06/27/18
K-State Current - June 27, 2018
K-State Current is a weekly news update for the Kansas Board of Regents to apprise the Regents on a few of the many successes and achievements made by K-State faculty, staff and students.
K-State News
Two Kansas State University publications receive international CASE awards
Two Kansas State University publications have received international recognition from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE. As part of the 2018 Circle of Excellence Awards, Seek magazine received a silver award and the K-State Today e-newsletter was named a finalist in the platinum category.
The council is an international association of educational institutions. The Circle of Excellence Awards are international awards and honor outstanding work in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising and marketing at colleges, universities, independent schools and affiliated nonprofits.
"These international awards recognize the quality of collaborative work done by communicators across the university," said Jeff Morris, vice president for communications and marketing. "Our staff works hard every day to communicate K-State's land-grant mission and these awards show that we are on the right track."
Seek magazine, the university's flagship research magazine, received a silver award in the research publications category. In their report, the judges noted that Seek "had excellent content balance and focused on a select number of high-quality articles, blended writing and visuals for a cohesive issue." Kansas State University tied with the University of Essex in England for the silver award. No gold or bronze awards were given in the category.
Seek magazine is published biannually and highlights the research, scholarly and creative activities, and discoveries of Kansas State University. It is produced by designers, photographers, writers and communications staff in the Division of Communications and Marketing, K-State Research and Extension and the Office of the Vice President for Research.
"K-State has been engaging faculty, students, and external stakeholders in research for over 150 years — it's part of our land-grant heritage," said Peter Dorhout, vice president for research. "Telling the stories about how that research changes lives and livelihoods is the goal of Seek. Our outstanding team of staff make research come alive."
Kansas State University's daily e-newsletter, K-State Today, was named a finalist in the platinum category for Best Practices in Communications and Marketing. The platinum categories — separate from the Circle of Excellence awards but announced as part of the Circle of Excellence program — recognize the "best-of-the-best programs and practices in educational advancement," according to the council.
K-State Today is coordinated by the news and communications services staff in the Division of Communications and Marketing. It gives faculty and staff a single source of timely K-State announcements, events, news and research — most of which is reader submitted but edited for content, style and effective messaging by news and communications staff. It is emailed to internal audiences and posted on a webpage for external audiences.
K-State Faculty Highlights
Mechanical and nuclear engineering professor to receive Zeldovich Medal
Amir Bahadori, Kansas State University assistant professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, has been named recipient of the 2018 Zeldovich Medal from the COSPAR Scientific Commission F, Life Sciences as Related to Space.
The Zeldovich Medals are given to young scientists who have demonstrated excellence and achievement in their field of research. They are conferred by COSPAR, more fully known as the Committee on Space Research of the International Council for Science, and the Russian Academy of Sciences to honor the memory of the distinguished astrophysicist and academician Yakov B. Zeldovich.
The presentation of the award will take place at the inaugural ceremony of the 42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly on July 15 in Pasadena, California.
Bahadori joined the faculty in the College of Engineering in December 2015. He is the director of the Radiological Engineering Analysis Laboratory, where his research is focused on the characterization of radiation environments, radiation protection, and mitigating radiation effects on electronic systems using both experimental and computational techniques.
K-State Student News
Another year, another graduate! On June 5, Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine hosted its annual homecoming for the U.S.-China Joint DVM Program. The lone 2018 graduate, Aolei Chen, earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota.
The U.S.-China Joint DVM Program provides for the selection of four Chinese students each year to study for a veterinary degree in the United States. Students must complete one year in the pre-veterinary program at K-State, after which they can enroll in the four-year veterinary programs at K-State or one of its partnering schools in the U.S.
The homecoming event included reports from 21 of the students who just finished their pre-veterinary year at K-State and/or are currently working on their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at K-State, the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University or the University of California, Davis.
Chen knows graduating is just the tip of the iceberg. She looks forward to making a lasting impact in her home country.
"Veterinary school is just the starting point of our career; lifelong learning is the key," Chen said. "I cannot guarantee that I can affect all the people that I interact with. But, if I can influence them — two of them — and each of them influence another two people, then in a couple years later along the way the number can be exponential."
"Veterinary school is difficult under any circumstances. No one would tell you it is easy," said Bonnie Rush, interim dean of K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine.
She applauded these students for their courage in becoming a veterinarian in a different culture using a secondary language.
"The program has been a cornerstone for this college's commitment and interest in making a difference to the world by having a global program," Rush said. "We are proud of the students that we send back to China to improve animal and human health in their country."
Peggy Schmidt, associate dean for academic programs and student affairs at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, shared how excited she is to see members of the program grow as educators.
"You will be taking a role in academia, which will be a very special role as a veterinarian," Schmidt said. "We are used to taking care of our patients and clients, but you will also have the opportunity to take care of the future generations of veterinarians. The veterinarian students will come to your door and place their little veterinary heart in your hand and say, 'Nurture me, take care of me,' and that's also a pretty special role."
The program is sponsored by Kansas State University, the China Scholarship Council, Zoetis/International Veterinary Collaboration for China, the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association and Banfield Pet Hospital. Since its establishment in 2012, the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health has guided the program through partnerships with the governments, universities and animal health industry in the U.S. and China.
"I think the stories we heard today from the students, and those who have even graduated, yet prove that they are deserving to be here," said Alex Ramirez, interim assistant dean of academic and student affairs at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. "We take pride in those students that come into our institution, but really, as a veterinary professional, we are proud of all – not only those who are in our school but also those who will be representing our profession in the future."
"The College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota continues to be a strong supporter of this program and we're grateful of all the supporters that help, including the Chinese Scholarship Council, that make this possible," said Trevor Ames, dean of Minnesota's veterinary college.
The College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia is a new partner to the program and will be welcoming Xinyi Xu in the fall. Scott Brown, associate dean of academic affairs, served as Georgia's representative at this year's homecoming.
"We are honored and excited to be a part of this program for the first time," Brown said. "It is a program that expands our horizons — allowing us access to exceptional international students who want to come to the U.S. to further their career and gain important perspective on how the veterinary profession can impact animal and public health in both countries. We look forward to welcoming our first student in August and being part of her journey."
The first program graduates, Yi Ding and Yaoqin Shen, now have a year of teaching as associate professors at Huazhong Agricultural University in China after earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota and K-State, respectively, in 2017. They have used the U.S. clinical rotation model to launch the Excellent Clinician Training Program at Huazhong Agricultural University.
"We divide students into groups and let them do rotations in each department," Ding said. "Our college thinks the program is important. Before, we would just get experience in research labs — so we wouldn't get that much practical experience. Each month we give lectures on topics that we learned here in the U.S. Not only do the students in the training program attend, but also other students who are interested in clinical veterinary medicine."
A leadership seminar was incorporated into the event, as one of the program's missions is to train future leaders in the veterinary education and the profession in China.Daniel Aja, senior vice president and chief medical at Banfield and Ames offered advice and words of wisdom about what they have learned along the way.
As the ceremony concluded, Jishu Shi, director of the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health expressed his gratitude for those who traveled a long way to attend the homecoming event, as well as the students.
"From your presentations, I can say, just like every speaker here, we are all very proud of you," Sh saidi. "You're making the difference in the class room. The alumni have already set up partnership with universities in the U.S. and China. That's really what the program is supposed to be about, so thank you for the hard work you do."
Four K-State Personal Financial Planning affiliates named to InvestmentNews' 40 Under 40 list
InvestmentNews has recognized four K-State Personal Financial Planning students or graduates as 2018 40 Under 40 honorees.
Desmond Henry, Marc Shaffer, Kathleen Boyd and Christopher Moore were chosen from a pool of almost 1,000 nominees by a panel of reporters, editors and other representatives of InvestmentNews, to make a list of 40 talented individuals.
Henry, a graduate of the master's program, is the founder and financial planner for Afflora Financial Life Planning in Topeka. Shaffer, a graduate of the bachelor's program, is a principal at Searcy Financial Services in Overland Park. Kathleen Boyd, a current student in the doctoral program, is a wealth advisor at Navigoe in Redondo Beach, California. Moore, a current student in the doctoral program, is the director of financial readiness at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
"We are thrilled by this recognition of how our students and graduates are impacting the financial planning profession," said Martin Seay, director of personal financial planning. "We also view this as a testament to the quality of our graduate programs, as these leaders are drawn to Kansas State Personal Financial Planning from across the country to further their education."
The Personal Financial Planning Program at K-State has been consistently ranked as a top-five program in the country. Its mission is to prepare the professionals of tomorrow to transform lives through the power of financial planning. With programs centered on the certified financial planner certification, K-State graduates are known for their technical expertise and training in interpersonal communication.
InvestmentNews' 40 Under 40 project strives to award the young talent that is rarely recognized in the financial advice industry. By rewarding these honorees, InvestmentNews hopes to reveal the promising future for the industry.
"Winners were chosen based on their level of accomplishment, contribution to the financial advice industry and leadership," said Frederick P. Gabriel Jr., editor of InvestmentNews. "They are role models for other young individuals who are striving to make a difference."
Along with the making the fifth annual 40 under 40 list, these award winners are highlighted in the June 18 issue of InvestmentNews and online at investmentnews.com.
Learn more about each of the 40 under 40 honorees.