Kansas State University

K-State in the news — February 2022

Some of the top stories mentioning Kansas State University are posted below. Download an Excel file (xls) with all of this month's news stories.

Monday, Feb. 28, 2022

National/International

Will there really be a mass exodus of teachers?
2/25/22 Education Week
“Teacher intentions are not the same as actual teacher turnover behavior, in part because the intention is measured at a single point in time,” said Tuan Nguyen, an assistant professor at Kansas State University who researches teacher policy and the educator labor market. “The way that teachers are feeling at the beginning of the school year or even in early spring isn’t necessarily the same way they’re going to feel in April or early May.”

State/Regional

Fear of COVID lab leak theory leads Kansas lawmakers to 'transparency' bill targeting NBAF, K-State
2/27/22 Topeka Capital-Journal
Supporters specifically cited labs in Manhattan at Kansas State University and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, arguing that the public has a right to know about accidents. They fear an accident could lead to a disease outbreak or pandemic similar to the coronavirus.

Kansas City group planning rally in support of Ukraine amid invasion
2/25/22 Fox 4-KC
Barrows spent two years in the country as a Peace Corps volunteer after graduating from Kansas State University. She’s worried for the future of loved ones in Eastern Europe.

*Kansas farmers face volatility with wheat prices due to Ukraine war
2/25/22 KAKE-TV
Allen Featherstone, head of agricultural economics for Kansas State University, says it the prices present “a lot of opportunity for profit, at least for the 2022 crop.”

Local

*Military experts react to Ukraine invasion, assess potential for widespread aggression and risks to US
2/25/22 Manhattan Mercury
Co-authored by Carla Martinez Machain, Professor of Political Science, Kansas State University.

Friday, Feb. 25, 2022

National/International

Military experts react to Ukraine invasion, assess potential for widespread aggression and risks to US
2/24/22 The Conversation/Yahoo!News
Piece written by Carla Martinez Machain, Professor of Political Science, Kansas State University, and Susan H. Allen, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Mississippi.

State/Regional

Leader chosen for K-State Olathe campus
2/24/22 The Kansas City Star
Starting June 12, Benjamin Wolfe will be the next CEO and dean of Kansas State University Olathe.

Conflict between Russia, Ukraine could impact Kansas wheat farmers
2/24/22 KWCH
“The high prices right now may not do as much good for farmers as you would hope, just because of their uncertainty about having a crop,” K-State Extension Agricultural Economist Daniel M. O’Brien said. You know, are they going to be willing to do much forward pricing?”

Local

K-State researchers part of award winning research on vaccine development
2/24/22 KMAN
A group of Kansas State University scientists have received the international BIAL Award in Biomedicine for a publication focused on mRNA technology, now used in the two federally approved vaccines to prevent COVID-19.

FROM THE PUBLISHER | Snoozing through the debt alarm
2/24/22 The Manhattan Mercury
It was intended to get the attention of the public, and in particular of city commissioners. The city has several major projects in the works – fixing the airport runway, adding on to the flood-protection levee, redoing streets and a parking garage in Aggieville, and spiffing up the roads near the K-State athletics facilities – that cost tens of millions of dollars. Those are all solid projects, ones that the public knows about, and that enjoy broad support. We’ve reported on all the decisions to support those projects.

Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022

National/International

Which traits inspire trust in a financial advisor? Black or white, male or female?
2/23/22 Financial Planning
So Reiter — whose career as a planner and banker started in 2003 — worked with Martin Seay of Kansas State University and Ajamu Loving of The University of North Texas to figure out if an advisor who is Black woman would have a harder time garnering trust than a white man, and if a Black man had any advantages over a white woman.

Prospect of producing African Swine Fever vaccines
2/23/22 Vietnam Agriculture
According to Dr. Cassandra Jones, Professor in Kansas State University (US), there are three sets of contenders in the ASF vaccine development race comprising naturally attenuated vaccine, cell-passage attenuated, and gene-deleted attenuated. Of this, creating vaccination by deleting the I177L gene (or ASF-G-ΔI177L in brief) exhibits 100% protection against virulent field strains from Vietnam and effectiveness in local Vietnam breeds and European cross-bred pigs.

Regional/State

*Rising gas prices cause pain at the pump
2/22/22 KSN
Lance Bachmeier is a Kansas State University professor of graduate student economics and co-editor of Energy Economics. “There’s the possibility that we could increase production some. I’m not aware that exploration is really a key bottleneck right now,” said Bachmeier. “Historically, we are not way off gas prices from 2011 to 2013.”

Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022

State/Regional

A hotter, drier climate and dwindling water has more Kansas farmers taking a chance on cotton
2/22/22 KCUR
“As you go farther north,” Jonathan Aguilar, a water resources engineer with Kansas State University, said, “we are considered what we call ‘thermal limited.’”

Local

JC Animal Shelter’s ‘TNR’ program works to slow growth of feral cat population
2/22/22 WIBW
K-State College of Veterinary Medicine students spay or neuter the cats before the shelter returns the cats back to the neighborhoods where they were found.

KSU College of Education hosts substitute teacher drive
2/22/22 Manhattan Mercury
Kansas State University students and alumni had the chance to sign up to become substitute teachers Monday.

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022

State/Regional

Higher barrel of oil price could up Kansas crude production
2/21/22 KSN-TV
Both Toy and Kansas State University’s assistant professor of Geology, Behzad Ghanbarian, say COVID-19 hit the supply chain hard. But oil production in Kansas has jobs coming back.

Local

*Gordon Parks, Doug Barrett photographs featured in Beach Museum exhibition
2/21/22 JC Post
The Parks exhibition, in the Marion Pelton Gallery, features photographs from a gift that Parks gave to K-State in 1973 and those made during visits to Manhattan in the 1980s, according to information from the museum.

KSU Rodeo celebrates 75 years with a return to Weber Arena
2/21/22 The Manhattan Mercury
K-State Rodeo coach Casey Winn said the Manhattan event is one of the highest-attended college rodeos in the country. He said the rodeo team is celebrating 75 years of existence this season.

Monday, Feb. 21, 2022

National/International

BIAL Award in Biomedicine distinguishes research which is the basis of two of the vaccines against COVID-19
2/18/22 EurekAlert
The BIAL Award in Biomedicine 2021 distinguishes the work of Weissman and 36 other co-authors, researchers from the Universities of Pennsylvania, Duke and Kansas State (USA), Harvard Medical School (USA), National Institutes of Health (USA), Bioqual Inc. (USA), Acuitas Therapeutics (Canada) and BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals (Germany) at the time of publication of the research report.

State/Regional

More than 400 dogs & cats received free vaccines & microchips in MHK
2/19/22 WIBW-TV
T. Russel Reitz Animal Shelter partnered with the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Petco Love, and the city of Manhattan to provide routine vaccines, microchips and city licensing for cats and dogs.

Kansas fishing study shows unexpected results
2/28/22 KSN-TV
The study took place over the course of two weeks in December of 2021 with a total of 32 individuals from KDWP’s Fisheries and Wildlife divisions with additional help from Kansas State University at the Cedar Bluff Reservoir in Western Kansas. Anglers were randomly partnered up and told to fish for seven hours on either the north or south sides of the lake. They had the option to fish with or without LIS equipment.

Local

*K-State officials name Benjamin Wolfe as new CEO/Dean of Olathe campus
2/18/22 Manhattan Mercury
Kansas State University officials on Friday announced their choice for the next CEO and dean of the K-State Olathe campus.

Friday, Feb. 18, 2022

National/International

Tired of Being Cooped Up Inside? Beat Winter Solitude With These 6 Health-Boosting Activities
2/16/22 U.S. Woman’s World
Admiring nature lowers anxiety and increases relaxation, soothing pain. In fact, Kansas State University scientists found that plants work so well as natural “painkillers” that surgical patients who had live plants in their hospital rooms needed 40 percent less pain medicine than those in rooms without greenery.

State/Regional

Call Hall Dairy Bar
2/17/22 Good Day Kansas
If you’re a graduate of Kansas State University, odds are you’ve tried some ice cream at Call Hall Dairy Bar on the campus. Avery Osen, Good Day Kansas host, speaks with the Call Hall about what food is served and how those items are produced.

How to Retire Rich: Start Saving and Investing Now
2/17/22 Kansas City Star
Megan McCoy, professor of Practice in Personal Financial Planning and director of Personal Financial Planning Masters Program, Kansas State University, shares insight how time can be your friend when saving for retirement.

Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022

National/International

Ethanol at the Gas Pump May Be Hurting, Not Helping Air Quality, Study Says
2/17/22 Car and Driver
The study's name is Environmental Outcomes of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard, and it was authored by a group of scientists, researchers, and professors from the University of Wisconsin, Kansas State University, University of California, and University of Kentucky. It reviews the effects of the U.S.’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which was passed into law in 2017 and mandates annual increases in biofuel use.

*K-State Salina adds new master’s degree in aeronautics
2/16/22 General Aviation News
A new master’s degree is being offered at Kansas State University Salina’s Aerospace and Technology Campus.

Local

SGA candidates share platforms in 2022 student body presidential debate
2/16/22 K-State Collegian
Candidates for Kansas State student body president shared their platforms and answered audience questions during Student Governing Association’s 2022 Presidential Debate on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022

National/International

Farmers Feel the Squeeze of Inflation
2/15/22 Wall Street Journal 
Net income for farmers in Kansas is estimated to fall 65% from a year ago, according to a January study from Kansas State University.

State/Regional

3rd K-State All In Day to benefit on-campus mental health services
2/15/22 WIBW 
Kansas State University will host its third ‘All In for K-State’ day on March 23rd, the focus of this year’s day of giving is to increase access for K-State students to mental health services.

Local

Smith talks social media evolution and polarization in ’22 Huck Boyd Spring Lecture
2/15/22 1350 KMAN
Dr. Smith was the speaker for the 2022 Huck Boyd Spring Lecture in Community Media Monday, the kick-off of the K-State A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s inaugural social media week.

Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022

National/International

* 4 Women Scientists Breaking Down Barriers to End Hunger
2/11/22 Medium
Fanna Maïna, biotechnology engineer
Her Role
Fanna earned a Ph.D. in Agronomy through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sorghum and Millet, led by Kansas State University. While at the Innovation Lab, she learned how to identify the best breeding strategies for growing crops and new methods of plant breeding to improve farmers’ harvests. She now uses those techniques she’s learned as a biotechnology engineer at the University Saad Dahleb, where she’s working with local communities in Niger to end hunger.

Will a Home Equity Loan Help or Hurt Your Finances? Here's How to Figure It Out
2/14/22 Yahoo! Life / Better Homes & Gardens
Regardless of the type of loan you take out, the most important consideration is how the loan might affect your ability to buy another house. If you are planning to stay indefinitely and pay off the loan before you move, you'll restore the equity you borrowed. But, according to Martin Seay, head of the department of personal financial planning at Kansas State University, if you think you'll probably move within seven years, as most Americans do, "don't you want that equity for your next house?"

State/Regional

Let’s grow a brighter Kansas future by combining agriculture and solar energy
2/14/22 Kansas Reflector
We have funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill for climate change initiatives and a $2.9 billion surplus in state coffers, enough to divert funding to research and development of agriculture and solar energy projects. We have a premier agricultural research facility in Kansas State University. Establishment of a solar technician training program at one of our community and technical colleges would alleviate a technician shortage. Offering state solar installation incentives would encourage development.

Local

K-State opens the next chapter in university leadership
2/15/22 Junction City Post
Monday opens the next chapter in university leadership at K-State. The university welcomes new President Richard and First Lady Sally Linton and family to Manhattan.

Monday, Feb. 14, 2022

National/International

*Veterinary research vital in protecting zoo animals from SARS-CoV-2
2-11-22 Veterinary Practice News
Veterinary researchers from Kansas State University (K-State) are working to protect zoo animals from the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

State/Regional

*COVID-19 vaccine for zoo animals undergoes testing by K-State team
2/11/22 WIBW-TV
Kansas State University is currently testing a COVID vaccine designed specifically for zoo animals.

Local

*Ready to go: New K-State President Richard Linton starts job Monday
2/12/22 Manhattan Mercury
Incoming Kansas State University president Richard Linton said he’s ready for his first day on the job.
 
*Technology Development Institute assists Junction City company with product design
2/12/22 Junction City Post
Design assistance provided by the Technology Development Institute at the Kansas State University Carl R. Ice College of Engineering has helped an area manufacturing company to create a new hand sanitizer dispenser and a bottle manufacturing line to meet the need created by the recent supply chain difficulties.

Friday, Feb. 11, 2022

National/International

Latino students changing the face of agriculture from their family history
2/10/22 Yahoo! News
Besides Fresno State, College of Sequoias, Kansas State University, Advanced Career Institute, Cal Poly College of Agricultura, Food and Environmental Sciences in San Luis Obispo, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Stanislaus State, California FFA Association, Dordt University, Oregon State University College of Agricultural Science, Chico State College of Agriculture, Universal Technical Institute, Center for Land-Based Learning, University of Arizona College of Ag & Life Sciences and Reedley College of Ag & Natural Resources had booths.

State/Regional

Reading initiative focuses on Hispanic culture
2/10/22 KSN/Telemundo Kansas
“The goal is for the community to be encouraged to read. You know, when one is involved in reading there is more knowledge, more understanding of different things (and in this event) adults and children are involved,” said Elizabeth Brunscheen-Cartagena of the K-State Extension Center.

Iniciativa de leer se enfoca en la cultura hispana
2/10/22 KSN/Telemundo Kansas
“La meta es que la comunidad se anime a la lectura. Sabe que cuando uno está envuelto en la lectura hay más conocimiento, más entendimiento de diferentes cosas así que se involucra a los adultos y a los niños”, dijo Elizabeth Brunscheen-Cartagena de K-State Extension Center. 

Local

K-State Veterinary student helps mourning dog owner
2/11/22 KSNT
A meaningful gesture from a K-State Veterinary student is helping an Emporia woman after the passing of her dog.

FROM THE PUBLISHER | Stopping the Aggieville shootings
2/10/22 The Manhattan Mercury
All three recent shootings have involved soldiers, which brings up another point: Fort Riley needs to be involved in the security arrangements on weekend nights in Aggieville, too. The Army doesn’t want any of this happening, any more than the admissions reps at K-State do, or the bar owners themselves. It’s got to be a partnership, including handling the costs of what I’m proposing.

Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022

National/International

71% of clients report experiencing financial anxiety. Here’s why financial planners could be missing the signs
2/9/22 CNBC
The disconnect highlights the fact that while money is a daily topic of conversation for financial planners, for clients it’s often still taboo, said Megan McCoy, professor of practice at Kansas State University Personal Financial Planning Program.

Local

Former NFL player offers words of inspiration during Black Student Union Leadership Conference
2/9/22 Manhattan Mercury
Gary was the keynote speaker for the ninth annual K-State Black Student Union Leadership Conference Monday. The conference moved fully online this year because of the pandemic. Gary spoke to 150 high school students from across Kansas virtually to start the conference

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022

National/International

Teachers Are Losing Hope That This Can Be a Catch-Up Year
2/8/22 Education Week
“Teachers are stressed and worn out, and that is ultimately going to lead to lower retention and higher attrition,” said Tuan Nguyen, who studies those dynamics as an assistant professor at Kansas State University.

Regional/State

*KSU Students Help Company With Product Design
2/8/22 KSAL.com
Design assistance provided by the Technology Development Institute at the Kansas State University Carl R. Ice College of Engineering has helped an area manufacturing company to create a new hand sanitizer dispenser and a bottle manufacturing line to meet the need created by the recent supply chain difficulties.

Local

Choral conductors blend harmonies as partners in work, life
2/8/22 The Manhattan Mercury
The couple, co-directors of choral studies in the K-State School of Music, Theater and Dance, met to make music together and have spent years doing just that. They said being able to share big and small professional milestones is a blessing and helps them create a cooperative environment in the classroom.

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022

National/International

What is ‘legitimate political discourse,’ and does it include the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol?
2/8/22 The Conversation
Written by Jennifer Mercieca, professor of Communication, Texas A&M University and Timothy J. Shaffer, associate professor, Kansas State University.

Regional/State

Work relationships, brain health on tap for webinar series
2/7/22 Salina Post
In the workplace, the Golden Rule applies: Treat others as we would want them to treat us.  But LaVerne Williamson, an employee relations and engagement specialist at Kansas State University, says there’s more.

Local

K-State student groups host campus Lunar New Year celebration
2/7/22 The Manhattan Mercury
With red decorations, dancing and thundering percussion, K-State rang in the New Year this weekend.

Monday, Feb. 7, 2022

National/International

US can’t tackle Russia inside Ukraine? It’s sending troops to East Europe, repeating history
2/6/22 The Print
Written by: Michael A. Allen, Associate Professor of Political Science, Boise State University; Carla Martinez Machain, Professor of Political Science, Kansas State University, and Michael E. Flynn, Associate Professor of Political Science, Kansas State University.

Regional/State

Boll weevils aren't in Kansas. Cotton growers want lawmakers to help keep it that way.
2/7/22 Topeka Capital Journal
Kansas State University researchers are studying how best to grow cotton in the state.

*Former Wagoner high graduate offered prestigious scholarship to study abroad
2/5/22 Tulsa World
Olivia Wiley, a junior at Kansas State University and former Wagoner High School graduate, has been offered the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study in Dublin, Ireland.

Local

*K-State Black Student Leadership Conference moves online this year
2/5/22 Manhattan Mercury
The Black Student Union at Kansas State University is hosting its 9th annual Leadership Conference from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. This year’s conference will be held via Zoom because of the pandemic.

*Photo gallery: K-State celebrates Lunar New Year with song and dance
2/5/22 KMAN
Numerous groups took to the stage at Forum Hall in the K-State Student Uni

Friday, Feb. 4, 2022

National/International

Kansas governor vetoes redistricting plan targeting Democrat
2/4/22 MSN/Associated Press
Republicans argued said minority residents in Lawrence fit well with three southwest Kansas counties known for meatpacking plants, where white, non-Hispanic residents are now a minority. They also argued that the change for Lawrence is acceptable because it would put the main University of Kansas and Kansas State University campuses into the same district. 

Why You Should Never Store Your Food In The Snow
2/2/22 Mashed
But the Kansas State University Research and Extension offered an alternative: "An unopened refrigerator will stay cold about four hours; a full freezer will hold temperature for about 48 hours." But if the refrigerator isn't an option, is just tossing everything into the frozen snow really your best and safest bet? Unfortunately, no. Things can get unsafe pretty quickly. In terms of food safety, the temperature range where food can grow potentially harmful bacteria is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the USDA. This range is often referred to as "the danger zone." Food left between these temperatures for as little as one hour can grow deadly bacteria such as Salmonella, E.Coli, and Campylobacter, to name a few, with colonies doubling in just 20 minutes.

Local

Student Government Association election race begins, looks different this year
2/3/22 The Collegian
This year, Kansas State elections will stray from those of national government, where candidates compete in primaries before the general presidential election, Reed Krewson, senior in political science, said.
Krewson, who is also the Student Governing Association elections commissioner, said K-State will use the instant run-off voting system this year.

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022

National/International

Biden sending more troops to Eastern Europe - 3 key issues behind the decision
2/2/22 The Conversation
Written by Michael A. Allen, associate professor of Political Science, Boise State University, Michael E. Flynn, associate professor of Political Science, Kansas State University, and Carla Martinez Machain, professor of Political Science, Kansas State University.

Regional/State

*K-State Salina Aerospace and Technology offers tuition-free scholarship
2/2/22 Pratt Tribune
For the first time, Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus will award tuition free scholarships for one year to eligible incoming freshmen from the state of Kansas. At this time, K-State Salina is the only public institution in the state of Kansas that is offering a free year of tuition.

Local

Students, faculty reflect on President Myers’ time at K-State
2/2/22 Collegian
President Richard B. Myers is retiring from Kansas State on Feb 11. He began as the interim president in April 2016 after former K-State President Kirk Schulz departed to be president at Washington State University.

*K-State study indicates income boost for students who re-enroll, complete degrees
2/2/22 Manhattan Mercury
A K-State economics professor says people who return to complete a college degree after a hiatus see an “economically meaningful” boost in income both immediately and over time.

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022

National/International

‘Silent epidemic’ of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer raises concerns
2/1/22 Medical News Today
MNT spoke with Dr. Jürgen A. Richt, the Regents distinguished professor at Kansas State University in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

State/Regional 

Anthracnose-resistant sorghum is a gene away
2/1/22 Kansas Farmer 
Timothy Dalton, director of SMIL, based at Kansas State University, says the researchers’ work will “serve the broader sorghum development community and is a flagship global good, public characteristic of the U.S. land-grant mission.”

Local

K-State to close campus on Wednesday because of predicted snow
2/1/22 Manhattan Mercury
K-State will close its Manhattan campus on Wednesday because of forecasted winter weather.

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022

National/International

Could This Be A Potential New Weapon In The Fight Against COVID-19?
1/31/22 Benzinga
Tonix recently announced an exclusive option agreement and research collaboration with Kansas State University to develop TNX-3700, a differentiated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine that does not require ultra cold storage.

Poaching threatens the ornate box turtle, Kansas' state reptile. Lawmakers are trying to help
1/31/22 Yahoo! News
Retired Kansas State University biology professor Spencer Tomb, of Manhattan, said the bill is unnecessary because the agency can use its regulatory authority. He also warned of unintended consequences.

Local

K-State wraps up MLK Observance Week with virtual candle-lighting ceremony
1/31/22 Manhattan Mercury
The K-State community honored the life, legacy and words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a virtual ceremony Friday.