06/09/21
K-State Current - June 9, 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
Continuing our move to phase out of COVID-19 protocols over the summer
Dear K-State Community:
As we roll into the summer, our university community continues to adapt to our circumstances shaped by COVID-19. This includes updating university guidance to support our plans to move to phase out beginning Aug. 1 and our return to a largely in-person fall semester. Last week, we released changes to our face coverings and physical distancing policies. I am pleased to announce today the next series of updates to university COVID-19 guidance as well as provide some clarification of existing guidance.
Gatherings and events
Gathering size limits will be lifted for all events and activities, both indoors and outdoors, effective June 14. Indoor gatherings may be held at the full capacity of the indoor space, including work, classroom and research spaces.
In-person interviews
In-person interviews may resume, effective June 14. Search committees may determine the use of virtual or in-person interviews. Candidates who are unvaccinated and traveling from high-risk areas as identified by KDHE must comply with the 10-day quarantine. Committees must provide a consistent interview format for all candidates. A candidate should not be placed at a disadvantage should they not be able to participate in in-person interviews.
Face covering and physical distancing guidance
Since announcing changes to the face covering and physical distancing guidance, we have responded to several questions seeking clarification. Those clarifications are below.
- In addition to Lafene Health Center and university shuttles, the Center for Child Development is a setting where masking requirements remain in effect.
- Individual labs, classrooms and other learning spaces, department or unit offices and individual offices may not be designated by individuals as spaces where face coverings are required. Employees who have concerns regarding health conditions may work with the university ADA coordinator regarding accommodations.
- Laboratories where face coverings were designated as required PPE prior to the pandemic may continue to require face coverings.
Signage removal and adjustments
Over the next several weeks, teams will be working to remove and refresh signage on our campuses. This process will take some time and care will be given to repair surfaces. You can expect to see signage supporting our collective responsibility to help protect our communities by self-monitoring symptoms, staying home if we are unwell, washing our hands, exercising the option to wear face coverings, and getting vaccinated as individuals are able.
Summer camps and conferences guidance
Organizers of summer camps and conferences may modify their COVID plans based on the new guidance regarding face masks, physical distancing and event limitations. There is no requirement to submit revised plans. Additional information is available on the Summer Camps and Programs website.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are the best way to protect yourself and our campus communities. Unvaccinated students, faculty and staff who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine are strongly encouraged to do so. Lafene Health Center continues to offer COVID-19 vaccine opportunities for students, faculty and staff. For a limited time, Lafene is offering single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines. When that supply is exhausted, Lafene plans to offer a two-dose vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccines are available from Monday through Friday. Appointments are required and can be made on the myLafene+ patient portal or by calling Lafene Health Center at 785-532-6544.
The university is also participating in the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge as a special project of The White House and the U.S. Department of Education. Over the next several weeks, there will be a rollout of efforts to encourage vaccination. We invite everyone to support the goal of increasing awareness of and access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Lafene Health Center is collecting and assessing available vaccine data acquired through local, state and national vaccination programs. Early indications are that we have collectively answered the call to protect our communities by becoming vaccinated. A separate effort is underway to survey new students regarding their rate of vaccination. This data will be used to inform educational programming and future guidance decisions.
We have made and will continue to make decisions that are based on public health guidance and rely on experts. Changes to university policy are consistent with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and supported by ready access to the vaccine, and endorsement by state and local officials. Having met the prerequisites for advancing to phase out, we are well on our way to returning to normal operational activities and on track for a full return to our campuses during August. Our plans to return to a more in-person semester will continue to be shaped over the coming weeks and we appreciate your patience.
Our response to the pandemic has been admirable. Our collective efforts have allowed us to not only continue operations, but to succeed in our efforts to teach, learn, research and support the university's mission. Thank you for helping to keep us all #kstatestrong!
Richard B. Myers
President
Carl and Melinda Helwig, Columbus, Kansas, have invested in the naming of the Carl and Melinda Helwig Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at Kansas State University. On April 23, the college celebrated this naming in the Helwigs’ honor.
This investment will empower the department to recruit and retain top faculty, support deserving students and provide flexible funding for department leaders to take advantage of emerging opportunities.
“I am extremely honored that Carl and Melinda Helwig have chosen to invest in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering,” said Joseph Harner, department head and professor. “The Helwigs are committed to assuring undergraduate students have extracurricular experiential learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Their generous gift enables students to participate in a team environment working on product design, testing, manufacturing and marketing prior to entering the professional workforce.”
Carl and Melinda Helwig, owners of Helwig Farms, raised wheat, corn, soybeans and grain sorghum on their southeast Kansas farm. The Helwigs also competed in tractor-pulling competitions and placed nationally in the early 1980s. Neither attended Kansas State University, but in recent years became important supporters and mentors of K-State students by investing in the university’s quarter-scale tractor team, which demonstrates the power of engineering and inspired innovation. They felt a kinship with the students of this team and were motivated to support them.
“We are honored to support K-State as it educates the next generation of engineering professionals,” said Carl Helwig. “We have had a good life, been fortunate in grain production, and we’ve enjoyed the thrill of competition. We want students to have every opportunity to be on top.”
A gift of this magnitude is truly transformational for the college and the university.
“Carl and Melinda Helwig personify the generosity of the K-State family,” said K-State President Richard Myers. “Their investment in the success of the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering faculty, students and programs not only elevates the college but brings prestige to the university and helps propel K-State toward being nationally recognized as a student-centered, public research university.”
As Kansas State University’s strategic partner for philanthropy, the KSU Foundation inspires and guides philanthropy toward university priorities to boldly advance the K-State family. Visit ksufoundation.org for more information.
K-State Faculty Highlights
Biology researcher receives Humanities Kansas grant
Ashley Rhodes, teaching professor in the Division of Biology, was recently awarded a grant from Humanities Kansas. Rhodes will use the grant to support her project "The Science of History: People, Places, and Pathogens," which explores the interactivity of science and history.
"The purpose of this project is to introduce the public to the concept that science influences history and in turn history shapes science," Rhodes said. "When looking at historical events through a scientific lens, the familiar can become rather unfamiliar."
Several subject matter experts from K-State's history department and Division of Biology and KU School of Pharmacy will provide unique perspectives on specific historical events that were greatly shaped by pathogens.
"Kansas is home to many historic sites, and this project will enrich the experience of visitors looking to engage with Kansas history," said Julie Mulvihill, Humanities Kansas executive director. "Whether the locations and stories featured in this project are familiar or new, participants will be invited to engage with them from a different perspective."
K-State Student News
Polytechnic presents outstanding student awards, Wildcat Pride honors
Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus is honoring students for their academic achievements, leadership and personal contributions with its annual end-of-the-year awards.
The Wildcat Pride Awards are given to students who display attributes of community service, determination and dedication. Kansas State Polytechnic also presents an award for Most Inspirational student.
Jack Thomlison, senior in professional pilot, Overland Park, is the recipient of the Wildcat Pride Award for Dedication, which recognizes a student who goes above and beyond normal duties and is committed to a particular course of thought or action. Thomlison's nominator says he has demonstrated leadership, dedication and selfless service for the university, as well as a positive attitude toward encouraging fellow students in their studies. He has been a great example to other students through his own dedication to flight training and is always willing to discuss operations and his experience on campus with prospective students.
Marcello Dodd-Holliday, freshman in robotics and automation, Salina, is the recipient of the award for Most Inspirational student. This award honors a student who inspires others to achieve the highest level at which they are capable and epitomizes the qualities of determination, dedication and service. This student must also maintain a GPA of 2.5 or above. Marcello's nominator calls him an exceptional person and hard-working, incredible student who has been thrown a lot of curveballs but always maintains a positive attitude. Dodd-Holliday is a first-generation, nontraditional student and wants to be an example to his children about the importance of education.
Maritza "ChaChi" Rodriguez, senior in social work, Salina, is the recipient of the Wildcat Pride Award for Community Service. This award recognizes a student who understands the civic responsibility to help serve the local community and demonstrates involvement in the community. Her nominator has been impressed with her civic drive and knew she was destined to become a social worker the first time they met. Rodriguez has found ways to consistently incorporate what she’s learning in the classroom into projects she could initiate or be involved in the community. Among many other efforts, she has organized a faculty and student panel on diversity, represented her peers in student government, served on the Salina County Community Relations Board, and worked with the Salina City Relations Office to coordinate a book read and discussion for the community and campus.
Jazstyn Moyer, senior in airport management, Ulysses, was selected for the Wildcat Pride Award for Determination. The award is presented to a student who shows a quality of firmness in beliefs and actions, doesn't quit until an answer or decision is reached, and pursues life by focusing on achieving a goal with passion. She was nominated by her supervisor at the Student Life Center who calls her the most self-motivated person he’s ever worked with throughout his time in higher education at various institutions. Moyer is a person that sees the entire picture and is able to keep projects – and everyone involved with them – in smooth operating order. Because of her determination and grit, she received two full-time job offers prior to graduation. Her nominator hopes that every student on campus can learn from Jazstyn’s example of determination.
The following students and faculty also have received awards:
Outstanding Academic Student awards — Jadyn Cress, sophomore, chemistry, Berryton; Ethan Hamel, senior, UAS flight and operations, Damar; Cielo Lubaton, sophomore, applied business and technology, Fort Riley; Raphael Gutierrez, senior, UAS design and integration, Junction City; Taylor Pearson, junior, aviation maintenance management, Manhattan; Nathan Whoolery, sophomore, web development technology, Manhattan; Leslie Duenas-Galvan, senior, social work, Salina; Terrill Leaton, senior, computer systems technology, Salina; Morgan Perez, senior, digital media technology, Salina; Leo Ramirez, senior, electronic and computer engineering technology, Salina; Levi Unruh, senior, professional pilot, Salina; Bryan Weikle, senior, applied business, Salina; Jazstyn Moyer, senior, airport management, Ulysses; Alex Reichart, senior, robotics and automation engineering technology, Valley Falls; Jacob Worm, senior, mechanical engineering technology, Wichita.
Expository Writing Awards — Jonathan Wissing, junior, Hutchinson; Shea Clark, junior, digital media technology, Salina; and Brin Brody, sophomore, aeronautical technology, Edgewater, New Jersey.
Outstanding campus awards — Jan Hollander, Outstanding Staff Member of the Year; Austin Walden, Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year; Kebby Underwood, Outstanding Academic Advisor/Faculty Mentor of the Year; Shanna Walker, Outstanding Club Advisor of the Year; Department of Facilities, Most Outstanding Department of the Year; Logan Ragsdale, junior, Tonganoxie, Outstanding Student Employee of the Year.
All-university awards — Jazstyn Moyer, Ulysses, Kyle Pelton Student Employee of the Year Award; Satoru Okada, Japan, Dean of Student Life Outstanding Graduating Senior Award.
APDesign graduate student Talisa Hernandez awarded inaugural Condia + Ornelas Traveling Fellowship
The Condia + Ornelas Traveling Fellowship panel has awarded the inaugural Condia + Ornelas Traveling Fellowship to Talisa Hernandez. Hernandez is a fifth-year graduate student from Wichita in the
architecture department of Kansas State University's College of Architecture, Planning & Design.
Hernandez plans to use the fellowship to travel through Italy to document the variation in aesthetic and sensory experience of a range of Italian cities across the peninsula and to interpret and represent those observations through the medium of a digitized architectural capriccio. When this will happen is to be determined due to COVID-19 restrictions, but ideally, the travel would take place toward the end of this summer and into the fall.
"Being awarded the fellowship is a wonderful opportunity to take the cumulation of what I have learned and what areas of interest I have developed during my five years in the program and to independently expand upon and synthesize them into my own area of inquiry," Hernandez said. "It also means a lot to be able to travel and return to Italy after my brief education abroad experience there last spring."
A panel of industry professionals was selected to evaluate the merits of all entries. The panel members included Ann Hossler, University of Kansas Department of Design; Tim Hossler, Tim Hossler Design; Brian Jones, Graphicmachine; Patience Jones, Graphicmachine; Elias Kruse Logan, Merge Architects; Doug Shaffer, McHenry Shaffer Architecture; and Sonja Shaffer.
Hernandez's research proposal "Digitizing the Architectural Capriccio" explained her planned investigation of the range of media architectural representation of the capriccio and exploration of the depth of sensory experience it can evoke in digitized space. The panel found this to be a compelling, contemporary take on a historical tradition of architectural representation. The panel added that Hernandez's proposal was highly focused and clearly articulated how her planned travel itinerary throughout Italy will support her research goals. Moreover, Hernandez's creativity and enthusiasm for her research were evident throughout both her proposal and her interview.
The panel was impressed with the quality of all proposals received, noting that each one had a unique perspective that reflected a deep appreciation for the profession. The proposals were ambitious and diverse in focus, geographic scope, and proposed methods of documentation. The panel was also inspired by the sense of hope and optimism conveyed in all of the proposals.
Members of the panel were proud to be a part of this important initiative.
"Personal experience is vital to the understanding of space, which in turn informs the built environment," said the panel in a statement. "Being in unfamiliar built environments, and with the people who made and inhabit those environments, gives greater meaning to the historical similarities and differences in our personal circumstances. The context of travel will not only help individual students and graduates become better architects, but it will advance the profession of architecture and therefore the world in which we live."
The Condia + Ornelas Traveling Fellowship, established in 2020 by K-State Professors Bob Condia and Wendy Ornelas, annually enables an outstanding graduate from the K-State architecture department to study firsthand significant architectural works and cultural values beyond the boundaries of the university. The fellowship recipient will exemplify Condia + Ornelas' belief of the importance of understanding other cultures and studying places beyond one’s comfort zone. Such knowledge and experience build a creative and innovative spirit in the foundation and lifetime education of an architect.