K-Stater Magazine, Fall 2021

K-STATER MAGAZINE

K- STATER The magazine for K-State Alumni Association members

FALL 2021

National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility is

PROTECTING AGRICULTURE Fall 2021 • Vol. 71, No. 1

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CONTENTS 4 6 8 9 10 22 24 40

58 62 72 76 78 80 82

First Look Editor’s Letter Snapshots Mailbox Around K-State Wildcat Kids Close-Up KSU Foundation

INTRODUCING THE SHAMROCK ZONE AT BILL SNYDER FAMILY STADIUM Photo courtesy of K-State Athletics

Class Notes In Memoriam Tradition Founders Close-up Close-up Last Look K-S-U Pets

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On the cover: The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, commonly known as NBAF, is entering the commissioning phase of construction. (Photo courtesy of the USDA)

David Mayes ’96, K-State Alumni Association

24 CLOSE-UP: KSU FOUNDATION

44 DRUGS FOR GUNS

28 SUGAR COOKIES

48 A TALE OF TWO CITIES

30 PROTECTING AGRICULTURE

50 WILDLIFE AT K-STATE

34 SHAMROCK ZONE

61 REMEMBERING 9/11

38 ZOOM’S NICK CHONG ’91

76 CLOSE-UP: COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

40 KSU FOUNDATION

78 CLOSE-UP: BEACH MUSEUM

The Foundation’s Alumni Village is within walking distance from campus

28 Doug Barrett, 400 North Creative

Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Association board of directors or staff.

Correspondence related to the K-Stater should be directed to the editor. For membership information, call 785-532-6260. Address changes and news of births, deaths, marriages or job changes should be directed to Alumni Records.

The K-Stater is printed by LSC Communications, Liberty, Mo. Advertising information is located on the web at www.k-state. com/K-Stater. Canadian return mail address: Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6J5. K-Stater (ISSN-10761934), the alumni magazine for Kansas State University Alumni Association members, is published four times a year (spring, summer, fall, winter) by the K-State Alumni Association, 100 Alumni Center, 1720 Anderson Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66506-1001. Periodicals postage paid at Manhattan, Kan., and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Alumni Records, 100 Alumni Center, 1720 Anderson Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66506-1001.

FEATURES Housing and Dining shares a recipe for decorated sugar cookies for fall NBAF, a next-generation facility, will strengthen K-State’s agricultural legacy Check out K-State’s newest addition to Bill Snyder Family Stadium Zoom executive credits K-State experience as launchpad for career

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Major gifts from John and Kim Vanier provide lift to K-State aviation students

DEA special agent, Matt Keller ’02, fights narco-terrorism K-Staters’ work at Twitter helps to determine communications policy Photographer Doug Barrett shows us the critters of K-State’s campus K-State’s Richard Myers ’65 shares his unique perspective on 20th anniversary Three award-winning programs take aim at teaching vacancies

The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art celebrates 25 years of service K - S TAT E R

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Photo courtesy of Rock Springs Ranch

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FIRST LOOK ROCK SPRINGS RANCH TURNS 75 Since 1946, Rock Springs Ranch has hosted children from across the state of Kansas for a variety of camps, weekends and activities including hiking, swimming, horseback riding, and archery, among many others.

Rock Springs is part of the Kansas 4-H program and is dedicated to preparing current and future generations with leadership development, conservation education and sportsmanship skills.

“Rock Springs Ranch has transformed millions of lives since it was first opened in 1946 to serve Kansas 4-H,” said Jake Worcester ’01, president and CEO of the Kansas 4-H Foundation.

“Youth and adults alike unplug and experience a unique natural environment in the Flint Hills while growing their citizenship and leadership skills. The memories created at Rock Springs Ranch live forever, and the growth experienced there has made Kansas a better place to live, work and play for the last 75 years. We are excited for that tradition to continue for the next generation of Kansas leaders.”

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Photo by David Mayes ’96, K-State Alumni Association

THINGS TO DO

A note from our editor Dear Readers, Fall is such an exciting time to be on a college campus. There’s a slew of new faces, excitement surrounding college sports and so much more. It’s a time to learn something new, a time for people to come together once again.

After a year of social distancing, K-Staters, like so many others, are ready to come together.

This fall might be the first opportunity many of you have had or will have to head to Manhattan in a year or so.

With this issue, we are excited to showcase a few things you might encounter on your next trip to the Little Apple.

Among them are the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, a federal research lab designed to help protect our nation’s food supply; four new Wildcats in leadership positions who we’re ready to introduce to you; K-State’s new Shamrock Zone at the south endzone of Bill Snyder Family Stadium; and a closer look at the wildlife found on campus.

This issue also features stories on alumni working in the tech industry. Nick Chong ’91, head of global services for Zoom, has seen his company become an essential means of connection for many during the COVID-19 pandemic. Katie Niederee Rosborough ’10 and Trenton Kennedy ’18 develop policy communications for Twitter. They also offer tips on how to be a good Twitter user. But they forgot to mention follow @kstatealumni, which you really should do.

My dear friend and mentor, Tim Lindemuth ’77, tells the story of Matt Keller ’02, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent based in Paris, France. Keller has built a career countering narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. When Tim told me about Matt’s story, I knew it needed to be included in the K-Stater.

Last winter, our friends at Housing and Dining Services shared a recipe for sweet rolls. Many of you reached out to say how much you enjoyed it, so we asked Mary Molt ’95 and her team to come up with another treat. This time it’s a sugar cookie recipe we are sure you’ll enjoy just as much. And, again, I hope you’ll share photos with us once you’ve made them.

Finally, K-State President Richard Myers ’65 reflects on the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. At the time, President Myers was an Air Force general and one of the nation’s top-ranking military officials. We appreciate his willingness to discuss the topic and provide some insight on the significance of the 20th anniversary of that day. Also this summer President Myers announced he will retire as K-State’s 14th president at the end of the calendar year.

You can read more about his announcement in our Around K-State section and the K-Stater will feature more on his presidency in our winter issue.

We hope you enjoy the issue.

With Wildcat Pride,

Tim Schrag ’12 Editor, K-Stater magazine 6

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Helping Wildcats protect life’s biggest moments.

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Call 1-800-922-1245 today or visit www.TheAIP.com/K-State Auto • Home • Life • Health • Long-Term Care • ID Theft • Dental • Vision • Travel

1P9

K-STATER

The magazine for K-State Alumni Association members

VOL. 71, NO. 1

ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins ’96, Washington, D.C., chair Candace Hart Duncan ’75, Bethesda, Md., chair-elect Kendal Frazier ’73, Centennial, Colo., past chair Terms expire in 2022 Frank Hernandez III ’92, Houston, Texas Debbie Leckron Miller ’75, Council Grove, Kan. Dr. Jeff Luty ’89, Abilene, Kan. Cmdr. Tim Oswalt ’93, Oak Harbor, Wash.

Terms expire in 2023 Chancy Montera Love ’07, Denver, Colo.

Rich Macha ’80, Rehobooth, Del. Lori Francis Rogge ’94, Leonardville, Kan. Mike Simms ’89, Kansas City, Mo. Brent Wiedeman ’97, ’05, Colby, Kan. Terms expire in 2024 Dr. Curt Coffman ’90, Phoenix, Ariz.

Jeff Ellison ’90, St. Joseph, Mo. Jody Isch Lancaster ’88, Ottawa, Kan. Zach Maier ’09, New York, N.Y. Suze Brink Parker ’81, ’83, Overland Park, Kan. Terms expire in 2025 Morgan Fisher ’04, Arlington, Va. Lydia Peele Kinkade ’09, Overland Park, Kan. Steve Lacy ’76, ’77, Des Moines, Iowa John Niemann ’93, Mount Hope, Kan. Karen Wiley Works ’76, Humbolt, Kan. Standing directors Richard Myers ’65, Manhattan, Kan., K-State president Carl Ice ’79, Westlake, Texas, chairman, board of directors, KSU Foundation Curt Frasier ’73, Beloit, Kan., treasurer Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, Manhattan, Kan., secretary Michael Dowd, Spring Hill, Kan., student body president Megan Klug, Manhattan, Kan., Student Alumni Board president Greg Willems, Manhattan, Kan., ex officio member, president and CEO, KSU Foundation

K-STATER MAGAZINE STAFF

Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, publisher Tim Schrag ’12, editor Maria Childs ’14, assistant editor/designer Ashley Pauls, assistant editor/Class Notes Kendall Ens, designer Megan Reichenberger ‘11, advertising Salena Sauber ’09, director of communications Terin Walters ’05, assistant vice president of communications

K-STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

100 Alumni Center | 1720 Anderson Avenue Manhattan, KS 66506-1001 Visit us at k-state.com, call 785-532-6260, or fax 785-532-5068

Alumni Association mission: To lead and inspire lifelong involvement that will benefit Kansas State University and all members of our Wildcat Community.

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Snapshots

AGGIEVILLE IS CHANGING. WE ASKED PHOTOGRAPHER SCOTTI WARDEN ’15 TO CAPTURE A FEW PICTURES OF THE NEW PARKING GARAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THE CITY OF MANHATTAN ANTICIPATES THE GARAGE OPENING IN JANUARY OF 2022.

MAILBOX Readers share thoughts on the summer issue K-STATER MAGAZINE

K- STATER The magazine for K-State Alumni

Association members

SUMMER 2021

Summer 2021• Vol. 70, No. 4

HOME

Sw�t HALE

I just wanted to send a note to say well done on the summer K-Stater. The magazine, and the Alumni Association, hold a very special place in my heart, and I’m grateful you have continued to produce such a high quality publication.

Keep up the good work and…

Go Cats!

Shelly Prichard ’86 Wichita, Kansas

YOUR LETTERS AND PHOTOS ARE WELCOME By mail: K-Stater magazine K-State Alumni Association 100 Alumni Center 1720 Anderson Ave. Manhattan, KS 66506-1001

Email: k-stater@k-state.com Online: k-state.com/k-stater /KStateAlumniAssociation @KStateAlumni

Shirley Taff Wilson

Tim, never had the chance to tell you how much I enjoyed the K-Stater for summer... the article on Morgan Huelsman ’15 was incredible!

J. Steven Smethers ’76, ’85 Director, A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications

K-Stater magazine has depth, breadth and more Tim, I want to tell you how much I enjoy K-Stater magazine. Its depth, breadth, awards and celebrations, stories, features, personality and historical pieces, baby births and in memoriam come together beautifully.

Much for everyone. It’s one of the few publications that I read from the cover to the last page because I want to. I enjoy it and learn a lot from it.

It’s that powerful.

Keep it coming.

Jim Shaffer ’69 Annapolis, Maryland

Thank you for telling story of Bryn Greenwood ’92, ’95 Dear Tim, Thank you for the story about Bryn Greenwood’s fiction. It was wonderful to see a fellow K-State English alumna (and native Kansan) featured. Bryn ’92, ’95 was a classmate of mine in graduate school, and I have enjoyed folll lowing her career and reading her novels.

A Story to Te Her work depicts people who are difficult or alienated from what most would call normal life, but readers come to see them for the redeemable and lovable people they can be if given a sliver of a chance.

Here’s to the misfits! Thanks for including the piece. I hope to see more about the artistic products of K-Staters in these pages in future issues.

Sarah Caldwell Hancock ’94, ’96 Westmoreland, Kansas ventional life wood’s uncon Author Bryn Green PHOTOS COURTESY

BY KAT BRAZ

OF BRYN

GREENWO

s

novel inspires gritty

OD ’92, ’95

at K-State. mechanic The New her storytelling discovered d to write. author who Times bestselling she learne autobiography a New York ’92, ’95 is story before veiled to the red her first ly recalls the thinly wood autho resemblance too young author vague a striking Bryn Green ’95 was bestselling character that bore wood ’92, a York Times Because Green family with y ’90. of an alien from the Flintstones. older sister, Libert her Great Gazoo dictated the tale to to write, she

Bryn Greenwood

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SUMME

her to quit.

Things enabled industry places Ugly and Wonderful publishing ry fairy nature of the author’s followThe fickle as a contempora on a best-selling keenly felt while is described nine distinct a lot of pressure set in Kansas, deftly juggles pressure Greenwood she completed in nal love story the first moment up book. It’s which tale. In it, Greenwood say that from Reckless Oath, tell the unconventio waitress with a there were “I can honestly working on narrators to were and that I a nearly six-foot-tall in sex work to from her what books write books, 14 months. between Zee, engages I understood works mostly got paid to in rescue occasionally there who For now, Greenwoodhome with her two do,” Greenwood man who speaks bad hip who people out wanted to an autistic home Lawrence be a knight 4-year-old was what I by, and Gentry, in her gutted himself to couch in her knew that your average camped out I want get and believes can imagine nearby. She this is what itself was formerly Middle English said. “If you to say ‘Yes, own pups it. The house cheap” protector. confidence from Greenwood’s as she renovated it an “incredibly — and Zee’s having the the which made book borrows my life.’” and certainly Kansas, in Again, the similar desperate a drug house, to do with to Greenwood about taking in rural Hugoton, she dropped She’s suffers She grew up purchase according her family history. life. She’s written ends meet, she also state, where to to make projects. corner of the and like Zee, fitting given older sister injury seems different measures her southwest an few to a follow pain due into work on school to time,” she says. sell currently at out of high The acceleration frustration from chronic mother is a hoarder. are you breath all the University. culture that “I hold my Sometimes Greenwood’s Kansas State

by Greenwood’s circles of our and this is really unsteady. chunk of money and fueled partly curriculum basis, there’s “Within certain “Publishing college was g high school get a nice big father’s on a day-to-day But what if you watching and there.’ dealing unchallengin years a book not struggling with an her drug amusement said.

‘I’ve got a couple get to a point where of horror and need to escape ” Greenwood you think, I’ll partly by a evasion. class titillation like Hoarders on TV, doesn’t sell? next year, I I have trial for tax creative writing the next book something a book in the of hoarders. very public in her first job.’” there were I haven’t sold from a family emeritus, where It was at K-State so bad that I’ll think, ‘If “But I come another secretarial got for professor that look hoarding Nyberg, to think mechanic I’ll have to relatives whose I don’t want taught by Ben to guess a storytelling After in the house. exists only discovered of her novels. dead animals society that Greenwood segment of become a hallmark about something who are better there’s a whole for people that would to write a story get out of amusement instructed be fodder for I hope readers asking students , Nyberg then That’s what the same experienced and rewrite off financially. personal they flip the perspective protagonist. author, Greenwood my writing.” his class to as the a bestselling the antagonist this person, Though she’s story with in the realities thing to recast toward, grounded “It’s a challenging her stays firmly grudging thoughtsstory,” After earning may still have your of the present. whom you the hero of chose to remain make them because that’s master’s, she pursuing and suddenly great exercise rather than person’s said. “It’s a one class just a working Greenwood She took It’s not ever academia. the world. a career in of Kansas the way of and the University All the Ugly that she position at story.” secretary so breakout novel, St. Martin’s Greenwood’s in 2016 by as a department focusing on firsther off hours Things, published could spend Wonderful a dozen different hical, as a more than She worked autobiograp her writing.

Press, employs . Though not 13 years secretary for person perspectivesthemes mirror Greenwood’s novel’s who’s a drug until the success some of the — a father illness, an of All the own life experiences l home life, mental Though the dealer, a dysfunctionawith an older man. involved bestseller list, adolescent York Times on the New controversy. book landed was not without people who its reception from of hate mail “I get a lot the face disappear off wish I would book because my of the earth uneasy,” made them said. “But Greenwood I literally experiencedAnd things. a lot of these tell me that when people these things reading about le and uncomfortab made them think not have to It’s they’d rather it’s a dismissal. you about them, want to know saying, ‘I don’t stories telling these exist.’ But not make my experiences doesn’t magically Reckless go away.” book, The also Her most recent in 2019 and published Oath We Made,

K - S TAT E

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Story on Mr. K-State brings back memories My mom, Shirley Taff Wilson, is the smiling face with the K on her cheerleading sweater and adored Ernie. She cheered for the 1951 Wildcats at the national championship game.

She spoke highly of Ernie Barrett right up until she passed away about four years ago. I wish someone could let him know how much she adored him.

Keep up the terrific K-Stater and thank you!

Alice Wilson Wilhelmus ’80 Kansas City, Missouri

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R 2021

Editor’s note: Thank you all for sharing your thoughts about the K-Stater.

We love to hear what you have to say. Please continue to reach out with your thoughts about the magazine. We’d love to see more letters to the editor!

SAVE THE DATE FOR HOMECOMING 2021!

OCT. 24-30

K-STATE.COM/HOMECOMING K - S TAT E R

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K-State’s 14th President, Richard Myers, announces retirement after five years Following a lifetime of public service, Kansas State University President Richard Myers ’65 plans to retire at the end of this calendar year. In 2016, Myers was chosen as the university’s 14th president. He also is a Kansas State University Foundation professor of military history and leadership.

“Mary Jo and I truly loved our time at K-State and working with students, faculty and staff,” Myers said. “Being president of my alma mater was one of the most fulfilling jobs I’ve ever had. It was an honor to help move K-State forward on many fronts. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the many talented and dedicated people who comprise the K-State family.”

During Myers’ time as president, the university has undergone significant changes to prepare for the future. One major initiative was the adoption of a new budget model. The new model is performance-based and supports strategic investments to drive innovation and growth. Now in full implementation, the new model is much more transparent than the historical model the university had used for decades.

Myers also led a comprehensive Strategic Enrollment Management initiative to counter declining enrollment. This included restructuring the entire university recruiting, student success, and scholarship programs, moving to a data-driven strategic approach, and streamlining the tuition structure. Although interrupted by the pandemic, the initiative is showing positive results in establishing a base for future growth.

Last year saw the completion of the university’s Morris Family Multicultural Student Center following expanded efforts to lead diversity and inclusion efforts across the university. Myers also added a chief diversity and inclusion officer to the president’s cabinet and elevated diversity and inclusion issues to a top priority.

He and his wife, Mary Jo Rupp Myers ’64, served as co-chairs of the Kansas State University Innovation and Inspiration Campaign that raised $1.6 billion. The campaign surpassed its original goal by $600 million.

“K-State is very fortunate to have an incredible leader in President Myers.

He led our university through many big initiatives and guided campus as we navigated the coronavirus pandemic. President Myers and Mary Jo have a long history of dedication to K-State, including serving on the Alumni Association’s board of directors,” said Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association. “I am grateful for their passion and dedication to K-State. Both are K-State graduates who truly care about our university. Their hard work and dedication are a testament to their devotion to K-State. I know they’ll continue to stay involved and will always have a special place for K-State in their hearts.”

In June, the Kansas Board of Regents announced Carl Ice ’79 would chair the search committee to find Myers’ replacement.

K-Stater magazine will feature more on Myers’ presidency in the winter issue.

—K-Stater staff

President Richard Myers ’65 and first lady Mary Jo Rupp Myers ’64 10

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Kendall Ens, K-State Alumni Association

AROUND K-STATE

A new look: Kimball Avenue and College Avenue have received several upgrades to walls near Bill Snyder Family Stadium. This includes the entry gates, which feature an ornamental sconce with wheat details.

Around

K-STATE K-State’s 2021-2022 tuition and fees offer cost break for in-state students

In-state students who take both in-person and online classes will pay less under K-State’s new 2021-2022 tuition and fees structure. Approved by the Kansas Board of Regents on June 16, the new tuition and fees schedule eliminates a fee previously assessed on all online courses so that in-state students who choose to take at least one online class in their course load are likely to see an overall decrease in their cost of attending K-State. This allows students more flexibility when building their course schedule and it simplifies the way they are charged for tuition, as they will now be assessed the same base tuition rate across their individual program’s course load.

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Slice of the Little Apple K-Stater Kudos Ask the Expert COVID-19 Timeline Cat Connections From the Archives New Leaders

In addition to these changes, the new tuition and fees structure: • Merges several fees to minimize line items on students’ bills, making bills easier to read and cost of attendance easier to estimate.

• Reduces the fee previously known as the campus privilege fee, now renamed the student services fee to more accurately reflect what students gain from their payment.

• Eliminates summer and intersession fees, as well as the K-State Olathe campus fee.

• Eliminates the Global Campus online course fee, which was previously assessed to all online courses.

Students and families can view the 2021-2022 tuition and fee rates online at k-state.edu/costs.

K-State offers online bachelor’s in kinesiology

K-State is launching an online bachelor’s degree in kinesiology designed to allow students to explore the importance of physical activity in the context of human health and well-being.

The degree program, which is enrolling now but launches this fall semester, combines biomechanical, physiological and sociological perspectives to examine physical activity from cell to society, while also exploring the effects of physical activity across a range of tasks, including exercise, daily living, play, sport and work.

“This new online degree will provide a unique opportunity for online students to gain a strong foundational and comprehensive understanding of the role that physical activity has on human health,” said Craig Harms, professor of exercise physiology and kinesiology department head. “It prepares them well for a career in this important field.”

Graduates of the established on-campus program have gone on to find success in health professions and graduate school, and pursue exercise-related careers.

More information about the online kinesiology bachelor’s program can be found at online.k-state.edu/ programs/kinesiology-bachelors.

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SLICE of the Little Apple A new voice Mitch Fortner will be the new public address announcer at K-State home football games. He replaces Dave Lewis, who served in the role from 2006 to 2020.

Maria Childs ’14, K-State Alumni Association

AROUND K-STATE

Public art A mural titled, Triumphant, was unveiled at the Douglass Center during the city’s Juneteenth celebration. The mural honors the African American community and was painted by EuGene Vidal Byrd III.

New museum The Kansas Department of Commerce approved a $23 million in sales tax and revenue or STAR bonds for the proposed Museum of Light and Art. The museum is expected to be located next to the Flint Hills Discovery Center.

In June, The Manhattan Mercury reported the museum is expected to cost $43.6 million to create.

McCall’s to close In June, McCall Pattern Company announced it will close its Manhattan printing facility at the end of the year.

The company operated the facility for more than 50 years.

Sloth bears join Sunset Zoo Two sloth bears, Molly and Tess, were moved to the Sunset Zoo’s Expedition Asia exhibit from the Idaho Falls Zoo in June. However, The Manhattan Mercury reports the exhibit won’t likely be open to the public until April 2022.

Welcome Bev-Hub Bev-Hub, 5960 Dry Hop Circle, a small scale canning operation, opened a facility in Manhattan. The operation is expected to bring 37 jobs to the Little Apple. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly was present for the June 29 ribbon cutting.

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Two is better than one: In late June, ‘Aromaticus’, the university’s titan arum, commonly known as “corpse flower,” bloomed for the fifth straight year at the greenhouses on the Manhattan campus. The “flower” is technically an inflorescence, which is made up of several individual flowers. This year is unique because normally the plant only produces a single inflorescence at a time. The second inflorescence reached 61.5”— a new personal record for ‘Aromaticus.’

Jon Martin, Eric Webb elected student government leaders at K-State Polytechnic

Students at Kansas State Polytechnic Campus in Salina, Kansas, recently elected new Student Governing Association, or SGA, leadership for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jon Martin, junior in computer systems technology, Bennington, Kansas, will serve as student body president and Eric Webb, junior in computer systems technology, Wichita, Kansas, will serve as student body vice president.

Both Martin and Webb previously held SGA positions.

Martin served on the cabinet as treasurer, and Webb was a senator and webmaster.

“While I’m president, I will be working with our student government and the administration to build a strong sense of community on campus — something that has become even more important because of COVID-19,” Martin said.

Webb echoes Martin’s goal as many clubs dissolved during the pandemic. In the fall semester, the duo will strive to increase student involvement.

“With everybody coming back after losing a year together, we want to focus on unifying the student body to bring back the sense of belonging and family to campus,” Webb said.

Leading by example, Martin and Webb want to remind students about the importance of academic and social clubs.

University selects David V. Rosowsky as next vice president for research

An expert in structural engineering, natural hazards and risk analysis and a national voice on the future of land-grant universities will serve as K-State’s next vice president for research. David V. Rosowsky, professor of civil engineering at the University of Vermont, has been appointed to lead all aspects of K-State’s research enterprise by President Richard Myers ’65.

As vice president for research, David V. Rosowsky Rosowsky will have administrative responsibility for units that support the university’s research infrastructure, including the Office of Research Development, Pre-Award Services, the University Research Compliance Office and more. Several of the university’s independent, interdisciplinary research facilities and research support facilities, including the Biosecurity Research Institute, the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center, K-State Innovation Partners, the Biotechnology Core Facility and the Electronics Design Laboratory, also will report to Rosowsky.

Rosowsky earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Tufts University and a doctorate in civil engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

AROUND K-STATE

K-STATER Kudos

Shante Moore ’96 was a recipient of the Mortar Board Alumni Achievement Award.

K-State’s Mortar Board chapter earned the Gold Torch Award and Project of Excellence Award from the national organization.

Chassy Nichols ’10, assistant budget fiscal officer in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering at K-State, has been selected as a participant in the new Emerging Leaders Program of the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Steve Martini, director of K-State Recreational Services, retired in August after 41 years of service.

Craig Harms, professor and head of the Department of Kinesiology, will serve as the interim dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Kevin L. Sauer ’93, professor in the Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and co-director of the National Center for Food Safety Research in Child Nutrition Programs, began his one-year term on June 1 as the 2021-2022 president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.

K-State Collegiate Wind Competition Team won the turbine prototype contest in the 2021 Collegiate Wind Competition.

ASK THE

Expert

Prepare your lawn for fall seeding, weeding K-State Research and Extension offices respond to numerous questions throughout the state. As a Horticulture Extension agent in Johnson County, our office receives close to 6,000 gardening questions each year, with the most common questions around lawn care.

No matter where you live, lawns and green spaces provide many advantages to our daily lives.

Lawns filter water runoff, provide a cooling effect, and offer a place to play and relax. Depending on your needs, lawns can be high or low maintenance to serve your purpose.

As autumn arrives, many gardening chores begin to dwindle. Starting in September, there are several tasks to help your lawn after a stressful summer, preparing it for another year to come.

TIME TO OVERSEED COOL SEASON LAWNS Early September is the best time to overseed the cool-season tall fescue and bluegrass lawns most commonly found throughout the United States. Seeding in September provides for sunny days and cooler evenings to speed up the germination and establishment of the seedlings before winter’s arrival.

Proper seeding does require some preparation.

The soil crust must be broken by a verticutter, a machine slicing grooves into the soil allowing for good seed-to-soil contact. Simply scattering the seed on hard ground will result in poor germination.

Once the seed is down, keeping the area moist is a must. Grass seed takes one to two weeks to germinate. It requires evenly moist soil, which can dry out on a sunny and windy day. A light application of water once or twice a day is recommended. As the seeds establish, the frequency can be backed off.

TIME TO FEED THE LAWN Cool-season turf grasses, like tall fescue and bluegrass, encounter stress during the summer months, but the arrival of fall conditions revives the grass. This is the time they need fertilization to promote strong growth and thicken up the lawn.

Fertilizers applied in September build strong roots, resulting in top growth next spring and create a healthy stand of grass.

Nitrogen fertilizer, the first number on a bag of fertilizer, is most in need. Soil rarely needs phosphorus and potassium. No matter where you live, soil testing is provided by your local county Extension office. By testing your soil, you will know what type of fertilizer your lawn needs.

TIME TO KNOCK OUT WEEDS The No. 1 one issue that stumps homeowners is weeds. Weeds by nature outcompete both coolseason and warm-season grasses, like Bermuda and Zoysia. The most noticeable weeds are the early spring bloomers, such as dandelions and henbit. While they burst into bloom in spring, the ideal time to control is in the fall.

These weeds germinate with the cool, moist conditions of late September and October. A welltimed application of a broadleaf herbicide in late October or early November knocks out the small establishing weeds before they can get a foothold.

Come spring, the lawn should be green instead of yellow and purple. We like purple, just not in our lawn.

EXTENSION HAS YOUR RESOURCES No matter where K-Staters call home, Extension is there to help. Across the nation, local Extension offices have resources to help you better manage your lawn and garden – simply search your state, county name and Extension. We are just a click or phone call away with localized, research-based information.

—Dennis Patton ’82, Johnson County K-State

Research and Extension, Horticulture Agent

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AROUND K-STATE

K-STATE’S COVID-19

TIMELINE UPDATE

COVID-19 still has a large impact on the world. Here’s an update on what’s happened at K-State since our last issue.

May 10, 2021: K-State announces a revision to its face covering policy effective on May 17. Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks in outdoor settings, in accordance with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Masks are still required in indoor settings.

June 2, 2021: The university amends its face covering and physical distancing policies. Face coverings and physical distancing are optional for all individuals on K-State campuses and at university events. Masking and physical distancing requirements remain in effect for Lafene Health Center and other patient-facing settings and on university shuttles due to Department of Transportation policy. Unvaccinated students, faculty and staff who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine are strongly encouraged to do so.

June 9, 2021: In a letter, President Richard Myers ’65 provides updates as the university continues to move to phase out of COVID-19 protocols.

Over the next several weeks campus signage will be refreshed. Organizers of summer camps and conferences may modify their COVID-19 plans based on the new guidance regarding face masks, physical distancing and event limitations.

FFAALLLL 22002211

Connections K-State Alumni Association members receive a 15% discount at the K-State Campus Store. Members can shop online at kstatecampusstore.com with the discount code: MEMBER15.

When ordering online, place the code in the special instructions box, not in the promo code box.

Sophia KenneyTolentino ’16

The K-State Alumni Association welcomes Sophia Kenney-Tolentino ’16 as an alumni programs assistant.

June 14, 2021: Events and activities on campus may now resume without size limitations both indoors and outdoors. In-person interviews for open positions may resume.

July 6, 2021: K-State’s Human Capital Services releases the university’s remote work policy guidelines. The university launches a website to help employees and leaders navigate the policy and guidance for remote work: k-state.edu/hcs/policies/remote-work/

July 7, 2021: Lafene Health Center officials estimate that more than 72% of K-State students, faculty and staff have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. More than 16,100 K-State students, faculty and staff — out of a total K-State population of about 22,300 people — have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

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July 30, 2021: The university amends its face covering and physical distancing policies, due to the delta variant. K-State will require that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks while indoors on university property, unless alone in their own private offices or workspaces.

Get your K-State license plate in Kansas, Texas and Maryland today! k-state.com/Drive

Download the K-State Alumni Link for Life App, powered by Kansas Lottery. k-state.com/App

Keep in touch with your fellow Wildcats and stay up-to-date on the latest news from campus.

K-STATE.COM/NEWS

AROUND K-STATE

FROM THE

Archives

Ada Rice had influence over many K-Staters’ successful careers

BY VERONICA DENISON, UNIVERSITY ARCHIVIST AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR I was looking through the Frank Marshall Davis file in the university archives while preparing for an archival instruction class. While reading documents in the folder, many articles and Davis’ autobiography mentioned how his K-State English professor, Ada Rice 1895, 1912, encouraged his writing. In Rice’s English literature course, the class was given the choice of an assignment, an essay or an original poem. Davis decided to write a poem even though he had no experience writing verse. After he handed in the assignment, Rice asked if he had more poetry, telling him, “I think you have talent. But could make a more positive evaluation if I saw more of your work.”

Davis drafted more poems and turned them into Rice as he did. After a while, she had him write a submission to the Ur Rune Chapter of the American Quill Club, a national creative writing society. Davis was one of five accepted that year.

He would later be considered among the writers of the Black Chicago Renaissance. But who was this woman who helped Davis and encouraged his poetry?

Ada Rice was born in Breckenridge, Missouri, in 1869. Rice began her college education at K-State (then KSAC) in 1889 but took time off the following year to take over her father’s

teaching duties at a high school in Clifton after he fell ill. She eventually re-enrolled in 1893, graduating in 1895.

From 1899-1903, she was an assistant in the KSAC Preparatory Department. In 1902, Rice was hired as an assistant in the English Department and earned the title of instructor in 1903. She also was the assistant principal in the School of Agriculture (1913-1918) and was the alumni editor of the Industrialist (1918-1920).

While teaching at K-State, she attended classes at the University of Chicago during the summer of 1902, Harvard University the summer of 1905, and took a sabbatical leave in 1926 to go to Kings College in England. Rice received her master’s degree from KSAC in 1912, with her thesis titled The Art of Narrative Writing, and was granted professorship in 1927.

In 1944, she was recognized as the professor with the longest record of service, and had, at that time, taught over 10,000 students.

She saw the English Department grow from four people to 27. When she retired in 1946, only J.T. Willard 1908 had served the college longer than she had. Milton Eisenhower ’51, ’63 and Clementine Paddleford 1921 (New York-Herald ( Tribune columnist), among others, recalled having Rice as a professor fondly. Rice died in 1953.

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Photo courtesy of K-State Housing and Dining Services

AROUND K-STATE

Dinner is ready: Derby Dining Center is fully open once again after being closed for a remodel. The renovations include a new entry on the southeast corner of the building, newly configured community space on the first floor, a new single entrance to the food service area and a new open dining experience on the second floor.

Updates to the heating, air conditioning and fire safety systems also were completed. Housing and Dining Services is celebrating its reopening with a sugar cookie recipe featured on page 28.

Future Wildcats add color to the pages of K-Stater Each issue of K-Stater magazine features a coloring page for future Wildcats of all ages to enjoy. These completed pages came from the summer 2021 issue.

Encourage your future Wildcat to complete the coloring page, found on page 22, and send a picture to kstater@k-state.com. It might be featured in our next issue or on our social media channels!

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Brooklyn Curd, 2

Colton Tinkey, 4

Emily Teetsel, 6

AROUND K-STATE K-State requiring first-year students to live on campus beginning fall 2022

Starting in fall 2022, K-State will require incoming Manhattan campus first-year students to live on campus during their first two semesters. K-State is implementing this residency requirement to enhance student success.

“National research and an analysis of university-specific data both show a statistically significant difference in the first-year retention rate and cumulative first-year grade point average between students who lived on campus versus students who lived off campus,” said Thomas Lane, K-State vice president for student life and dean of students. “K-State firstyear, full-time students living on campus average higher GPAs, stay in school in higher numbers and graduate faster.”

Based on data for fall 2018, K-State had an 87.6% retention rate for freshmen who lived on campus compared to a 79.9% rate for freshmen living off campus.

For fall 2019, 5% more first-year students who lived on campus stayed in school as compared to first-year students who lived off campus.

K-State is not alone in its first-year residency requirement.

The university will join all other Kansas Regents institutions, with the exception of the University of Kansas, in requiring freshmen students to live on campus. With this change, K-State will be the seventh of the Big 12 Conference’s 10 member schools to require that students live on campus during their first year.

Students may apply for an exemption to the policy.

Following a review, exemptions may be granted if a student plans to commute from the home of a parent/guardian or close relative who lives within 40 miles of the Manhattan campus or if the student will live in other approved organized student housing, including fraternity/sorority housing, Smith Scholarship House, Wesley House and Alpha of Clovia House.

Additional information on eligible exemptions is available on the Housing and Dining Services website, housing.k-state.edu/living-options/freshmen.

Michael Nuss, 5

University-developed software selected as national reporting system for SNAP-Ed

A web-based data management system built and maintained by the College of Education at K-State has been selected as the national reporting system for SNAP-Ed, a key federal supplemental nutrition education program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service recently announced that it has licensed K-State’s Program Evaluation and Reporting System, or PEARS, tool for national data collection and reporting in its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Nutrition Education, or SNAP-Ed. “I applaud K-State’s work in producing a quality reporting system for SNAP Education programs and congratulate them on its nationwide adoption,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas. “Effective data collection for federally supported programs and their outcomes are critical to making certain legislators can provide essential oversight of federal resources.”

PEARS was developed through a collaboration between the Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation in the K-State College of Education and K-State Research and Extension as a way to help nutrition education professionals and Extension administrators manage program data and demonstrate impact. Since that time, 37 states and more than 6,000 users have adopted PEARS to track their SNAP-Ed efforts.

“A better management system will undoubtedly lead to better health for many who participate in SNAP-Ed across the country,” said Ernie Minton, dean of the K-State College of Agriculture and director, K-State Research and Extension.

“We’re proud this K-State innovation was selected for this critical function and excited that its use will improve lives.”

Program evaluation data is entered into PEARS in real time, which allows for data-based decision making related to program progress, implementation and impact. PEARS provides Extension and nutrition educators the ability to

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accurately evaluate and report on a program’s impact, make improvements and assess progress. This data helps program staff to better understand what works and why, which ultimately allows for better allocation of time and funding to maximize impact as well as to meet the needs of communities.

“The mission of the College of Education’s Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation is to provide evaluation services through technological innovations that work for and with the people,” said Debbie Mercer ’84, ’88, ’96, ’99, dean of the College of Education. “PEARS is an example of the outstanding work that comes from their expertise. We are proud to partner across campus to establish this solution that will now impact the entire nation.”

Since its creation, PEARS has been recognized for its value in reporting and demonstrating impact and received the Excellence in Extension Program Evaluation Award from the American Evaluation Association’s Extension Education Evaluation Topical Interest Group in 2019.

“The ability to take a platform that was originally developed by K-State for use by Kansas Extension staff and work collaboratively with K-State Innovation Partners to develop a novel commercialization model and become the national reporting tool for SNAP-Ed within a five-year period is truly remarkable,” said Kent Glasscock ’76, K-State Innovation Partners CEO. “This is a prime example of the world-class technical talent that exists at K-State and the uniquely collaborative environment that university leadership and staff have cultivated to make opportunities like this possible.”

Freya Markley, 5

June Millard, 6 K - S TAT E R

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AROUND K-STATE

MATTHEW O’KEEFE MEET K-STATE’S NEW LEADERS

DEAN OF THE CARL R. ICE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND LEROY C. AND AILEEN H. PASLAY CHAIR IN ENGINEERING INTERVIEW BY TIM SCHRAG ’12

What attracted you to taking this position at K-State?

First and foremost was direct knowledge of the quality and reputation of the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering. Having worked with K-State engineering grads throughout my career, I knew the degree programs are among the best in the country for educating undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers. Another attraction was knowing the passion and dedication K-State engineers had for their alma mater. Quite frankly, I had not thought about being a member of the faculty at K-State, but after being made aware of the dean’s search my interest in applying was immediate. As I learned more — the college was the first to be named at K-State, nearly 100 named faculty positions, support from the state of Kansas through the University Engineering Initiative Act (UEIA), the Engineering Hall renovation and a post-graduation placement rate of more than 90% — excitement to be part of the K-State family grew. The deal was sealed from my standpoint when I had Call Hall ice cream during the campus tour portion of my interview!

What are some of your career highlights that prepared you for this role?

Advice I share with students is that careers aren’t planned as much as they happen. You just have to be flexible and pursue opportunities. My career path from manufacturing engineer to a non-traditional graduate student, to program management and research for the Air Force, and then switching to academia, has, in hindsight, provided a breadth and depth of experiences that prepared me very well for this role. Working with and leading people from high-volume manufacturers to internationally recognized researchers, including having a couple of dinners with a Nobel Prize winner, provide the perspective that people and challenges are truly more similar than different. Engineers are by nature and education technical problem solvers who make society safer and more secure in a sustainable manner.

What do you want alumni to know about your role?

The role of a dean is similar in many ways to that of a school principal.

Duties and responsibilities include all aspects of the educational process from the facilities to the faculty to the student curriculum. Just as with a principal, the majority of time is spent leading and serving the instructional faculty and support staff who educate and work with the students. The best part of the job is participating in the accolades and recognition of students, faculty and staff.

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How can alumni help you be successful in your role?

Alumni are critical to the success of the students. Guiding potential students and their families to learn more about K-State engineering is one of the most important ways to contribute. The demand for engineering and computing talent is at record levels. Studies have shown recruitment of students to enter a field of study is highly influenced by those who have degrees in that field.

Reaching out and telling your personal story to a wide audience has never been easier with the accessibility of digital recording on our computers, tablets and smartphones. Alumni and the companies they work for can contribute to student success by being mentors, sponsoring internships, funding research, providing scholarships, endowing faculty positions, participating in alumni events, hiring graduates and being role models who inspire us all to succeed.

Outside of the office, what are some of your hobbies?

My wife and I really enjoy attending athletic and artistic events in person.

That has been missing during the pandemic, but we are looking forward to being in the stands for K-State games and in the audience for McCain performances. When time permits, playing golf is my favorite activity.

What are some of your goals for the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering in the coming five to 10 years?

The top goal is to continue our post-graduation placement rate above 90%. With the extremely high demand for engineering and computing skills, the college needs to grow significantly in order to meet those demands.

Undergraduate and graduate student enrollment in the degree programs needs to increase in size and diversity to meet projected employment opportunities over the next decade. In accomplishing this we will assist the state with economic expansion by meeting goals of the recently renewed UEIA, which will provide an additional 10 years of funding through 2033. Sponsored research funding and creative inquiry must expand to address the needs of a global community. The manner in which education is delivered has been dramatically disrupted over the past year, and identifying methodologies and curriculum that work for engineering going forward will be critical to the success of the college. Focusing on the land-grant mission of K-State — to offer a high-quality, practical education to all for the benefit of the state and society — will be a priority.

AROUND K-STATE

CLAUDIA PETRESCU MEET K-STATE’S NEW LEADERS

VICE PROVOST FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION AND DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL INTERVIEW BY TIM SCHRAG ’12

What attracted you to taking this position at K-State?

It is easy to identify K-State’s attractive features. The more I “studied” K-State, the more impressed I was with the information I read and received about K-State. I was strongly attracted to the university’s land-grant mission and its strategic plan that emphasizes the quest for excellence in all areas — research, teaching, community engagement, to name a few — as well as to the institution’s embracement of diversity.

I believe that people make a place great or not. The K-Staters — the people — are one of the institution’s strongest features. I was and continue to be impressed on a daily basis with everybody’s dedication to shape the university’s future, with the pride they have in the university and with wearing the purple.

Provost Taber’s vision for graduate education and the role he sees graduate education play in moving the university forward has been another reason that made me apply for the position I am now in. There are so many more features to talk about, but I’ll stop here, for now.

What are some of your career highlights that prepared you for this role?

I have a blended and diverse academic and practitioner background. My knowledge of nonprofit management, my strategic planning work in higher education and nonprofit settings, my comprehensive understanding and knowledge of all university functions will serve K-State in shaping the future of graduate education. I have been designing and building partnerships among a university’s many divisions, and between the university and the external community. I have experience with academic program development, enrollment management, marketing, data analytics, and with making data informed decisions. I am also a first-generation college student and an international student with an interdisciplinary background who understands the needs and wants of students. I am an out-of-the box thinker who sees challenges as opportunities.

What do you want alumni to know about your role?

The role of the vice provost for graduate education and dean of the graduate school is new to K-State. It emphasizes the strategic importance given to graduate education in shaping K-State’s future and in supporting the university’s adaptation to a challenging higher education landscape as well as to a fast changing economic and social environment. I view alumni as playing a very important role in shaping the graduate education’s future, in working with

the Graduate School to promote our academic programs, to support student success, research and community engagement, among others.

How can alumni help you be successful in your role?

A survey we conducted in spring 2021 with our graduate students shows that students want more social connections and interactions. They want to feel valued by K-State as well as prepared for a challenging job market. I believe that alumni will play a strong role in supporting the Graduate School’s work addressing the students’ needs.

We are currently designing a pilot mentorship program through which alumni would serve as mentors to graduate students. We also are working towards establishing a Graduate School Advisory Board to engage alumni and community constituents in strategic conversations about the future of graduate education and to shape this future. We also are planning a fundraising campaign to raise funds to support students with emergency funds, to provide support towards their research, scholarship and creative work, as well as to support their progress towards graduation. Alumni have many opportunities and venues to engage with us. I am very much looking forward to building on the current engagement efforts and to be connecting with alumni.

Outside of the office, what are some of your hobbies?

There are so many things I like to do! I just need the days to get longer…

I like spending time outdoors. I love hiking and biking, but mostly hiking. I am still looking to find a park to hike 10 miles (my favorite length of a hike). I also like spending time with people, getting to meet people and to learn about people’s lives. I more and more find that everybody’s life is like a movie worth watching. I also love to read, especially sci-fi. I love to travel, to visit new places and experience new cultures and new cuisines.

What are some of your goals for the Graduate School in the coming five to 10 years?

I envision that in five to 10 years from now the Graduate School will be the hub of knowledge on everything related to graduate education, as a strong partner to all academic units and to the whole university in developing innovative, cutting edge, graduate programs; in supporting the research and community engagement efforts of all faculty and graduate students; and in having an adaptive graduate student success model.

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AROUND K-STATE

SHARI F. CRITTENDON MEET K-STATE’S NEW LEADERS

GENERAL COUNSEL

INTERVIEW BY TIM SCHRAG ’12

What attracted you to taking this position at K-State?

I was very interested in the General Counsel role at K-State because of its mission, legacy, leadership and impact. K-State is a land-grant institution founded to improve the quality of life for all Kansans through education, research and outreach. I’ve represented higher education institutions with a similar mission. My first job after law school was with a large law firm as a litigator, representing higher education institutions in court in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland metropolitan area. I left the firm to gain direct and practical experience in higher education, so I accepted a position at Morgan State University, which is a public historically black university (HBCU), not a land-grant, but has a similar mission as K-State: quality education, research and outreach. That is where my passion for practicing higher education law deepened. Higher education is the great equalizer that forever enriches the life of an individual and their community.

Many of the landmark, novel, and complex Supreme Court decisions are education-related—from Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954 to this year’s free speech case, Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. Guiding K-State through the myriad of these issues is a unique and exciting opportunity.

What are some of your career highlights that prepared you for this role?

I lobbied members of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., for many years as General Counsel and Vice President for Government Relations for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Inc. Through securing federal appropriations and research grants, I helped universities excel as centers of knowledge, discovery and intellectual exploration. We were successful in securing $2.1 Billion for minority-serving institutions. That success was predicated on developing enduring relationships and a keen understanding of higher education law and policy. In addition, I helped establish UNCF’s $1.6 Billion Gates Millennium Scholars Program, which supported over 20,000 marginalized high-achieving students get to and through college without burdensome debt. Those experiences were valuable in helping me adapt quickly to the role of General Counsel at K-State.

What do you want alumni to know about your role?

The Office of the General Counsel is not just a bunch of naysayers. We don’t have the gavel to say yea or nay, and we’re not the final arbiters of administrative decisions. My goal is to ensure that university leaders have the best legal representation, providing relevant data and cogent analysis, so that they are empowered to make informed decisions. Our mission is to help them navigate

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any thorny path that impedes their ability to achieve the university’s mission.

Providing advice and counsel during COVID has been very challenging. Many of the issues are cases of first impression. Fortunately, the Office of the General Counsel has astute, hardworking and dedicated lawyers. I would not have been able to adjust as quickly in the COVID era without my stellar team.

How can alumni help you be successful in your role?

One example is in recruiting. The office had a Deputy General Counsel position open. In trying to fill that role, it was beneficial to hear from alumni lawyers or judges knowledgeable about the legal landscape and draw upon their relationships with the local and state bar associations to assist with referrals. Fortunately, we hired a highly skilled and knowledgeable lawyer from Texas Tech as Deputy General Counsel, Blake Billings. Alumni can assist with deepening and extending our reach in the community, the legislature and potential donors. Alumni can assist the university as it addresses social justice issues by speaking to the university about improving the campus climate through civility and public discourse.

Outside of the office, what are some of your hobbies?

It’s been challenging to engage in my hobbies with the workload and COVID-19. I’m a big sports fanatic, so I attend football and basketball games. As a form of exercise, I enjoy boxing, running and yoga. I also love the visual and performing arts, reading, traveling and shopping. Community involvement is also a passion. I’m a member of the Manhattan Rotary Club and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Alumnae chapter.

What are some of your goals for K-State in the coming five to 10 years?

My goal for K-State is to be the premier education, research and service land-grant institution in the country! Our team is reimagining how we approach our work. Toward that goal, I am proud that we are making a significant shift to serving as thought partners and respected advisors as we help university leaders make tough decisions. We have set a long-term goal to provide legal services that demonstrate our innovation, commitment, accessibility, respect and excellence.

Our ultimate objective is for our university clients to view us as the institution’s conscience — prompt, proactive and responsive advisors to the university on a broad range of initiatives — not just reacting to legal problems. Serving as a higher education lawyer can be demanding, fast-paced, and often stressful but deeply gratifying.

AROUND K-STATE

JOE MOCNIK MEET K-STATE’S NEW LEADERS

DEAN OF K-STATE LIBRARIES

INTERVIEW BY TIM SCHRAG ’12

What attracted you to taking this position at K-State?

K-State’s ongoing commitment to the land-grant mission and the visionary goals for Kansas State University are among the top reasons that attracted me to K-State. As a first-generation college graduate, I closely identify with the desire to improve the quality of life by providing affordable, accessible and rigorous education. By advancing all research, teaching and learning activities, including those of K-State Research and Extension, my desire is that K-State Libraries further expands its role of serving as the intellectual crossroads for the university thus, to continue moving the needle toward reaching the institutional goals.

What are some of your career highlights that prepared you for this role?

My professional service is built on foundations of developing purposeful relationships with others. During my two decades in higher education, I have had the opportunity to foster collaboration with various academic and support units, student affairs, athletics, and as a Fulbright Scholar, also with international entities. I believe that you are only as good as those around you.

A strong leadership team allows for strategies and initiatives to be developed and implemented in an effective, efficient and innovative manner. Having participated in leadership trainings at Harvard and Vanderbilt, I believe in leadership and management that is based on a selfless approach that relies more on a grin than a gavel, leading without ego, and with evident trust and admiration of colleagues.

How can alumni help you be successful in your role?

K-State alumni are a powerful network. Their connections, knowledge and experience can help us continue to be at the forefront of innovation in higher education, expand our unique and specialized collections and bring thoughtful speakers into our community spaces. As we pursue exceptional outcomes for the K-State community, please reach out and connect so we can continue building upon a wonderful legacy of philanthropic support and ensure that K-State is a model educational institution regionally and nationally.

Outside of the office, what are some of your hobbies?

Outside of the office, I love to spend time with my family and take long walks with our newfoundland labrador mix. As a lifelong learner, I am brushing up on my languages and like to visit new places to acquire new experiences and learn about different cultures. I deeply care about social justice, like to volunteer, and be actively involved in the local community. I have completed a marathon and consider myself a thoughtful risk-taker.

What are some of your goals for K-State Libraries in the coming five to 10 years?

At the top of my list of goals is student success, faculty support, diversity and inclusion, community outreach, and increased philanthropic support.

K-State Libraries is well poised to join the preeminent ranks of the Association of Research Libraries in the near future and this may be an aspirational goal for the entire K-State community.

What do you want alumni to know about your role?

Libraries are intrinsically a common good that work toward informing citizens, breaking down boundaries, and leveling the playing field by providing access to an array of sophisticated resources and offering innovative and friendly services. Our students, faculty and staff are our primary customers but the land-grant mission provides an opportunity to serve all citizens of the state of Kansas. To succeed as a collaborative and strategic advocate for the evolving role of the 21st century public research university library, I will rely on the counsel and support of the alumni. Student success is a group sport and we all have an important role to play.

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WILDCAT KIDS Encourage your future Wildcat to complete this coloring page in each issue of the K-Stater magazine and send your photos to kstater@k-state.com. Sign up your child for our Future Wildcat programs — Born to be a Wildcat and Junior Wildcats Club. For more information, visit k-state.com/FutureWildcats.

Ages 0-24 months

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Tag @KStateAlumni on social.

OVER 800+ Full-page ad PRE-OWNED VEHICLES AVAILABLE AND PRICED TO SELL!

PAYING TOP DOLLAR FOR TRADES | BRIGGSBUYSCARS.COM K - S TAT E R 2 3

CLOSE-UP: KSU FOUNDATION

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CLOSE-UP: KSU FOUNDATION

Remember when you were on K-State’s campus every day?

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alking through the Quad after class, snowball fights during finals, Homecoming and the excitement of decorating Aggieville? What if you could enjoy friends swinging by before a show or hearing the Pride of Wildcat Land practice in Memorial Stadium again? You’ll create new memories, discover new and old friends, and revel in the excitement of the campus community when each homecoming brings you to Alumni Village at K-State.

Designed with Wildcats in mind, Alumni Village at K-State combines the best of living on the most beautiful land-grant campus in the country with a stylish and welcoming community of friends.

BY ALLIE LOUSCH ’90, KSU FOUNDATION PHOTOS COURTESY OF KSU FOUNDATION

Revisit some of your favorite K-State places in a virtual tour that will take you from the Berney Family Welcome Center to Bill Snyder Family Stadium and more:

k-siteonline.com/virtual-tour

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CLOSE-UP: KSU FOUNDATION

David Mayes ’96, KSU Foundation

Alllie Lousch ’90, KSU Foundation

Check out some of the views you can look forward to when you join Alumni Village at K-State:

Historic Danforth Chapel offers contemplative quiet, and next-door is All Faiths Chapel where the rich music of its recently restored 2,458-pipe organ can be heard.

Front row seats — on your personal rooftop deck — to hear the marching band practice in Memorial Stadium and perfect their routines to Wabash Cannonball’s final K-S-U.

Share your expertise and friendship while volunteering in the Meadow behind the Beach Museum of Art or Cats’ Cupboard, Nichols Theatre, K-State Gardens and more!

K-State Communications and Marketing

Alllie Lousch ’90, KSU Foundation

Watch the sun rise over Anderson Hall during your morning walk to the coffee shops on campus including Cornerstone Café in newly remodeled Hale Library.

Live theater and music in walking distance of home where you’ll chat with a world-renowned actor, musician or author in the Director’s Lounge of our newly renovated McCain Auditorium.

Take classes then meet friends at JP’s Gastropub in the Student Union or Lacy’s Fresh Fare and Catering in Justin Hall.

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CLOSE-UP: KSU FOUNDATION Make new memories cheering the Wildcats on field or in Aggieville, where some of your old favorite hangouts are still thriving and your new favorites offer everything from shopping and sipping to sun salutations and scrumptious dining options.

Happy Hour at Call Hall.

FIRST FLOOR Though you won’t be living in the residence halls or fraternity and sorority houses this time, your new home in Alumni Village at K-State will put you in the middle of the action that makes us K-State proud.

Your Alumni Village at K-State options are as delicious as Call Hall ice cream. Choose from four unique floorplans. Each option includes a groundlevel garage with flex space, roof deck and the

SECOND FLOOR option for a private elevator.* Early Alumni Village at K-State owners will be able to choose from traditional or modern finishes. Additional upgrades are available.

If the opportunity to come home to Alumni Village at K-State has you practicing the Wildcat fight song, swing by k-statealumnivillage.com to explore your options.

Discover Alumni Village at K-State. Connect with Kate to discuss your new K-State home base: KATE RYAN ’05

Real Estate Partnerships Manager 785-775-2008 direct kater@ksufoundation.org k-statealumnivillage.com Follow us:

ROOFTOP DECK Contact Kate Ryan ’05 at the KSU Foundation, 785-775-2008, to learn how you can begin your own K-State homecoming with friends and K-State family at Alumni Village at K-State.

KSU Foundation’s strategic real estate projects like Alumni Village are not funded by philanthropic gifts and do not take away from fundraising efforts to support K-State.

Look for us in the next K-Stater magazine!

You’ll find new ways your family and friends in Alumni Village at K-State can create homecomings and traditions for every season.

Make your home among friends and K-State family in Alumni Village at K-State.

Discover your floorplan and finish options in Manhattan's finest, future gated community when you visit:

k-statealumnivillage.com

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Decorated Sugar Cookies

PHOTOS BY DAVID MAYES ’96

Editor’s note: The baked goods prepared by K-State’s Housing and Dining Services provide fond memories for so many K-Staters. To celebrate the reopening of Derby Dining Center, Housing and Dining staff members shared this recipe for decorated sugar cookies.

Don’t forget to send us a photo of your attempt at this Derby Dining Center staple!

We’d love to showcase it in an upcoming issue. Email: kstater@k-state.com Ingredients

Method

Cookies Shortening (1 cup) Margarine (1 cup or two sticks) Sugar (2 1/4 cups) Vanilla Extract (1 3/4 teaspoons) Eggs (2 large) All purpose flour (4 cups) Cream of tartar (1 teaspoon) Baking soda (1 teaspoon) Salt (1 teaspoon)

Cookies

Frosting Shortening (3/4 cup) Water (6 tablespoons) Almond extract (1/2 teaspoon) Powdered sugar (5 1/3 cups)

Step 5. Portion dough using a #20 scoop (just shy of a ¼ cup). Place approximately 4 inches apart on a large baking sheet. Flatten slightly with hand.

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Step 1. In mixing bowl cream shortening, margarine and sugar until light and fluffy for approximately five to eight minutes.

Step 2. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix thoroughly.

Step 3. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add gradually to creamed mixture. Once combined, cover tightly until ready to portion cookies.

Step 4. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 6. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.

Frosting Step 1. In mixing bowl blend together shortening, water and almond extract.

Step 2. Add powdered sugar to mixing bowl and mix until smooth and spreadable.

Mix longer on higher speed if you’d like to make it fluffy.

Add extra water as necessary for proper consistency for decorating.

Step 3. Keep covered to prevent from drying out.

Color frosting as desired. Spread on cookies or pipe on using decorative tips.

Tammy Poovey, food service manager at Derby Dining Center, prepares a batch of sugar cookies.

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The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF, which will be owned and operated by the USDA, is adjacent to K-State’s Biosecurity Research Institute.

PROTECTING AGRICULTURE

Like a good neighbor, this next-generation federal facility will strengthen Manhattan’s agricultural legacy

BY STEPHANIE JACQUES ’05, NBAF PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST Behind tall secure fences, with impressively thick steel doors and multiple layers of reinforced concrete, is Kansas State University’s newest neighbor: The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF. On more than 48 acres, NBAF sits adjacent to the university’s Biosecurity Research Institute and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The federal facility will add a new high-tech chapter in Manhattan’s history book and offer a variety of opportunities to those interested in protecting agriculture.

Through this world-class science facility for large animal agricultural research, diagnostics and training, NBAF leadership has a vision of a safer and more resilient America. The facility’s mission

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF NBAF

is to protect the nation’s food supply, economy and public health from transboundary, emerging and zoonotic animal diseases — in line with many K-State priorities.

Transboundary animal diseases, or foreign animal diseases, are those that could enter the U.S. from another country. Emerging diseases are ones that are new or not well known and zoonotic diseases normally affect animals, but can transfer to people.

Protecting livestock and agricultural interests from these diseases also protects the economy.

Agriculture, food and related industries contribute more than $1.1 trillion to the U.S. economy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. In addition, 11%

of jobs — about 22 million — have some ties to agriculture.

The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, or ARS, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, will share responsibility for the $1.25 billion facility after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, is finished building it.

When the USDA-owned facility is fully operational, about 400 federal employees will work to anticipate, prevent and mitigate risks to animal agriculture.

USDA HAS PROTECTING AGRICULTURE DOWN TO A SCIENCE Currently, the USDA’s foreign animal disease research, training and diagnostics includes African swine fever, classical swine fever and foot-and-

mouth disease. The latter has not been seen in the U.S. since 1929.

USDA and DHS scientists help keep it that way by working in biosafety level-2 and -3 laboratories at the 1950s-era Plum Island Animal Disease Center, or PIADC, in New York. Though there have been many successes, the aging lab has limited capability to address the growing need for diagnostics and countermeasures for other highconsequence and emerging zoonotic diseases.

“Although PIADC continues to provide critical cutting-edge research and diagnostic services to keep U.S. agriculture safe, its mission requires the more modern and state-of-the-art facility that NBAF will provide,” said Dr. Luis Rodriguez, USDA Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit leader at PIADC. NBAF will be a safe place to expand the animal disease research, diagnostics, training and countermeasure developments — like vaccines — for more diseases including those that are emerging and zoonotic.

“According to the World Health Organization, more than 70% of emerging diseases that have affected humans in the last 10 years have an animal component,” said NBAF coordinator Dr. Ken Burton ’77, ’81. “To understand some of these zoonotic diseases in large livestock, they must be studied in the highest level of laboratory containment: biosafety level-4, or BSL-4, which is not available in the U.S. today. Currently, we must rely on other countries’ facilities to conduct this work.”

TOP: On more than 48 acres, NBAF will provide USDA and DHS scientists with ample space to tackle highconsequence animal pathogens.

BOTTOM: NBAF’s modern design melds high-containment structural integrity with eye-pleasing features to attract the best scientists and technicians to conduct critical science.

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NBAF will be the first facility in the U.S. with BSL-4 laboratories capable of housing livestock. It also will have BSL-2 and -3 laboratories. Yet, the greatest attribute of the facility is the people. To strengthen NBAF’s mission, many PIADC scientists and technical experts have already moved or committed to move to the new facility to share their experiences.

“I am privileged to work with these devoted heroes who silently protect American agriculture and livelihood,” said Dr. Chuck Dodd ’04, ’10, PIADC transition program manager. “Although sad to leave their successful legacy at Plum Island, many are excited to serve at NBAF and become a part of the Manhattan community.”

NBAF’S HOME IS WHERE THE HEARTLAND IS Manhattan is a prime location for the USDA to connect with those they aim to protect: agricultural producers. Literally cemented in the middle of cattle country, NBAF is being built with the best technology, severe weather readiness and structural integrity to safely establish the science programs in the Midwest.

“In an earlier review of the program, The National Academies of Science noted that the NBAF design meets or exceeds modern biocontainment design principles and standards,” said Tim Barr ’85, NBAF program manager for DHS. “The laboratory’s critical systems include redundant safety and biocontainment features.

Specifically, in the case of a tornado, the facility’s biocontainment areas are designed to lock down like an airtight vault.”

Selecting NBAF’s location was an extensive three-year process. After visiting 17 possible sites, DHS and USDA subject matter experts selected five finalists. Manhattan was officially selected in January 2009, after many public meetings. K-State’s Dr. Marty Vanier ’79, ’81, director of the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center, has been an NBAF advocate since the beginning.

“Manhattan was selected based on federal criteria, which included proximity to and capability of livestock research; available workforce; capability for land acquisition and construction operations; and public support,” Vanier said. “A threat and risk assessment and environmental assessment also were performed and included in the final selection criteria.”

NBAF’s Little Apple location is advantageous for developing potential partnerships to expedite the development of vaccines and diagnostic tests.

“There are the obvious benefits of additional jobs for the Manhattan community, but there also is the added benefit of collaboration between NBAF scientists and K-State scientists and students

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to advance the study of livestock pathogens of concern,” Vanier said.

Manhattan is on the western edge of the Animal Health Corridor, which has the highest concentration of animal health companies in the nation. Uniting academic, industry and federal researchers creates diverse partnerships that will help tackle these high-consequence animal and zoonotic diseases.

“NBAF is actively engaged in exploring opportunities to collaborate and partner with the many assets available throughout the Animal Health Corridor, Manhattan community and Kansas State University,” Burton said. “As we transition our science mission and scientists from PIADC to NBAF, we anticipate our current relationship with K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biosecurity Research Institute will continue and potentially expand.”

K-STATERS FIGHTING, EVER FIGHTING FOR A DISEASE-FREE VICTORY K-State faculty are not the only Wildcats establishing working relationships with federal scientists. Several K-State students have been among those nationally selected to participate in USDA’s competitive NBAF workforce development programs.

Eight K-State students have been a part of APHIS’ NBAF Scientist Training Program, or NSTP. These students receive research and educational funding and are guaranteed employment at PIADC or NBAF after the program.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” K-State graduate student and NSTP participant Jerusha Matthews ’17 said. “Being at PIADC has given me tons of training opportunities and a variety of networking opportunities I don’t think I would have had.”

APHIS also hosts a two-month summer program in collaboration with K-State called the NBAF Laboratorian Training Program.

Undergraduate students and recent graduates gain skills needed to serve as lab technicians in facilities like NBAF. In addition, eight K-State students have been a part of ARS’ NBAF Workforce Development.

Participants are trained in biodefense research and are given funding toward a degree in scientific disciplines needed at NBAF. USDA, K-State, the Manhattan community and state have been working for nearly two decades to ensure this area is recognized as a leader in agroand biological sciences. NBAF and its collaborative possibilities will attract the best and the brightest minds to continue the legacy of protecting agriculture and the food supply.

K-State student Em Knobbe practices highcontainment laboratory techniques she learned through the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 2020 NBAF Laboratorian Training Program.

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INTRODUCING THE SHAMROCK ZONE at Bill Snyder Family Stadium

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K-State’s Shamrock Zone at Bill Snyder Family Stadium will offer 13,500 square feet of club space and also will offer upgraded fan amenities for the entire stadium.

New south endzone development is a game changer for more than just football fans

BY AUSTIN SIEGEL, K-STATE ATHLETICS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF K-STATE ATHLETICS

Jason Brummett ’97 remembers a conversation with one of his interns back in March, as K-State’s assistant athletic director for facilities watched the Shamrock Zone begin to take shape above the south endzone at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

The new $50-million, 13,500-square-foot club space is the latest addition to the home of K-State Football, with upgraded fan amenities and premium seating that will revolutionize the game day experience for thousands of Wildcat fans.

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The zone is the most extensive renovation to the stadium since the Vanier Complex opened in 2015.

Views from suite spaces in the Shamrock Zone.

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The Shamrock Zone also will, Brummett’s intern pointed out, make the place a nightmare for opposing kickers, keeping the noise, atmosphere and wind swirling inside the stadium.

That’s the sort of insight you get with Blake Lynch ’19, one of the best kickers in K-State history, on your staff, Brummett remembers with a laugh.

For K-State fans, he’s hoping the Shamrock Zone is a different kind of dream.

“I really think the concessions down there, with as many as we’re going to have, restrooms on the south end of the stadium, which we’ve never had before, and the new Powercat Porch, people are going to flock to this on game day,” Brummett said. “It’s all about the variety.”

The new south endzone is the most extensive renovation to Bill Snyder Family Stadium since the Vanier Family Football Complex opened in 2015 and the first project to be completed as part of the athletic department’s Building Champions capital initiative.

Developing the south endzone was one of the most important parts of the athletic department’s facility master plan. K-State Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development Josh McCowan ’09, ’11 said the Shamrock Zone was about adding “the final piece” to Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

“It was about enclosing the stadium, with two new video boards and a premium seating space,” he said. “We wanted something that was different from our West Stadium Center and the east side of the stadium.”

With a covered walkway area that will lead to new concessions and additional restrooms, the Shamrock Zone is the latest fan-focused addition to the 54-year-old football stadium.

Two new video boards debuted at the corners of the south endzone during the 2020 season, along with a stadium sound system that will improve the audio on game day.

In May, K-State Athletics announced the addition of a new beer garden, the Powercat Porch, with beer, wine and margarita sales for fans this season.

“We’ve never had three locations like this on the east, south and west side of the stadium,” Brummett said. “And having a place where you can sit down with your kids during halftime, it’s just going to be the place to go.”

The new south endzone will enhance the Saturday afternoon experience for Wildcat fans, but the Shamrock Zone is a game changer for four different K-State teams.

“We really wanted to create a kind of upscale,

The Shamrock Zone also will replace the Legends Room in Bramlage Coliseum with a new dining terrace to host men’s and women’s basketball and K-State volleyball.

sports bar,” McCowan said. “Lots of TVs, very open and a ton of space where we could host people for football, basketball and volleyball.”

The 13,500-square-foot club space will replace the current Legends Room in Bramlage Coliseum, with a new dining terrace on the north end of Bramlage that will overlook the home of K-State men’s and women’s basketball, and since 2020, the home of K-State volleyball.

“Just the event space will be much larger than anything we’ve had before,” Brummett said.

For men’s basketball games, the Shamrock Zone will serve as a pre-game and post-game club area for Ahearn Fund members at the Champions Club level ($5,000) and above with a $100 pass.

For select women’s basketball and volleyball games, the Shamrock Zone will be open to all fans with a ticket to the game.

With new entrances to Bill Snyder Family Stadium and Bramlage Coliseum, the Shamrock

Zone will reduce traffic entering and exiting both venues on game day and will be home to members of the K-State Athletics staff every day.

On a recent afternoon, from his office on the second floor, McCowan could hear season ticket holders and Ahearn Fund members enjoying a sneak peek of the space.

The only thing missing, between the clinking glasses and chatter about how the Wildcats are looking this season, was the sound of 50,000 people filling Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

When they do, Wildcat fans will return to a new game day experience in Manhattan this fall.

“At football games, you’ve got new videoboards, a new sound system, new restrooms and new concessions. You’ve impacted 50,000 people just like that,” McCowan said. “We have this space all of a sudden where the experience from a fan and donor perspective is going to be incredible.”

“We’ve never had three locations like this on the east, south and west side of the stadium. And having a place where you can sit down with your kids during halftime, it’s just going to be the place to go.”

JASON BRUMMETT ’97, ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT K-STATE ATHLETICS

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Photo courtesy of Nick Chong ’91

Through Hardships to the Stars Zoom executive credits K-State experience as launchpad for stellar career

BY KAT BRAZ

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A

rriving in Manhattan, Kansas, as a freshman, Nick Chong ’91 may as well have landed in Oz. An international student, Chong was raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (pop. 1.8 million), where the soaring 88-story Petronas Twin Towers dominate the skyline.

He and his three sisters lived with their parents in a small apartment above their family business.

Chong’s father bought him an Apple Macintosh computer when Chong was about 13 years old.

This was the budding engineer’s first foray into technology.

“I really enjoyed the concept of computer logic — predominantly around sequencing of steps and what-if scenarios,” Chong said. “I was fascinated by the idea that this machine could create endless possible paths from a single choice, much like a chess move.”

He used a computer at the public library to research potential engineering schools.

Accepted by six, he chose K-State because of its strong engineering program, large international population and what he describes as “a caring spirit.”

In addition to his academic studies, Chong also was learning social integration through cultural immersion in a foreign land. The students and resident assistants he encountered during freshman year in Haymaker Hall helped him develop confidence in his communication, which led him to become an RA himself. He found K-State faculty similarly supportive.

“The electrical engineering program offered a diversity of topics, the discipline of learning fundamentals and the depth of critical thinking through hands-on learning,” he said. “I remember struggling across these areas due to the language barrier and a lack of prior hands-on experience, but the faculty were extremely patient with me. I eventually overcame my feeling of deficiency and understood what the Kansas motto of ‘Ad Astra per Aspera’ truly meant.”

Following graduation, Chong joined Conoco Inc. as a telecommunications engineer in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He then was recruited by Cisco Systems as a technical support engineer during an explosive growth phase. In 2012, he met Eric Yuan, who had recently left Cisco to found Zoom Video Communications.

“He impressed me as a down-to-earth founder and I wanted a new challenge at the time,” Chong said. “It was a 180-degree change. Zoom was a small team of four in the United States and 30-plus remote engineers, with a technical vision. I took on the role of product management, marketing, support and even business development to acquire early adopters. It was a stack of hats, with a different hat trick for each occasion.”

Nine years later, and Chong is now head of global services for Zoom, the video conferencing platform that became an essential means of connection for millions of people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We woke up one morning with the news that everything was closing down due to the pandemic,” Chong said. “Then we start seeing news of how people are using Zoom for education, exercise, social events, concerts, magic shows and work meetings. Even my mum used Zoom for her cooking classes. I felt an immense sense of pride, but also responsibility. I was proud that our team produced an antidote for quarantine. I was energized that we would now have to work harder to deliver a product that supported global connections around the clock.”

As difficult as the past year has been for so many, Chong regards the pandemic as a valuable life lesson.

“It brought us together as a family, as a nation and as a world to overcome an unprecedented challenge. It gives me hope that we can overcome challenges to come, as long as we keep the ‘human’ in humanity in check. I am optimistic that through this experience, our children will have a stronger mindset to cultivate a more empathetic society.”

“I felt an immense sense of pride, but also responsibility.

I was proud that our team produced an antidote for quarantine. I was energized that we would now have to work harder to deliver a product that supported global connections around the clock.”

265,400 customers with more than 10 employees, a number that’s grown 35%, the company says, and it added 175,000 licenses for new customers.

The Verge -The

$671M The video conferencing company ended the year with a net profit of $671 million, up from just $22 million in fiscal 2020. As of June 2, Zoom had a market capitalization of $96 billion, compared to $40 billion a year earlier.

-Statista

NICK CHONG ’91, HEAD OF GLOBAL SERVICES FOR ZOOM K - S TAT E R

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KSU FOUNDATION Kim Vanier looks over John ’81 Vanier’s shoulder as he and President Richard Myers ’65 take a new flight training device for a test flight.

Two major gifts from John ’81 and Kim Vanier provide lift to K-State aviation students

BY MARISA LARSON ’93, ’16, KSU FOUNDATION

O

ne person, or one family, can make a big difference in the lives of many. For Kansas State Polytechnic, that family is the Vaniers of Salina, Kansas. John ’81 and Kim Vanier consistently support the university and recently have given two vital gifts allowing K-State Polytechnic to update its pilot training program — three flight training devices and the funds necessary to cover the cost of buying 15 new planes.

The Vaniers, along with John’s parents and siblings, have a history of generously supporting the K-State campus in Salina.

Several years ago, the whole family gave a generous gift to

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KSU FOUNDATION

David Mayes ’96, KSU Foundation

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KSU FOUNDATION support students in the flight training program that has had a positive ripple effect.

“Our positive enrollment growth is made possible, in large part, due to the Vanier family’s investments and our ability to provide scholarships so students can afford to attend,” said Alysia Starkey ’10, dean and CEO of K-State Polytechnic. “I attribute a significant amount of the success we’re seeing right now to the Vanier family and their contributions to this campus. It started with the scholarships and it has continued with these last major gifts, in addition to what John and Kim give us every year. There’s hardly any words to describe the impact that philanthropy is having on our campus.”

For love of community and flying

John Vanier loves flying. He and his wife, Kim, love Salina. It’s these two passions that drive their philanthropy for K-State Polytechnic. As a college student, John was asked if he’d like to learn to fly by the chief pilot of his grandfather’s business. John gave it a try and fell in love. He worked for a few years as a pilot, earned his certified flight instructor rating and taught others to fly. “Aviation has always been a love of mine,” Vanier said. “I don’t fly anymore, but it’s something I’m interested in, and I love to see the new technology.”

John and Kim are longtime residents of Salina, and they love having K-State in their community.

“Having a Division I campus in Salina has been a tremendous benefit to the community,” Vanier said. “The students are great ambassadors for the community and the research and innovation at the university is very beneficial.”

There are many degrees offered at K-State Polytechnic, but students in the professional pilot program make up 60% of enrollment. Becoming a professional pilot is a high-cost major due to flight fees, certification fees and other expenses on top of tuition.

“I admire these students,” said Vanier. “They go into it because of their love for flying. No one can guarantee success, but what we want to do is to guarantee they at least have the opportunity for success.”

The pilot program was recently renamed the

“No one can guarantee success, but what we want to do is to guarantee they at least have the opportunity for success.”

— John Vanier ’81

The flight training device provides students with hands-on experience of an automated flight deck.

Photos: David Mayes ’96, KSU Foundation

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Bill Gross Professional Pilot Program in honor and memory of Bill Gross ’70, ’71, ’73, who was the chief flight instructor at K-State Polytechnic. Since 1987, every pilot who went through K-State’s program, as well as most regional pilots, were trained by Bill.

“Bill Gross was a tremendous attribute for K-State Polytech and Salina,” Vanier said.

Competitive edge

A few years ago, K-State President Richard Myers ’65 challenged the Polytechnic campus to grow in global prominence in aviation and launched the Global Aeronautics Initiative.

There is currently a shortage of trained pilots, so competition to get students is fierce among pilot training schools. Airlines are creating their own flight programs, but amid the urgency is a need to make sure the training is high quality.

“Pilots with bachelor’s degrees come with the abilities and people skills necessary to advance in their career,” Dean Starkey said. “The majority of what’s going on in the cockpit of a plane is communication and teamwork. The computer is doing the rest. Relationship building, problem solving, communications skills — the skills you gain through an undergraduate-level education — these are what set pilots up for success. It’s not just the technical skills.”

The first upgrade the flight program needed was up-to-date flight trainers. John and Kim Vanier gifted three new flight trainers to K-State Polytechnic in 2020 — two flat-panel (EFPT) trainers and one full trainer (FTD).

“These new training devices, the FTD and the two EFPTs will give our students the advantage of having hands-on knowledge on how to use an automated flight deck, how highly complex systems integrate with each other, and how crews interact with each other in decision-making processes,” said Neal Bloomquist, assistant professor of aviation.

“While nothing can beat the act of manning the controls of a real commercial airliner, these flight simulators are essential for giving the students a feel for what it will be like should they decide to work for an airline.”

John then asked Dean Starkey what she needed next to advance the pilot program.

“I said we need a new, modern flight-training fleet for our students to learn to fly in and to provide the diversity of experience our employers are looking for,” Starkey said.

The Vaniers’ gift, combined with other funds, allowed K-State Polytechnic to purchase and maintain 15 new planes. The fleet is a combination of single engine and multi-engine planes. A composite aircraft also is included in the new fleet, giving students the experience of flying a plane

KSU FOUNDATION

Kim and John ’81 Vanier and Bill ’70, ’71, ’73 and Elaine Gross at the March 2021 dedication for the new flight trainers and celebration of the naming of the Bill Gross Professional Pilot Program. Bill passed away in June.

made of different materials than metal. The fleet includes planes from two manufacturers, so students can diversify their training experience, which better prepares them for future careers. The Vaniers’ gift also funds the renovation of the campus’ hangars.

“If K-State is going to have an aviation program, it has to be stateof-the-art,” Vanier said. “Everywhere you turn, there’s a coming pilot shortage. If you’re going to train pilots for airlines, which is most of the students’ aspiration, you have to prepare them for it. When students visit to see if they want to enroll in our program, they need to see a goodlooking hangar and aircraft that have state-of-the-art avionics. If we aren’t continually improving, we’re going to be left behind, and I don’t want to see that happen.”

Assistant professor of aviation, Neal Bloomquist (center), puts pilots-in-training Jack Thomlison (left) and Joshua Solomon through possible scenarios on one of the new flight trainers.

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Matt Keller ’02 fights narcoterrorism

BY TIM LINDEMUTH ’77 As a special agent, Matt Keller ’02 can fill your ears with tantalizing stories about serving search warrants, longterm surveillances and court-approved wire taps for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to bring narcotraffickers, money launderers and terrorists to justice.

Likewise, he interviews international informants to track down foreign kingpins selling heroin and other drugs to purchase weapons and surface-to-air missiles. For security reasons, some details must be left to the imagination.

Now working in the United States Embassy in Paris, the nation’s oldest diplomatic mission founded by Benjamin Franklin, Country Attaché Keller liaises with his foreign counterparts as well as advises the ambassador and embassy staff on matters of drug trafficking and money laundering.

Raised in Wichita, Kansas, and earning a Kansas State University bachelor’s degree in sociology with a criminology intent and minor in anthropology, Keller joined the DEA as a special agent in 2005 and has worked in 30 countries. He advanced to his current rank in Paris in February 2020.

“Due to the strategic importance of France to narcotics trafficking and money laundering, a typical day consists of investigations conducted with the French National Police and other law enforcement departments like customs, and sharing information between our agencies,” Keller said.

Leading a staff of five in the embassy, he also advises the U.S. Department of State, extradites criminals and relays reports to DEA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Prior to his embassy assignment, he studied the French language while working in the nation’s capital.

In the United States, Keller has the authority to carry a weapon and serve warrants of arrest. In foreign countries without those powers, he works with regional authorities pursuing targets in the world for criminal prosecution. But foremost, he calls himself an investigator.

UNDERSTANDING THE UNDERWORLD “In the complex world of transnational organized crime and specifically the drug trade, which is estimated to be worth around $400 billion per year, it takes individuals from farmers, chemists, transporters, coordinators, distributors, money launderers, bankers and lawyers to make the drug trade work,” Keller explained.

“It takes enforcement officials from local, state and federal levels, international partners, prosecutors, judges and strong citizens to ensure these criminals don’t overtake society.”

The war on terror and the war on drugs intersect in certain places and not in others.

“The drug violence in Mexico is not characterized as terrorism, according to the legal standard. However, Illustrations by Kendall Ens, K-State Alumni Association

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“It is the chase of criminals, seeing their expression when caught. I have had the pleasure of investigating targets around the world and seeing the world in that process. I have briefed ambassadors and ministerial level government officials, presented at international conferences and sat across the table from some of the worst criminals in the world.”

in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and Lebanon, the two forces are interwoven in obvious manners – drug production and trafficking directly benefit terrorist groups,” he said.

Keller worked in the Los Angeles Field Division battling the Mexican drug cartels from 2005-2009, then the Kabul (Afghanistan) Country Office from 2009-2011. Following that, he has worked in various departments of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, including Africa, South America and the Caribbean. In 2015, he was promoted to a supervisory special agent and was moved in 2016 to the Counter Narcoterrorism Operations Center, which focuses primarily on Shia extremist groups like Hezbollah.

Drug kingpins use full-scale military operations and armaments to perpetuate their activities. In Afghanistan, for example, where 90% of the world’s heroin is grown, Keller said he and other DEA special agents worked with U.S. military, NATO forces and other coalition forces to battle the drug trade that helped fund enemy Al Qaeda and Taliban forces and other groups.

“Nothing ever occurred without our Afghan partners,” Keller said. “We worked with the Afghan National Police and other units.”

In 2010, the Department of Defense recognized Keller’s work with the Joint Civil Service Achievement Award for his direct assistance to the U.S. military.

Photos courtesy of Matt Keller ’02

MATT KELLER ’02 U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION SPECIAL AGENT

Matt Keller’02 with his wife,Carla,, and, son,, Enzo.

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Keller has fought drug trafficking globally.

“I was one of the main coordinators of this operation … related to an investigation of one of the largest heroin traffickers in the world at the time. The operation in southwestern Afghanistan targeted a large weapons cache this individual had buried for later use. Ten other individuals from the DEA also were given this award.”

Keller’s supervisor prior to his Paris assignment was John Fernandez, assistant special agent in charge of the Counter-Narcoterrorism Operations Center in Washington, D.C. “Matt initiated and led significant investigations into violent organizations, powerful traffickers with a global reach, terrorists and even highprofile international criminals whose activities had national security implications,” Fernandez said.

“He was the ideal selection for the country attaché assignment given his many strengths and talents as an investigator.

“He is highly intelligent, calm and collected in the most intense crises, and always demonstrated an ability to carry out effective diplomacy in the U.S.’ and our allies’ interests,” Fernandez said.

In such a high-tension job, what are Keller’s most satisfying aspects of the work?

“It is the chase of criminals, seeing their expression when caught. I have had the pleasure of investigating targets around the world and seeing the world in that process. I have briefed ambassadors and ministerial level government

officials, presented at international conferences and sat across the table from some of the worst criminals in the world,” Keller said.

“Those individuals make James Bond villains seem tame.”

IT BEGAN AT K-STATE Keller graduated from Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School in Wichita and enrolled at K-State in 1998. He lived at the Pi Kappa Phi house, and in the summer of 2000 bicycled 2,500 miles across the U.S. with the fraternity’s philanthropic event, Journey of Hope, to create understanding for people with disabilities.

A campus leader winning election to Student Senate representing the College of Arts and Sciences, he also was president of the Criminology Club.

“We were a small group of students interested in careers in law enforcement,” Keller recalled.

A K-Stater who had a profound impact on him was Sue Williams, associate professor of sociology and criminology.

“She was tough, loved a good debate, but was comfortable enough in her beliefs that she could allow for healthy arguments,” Keller said.

Williams said they have stayed in contact professionally for 18 years, and she has followed the trajectory of his career.

“Matt was a stellar scholar in the classroom.

I remember him as a strong leader with an extraordinary sense of duty to his student colleagues, to the criminology program and to the university,” she said.

As faculty adviser to the Criminology Club, she remembers the lasting impact Keller had on the program.

“He was instrumental in helping me organize and conduct the first Criminology Career Fair at K-State. We continued that activity for several years, which provided regional, state and national opportunities for our students,” Williams said.

After graduation, Keller earned a master’s degree in criminal justice at the State University of New York at Albany in 2003. He returned to Kansas and worked for the Bonner Springs Police Department.

He attended the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson, Kansas, where he was elected class president.

Just two weeks after returning to police officer and patrolman duty in 2005, the DEA offered Keller

a position in the Kansas City District Office. He had applied to the DEA back in graduate school. From there, it was off to the DEA Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and his first investigative assignment in Los Angeles. Keller met his wife who also was working for DEA. He and Carla were married in 2017, and they have one son, Enzo.

“My family and I arrived in Paris two weeks before COVID struck France and shut the country down. We live near the Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower, so we enjoy local walks as often as we can,” he said.

The couple created a criminology scholarship with the KSU Foundation to aid students in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work.

“My wife and I hope we can play a part in shaping the next generation of students and help them succeed in their careers as well. Education and experiences form more well-rounded individuals and better leaders for tomorrow,” he said.

“Matt Keller is an exemplary K-State alumnus,” Williams said. “I’m not surprised at his stellar service to the people of the United States as well as to more than 30 countries across the globe.”

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A tale of two cities K-Staters working at Twitter help to determine communications policy

BY ASHLEY PAULS

Photo by Amanda Spoo ’13

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The story of how two K-State graduates — Katie Niederee Rosborough ’10 and Trenton Kennedy ’18 — met and started working on the policy communications team at Twitter does not actually begin at K-State.

Although they both grew up in small towns and happened to graduate from the same university, their paths first crossed at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Rosborough had moved to D.C. to serve as a press secretary for Sen. Jerry Moran, and Kennedy was a junior in high school, working as a page in the U.S. Senate. Kennedy would often spend time in Sen. Moran’s office, and his staffers viewed Kennedy as another member of their team.

“Whether in a small town or in Washington, D.C., Kansans support and take care of each other, and that is especially true of Katie and Trenton,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. “The Senate Page program is special in that high schoolers have an opportunity to connect with fellow Kansans at the U.S. Capitol when they are a long way from home. These relationships are often forged by a shared understanding that the work they do impacts their friends, family and neighbors back home. I’m pleased to see Katie and Trenton — two young Kansans and K-State alumni — are continuing to support each other throughout their successful careers.”

Kennedy went on to study at K-State and Rosborough eventually started working for Twitter, but they remained in contact.

When Rosborough was searching for a candidate for a fellow position, she reached out to Kennedy for a recommendation of who might be a good fit. Kennedy expressed his own interest, and his long-time mentor is now his supervisor at Twitter.

Rosborough leads policy communications for North America, and Kennedy serves on her team as the U.S. policy communications manager.

Kennedy describes Twitter’s public policy team as the “face and body” through which the organization interacts with governments and regulators around the globe.

“Every day is absolutely different,” Rosborough said. “Our work is focused a lot on public policy and what’s happening in D.C., and how that may impact Twitter as a company.”

That work includes monitoring the news of the day, briefing Twitter executives and preparing them for interviews, communicating with reporters, and conducting outreach to Capitol Hill.

As the strategic communications arm of Twitter’s public policy team, they help craft how Twitter communicates with governments and civil society groups around the world. As spokespeople for the company, they both speak on behalf of Twitter to news outlets and reporters about a myriad of issues around technology policy, content moderation, internet safety and more.

“Whether in a small town or in Washington, D.C., Kansans support and take care of each other, and that is especially true of Katie and Trenton. The Senate Page program is special in that high schoolers have an opportunity to connect with fellow Kansans at the U.S. Capitol when they are a long way from home. These relationships are often forged by a shared understanding that the work they do impacts their friends, family and neighbors back home. I’m pleased to see Katie and Trenton – two young Kansans and K-State alumni – are continuing to support each other throughout their successful careers.”

SEN. JERRY MORAN, R-KANSAS

How to be a better Twitter user Rosborough and Kennedy share these tips to help you get the most out of Twitter.

BALANCED COMMUNICATION Although Rosborough loves working in public relations now, it was actually not her first career choice.

She decided to come to K-State after meeting Pat Bosco ’71, ’73 — K-State’s former vice president for student life and dean of students — at an Alumni Club event. She originally considered studying law or medicine and changed her major at K-State three times before she realized, through leadership opportunities in her sorority, Student Alumni Board and the K-State Proud campaign, that her true strengths were in communicating and building relationships.

Growing up in a small town, she didn’t even realize public relations was a career path until attending K-State.

K-State also was where Kennedy found his perfect fit. He remembers going on many college tours, but nothing felt right. His mom, Melissa Luckeroth Kennedy ’93, encouraged him to give K-State a chance.

Kennedy ended up serving as student body vice president for K-State’s Student Governing Association and said the university was a great place to learn about life, politics and working with diverse groups of people.

“It felt like a place where I could have a really well-rounded atmosphere,” he said.

Kennedy said one of the most exciting parts of working for Twitter is seeing how social media can help people all over the world: empowering human rights movements, promoting new friendships during a pandemic, providing a platform for deep discussions and more.

1. find accounts with similar interests to you.

Are you new to Twitter and unsure who to follow? Search for lists and topics to help you

2.

Curate your experience based on your own preferences. Your personal Twitter feed is designed to show you the tweets most relevant to you, but you also can hit the “sparkle” button to display tweets chronologically.

local connections. Twitter is an international platform, but also it’s a local one, too — 3. Find search for local weather and news outlets to bring you regional updates in real time. you reading online?” Rosborough recommends asking. “What’s the source? Where did 4. areit come from?”

Practice good media literacy — know what you’re reading and where it came from. “What

“It’s a way in which people can connect and grow,” he said of the social media platform. “What we say matters — how we communicate what we’re feeling is important.”

Rosborough and Kennedy said the biggest challenge that comes with any social media company is finding the balance between allowing free expression and protecting the safety of those using the platform. Their goal is to use technology to make Twitter a safer space for public conversation.

They’re proud to bring their purple pride to Washington, D.C., as they work together to connect the world.

“We have this years-long relationship,” said Kennedy of Rosborough’s mentorship. “The opportunity to not only work together, it’s been really exciting to see the product of that work and really get into the weeds of issues with her.”

And Rosborough said of Kennedy, “It really is remarkable to get to work day-in and day-out with someone you’ve seen grow and master new experiences since they were 17. Trenton is an exceptional individual with an enormous appetite for learning — in this role, particularly how technology and its impact can affect the human experience. Our shared K-State experience is the icing on the cake.”

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WILDLIFE at K-STATE Photos from K-State’s Manhattan campus

Photos by

DOUG BARRETT 400 NORTH CREATIVE

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ansas State University’s Manhattan campus ever holds us with magic spell because of the environment it fosters and establishes in our hearts. Some of that magic is intangible, like the neighborly sense of community K-State has established or the transitional time in our lives most of us spent therein. However, some of that magic is very visible. Very real and still found today.

Things like the limestone buildings and the color purple come to mind.

But a very special element is the animals that reside on the campus. The squirrels, many varieties of birds and, of course, the livestock help make campus K-State.

Because of the pandemic, many of our readers have not been able to return to campus to reacquaint themselves with this part of the K-State’s magic. K-Stater magazine asked local photographer Doug Barrett of 400 North Creative to spend some time on campus and capture just a fragment of that magic. You can see more of Doug’s work at 400northcreative.com.

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CLASS NOTES

SEND US your

good news W

e want to let your fellow K-Staters know what’s happening in your life by printing your good news in the K-Stater Class Notes.

Please keep the following guidelines in mind when submitting items for publication.

• Because of deadlines, it could be up to six months from the time you send in your news to the time it appears in the magazine.

• Because of space limitations, we can print news only about K-State Alumni Association members.

• No news more than a year old at the time of submission will be printed.

How to share your news (and any address or occupation changes): Postal mail: Alumni Records 100 Alumni Center 1720 Anderson Avenue Manhattan, KS 66506-1001 Online: • Alumni Association website: k-state.com/UpdateYourInfo

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Gerald L. “Jerry” Zimmerman ’73, ’77, Prairie Village, Kansas, retired. He spent the last 10 years of his career at Johnson County Community College.

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Lon D. Kruger, Norman, Oklahoma, announced his retirement after 35 years as a college basketball head coach. He played both basketball and baseball at K-State, and he spent the past 10 years as the head coach of the University of Oklahoma men’s basketball team.

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Lynn E. Feldkamp, Wichita, Kansas, retired after nearly 40 years with the Coleman Company Inc. William L. “Bill” Muir, Manhattan, Kansas, received the Vision Award from the K-State Student Union. He is a former member of the K-State Alumni Association board of directors.

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Randy D. Williams ’78, ’80, Valley Center, Kansas, retired after 40 years with INTRUST

Bank.

ANNIVERSARIES

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William M. Havel and Gayle Fuller Havel, Austin, Texas, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary May 26, 2021.

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Margo J. Miller Laubhan and Frank A. Laubhan ’70, Wamego, Kansas, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary May 22, 2021.

MARRIAGES

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Kellan C. Horner and Victoria S. “Tori” Thomas ’20, Denver, Colorado, were married March 13, 2021.

BIRTHS

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Jonathan L. Beasley ’01, ’12 and Amanda K. Steffens Beasley ’08, Stephenville, Texas, announce the birth of Liam Lee, March 17, 2021.

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Carl R. Ice, Colleyville, Texas, was appointed to the Kansas Board of Regents. He also was appointed as chair of the K-State presidential search committee. He is a member of the K-State Alumni Association board of directors.

David P. Franken, Lenexa, Kansas, retired from the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment after 22 years.

Stephen R. “Steve” Stephens ’80, ’00, Dodge City, Kansas, retired from American AgCredit.

Dr. Bronwyn E. Bridge and Dr. Michael Emswiler, Richmond, Virginia, announce the birth of Sean Michael, June 19, 2020.

Jessica M. Karr Stauffer and Justin Stauffer, Harrisburg, Nebraska, announce the birth of Jennings Rathman, Dec. 17, 2020.

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Linda Sanders Dumler, Arlington, Texas, retired from teaching in the Grand Prairie Independent School District.

Alissa M. Millard Anderson and Brian Anderson, Overland Park, Kansas, announce the birth of Eleanor, April 23, 2020.

Andrea L. Stroberg Kitch ’09 and Scott C. Kitch ’10, ’15, Manhattan, Kansas, announce the birth of Kasen Scott, Feb. 26, 2021.

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Email: alumni@k-state.com Fax: 785-532-5068 CLASS NOTES LEGEND (fs) former student (fr) friend

James L. “Jim” Mariner, Fountain, Colorado, published his first novel, A Tale of Two Expectations.

Larry L. Laverentz, Lenexa, Kansas, is the author of The Not So Ordinary People on the Roads I’ve Traveled. A memoir, Laverentz’s book covers his time working as agricultural volunteer with International Voluntary Services in the 1960s.

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Kathryn G. Focke, Manhattan, Kansas, was elected to a four-year term on the Riley County Commission.

Robert E. “Bob” Yost, Knoxville, Tennessee, retired as the education coordinator for respiratory care at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital after 25 years.

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Bruce D. Cuevas, North Sioux City, South Dakota, is the assistant director of preclinical education, Sanford School of Medicine, at the University of South Dakota.

Mark A. Bachamp, Manhattan, Kansas, will serve as the chairman for the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors in 2021.

David Reeves, Seattle, Washington, retired.

Leanne M. Guyette Caret, McLean, Virginia, was elected to the KSU Foundation board of directors.

Betty J. Blanchard Gathers, Manhattan, Kansas, retired as a registered nurse educator.

Raymond C. “Ray” Dempsey Jr., Vienna, Virginia, is the group chief diversity officer at Barclays Bank.

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Cory S. Downing ’93, ’97, Bennington, Kansas, was promoted to chief operating officer at Vortex.

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Jacqueline A. Wright Madison, Stilwell, Kansas, was named the PGA career consultant

Brittany R. Donley Donals and Graham Donals, Winfield, Kansas, announce the birth of Jameson Graham, Dec. 1, 2020.

Katarina N. Tusten Pelletier and Maurice L. “Bem” Pelletier Jr. ’13, Thornton, Colorado, announce the birth of Austin James, March 12, 2021.

Dr. Krystal L. Kidder Miller ’13 and Dr. Tanner J. Miller ’08, ’13, ’14, Louisburg, Kansas, announce the birth of Abigail Leigh, Nov. 2, 2020.

for the Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska PGA Sections.

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Michael J. “Mike” Seyfert, Alexandria, Virginia, is president and chief executive officer of the National Grain and Feed Association.

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Bernard J. “Bernie” Haney, Manhattan, Kansas, is an agent at Charlson Wilson Insurance Agency Inc.

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Jacob E. Palenske, McKinney, Texas, is director of communications and public affairs at Northrop Grumman.

CLASS NOTES The K-State Alumni Association welcomes the new fully paid life members from April 1, 2021, through June 30, 2021.

We greatly appreciate their loyal support of the Alumni Association and Kansas State University.

Patrick Kane Abbott `09 Heather Lynn Albers `19 Dwight Dios Alexander II `08 Shayla Danelle Alexander `08 Jeffrey S Allison `93 Sean Michael Alumbaugh `20 Daniel J Arellano `99 Jana T Arellano `98 Amelia Estepa Asperin `04 Shiloh Wade Ballard `20 Larry Joseph Bergeron `20 Aaron Christopher Bingham `11 Kristen Nicole Boomer `21 Austin Lee Bosse `10 Jarrod Michael Bowers `04 Alisha M Bowser `11 Anne Elise Bowser `21 Lauren Jo Bowser `14 Marc Steven Bowser `12 Zachary Lee Bowser `14 Janice E Brady `81 Krista M Bramhall `18 Barry Buchinski `79 Emily Anne Budden `15 April Ann Chancellor `05 Ryan Christopher Collett `07 Laura May Cowley `11 Evan Dean Crenshaw `20 Courtney Ann Deuser `09 Allison Penner Disbrow `01 Kelli K Dunn Ryan Lynn Dunn `95 Deanna Pauline Durler `21 Morgan Rene Scott Elliott `21 Kelsey D Erskine `08 Diego Jose Espinoza `04 Emily Rosalyn Featherston `21 Corrine Janae Frigon `07 John Thomas Frigon `06 Donna J German `79 Evan J Giacometti `09

James L Grauerholz `71 Justin C Grunder Sarah L Grunder `04 Cara Lauren Gunzelman `21 Logan Brooke Hamilton `21 Jason M Hardesty `93 Aimee Laurel Heinisch `93 Bradley Joseph Heinisch `94 Clancey James Walter Hinkle `19 Daria Gretchen Hinkle `20 Conrad William Hively `21 Alexandra Elizabeth Hollenbeck `20 Katherine Grace Horton `21 Amanda Eryn Howland `21 Heather Kay Huber `09 Cale Hupe `21 Wendy L Hushon `05 Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins `96 Muhammad Junaid Khan `20 Chadwick Raymond Kolde `01 Jessica Renee Kolde `04 Kayla Michal Kroupa `19 Cooper James Lancaster `21 Evan G Lassen `60 Sue Lassen `59 Linda Yows Leitz `16 Evan S Lesser `10 Joshua Troy Lesser `09 Dan E Lombard DeEtte A Lombard `05 Ronaldo Lopez C Dawn McKinney `82 Douglas E McKinney `82 Jared Bradley Means `07 Tyler Matthew Meek `20 Amanda S Mendoza `02 Jordan Robert Meyer `13 Lindsey Michelle Meyer `14 Sarah Marie Middendorf `20 Gregory J Munds `88 Kendra L Munds `89

Trini Mari Najera Murguia `09 Gary Edwin Nelson `85 Andrew R North `11 Kaitlen A North `11 Citlally Orozco `21 Nathan David Oswalt `21 Joshua Harrison Parker `10 James Thure Peterson Jr `97 Lauren Nicole Pino `16 Sean Patrick Pino `16 Michael C Preisinger `01 Cory Alan Prewo `21 Alyssa Ann Ramont `11 Hillary M Richards `17 Anna Mae Richardson `21 David A Roe `84 Steven M Schorling `70 Candace Michelle Seaman `06 Charlene Marie Sheppard `90 Todd Albert Sheppard `90 Marlo Jean Showalter `97 Melissa N Smith `08 C Jeanine Solomon `72 Kaden Lee Stein `20 Griffin Stone Brian S Sutton `08 Angela Marie Szczesny `16 Allie Catherine Thomas `18 Gabriel Pight Thomas `20 Toshia Hope Thomas `18 Patricia J Tidwell `78 Julie Ann Rooney Wankel `02 Leslie Edward Wankel `98 Spencer Maurice West `21 Michael Joseph Westhoff `10 Ranae Westhoff Thomas Gary Williams `20 Elizabeth Ann Wilson `16 Hunter Keith Wilson `16

To view a list of all fully paid life members, visit k-state.com/LifeMembers.

Special pricing is available for recent K-State graduates.

If you would like to become a life member of the K-State Alumni Association, to make corrections to the information listed above, or for additional information, please contact Megan Reichenberger ’11 at mreichenberger@k-state.com.

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CLASS NOTES

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Mandi L. Schmidt McKinley, Manhattan, Kansas, received a K-State 2021 President’s Award of Excellence for Unclassified Professionals in the Belonging Award category.

04

Mark E. Bacon ’04, ’06, Lincoln, Nebraska, was recognized by the American Institute of Architects with the AIA Young Architects Award.

Jason R. Lane, Newton, Kansas, was elected Harvey County attorney.

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Seth T. Bridge, Washington, D.C., is the senior sanctions policy adviser with the U.S. Treasury Department, detailed to serve on the National Security Council, Counter Terrorism and Threat Networks Directorate.

Amber A. Weaver, Lewisville, Texas, is vice president, talent acquisition, at ADT.

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Brenna M. McConaughey, Overland Park, Kansas, is a licensing director at Desert Cactus.

Theodore G. “Ted” Urbanek, Fulshear, Texas, was promoted to regional coordinator at ConocoPhillips.

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Julia A. Stoskopf Debes, Hoisington, Kansas, is the director of agricultural communications with Working Lands for Wildlife.

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Lauren R. Tice Miller ’08, ’10, Topeka, Kansas, is the Kansas assistant state treasurer.

Zachary P. “Zach” Maier, Setauket, New York, founded ZPM LLC. He is a current member of the K-State Alumni Association board of directors.

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Chelsey L. Kriley Peterson, Stockton, Kansas, is the owner of The Daily Grind Bakery.

Patricia Roseth Adams, Manhattan, Kansas, is an emergency medicine coordinator at Sound Physicians.

Coleman J. Younger, Wichita, Kansas, is the managing attorney for Patterson Legal Group in their new Garden City office.

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Dr. Aaron J. Deeds, Salina, Kansas, is an emergency medicine physician at Salina Regional Health Center.

Russell N. Propp, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, is

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lence prevention specialist with K-State’s Center for Advocacy, Response and Education.

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Cameron Banning, Austin, Texas, is a sales team lead - enterprise at Indeed.com.

Nathan T. “Nate” Spriggs, Bel Aire, Kansas, is an HRIS reporting and analytics supervisor at Koch Industries.

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Dr. Brannon S. Donovan, Kansas City, Missouri, graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and is now a first-year internal medicine resident at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Allison M. Harwood, Mission, Kansas, is a sales enablement manager - Americas at SafetyCulture.

Jennifer D. McDonald, Wichita, Kansas, was selected for the 2021 Leadership Kansas Class, an affiliate program of the Kansas Chamber. Her Jenny Dawn Cellars Kansas Chardonnay also received a silver medal in the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Maya D. Tilmon ’16, ’20, Kansas City, Missouri, is an at-risk persistence specialist at Avila University.

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Kristin M. Johnson, San Antonio, Texas, is a group sales account executive with the San Antonio Spurs.

Logan K. Winter, Manhattan, Kansas, was promoted to supervising senior associate at Sink, Gordon and Associates LLP.

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Alyssa M. Gomez Buxo, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was promoted to logistics coordinator at Interplex Sunbelt.

Taylor M. Tobin Crump, Pratt, Kansas, is a special education teacher at the South Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative.

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Miranda L. Dodson, Topeka, Kansas, is an electrical engineer at Honeywell.

Kregg J. Howell, Manhattan, Kansas, is a retail parts pro at Advance Auto Parts.

Braden D. Mishler, Wichita, Kansas, is a design engineer at CNH Industrial.

Jessica L. Rankin Henault, Junction City, Kansas, received the 2020 First-Year Advocate Award from K-State First. She is the sexual and relationship vio-

Korina D. Almanza, Kansas City, Missouri, is an after hours staffing manager at Cascade Health Services.

Brett N. Barnard, Topeka, Kansas, is an investment operations analyst at Security Benefit Group.

Antonio B. “Tony” Barron, Eudora, Kansas, is the grounds and project coordinator for Blue Valley Schools.

David S. “Dave” Colburn, Manhattan, Kansas, was honored by the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education, which recently established the Dave Colburn Green Apple Award.

Blake D. Goodman, Jefferson City, Missouri, is an exercise specialist at Capital Region Medical Center.

Erin N. Graber, Overland Park, Kansas, is a restaurant manager at Longhorn Steakhouse.

Katheryn L. Gregerson, Washington, D.C., is a program development coordinator with Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture.

Samuel R. “Sam” Koehn, Overland Park, Kansas, is a territory development representative at NAVEX Global.

Austin R. Littlefield, Fort Collins, Colorado, is a mechanical engineer at G2 Consulting Engineers.

Taylor C. Nikkel, Elkhorn, Nebraska, is a government and industry affairs administrator with the Livestock Marketing Association.

Corbyn T. Pugh, Chiefland, Florida, is a plant manager at Furst McNess Company.

Kaitlyn P. Ruiz, Tonganoxie, Kansas, is a research assistant with Sekisui Xenotech.

Conrad J. Sandoz, Kansas City, Missouri, is an assistant civil engineer at Burns and McDonnell.

Tessia O. Simmons-Bowen, Kansas City, Missouri, is a veterinarian technician at Antioch Dog and Cat Hospital PC. Grant D. Urban, Manhattan, Kansas, is an assistant architect at BG Consultants Inc. Eric X. Valenzuela Diaz, Bonner Springs, Kansas, is a dairy business adviser at Alta Genetics.

FRIENDS Chad M. Weiberg, Stillwater, Oklahoma, was named athletic director at Oklahoma State University.

CLASS NOTES

REMEMBERiNG 9/11 K-STATE PRESIDENT RICHARD MYERS ’65 SHARES UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY

BY TIM SCHRAG ’12 A clear day in September 2001 started normally for K-State President Richard Myers ’65, then a U.S. Air Force general and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He had a meeting on Capitol Hill with a senator. But that 11th day of September quickly turned into a career-defining one.

News of an accident at the World Trade Center in New York reached the senator’s office – 15 minutes later the second tower was hit and it was clear this was no accident.

The United States was under attack. The west wall of the Pentagon also would be hit.

Two decades later, that day still lives deep with Myers.

“I think this was a seminal event in our history,” Myers said.

“And we can’t let it fade, you’ve got to keep the memory alive.”

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs was out of the country headed to a meeting at NATO. Myers instantly became acting chairman. He would spend most of the day at the National Military Command Center on the other side of the Pentagon working with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld until the air quality deteriorated.

“We had to convince Secretary Rumsfeld to leave because he wasn’t about to leave,” Myers said. “He was a tough guy.”

Myers, along with the Secretary and the Joint Chiefs, raised the defense conditions to highest alerts of U.S. forces, placing the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force at combat readiness.

Over the course of the attacks, leaders became aware of United Airlines Flight 93 before it was downed. Myers recalled the discussion of how to respond. Passengers would attempt to subdue hijackers on Flight 93, resulting in a crash in a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, which prevented a fourth attack.

“The question became, so what do you do with that hijacked airliner that’s heading towards Washington, D.C.?” Myers said.

“Do you just let it proceed and crash into its target? Killing everybody on board, probably a lot of people on the ground or do you shoot it down, its filled with American civilians and probably other nationalities as well. Do you shoot it down and kill them before you even know for sure what the intentions are? And if you do that, then what’s the fallout on the ground? A big airliner coming down and lots of heavy parts? That could hurt people

on the ground too. So there are no good answers here. But we wrestled with that for a long time. We designed a set of rules that would govern that kind of engagement. Fortunately, they didn’t have to implement that.”

He also remembers at the end of the day preparing to leave; in his office he went to grab his jacket from the closet.

“The closet really smelled like smoke,” he said. “Smoke had permeated a lot of the building by then; I thought I ought to take my uniforms and get them cleaned. They really reeked of smoke.

And then I thought, I don’t think so, I’m going to leave them here to remind me of the fact that nobody had anticipated this attack from within.”

What kept him grounded during all of this, Myers said, are his key values. Things like his upbringing, his family, his ROTC training at K-State and his engineering background.

“All that kind of adds up, of course, to who you are and your values system and your abilities,” Myers said. “I would say there’s probably a lot of K-State in me, as I’m sitting there on 9/11, working with Secretary Rumsfeld trying to figure out the puzzle. I think that’s true for all cases, we’re kind of a product of everybody we interact with.”

The day would set the stage for his next role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“I was sworn in as chairman on Oct. 1 and seven days later, we’re at war in Afghanistan,” Myers said. “And the pace never slowed down. Two years later we’re at war in Iraq prosecuting a global war on terrorism and helping other countries deal with global pockets of terrorists in their own countries. So it was certainly career-defining.”

Myers said it’s important to continue to remember this moment in history. Each year he attends several memorials and tributes. His wife, Mary Jo Rupp Myers ’64, is the sponsor of the USS Somerset, a San Antonio Class battleship, named in honor of the heroes of Flight 93. As a gift to honor their legacy she produced a quilt that is prominently on display onboard the ship to pay respect to their lives.

“I think the way we really honor them is just remember and try to be ready for things that we think are even far out possibilities,” Myers said. “We’ve got a lot of great people in uniform doing that.”

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IN MEMORIAM The K-Stater’s In Memoriam section recognizes Kansas State University graduates, former students, faculty, staff and friends.

If you’d like to share an obituary announcement with us, email us at alumni@k-state.com or mail your information to Alumni Records, 100 Alumni Center, 1720 Anderson Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66506-1001.

Because of limited space and the high volume of obituary announcements, information received will be edited to a short summary.

To make a memorial gift, please contact the KSU Foundation at 833-448-3578 or email: foundation@ksufoundation.org.

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Floyd A. Holmes ’40, ’41, Grove, Oklahoma, Feb. 13, 2021. He was a pesticide specialist at DuPont Chemical Company.

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Joyce E. “Elaine” Brown Magie, West Covina, California, March 25, 2021. She was a teacher.

Betty J. Mertz Campbell, Manhattan, Kansas, March 12, 2021. She and her husband operated Campbell’s Gifts for 53 years. She operated it alone for 20 years after her husband’s death in 1985.

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Marilyn Larson Otto, Arlington, Nebraska, April 25, 2021. She supported her husband’s business, Arlington Veterinary Hospital.

Harold D. Poland, Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 12, 2021.

He worked at Elk State Bank for 47 years.

Patricia J. “Patty” Wilcox Peddicord, Yukon, Oklahoma, Feb. 28, 2021. She and her husband operated a

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farm and several storage facilities.

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Frederic D. Butcher Jr. ’49, ’52, Silver Spring, Maryland, April 7, 2020.

Marvin K. Snyder, Overland Park, Kansas, March 31, 2021. He worked for Butler Manufacturing for 38 years, most of that time as manager of research and development.

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Robert E. “Bob” Campbell, Wichita, Kansas, March 17, 2021. He started his own company, Robert E. Campbell, Oil and Gas Operations, which he operated for 56 years.

Robert H. “Bob” Knight, Topeka, Kansas, March 4, 2021. He was an architect and established his own practice. He was especially proud of designing King Hall and Throckmorton Hall at K-State.

Claribel “Lindy” Lindholm Hurd, Alamogordo, New Mexico, March 5, 2021. She worked as a dietary consultant and taught nutrition at the Alamogordo branch of New Mexico State University.

Leonard E. Lindholm Sr., Mulvane, Kansas, April 10, 2020. He was a U.S. Naval veteran.

Freda L. Peck Parcel, Hays, Kansas, April 13, 2021.

Nina M. Raines Stratton, Bismarck, North Dakota, April 3, 2021. She was employed with St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Anthony’s Hospital and Larned State Hospital.

George D. “Dean” Rinner, Topeka, Kansas, March 21, 2021. He was co-owner of Rinner Construction Company.

George S. Timmons, Prescott, Arizona, March 8, 2021. He was a real estate developer.

Marlys A. Waln Marston, Hillsboro, Kansas, March 27, 2021.

N. Ruth White Brown, Walton, Indiana, Dec. 21, 2020. She served as a librarian for the state of Texas for many years.

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Barbara “Adan” Kinsey Hunter, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Jan. 29, 2021. She was a guidance counselor at Arrowhead Middle School until retiring.

Anne M. Marnix, Beavercreek, Oregon, Dec. 15, 2020.

Michael F. “Mike” Murphy, Great Bend, Kansas, March 17, 2021. He was a farmer.

Donald J. ”Don” Roberts, Wichita, Kansas, Feb. 13, 2021. He worked as an architect on many notable projects including Century II, the Kansas Coliseum and the Wesley Towers.

Jeanne “Jeannie” Warren Lindsay, Buena Park, California, Jan. 21, 2021. She founded the Teen Mother Program at Tracy High School, which she directed and taught at for 16 years.

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Edwin “Ed” Keif, Largo, Florida, Feb. 7, 2021. He was a salesman for IBM. Mary Jean LeValley Wille, Lakewood, Colorado, Feb. 17, 2021. She was a teacher.

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Corliss J. “C.J.” Ballou ’53, ’60, Delphos, Kansas, Feb. 14, 2021. He was a lifelong farmer. He also taught industrial engineering at K-State.

Dr. Leighton E. “Leigh” Fairbairn, Edmond, Oklahoma, April 9, 2021. He practiced veterinary medicine for more than 30 years. He then worked as a financial planner for 18 years.

Carolyn Krings Souza, Columbus, Indiana, April 20, 2021.

IN MEMORIAM Clinton D. “Clint” Mehl, Eagle, Colorado, Feb. 6, 2021. He had a 30-year career as an engineer with General Electric.

Jack L. Moon ’53, ’56, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, March 6, 2021. He was an inventor in a multitude of engineering fields, most prominently nuclear science.

Charles L. Storey, Manhattan, Kansas, Feb. 18, 2021.

He retired in 1985 after 30 years with the USDA/ARS.

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Carldon H. Broadbent, Beloit, Kansas, March 28, 2021. He retired after 37 years as an educator.

Sue E. Burke Krizman, Overland Park, Kansas, March 4, 2021. She worked in the marketing department of Katz Pharmacy.

Merlin L. Dennis, Centennial, Colorado, April 24, 2020. He was a farmer.

Dorothy Johnson Campbell, Westmoreland, Kansas, April 5, 2021. She was a registered nurse, practicing for more than 40 years.

Ralph I. Johnson, St. Louis, Missouri, Jan. 24, 2021.

He taught English at East Denver High School.

John J. Reinhardt Sr., Wichita, Kansas, Jan. 23, 2021.

He was a retired stockbroker.

Frank A. Schmidtlein, Santa Rosa, California, April 13, 2021. He joined the faculty of the University of Maryland, College Park, in the Department of Education, where he eventually served as the department chair, retiring in 2001.

William H. “Bill” Sesler, Manhattan, Kansas, April 2, 2021. He was employed at K-State in the Purchasing Department, where he remained for 47 years, retiring as director of purchasing.

Laura E. Speer Varney ’54, ’75, ’80, Manhattan, Kansas, Feb. 24, 2021. She retired from teaching at

Olathe

K-State and co-founded Clothing Design Concepts.

Don O. Stovall, Beaufort, South Carolina, Feb. 20, 2021. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1988 at the rank of colonel. He also was a senior analyst and program director for defense contractors and was an adviser to and accompanied delegations from the Stimson Center for International Peace.

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Kenneth K. “Ken” Gowdy ’55, ’61, Lansing, Kansas, Feb. 28, 2021. During his nearly 50-year career at K-State, Ken served as a professor, assistant dean, head of engineering technology and associate dean of the College of Engineering. He was a mentor to numerous engineering students. He retired from K-State in 1997, where he remained as an associate dean emeritus.

Dr. William L. Wall, Bethalto, Illinois, March 6, 2021.

He operated a dental practice for 45 years.

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Robert E. “Bob” Allan ’56, ’58, Pullman, Washington, March 28, 2021. He was a crop scientist, including 24 years as research leader of the Pullman Wheat Research Unit.

Elizabeth A. “Libby” Bartley Erwin, Russell, Kansas, Feb. 28, 2021. She previously worked at the Manhattan Mercury newspaper.

Luanne Hicks Schmedemann, Kerrville, Texas, Feb. 13, 2021. She taught at Bryan Independent School District for more than 30 years.

John A. Hodges, Mountain View, California, Nov. 21, 2020.

John F. Lindquist, Morton, Illinois, Feb. 22, 2021.

He retired as an engineer for the Caterpillar Inc. Service Technology Group after more than 40 years.

Roselyn Nebeker Kirk, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 9, 2021. She was a professor of communications at Salt Lake Community College and co-owned a bookstore.

Wayne W. Windsor, Haven, Kansas, April 3, 2021. He was a science teacher and football coach.

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Patricia K. “Pat” Green Hedden, Glendale, Arizona, Feb. 16, 2021. She worked for the Washington Elementary School District as a special education and classroom teacher, retiring in 1995.

Greta R. Kolterman Anderson, Corpus Christi, Texas, March 3, 2021. She taught art and home economics for 35 years and later was a substitute teacher for more than 20 years.

Harold D. Laverentz, Prairie Village, Kansas, April 24, 2021. He was employed for 39 years by Black and Veatch Consulting Engineers.

Robert R. “Bob” Miller, Los Ranchos, New Mexico, Feb. 21, 2021. He taught and became the director of education for Vo-Tech Institute, Albuquerque Branch program. He later opened his own automotive repair shop.

Keith G. Mines, McPherson, Kansas, Feb. 21, 2021.

He founded his own CPA firm.

Norman J. “Norm” Steffey, Lenexa, Kansas, March 20, 2021. He served as president and CEO for 20 years at Edwardsville State Bank.

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William D. “Duke” Bratton, Council Grove, Kansas, Nov. 5, 2020. He worked for the post office, retiring after 30 years.

Ray A. Dahlman, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, March 15, 2021. He was a manufacturing engineer for the Maytag Company, becoming manager of production engineer-

olathe.k-state.edu K - S TAT E R

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IN MEMORIAM ing before retiring in 1989.

Richard C. “Dick” Foster, Burleson, Texas, March 9, 2021. He worked for General Dynamics, later to become Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, until retiring in 1997.

Duane C. Hufford, Harper, Kansas, Feb. 13, 2021. He was a farmer and stockman.

Eugene M. “Gene” Hughes, Flagstaff, Arizona, March 10, 2021. He started his career in higher education as a math professor at Chadron State College. He later held administrative roles, serving as president of Northern Arizona University, Wichita State University and interim president at Eastern Kentucky University.

Dr. David L. Madden Sr. ’56, ’58, Sykesville, Maryland, Feb. 13, 2021. He served in the U.S. Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health.

Shirley M. “Maxine” Ogden Rose, Independence, Missouri, April 7, 2021. She managed the Teachers Resource Center for the Church of Christ of Overland Park for 25 years.

Sharon K. “Shari” Shellenberger McKinnie, Glen Elder, Kansas, Feb. 9, 2021. She and her husband operated the family farm.

LeRoy M. Stayton, Ridgecrest, California, Feb. 13, 2021. He was a mechanical engineer with the China Lake Naval Weapons Center, retiring after 36 years.

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Gerald L. “Bud” Backman, VIiets, Kansas, Feb. 8, 2021. He was a grain and livestock farmer.

William H. Bingham, Salina, Kansas, Feb. 26, 2021.

He was a park ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a realty specialist for the KC District, and worked at the Saline County Appraiser’s Office.

Gerald L. “Jerry” Coleman, Lawrence, Kansas, March 6, 2021. He operated the Jayhawk Mobile Home Court.

Gary L. Haller, DeSoto, Kansas, Dec. 10, 2020. He had a 27-year tenure as director of parks and recreation for Johnson County.

Dr. Dale R. Hodgson, North Richland Hills, Texas, March 23, 2021.

Kenneth W. “Ken” Hylton, Overland Park, Kansas, Feb. 8, 2021. He was president and CEO of United Farm Agency and was director of marketing at United Country Real Estate.

Sally F. Ingle, Grass Valley, California, Jan. 26, 2021.

She taught third grade at Hennessy School for more than 22 years.

Sally J. Newman Craig, Robins, Iowa, Feb. 13, 2021.

Walter A. “Walt” Walker Jr., Kansas City, Missouri,

March 25, 2021. He retired from the Internal Revenue Service after more than 35 years and then worked as a crop adjuster.

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John C. Arford Jr., Norton, Kansas, April 9, 2021. He was a farmer, raised cattle and was an antique dealer.

Bill A. Clark, Barnard, Kansas, June 25, 2020. He was a farmer and rancher, partnering with his son to operate Post Rock Cattle Company.

M. Leone Cowen Santala, Woodbury, Tennessee, Feb. 10, 2021. She was a teacher and later supported her husband’s veterinary practice.

Zona Gale Denton Sarff, Manhattan, Kansas, March 4, 2021. She was an instructor of the hearing impaired for Manhattan-Ogden School District, retiring in 1991.

Curtis L. Graber, Pretty Prairie, Kansas, Feb. 25, 2021. He was a farmer and stockman.

Ronald D. “Ron” Innes, Wichita, Kansas, April 12, 2021. He taught business law at K-State for 14 years and served as a senior district court judge of Kansas for 12 years.

James H. “Jim” Meisner, Farmington, New Mexico, Feb. 27, 2021. He was employed with Kerr McGee Nuclear Corporation as a supervisor in uranium mining for 32 years. He retired from Rio Algom Mining Corporation in 1992.

Bobby D. Suttles, Fairfield Glade, Tennessee, April 7, 2021. He retired from the U.S. government as an aeronautical engineer after a 28-year Air Force civilian service career.

C. Keith Wanklyn, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, April 17, 2021. He was a mechanical engineer with Martin Marietta (Lockheed Martin), retiring in 1995.

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Roger K. Bishop, Pensacola, Florida, Feb. 24, 2021.

Dr. Francis L. “Frank” Depenbusch, Hutchinson, Kansas, March 21, 2021. He founded Hutchinson Eye Physicians and Surgeons.

Ross R. Freeman, Topeka, Kansas, March 4, 2021.

He practiced law and later founded a development company, Pioneer Group Inc. Derald D. Nye, Tucson, Arizona, March 26, 2021. He worked for IBM, retiring in 1991.

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Aryl B. Clason, Olathe, Kansas, Feb. 18, 2021.

After 22 years of naval service, he served as maintenance superintendent at Wolf Creek Nuclear

Operating Corporation, retiring in 1995.

Leroy B. Fortner, Lincoln, Nebraska, April 19, 2021.

He worked in farming and agriculture.

Robert H. “Bob” Hart, Bella Vista, Arkansas, Feb. 27, 2021. He spent many years with Boeing Co. before retiring.

Bernt F. “Wink” Winkel, Las Vegas, New Mexico, Feb. 20, 2021. He was an industrial statistician/senior consultant with E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

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Jane A. “Mimi” Anderson Silver, Andover, Kansas, Feb. 10, 2021. She had a 35-year teaching career, spending most of that time as a reading specialist, McGraw-Hill textbook representative and later an instructor at Wichita State University.

Richard F. “Dick” Corrigan Sr., Leawood, Kansas, July 26, 2020.

John R. Fox, Wichita, Kansas, March 19, 2021. He was a farmer/stockman and field representative for the Polled Hereford Association.

Duane T. Goerend, Salina, Kansas, Nov. 30, 2020. He worked for the USDA Soil Conservation Service.

Judith A. “Judy” Gorrell Struss, Seattle, Washington, March 6, 2021. She worked at Boeing Co. for 25 years.

Dr. Wallace D. “Dan” Houser ’61, ’63, Carl Junction, Missouri, March 8, 2021. He was chief veterinarian and head of veterinary services at the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center for 27 years.

Richard E. “Dick” Kahler, Arlington, Texas, March 23, 2021. He was assigned to Sundance Air Force Station as deputy commander of the nuclear-powered radar site. He retired at the rank of colonel and then worked as a nuclear engineer/corporate services manager at Texas Utilities.

Warren K. Kennedy, Valley Center, Kansas, Feb. 12, 2021. He was employed by the Gas Service Company as an engineer and then moved into management, retiring after 35 years.

Jitendra M. Mistry, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Dec. 25, 2020.

Donald M. “Don” Rasmussen, Manhattan, Kansas, March 10, 2021. He had a 35-year career with the Union Carbide Corporation.

Mary E. Villard Hoar, Aurora, Colorado, March 28, 2021.

Larry S. Walker, Beloit, Kansas, Oct. 9, 2020. He was a farmer and businessman.

Keep K-State blooming When you support The Gardens, you’re fostering opportunities for education, research and enjoyment. Learn how you can help at k-state.edu/gardens/support or call 785-532-3271.

Visitors enjoy free parking, admission and the beauty of nature.

1500 Denison Ave. Manhattan, KS 66506

6 4 FA L L 2 0 2 1 64 WINTER 2017

IN MEMORIAM

profile

Ron Vesely, Chicago White Sox

ALUMNI

Evan Marshall ’21

White Sox relief pitcher ‘proud’ to earn degree from K-State

When Kansas State University held its graduation ceremonies in May at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Evan Marshall ’21 was working out of the White Sox bullpen against the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field.

But the 31-year-old was with those graduates in spirit of accomplishment after finishing his degree in business management with a minor in marketing. Marshall was 50 credits/three semesters shy when he was selected by the D-backs in the fourth round of the 2011 MLB Draft out of Kansas State and returned to K-State following the 2017 season.

Marshall’s final, final exam, covering corporate citizenship and business ethics, took place the week before.

“First off I’m extremely proud. It’s been hard, first one in my family so I owed it to them to follow through with this,” Marshall said. “I didn’t do anything for five or six years, so it made going back even harder, one or two, three classes at a time, quietly getting them done.

“When you finish and are drafted, they put the remaining amount of school money aside for you, and Kansas State has a special fund where they want their athletes to graduate. So, whatever Major League Baseball didn’t cover, they were eager to pick up for me just to help me get along.”

This degree, coupled with Marshall’s keen baseball acumen, could lend himself to becoming a general manager someday. Marshall also wouldn’t rule out coaching.

For now, Marshall is worried about retiring Twins hitters. He also joked about looking for an offseason White Sox internship in marketing or brand management after working through spring, winter and summer semesters during the last four years.

“So, it’s been quietly happening in the background during all of baseball which has been difficult sometimes,” Marshall said. “I will say with COVID it actually got a little bit easier because they relaxed the proctoring protocols from my classes, so I got to schedule it a little better around my times instead of me having to schedule around their times, plus baseball.”

“He sets an example, and I definitely applaud him,” said manager Tony La Russa, who is one of the five lawyer/managers in baseball history. All five are in the Hall of Fame.

“I congratulated him. That’s an accomplishment, deciding you want to do it and taking the time to do it. And it’s a very important credential to have.”

Marshall gave major credit to Jamie Hamor ’97, ’08, his K-State athletic counselor. He also praised his wife, Allison Wegner Marshall ’13, who was his motivator through this process.

“I just want the piece of paper in the mail,” said a smiling Marshall. “I’m glad it’s over, but very proud.

“My wife graduated in four years and she has been rubbing that in my face for a long time, and now I get to put my diploma next to hers and proudly tell my son. And we just found out we’re having another boy, so I can tell my sons that their dad accomplished something.”

— Scott Merkin, MLB.com

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Evan Marshall ’21 graduated this May. Marshall was drafted in the 2011 MLB Draft. He started coursework to complete his degree in 2017.

“First off I’m extremely proud. It’s been hard, first one in my family so I owed it to them to follow through with this. I didn’t do anything for five or six years, so it made going back even harder, one or two, three classes at a time, quietly getting them done. When you finish and are drafted, they put the remaining amount of school money aside for you, and Kansas State has a special fund where they want their athletes to graduate. So, whatever Major League Baseball didn’t cover, they were eager to pick up for me just to help me get along.”

EVAN MARSHALL ’21, PITCHER, CHICAGO WHITE SOX

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IN MEMORIAM

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Kathleen C. Ganson Taylor, Brandon, Florida, March 11, 2021. She was a teacher.

John B. “Byron” Meeks, Overland Park, Kansas, March 14, 2021. He practiced law and was chief judge of the 24th District for 13 years.

Nancy J. Smith Whitmore, Tempe, Arizona, March 1, 2021. She taught elementary education and later special education, retiring after 37 years.

Dr. Michael A. “Mike” Stedham, Chehalis, Washington, Jan. 28, 2021. He retired from the U.S. Army and joined Pathology Associates as one of the shareholders and chief pathologist.

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Frederick C. “Fred” Eickelberg ’66, ’69, Seattle, Washington, March 29, 2021. He was a writer, editor and book agent. He also was a marketer for Value Line.

Robert D. “Bob” Lillich, Lawrence, Kansas, March 19, 2021. He was an engineer and later a tax preparer.

Norris M. “Riss” Taylor Jr., Edwardsville, Kansas, Oct. 28, 2020. He was a CPA.

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Allen E. “Al” Homan ’67, ’69, The Villages, Florida, Feb. 15, 2021. He worked for the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company in sales and marketing.

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Arthur A. Adams Jr., Maple Hill, Kansas, Feb. 24, 2021. He was a farmer and rancher.

Marylin F. Babbit Jacques Walters, Arlington, Texas, Feb. 13, 2021.

Gordon W. Colip, Goodland, Kansas, March 29, 2021.

Gerald R. “Jerry” Means, Fort Myers, Florida, Feb. 28, 2021. He was a sales executive with Baxter Interna-

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tional Healthcare.

Wanda L. Patnode Shockey, Manhattan, Kansas, April 6, 2021. She was the business manager at Manhattan Public Library for more than 40 years.

Julie K. Ramsey Douglas, Casa Grande, Arizona, March 25, 2021. She was a teacher.

John W. Woodburn, Peel, Arkansas, March 7, 2021.

He was a microbiologist, working primarily on animal vaccine research.

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Phillip W. “Phil” Brown, Cleveland, Tennessee, April 16, 2021. He was an analytical chemist in the quality control field.

Larry D. Deines, Douglas, Wyoming, March 22, 2021. He worked at the North Antelope Coal Mine for Peabody Coal.

Melinda L. Dobson Rohrs, Columbia, Missouri, March 4, 2021. She had a long career in the corrugated steel industry.

Larry E. Knedlik, Birmingham, Alabama, Feb. 24, 2021. He was a reverend, serving in the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church.

William E. “Bill” O’Connor, Azle, Texas, Feb. 23, 2021. He worked for IBM, retiring as a second line manager after 30 years. He then became a rancher.

Robert G. “Bob” Stewart, Fairmont, Minnesota, March 14, 2021. He taught for 30 years, finishing his career teaching fifth grade.

Steven G. Traxson, Rogers, Arkansas, Dec. 4, 2020.

He was an industrial engineer.

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Gregory A. “Greg” Doyle, Topeka, Kansas, April 22, 2021. He was an engineering technician at KDOT for 41 years.

Bill Gross ’70, ’71, ’73, Salina, Kansas, June 10, 2021.

He became the chief flight instructor at Kansas Technical Institute in 1987. In 1991, KTI merged with Kansas State University College of Technology and Aviation, where he remained chief pilot and professor for more than 30 years, leading and impacting the lives of thousands of flight students. In 2021, the K-State flight program was renamed The Bill Gross Professional Pilot Program.

Linda M. Kaufmann Chapin, Hutchinson, Kansas, April 7, 2021. She worked as a speech language pathologist for Hutchinson Public Schools for 29 years.

Steven G. “Steve” Knight, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Feb. 21, 2021. He worked in the mortgage banking industry for 40 years until retiring.

Thomas A. “Tom” Mitchell, Parsons, Kansas, March 24, 2021. He worked in the field of agriculture agronomy and owned/operated the Sunflower Seed Company.

Jonathan R. Mundt ’70, ’73, Lompoc, California, Feb. 9, 2021. He worked for Bodger Seeds Company and later retired from the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.

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Robin B. Dalby, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, April 14, 2021.

John Hofmeister ’71, ’73, ’14, Houston, Texas June 7, 2021. He was founder and CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy and former president of Shell Oil Co. Before joining Shell Oil Co. in 1997, he served in executive leadership positions at General Electric, Nortel and AlliedSignal for more than 35 years. In 2014, K-State honored him with an honorary doctorate. Along with an honorary doctorate, Hofmeister’s university honors include serving as the 2006 Alumni Fellow for the College of Arts and Sciences and delivering the 145th Landon

IN MEMORIAM Lecture in fall 2006.

Dr. James R. Guglielmino, Kansas City, Kansas, April 10, 2021. He founded the Dearborn Animal Clinic.

Philip M. “Phil” Woodworth, Lenexa, Kansas, March 21, 2021. He spent his career in computer operations management.

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Alan M. Berggren, Lindsborg, Kansas, March 12, 2021. He worked at GT Manufacturing and was a lifelong farmer.

Jerome R. Dolsky, Topeka, Kansas, Feb. 20, 2021.

He taught business classes for 41 years, retiring from Jackson Heights High School.

Richard A. “Rick” Johnson, Valley Falls, Kansas, March 4, 2021. He joined the law practice of Gordon K. Lowry and practiced law for 44 years.

Benny J. “Ben” Miller ’72, ’73, North Reading, Massachusetts, Feb. 22, 2021. He retired in 2016 from Northeastern University as the director of sports medicine.

Harry G. Phillips Jr., Salina, Kansas, March 9, 2021.

He spent 34 years as a high school guidance counselor.

Richard J. Powierza, Manhattan, Kansas, March 12, 2021. He had a career in military contracting and recruiting, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel.

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Allan B. Carter, St. Joseph, Missouri, April 14, 2021. He was a certified public accountant and a founding partner of Sumner, Carter, Hardy and Schwichtenberg PC. Donald P. “Pat” Ellis, Long Beach, California, Feb. 28, 2021. He most recently worked for Otis College of Art and Design.

Dean W. Feil, Haysville, Kansas, March 21, 2021. He was a retired aircraft mechanical engineer.

Robert V. “Bob” Horn ’73, ’74, Chanute, Kansas, March 5, 2021. He was a senior vocational rehabilitation counselor and an applied educational psychologist in various school systems.

Jimmy M. “Jim” McKaig, Bucyrus, Kansas, March 6, 2021. He worked for Broderson Manufacturing as a heavy equipment assembler.

Richard O. “Dick” Retrum ’73, ’74, Leawood, Kansas, Oct. 27, 2020.

Kenneth E. “Ken” Stevens, Archie, Missouri, April 2, 2021. He worked as an engineer technician on highways and bridges.

Marjorie A. “Marge” Thelander Plattner, Salina, Kansas, April 9, 2021.

Deborah L. “Debbie” Tyler Matthews, Loveland, Colorado, April 14, 2021. She was a teacher for children

with special needs.

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Kenneth G. “Ken” Abitz, Topeka, Kansas, Feb. 15, 2021. He worked for the Kansas Insurance Department, retiring as director of the Financial Surveillance Division in 2016.

Diane Y. Connolly, Berlin, Connecticut, March 21, 2020.

Cheryl E. Cope Svetgoff, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, March 17, 2021. She owned her own business working as a professional seamstress.

Dennis J. Dickinson, Holton, Kansas, March 2, 2021.

He was a special education teacher for more than 42 years.

Joe P. Holland ’74, ’77, Redlands, California, March 18, 2021. He had a 45-year career in nuclear engineering.

Alvin “Al” Siegel, Arlington, Texas, Feb. 12, 2021.

He worked for many years in the field of international development and also was a teacher.

Toby A. Wagner, Pikeville, Kentucky, Oct. 13, 2020.

He was a math teacher for 27 years and worked for Colonial Claims after retiring from teaching.

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J. Thomas “Tom” Albracht ’75, ’81, Grain Valley, Missouri, Feb. 17, 2021. He was an educator and spent 25 years as a vocational rehabilitation specialist for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

James H. Reed, Salina, Kansas, Jan. 29, 2021. He served in the U.S. Air Force and worked for UPS for 26 years.

Frederick E. “Fred” Tillisch, Wakefield, Kansas, March 9, 2021. He was a mathematics teacher at Wakefield High School, retiring in 2003.

Charles B. Volland, Junction City, Kansas, April 16, 2021. He was the Junction City High School vocal music teacher and later was the communications and public relations coordinator for Geary County Schools, retiring after 41 years of service to the district.

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Tony L. Stansberry, Shawnee, Kansas, Feb. 27, 2021. He served in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard and concluded his career as an area supervisor with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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Michael F. “Mike” Blevins, Waukon, Iowa, Feb. 14, 2021. He practiced law and worked with the Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center. He also was an ethics and philosophy instructor at Northeast Iowa

Community College.

Malcolm K. Link, Wichita, Kansas, April 4, 2021.

He served as a detention deputy, corporal and lastly sergeant with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.

Margery “Marge” Mizer Oaklief ’77, ’83, Manhattan, Kansas, Feb. 4, 2021. She was a professor in the K-State Department of Adult and Continuing Education and taught for more than 20 years.

John D. “Johnny” Nichols, La Cygne, Kansas, March 20, 2021. He retired from teaching in 2001 and then pursued ranching full time.

Julia A. Redding Bryant, Wallace, North Carolina, April 9, 2021. She taught at various universities, including K-State.

Patricia A. “Pat” Redlinger ’77, ’86, Ames, Iowa, Feb. 22, 2021. She taught at the University of Wisconsin, University of Tennessee and Iowa State University. She also operated a jewelry store, Nature’s Touch, for 24 years.

Mitch E. Vandament, Osborne, Kansas, Dec. 5, 2020. He was a farmer and rancher. He also owned and operated the City Express in Smith Center, Kansas, for 20 years.

John R. Williams, El Cajon, California, Jan. 23, 2021.

He was the lead project developer and proposal writer at San Diego State University Research Foundation.

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Christopher J. “Chris” Davis, Overland Park, Kansas, March 29, 2021. He was an entrepreneur, founding a variety of companies, including LAD Medical.

Pedro J. “Pete” Estrada Jr., Hutchinson, Kansas, March 17, 2021. He was a probation officer in the city of Hutchinson, retiring in 2000.

William R. “Bill” Klatt, Valley Falls, Kansas, March 17, 2021. He was a foreman of the machinists at Wear Technology for Milacron Inc. Lesa J. Schwanke Nuzback ’78, ’82, Ankeny, Iowa, March 18, 2021. She managed the DuPont Pioneer Livestock and Nutrition Center, retiring in 2017.

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Lynn D. Bastian Morrow, Rogers, Arkansas, April 12, 2021.

Dr. Upali M. Jayasekara, Kandy, Sri Lanka, April 26, 2021. He was the dean of the faculty of Agricultural Sciences at Sabaragamuwa University, retiring in 2004 as an emeritus professor of livestock production.

Maxine E. Lentz, Macungie, Pennsylvania, Feb. 23, 2021. She established continuing education programs at universities.

Florence H. Oberg Schwab, Lakewood, Colorado,

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IN MEMORIAM March 31, 2021. She was a harpist.

Terry W. Schaplowsky, Lawrence, Kansas, March 5, 2021. He worked for K-State at their Eastern Kansas Research and Extension Center for 30 years, achieving the title of center operations supervisor. He later became a registered nurse.

John P. Valus, Bettendorf, Iowa, March 7, 2021. He was a science teacher and owned Custom Data Service.

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Joyce L. Baldwin Puderbaugh, Coldwater, Kansas, March 27, 2021. She was a teacher and worked at Peoples Bank.

Peggy J. Brown Evans-Clark, Macksville, Kansas, April 11, 2021. She was a teacher, sorority house mother and worked with the remedial reading program in St. John Schools.

Mildred L. “Millie” Guin Hall, Hutchinson, Kansas, Jan. 6, 2021. She taught high school business for 32 years.

Cheryl Hart, Terre Haute, Indiana, May 27, 2021. She became the first female logistics branch manager for ABF Freight, later working for Landstar System Inc. Eric W. Herman, Bonham, Texas, April 5, 2021. He was vice president of marketing at Monarch Dental, was a consultant, and taught eighth grade math.

Elmer J. “E.J.” Richmeier, Shell Knob, Missouri, April 24, 2021. He was a district conservationist employed by the USDA Soil Conservation Service.

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B. Kathleen Belden McFarland, Redlands, California, March 18, 2021.

Lillian V. Bosch, Clay Center, Kansas, Feb. 26, 2021.

Judith A. “Judy” Davis ’81, ’88, Manhattan, Kansas, April 23, 2021. She was the director of the K-State Women’s Center. She also served as executive director of The Crisis Center Inc. Kim M. Dinnell, Modesto, California, Feb. 2, 2021.

He spent 33 years teaching biology and science at Grace Davis High School. He also coached track, freshman football and girls’ basketball, along with serving as activities director and work experience director.

Rae M. “Michelle” Duell Seeber, Hesston, Kansas, March 13, 2021. She had a career in journalism, serving as a reporter, copy editor, adjunct professor and freelance writer.

Floyd J. LeBlanc Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana, February 2021. He retired from CenterPoint Energy.

George G. Long, Kansas City, Kansas, March 28, 2021. He worked for Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools as a classroom teacher for 23 years.

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Malinda S. “Mindy” Bunjes-Wilson ’82, ’87, Bird City, Kansas, Feb. 25, 2021. She was a registered dietitian and started her own cake decorating business, Blue Sky Cake Designs.

Elizabeth A. “Liz” Dierksmeier, Littleton, Colorado, Feb. 16, 2021. She was a college administrator, president of a chamber of commerce, and a family and consumer science high school teacher.

Christine M. Schreiner Neal, Pensacola, Florida, Feb. 21, 2021. She was a homemaker.

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Robert S. “Shawn” Newell, Mankato, Kansas, Oct. 12, 2020. He worked in finance at the Central National Bank, where he served as president of the Mankato branch and regional lending manager. He also was a farmer.

David J. Overmyer, Lawrence, Kansas, April 16, 2021. He worked for Saudi Aramco Corporation for 18 years, teaching preparatory courses to students who planned to study abroad.

Jack D. Spooner, Falun, Kansas, Dec. 7, 2020. He owned and operated his own company, Jack Spooner Plumbing, Heating and A.C., for more than 20 years.

Daniel L. “Dan” Tollefson, Aledo, Texas, March 3, 2021. He had a 37-year career in the oil and gas service industry.

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Robert P. Black, Meadville, Pennsylvania, Feb. 23, 2021. He was vice president of finance for New York Life Insurance Company.

Harriet C. Givan, Kansas City, Missouri, March 3, 2021. She worked at North Kansas City Hospital Children’s Learning Center for 30 years.

Flora M. “Marlene” Kintz Lohrbach, Topeka, Kansas, April 22, 2021. She taught at Clarks Business School, Highland Community College, Jefferson West School District and NEKES Learning Disabilities, where she retired as faculty.

Kenyon L. Madden, McPherson, Kansas, Jan. 7, 2021. He was a 25-year employee of Meadows Hospital, where he worked in human resources, staff development, counseling services and case management.

Debashis Neogi ’84, ’87, ’90, Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, April 16, 2021. He worked at Air Products and Chemicals for 25 years before joining Evonik in 2017.

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Beth E. Baker Eyestone, Wellington, Florida, May 28, 2020. She was the features copy desk

chief, then assistant features editor at The Palm Beach Post. She later pursued a career in counseling.

Leanne M. Brown Manning, Crete, Nebraska, April 9, 2021. She was an Extension educator at University of Nebraska Extension.

Clinton W. “Clint” Crusberg, DVM, Houston, Texas, Jan. 26, 2021. He operated a private mixed animal practice for 28 years.

Dr. Darwin M. Deets ’83, ’85, El Dorado, Kansas, Feb. 13, 2021. He ran his vet practice at the sale barn of El Dorado Livestock Auction.

Kathryn E. Rose Wischropp, Wichita, Kansas, April 15, 2021. She worked as a nurse at hospitals in El Dorado and Manhattan, Kansas.

Beverly R. “Bev” Wiebe, Hesston, Kansas, Sept. 14, 2020. She had a career in counseling.

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Gregory L. “Greg” Brungardt, Washington, Kansas, March 22, 2021. He worked at Kiers Thriftway for more than 30 years.

Larry D. Sump, Wamego, Kansas, March 6, 2021. He was an addiction counselor for 38 years.

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Teri G. Lindquist Cook ’88, ’92, Independence, Missouri, Feb. 10, 2021. She worked as a special education teacher for Schilling Elementary School for 11 years, and Independence Academy (formerly Ozanam) for 22 years.

Rodney D. “Rod” Wilson, Wichita, Kansas, April 13, 2021. He was president of Air Capital Interiors.

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Peggy J. Stalcup Winkler, Topeka, Kansas, April 25, 2021. She was employed by the state of Kansas, primarily at K-State, for 30 years.

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Bobby L. “Bob” Benjamin, Salina, Kansas, April 16, 2021.

Brian L. Gaskill, Hugoton, Kansas, March 27, 2021.

He started his own brokerage business.

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William “Bill” Coons, April 8, 2021, Victoria, Texas. He taught at Victoria College for 25 years, where he served as chair of the science department.

Michael W. Honas, Wichita, Kansas, March 30, 2021.

He was a senior vice president of business solutions at AgVantis.

Marsha McRae Bacon, Wichita, Kansas, March 20, 2021. She retired from Wichita Area Technical College.

IN MEMORIAM

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Janelle Esau Corkill, Olsburg, Kansas, Feb. 17, 2021. She was a web specialist with the K-State Division of Communications and Marketing.

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Fred A. Hampel ’95, ’96, ’98, Evergreen, Colorado, March 3, 2021. He was a business owner, a rancher and farmer, an agricultural economist, and a college instructor and professor.

Scott E. Thomas, Hutchinson, Kansas, March 15, 2021. He taught at Hutchinson High School for 25 years.

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Joshua D. “Josh” Jones, Topeka, Kansas, March 5, 2021. He was the vice president of advisor development at Advisors Excel.

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Jody M. Dubois, Olathe, Kansas, March 20, 2021.

She had a successful career in retail in various management/buyer/planner roles.

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Olivia P. Ferguson Rogers, Overland Park, Kansas, March 19, 2021.

Casey S. Carrier, Hutchinson, Kansas, Feb. 17, 2021. He was a cook, carpenter and roofer.

Hanan Al Kindi Lowth, Oman, March 18, 2021.

Ryan D. Haxton, Hays, Kansas, March 19, 2021.

He worked at Fort Hays State University as an academic advising development specialist.

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Colin A. Cudney, Manhattan, Kansas, Feb. 23, 2021. He owned and operated his own reptile business.

FORMER STUDENTS Richard L. Adamson, Girard, Kansas, March 9, 2021.

He was a teacher and football coach.

Janice E. “Jan” Arnold Stites, Wichita, Kansas, March 21, 2021. She worked for several nonprofit organizations as an administrative professional.

Beverly J. “Bev” Frey Strahm, Leawood, Kansas, March 30, 2021. She was a teacher.

Gregory K. “Greg” Gude, Olsburg, Kansas, March 24, 2021. He was a teacher.

Terrence S. “Terry” Leek, Prescott, Arizona, Feb. 18, 2021. He was a lawyer and consultant.

akstatesman.com Home of the official K-State Blazer!

George S. McCandless, Wichita, Kansas, July 2, 2021. He was a retired Boeing Co. executive. He was a longtime K-State supporter and a sports photographer, whose pictures were a fixture at Catbacker and K-State Alumni Club auctions.

James E. “Jim” Price, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Feb. 25, 2021. He was a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, retiring at the rank of colonel after 24 years of service.

Richard L. “Dick” Scoby, Santa Barbara, California, Jan. 18, 2021. He was employed in real estate for more than 64 years.

Patti J. “Jo” Sippel Lindley, Topeka, Kansas, March 6, 2021. She was a legal secretary, most recently with the Federal District Court in Kansas City, Kansas.

Russell “Russ” Stange, Coppell, Texas, Dec. 24, 2020.

He was an offensive lineman at K-State.

FACULTY/STAFF Dr. Neil Anderson, Manhattan, Kansas, March 28, 2021. He was a professor and previously served as interim dean in K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Lydia Aseneta, Downey, California, Jan. 24, 2021.

She was a member of the Speech Department faculty and a costumer for K-State Players.

Jeanette A. Auld, Manhattan, Kansas, April 6, 2021.

She worked at K-State in Housing and Dining and was the supervisor for the resident assistants at residence halls.

Jeffrey T. “Jeff” Brewster, Manhattan, Kansas, Feb. 13, 2021. He worked at K-State’s power plant.

Robert D. “Bob” Linder, Manhattan, Kansas, April 4, 2021. He taught in the History Department at K-State for more than 50 years, retiring as professor emeritus. In 2003, he was named University Distinguished Professor of History.

Harry D. Marsh, Gallatin, Tennessee, April 4, 2021.

He taught journalism at K-State.

Rhonda J. McCabe, Manhattan, Kansas, March 30, 2021. She worked at K-State Student Union Bookstore, then transferred to the K-State I.D. Center as the assistant manager. She retired after 36 years with K-State.

Daniel R. “Dan” Meek, Manhattan, Kansas, April 7, 2021. He worked for K-State Housing and Dining, first as a storekeeper and later as a warehouse manager.

William V. “Bill” Morton II, Manhattan, Kansas, Feb. 18, 2021. He was a custodian with Manhattan-Ogden School District and K-State.

borckbrothers.com *Free alterations for the life of the garment *Formalwear for rent or Purchase *Largest selection of suits in the area *Unparalleled Service & Expertise *Extensive sportwear collection

FRIENDS Richard Berner, Overland Park, Kansas, September 2020.

Linda D. Fike Peterson, Burdick, Kansas, Sept. 22, 2020. She co-owned Heartland Travel with her husband.

Phillip W. Flock, Madison, Kansas, March 3, 2021.

He retired from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Vern A. Gannon, Manhattan, Kansas, Feb. 23, 2021.

He was an auctioneer for nearly 50 years and also a real estate broker.

George T. “Tim” Gorman, Manhattan, Kansas, April 24, 2021. He worked for Chappell’s Dairy/Highland Dairy.

Ada Mae J. “Jo” Harbin, Salina, Kansas, March 15, 2021. She assisted with her husband’s construction company, Harbin Construction LLC. Harbin Hall on the Kansas State Polytechnic campus is named in honor of the family.

Marlene R. Moritz, Beloit, Kansas, Jan. 2, 2021.

Janet L. New Keating, Bucyrus, Kansas, Feb. 23, 2021. She was a homemaker.

Linnwood L. “Linn” Parry, Manhattan, Kansas, March 7, 2021.

Sally M. Pence, Augusta, Kansas, April 3, 2021. She was a nurse, nurse instructor and the manager at the Via Christi St. Francis Gift Shop for many years.

Karen L. Wallace, Pecan Plantation, Texas, March 24, 2021. She worked for the city of Aurora Golf Division for more than 20 years.

Outfitting K-Staters with exclusive KSU clothing For over 42years under same local ownership!

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JORDAN WICKS MAKES K-STATE BASEBALL HISTORY

Photo courtesy of K-State Athletics

K

-State left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks became the program’s first first-round draft pick on July 11, as he was selected 21st overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 2021 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

“I couldn’t be happier to be a Chicago Cub,” Wicks said in an interview with ESPN following his selection. “[I bring] a premier sense of competitiveness. I want to win more than anyone out there. I’m ready to bring that to Chicago. I attack hitters and I am so excited.”

Wicks, who was the first collegiate left-hander taken, becomes the fifth K-State player taken by the Cubs and first since Gerardo Esquivel ’13 in 2009. He was the 10th pitcher selected overall (seventh collegiate pitcher) in this year’s draft and the first player taken from the Big 12.

“He’s been hungry since the day he stepped on campus,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said of Wicks. “He’s just wired differently. He’s always hungry and looking to get to a different level, looking to win and be a good teammate. Those guys usually have really long careers.”

—K-State Athletics

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TRADITION FOUNDERS ANNUAL FUND

Our annual fund helps provide these programs: • Student scholarships • Alumni club events • Multicultural programming 72

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• Alumni/Student awards • Reunions • Student recruitment

• Wildcat Chats • K-Stater magazine • And more!

WHY WE GIVE

“We value the Traditional Founders fund because it supports student recruitment, scholarships and alumni. To us, this represents much of the Kansas State University community. It helps to broaden perspectives with multicultural programming and provides career services to students/alumni. We also appreciate the opportunity to catch up with friends at alumni events.”

“As lifelong K-Staters, we have always enjoyed staying connected to the university and being actively involved. Our passion for K-State started as children attending sporting events and programs at McCain Auditorium. We loved our time at K-State, the friendships built and memories made. After graduation, it was important for us to find ways to keep K-State in our lives. “

“What a joy it is to be a part of the Founders Circle. K-State meant and continues to mean the world to me and my late husband professor emeritus Tony Jurich. Continuing our commitment to the ’Cats is now a family goal. Please join us as we continue our support of this great institution.”

Phil ’76, ’77 and Pat Stroupe

Justin ’09 and Melissa Conrad McClarty ’06

Olivia Collins ’90

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FOUNDERS CIRCLE MEMBERS We thank these extraordinary donors who stepped up to support the Alumni Association this past year. Throughout the pandemic, these Founders Circle donors made it possible for the Alumni Association to engage with K-Staters all over the globe during COVID-19. We provided news and updates to K-Staters in a time of uncertainty. We provided joy in a time of stress and sorrow.

We hope we provided you with a connection to your beloved university.

Founders Circle Leaders ($5,000 AND ABOVE) Dan and Beth Bird John and Polly Curtis Thomas and Jeanne DeLaHunt Candy Duncan Mike and Vicki Graft Bill and Cindy Keller Ward and Brenda Morgan Allen Renz and Amy Button Renz Randy Sedlacek and Mary Ventura

Founders Circle Friends ($2,500-$4,999) Pete and Chris Abell Helen Arnold Jerry and Barbara Boettcher Lee Borck and Jackie Hartman Borck Donald and Sally Chew Joanne Clum Jan and Rob Eichman Curt and Sherry Frasier David and DeAnn Haake Lavonne Harris Jerry and Donna Hess Robert and Jeanette Huizenga Carl and Mary Ice J R Isch Donald and Anita Jennison Jon Jeppesen Jim and Laura Johnson Paul Johnson

Trent and Jody Lancaster Chancy and Zach Love Jeffrey McDade Audrey Mross Dick and Mary Jo Myers Sandy and Jim Reilly Rhea and Pat Serpan Dee Sturdevant James White Margaret Wood

Founders Circle Members ($1,000-$2,499) Dick and Gloria Anderson Jack and Janet Ayres Don and Cheryl Baker Thane and Sally* Baker Bruce Bales Ernie and Bonnie Barrett Bill and Louise Barrett Sue Barsamian and Bill Romans Alice Beauchene Roger Becker Rand and Patti Berney Margaret Beyer Jerry and Debra Braden Ginny Braden Patsy Brumfield Jane Brunt John and Heather Button Nancy Chiou-Siepman Charlie and Rebecca Claar

Stan and LeAnn Clark Curt and Stephanie Coffman John and CJ Collins Olivia Collins Bill Cooney Randy and Jacquie Coonrod David Corley Terry and Tara Cupps Bob and Sheri Curry Anthony Dearth Barbara Dettmer Paul and Marilyn Dongilli Sherry Downey Brian and Cheryl Doyle Brandon and Jaclyn Drake Louis Duncan John Eastlund Charles and Jean Eby Glenn Elder Norman and Janet Elliott Amelia Evans Link and Tracey Evans Dave and Ellie Everitt Richard and Sharon Evers Jimmie Falconer Don Flesher Mark Fleury and Beth Ludlum Cathy and Barry* Flinchbaugh Sharon Fortmeyer-Selan Gene Francis Dave and Patricia Franz Owen Gaul Jeff and Lynn Gillam

LEARN MORE AND GIVE ONLINE:

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To all of our donors, thank you for making it possible for us to be the link for life for all K-Staters.

We could not do what we do without you.

Penny Gisselbeck-Goldsmith Don and Linda Glaser Dan and Christa Golden Susan Gonzales Scott and Rhonda Gordon Mickey Graves Patty Grossman Douglas Guyer Jerry Hantman Garry Hart Don and Theresa Hecht Jan Hedges Steven and Cynthia Heeney Steven and Colleen Hodes John and Becky Howard Phil Howe Patrick Howell Ron and Rae Iman Brad and Patty Ives Carolyn Jackson Norman and Claudia Jackson Steve and Ann Johnson Todd and Mandy Johnson Kenneth and Marilyn Johnston Pat and Rhonda Johnston Louie and Beverly Kaupp Larry and Pat Kendall Bill Kennedy Rich and Hannah Kerschen Jim and Jackie Koch Mel Kopf Duane and Kathy Koster Frances Kottler

Steve and Cathy Lacy Charlene and Rod Lake Roger and Kathleen Lanksbury Dennis Larson Tony Lask Travis Lenkner and Erin Delaney Pam Maben Rich Macha Stephen and DeAnna Marshall Terry and Cathy Matlack Bob Matthews Robin Maupin Chip May Justin and Melissa McClarty Earl and Molly McVicker Larry and Sue Metheney Carol Meyer Philip and Barbara Meyer Bill Miller and Debbie Leckron Miller Betty Mills Keith Moe Lynn Moore and Michael Farrell John and Linda Morgan William and Laura Morland Travis and Andrea Most Laree Mugler Clarence and Patricia Munsch Joe and Donna Murphy F D Murry Rod and Bev Nash David and Mary Jo Nelson

Bill and Pattie Nicholson Reid Norman and Cindy Jumper David Oswalt and Janet Berry-Oswalt Marvin Paige Natalie Petzoldt Gerald Polich Steve and Angie Priddle Lawrence and Virginia Propp Brad and Sheri Razook Victor Regnier and Judith Gonda Dan and Kathy Richardson Bill and Doris Ridge Allen Roberts Tim and Holly Roberts Barry and Marcia Robinson Roy and Sylvia Robinson Carolyn Roby Ernie and Dawn Rogers Lori Rogge Debra Romberger Ben Roth Brian and Lisa Ruff Keith and Sally Rush Sandra Rutkowski John and Virginia Sayler Jim Schroeder Steve and Judy Sellers Bill and Jan Shaw Mary Siegele Terry Siek Marilyn Sjogren Peter Skoog Bernard Smith

Doug and Cindy Smith Janice and Ted Smith Kevin Smith Mitch and Molly Snyder Warren and Mary Lynn Staley Al and Mary Stecklein Phil and Pat Stroupe Jim and Denise Tatman Gene and Cathy Taylor Linda Tharpe Bob and Betty* Tointon John Van Zandt Ray and Carolyn Waller Betty Waters Bruce and Megan Weber Bob and Tasha Wessel Lance and Kara White Herb and Mary Sue Whitney Chase and Elizabeth Wilson J D Wilson Laurie and Bruce Wimberly Terry Wofford Dan and Cheryl Yunk Brian and Silvia Zerr Jay and Glennis Zimmerman *deceased

Questions? Contact Terin Walters ’05 twalters@k-state.com or 785-532-6260.

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CLOSE-UP: COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

MAT

Master of Arts in Teaching

AWARDiNG EXCELLENCE

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) enables qualified students to earn a master’s degree in 12 months so they can enter the field of teaching. The master’s degree combines rigorous online coursework with field experiences in accredited schools convenient to students in the program. The program is designed as a cohort model – students complete the scope and sequence of the curriculum as a group.

Three award-winning college programs take aim at teacher vacancies

MAT pathways are available for Elementary, K-6; Modern Languages, K-12; Social Studies, 6-12; English,

BY PATRICE SCOTT ’88, ’90, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION 6-12; Mathematics 6-12; Agriculture Education 6-12; and a non-licensure international track.

What do these people have in common: A young mother whose husband was deployed while she was parenting a toddler and pregnant with twins during the pandemic; a school bus driver, whose husband lost his job, and faced serious financial issues; and an Air Force veteran who moved home?

All fulfilled their dream of earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from K-State.

The online bachelor’s program they completed, along with the college’s Master of Arts in Teaching, or MAT, and Kansas Statewide Teacher Education Pathway for Underserved and Place-bound, or K-STEP UP, were deemed so revolutionary the three won a national award for exemplary elementary education programming. The college was presented with the Billy G. Dixon Distinguished Teacher Program Award this spring from the Association of Teacher Educators for developing innovative and collaborative programming.

“These programs reflect the efforts of our exceptional faculty who always seek ways to make our programs available to as many students as possible,” said Todd Goodson, professor and chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

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“As a result, we are attracting the caliber of professional who has always wanted to teach, but for a multitude of reasons, was not able to participate in a traditional teacher preparation program at a four-year university.”

Lori Lori Levin ’00, assistant Levin ’00 professor and coordinator of the online bachelor’s of science degree in elementary education, said this program has allowed military spouses and non-traditional students, such as single parents, the opportunity to teach.

“You can be from any walk of life or in any career field, and if your dream is to be a teacher and work with children, it is possible with K-State’s online bachelor’s or MAT degree,” Levin said. “It is possible.”

Levin said when the online bachelor’s program was launched in 2016, eight students enrolled.

Today, there are more than 100.

“Much of the success can be attributed to the incredible flexibility online programming offers students,” she said. “They complete a nine-month apprenticeship, and we hear over and over how much

future teachers learn by being in a school for an entire school year.”

The online master’s in curriculum and instruction, which includes the Master of Arts in Teaching, is ranked 10th in the nation by U.S. Tom News and World Report. This is Vontz K-State’s highest-ranked online program, and the Master of Arts in Teaching is the university’s largest master’s degree program. The program is led by Tom Vontz, professor and the program coordinator.

“The needs of our students and profession are constantly changing,” Vontz said. “Professional colleges like ours must be nimble enough to remove traditional barriers, design innovative systems, and consistently improve the teacher preparation pipeline from teacher recruitment to mentorship and job placement. The MAT was designed with these goals in mind.”

K-STEP UP is an innovative teacher pathway program that charts a student’s path from high school to their local community college and to K-State’s online bachelor’s program. It is targeting

CLOSE-UP: COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

K-STEPUP Kansas Statewide Teacher Education Pathway for Underserved and Place-bound Students (K-STEP UP) is a site-based program that allows future teachers to earn associate’s degrees at their local community colleges and complete their education degrees through K-State Online.

The program targets underserved populations, individuals who want to teach in rural areas, and others who are unable to move to the main campus for their degree and who want to teach in their local communities. Students can earn community college credit as they participate in the Career Pathways program while still in high school. High school participants may attend K-State’s successful weeklong immersive summer camp, the Kansas Advanced Teacher Academy.

underserved and place-bound students in Kansas City, Kansas, and Liberal, Kansas. One of the program coordinators is Tonnie Martinez ’84, ’01, ’05, assistant professor for curriculum and instruction.

“It has been quite a Tonnie construction project but Martinez building this particular pathway ’84, ’01, ’05 to teaching has been a winning effort for each partner,” Martinez said. “Numbers are up in the high school teaching career pathways courses and both community colleges are seeing an uptick in their education program enrollment. We all have to work together to come up with creative solutions for teacher shortages across the state, and we feel really good about the number of students beginning to join the pathway, whether at the high school or community college level. Not only will these students fill vacancies in hard-to-fill areas, they will diversify the teaching force in their communities and we’re pretty excited about that.”

B.S.

ONLINE The bachelor’s degree online (B.S. ONLINE) in elementary education enables students to become a teacher at their own pace. Although classes are completed online, they will complete a field experience in an accredited elementary school nearby. Use of the GoReact platform for distance supervision allows realtime and video classroom observations and evaluation, and permits K-State instructors to review students’ teaching and provide feedback. B.S. Online students receive integrated coursework as they complete an innovative yearlong internship.

The program prepares students in the areas of K-6 reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music and health and movement.

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MARIANNAMARIANNA CLOSE-UP: KISTLER BEACH KISTLER MUSEUM BEACHOF MUSEUM ART: CLOSE-UP OF ART

Celebrate

25 years of the Beach You can help future K-Staters discover new ways to see their world

BY ALLIE LOUSCH ’90, KSU FOUNDATION Can you believe the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art will soon celebrate 25 years of inspiring K-Staters to think anew? In the quarter century the Beach Museum of Art has welcomed people to connect around regional and global artistic works, the past year has proven both an incredible challenge and a powerful catalyst.

“Art comes alive and speaks to people when it’s presented in contexts that allow it to speak,” said Linda Duke, director, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. “The design of exhibitions, meaningful public programs and educational outreach — all of these create contexts that allow people to discover new ways of seeing the world and their lives.”

Though the museum’s doors were closed, the

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Beach’s creative team invented new ways to engage communities hungry for art and conversation.

“The Beach has offered something we can experience together and talk about even if we are not together,” said Tony Crawford, Friends of the Beach Museum of Art president. “They’ve created a variety of meaningful programs from virtual exhibits, film discussions and ArtBytes online to the Inside Out exhibit.”

For the upcoming 2021-2022 season, the museum plans to re-open galleries and resume many in-person programs, while continuing to reach online audiences it has cultivated during the pandemic. Both virtual and in-person visitors can browse its collections and exhibitions, featuring diverse and sometimes internationally renowned

artists. Kansas-born photographer, author, musician and film director Gordon Parks’ ’70 work will be the subject of a major exhibition, Homeward to the Prairie I Come, accompanied by a catalogue based on new research into the artist’s relationship with his home state. Find Your Voice, an exhibition of photographs by Manhattan-based photographer Doug Barrett, will offer viewers a contemporary artist’s take on subjects similar to the ones Parks addressed.

With only an internet connection and a few clicks, the Beach Museum makes art available to K-Staters at home and around the world. Using a new online collection search tool, anyone can find paintings and drawings by retired K-State art professor and Beach supporter Margo Kren

CLOSE MARIANNA UP: MARIANNA KISTLER BEACH KISTLER MUSEUM BEACHOF MUSEUM ART: CLOSE OF ART UP ’69; Norman Akers of the Osage Nation, whose landscapes reflect his Native American views of nature and life; Roger Shimomura, whose paintings use pop culture imagery to examine toxic ethnic stereotypes; and varied works by the late K-State alumna, actress and artist Shirley Smith ’51.

For videophiles, the Beach Museum’s YouTube channel offers a rich video library of ArtBytes, Behind the Scenes, monthly discussions among curators, artists and creative thinkers, and Gallery Talks featuring artists like Fidencio Fifield-Perez as he discussed his Fronteras/Frontiers exhibit. This has come at a cost of time, expertise and available resources.

“The museum relies on donations, Friends memberships, grant funding and annual earnings from endowments that donors have set up at the KSU Foundation,” Duke said. “Though its original donors provided the museum with a base for support, the Beach Museum’s financial situation has changed since those early days.

State funds have been steadily cut and the museum is now responsible for its own building maintenance and security staffing costs, and only some staff salaries are covered. While the museum does have a small emergency fund, cuts in open hours and other cost-saving steps have been taken in order to maintain that.”

Summarizing, Duke said, “Philanthropy (private charitable giving) means survival and sustainability for the museum. Donors’ gifts fund all of the museum’s mission-centered activity: collecting and caring for works of art, presenting it to the public, and offering educational and public programs. It is essential for the museum to grow its endowment in order to ensure a vibrant, effective art museum for the campus and community.”

Having a strong, supported Beach Museum of Art at K-State means that generations of future K-Staters and Kansans can discover new ways of exploring the region and the world through its creative works.

If you enjoy the exhibitions and programs, consider supporting your art museum by renewing your Friends membership or becoming a new Friend today, beach.k-state.edu/support/ friends-of-the-beach.

To donate to the Beach Museum of Art, visit ksufoundation.org/give/beach.

For more information, contact Linda Duke at lduke@k-state.edu.

FALL 2021 EXHIBITION PREVIEW • • •

Gordon Parks: Homeward to the Prairie I Come, Sept. 7, 2021 - May 28, 2022 Doug Barrett: Find Your Voice, Sept. 7, 2021 – May 28, 2022 45 Paleolithic Handaxes from Transfigurations: Animating the Past, Aug. 9, 2021 – July 16, 2022

BEACH MUSEUM OF ART ONLINE

Begin with the website, beach.k-state.edu, or the Beach Blog, blogs.k-state.edu/beach. From there you can access the Facebook page and Twitter feed for updates, YouTube channel and information about The Meadow, a learning landscape of native plants adjacent to the Beach Museum of Art.

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4 2 1. Fidencio Fifield-Perez, Fishers of Men, 2016, Acrylic and ink on cut maps, Friends of the Beach Museum of Art purchase, 2002.480 2. Roger Y. Shimomura, Martin Cheng: Painter and Fisherman, 1991, Acrylic on canvas, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art purchase, 2018.340 3. Norman Akers, The Gathering, 2012, Color lithograph on paper, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art purchase, 2013.7 4. Doug Barrett, I’ve Labored Through My Whole Life, 2020, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art purchase, 2020.64 5. Shirley Smith, Burning Field, 1994, Oil on canvas, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, gift of the estate of Shirley Smith, 2014.42

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LAST LOOK ROCK SPRINGS TODAY Rock Springs Ranch still offers a variety of youth development activities like archery pictured here. It’s very much a space where youth can unplug from a modern world and explore what it means to stretch socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively.

The Ranch also is available for the general public to host retreats, conferences, business meetings, reunions and other opportunities. To learn more about Rock Springs, visit their website, rockspringsranch.org.

Photo courtesy of Rock Springs Ranch

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K-S-U Pets

EVEN K-STATER’S FRIENDS CAN SHOW WILDCAT PRIDE

1 RINGO AND BLUE Submitted by Ally Brooks ’08 2 SAMSON Submitted by Rachel Schrag Stewart ’17 3 DEL REY Submitted by Ashley Hager ’08 4 SALLY AND SUZY FEATHERSTON Submitted by Linda Featherston ’93, ’97 5 MANHATTAN MATTIE

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Submitted by Misty Woodward 6 ROSIE Submitted by Laura Thacker ’12, ’14 7 LOLA BURNA-WEBER Submitted by Beka Weber ’04

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WE WILL GO BACK TO STANDARD K-S-U PHOTOS WITH OUR NEXT ISSUE.

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SHARE YOUR K-S-U PHOTO

Email k-stater@k-state.com

• Photos must be high-resolution (300 dpi).

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• Please include the names of those in the photo (from left) and each person’s class year(s) (if applicable), city and state. Also, tell us where the photo was taken.

• Submission does not ensure publication.

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DRIVE WITH PRIDE! Ordering a K-State License Plate is easier than ever.

For more information, go to: K-STATE.COM/DRIVE Plates are available in Kansas, Maryland and Texas!

Motorcycle plates available in Kansas!

Support future K-Staters How do I get a plate?

Show your purple pride...

New tags can be purchased in your county treasurer’s office, where you will pay a one-time production charge of $45*, an annual tax-deductible donation of $50 that will go to the K-State Alumni Association, plus your annual tag registration fee and taxes.

and invest in the university’s future. The royalties paid on K-State License Plates have raised more than $5.5 million for student scholarships and recognition of achievements. We have more than 11,000 plates on the road.

* Subject to change

Sponsored by:

785-532-6260 |

K-STATE.COM/DRIVE

Periodicals Postage Paid

K-State Alumni Association 100 Alumni Center 1720 Anderson Avenue Manhattan, KS 66506-1001

Represent.

Show your pride and personalize your INTRUST Credit Card1 by supporting Kansas State University.

From cash back2 to travel rewards, INTRUST offers a variety of cards with better benefits and even more options to fit your lifestyle.

Visit intrustbank.com/creditcards to learn more.

The creditor and issuer of these cards is Elan Financial Services, pursuant to separate licenses from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and American Express. American Express is a federally registered trademark of American Express.

2 Rewards points can be redeemed as a cash deposit to a checking or savings account within seven business days or as a statement credit to your credit card account within one to three billing cycles.

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© 2021 INTRUST Bank

WINTER 2017