Kansas State University

K-State in the news — September 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.

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Regional/State

Kansas City Design Center students make presentation on Kessler Water Reservoir Study
9/29/21 Northeast News 
Students from Kansas State University and the University of Kansas, who are conducting the study, explained their goals throughout the meeting to design something for the entire neighborhood to enjoy and gain something in their community

Armyworms take aim at Kansas farmers' fields
9/29/21 KAKE 
Kansas State University crop entomologist Jeff Whitworth said many Kansas farmers are reporting sightings of the small worm, which feeds on turf grasses, vegetables and other plants when other food sources become scarce. 

Local 

In Focus 9/29/21: Art DeGroat, Mark Claussen
9/29/21 1350 KMAN
On Wednesday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Art DeGroat, Director of K-State Military and Veterans Affairs and Mark Claussen, Executive Director of the USO Kansas Program & Center at Fort Riley.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

National/International
*KSU, NOAA Partner To Relieve Shortage Of Hurricane Hunters
9/29/21 Aviation Week
Kansas State University’s Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to create a program to train students to serve as officers and pilots within the NOAA Corps.

*Kansas State, Elanco Sign Strategic Alliance To Improve Animal Health
9/28/21 Drovers
Kansas State University and Elanco Animal Health Incorporated are combining efforts to tackle innovation for companion animal and livestock health.

Regional/State

K-State Salina names Clinton Strong head of aviation department
9/28/21 Salina Post
Clinton Strong is the new aviation department head on the Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

National/International

K-State student named university’s first-ever Borlaug scholary
9/27/21 Yahoo News
Ghori is one of just 18 graduate and six undergraduate students who received the honor for 2021, and the first ever from Kansas State University. “It was a big moment for me to get this award,” Ghori says. She came to K-State in 2017 as a Fulbright scholar. “I am incredibly honored to have my name associated with Norman Borlaug. It is like a dream come true.”

K-State vet shares tips for handling vaccinations, maintaining effectiveness
9/27/21 Midwest Messenger
A Kansas State University veterinarian is reminding producers that properly handling bottles containing livestock vaccinations is crucial so that it remains effective for the animal.

Regional/State

As Colder Temperatures Approach, Prepare Plants
9/27/21 Kansas Ag Connection
Although September has been unseasonably warm, Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham advises moving houseplants indoors to protect them from dropping temperatures.

Monday, September 27, 2021

National/International

*The calorie fallacy: why counting calories isn’t an effective weight-loss strategy
9/24/21 Time/Yahoo News
Haub, who teaches nutrition at Kansas State University, wanted to prove to his students that weight loss is simply about calories. So, for 10 weeks, the professor proceeded to eat an 1,800-calorie diet consisting of a Twinkie every three hours. He also dined on Doritos, Little Debbies, sugary cereal and other junk food.

Regional/State

*K-State spins off business to advance software system used by USDA, 37 states
9/26/21 Kansas Reflector
Software developers at Kansas State University that created a data management system used by the federal government and dozens of states to track nutrition education programs formed a company to further commercialize the web-based tool.

The state of beef: Nebraska's most important ag sector faces uncertain future
9/27/21 Omaha World Heral
“The reality of Omaha would be very different without cattle in the state,” said Glynn Tonsor, a beef industry economist at Kansas State University.

Local

*Prairie memories: Exhibit by native Kansas Life photographer documents visit to Manhattan, return to home state
9/25/21 Manhattan Mercury
It also includes images Parks donated to K-State. Those were the first images Parks donated to a public institution.

*K-State pollution prevention outreach funded
9/26/21 KSAL
The Pollution Prevention Institute at Kansas State University has received a $333,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, or KDHE, to provide free, confidential environmental compliance assistance to Kansas small businesses.

Friday, September 24, 2021

National/International

Ask the Experts
9/20/21 WalletHub
Teachers must be able to make a reasonable living in order to meet the challenges of their profession. For more insight into the issues plaguing teachers and possible solutions for overcoming them, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in on with their thoughts on the following key questions.
****
Tuan Nguyen
Ph.D. – Assistant Professor in the College of Education – Kansas State University
****

Valent BioSciences and Kansas State University Sign Collaborative Agreement for Soil Health Research Initiative with Dr. Charles W. Rice
9/23/21 Yahoo! Finance
Valent BioSciences LLC and Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, announce a formal long-term agreement to advance critical research in the areas of soil health and carbon smart farming. Kansas State University Distinguished Professor of Soil Microbiology, Dr. Charles W. Rice, a world-renowned researcher in carbon cycling and climate change, will oversee this initiative. A portion of the project funding will provide support for a doctoral student and a postdoctoral researcher.

U.S. Army Soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas Benefit from New Data Science-Powered Advising Platform to Guide Military-Civilian Transition
9/23/21 Associated Press
The launch of the new initiative will help employers meet talent gaps by tapping into the thousands of active-duty military members who are beginning to transition into civilian roles. Soldiers who opt in to the new platform will receive data-driven recommendations for last-mile education and training through a network of local universities that includes Kansas State University Salina and others.

Regional/State

Ariel Whitely-Noll: Seeding your lawn this fall? Here's what to know
9/23/21 The Topeka Capital-Journal
From this composite sample, take out 1 pint of soil and bring it to your local Extension office. This should be enough to fill up a sandwich bag. Your sample will be sent to K-State for analysis and recommendations will be sent to you within a few weeks.

Local

President Myers gives final State of the University address
9/23/21 The Collegian
President Richard Myers highlighted the advancements made on K-State’s 2025 strategic plan during his sixth and final State of the University address at Kansas State.

Thursday, September 23, 2021

National/International

The United States Has a Moral Responsibility to Eradicate Global Hunger | Opinion
9/23/21 Newsweek
The United States has already built the foundation to re-envision how the world eats. For decades, American farmers and land grant universities like Pennsylvania State University and Kansas State University have worked together to create nutrition-focused food aid programs that aim to alleviate global hunger and exemplify our values of justice, compassion and humanity in times of want and need.

Regional/State

K-State Researchers Study Benefits, Risks of Carbon Credits
9/23/21 Kansas Ag Connection
Kansas State University researchers have completed a study that looks at the potential value of carbon credits -- and whether it's an opportunity for farmers in Kansas to earn some extra income.

Local

* K-State announces one-time buyout program for eligible faculty nearing retirement
9/22/21 KMAN 1350
Kansas State University is offering buyouts to faculty nearing retirement.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

National/International

K-State to offer reduced tuition for students from Illinois
9/21/21 Yahoo News 
Kansas State University will now offer a reduced tuition rate for students coming from Illinois.

State/Regional

High grad rates, flat test scores: Is an ambitious overhaul of Kansas schools working?
9/21/21 The Wichita Eagle 
“Kansans can say they value all of the things that help a young individual become successful later in life, but if we only measure the success of a child or institution based on a standardized test score, then we will most likely ignore examining the rest of the important components of a successful educational system,” Neuenswander wrote in a 2018 dissertation for a doctoral degree at Kansas State University.

Local

K-State offering buyouts for faculty members near retirement
9/22/21 Manhattan Mercury 
K-State is offering faculty members who are close to retirement a buyout to leave a year early, according to an announcement Monday.

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

National/International

Facial recognition can be used to track disease in cows
9/20/21 The Star
Researchers and companies around the world have developed software that works on bears, fish and lions. Closer to home, a Kansas City, Missouri, company worked with researchers at Kansas State University to develop a facial recognition app for cattle.

5 Simple Hacks That Boost Your Brain Health and Ward off Alzheimer’s Disease
9/20/21 Mens Health
Sleep counsellors at Kansas State University in the US recommend going to bed later. If you're regularly getting just five hours of sleep a night, don't go to bed until five hours before you need to get up. 

Local

*Honorary degree awarded by K-State to man who helped revive Osage language
9/20/21 KMAN
An honorary K-State doctorate degree has been bestowed upon one of the last remaining full bloods of the Osage Nation.

Monday, September 20, 2021

National/International

One Size Does Not Fit All When Recruiting And Retaining Millennials
9/17/21 Forbes
It is this type of purpose-driven benefit that keeps many Millennials engaged at work. In fact, according to recent research from the University of Missouri and Kansas State University, Millennials’ focus on “fun” workplace perks — think catered lunches, Ping-Pong tables and happy hours — has shifted. In 2021, this group now places more value on having respectful communication among colleagues, doing valuable work and finding meaning in their daily responsibilities.

Regional/State

The big ask: Higher education seeks $161 million budget increase from lawmakers
9/17/21 Kansas Reflector
More than three-fourths of the funding would be devoted to base operating budgets of the University of Kansas, Kansas State University and the state universities in Hays, Emporia, Pittsburg and Wichita. Board members agreed Thursday to seek $26.1 million allocation to reflect a 1.9% higher education inflation rate, $14.9 million to avoid tuition hikes in the 2022-2023 academic year and restoration of $4.7 million cut from the budget in 2021.

High grad rates, flat test scores: Is an ambitious overhaul of Kansas schools working?
9/20/21 Kansas City Star
“Kansans can say they value all of the things that help a young individual become successful later in life, but if we only measure the success of a child or institution based on a standardized test score, then we will most likely ignore examining the rest of the important components of a successful educational system,” Neuenswander wrote in a 2018 dissertation for a doctoral degree at Kansas State University.

Local

*Myers says K-State is 'sound' as he delivers final State of the University address
9/18/20 Manhattan Mercury
In his final State of the University address as president of Kansas State University, Richard Myers said K-State “is sound, very sound.”

*Ancient tools morph through time in Beach Museum exhibit
9/18/21 Manhattan Mercury
“45 Paleolithic Handaxes” opens at K-State's Beach Museum of Art on Tuesday.

Friday, September 17, 2021

National/International

‘My Husband Won’t Pay for Child Care!’
9/16/21 The Cut
“I wish every couple used joint accounts,” says Megan McCoy, a licensed marriage and family therapist who also teaches personal financial planning at Kansas State University. “I believe it’s a sign of commitment, but more importantly, I think it shows that both partners are (a) buying things they don’t have shame about, (b) able to ask for what they want, and (c) acting with financial transparency.” Sounds like what you’re looking for.

Regional/State

*K-State Salina: New machine learning, autonomous systems degree option
9/16/21 Salina Post
Industry demand for workers skilled in machine learning and autonomous systems is behind the newest bachelor's degree option from Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus.

Local

*New social media policy offers guidance, inclusion to students
9/16/21 The Collegian
Thomas Lane, vice president for student life and dean of students, served as the lead administrator of the seven-member committee that developed the policy. He said before the policy’s creation, nothing existed to govern what students could and could not do on social media.

Thursday, September 16, 2021

National/International

The Battle for Clean Fields Tops Billions of Dollars 
9/15/21 The Daily Scoop
Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away, says Anita Dille, professor of weed ecology at Kansas State University. A few years ago, she and several colleagues put a number on it. They found doing no weed control will cost a corn and soybean farm half of their yield. Added up, that meant more than $40 billion in losses annually in the U.S. and Canada alone.

Regional/State

Childcare shortage in Stafford County reaches critical point, extension district to help
9/15/21 Pratt Tribune
With help from K-State Research and Extension, we developed a needs assessment that helped us determine that Edwards County was in immediate need of four to six additional daycares. 

*Beach Museum explores ancient tools through video, photos, animation
9/16/21 Salina Post
The past lives in a new multimedia installation at Kansas State University's Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art that lets visitors examine some of the earliest tools crafted by humans.

Local

KSU Journalism School director to be inducted into Hall of Fame
9/15/21 WIBW
A Hall of Fame career started with a letter of complaint to a local radio station. As a teenager, Steve Smethers wrote a letter to the Iola radio station, KALN, to complain about the change in programming.

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021

National/International

Liquid Feed Symposium celebrates 50 years
9/14/21 World-Grain.com
Attendees heard from several speakers on myriad topics. Marty Vanier, PhD, of Kansas State University, discussed current and emerging threats in her session titled, “Outbreaks, Pandemics, Disruptions and Preparedness.” She listed COVID-19, African swine fever, rathayibacter toxicus and wheat blast as top threats to the US animal food industry. 

State/Regional

Arianne Cohen: Career Genius — Your September guide to slaying it at work
9/14/21 Kansas City Star
“Today’s young workers have shifted toward interests in doing valuable work and finding meaning in their day-to-day job functions,” says Danielle LaGree, assistant professor of strategic communication at Kansas State University, who recently surveyed 1,000 workers ages 21 to 34 about what makes their professional hearts go pitter-patter.

Local

Sunflower harvesting season quickly approaches
9/14/21 Wamego Times 
“Sunflowers are usually ready to be harvested beginning in mid-September and into October,” said Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham.

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021

National/International

Jenny's Reesources: Insect report: Fall Armyworms
9/13/21 York News Times
Researchers from K-State looked at marestail (horseweed) and palmer amaranth control from 2014-2015 in no-till soybeans at six locations in eastern Kansas.

State/Regional

*Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Boz Scaggs to appear with McCain Performance Series
9/13/21 Clay Center Dispatch
McCain Performance Series at Kansas State University continues its star-studded lineup with Boz Scaggs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, in McCain Auditorium.

Local

Population of older Americans tops young children for first time
9/13/21 JC Post
“The first of the Baby Boomers turned 65 in 2011,” said Kansas State University specialist in aging Erin Yelland. “So, the oldest of the Baby Boomers are just now turning 75, which means that this population is going to continue to rapidly grow.” 

Monday, Sept. 13, 2021

National/International

How to Prepare Your Finances Before Quitting Your Job
9/10/21 Wall St. Journal
Megan McCoy, director of the financial planning master’s program at Kansas State University, recommends working backward.

Grass is good. Lawns are terrible.
9/10/21 Vox
Most of that carbon is protected from wildfires, which typically just burn through above-ground vegetation, she said. In fact, fires can actually promote the growth of grasslands and even help them store carbon more efficiently, said John Blair, a professor of ecology at Kansas State University. In forests, severe wildfires release large quantities of carbon into the air, and it can take decades for the trees to recover.

State/Regional

Opinion: 20 years later, we’re finishing what the 9/11 terrorists started: the ruin of America
9/10/21 Kansas City Star
Timothy J. Shaffer, director of the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State University, also agrees with a 2018 Rand Corporation diagnosis of “truth decay” — including the blurring line between opinion and fact. But Shaffer notes a more modern sign of truth decay: an increasing disagreement on the facts themselves.

*McCain Auditorium dedicates expanded lobby, hosts 1st live art performance in 18 months
9/10/21 WIBW-TV
“I am beyond ecstatic to welcome our friends and family back to K-State and to enjoy a live arts activity, in a brand-new space, I couldn’t be happier,” McCain Auditorium Executive Director Todd Holmberg says.

Local

Former NY Times editor, K-State alum reflects on covering 9-11 as a journalist
9/11/21 Manhattan Mercury
A former New York Times editor and current communications consultant for Kansas State University says she heard the impact of the first plane as it struck the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

*Breadcrumbs from the past: Glacier-deposited rocks aged younger than expected
9/11/21 Manhattan Mercury
“If you look across the Big Blue it lies there; it’s glistening. You can see it, and it might be halfway dirty with rocks on top of it, too. It’s blocking to the south the Kansas River Valley and it creeps up on the other side and bulldozes all sorts of stuff in front of it,” imagined K-State geographer Arnaud Temme, who led a recent effort to determine more precisely when this ice cap retreated.

Friday, Sept. 10, 2021

National/International

* The Architects of the Post-9/11 World Have Some Regrets
9/10/21 Politico
Retired Air Force Gen. Richard Myers was vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9/11. He took over as chairman on Oct. 1, three weeks after the attacks and one week before the United States invaded Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban and hunt down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. He was also Bush’s chairman of the joint chiefs when the United States justified the invasion of Iraq as part of the “global war on terror” by warning it was necessary to prevent another mass casualty attack using weapons of mass destruction. Myers, 79, is now president of Kansas State University.

State/Regional

Grinter Farms’ sunflower phenomenon is a tale of beauty, Kansas history
9/9/21 The Kansas City Star
On the heads of both varieties are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tiny flowers, or florets. Each yellow petal is its own flower. And in the center of the head are many, many tiny flowers. The wild version will have numerous smaller heads, and its seed can find purchase in the rockiest of places.
“It’s very opportunistic,” said Mark Ungerer, associate professor of biology at Kansas State University, who studies sunflowers.

Local

WINDS OF CHANGE: Retiring climatologist Mary Knapp reflects on 40 years with K-State
9/8/21 The Manhattan Mercury
Knapp, who started her career at K-State in 1980, is retiring after four decades with the university. A retirement reception is set from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday at Call Hall.

Experts share insight on how COVID-19 has affected teens’ mental health
9/9/21 Junction City Post
Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State University, is especially interested in how teenagers are adjusting to new rules and ways of doing things. 

Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021

Regional/State

White-tailed deer can get COVID-19. Is it safe for hunters eat the meat? Here's what you need to know.
9/8/21 Topeka Capital Journal
The deer population is "highly susceptible" to COVID-19 infection and "transmit it very efficiently" to noninfected pen-mates, said Juergen Richt, who is the director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases at Kansas State University.

Experts share insight on how COVID has affected teens’ mental health
9/8/21 HaysPost
Elaine Johannes, the Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State University, is especially interested in how teenagers are adjusting to new rules and ways of doing things. 

Local

KAWSE works to foster sense of community, inclusivity
9/8/21 Collegian
This event was organized by the K-State Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering, a campus organization working towards the advancement of women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — STEM. Greene, the program coordinator for KAWSE, explained that the organization’s mission is to “enrich the lives of girls and women in STEM.”

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021

National/International

*OUR NEIGHBORS | Civil engineer, natural hazards expert finds home at K-State
9/7/21 Yahoo News and Manhattan Mercury
Rosowsky, the vice president for research at Kansas State University, moved to the Little Apple last month but began working for K-State remotely in July. He has lived all over the country — Oregon, Texas, upstate New York, South Carolina and Vermont — but he said he and his family love Manhattan.

Regional/State

K-State student named university’s first-ever Borlaug Scholar
9/7/21 High Plains Journal
Ghori is one of just 18 graduate and 6 undergraduate students who received the honor for 2021, and the first ever from Kansas State University.

Local

Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021

National/International

Myers Remembers September 11, 2001, Says Lessons Still Can Be Learned
9/3/21 U.S. Department of Defense
Myers retired from the military after serving as chairman in 2005. He is now the president of Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, and he spoke about his experiences on September 11, 2001, in an interview.

*Kinesiology study finds that face masks and exercise do mix
9/3/21 Medical Express
Wearing a face mask while you exercise won't impair your workout, according to a study by Kansas State University kinesiology researchers from the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Regional/State

*KSU Grant For Tick Disease Rocky Vaccine
9/5/21 KSAL
Roman Ganta, director of the Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University, has received a $3.681 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue his longtime work on tick-borne diseases.

Local

KSU remembers 9/11
9/3/21 Junction City Post
The K-State campus community will have the chance to view "September 11, 2001: The Day that Changed the World" exhibit at Hale Library on display now until Sept. 15.

Friday, Sept. 3, 2021

National/International

For Farmers In Dry Regions, Cover Crops May Not Be Worth The Water
9/2/21 Iowa Public Radio
John Holman, a professor of agronomy at Kansas State University, has been studying cover crops for about 15 years. “Having that biomass out there, we do increase precipitation storage efficiency, that's the retention of that rainfall we received for the next crop,” Holman says. “But the crop, no matter what, we’ve seen it still uses water … with the next crop following it, we have less water for that crop than if it were fallow.” 

Regional/State

Looking back: Retirement approaches for KSU President Richard Myers
9/2/21 KSNT
If one word could describe how Richard Myers feels about Kansas State, it would be vibrant. That’s what he said he’s going to miss the most when he retires as President of the University in the new year.

* New K-State study finds face masks do not impair a workout
9/2/21 WIBW
A new study from Kansas State University kinesiology researchers finds wearing a face mask while exercising does not impair a workout.

Local

* K-State Salina's Lisa Shappee receives prestigious Wagner Award
9/2/21 Salina Post
Lisa Shappee, director of instructional design and faculty support, is the recipient of the 2021 Wagner Award for Outstanding Instructional Support from Kansas State University Salina.

Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021

National/International 

Interest in helping Afghan refugees high as resettlement team holds first meeting
9/1/21 Yahoo! News and The Manhattan Mercury
The Afghan Resettlement Team includes Estabrook, Jaghoori, Riley County Health Department director Julie Gibbs, Riley County EMS assistant director Josh Gering, Kansas State University chief of staff Linda Cook, USD 383 English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) coordinator Emily Cherms and FIT Closet coordinator 

Regional/State

K-State releases annual Wheat Variety Disease and Insect ratings
9/1/21 High Plains Journal
For more than 30 years, Kansas State University has been publishing a report that takes a look at disease and insect trends in the state’s wheat crop.

Local

K-State Salina renames building in honor of former longtime CEO, dean
9/1/21 Junction City Post
Kansas State University Salina has honored former longtime CEO and Dean Dennis Kuhlman with the renaming of a campus building in his honor.

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021

National/International 

The Princeton Review Has Released “The Best 387 Colleges: 2022 Edition”
8/31/21 Associated Press 
Three schools made 10 lists: Kansas State (Manhattan, KS), U.S. Military Academy (West Point, NY), and Wabash College (Crawfordsville, IN).

Regional/State

Farmers In The Great Plains Try To Balance Saving Water With Saving The Soil
8/31/21 KCUR
Augustine Obour, a soil scientist at Kansas State University, says the practice benefits the soil.

John Holman, a professor of agronomy at Kansas State University, has been studying cover crops for about 15 years.

Local

Smethers to retire from K-State Journalism School, capping Hall of Fame career
8/31/21 1350 KMAN
The director of Kansas State University’s A.Q. Miller School of Journalism has officially announced his retirement at the end of the school year.

OUR NEIGHBORS | Archaeology professor digs into history of Kanza people, their homeland
8/31/21 Manhattan Mercury 
Ritterbush, a professor of archaeology at K-State, studies historical sites and documents to learn about the past.