February 24, 2025
Katie Starzec and Pat Melgares recognized as Professor and Professional Staff of the Week on Feb. 23
Katie Starzec, assistant professor in agricultural and natural resources communications, and Pat Melgares, public information officer in communications and agricultural education, were recognized as Professor and Professional Staff of the Week at the Feb. 23 men's home basketball game. Faculty Senate, the Office of the President and K-State Athletics wish to recognize their contributions to K-State.
Starzec has been part of the department of communications and agricultural education faculty since 2017. Her roles in the department include teaching, extension, research, and graduate and undergraduate student advising and mentorship.
In her teaching and advising, Starzec prioritizes authenticity, connection and real-world applications in learning. Starzec teaches communications skill development with an emphasis in project-based learning, critical thinking, and broadening perspectives in the contexts of agriculture, food and natural resources. In her extension work, Starzec partners with organizations like the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to enhance outreach related to conservation practice adoption. Starzec has led or contributed to nearly three dozen graduate students' research projects. She has helped secure more than $1 million in research funding and has published research in journals such as the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence, the Journal of Applied Communications, the Journal of Extension, and the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. She continuously incorporates her research and Extension experiences back into the classroom.
Melgares has worked at K-State for 27 years. He writes and edits news and feature articles that are distributed to media in Kansas and the surrounding region. In recent years, he has focused on writing articles about research by K-State Research and Extension scientists, interpreting complex findings for a reading public. He is also a regular contributor to the College of Agriculture's AgReport magazine and K-State's SEEK magazine.
He is also a published author, having written the biography of his former college cross country and track and field coach, who rose to fame as coach of the U.S. Olympic track and field team. The book won numerous national awards, including gold in the Independent Book Publishers Association Ben Franklin awards in 2021 and the International Latino Book Awards program in 2022. He and his wife, Susan, have three children and three grandchildren.
The Professor and Professional Staff of the Week recognition is coordinated by Faculty Senate, the President's office and K-State Athletics. Recipients are faculty members selected by Faculty Senate caucuses. Those selected are provided tickets to a men's or women's home basketball game of their choosing and are recognized during halftime. This is just a small token of appreciation for those who teach at K-State.