Kansas State University

search

Modern Languages

Congratulations! Accomplishments and Achievements for 2012-2013

This year the Department of Modern Languages had a number of students, alumni and faculty whose hard work and talent were recognized at the university level as well as within the larger community. We would like to take time to highlight some of this year’s accomplishments.

 Macario Benavides, a graduating senior in Education and Spanish, was one of four students who won the Multicultural Leadership Award from the K-State Alumni Association.  This award is given to students who have actively promoted multicultural education both at K-State and in the Manhattan community. Benavides, along with the other three award recipients, was given the award on May 17th at the Multicultural Graduation Celebration at the K-State Alumni Center.

Stephanie Keith, a dual major in German and Anthropology, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Magdeburg Germany during the 2013-2014 academic year.

This summer Casey Reif will be an ambassador for the West Wichita Rotary Club in Panama.  There she will be using her background in second  language teaching to offer pedagogy workshops to teachers of English.

Justin Keller, currently pursing a major in  Mechanical Engineering with a minor in German, was awarded an engineering internship with DEPRAG Schulz GmbH und Co. in Amberg, Germany.  He will be interning with the company from June to August, after which he will study a semester in the Czech Republic.

Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honor Society, inducted 6 new members on April 21st 2013.  Congratulations to Leah Oropesa, Hannah Powell, Rudy Yáñez, Courtney Mooney, Andrew Henderson and Manuel Novás García.

At the Spring Commencement, Mark Gorecki received his M.A. in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language); Kristina Saunders received her M.A. in German; and Katie Brinkman, Alicia Goheen, and Chelsea Urban received M.A. degrees in Spanish.  We are very proud of our graduate students and wish them luck in the next phase of their careers!

At the end of the Fall semester, two of our new faculty, Benjamin McCloskey and Janice McGregor, completed their PhDs.  Dr. McCloskey was awarded his Ph.D. in Greek and Latin from The Ohio State University.  Dr. McGregor was awarded her Ph.D. in German from Pennsylvania State University.  Congratulations to both of you and welcome to Kansas State!

Congratulations to K-State Alumnus Dr. Murle Mordy, who has been awarded the Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Order of the Academic Palms), with the rank of Chevalier (Knight) for his distinguished contributions to French education and culture. The Order of the Academic Palms is an Order of Chivalry of France for academic and cultural and educational figures. Dr. Mordy was nominated by the president of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) for his long service to AATF and to French education. Dr. Mordy received his B.A. (1963) and M.A (1965) in French from Kansas State University and is currently a professor of French and Spanish at Ottawa University, as well as chairman of the Department of Modern Languages.

Four of our faculty received promotions this year, which will take effect beginning in Fall 2013.  Dr. Sara Luly has been promoted to tenure-track,  Dr. Mary Copple and Dr. Laura Kanost  received tenure and a promotion to associate professor, and Dr. Robert Clark has been promoted to full professor. Congratulations!

Are you an alumnus/alumna of K-State Department of Modern Languages?  If so, we would love to include you in the Alumni Update section of our next newsletter!  Please send an update to srluy@ksu.edu.

 

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *