3/2/21 The Washingtion Post 
In 2017, Philip Nel, an English professor at Kansas State University, published a book called “Was the Cat in the Hat Black?” According to Nel, the mischievous, white-gloved cat was “inspired by blackface minstrelsy.”

Regional/State

*K-State sends COVID-19 vaccine survey to identify eligible community members
3/2/21 WIBW
Kansas State University’s health center has sent faculty, staff and students a COVID-19 vaccine survey to figure out who all is eligible. 

Local

Just a test: State conducts severe weather warning drill Tuesday; mobile alerts send incorrectly
3/2/21 Manhattan Mercury
People who received an alert on their phone or a text message from Kansas State University touting tornado warnings can relax, as officials conducted a test of the state's severe weather warning systems.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

National/International

Intelligent.com Announces Best Early Childhood Education Degree Programs for 2021
3/1/21 Chron
Kansas State University named in the top 49 best childhood education degree programs based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation and post graduate employment.

Regional/State

KRUG: ‘Stay Strong, Stay Healthy’
3/1/21 Hays Post
K-State Research & Extension has partnered with Missouri Cooperative Extension to bring the Stay Strong, Stay Healthy program to our state. 

Local

Cattle Care in the Cold
3/1/21 KSAL
Though cattle are naturally equipped to manage cold temperatures, like humans they need some extra care to make those frigid winter days a little easier, according to the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute. On a recent Cattle Chat podcast, BCI veterinarians Brad White, Bob Larson and Phillip Lancaster discussed ways for ranchers to help their herds from experiencing cold stress

Monday, March 1, 2021

National/International

*Some colleges and universities are planning for a ‘more normal’ fall semester
2/27/21 New York Times
Kansas State University announced on Wednesday that it too is planning a “more normal” fall semester, with largely in-person classes, events and activities. Ohio State announced on Thursday that it plans to offer “robust” in-person activities and classes, allowing students to live in residence halls and fans to attend football games.

Contact tracing evaluation for COVID-19 transmission in the different movement levels of a rural college town in the USA
3/1/21 Nature
By Sifat A. Moon & Caterina M. Scoglio, Department of Electricall and Computer Engineering, Kansas State University: Individual-based contact-network models are a powerful tool to model COVID-19 spreading due to its person-to-person spreading nature. In this work, we develop an individual-based network model for a college town, Manhattan, KS, where households represent nodes of the network. We select Manhattan, KS, as our study area, since it is a typical college town in a rural region of Kansas, the home of Kansas State University.

If you're looking for relationship help, try going online
2/27/21 Psychology Today
According to Kansas State University’s Chelsea Spencer and Jared Anderson (2021), you might want to give one of these websites a try. Noting that in-person relationship education programs have strong empirical support, Spencer and Anderson decided to see how well their online counterparts might fare. In their words, “in-person programs may not be suitable for all couples due to time, logistical, geographical, and financial constraints. And, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, online-centered services of all kinds—educational, financial, clinical—are not only increasing exponentially in demand, but are likely to remain central moving forward” (p. 2).

Regional/State

In one of Kansas' most diverse districts, teachers of color still underrepresented
2/26/21 Topeka Capital Journal
After a year in community colleges, Lewis transferred to K-State, where he immediately joined the fledgling Call Me Mister program — an effort by the K-State College of Education to recruit and retain more men of color in teaching majors by offering enhanced support and mentoring projects.

*K-State responds to White nationalist post
2/26/21 WIBW-TV
Kansas State University has responded to white nationalist posts that were left on an open forum in its multicultural student center.

*Love and Money: Expert says discussing finances with partner strengthens relationship, overall well-being
2/26/21 KSNT-TV
Studies show most people in relationships would rather talk about any other topic with their partner than money, according to Megan McCoy, a professor at Kansas State University and couples therapist.

Local

*K-State permanently closes Natatorium because of maintenance issues
2/27/21 Manhattan Mercury
K-State has permanently closed the indoor swimming facility in the Natatorium, because of ongoing issues with maintenance and ventilation.

*Writing alluding to white nationalist ideas found on Multicultural Student Center whiteboards
2/26/21 Kansas State Collegian
Phrases such as “all lives matter,” “because it’s a huge joke” and “donate to white nationalist causes” were scrawled on whiteboards in the Morris Family Multicultural Student Center on Feb. 26. The whiteboards, usually filled with questions and positive messages, are open to all to write on.