K-State Current - April 17, 2019

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

K-Staters represent College of Agriculture at national MANRRS conference

On April 3-6, the K-State College of Agriculture served as a co-host for the 34th annual Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences, or MANRRS, National Conference in Overland Park. A total of 1,200 participants and more than 85 companies participated in the conference.

The K-State delegation included 16 students, along with advisor Zelia Wiley, assistant dean and director of the College of Agriculture Diversity Programs Office, and Lonnie Hobbs Jr., co-advisor. Tiffany Carter, graduate student in agronomy, and Hobbs represented K-State on the national level, serving as national graduate student president and Region IV graduate vice president respectively. The students participated in various workshop sessions, the career fair and student competitions. The students were very successful in their competitions as they placed in the top three in all competitions that they competed. Student winners are listed below.

Contest winners:

• Raymond Thomas: First in the Graduate Research Poster contest.
• James Lin: First in the Graduate Business Pitch contest.
• Jasmin Choate: Third in the Elevator Speech contest.
• Jordan Bailey: Second in Lincoln Douglas Debate.
• K-State quiz bowl team: Third in the Quiz Bowl competition.

The K-State delegation included:

• Jordan Bailey
• Raymond Thomas
• Eric Valenzuela
• Hector Rojas
• James Lin
• Michael Hook
• Akayla Calhoun
• Jasmin Choate
• Makinsey McIntosh
• Sarah Weekes
• Daisy Farr
• Mckenzie Stevens
• Johari Snell
• Marisa Avila
• Tiffany Carter
• Lonnie Hobbs Jr.
• Zelia Wiley

Other K-State College of Agriculture administrators participated in the conference during the career fair and various sessions during the four day period. Ernie Minton, interim dean of the college, served as a panelist during the Diversity Summit. Shannon Washburn, assistant dean of academic programs, participated in the career fair. Wiley also was heavily involved in the conference as she lead various sessions and passed her crown as the MANRRS Legend, 2017-2019, to the 2019-2021 recipient, Carl Butler.

On April 4, 40 students from the MANRRS National Conference visited the K-State Manhattan campus to tour both the College of Agriculture and College of Veterinary Medicine. Various K-State College of Agriculture administrators, ambassadors and K-State MANRRS members helped to ensure the students had a fun and informational time on campus. Thank you to Callie Rost, assistant dean for admissions, and the College of Veterinary Medicine staff for serving as co-host for the tours.

Overall, we were proud to serve as a 2019 co-host for the conference. As the MANRRS motto states, it is our duty to "change the face of agriculture by linking hands around the world." It is hoped through our efforts, this was accomplished.

Please continue to look for more diversity news and events as we continue to advertise. We appreciate your support. For more information about upcoming events or to collaborate with the College of Agriculture Diversity Programs Office, call 785-532-5793 or contact Hobbs at lhobbs@k-state.edu or Wiley at zwiley@k-state.edu.

Kansas State Polytechnic offering web development technology degree at Fort Riley

Service members stationed at Fort Riley have a new educational option to consider with the establishment of a computer-based degree program from the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus.

An associate degree in web development technology from Kansas State Polytechnic will be offered at Fort Riley starting in August for the fall 2019 semester. Eligible students include active-duty military members, part-time and reserve service members, veterans, military families and the general public. Courses will be taught at night by instructors at Fort Riley and structured in an eight-week format to accommodate students with military priorities.

Kansas State University also is furnishing a new computer lab to enhance the program's hands-on learning style and focus on practical application.

"Providing soldiers with another educational option on post that will advance their skills and create a pathway to in-demand career fields is something we're excited to be a part of," said Alysia Starkey, interim CEO and dean of Kansas State Polytechnic. "The Polytechnic Campus, being a former Air Force base, has a historical connection to the military as well as a current reputation as a military-inclusive campus. We also have a great working relationship with Fort Riley and we're proud to partner with them in a way that serves those who selflessly serve this country."

The service members chose the web development technology associate degree through a Fort Riley Education Services survey. The associate degree was created to equip students with web design and development expertise essential for growing and changing technologies. Courses cover user interfaces, navigation, mobile web pages, e-commerce tools, dynamic web pages and Internet theory. Students also learn client-side and server-side programming, video and audio streaming, and database applications.

While the program is based on Fort Riley, students can complete the degree online if they deploy, relocate or transition out of the military. The program also offers a reduced tuition rate for classes offered on Fort Riley so students can leverage military tuition assistance, scholarships and other funding opportunities.

"The web development technology associate degree provides important and practical skills that will benefit soldiers and their families as they look to advance in the military or transition to a civilian professional career," said Dominic Barnes, K-State’s military student services coordinator. "As a veteran retiree from Fort Riley and a K-State alumnus, I understand the value in furthering your education as well as the challenge of balancing service and study. This program provides the flexibility and support that active-duty service members, family members and the extended community need to prepare for the workforce of the future."

With the implementation of this degree, Kansas State Polytechnic and Fort Riley are examining future degree program expansion based on the needs of the post and its community.

For more information on the web development technology associate degree offered by Kansas State Polytechnic at Fort Riley, contact Kansas State Polytechnic Professional Education and Outreach at 785-826-2633 or profed@k-state.edu. In-person inquiries may be directed to K-State’s office in the Fort Riley Education Center.

K-State Faculty Highlights

Jida Wang honored with Early Career Award

Jida Wang, Kansas State University geographer, was recently honored with an Early Career Award from the Remote Sensing Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers.

The American Association of Geographers is a nonprofit scientific and educational society founded in 1904. The Remote Sensing Specialty Group is a subgroup of scholars within the Association of American Geographers.

The mission of the Remote Sensing Specialty Group is to foster an understanding of remote sensing science. Emphasis is placed on developing a meaningful dialogue among geographers interested in understanding and applying remote sensing technology in research, instruction, public service and private enterprise.

Wang is an assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences' geography department. His core areas of geographic research are in physical geography — particularly hydrosphere, human-nature interactions at large geographic scales, and geospatial analysis and application.

This award is a nationwide recognition of Wang's early career achievements. This includes high-quality publications in prestigious outlets such as Nature Geoscience and Water Resources Research, and synergistic activities in international collaborations, conferences, and peer reviews.

Spanish professor featured on 2019 Best Translated Book Award longlist

Laura Kanost, associate professor of Spanish and affiliated faculty in gender, women, and sexuality studies, is featured on the 2019 Best Translated Book Award longlist for "A Dead Rose," her translation of a 1914 novel by Peruvian feminist Aurora Cáceres. Read more about "A Dead Rose" on the K-State Spanish blog.

Kanost teaches three Spanish<>English translation courses in the department of modern languages and advises students in the Spanish translation minor program. She is also the co-author of "Intermediarios," an open-access textbook for community translation and interpreting, funded by the Open/Alternative textbook initiative.

K-State Student News

Agricultural economics student is Kansas State University's 35th Truman scholar

A passion for tackling food insecurity through public policy has earned Kansas State University's Clara Wicoff, junior in agricultural economics, Iola, a 2019 Harry S. Truman Scholarship.

The Truman scholarship is a highly competitive national award that provides up to $30,000 for graduate study to students committed to future careers in public service. According to the Truman Foundation, 62 scholarships were awarded this year from a candidate pool of 840 students nominated by 346 colleges and universities.

"It comes as no surprise that Clara has received this prestigious scholarship, making her the university's 35th Truman scholar," Kansas State University President Richard Myers said. "Clara has an excellent record of leadership, public service and academic achievement to complement her passion for promoting food security. As an exemplary K-State student and undergraduate researcher, she is helping the university — the nation's first operational land-grant institution — live up to its mission to improve quality of life for all people."

Wicoff is working on a secondary major in Global Food Systems Leadership and minoring in entomology. After graduation, she said she intends to earn a master's degree in public policy and focus her research on what she calls the "wicked" problem of food insecurity.

"From climate change to poverty to sustainability, 'wicked' problems set themselves apart from 'tame' problems through their complex interactions with other social problems and their lack of a clear solution," Wicoff said. "Obtaining a Master of Public Policy degree will enable me to have a better understanding of the public policy implications of various approaches to food security."

In fall 2017, Wicoff participated in the university's entomology department undergraduate research experience program, where she was able to incorporate her interest in food insecurity with research in reducing post-harvest loss. Through the program, she researched the influence of a specific insecticide-treated storage material on insect pests at the USDA Center for Grain and Animal Health Research.

Wicoff is a member of the university's Honor and Integrity Council, the Center for Risk Management Education and Research Student Fellows, and Blue Key Senior Honorary. In addition, she is a legislative fellow for the Kansas Grain and Feed Association, a member of the Cargill Fellows Program and a student worker for the Kansas Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Lodging Program. She also serves on the Riley County and City of Manhattan Food and Farm Council. She is the events coordinator for the College of Agriculture Ambassadors and previously served as the alumnae relations director for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. In summer 2018, she served as a committee intern for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. She also served as state vice president for Kansas Future Farmers of America from 2016-2017.

In addition to the Truman scholarship, Wicoff has received a Kansas State University Presidential Scholarship and a Kansas State University Kassebaum Scholarship and is a National Merit Scholar. She is a 2016 graduate of Iola High School and the daughter of Joel and Lisa Wicoff, Iola.

Bergmeier selected as national finalist for 2019 Great Plains Journalism Awards

Olivia Bergmeier, Collegian multimedia editor, has been selected as a national finalist for the 2019 Great Plains Journalism Awards through the Tulsa Press Club.

Bergmeier is one of three collegiate staffers selected in the Midwest region for this prestigious award. She is one of three collegiate staffers from the state of Kansas who placed in the competition. This is the second year that the Collegian Media Group has had a finalist in the Photographer of the Year competition. Cooper Kinley won the Photographer of the Year award in May 2018.

Bergmeier has made impactful photography contributions to the Collegian newspaper, Manhappenin' magazine and Royal Purple yearbook over the past two years for the Collegian Media Group. She was won photography awards at the state and national levels, including several awards at the Kansas Press Association contest, where her work competes against professional journalists and industry professionals from around the state.

An example of Bergmeier's photography, the photo included in this announcement shows K-State Wildcat Xavier Sneed going for a dunk at the Sunflower Showdown.

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