Journalism and mass communications alum Rhonda Lee ’97 is “your favorite weather auntie”
In 1993, Rhonda Lee thought she was going to KU, but then she visited K-State at her father’s behest and changed her mind. She loved the beauty and friendly feeling of K-State.
With a longstanding interest in television and weather, she majored in journalism and mass communications with an electronic journalism focus, and in American ethnic studies.
She was active with the Collegian, Black Student Union, Zeta Phi Beta sorority, residence hall executive board, student government, and even some dance and theater performances.
Lee fondly remembers the camaraderie and leadership she experienced with the Black Student Union.
“Experiences like that are why people choose K-State,” Lee said. “Students are involved in running the university. And I still use those leadership skills today.”
After graduating from K-State in 1997, Lee worked in television for 10 years before going back to school to pursue her meteorologist dream.
Now, after years of “clawing her way up the ladder,” she is chief meteorologist at WETM News in Upstate New York. And she’s the first Black person to hold that position in that region.
Of course, the journey had its ups and downs.
In 2012, Lee was fired from her job in Shreveport, La., after responding to negative comments about her hair on the station’s Facebook. That incident, however tumultuous, was also part of the momentum that led to the federal CROWN Act of 2020, prohibiting discrimination based on hair texture or style.
“It wasn’t easy, but it was one of the best things that happened to me,” Lee said. “I got to [make] an impact on how people perceive themselves and [help] protect kids from discrimination.”
Now, several years and moves later, “your favorite weather auntie,” as she likes to call herself, enjoys helping people understand weather and plan their outfits every day—through the sunshine and the storms.
Read the full ArtSci alumni spotlight.
Anthropology alum Sarah Trabert ’08 discovers new information about the historical role of horses in the American Plains
Sarah Trabert, a 2008 K-State grad in anthropology with a minor in history, is part of a team that’s using archaeological materials, historical sources and Indigenous knowledge to understand when, why and how domestic horses transformed human life after being reintroduced to North America. The team’s study, “Early Dispersal of Domestic Horses in the Great Plains and Northern Rockies,” was published in Science in 2023, and they received the Newcomb Cleveland Prize for it in 2024.
Trabert came to K-State as a transfer student from a community college. She wasn’t very involved in campus activities, but she did volunteer in Dr. Lauren Ritterbush’s archaeology lab.
“The anthropology faculty—especially Dr. Ritterbush and Dr. Brad Logan—were fantastic and gave me a great deal of professional advice and research experience that allowed me to get into a wonderful graduate program.”
She also participated in the McNair Scholars Program and considers that experience vital to her success.
“I am a first-generation graduate student, and I knew nothing about what would happen after I graduated. The McNair program provided me funding to spend a summer conducting my own research rather than working my usual job at Walmart. That led me to win a conference presentation award and publish my research, setting me on the path to becoming a professor. I am incredibly grateful for these experiences and mentorship.”
After K-State, Trabert earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Iowa in 2015. She was immediately hired as an assistant professor by the University of Oklahoma, where she is now an associate professor.
“I loved all of my anthropology and history classes at K-State. I had wonderful professors, and I still draw on the foundational knowledge I gained there to teach a whole new generation of students today.”
Social Science alum Mark Engholm ’96 helps Kansans as state fire marshal
When Mark Engholm ’96 was growing up, he lived in a small town served by a volunteer fire department. He also remembers meeting a member of his family’s church who worked as both a local police officer and as a volunteer firefighter.
Those early encounters with the emergency response profession left what Engholm calls an “indelible mark” on him as a child. After his family moved to Kansas, he was recruited by another friend to attend the Cadet Law Enforcement Academy.
Read more.
Media and comm alum Rafael Garcia ’19 now writes university’s stories
Rafael Garcia ’19, the son of immigrants, came to K-State as a first-generation college student, not knowing much about the college experience, but he found community in a variety of ways.
“I came here not knowing any of those traditions, not fully loving purple yet,” Garcia said. “And once I got here, it was just so easy to get into that.”
First through his living community at the Honors House, then through his department at the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.
Read more.
English master’s grad Leela Prasad ’93 is author, professor and Guggenheim Fellow
Religion. Anthropology. History. Literature. These are the individual threads that are woven together to form the life work of Leela Prasad ’93.
The author and professor of religious studies, and gender, sexuality and feminist studies at Duke University is dedicated to sharing important stories. She knows the power of words to illuminate dark or forgotten corners of history, preserving the past and driving change in the present.
Read more.
Theatre and Geography alums Adam Rack ’13 and Brad Rundquist ’95, ’00 are 2024 Alumni Fellows
The K-State Alumni Fellows program recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers. Fellows visit campus to discuss current business and industry trends and meet with students and faculty. Twelve were selected in 2024. Representing the College of Arts and Sciences were Adam Rack ’13, theatre, and Brad Rundquist ’95, ’00, geography.
Adam Rack (left) is the co-founder of Revino, in Newberg, Oregon. Revino is reviving the refillable glass bottle ecosystem in the beverage industry, focusing on wine packaging. Rack earned a K-State bachelor’s degree in theatre in 2013. Read more about Rack.
Brad Rundquist is the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Dakota, where he’s been on faculty since 2000. Before that, he was a scientist for Lockheed Martin Engineering and Sciences Company. He earned a K-State master’s degree and Ph.D. in geography in 1995 and 2000, respectively. Read more about Rundquist.
Dear Arts and Sciences Alumni and Friends,
