Kansas State University

Dear Graduate Alumni, 

It is my great pleasure to share with you our first 2024 Graduate Schools Alumni newsletter. 

This newsletter showcases the value of graduate education and K-State, provides information about graduate students and faculty, and gives you a picture of today’s graduate students.  

I invite you to read the success stories of our graduate students, faculty, and alumni. I also invite you to connect directly with the students and faculty by attending or participating in the numerous activities we are organizing.  

We always love to hear from you, the alumni of our graduate programs, to learn about your experiences as graduate students and alumni. Your stories help us shape the support we provide to graduate students and faculty, and our work in advancing graduate education. I look forward to hearing from you.

I wish you a successful and Happy New Year!   

Claudia Petrescu, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School 

In this newsletter, you can read about the following:

December 2023 Commencement ceremony honors Distinguished Professors while saying farewell to Provost Taber

Biological and agricultural engineering alum shares journey to career in flood forecasting

Education remains a passion for the Chair of the Educational Leadership Department

Graduate student reflects on his zeal for geology and the global impact he aspires to make

Data Corner: Today’s graduate students

Opportunities to connect with us this year

Thank you for making a difference and supporting graduate student progress

Once again, the Graduate School had a successful commencement in December 2023. Along with recognizing over 600 graduates for earning master’s and doctoral degrees, we recognized five university distinguished professors and Provost Taber who is retiring in early January. 

To honor their outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and service, five K-State faculty members were named University Distinguished Professors (UDP), the highest honor the University can bestow. The new University Distinguished Professors are Drs. Caterina Scoglio (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Jesse Nippert (Biology), Jun Li (Chemistry), Ari Jumpponen (Biology), and Allen Featherstone (Agricultural Economics). These faculty members and their teams have made significant contributions to research in areas such as the spreading of infectious diseases, energy conversion and storage, biosensor development, nanomaterial growth and composite materials synthesis, the effects of fire on soil and soil-dwelling organisms, agricultural economics, grassland and savanna ecology, and response to climate change. 

At the December commencement ceremony, the Graduate School also bid farewell to Provost Charles Taber and thanked him for his service to K-State and to higher education, as he is retiring.  Continue reading “December 2023 Commencement ceremony honors Distinguished Professors while saying farewell to Provost Taber” →

Dr. Kelsey McDonough, who earned her PhD in biological and agricultural engineering from K-State in 2018, has always been drawn towards developing innovative challenges.  

She firmly believes that pursuing her doctoral degree led to her successful career today. McDonough currently works as a Senior Flood Engineer for FloodMapp – a technology company specializing in rapid flood forecasting and inundation mapping to provide greater warning time and awareness.  

“In my career today, I get to pursue novel, groundbreaking research working in a technology start-up solving some of the greatest hydrology challenges to build a safer and better future,” McDonough said.   Continue reading “Biological and agricultural engineering alum shares journey to career in flood forecasting” →

Royce Ann Collins, PhD, says education has always been her passion and calling.  

Her career at K-State began as an instructor in 2005, and she worked her way up to being appointed a full professor in 2023. She currently serves as chair of the educational leadership department and is a professor of adult learning and leadership.   

Dr. Collins began working with adult learners in higher education in 1992. She worked as the Director of Student Services which required her to serve as the academic supervisor to approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students. These students, whose average age was 38, worked in the Kansas City area, and had to take courses in the evenings and weekends to improve their path.   Continue reading “Education remains a passion for the Chair of the Educational Leadership Department” →

Fidelis Onwuagba, a master’s student in geology, was drawn to K-State’s academic excellence, renowned faculty, and especially how well the geology department fit with his own research interests.  

“My interest in geology stems from my early exposure to the dynamic processes that modify the Earth,” he said. “I have always been fascinated by the thought that under the surface of our world lies a complex world of rocks, minerals, and geological formations, each telling a unique story of our planet’s history.”  

According to Onwuagba, understanding geology is critical to tackling modern environmental concerns. Therefore, it has become essential to his academic and professional career.    Continue reading “Graduate student reflects on his zeal for geology and the global impact he aspires to make” →

As Graduate School alumni with backgrounds in research, we know many of you may have a strong interest in data. We want to share data with you on K-State’s graduate student population, as you might be interested to know about changes in our enrollment and the background of our students.  

Since 2019, there has been a 2.8 percent increase in our overall graduate enrollment, with 4,156 total students enrolled in Fall 2023.  

Continue reading “Data Corner: Today’s graduate students” →

We want to stay connected with you and invite you to engage with our graduate students and graduate faculty this year. Please join us at events scheduled in the Spring 2024 semester. 

• Three Minute Thesis Competition 
• First round – Feb. 7, Room 221 and Flint Hills Room, Union, schedule coming soon! 
• Final round – Feb. 22, 5:30 p.m. in the K-State Student Union Ballroom 
• Distinguished Graduate Faculty Lecture – Jeffrey Pickering, professor of political science and security studies – March 6, 2024 – 2:30 – 3:30. Location to be determined.  
• K-State Graduate Research, Arts, and Discovery Forum – March 19 (oral presentations) and March 20 (poster presentations) in the K-State Student Union 
• Capitol Graduate Research Summit – March 21, 10:00am-1:00pm, State Capitol Building, Topeka 
• Graduate Student and Faculty Recognition Celebration – April 28, 5:00-7:00pm, McCain Auditorium 

Participate as a judge! 

If you are in the Manhattan area, not only are you welcome to attend the events above, but we have opportunities for you to be an active participant by serving as a judge at the first round of the Three Minute Thesis competition (Feb. 7) or at the K-State Graduate Research, Arts, and Discovery Forum (March 19 and 20). If you are interested in either of these opportunities, please contact Dr. Megan Miller, assistant director of graduate student success, at mmmiller@ksu.edu or 785-532-6191. 

Stay in touch with us for final dates and more information through our website and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), or contact us at grad@ksu.edu or 785-532-6191. 

Over the last year, we have had more alumni and friends making gifts to the Graduate School. We want to thank you for your generosity and support of graduate education. These contributions make it possible for our graduate students to continue excelling in their academic work and building their professional success.  

To ensure continuous success among our graduate students, the Graduate School has created several initiatives. Contributions can be made to these funds year-round by visiting our giving page. 

• Graduate School Accelerator Fund: With the Graduate School’s commitment to success, this fund helps propel graduate students toward the completion of their degree by addressing unmet financial needs such as supporting graduate students who are raising children. 
• University Distinguished Professors (UDP) Excellence in Doctoral Studies Award: Recognizes exceptional achievements and awards excellence in scholarship through publications and other accomplishments appropriate for a student’s academic field. 
• Graduate Education Enhancement Fund: Acknowledges the important contributions our graduate students make toward advancing knowledge, teaching and service at K-State and beyond. It provides funding to develop excellence in academics and research.  

As an alum, you are a valued member of our K-State community. We offer our sincere gratitude for your commitment and continuous support. Thank you for your help in enhancing the scholarly experiences of our graduate students.