03/31/21
K-State Current - March 31, 2021
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
Choma to serve as student ombudsperson
Following an internal search, the Student Ombudsperson Selection Committee has completed the interview process including open sessions with the candidates and students. The committee selected Kimathi Choma, assistant dean of diversity, recruitment, and retention and diversity point person for the College of Arts and Sciences to serve in this concurrent position.
As the student ombudsperson, Choma will provide guidance and direction to students regarding climate concerns, and will observe and report on trends, areas of concern, and opportunities to enhance and sustain a campus characterized by respect for all students.
In this role, Choma will provide professional-level services in support of student concerns of equity, harassment and discrimination. He will also assist the university with staying abreast of climate concerns for all student populations and ensure that students’ concerns are received, reviewed and resolved by the appropriate units.
This important position was created as one of the action steps of the President’s Action Plan for a More Inclusive K-State. Choma will begin serving as the student ombudsperson on April 1.
K-State, MidAmerica Nazarene partner on cooperative academic credit program
A new partnership with Kansas State University and MidAmerica Nazarene University lets MNU undergraduates take advanced animal health science courses at K-State's Olathe campus.
These advanced science courses may later be used to help MNU graduates who pursue graduate study at K-State, get a jump-start on a master's degree in animal health or biosciences that aligns with industry in Greater Kansas City.
"We are delighted to partner with MidAmerica Nazarene University to help them fill a need for advanced science courses while offering these students fast-tracks to an industry-ready master's degree," said Jackie Spears, Ph.D., interim dean and CEO of K-State Olathe. "With a bit of academic creativity, we believe this partnership will ultimately help employers build a highly-educated and highly-skilled workforce to replace retiring talent and keep Kansas City nationally competitive."
Through the partnership, MNU students enroll as non-degree seeking students at K-State Olathe. Starting in the summer between their junior and senior year, students complete select advanced science courses at K-State Olathe. They can earn up to nine hours of graduate credits that apply to their bachelor's degree at MNU and also up to nine hours of graduate credits that apply to the M.S. in Veterinary Biomedical Science or Professional Science Master in Applied Biosciences graduate degrees at K-State's Olathe campus, if the student is accepted into these degree programs after completing their bachelor's degree at MNU.
Students who are eligible for this program are juniors and seniors who are majoring in biology or a similar field at MNU, have a 3.5 GPA or higher, and have completed at least 75 hours of their undergraduate degree before applying to the cooperative program and 90 hours before attending K-State classes.
MNU graduates in biology have an excellent track record with acceptance to graduate school and professional programs already, said David Spittal, Ph.D., MNU president. Adding the option of additional coursework in advanced animal health sciences through K-State is an innovation that will benefit those seeking either a graduate degree or career in this field.
"K-State Olathe has been a tremendous asset to our community and this agreement is a dynamic advance for students seeking graduate degrees and careers in these key areas," Spittal said. "Partnerships like this work well not only for students and universities but also for workforce development. We are delighted to be included."
This academic agreement was signed in January by Charles Taber, K-State provost, and Spittal.
In addition to earning academic credit hours, MNU students who take advantage of the program may be eligible for a scholarship from the Johnson County Research Education Triangle, or JCERT.
MNU students will be able to take courses beginning summer 2022.
For more details and questions, contact Rebekkah Stuteville, Ph.D., assistant dean of academic support services, teaching associate professor and director of the professional science master's degree program at K-State Olathe, at bstutevi@k-state.edu, or Jill Speicher, D.V.M., assistant professor of biology at MNU, at jrspeicher@mnu.edu.
K-State Faculty Highlights
Wiley recognized for improving race relations
Zelia Wiley, assistant dean of diversity programs for the College of Agriculture, was recently honored by The Revelations Evangelistic Ministry Inc. as the 2021 Improving Race Relations in Education award winner. Winners were announced on Feb. 26 at the virtual How to Improve Race Relations statewide conference.
According to the organization, Wiley and the College of Agriculture were selected based on years of services to underprivileged youth and the efforts by the university to organizational support of diversity and inclusion in addition to its commitment to access, opportunity and success.
Wiley joined the university in 2003 as the first assistant dean for diversity. She is responsible for recruitment and retention programs of ethnic minorities within the College of Agriculture and works to increase the minority ethnicity application pool in K-State Research and Extension. During her tenure, she has seen significant increases in the multicultural student populations within the college.
Wiley is the director of Project IMPACT and co-principal investigator for the Kansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, known as KS-LSAMP. She is involved with the Cargill College for A Day program, "Growing Our Mindset" diversity forum, and KSRE Summer Research Fellowship Program. She serves as chapter advisor for the K-State chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Recourses and Related Sciences, known as MANRRS, and was president for the national group in 2007-08. She is the chair of the College of Agriculture's diversity committee and serves on the President's Commission for Multicultural Affairs. She was the first ethnic minority to serve on the board of consultants for the FFA National Board. Wiley also served as chair of the Black Faculty and Staff Alliance at K-State. She has received several awards, including the 2011 Commerce Bank Presidential Award for enhancing diversity at K-State.
Molt Selected as Leader in Onsite Food Service Operations
Dr. Mary Molt, associate director of Housing and Dining Services and assistant professor of food, nutrition, dietetics and health, has been recognized as one of 13 leaders in onsite food service operations by Food Management. Food Management is the “Premier resource for noncommercial foodservice operators and chefs with coverage of industry issues, events, ideas and trends.”
Dr. Molt joined Housing and Dining Services in 1973 as an administrative dietitian/assistant unit manager at Derby Dining Center and assistant instructor for the Hotel, Restaurant, Institution Management and Dietetics program. She has also served as administrative dietitian/unit manager at Kramer Dining Center and director of Derby Dining Center.
Congratulations, Dr. Molt, for this prestigious honor!
K-State Student News
K-State Sports Sales Team finishes in fourth place at National Collegiate Sports Sales Competition
Left to right: Jack Boedeker, Bailey Short, Kylee Stec, Katherine Trumble and Katie Horton
The Kansas State University Sports Sales Team finished in fourth place at the National Collegiate Sports Sales Competition hosted by Baylor University's Center for Sports Strategy and Sales, the University of North Georgia's Mike Cottrell College of Business and the Atlanta Hawks. Thirty universities and 120 students competed in the event. The competition consisted of a role-play competition where students had to sell ticketing packages to potential buyers.
The team includes Jack Boedeker, senior in marketing and professional strategic selling, Overland Park; Bailey Short, senior in marketing and mass communications, Abilene; Kylee Stec, senior in marketing, Atchison; and Katherine Trumble, senior in marketing and professional strategic selling, Wichita. Each member of the team is also part of the business of sports and entertainment certificate program. Student coach Katie Horton, senior in marketing and professional strategic selling, Overland Park, helped prepare the team for the competition.
Team members competed in the role-plays virtually during the competition. Short reached the finals and placed seventh out of 120 students.
"This group has a passion for both sports and sales — they were perfect for this competition," said Doug Walker, associate professor in marketing and founder of the business of sports and entertainment certificate program. "The buyers for the competition included sales managers from major sports organizations. The role-plays were authentic and the experience for our students invaluable. Bailey, Katherine, Jack, and Kylee really rose to the challenge. Student Coach Katie Horton had them ready to compete. What a great way to combine the best our National Strategic Selling Institute and business of sports and entertainment programs have to offer."
Students who competed in the event were supported by the K-State College of Business Administration's National Strategic Selling Institute and the business of sports and entertainment certificate program. The institute has been named one of the top sales programs in the country for nine straight years by the Sales Education Foundation. In fall 2018, Kansas State became just the 19th university in the U.S. to offer a major in professional strategic selling. Students can also earn a certificate in professional strategic selling, which is open to all majors at the university. The professional strategic selling program introduces students to the fundamentals of sales and its innovative curriculum and sales labs allow students to develop the skills needed to be successful. The business of sports and entertainment program gives students the opportunity to "Learn business in a context you love" while earning a certificate in the business of sports and entertainment. Anchored by the Business of Sports and Entertainment Speaker Series, the multidisciplinary program brings together students from across campus that share a passion for sports and entertainment and a desire to prepare themselves for a business career.