Nathaniel Birkhead wins 2016 Commerce Bank and William T. Kemper Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award

Four Kansas State University faculty members are being recognized with the 2016 Commerce Bank and W.T. Kemper Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award for making a difference in the classroom.

The 2016 award recipients are Nathaniel Birkhead, assistant professor of political science; Huston Gibson, assistant professor in landscape architecture and regional & community planning; Chad Jackson, director of the university's Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship; and Kevin Wanklyn, instructor of mechanical and nuclear engineering.

Sponsored by the William T. Kemper Foundation and the Commerce Bancshares Foundation and coordinated through the Kansas State University Foundation, the awards include a $2,500 honorarium.

"Commerce Bank and the William T. Kemper Foundation partnered with K-State nearly two decades ago to support undergraduate teaching excellence," said Tom Giller, community bank president of Commerce Bank,Manhattan. "We are pleased to continue the tradition with the university to honor these four exceptional educators for their dedication to teaching."

University President Kirk Schulz said that supporting excellent faculty will help the university achieve its goals for the future.

"It is a pleasure to recognize these extraordinary educators for their dedication to K-State students, which would not be possible without support from Commerce Bank and the William T. Kemper Foundation," Schulz said. "The support we receive from community is an invaluable asset to K-State's goal of becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025."

Birkhead's main area of teaching is American politics, focusing on Congress, the presidency and political participation. He was associate instructor of the year for the department of political science at Indiana University in 2011. He earned his bachelor's from the University of Colorado and a doctorate from Indiana University.

Waters wins 2015 KSU Young Alumni Award

David E. Waters, BA 1999, received the Kansas State University College of Arts and Sciences Young Alumni Award at the Eisenhower Circle Celebration at KSU on October 15, 2015. After graduating from KSU, David attended the University of Kansas School of Law on scholarship and also clerked for Kansas State Supreme Court Justice Robert E. Davis. He joined the law firm Lathrop & Gage LLP, in Kansas City and Johnson County, Kansas, following completion of his law degree and quickly made his mark on the greater Kansas City legal community. Now a partner at Lathrop & Gage, he was named a Super Lawyers Missouri and Kansas “Rising Star” from 2012 to 2015 and one of The Best Lawyers in America in Real Estate for 2013-2016. David has also published a number of articles for professional legal publications and regularly speaks on legal issues for various professional associations.

While many things contributed to his success, David believes his KSU education was invaluable. Beyond the basic skills of lucid writing and argumentation, he learned the value of compromise, negotiation and the importance of viewing issues from multiple perspectives while at KSU. A true K-Stater, David is also very involved in his local community. Among a large number of activities, David is on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Northeast Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, he serves on the Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Westwood, and he is active with several economic development organizations. He recently began serving as a mentor for a Kansas City area business incubator to small minority-owned and women-owned construction industry businesses. He also remains an advisor to his fraternity at KSU and emcees its annual alumni dinner and award ceremony most years.

David is thus the consummate K-Stater: highly accomplished in his profession while also being engaged and involved with his community. Needless to say, we are proud that David received this well-deserved honor. We hope that his ties to KSU and to the Department of Political Science remain strong!

Sabri Ciftci appointed Michael W. Suleiman Chair in Arab and Arab-American Studies

Sabri Ciftci has been appointed the Michael W. Suleiman Chair in Arab and Arab-American Studies in the Department of Political Science at Kansas State University.

With a tradition of success in the study of Arab and Arab-American issues at K-State, the Suleiman Chair was established to help the university remain at the forefront of Middle Eastern studies. The Suleiman Chair and the activities that will be associated with it, including talks and workshops, will help to expand knowledge on issues that are currently significant and will remain relevant in the coming years.

"I am truly honored to hold this title," Ciftci said. "Michael W. Suleiman has been a pioneer in Arab studies. Building on his legacy, I believe we can advance the study of Middle East in the Department of Political Science and at Kansas State University. Activities associated with the Michael W. Suleiman chair will help to build an intellectually vibrant community on campus and they fit well with K-State's vision to be among the top 50 public research universities by 2025."

Ciftci is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science. He came to K-State after receiving his Ph.D. in political science from Florida State University in 2008 and specializes in Middle East politics, political Islam and democracy, Arab public opinion, civic engagement in the Arab world and anti-Americanism in the Middle East. Ciftci has published widely in the leading journals including Comparative Political Studies, Political Research Quarterly, International Journal of Middle East Studies and Foreign Policy Analysis. He teaches courses in Middle East politics, political Islam, comparative politics and advanced research methods.

"Professor Ciftci is the kind of academic leader that we want to recognize with the Suleiman Chair," said Peter Dorhout, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. "Through his teaching and research, he has enabled our students to understand and appreciate people and cultures outside their ken, and broadened their perspectives."

It was largely through the efforts of the chair's honoree, Michael W. Suleiman, that K-State developed a widespread reputation for excellence in the study of Arab and Arab-American issues. A K-State faculty member for over forty years, Suleiman was a leader in the study of Arab politics and a pioneer of the study of Arab-American relations.

To honor his legacy and strengthen the study of Arab and Arab-American issues at K-State, John Hofmeister, former President of Shell Oil and founder and CEO of the non-profit citizens for Affordable Energy, made a lead gift in 2005 to establish the Suleiman Chair and was instrumental in initiating support from Shell Oil. Hofmeister is a K-State College of Arts & Sciences alumnus, graduating with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1971 and a master's degree in political science in 1973, and received an honorary doctorate from K-State in 2014.

"We are thrilled that Dr. Ciftci has been awarded the Suleiman Chair," said Jeffrey Pickering, Political Science Department Head. "His scholarship has appeared in the foremost journals in Middle Eastern studies and political science, and is on the cutting edge of knowledge in the area. I am confident that Dr. Ciftci's ongoing research and the activities he has planned for the chair will enhance K-State's reputation in the area even further."

Shai Washington receives National Fellowship to Become a U.S. Foreign Service Officer

Shai Washington, junior in political science and international studies, is one of 10 students nationally to receive a 2015 Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship with the U.S. State Department.

The fellowship, administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, provides financial support for students; senior year as an undergraduate and first year of graduate school. In addition, students participate in one domestic internship and one overseas internship; receive mentoring from foreign service officers in the U.S. State Department; and after completing a master's degree, are expected to become foreign service officers.

"This has been my career goal since high school," Washington said. "I'm excited to meet and get to know all the people who are involved in this program, including some really incredible people I met during the interview."

Washington, a first-generation college student, became interested in a career in foreign affairs when she spent a summer in Morocco after high school as part of the State Department's National Security Language Initiative for Youth.

"I became passionate about international and governmental relations after living in Morocco with a host family that was so different from my own," Washington said. "My favorite part is learning about a new culture that can be very different, but then realizing that our basic desires are the same - we all want happiness and security for our families."

The fellowship will help Washington reach her goal to aid in communication between the U.S. and other countries and to help create a better understanding abroad of the diversity of cultures and ideas in the U.S.

"The Foreign Service is highly selective, and the Pickering Fellowship offers Shai an incredible opportunity to prepare for a career in international diplomacy," said Jim Hohenbary, director of the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships. "I think she will represent K-State, Kansas and the United States very well in that role."

Shai is the president of the College of Arts & Sciences Ambassadors and secretary of K-State's Model United Nations team. She is a student blogger for the Office of Admissions and a member of the university's Student Foundation. She is a McNair Scholar, a member of both the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society and Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political sicnece honor society. In addition, Washington is a 2015 Public Policy and International Affairs Program fellow, allowing her to take courses at Princeton University this summer. She is a graduate of Shawnee Mission West High School and the daughter of Stephanie Grigsby, Lenexa, Kansas.

Washington also participates in undergraduate research as part of the McNair Scholars Program. She has researched factors influencing foreign public opinion of U.S. drone strikes and why the U.S. uses drones instead of other policy options.

"I want to thank Jim Hohenbary for telling me about this opportunity and for encouraging me to apply, and Tom Roesler, communications coordinator for the College of Arts & Sciences, and Dr. Andrew Long, associate professor of political science, for being mentors to me throughout my years at K-State," Washington said.

The fellowship program is named in honor of an American diplomat and career ambassador. Pickering served as ambassador to Nigeria, El Salvador, Israel, India and the Russian Federation, finishing his career in the Foreign Service as undersecretary of state for political affairs from 1997-2000.

Shai Washington wins Fellowship to Study at Princeton

Shai Washington, junior in political science, has received a nationally competitive fellowship from the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Program to attend PPIA's Junior Summer Institute (JSI). The Junior Summer Institute is an intensive seven week program designed to prepare college juniors for advanced degrees and for careers serving the public good. The JSI curriculum "... includes economics, statistics, domestic/international policy issues and leadership topics, all designed to sharpen the students' quantitative, analytic and communication skills -- skills [that] are vital for admission into the top graduate programs in public and international affairs."

Washington chose to attend the Junior Summer Institute program at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs this summer, and all of her expenses will be supported by the fellowship. JSI programs will also be held at the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Michigan, and Carnegie Mellon University.

"I was ecstatic when I found out," Washington said. "This is an incredible opportunity to really focus on the skills needed to be successful in an international or public affairs graduate program. I normally would not be able to participate in a program like this because of financial constraints. My career goal is to become a Foreign Service Officer, and this as an amazing opportunity that will help me on this journey."

Washington has been heavily involved in extracurricular activities during her time at Kansas State University. She has been an ambassador for the College of Arts and Sciences, a Multicultural Ambassador and student blogger for KSU's Admissions Office, Director of Retention Strategies for the university's Student Governing Association, and a participant in the university's Model United Nations team. A McNair Scholar, Washington also received a Quest Freshman Award at Kansas State designed to further her involvement in a range of campus activities.

A graduate of Shawnee Mission West high school, Shai is the daughter of Stephanie Grigsby, Lenexa.

Political Science Graduate Wins 2015 Distinguished Young Alumni Award

Matt King, BA Political Science (2007), is the recipient of the K-State Alumni Association Student Alumni Board's 2015 Distinguished Young Alumni Award. This award recognizes K-State graduates who are younger than 35 and are using the scholarship, leadership and service experience they acquired at K-State to excel in their professions and contribute to their communities.

King is a fund analyst for the World Bank Group, an international development institution in Washington, D.C., that provides finance and technical assistance to developing countries. King helps manage two funds capitalized at $283 million that support energy access, renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects.

While at K-State, King was the co-founder of the nationally recognized K-State Proud campaign and president of Student Alumni Board, among other roles. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from K-State in 2007 with a degree in political science and natural resources and environmental sciences, before continuing his education as a Fulbright Scholar at Oxford University, where he earned a master's degree in environmental change and management.

King will be visiting campus February 23-25 to give a keynote presentation and visit with student groups and university classes.

Patricia A. Seitz Named Alumni Fellow

Senior US District Judge Patricia Seitz, BA 1968, was honored as a University Alumni Fellow in April. Judge Seitz spent two days on campus, and shared her insights and experiences with students in John Fliter's Constitutional Law course and with pre-law students on campus. She also met with two Seitz scholarship recipients on campus, and with student veterans.

Seitz is Senior Judge in the Southern District of Florida. She served as chief legal counsel in the White House Office of National Drug control Policy, and prior to that was a partner in the firm Steel, Hector, and Davis, LLP. Seitz is the first woman elected president of the Florida Bar. Her visit was extremely enjoyable and beneficial for students and faculty, and a delight in every way. She was joined by her husband Alan Greer during the trip. Greer is a trial lawyer in private practice, and also provided enriching insight.

Earhart Foundation to Sponsor Mini-Conference in Department

The Earhart Foundation, a charitable foundation founded in 1929 by Harry Boyd Earhart, has provided a $7,500 grant to the Department of Political Science for a Mini-Conference featuring the authors contributing to Perspectives on Modern Honor, an edited volume that will be published by Lexington Press. The Mini-Conference, co-hosted by Dr. Laurie M. Johnson (Political Science, KSU) and Dan Demetriou (Philosophy, University of Minnesota-Morris) was held Friday, March 27, 2015 in KSU's Hale Library (Hemisphere Room, 5th Floor).