K-GRAD Forum showcases graduate student, faculty excellence

More than 70 master's and doctoral students presented their research to the university community and the public at the annual K-State Graduate Research, Arts, and Discovery, or K-GRAD, Forum. Pictured above, from left: Susmita Rishi, associate professor of landscape architecture and regional & community planning, and poster presentation winners Avery Neer and Reagan Gomez. | Download this photo.

Kansas State University recently highlighted impactful graduate student work and recognized distinguished graduate faculty members at the annual K-State Graduate Research, Arts, and Discovery, or K-GRAD, Forum.

The forum, organized by the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Council, provided a platform for 73 master's and doctoral students to present their research to the university community and the public. Forty students showcased their work through engaging poster presentations, and 33 students delivered compelling oral presentations.

The Forum concluded with a ceremony that recognized outstanding presentations and honored the dedication of distinguished graduate faculty members.

"K-GRAD is more than just a competition," said Claudia Petrescu, dean of the Graduate School. "It's a vital opportunity for our graduate students to refine their communication skills, translating complex research into accessible narratives. This experience prepares them for success in many professional settings."

University faculty, staff and postdocs, as well as Manhattan community members, served as judges, evaluating presentations based on clarity and impact. Twelve graduate students were recognized for their outstanding presentations, and each received a $500 scholarship and their name inscribed on departmental perpetual plaques.

The K-GRAD award ceremony began with the presentation "Journey to Becoming a Distinguished Graduate Faculty Member," which honored Sherry Harr, professor of interior design and fashion studies, and Bala Natarajan, professor of electrical and computer engineering, recipients of the 2024-2025 Commerce Bank and WT Kemper Foundation Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award.

From left: Fred Burrack, Sherry Haar, Bala Natarajan and Caterina Scoglio. | Download this photo.

The new talk-show-style format offered a fresh way for academics across all departments to recognize and learn from the awardees. A discussion moderated by fellow distinguished faculty members — Caterina Scoglio, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Fred Burrack, professor of music education — dove into the professional journeys and role of graduate education in Haar and Natarajan's careers. They shared the key messages of embracing learning as a lifelong journey and letting your passion guide your pursuits.

The following students won 2025 K-GRAD awards for poster presentations:

• Reagan Gomez, master's student in biological and agricultural engineering, Maple Hill, "Your grain, our gain: Purifying human serum albumin using rice byproduct." Gomez's faculty mentor is Lisa Wilken, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering.
• Avery Neer, master's student in regional and community planning, Kansas City, Missouri, "Environmental justice for all: A narrative review of literature on environmental justice and brownfield redevelopment." Neer's faculty mentors are Susmita Rishi, associate professor of landscape architecture and regional & community planning, and Shakil Kashem, assistant professor of landscape architecture and regional & community planning.
• Elana Arazi, master’s student in agronomy, St. Louis, Missouri, "Analysis of yield and phenotypic differences in sorghum under organic and conventional farming practices.” Arazi's faculty mentors are agronomy professors Terry Felderhoff and Ramasamy Perumal.
• Noah Renken, master's student in human development and family science, Omaha, Nebraska, "An examination of gender differences across intimate partner violence and animal abuse." Renken's faculty mentor is Chelsea Spencer, research assistant professor of applied human sciences.
• Jessica Suggs, master’s student in biology, Monroe, North Carolina, "The role of alpha-galactosidase on alpha gal syndrome." Suggs' faculty mentors are Susan Brown, university distinguished professor of biology, and Yoonseong Park, university distinguished professor of entomology.
• Bindusri Naraharasetti, master’s student in grain science, Challapalli, India, "The effect of different gums on the quality characteristics of corn tortillas." Naraharasetti's faculty mentors are Kaliramesh Siliveru, professor of grain science, and PV Vara Prasad, university distinguished professor of agronomy.

Oral presentation winners, from left: Conrad Kabus, Sabreena Parray, Amirsalar Bagheri, Claudio Dias da Silva Jr., Brian Wolfe and Santosh Dhakal | Download this photo.

The following students won 2025 K-GRAD awards for oral presentations:

• Brian Wolfe, master's student in veterinary biomedical science, Newton, "Sex differences in influenza vaccine-induced immunity and protection in mice with obesity." Wolfe's faculty mentor is Santosh Dhakal, assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology.
• Conrad Kabus, doctoral student in grain science, Topeka, "Non-thermal preservation of tilapia: Optimizing gelatin and sorghum polyphenols for shelf-life extension." Kabus' faculty mentor is Kaliramesh Siliveru, associate professor of grain science.
• Claudio Dias da Silva Jr., doctoral student in plant pathology, Aguas de Sao Pedro, Brazil, "Decoding stripe rust management: How environmental factors influence fungicide timing of application." Dias da Silva Jr.'s faculty mentor is Kelsey Andersen Onofre, assistant professor in plant pathology.
• Sabreena Parray, master's student in agronomy, Srinagar, India, "Pearl millet for the future: Discovering drought-tolerant forage lines." Parray's faculty mentors are Ramasamy Perumal, professor of agronomy, and PV Vara Prasad, university distinguished professor of agronomy.
• Amirsalar Bagheri, doctoral student in chemical engineering, Tehran, Iran, "Improving soil water predictions with AI: A physics-informed machine learning approach." Bagheri's faculty mentor is Davood Pourkargar, assistant professor of chemical engineering.
• Seungmin Yang, doctoral student in economics, Ansan, Korea, "Cultural peer effects on doctoral students." Yang's faculty mentor is Valerie Bostwick, assistant professor of economics.

Learn more about the K-State Graduate Research, Arts and Discovery Forum. Questions about the event may be directed to Megan Miller, Graduate School assistant director of student success, at mmmiller@k-state.edu.

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