Kansas State University

Dear Arts and Sciences Students,

It’s hard to believe that another academic year is coming to a close and it’s almost time for finals and commencement!

We enjoyed meeting many of you at events like our Lunches with the Deans and Graduate Student Celebration, and witnessing your many talents as you showcased your scholarly and creative endeavors.

We look forward to celebrating our graduating students at a party on May 6 and honoring them at the graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies May 16 and 17! More information about those and other events, including a free ice cream social, is below. We hope you’ll join us!

On behalf of everyone in the Arts Sciences Dean’s Office, good luck on finals and have a great summer! We look forward to seeing most of you back next fall!

Chris Culbertson
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Chemistry

Arts and Sciences Graduation Celebration

Tue., May 6 | Noon-1 p.m.
301 Calvin Hall
RSVP by 5 p.m. Sun., May 4 (extended)

Graduating students, we’re excited to celebrate your great accomplishment before you move on to your next phase! Join Dean Culbertson and other members of the college as we take a walk down memory lane and enjoy yummy waffles! RSVP requested by 5 p.m. May 4.

Wellness is Sweet – Ice Cream Social

Wed., May 7 | 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
In front of Calvin Hall

Our college Ambassadors want to give you a sweet summer sendoff and wish you well before break! Stop by our tent outside Calvin Hall to get Call Hall ice cream, wellness resource information and coloring pages. We hope you’ll join us!

Grad Bash by Alumni Association

Wed., May 7
4-6 p.m.
K-State Alumni Center
Johnson Terrace

Students graduating in May or August 2025 are invited to celebrate their accomplishments at Grad Bash, where they can enjoy live music, food, Manhattan Brewing Company beer and more! Alumni T-shirts and prizes will also be given away!

Arts and Sciences Spring 2025 Commencement

Sat., May 17 | 8:30 a.m.
Bramlage Coliseum

Congratulations to all our graduating students! We look forward to honoring you at our college’s commencement at 8:30 a.m. May 17 and Graduate School’s commencement at 1 p.m. May 16!

Undergraduate Commencement participants, please:

• Wear purple regalia, tassel on right, honor cord pinned on left shoulder.
• Report to the Bramlage Coliseum concourse by 7:30 a.m.
• Park and enter Bramlage on west side.
• Bring your printed Grad Pass (in good condition)!
• Do not bring personal items that you can’t wear under your gown.
• Wear comfortable shoes; you’ll be standing a long time and using stairs.

For more details about Commencement, including parking and schedule, see emails from the Dean’s Office or visit K-State’s Graduation website.

First-Generation Student Graduation Celebration

Fri., May 16
7-8 p.m.
Forum Hall in the Union
Register by May 2 (extended)

The First-Generation Student Center celebrates K-State’s first-gen graduates each May as K-State recognizes the significance of this milestone for our students and their families and supporters. All K-State first-gen graduates and their families and friends are invited to join the celebration!

AI Symposium: Humans and the Machine – Submit a proposal!

Oct. 14-16, 2025
Session proposals due June 1.

Learn all about artificial intelligence at this free, three-day event featuring a variety of panels, lightning talks and workshops. Sponsored by the modern languages department, K-State Libraries and others.

Important Dates

• Last day of Spring Semester classes – May 9
• Graduation Application deadline – May 9
• Spring Final Exams – May 12-16
• Graduate School Commencement – May 16
• Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Commencement – May 17
• May Intersession begins – May 19
• Spring 2025 Final Grades available in KSIS – May 21
• First day of Summer Semester – May 27
• Fall 2025 Semester begins – Aug. 25

View full Academic Calendars for ’24-’25 and ’25-’26

Scholarships for undergrads doing water-related research

The Kansas Water Institute‘s Water Fellows Program supports K-State juniors and seniors conducting water-related research projects with K-State faculty members during both fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters. Fellows receive $1,000 scholarships each semester and research mentorship. Applications are due May 9. Learn more.

Finals Week Study Break at Hale Library

Hale Library is supporting students during finals week, May 11-16, with quiet study zones, relaxation stations, lots of food, drinks and activities! See what they’re offering each day on their Finals Week page.

Great insight was shared by our Alumni Fellows at a lunch with students on April 23!

Our thanks to Danielle Cornejo Calhoun ’08 (journalism with Spanish minor), vice president for DEI at Weber Shandwick, and Eric Farmer ’97 (mathematics and computer science), principal staff mathematician at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory!

Danielle and Eric gave the students tips and enjoyed chatting about how circuitous and serendipitous life and career paths can be. They both agreed that the well-roundedness of an Arts and Sciences degree helped them learn lessons they didn’t even know to pursue, and it helps prepare students for professional success, equipped with key communication skills and flexibility.

Tips for students:

• Volunteer and show enthusiasm for things you’re interested in—you never know where it could lead you.
• Don’t be afraid to take a leap instead of the safe path.
• Broaden your knowledge by adding a minor and participating in courses and other activities that aren’t related to your major. Even if you aren’t an expert in them, the added experience will open doors to more and unexpected opportunities.
• Know that not everyone cares about what you care about—so it can be you who leads an initiative you’re passionate about.
• Although the constant changes in industry and tech can be challenging, that is true for most people; so, feel confident in your other, value-added abilities—like communication and analytical skills.

Graduate Student Celebration

For Graduate Student Appreciation Week, which is celebrated the first week of April every year at K-State and around the country, we hosted a pizza lunch for our college’s graduate students on Tue., April 8, at Union Station by JP’s.

We enjoyed meeting many of our hard-working graduate students and honoring their contributions to our departments and K-State!

It was also fun to give away a $500 prize for research! The winner of the drawing was Josh Venick, a third-year Ph.D. student in mathematics from New Jersey.

Jocelyn McDonald
Associate Professor
Biology

Research overview

We often think of cells as being stationary, but it turns out many types of cells can move around, or migrate, inside the body. Some cells even move together in so-called “collectives” to help form organs, heal wounds, and contribute to other physiological processes. Collective cell migration contributes to cancer, where tumor cells can move as collectives to invade tissues and metastasize to distant sites. I am interested in understanding how groups of cells migrate inside tissues, especially when encountering stressful cellular and tissue environments.

What motivated you to pursue research in this specific field, and how has your focus evolved over time?

I studied molecular biology as an undergraduate student. After pursuing a Ph.D. in nervous system development, I became interested in diving deeper into cell behaviors. Over the years, my research has revealed different ways that cells stick together, navigate tissues and keep migrating in groups.

Read more about Dr. McDonald’s research in K-State’s April 30 Research Weekly.