11/13/19
K-State Current - November 13, 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
Kansas education leaders at K-State Nov. 25 for teacher Retention Summit
Education leaders from across Kansas will convene Nov. 25 at Kansas State University for the third annual Retention Summit to address the critical issues of teacher recruitment and retention. It will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the K-State Alumni Center.
Hosted by the K-State College of Education, the Retention Summit is sponsored by the Professional Standards Board and the Kansas State Department of Education. The event brings together members of the Kansas Board of Regents, Kansas State Board of Education, Kansas Association of School Boards, elected officials and school administrators to address the most critical issue facing the profession: teacher retention. Registration details are available at https://www.EducateKansas.org.
Three keynote presenters, nine breakout sessions and a closing panel will provide attendees with both detailed and comprehensive views of the complex issues surrounding teacher supply.
Kansas Commissioner of Education Randy Watson will deliver the first keynote address, "Teacher Attrition and Retention in Kansas," at 9:30 a.m.
"I truly believe that teaching is one of the greatest professions, and teachers do so many wonderful things for our schools and communities," Watson said. "Recruiting and retaining quality teachers isn't just a Kansas issue — it is something all states are facing. The summit is the perfect opportunity to learn, problem-solve and have meaningful conversations to help address this challenge."
Tuan Nguyen, K-State College of Education assistant profession of curriculum and instruction, will present "A Case Study of Geographically Rural States with Persistent Teacher Shortages" at 10:15 a.m.
Nguyen will provide comparative data concerning teacher salary, attrition rates and identify the teachers most likely to switch schools or leave the profession, as well as those who are most likely to remain in their positions. He will conclude by outlining the three factors known to reduce the likelihood of teacher attrition.
Colleen O'Neil, Colorado State Department of Education associate commissioner of educator talent, will present the final keynote, "Statewide Collaboration of Workforce and Educational Entities," at 11 a.m.
Debbie Mercer, dean of the K-State College of Education and past chair of the Kansas Department of Education's Professional Standards Board, said this summit builds on the national trends discussed at last year's event.
"The summit is an opportunity for education leaders to gather in one place and address our profession's collective challenge head-on," Mercer said. "We all have the same goal: developing a robust pipeline of highly qualified teachers for the half-million students we are entrusted to educate. So how do we get there? By arming education leaders with statistical and anecdotal data and identifying the logical path forward."
The summit concludes with a panel discussion including Glen Suppes, 2019 Kansas Superintendent of the Year; Deb Scheibler, executive director of Kansas WorkforceONE; and Kathy Busch, chair of the Kansas State Board of Education. Brad Neuenswander, deputy commissioner of education, will serve as moderator.
The following are the breakout sessions offered at the summit:
• Education as an Economic Development Engine in Kansas
• Early-Career Teachers: Our Story
• Educators Rising: A Student Organization for Your Teaching Career Pathway
• The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute: Making a Difference for Kansas Leaders
• Kansas Teachers of the Year: Why I Stay
• Career/Vocational Licenses and More
• HR Innovative Recruitment strategies
• Improving Kansas Teacher Education: Voices from First-Year Teachers and Their Employers
• Career Pathways: Success Stories
K-State Faculty Highlights
K-State professors publish book on greenhouse gas emissions and air quality issues
Kansas State University faculty members Larry Erickson, professor in the Tim Taylor Department of Chemical Engineering, and Gary Brase, professor in the department of psychological sciences, have announced a Nov. 13 publication date of their book, "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improving Air Quality: Two Interrelated Global Challenges."
"The world's atmosphere is a common resource," Erickson said. "Air quality, along with energy, transportation and climate change have significant impacts on our lives and this book helps readers understand the changes happening at the connecting point of these areas as they relate to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality."
The book is accessibly written for a wide audience and discusses the transition to electric vehicles, solar and wind energy for electricity generation, battery developments, smart grids and electric power management, and progress in the electrification of agricultural technology. It also provides the latest information in the context of the United Nations' sustainable development goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Specific topics in the book include how to improve urban air quality in large cities and urban environments; effectively addressing the nexus of energy, transportation, air quality, climate change and health; and a discussion on innovative concepts at the intersections of renewable energy, the smart grid, electric vehicles and electric power management.
More details about the book are available online.
Michael Apley recognized as Professor of the Week
Michael Apley, Frick professor of production medicine and clinical pharmacology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, was named Professor of the Week. Apley was recognized at the Nov. 5 men's home basketball game.
Apley joined the College of Veterinary Medicine in August 2005 with board certification as a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. He is an expert in the fields of pharmacology, especially antimicrobial resistance, as well as food animal medicine.
Apley teaches in the areas of food animal medicine, feedlot production medicine and veterinary pharmacology and beef science in the animal sciences department. He is also the course coordinator for CS779: Clinical Pharmacology and CS 769: Advanced Feedlot Production Management.
Apley is active as a graduate student and residency training advisory, serving as the major professor for eight doctoral students and as a graduate faculty committee member for another 31 graduate students.
In terms of scholarship, Apley is very accomplished. He is currently the primary investigator for a $1.5 million project, "Characterization of antimicrobial use in beef feedlots and dairies," funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine. In sponsored research, he is/was the principal investigator or co-principal investigator for projects totaling more than $4 million. Apley is also accomplished in his publications with 73 refereed manuscripts, more than 100 press interviews, 58 refereed publications, 21 book chapters, 16 published abstracts and 50 proceedings.
Apley serves on numerous committees, task forces and expert panels at the department, college, university and national levels. He is currently serving on the executive board as the past president for the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and is the chair of the antimicrobial resistance policy advisory group for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Apley has received the honor as a voting member of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Washington, D.C.
The Professor of the Week recognition is coordinated by Faculty Senate, the president's office, K-State Athletics and the Division of Communications and Marketing. Recipients are faculty members selected by Faculty Senate caucuses. Those selected are provided tickets to a men's home basketball game of their choosing and are recognized during halftime. This is a small token of appreciation for those who teach at K-State.
K-State Student News
Collegian Media Group publications, students earn honors in national competition
Students from Kansas State University's Collegian Media Group brought home 12 national awards from the recent Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association convention in Washington, D.C.
The 2018 Royal Purple yearbook was one of three in the nation to be named a Pacemaker, the highest award given by Associated Collegiate Press, which also recognized the 2019 Royal Purple with third place in the Best of Show competition.
The College Media Association recognized the Royal Purple with a second place in the yearbook of the year competition. The Royal Purple also received first and second places for best yearbook entertainment spread; second place for best yearbook cover; and honorable mention for best photo package from the association, and in the Pinnacle awards, the Royal Purple was awarded best yearbook sports spread.
The Associated Collegiate Press recognized the Royal Purple with best yearbook cover and best yearbook spread honors, and an honorable mention in sports photography.
The Collegian, K-State's student newspaper, earned honorable mentions from the Associated Collegiate Press for editorial writing and feature photography, while the Manhappenin' Magazine staff was recognized with the best magazine sports spread.
"Bringing back so many awards just validates what we are doing with the Royal Purple," said Ashley Read, 2020 Royal Purple editor. "It proves we are doing good work and it motivates us to do more to make this year's book even better for the student body and to win more awards next year."
The following K-State students were responsible for awards listed above:
Alex Todd, December 2018 bachelor's graduate in information systems, Andover, second place for best yearbook cover and honorable mention for best yearbook photo package from the College Media Association, and honorable mention in feature photography from the Associated Collegiate Press; Rafael Garcia, May 2019 bachelor's graduate in mass communications, Emporia, honorable mention in editorial writing from the American Collegiate Press; Kyle Hampel, May 2019 bachelor's graduate in English, honorable mention in editorial writing from the American Collegiate Press, and Emily Lenk, senior in mass communications, best yearbook sports spread in the Pinnacle awards, both from Garden City.
From Greater Kansas City: Olivia Rogers, senior in political science and pre-law, Gardner, honorable mention in editorial writing from the American Collegiate Press; Meg Shearer, junior in mass communications, Kansas City, second place for best yearbook entertainment spread from the College Media Association; and Logan Wassall, junior in mass communications, Overland Park, first place for best yearbook entertainment spread from the College Media Association and honorable mention in sports photography from the Associated Collegiate Press.
Olivia Bergmeier, junior in mass communications, Hutchinson, honorable mention for best yearbook photo package from the College Media Association; and Katie Harbert, junior in agricultural communications and journalism, Kingman, second place for best yearbook entertainment spread from the College Media Association.
From out of state: Ashley Read, junior in fine arts, Austin, Texas, first place for best yearbook entertainment spread and second place for best yearbook cover from the College Media Association.
Civil engineering graduate students awarded fellowships from U.S. Department of Transportation
Elliot Schrag, left, and Jack Cunningham, both graduate students in civil engineering at Kansas State University, are recipients of the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Graduate Fellowship for the second year in a row.
For the second year in a row, two Kansas State University students from the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering are among those across the U.S. to be honored with 2019-2020 Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Graduate Fellowships by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Elliot Schrag, master's student, Buhler; and Jack Cunningham, doctoral student, Roanoke, Virginia, will each once again receive $5,000 in support of their graduate studies in the Kansas State University Department of Civil Engineering.
The fellowships, awarded annually to 150-200 exceptional students around the country, recognize those pursuing degrees in transportation-related disciplines. The program advances the transportation workforce by attracting the brightest minds to the field through education, research and workforce development.
The Center for Transportation Workforce Development, a part of the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, manages activities that integrate transportation into college and university programs with the aim to increase the number of postsecondary students interested in pursuing transportation-related careers as well as helping to retain top talent in the U.S. transportation industry.
Cunningham is working with Eric Fitzsimmons, assistant professor of civil engineering, on research focused on wrong-way driving crashes and countermeasures on Kansas highways. Schrag is working with Christopher Jones, associate professor of civil engineering, on improving the durability of concrete transportation infrastructure through application of self-healing materials.
"These awards are certainly a nod to the success of our transportation program in the civil engineering department," Fitzsimmons said. "Not only now have Elliot and Jack received this national recognition in consecutive years, but it is the third year running that we have had one or more recipients of the Eisenhower graduate fellowship from our program here at K-State."
"Investing in tomorrow's transportation workforce through these fellowships will pay dividends to society," Jones said. "A highly functioning transportation system is a critical prerequisite for globally competitive commerce, access to medicine, a strong national defense and production of energy resources. With our aging transportation infrastructure, maintaining this system is an increasingly important challenge."