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K-State Today

September 8, 2021

College of Agriculture Diversity Programs Office update and fall events

Submitted by Zelia Wiley

Diversity Programs Office

Happy fall and Hispanic Heritage Month. As the fall semester is getting started, the Diversity Programs Office welcomes Sarah Weekes to our office and welcomes back Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Summer Santillana, McKenzie Stevens, Sydney Besa, Sanders Barbee and Raymond Thomas. We are looking forward to an exciting semester filled with many events. 

Please mark your calendars for the K-State Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences, or MANRRS, Chapter for our events this semester. Coming up this month is the opportunity to speak with and learn from John Deere's representatives about the Importance of Diversity in the Workplace at the fall 2021 Student Leadership Workshop at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 14, via Zoom, ID: 995 2514 9349. Also, the MANRRS Virtual Corporate Showcase will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 29 via Zoom, ID 972 0061 3215, where students are given the chance to network with a variety of corporate partners and discuss internships and job opportunities. 

Other notable events this semester include the MANRRS Virtual Regional Cluster on Oct. 12-14; a hybrid book panel for "The Marrow Thieves" at noon Nov. 11; MANRRS Week Nov. 15-19, and the College of Agriculture Diversity Programs Office's ninth biennial Growing our Mindset forum at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16, which will be a hybrid event. All are welcome to these events, so please join us throughout the semester. Location and meeting details will be published at a later time. 

Before this fall semester, the Diversity Programs Office was busy with our summer programs, including our partnership with the Diversity and Multicultural Students Affairs office in the Project IMPACT KOMPASS and MAPS programs, our Jr. MANRRS and Nicodemus Educational Camps, and the Kansas State Research and Extension Summer Research Fellowship. Thank you to all the faculty mentors, student mentors, sponsors, and partners that made the summer programs a success. We are proud of the vigor all students showed throughout the programs and are excited to see what they do with the knowledge and experiences gained. Participants and mentors of these programs are noted below, please join us in congratulating them.

KSRE Summer Research Fellowship

  • Olivia Cooper, Tuskegee University — Cassandra Olds, entomology. 
  • Raijon Hall, Prairie View A&M University — Greg Aldrich, grain science and industry.
  • Janaye Young, Delaware State University — Karen Schmidt, Food Science Institute and animal sciences and industry.
  • Meghan Campbell, Florida A&M University — Jayendra Amamcharia, Food Science Institute and animal sciences and industry.
  • Brian Washington, Florida A&M University — Susan Metzger, KCARE
  • Mikiyah Baldwin, Florida A&M University — Brandie Disberger, agricultural education and Zelia Wiley, Diversity Programs Office.
  • Khairy Jenkins, North Carolina A&T State University — Chad Paulk, grain science and industry and Charles Stark, grain science and industry
  • Tiffany Poydras, Southern University and A&M College — Colby Mooreberg, agronomy
  • Karrington Howard, University of Alabama at Birmingham — Greg Aldrich, grain science and industry. 

Project IMPACT KOMPASS (College of Ag) 2021 

  • Aaliyah Lynch, pre-veterinary medicine, animal sciences and industry.
  • Jorge Valdez-Reynosa, pre-veterinary medicine, animal sciences and industry.

Project IMPACT MAPS (College of Ag) 2021 

  • Annika Bhatt, food science.
  • Sydney Bruce, pre-veterinary medicine, animal sciences and industry.
  • Isabel Chavez, pre-veterinary medicine, animal sciences and industry.
  • Natalie Delgado, food science.
  • Jedidiah Gibson, food science.
  • Madison Neal, agricultural communications and journalism.
  • Vincent L. Otchere, horticulture.
  • Raheim Stone, wildlife and outdoor enterprise management.
  • Ray Wright, agribusiness.

Student mentors 2021 

  • Selena Gilyot, undergraduate student mentor, Project IMPACT MAPS and KOMPASS.
  • Raymond Thomas, graduate student co-coordinator, KSRE Summer Research Fellowship.

The Diversity Programs Office thanks you for your continued support of our programs and efforts! Please continue to look for more diversity news and events as we continue to advertise. If you require any additional information about these events or to collaborate with the office please contact Zelia Wiley at zwiley@k-state.edu or 785-532-5793.