Kansas State University

K-State in the news — Sept. 2024

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, Sept. 30, 2024

State/Regional

Producers should consider coleoptile length when deciding when and how deep to plant wheat
9/27/2024 Salina Post
Producers have a lot to consider when deciding when to start planting wheat — moisture, soil temperature, Hessian fly-free dates and more. Based on research from Kansas State University, another one of these considerations may appear small, at least physically, but could have a big impact come harvest — coleoptile length.

Local

K-State works to help digital literacy
9/27/2024 JC Post
Kansas State University is establishing a program to improve broadband access for thousands of Kansans, helping them navigate the digital economy more safely and successfully. The Digital Ambassador program is currently being piloted in the West Plains Extension District — Scott and Finney counties — the Central Kansas Extension District — Ottawa and Saline counties — and the River Valley Extension District — Republic, Washington, Cloud and Clay counties.

Friday, Sept. 27, 2024

State/Regional

Researcher explores machine learning’s role
9/27/24 Agri-View
Lilli Heinen, a Kansas State University graduate student with the Beef Cattle Institute, said that with the cattle industry a long way from an outright cure and prevention method, predictive models crafted through machine learning may soon become a mainstream option for mitigating the effects of bovine respiratory disease.

Why are there thousands of flying spiders in Wichita?
9/26/24 KSN
Newly hatched spiders have a small survival rate of 10% or lower. K-State Entomologist J.P. Michaud said September brings them to the sky, spreading out to increase their odds. "There are thousands of little spiders. You can have several hundred from a single egg sack. They put out these long threads of silk. They usually climb up onto a plant first, then they’ll spin a long thread of silk, then the wind will just carry them away."

Wichita's Early Edition
9/24/24 KMUW
Kansas State University and the University of Kansas Health System are teaming up with a hospital system in Phillips County to improve rural health care.

Local

Wildcats take a pause
9/27/24 The K-State Collegian
Kansas State’s first-ever Pause Day will take place Oct. 11, offering students a chance to take a break and ready themselves for the second half of the semester.

MIT astrophysicist talks gravitational waves, tech advancement at K-State
9/25/24 The Manhattan Mercury
Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nergis Mavalvala discussed gravitational wave astronomy at K-State’s Cardwell Hall as part of the Peterson Lecture Series, which brings prominent scientists to campus to talk about physics topics.

K-State entomologist using AI to identify bees
9/27/24 WIBW
K-State entomologist Brian Spiesman founded the Bee Machine website in 2020. Since then, thousands of bee species have been identified, and the project has now culminated in an app. "Bee machine is just a way to allow the general public to take a public in their backyard garden, on a hike, and find out what kind of bees they’re seeing around," he said.

Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024

National/International

Experiment confirms that bird flu in the US is spread by milking procedures
9/25/24 El Pais
Juergen Richt, a researcher at Kansas State University, where the study was conducted, told EL PAÍS: “Our experiments show that the virus spreads mainly through milking and probably through milking equipment.” “It seems that the replication of the virus in cows is limited to the mammary glands. It is worrying that H5N1 continues to be transmitted between dairy cows, because it may allow it to adapt even more,” he added.

State/Regional

Calling all college students
9/25/24 WIBW
Kansas State University is inviting students to network and learn about job opportunities. this year's career fair is in Bramlage Coliseum, featuring more than 400 employers.

Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024

National/International

The (financial) talk can make us all uncomfortable on and off the farm
9/24/24 PBS-Iowa 
Most of us would choose to discuss politics over finances with loved ones, but financial discussions that begin early can lead to clear plans for transferring wealth, and make family gatherings festive rather than filled with angst. Dr. Megan McCoy teaches undergraduate, graduate and even Ph.D. students personal finance, financial literacy and planning at Kansas State University. We discuss how to start the conversation and why it's important to do that when times are good instead of during emotionally driven times, like after a family member’s passing.

State/regional

Kansas mental health ranking improves, but numbers for young people worsen
9/24/24 KAKE
Elaine Johannes, a Kansas State University associate professor who specializes in community health, credited the Legislature for expanding access to mental health care through Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, she said in a Sept. 16 news release from the university.

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024

National/International

Drone students at K-State Salina get real world experience at Kansas State Fair
9/23/24 Yahoo News and Salina JournaL
Members of the Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus Applied Aviation Research Center were on site at the fair with the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) to help provide drone support and monitor crowd activity.

The FAA’s ASSURE: Testing for Standards
9/23/24 Inside Unmanned Systems
Kansas State University is listed in two future collaborative projects with ASSURE.

Monday, Sept. 23, 2024

National/International

FDA establishes four Animal and Veterinary Innovation Centers
9/20/2024 FarmProgress Feedstuffs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine has announced the establishment of four Animal and Veterinary Innovation Centers, which are the recipients of funding for work to advance regulatory science and further development of innovative products and approaches to better support animal health and veterinary interventions. Kansas State University is one of the funding recipients, for work to develop models which reliably and consistently evaluate the efficacy of analgesics in food animals in support of new drug approvals. This work supports pain relief in pigs, goats and cattle for painful diseases or surgical pain. 

State/Regional

'Just hang in there with us': Local rancher, Ag. Economist on record-high beef prices
9/20/24 41 KSHB Kansas City
Americans are paying a lot more for their favorite beef items. According to the U.S. government's most recent Consumer Price Index report, beef and veal prices were up 4.2% in August 2024 compared to the same time last year. "Ground beef and steak products would be 20% to 30% higher than they were three years ago," said Kansas State University's Ag Economics professor, Glynn Tonsor. "The U.S. beef cattle herd is fairly small by historic standards, so the amount of beef we're producing is less than it was five years ago, and that has the effect of higher beef prices."

Determining Winter Wheat Planting Dates
9/20/2024 KSAL
The relationship between winter wheat planting dates and grain yields can be characterized by a bell curve, according to K-State wheat production specialist Romulo Lollato. Seeding should occur at the curve's peak or optimum point to minimize the risk of yield loss. Lollato said this relationship makes winter wheat planting dates that maximize crop performance specific to an individual producer's location and operational goals.

Local

K-State to build accredited Veterinary Diagnostic Lab
9/20/2024 The Mercury
The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday approved the construction of a new $130-million Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at K-State. It will be a part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which comprises 60 accredited government and university laboratories. The proposed building will be 85,000 square feet and will be a part of the Veterinary Medicine complex that is on Denison Avenue. The purpose of this facility is to provide the foundation for the coordination of federal and state animal disease diagnostic laboratory infrastructure and the ability to respond to foreign animal disease, new emerging diseases, and outbreaks.

K-State students receive prestigious Gilman scholarships for education abroad
9/20/2024 The Mercury
Six K-State students have been awarded the nationally competitive Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship for international study opportunities. The selected students are Hannah Macke, senior in agribusiness, Baileyville; Kadin Waterman, sophomore in park management and conservation, Fontana; Thomas Worstell, graduate student in architecture, Blue Springs, Missouri; and Richard Charlton, junior in wildlife and outdoor enterprise management, Tyner, North Carolina. Two other recipients declined to be identified.

Friday, Sept. 20, 2024

National/International

Is bird flu spreading among people? Data gaps leave researchers in the dark
9/18/24 Nature
“It’s a mystery case,” cautions Jürgen Richt, a veterinary virologist at Kansas State University in Manhattan. “So you have to throw your net a little wider. Maybe they cleaned out a bird feeder in the household. Did they go to a state fair? What kind of food did they consume?”

Local

Six K-State students receive prestigious Gilman scholarship for education abroad
9/20/24 KMAN
Six K-State students have been awarded the nationally competitive Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship for international study opportunities. The Gilman scholarship provides up to $5,000 to help US undergraduate students at two-year or four-year colleges or universities participate in study abroad programs worldwide.

K-State head of political science says presidential debates don’t impact elections much
9/19/24 KMAN
Presidential debates have grabbed headlines in recent months, but one K-State professor says they don’t tend to swing elections as much as people thing they do. Nathaniel Birkhead, head of the political science department at K-State, said the debates impacted polling but may not be decisive.

EDGE OF THE FUTURE | A look at planned condos, hotel, restaurants near stadium
9/19/24 The Mercury
The development is just part of the plan for the Campus Edge, which is projected to have $2 billion in current and future infrastructure and $3 billion in economic investment and infrastructure by 2035, according to the K-State Foundation’s website.

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024

National/International

Introducing 'The Next Harvest'
9/18/24 KBIA/NPR
“If we're going to have these droughts and then these mega intense rainstorm events, we have to figure out ways to be more resilient,” said Kansas State University soil scientist Charles Rice.

K-State Entomologists Need Help Collecting Corn Leafhopper Samples
9/18/24 Farms.com
Corn Stunt Disease caused by Corn Leafhoppers, has been identified in Kansas. So far, the disease and associated symptoms have been confirmed in Sedgwick, Pratt, Stafford, Edwards and Riley Counties. More can be found on that topic in this article. 

FDA shows commitment to animal and veterinary innovation
9/18/24 DVM360
The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) announced the establishment of 4 Animal and Veterinary Innovation Centers (AVICs), which will further the goals outlined in the FDA’s Animal and Veterinary Innovation Agenda (AVIA), released in September 2023.

Kansas State University: The funds will be used to build models for evaluating the efficacy of analgesics in food animals, including pigs, goats, and cattle, in support of new drug approvals. The work looks to support pain relief in food animals for painful diseases or surgical pain.

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024

National/International

Most & Least Diverse States in America
9/17/2024 WalletHub
Diane L. Swanson
Ph.D. — Emerita Professor of Business — Kansas State University

State/Regional

K-State University and pilot program join to address shortage of rural veterinarians
9/17/2024 WIBW
Kansas State University is joining a new pilot program from Farm Journal Foundation to support veterinary students.

Local

K-State health expert says much work still remains in mental health care
9/17/2024 The Mercury
An annual national report that rates the state of mental health in the United States indicates that Kansas communities have made significant positive progress recently, says a Kansas State University health specialist.

Monday, Sept. 16, 2024

National/International

How we grow food affects the climate. Here are solutions communities are taking to help
9/14/2024 NPR
Meanwhile, entomologist Brian Spiesman, a professor at Kansas State University, has created a new smartphone app called BeeMachine that harnesses artificial intelligence to identify different species of bees and study habitat loss. And as KCUR Kansas City reports, "the app lets the public participate in documenting bees, too, by snapping photos when they spot one," providing valuable insight on where bees live.

Kansas State University researchers say carbon sequestration on farms can combat climate change
9/13/2024 Yahoo! News and Missouri Independent
Farmers can help combat climate change and improve the health of their soil by switching to natural fertilizers and minimizing tilling, new research from Kansas State University shows. According to a paper published in June in the Soil Science Society of America Journal, analysis from a no-till cornfield in Kansas showed that manure or compost fertilizer stored more atmospheric carbon and improved microbial diversity compared with commercial fertilizers.

K-State entomologist leading project to track bee movement
9/13/2024 BrownfieldAgNews
A Kansas State University entomologist is leading a collaborative research project to track the movement of bee populations worldwide. Brian Spiesman launched the website BeeMachine.AI and a mobile app in 2020, which allows users to upload photos of bees.

State/Regional

Douglas County Extension partners with a community initiative aimed at revitalizing the county's entrepreneurial landscape
9/13/24 Lawrence Journal-World
To enhance economic development and support entrepreneurship in Douglas County, K-State Research and Extension has joined forces with a community initiative aimed at revitalizing the county's entrepreneurial landscape. Douglas County CORE — an acronym that stands for Connections, Opportunities and Resources for Entrepreneurs — was developed to make entrepreneurship easier in the county, and it has partnered with the Extension to create an "entrepreneurship ecosystem." … Bates was already engaged with Douglas County CORE through his office’s community development initiatives. Recently, this collaborative effort received funding from the K-State 105 program, designed to foster economic growth and progress across Kansas.

Newstalk Drone Research
9/12/2024 KWCH
Travis Balthazor shares about KSU Salina's first responder drone research program that is using drones as a research tool for first responders.

K-State Celebrates 100 years of radio on campus
9/13/2024 WIBW
Kansas State University commemorated 100 years of radio on its campus with a celebration on Friday morning. The festivities included donuts, performances from the pep band, cheerleaders, and the K-State theatre program, as well as speeches from a few distinguished guests. The speakers were former U.S. Sen. and KSAC broadcaster Sam Brownback, former NPR Vice President for News and Information Bill Buzenberg, National Association of Broadcasting President Curtis LeGeyt, and K-State Senior Vice President Marshall Stewart.

Local

Bluemont Hall renovation creates 'front door' for the future of education
9/14/2024 The Mercury
Any teacher will tell you that the beginning of the classroom starts with the front door. That's why Andrew Bergmeier is excited that Bluemont Hall — home of Kansas State University's College of Education — now has a "front door" that reflects the professionalism and purpose of the people that teaching attracts. … The main floor recently underwent a $3.7 million renovation that unified and converted several rooms within the building into modern, inviting and welcoming spaces for all students to learn in, for faculty to teach from and for staff to support student success.

Friday, Sept. 13, 2024

State/Regional

Owasson named KSU College of Veterinary Medicine Scholar
9/12/24 Owasso Reporter
Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine has selected five recipients for a new scholarship to help address shortages of rural veterinarians while increasing overall access to veterinary education.

Local

Linton touts statewide reach in annual K-State address
9/12/24 The Manhattan Mercury
K-State’s president emphasized the school’s reach across Kansas at his annual state of the university address on Wednesday. “No other university in the state is responsible for and accountable for changing people’s lives on all of our physical campuses and all 105 counties and communities,” said president Richard Linton, calling it the “university for Kansans.”

Manhattan to host state economic development conference
9/12/24 The Manhattan Mercury
Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce president Jason Smith told Riley County commissioners Thursday that sessions will highlight the work Manhattan has done with child care as well as projects in the area and business recruitment. The program also will include updates from K-State, Manhattan Area Technical College and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.

Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024

State/Regional

Kansas State University researchers say carbon sequestration on farms can combat climate change
9/11/24 Kansas Reflector
Farmers can help combat climate change and improve the health of their soil by switching to natural fertilizers and minimizing tilling, new research from Kansas State University shows.

K-State expert cautions consumers against scams
9/11/24 High Plains Journal
But Kansas State University family finance specialist Elizabeth Kiss says knowing the tangles that scammers often use will help consumers stay safe.

Local

K-State President Richard Linton gives State of Our University address
9/11/24 WIBW
2024 has been a big year for K-State. The university has even bigger plans for 2025. “Yes, there is a lot going on at this university,” President Richard Linton said. “If you think about it, a land grant university has to worry about so many things. Students, the student experience, research, engagement, outreach, economic development, all the things that we talked about today, and it’s our goal to help grow each of them. With that comes chaos but with chaos comes progress.”

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024

National/International

State/Regional

K-State Salina kicks off fall Civic Lecture Series with discussion about free expression
9/11/24 Salina Post 
Kansas State University Salina is hosting a community discussion about free expression as part of the campus's Civic Lecture Series.

Local

K-State beef cattle experts offer recommendations relating to sun exposure and water quality
9/11/24 Manhattan Mercury 
Experiencing too much sun exposure and drinking poor-quality water can have serious negative effects on a person’s health. That can be true for cattle as well, according to the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts who spoke on a recent Cattle Chat podcast.

Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024

National/International

Organic farming practices boost soil carbon storage
9/10/2024 Earth.com
Researchers from Kansas State University are investigating how various farming practices can influence the amount of carbon stored in soil, a crucial factor in mitigating climate change. The study seeks to uncover how long-term agricultural techniques, particularly in no-till farming systems, impact the soil’s ability to capture and retain carbon over time.

State/Regional

K-State 105 entrepreneurship project in Douglas County advances economic growth
9/9/2024 Sunflower State Radio
A K-State 105 project is boosting economic growth in Douglas County by building an entrepreneurship ecosystem. Project organizers say the effort can be replicated in every Kansas county.

Kansas winter canola planting will look different for producers all across the state
9/10/24 RFD-TV
Winter canola plating is underway in Kansas, but growers may be limited by several factors. Kansas State University, canola breeder Mike Stamm says that weather variability this time of year can be a deciding factor.

Local

K-State biologists' discovery could help treat fatal, drug-resistant pneumonia and sepsis
9/9/2024 The Manhattan Mercury
Bacterial pneumonia and sepsis are leading causes of hospitalization and death. Researchers in Kansas State University’s Division of Biology have discovered that dysfunction of the body’s immune response to bacterial infection may be part of the problem.

Monday, Sept. 9, 2024

National/International

Kansas State entomologist to lead $1M effort to expand bee project
9/6/2024 AgriMarketing
The National Science Foundation has awarded more than $1 million to researchers at three U.S. universities to further advance a Kansas State University project that hopes to conserve one of nature's most important pollinators. K-State entomologist Brian Spiesman launched the website BeeMachine.ai and a mobile app in 2020 to help track trends in bee populations across the world. Spiesman said a recent update substantially improves users' ability to contribute to the citizen science effort and communicate their sightings. The update was funded by a K-State Game-changing Research Initiation Program for exploratory research, or GRIPex, award for nearly $250,000. The NSF grant will allow the researchers to continue that work.

Feeding fashion: Historical Museum exhibit focuses on upcycling of feed sacks
9/8/2024 Yahoo! Life and The Wichita Eagle
"Thrift Style," a traveling exhibition on display until Oct. 7 at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, offers what museum officials call a nostalgic view into how consumers and companies turned a common commercial item into garments, quilts and even toys. The exhibition features more than 40 items from the Historic Costume and Textile Museum at Kansas State University that were donated by alum Richard D. Rees. Rees’ family owned a farm supply store in Coffeyville that carried patterned sacks in the 1940s and 1950s. As an adult, Rees started collecting vintage sacks, garments and other material marketed during that period of upcycling.

State/Regional

K-State scientists report corn stunt disease in Kansas
9/6/2024 Great Bend Tribune
Kansas State University plant pathologists and entomologists are reporting the first known case of corn stunt disease in Kansas, coming on the heels of reports in neighboring Oklahoma and Missouri. Row crop plant pathologist Rodrigo Onofre said that as of Aug. 29, corn stunt disease and associated symptoms have been confirmed in field corn in Sedgwick, Pratt, Stafford and Edwards counties; and sweet corn in Riley County.

Adapting to change
9/6/24 High Plains Journal
Bill Golden, a research assistant professor in Kansas State University's department of agriculture economics, said several years ago that sorghum has a role to help sustain the Ogallala Aquifer. Even with reduced water application, sorghum proved to be a valuable part of crop rotations. "If you can only pump 10 inches or less, you're much better off, both from a profit and a risk standpoint, to include sorghum in your rotation, and, basically, that says that the revenue curves cross at about 8 inches to 9 inches," he said.

Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024

National/International

U.S. Publishers Push Back Against Book Bans
8/28/24 Triple Pundit
Social vigilantism is often disconnected from facts and information. In a recent Kansas State University study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, for example, researchers link social vigilantism to “greater tendencies to disseminate and defend one's beliefs, regardless of how well-informed those beliefs are.” The same study noted that social vigilantism is “positively correlated with social dominance orientation, right wing authoritarianism and conservatism.”

ASLA Announces 2024 Student Awards
9/4/24 American Society of Landscape Architects
The American Society of Landscape Architects announces its 2024 Student Awards. Winners showcase innovation and represent the highest level of achievement among the future of the profession. The following Kansas State University projects received honor awards:

• Communications: Olmsted’s Crown Jewel: An Exhibition Celebrating Franklin Park
• Research: Blight to Benefit: Vacant Lot Greening to Support Ecosystem Services

Local

K-State 105 partnership with The University of Kansas Health System advances community health care in Phillips County
9/4/24 Manhattan Mercury
A new K-State partnership aims to address rural health issues in north central Kansas.

Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024

National/International

If You Eat This for Dinner, You'll Keep Burning Calories All Night Long
09/03/24 AOL
Adds Dr. Mark D. Haub, Ph.D., a food, nutrition, dietetics and health professor at Kansas State University, “The muscles involved with chewing, eating and digesting lead to increased and redistribution of blood flow to extract nutrients from the food.”

State/Regional

Interview with Phil Nel
09/03/24 KMUW
Listen to a clip of Professor Phil Nel’s live interview with KMUW. 

Local

Downtown Manhattan to host Symphony on the Plaza at courthouse
09/03/24 Manhattan Mercury
K-State director of orchestral studies and assistant professor of music Rachel Dirks is the director of the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra. 

Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024

National/International

"I feel I can put my knowledge into someone else's little brain" - Tara Davis-Woodhall geared up for coaching role at Kansas State University
09/01/24 Sportskeeda
2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall has shared insights into her new coaching assignment at Kansas State University. The 25-year-old was roped in by the university as a track and field assistant coach during her 2024 Summer Olympics campaign in Paris. Following the conclusion of the Rome Diamond League Meet on Friday, August 30, Davis-Woodhall opened up about her upcoming endeavor. She said she was looking forward to working with young aspiring track and field athletes at the university and sharing some of her knowledge with them.

State/Regional

Standards updated for wheat, swine
09/02/24 Farms.com
Kansas State University researchers and representatives of Kansas Wheat have recently published updated findings on the value of feeding wheat to pigs. What they’ve found is good news for swine producers and wheat growers. “Our data collected from 2014 to 2020 suggests that wheat’s mean energy content is 99 percent and 98 percent of corn for digestible energy and metabolizable energy, respectively” said Joel DeRouchey, a swine specialist for Kansas State University Research and Extension.

K-State Scientists Report Corn Stunt Disease in Kansas
09/03/24 Morning Ag Clips
Kansas State University plant pathologists and entomologists are reporting the first known case of corn stunt disease in Kansas, coming on the heels of reports in neighboring Oklahoma and Missouri. Row crop plant pathologist Rodrigo Onofre said that as of Aug. 29, corn stunt disease and associated symptoms have been confirmed in field corn in Sedgwick, Pratt, Stafford and Edwards counties; and sweet corn in Riley County.

K-State Among Best For Happiness, Success
09/03/24 KSAL.com
It’s a student experience that K-State continues to foster as one of the best in the country, according to a national survey by The Princeton Review. The national survey of students — whose latest results were published in the annual “The Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition” earlier this week — shows K-State is No. 1 and 2 for friendliest and happiest students, respectively. The university’s not-so-secret formula for building that environment is in its top-ranking student success efforts and initiatives, several of which scored in the top 15 in the country.