Kansas State University

New academic advisors

• Toby Bitner, tbitner@k-state.edu – Humanities, music, philosophy, psychology, theatre
• Hannah Hoffman-Colburn, hannahhoff@k-state.edu – Biochemistry, physics, statistics and data science
• Karen Paulus, kpaulus@k-state.edu – Psychology
• Lindsey Thiele, las3443@k-state.edu – Biology, life science, medical laboratory science

Instructional design support

Due to university restructuring, our instructional designer, Deborah Goins, has moved to the Center for Academic Innovation’s instructional design team. She still supports the College of Arts and Sciences, so feel free to contact her at eflat@k-state.edu if you need help with course design and accessibility.

Department leadership change

Dr. Andrew Orr is the new chair of the history department as of June 9.

Hello everyone,

I am pleased to be the new director of information technology for the College of Arts and Sciences. My family and I relocated to Manhattan from Reno, Nev. I have worked in various IT roles at three universities and several private enterprises.

My wife, Lisa, has a background in elementary education. Our daughter is about to start 7th grade at Anthony Middle School and is excited to join the Konza Youth Choir. Our dog, Rainbow, is a 7-year-old Rottweiler mix who prefers tug-of-war over fetch. When not working, I enjoy exploring with Atlas Obscura, learning with Audible, and playing pickleball.

I’d like to clarify the purpose of having a dedicated IT director for our college. Although some departments have been fortunate to hire individuals to manage their IT systems, the college has not had an IT staff dedicated to serving all departments. Many have relied on Service Level Agreements or individuals pulling double-duty on IT and other obligations.

The university is establishing dedicated IT staff in each college to foster direct relationships with faculty and staff and understand each college’s needs and challenges. This initiative involves multiple phases, the first of which was completed with my hiring. The second focuses on evaluating our college’s specific needs. We have formed a task force consisting primarily of faculty members from across the college, and a steering committee that includes staff members serving multiple IT roles for the college and their own departments.

My goal is to equitably meet the needs of all units whether they have customized computer equipment or more standard setups.

As Phase II gets underway, I do not yet have the whole IT staff in place. However, as you open tickets with K-State IT, please feel free to include me as a contact on the service requests so that I am informed about your needs and can ensure issues are promptly resolved.

Thank you, and I look forward to working with all of you.

Sincerely,

Matt Spears

Faculty and staff resources webpage

Many policies, forms, awards and other resources are accessible on the college’s Faculty and Staff Resources page, located under our ‘About’ tab.

Nominate a coworker for the Staff Spotlight Award!

Show off our college’s great staff members by nominating them for the university’s Staff Spotlight Award! This monthly award honors university support and professional staff for their excellent service to the K-State community. Winners are featured in K-State Today and receive $100 from the President’s Office. Anyone can nominate eligible employees. Nominations are due by the first of each month.

Mentor an Arts and Sciences student!

Consider helping our students transition from college to career by serving as a mentor in our Arts and Sciences Mentorship Program! We invite faculty, staff and alumni from all professions to participate. There is great interest in biology, chemistry, data science, economics, graphic design, health and law/legal.

The fall 2025 program begins Sept. 15 and ends in December. Apply by Sept. 7. Create a WildcatLink account and request membership in the ArtSci Mentorship Program. Once approved, you’ll receive emails via the WildcatLink platform regarding orientation and next steps.

If you have questions, email Paige Altwegg, the program coordinator. You might also enjoy this story about some mentors and why they do it. 

Community engagement support

K-State’s Engagement Council brings together faculty, staff and Extension professionals to elevate engagement efforts universitywide. It coordinates events to enhance skills in community engagement and external partnerships, foster open dialogue about K-State’s scholarly engagement culture, and create networking opportunities.

On Sept. 8, the Fundamentals of Community-Engaged Learning workshop will address developing student learning goals, building and sustaining authentic community partnerships, critical reflection approaches and strategies.

Map Monday Workshops

The Geographic Information Systems Spatial Analysis Laboratory will host a series of beginner-friendly, hands-on workshops for K-State faculty, staff and students interested in exploring geographic information systems for research, storytelling and more. The first one, Migrating GIS Projects from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro, will be on Sept. 8.

Linear Mixed Models Workshops

Build or hone your data analysis skills at this workshop series about the fundamentals of linear mixed models for designed experiments, co-sponsored by K-State’s Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics and department of statistics.

The workshops are free for K-State faculty, staff and students and will take place in 164 Justin Hall.

• Sat., Sept. 13 | 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. with lunch break
• Sun., Sept. 14 | 9 a.m.-noon

Staff Spotlight Awards in math and history departments!

The Staff Spotlight Award highlights staff members each month for their service to the K-State community.

Cindy Carlyon received March 2025 Staff Spotlight Award

“As the math department lost three veteran staff members in 2024, Cindy had to step in and take a leading role, cover gaps, and spearhead the recruitment effort by leading two successful searches,” said Carlyon’s nominator. “Cindy brings a positive attitude to the workplace. She has a sunny and easygoing personality and really cares about making the work environment a pleasant experience for everyone.”

Melissa Janulis received April 2025 Staff Spotlight Award

“Melissa Janulis is the quintessential office specialist that consistently goes the extra mile for students and the faculty,” said Janulis’ nominator. “She is expert in all administrative systems on the campus. Her immense knowledge has enabled the department to streamline all administrative transactions when dealing outside of the department, and her cheerful ‘get the job done’ attitude and demeanor have made her a favorite of both students and faculty members.”

Trees planted in honor of Roots of Research Awardees

The Roots of Research Award, presented by the Offices of the President and Vice President for Research and the Division of Facilities, recognizes exceptional research and scholarly work that has inspired students, colleagues and the broader academic community.

In spring 2025, trees were planted on campus in honor of each 2024 awardee, symbolizing the deep roots they have cultivated through their work and the legacy they leave for future generations.

Congratulations to these College of Arts and Sciences awardees! (They are pictured below in this order.)

• Elizabeth Dodd, English
• Carolyn Ferguson, biology
• Wayne Goins, music, theatre and dance
• David Haukos, biology
• Jun Li, chemistry
• Zak Ratajczak, biology

Lots of smiles at the new-faculty welcome and collegewide social!

It was so good to meet our new faculty members and see everyone at our social on Wed., Aug. 20! Click the image below to view more photos on Facebook or go to our Instagram post.

Last-minute add: Proud of our Pride today and always!

Today, Aug. 20, 2025…

Leave it to our beloved, Sudler Award-winning Pride of Wildcat Land Marching Band to entertain not one but two airports full of people as they await their turn to fly to Ireland!

About a quarter of the band is trying to get to Dublin to perform in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic game between K-State and Iowa State, but their flight out of Kansas City was delayed and then they had a long wait at Dallas Fort Worth.

But as always, they livened things up with their unbeatable spirit and talent!

Watch these fun videos and more on the Pride’s Facebook and Instagram!