April 10, 2023
Diversity Programs Office spring update and National MANRRS Conference
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Students attend the Black Student Union Summit at K-State Olathe. |
The K-State College of Agriculture/KSRE Diversity Programs Office and K-State Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences, or MANRRS, chapter have had an impactful spring 2023 semester. Read more about the office's upcoming and past events.
This week, April 13-16, Zelia Wiley, assistant dean and K-State MANRRS advisor; Summer Santillana, Diversity Programs Office coordinator; and Lonnie Hobbs Jr., K-State MANRRS co-advisor, will take a delegation of 16 students to Atlanta, Georgia, for the 37th annual National MANRRS Conference. At the conference, the students will compete across multiple undergraduate and graduate contests, participate in workshops and network with other MANRRS students and corporate professionals.
The students who will represent K-State at the conference are: Zenzele Asante, agriculture technology management; Sydney Bruce, animal sciences and industry; Abena Damuah, agricultural economics; Menaka Fernando, animal sciences and industry-bioscience option; Selena Gilyot, animal sciences and industry-pre-vet option; Brandon Green, animal sciences and industry-bioscience option; Lonnie Hobbs Jr., agricultural economics; Adetola Lamidi, agricultural economics; Jordyn Napier-Johnson, food science and industry; Robert Nichols, agribusiness; Brian Owuoche, agronomy and economics; Tiffany Poydras, agronomy; Paris Swinson, psychology; Raymond Thomas, agricultural economics; Brie Walker, animal sciences and industry-pre-vet option; and LaQuaeja Williams, fashion studies.
Throughout Women's History Month in March, the Diversity Programs Office and K-State MANRRS hosted a variety of events. Thank you to Zoetis' Alex Gallo and Jessica Nemeth for sponsoring the MANRRS general body meeting on March 8 and celebrating International Women's Day with K-State MANRRS. Thank you to Bayer's Blake Giles and Masha Trenhaile for sponsoring the meeting on March 22 and talking with the K-State MANRRS Chapter about opportunities and resume advice. Students had the opportunity to learn about the companies and what internship/job opportunities they offer.
Additionally in March, KSRE successfully hosted class number 20 of the Navigating Difference Training since its adoption in 2012. On March 21-22, the Navigating Difference two-day diversity training was held in Manhattan to educate KSRE professionals about diversity and cultural competence. The purpose of the training is to help extension professionals better meet the needs of the Kansas audience that they serve.
On March 28, the Diversity Programs Office traveled to K-State Olathe to host the Black Student Union Summit with more than 120 students from across high schools and middle schools in the Shawnee Mission Independent School District. The BSU Summit was an event filled with workshops and dialogues to teach students about higher education, K-State and agriculture. The event was hosted in partnership with Hormel Foods, the K-State Office of Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs, and Kansas State Black Faculty and Staff Alliance.
K-State speakers on March 28 included: Zelia Wiley, College of Agriculture and KSRE assistant dean, director for diversity and chair of K-State BFSA; Chiquita Miller, KSRE family and consumer science agent-Wyandotte Co. and vice chair of K-State BFSA; Deana Core, College of Agriculture assistant dean for academic programs; Teng Yang, K-State Olathe teaching assistant professor in controlled environment agriculture; Adam Carr, DMSA program/project administrator; and Kevin Santos Flores, DMSA director of diversity and multicultural student life.
Contact Wiley at zwiley@k-state.edu or 785-532-5793 for additional information about these events.