June 2026
K-State in the news
Some of the top stories mentioning Kansas State University are posted below. Download an Excel file (xlsx) with all of this month's news stories.
Monday, Aug. 17, 2026
National/International
Bringing space down to earth
8/16/2026 Europe Says, Hutch Post and Salina Post
Orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth, the International Space Station feels worlds away. But for seven Kansas State University Salina seniors, an ambitious capstone project brought the microgravity laboratory to America's heartland for youth to experience. As part of the students' senior capstone project, they collaborated to design, develop and build an immersive experience through computer coding, virtual reality, or VR, and augmented reality, or AR. The game is called "ISS: Rupture," an interactive game that simulates fixing micro air leaks — a complex, real-life scenario that astronauts aboard the International Space Station, or ISS, may encounter.
What To Do If You Find A Bat In Your Attic
8/14/2026 HouseDigest
Usually, if you find bats during their most active season, which for most areas runs from spring to August, your only option is to wait, as physical removal is both illegal and not very practical even if you wanted to do it. "If the bats are in the attic, or they're living in the upper portion of the house, it's really hard to go in there and actually find all of those bats, catch them effectively, and try to take them back outside the house," said Kansas State University wildlife expert Drew Ricketts.
State/Regional
Lawn stressed? September is time for relief
8/14/2026 High Plains Journal
The state's high temperatures – 100 degrees and higher in many parts – and sporadic rainfall often cause cool-season varieties to become thin by summer's end. September typically signals a good time to replenish those stands, said Kansas State University horticulture expert Matt McKernan. "When overseeding, start by mowing the grass short (1 to 1 ½ inches) and removing the clippings," he said. "This will make it easier to achieve good seed-soil contact and increase the amount of light that will reach the young seedlings."
Friday, Aug. 14, 2026
National/International
How to build a financial plan when your income is unpredictable
8/13/26 MoneySense Canada
Megan McCoy, program chair for the Personal Financial Planning program at Kansas State University, says that variable income is uniquely challenging in a lot of ways. The pressures of living with variable income can lead us to make decisions that aren’t in our best interest. We take shortcuts when we have too much information, too little information, or need to act quickly. “Our brains do not like ambiguity,” she says. “When we’re worried about money being tight, we may end up making more short-term, impulsive decisions.”
State/Regional
A year later, pandemic ‘victory gardens’ are still blooming in KC
8/14/26 All for Gardening
But it’s not just stores seeing a boom. At Kansas State University, the horticulture extension provides education and technical assistance to farmers and gardeners. Johnson County horticulture extension agent Zac Hoppenstedt says he’s seen an uptick, too. “We definitely saw an increase in the quantity of inquiries coming into the office, this spring honestly probably even more so than at the beginning of the pandemic.”
Local
Environmental ed. director says drones and fire are saving the world’s most threatened biome
8/12/26 The Manhattan Mercury
“They are being lost to agricultural development,” said Jill Haukos, director of environmental education at Konza Prairie Biological Station. “You could just say ‘conversion.’ They’re being converted into something other than what they were before.”
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026
National/International
Nearly 30,000 pounds of Argentine beef sold in Texas, Florida recalled by Miami-area company
8/11/26 MSN.com
Further, Kansas State University agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said Argentina can't produce enough beef to offset those other losses of imports.
"We're always going to have uncertainty in the world. But the more uncertain something is, the less likely most are to put money on the line," Tonsor said.
Local
Beach Museum celebrates 30 years with spotlight on contemporary Osage art
8/11/26 Manhattan Mercury
Kansas State University’s Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art is celebrating 30 years of serving Kansas and the region by launching a new exhibition on Aug. 18 featuring works by three contemporary Osage artists who consider the significance of land, language and culture in shaping ideas about home.
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026
National/International
Photos: Teen wins scholarship for Constitution-inspired duct tape dress
8/10/26 KRQE-TV
Fankhauser plans to use her scholarship at Kansas State University, where she will study fine arts.
State/Regional
Extreme summer heat in Kansas poses challenges for cattle producers and livestock welfare
8/10/26 KAKE
AJ Tarpoff, a beef extension veterinarian for Kansas State University, explains cattle can release heat, but because they have few sweat glands, they pant.
What’s next for Nicodemus, the Kansas town where freedom took root for Black Americans
8/10/26 KSN
The project was supported by architecture students at Kansas State University, who planned and designed homes.
Monday, Aug. 10, 2026
National/International
In 2002, a Kansas landowner began restoring 320 neglected acres with winter burns; 20 years later, native tallgrass and wildflowers returned
8/8/26 The Times of India
Researchers from Kansas State University tracked more than 3,000 woody plants at the Konza Prairie Biological Station after a prescribed burn. The study by Jesse B. Nippert et al., published in the journal Rangeland Ecology and Management, found severe burn damage and high mortality among young woody plants, including eastern red cedar, one of the prairie's biggest threats.
State/Regional
Kansas wheat harvest projected to be lowest in decades, adding to agriculture stress
8/7/26 Kansas Reflector
“I think it’s challenging to see six months down the road when we’re uncertain of what’s happening today or tomorrow,” said Dan O’Brien, agricultural economist and Kansas State University professor. “Within the last three months, we’ve had a lot of market volatilities — at first a run up that had to do some with geopolitical issues, but then weather was entering into that.”
Friday, Aug. 7, 2026
Local
‘A model high school’: US education secretary McMahon visits K-State, MHS
8/6/26 Manhattan Mercury
McMahon, secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, marked the Sunflower State as her 40th stop of a “Returning Education to the States Tour” on Wednesday, visiting both Manhattan High School and Kansas State University.
Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026
National/International
Voluntary vs. Mandatory Labeling: Which One Wins at the Meat Case?
8/5/26 Drovers
Hard economic data backs up this observation. Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University agricultural economist, tracks these consumer preferences monthly through K-State’s Meat Demand Monitor (MDM). “Past research done clearly showed there was no evidence of a consumer demand benefit when mCOOL was last implemented,” Tonsor says.
Sun’s Surface Is Blanketed in Vortices That May Solve a Decades-Long Heat Mystery
8/5/26 Tech Times
In the May 2024 Gannon storm — the strongest since 2003 — GPS disruption from elevated solar activity resulted in a $500 million loss to the US agricultural sector alone, according to a Kansas State University economics study published in 2025.
State/Regional
Secretary Linda McMahon visits K-State during national university tour
8/5/26 WIBW
United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon toured Kansas State University Wednesday, Aug. 5, as part of her ongoing tour of learning institutions across the country.
U.S. Secretary of Education visits K-State’s campus
8/5/26 KSNT
Kansas State University hosted the United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on Aug. 5. McMahon toured the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine and got a firsthand look at the technology college students use daily.
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026
National/International
Mom of 4 recovering after suspected spider bite leads to severe complications: reports
8/4/2026 Yahoo News and KAKE
Raymond Cloyd, a horticultural entomologist at Kansas State University, told KAKE the brown recluse and black widow are two venomous spiders commonly found in Kansas.
State/Regional
K-State watershed specialists, livestock experts emphasize importance of water sources
8/4/2026 High Plains Journal
Water is likely the most important nutrient in raising livestock, and yet Kansas State University Extension cow-calf specialist Jason Warner says it is often the most overlooked.
A Kansas town was just named 9th best ‘up-and-coming’ US city for new homebuyers
8/4/2026 Wichita Eagle
Home to Kansas State University and nestled in the Flint Hills, “The Little Apple” has been named a top “up-and-coming” city for new homebuyers.
Local
Pushing the limits | Architecture professor Reese Greenlee is designing 3D-printed concrete shelters to withstand tornadoes and protect Kansas’ manufactured home residents
8/1/2026 Manhattan Mercury
Greenlee, an assistant professor of architecture in Kansas State University’s College of Architecture, Planning & Design and Big 12 Faculty Fellow, is researching the intersection of architecture, structural performance, digital fabrication and housing resilience.
Monday, Aug. 3, 2026
State/Regional
Architecture professor designs 3D-printed concrete shelters to withstand Kansas tornadoes
7/29/2026 START LAND
As extreme weather intensifies, Reese Greenlee is testing the limits of 3D-printed concrete to create stronger, more accessible storm shelters for vulnerable communities. Greenlee, an assistant professor of architecture in Kansas State University’s College of Architecture, Planning & Design and Big 12 Faculty Fellow, is researching the intersection of architecture, structural performance, digital fabrication and housing resilience. Specifically, he is investigating whether off-site construction using 3D-printed concrete can provide affordable, adaptable and code-compliant storm shelters for manufactured home communities that lack adequate access to shelter.
Kansas lawn owners warned to watch for fall armyworm damage this season
7/31/2026 KWCH
Kansas State University is warning people about fall armyworm moths that are already showing up across the state, especially in south central Kansas. Dry patches of grass can be a potential sign that armyworms are coming for your lawn. While the extreme heat could be to blame for some dried up lawns, K-State says that fall armyworm moths could be the cause of the dry patches. "Right now, traps around Kansas are showing some of the presence of adult moths, which means the adult moths will be laying eggs and starting to see fall armyworms appear in the lawn and agronomic crops in the coming weeks," explained Matthew McKernan with Kansas State Research and Extension.
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are a vital part of K-State Extension
8/1/2026 Rural Messenger
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are a vital part of K-State Extension. Donating time in return for horticultural training, Extension Master Gardeners help local agents meet the need for horticultural information in their communities. The means of providing this information are diverse, including demonstration gardens, garden shows, public presentations and tours.