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Kansas State University News Roundup

Teri Hansen

• 6 min read
Kansas State University News Roundup

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State University has launched a new institute to address health challenges in rural communities, announced upcoming performances and highlighted faculty research efforts.

Institute targets rural Kansas health challenges

K-State has established the Institute for Community Health and Well-being, a new initiative designed to address challenges facing Kansas communities including population decline, health disparities, limited health care access, housing shortages and digital divides.

The institute received $500,000 in initial funding from the One K-State Strategic Investment Fund to support operations over the next two to three years. The program brings together university expertise spanning agriculture, education, public health, engineering, business, architecture and social sciences.

Susan Metzger, director of strategic interdisciplinary program development, said the institute leverages K-State's presence in all 105 Kansas counties to deliver coordinated solutions.

The institute will convene interdisciplinary faculty and community partners to design projects addressing local needs, conduct collaborative research, provide technical assistance and grant writing support, and engage students in applied learning experiences.

A cappella group returns to McCain Auditorium

Straight No Chaser will perform their "Holiday Road" show at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at McCain Auditorium in the first holiday performance of the McCain Performance Series season.

The nine-member a cappella group has sold more than 1.5 million concert tickets and 2 million albums worldwide. The group has earned two Recording Industry Association of America gold-certified albums and accumulated more than 1 billion streams on Pandora.

Tickets are available online at k-state.edu, at the McCain Auditorium box office from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, or by calling 785-532-6428. Youth ages 17 and younger receive a 50 percent discount, while military, senior and K-State faculty and staff receive 10 percent off with identification.

K-State showcases programs at state fair

Kansas State University held its first Wildcat Wednesday on Sept. 10 at the Kansas State Fair, featuring multiple university units and programs.

More than 15,000 fairgoers visited the K-State Extension booth during the 10-day fair. Activities included sensory science demonstrations from the K-State Olathe Sensory and Consumer Research Center, displays of the Powercat Motorsports Formula SAE racecar, uncrewed aircraft systems demonstrations from K-State Salina, and the Sunderland Foundation Innovation Lab mobile unit.

Tim Steffensmeier, assistant vice president and director for engagement and outreach, said the event provided opportunities to interact with prospective students, alumni and Kansas residents while demonstrating the university's impact in food science, engineering and technology.

The College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture also maintained their traditional presence at the fair, with veterinarians helping at the birthing center and academic programs staff connecting with future students.

Campus road closure planned for elevator work

A section of Claflin Road will be closed Saturday for most of the day to accommodate crane equipment removing an elevator in Ackert Hall.

The closure extends from the Denison Avenue and Claflin Road intersection eastward to the pathway in front of Gen. Richard B. Myers Hall. The sidewalk on the south side of Claflin Road behind Ackert Hall and Chalmers Hall will also be closed, but the north sidewalk in front of the Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center will remain open.

University officials are asking drivers and pedestrians to follow designated detours and exercise caution around large trucks and equipment.

Geology professor addresses groundwater quality

Matthew Kirk, a professor of geology and University Outstanding Scholar, has engaged 58 students and helped approximately 220 rural Kansas households learn about their groundwater quality through a National Science Foundation-funded project.

Kirk leads teams of students from K-State and community colleges in Barton County and Dodge City to sample water from domestic wells and analyze chemistry to measure contaminant concentrations, particularly nitrate from fertilizer use in nearby crop fields.

The Kansas Groundwater Geopaths Project represents Kirk's effort to integrate teaching and research focused on groundwater, which supplies water to 75 percent of Kansans. Kirk, a fellow of the Geological Society of America, also helped create K-State's Environmental Science Program.

K-State news roundup

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State University has launched a new institute to address health challenges in rural communities, announced upcoming performances and highlighted faculty research efforts.

Institute targets rural Kansas health challenges

K-State has established the Institute for Community Health and Well-being, a new initiative designed to address challenges facing Kansas communities including population decline, health disparities, limited health care access, housing shortages and digital divides.

The institute received $500,000 in initial funding from the One K-State Strategic Investment Fund to support operations over the next two to three years. The program brings together university expertise spanning agriculture, education, public health, engineering, business, architecture and social sciences.

Susan Metzger, director of strategic interdisciplinary program development, said the institute leverages K-State's presence in all 105 Kansas counties to deliver coordinated solutions.

The institute will convene interdisciplinary faculty and community partners to design projects addressing local needs, conduct collaborative research, provide technical assistance and grant writing support, and engage students in applied learning experiences.

A cappella group returns to McCain Auditorium

Straight No Chaser will perform their "Holiday Road" show at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at McCain Auditorium in the first holiday performance of the McCain Performance Series season.

The nine-member a cappella group has sold more than 1.5 million concert tickets and 2 million albums worldwide. The group has earned two Recording Industry Association of America gold-certified albums and accumulated more than 1 billion streams on Pandora.

Tickets are available online at k-state.edu, at the McCain Auditorium box office from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, or by calling 785-532-6428. Youth ages 17 and younger receive a 50 percent discount, while military, senior and K-State faculty and staff receive 10 percent off with identification.

K-State showcases programs at state fair

Kansas State University held its first Wildcat Wednesday on Sept. 10 at the Kansas State Fair, featuring multiple university units and programs.

More than 15,000 fairgoers visited the K-State Extension booth during the 10-day fair. Activities included sensory science demonstrations from the K-State Olathe Sensory and Consumer Research Center, displays of the Powercat Motorsports Formula SAE racecar, uncrewed aircraft systems demonstrations from K-State Salina, and the Sunderland Foundation Innovation Lab mobile unit.

Tim Steffensmeier, assistant vice president and director for engagement and outreach, said the event provided opportunities to interact with prospective students, alumni and Kansas residents while demonstrating the university's impact in food science, engineering and technology.

The College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture also maintained their traditional presence at the fair, with veterinarians helping at the birthing center and academic programs staff connecting with future students.

Campus road closure planned for elevator work

A section of Claflin Road will be closed Saturday for most of the day to accommodate crane equipment removing an elevator in Ackert Hall.

The closure extends from the Denison Avenue and Claflin Road intersection eastward to the pathway in front of Gen. Richard B. Myers Hall. The sidewalk on the south side of Claflin Road behind Ackert Hall and Chalmers Hall will also be closed, but the north sidewalk in front of the Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center will remain open.

University officials are asking drivers and pedestrians to follow designated detours and exercise caution around large trucks and equipment.

Geology professor addresses groundwater quality

Matthew Kirk, a professor of geology and University Outstanding Scholar, has engaged 58 students and helped approximately 220 rural Kansas households learn about their groundwater quality through a National Science Foundation-funded project.

Kirk leads teams of students from K-State and community colleges in Barton County and Dodge City to sample water from domestic wells and analyze chemistry to measure contaminant concentrations, particularly nitrate from fertilizer use in nearby crop fields.

The Kansas Groundwater Geopaths Project represents Kirk's effort to integrate teaching and research focused on groundwater, which supplies water to 75 percent of Kansans. Kirk, a fellow of the Geological Society of America, also helped create K-State's Environmental Science Program.

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