June 2, 2015
 Summer Events:
June 1-4
Virtual World 2.0: Minecraft Edition | 8:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

June 8-11
Virtual World 2.0: Minecraft Edition | 8:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

June 11
K-State Cheer Camp | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

June 22
Aviation Fixation & Aviation Fixation 2.0 Camp | 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

June 24
Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Center Open House | 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

July 29
Discover You | 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

August 24
Fall Class Begin

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Wildcat Weekly Editor's Note

During the summer months, Wildcat Weekly will be published every three weeks. Please make your submissions for the newsletter Monday at noon before each date listed below. 
  • June 23
  • July 14
  • August 4
  • August 25
Wildcat Weekly will resume its normal weekly schedule in the fall when classes begin, the week of August 24.
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Biometric screening scheduled for campus employees

From November 16, 2014, through November 15, 2015, employees enrolled in the medical portion of the State Employee Health Plan (SEHP) have an opportunity to earn credits by participating in wellness activities offered through HealthQuest. 

Those who complete a health assessment questionnaire worth 10 credits and earn an additional 20 credits by November 15, 2015, for a total of 30 credits, will receive an incentive. The incentive is a discount of $480 on their health plan premium for Plan Year 2016. One of the ways to earn those points is through a biometric screening, which has been scheduled for June 12 in the College Center Conference Room. To schedule a time slot, click here.

The HealthQuest Rewards Program is optional and employees are not required to participate in order to be covered under the SEHP.  There is no additional cost added to an employee's premium for not participating, but they will be paying the base rate (undiscounted rate) for their insurance coverage. 
K-State, community partners celebrate official opening of Bulk Solids Innovation Center

Known as the only facility of its kind in all of North America, Kansas State University is enhancing is educational offerings in an exclusive way with the opening of its new Bulk Solids Innovation Center in north Salina. On May 14, dignitaries from K-State Salina, the city of Salina and various industries gathered for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, celebrating the opening of the center.

 

"This is a great day; one that we have been looking forward to for a number of years," said Verna Fitzsimmons, K-State Salina's dean and CEO, during the commemoration. "The K-State Salina campus has been working constantly to connect education with industry and the wonderful thing about this facility is that it is bringing quite a few collaborators together."

 

The Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Center serves a multitude of purposes that will benefit students, industry professionals, university research and the Salina economy. Curriculum associated with the science and understanding of bulk solids is being created for engineering technology students and along with classes, students will assist with research projects as outside companies partner with the center to conduct product testing. Professional development courses will be taught onsite and the facility will attract 40 new, quality jobs to the area.

 

The center is a two-story building with 13,000-square-feet and houses six laboratories for university and industry-sponsored research; training and education, conference and lecture rooms; a material properties test lab; and a full-scale bulk solids test bay. Bulk solids are loose, dry commodities like sugar, minerals, pigments and recycled plastics that account for more than 80 percent of items transported around the world.

 

"A few years ago, not very many people knew what bulk solids are, and now we have the best center in the world dedicated to that industry," said Todd Smith, general manager of Coperion K-Tron Salina, one of the anchor occupants of the facility. "Companies have challenges with bulk solids and they will use this facility to help solve their issues. There is great demand for this and now we have a way to address it."

 

"I have just been amazed at the amount of interest in this facility from a corporate level," said Kurt Barnhart, K-State Salina's associate dean of research and engagement. "We're going to be connected with the College of Agriculture's Particle Technology Lab, grain sciences and other facilities in Manhattan to make sure we approach this across the spectrum holistically, and then we can really meet the needs of industry."

 

Ground was broken on the facility in July 2014 and since then, manufacturers from across the globe have supplied more than $2.5 million in equipment donations. The innovation center is a project of Kansas State University with partners the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, Salina Economic Development Corporation, U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, the state of Kansas and the city of Salina.

 

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony concluded, attendees were invited to take a tour of the building. On June 24, the Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Center will host a corporate open house for industry partners and companies interested in collaborating with the facility and sponsoring research. Short courses through K-State Salina's professional education and outreach department are scheduled to begin this summer and the university is currently conducting an international search for a faculty researcher.

 

To learn more about bulk solids education and the facility's research capabilities, contact Barnhart at 785-826-2972 or [email protected].nk

K-State Salina joins Wichita State and KU in FAA's new Center of Excellence for UAS

K-State Salina's unmanned aircraft systems program recently received a major accolade when it was selected as part of a team of universities for the new Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. 

K-State Salina, along with other Kansas schools Wichita State University and the University of Kansas, are members of the new center known as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence, or ASSURE, which will play a key role in helping the FAA develop rules regulating commercial unmanned aerial systems. ASSURE will be led by Mississippi State University and includes 16 other universities besides the Kansas institutions.

ASSURE will provide the FAA and industry with research to maximize the potential of commercial unmanned systems with minimal changes to the current system regulating manned aircraft. For K-State Salina specifically, being a part of the new Center of Excellence will give the UAS program more opportunities for funded research directly with the FAA.
K-State Salina holds Discover Programs this summer

K-State Salina is once again holding Discover Programs this summer for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The six different programs are rooted in aviation, engineering technology, athletics and leadership. The programs run through the month of July and require registration.

Discover programs educate and inspire youth in a fun and interactive environment. Participants enhance their knowledge while experiencing what K-State Salina has to offer in a variety of programs and settings. 
  • Virtual World 2.0: Minecraft Edition - Runs June 1-4 and is for 6th, 7th and 8th graders (program at capacity but wait list is available)
  • Virtual World 2.0: Minecraft Edition - Runs June 8-11 and is for 6th, 7th and 8th graders (program at capacity but wait list is available)
  • K-State Cheer Camp - Runs June 11-12 and is for 7th through 12th grade; operated by K-State Athletics
  • Aviation Fixation - Runs June 22-24 and is open to 3rd, 4th and 5th graders
  • Aviation Fixation 2.0: A Day in the Life of a Pilot - Runs June 22-24 and is open to 6th, 7th and 8th graders
  • Discover You - Held on July 29 and is open to 8th through 10th graders
For more information, contact Kirsten Zoller at 785-826-7182 or to register, click here.
Stephens co-presents with Texas Tech professor on American Ag Movement
After being selected for a Big 12 Faculty Fellowship that took him to Texas Tech University for research, professor Greg Stephens presented his findings on May 7 at the Smoky Hill Museum along with one of his colleagues from his fellowship.

Stephens and Andy Wilkinson, artist-in-residence at Texas Tech's Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, gave a presentation called "American Ag Movement: The Last Farm Movement." The talk focused on the leadership and structure of the five general farm organizations in Kansas with special emphasis on the American Agriculture Movement.

In January, Stephens traveled to Lubbock, Texas to research oral histories and manuscripts relating to the American Ag Movement contained in the university's library. Stephens then invited Wilkinson to travel to K-State for research and for the special presentation.

Featured in the photo, left to right: Donn Teske, president of Kansas Farmers Union; Ray Kohman, president of Kansas National Farmers Organization; Stephens and Wilkinson.
K-State Salina Flight Team places 12th at national competition
The K-State Salina Flight Team attended the National Intercollegiate Flying Association's SAFECON National Championship in May and returned home with a 12th place overall finish out of 29 teams. The flight team also placed second in the American Airlines Safety Award and had seven Top 20 finishes.

Each year, the flight team first competes at the regional level where only the top three teams are able to move on to nationals. 

This year's national competition was held in Columbus, Ohio and was hosted by Ohio State University. The flight team competed in several events that last a week. 

K-State Salina Flight Team individual Top 20 placings are:
  • Alex Zinser - 4th - Power Off Landing
  • Jordan Purcell - 17th - Power Off Landing
  • Christopher Messing - 6th - Short Field Approach & Landing
  • Tyler Thull - 8th - IFR Simulated Flight 
  • Alex Zinser - 11th - Certified Flight Instructor Event
  • Ian Barnhart - 19th - Aircraft Preflight Inspection
  • Alex Zinser - 13th - National Top Pilot Award 
Ride of a lifetime: K-State Salina pilots provide flights to children in Wichita aviation program

Though much of the program is geared toward educating students over the age of eighteen, Kansas State University Salina's aviation department is always looking for opportunities to inspire a younger generation. 

 

For the third year in a row, K-State Salina exhibited its passion for educating youth on aviation when it joined United Way of the Plains and Airbus Corporate Foundation for their Flying Challenge - a mentoring program for middle school children in Wichita that is rooted in aviation, math, science, engineering and technology. On May 11, the university flew five airplanes to the National Center for Aviation Training in Wichita where K-State Salina certified flight instructors gave thrilling rides to more than 50 students from Hadley Middle School.

 

At the beginning of the school year, Hadley students were matched with advisors from Airbus and Wichita Area Technical College to see how professionals apply science and math every day during weekly mentoring visits, field trips and hands-on experiences. The Flying Challenge is the last event of the year and is designed, not only as a final educational component, but also as a reward for the students' hard work in the program.

 

The Flying Challenge also gave students an opportunity to learn about the emerging aviation field of unmanned aircraft systems as well as participate in a virtual paint lab and design and composites labs.

 

The program first launched in the hometown of Airbus - Toulouse, France - in 2011 in connection with a local United Way, and then branched out to Wichita in 2012.

 

K-State Salina's UAS Club hosts the Sirens Project on campus
K-State Salina's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Club highlighted a new perspective on the use of small UAS when they invited a group of three students, called the Sirens Project, to speak on campus in May.

The Sirens Project, consisting of Warren Causey, Nolan Lunsford and Brent Bouthiller from Kennesaw State University, enjoy chasing extreme weather and use UAS to gather data during storms.

Causey, Lunsford and Bouthiller spoke to a crowd of K-State Salina students, faculty and community members about the technology they are using, the features and importance of their drone design, the importance of data collection and safety, and the potential future for atmospheric research in conjunction with small UAS.  

The Sirens Project has been featured on the Discovery Channel and the Weather Channel, and has partnered with Kansas-based UAV manufacturer, AgEagle. The Sirens Project will be based out of AgEagle's facility for the 2015 midwest storm season, in addition to flying their aircraft. 

A high-five is one of the most recognizable ways two people can share excitement or celebrate a job well done. K-State Salina's CEO and Dean Verna Fitzsimmons awards her high-five each week to honor faculty, staff and students for their dedication to the university.
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High-five to Les Kinsler and our campus's generous giving!

Congratulations to Les Kinsler and the entire campus community for not only meeting the Project Salina challenge, but also exceeding it! Les did an excellent job of taking the lead on this initiative. His relentless encouragement inspired our entire campus to give beyond expectations. Because of everyone's generosity, we are donating more than 6,000 boxes of macaroni and cheese to families in need - a total that eclipsed our goal by 500 boxes.

Thank you faculty!

A big high-five to our faculty for submitting all grades on time! This is so helpful, and the students and administration are thrilled! 

Summer Financial Aid

Summer Financial Aid - If you will be attending summer school and are needing financial aid, you will need to complete the Summer 2015 Financial Aid Application. You must be enrolled in all the summer classes before you can submit the application. The application can be found here.
Loan Repayment Option for Graduating Students

The state of Kansas is offering up to $15,000 in student loan repayment and up to a 5 year state tax waiver for graduates who establish residency in one of the 77 Kansas counties designated as a rural opportunity zone. For more information, visit the link below:
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Various Scholarships
Aviation
1.  AVIATION students - http://www.imis100us1.com/UAA/UAAMain/Scholarships/Kropf.aspx
UAA annually awards a $500 scholarship to applicants enrolled in an aviation related curriculum at a UAA member college or university. Due June 15.

2.  National Aircraft Resale Association is offering scholarships up to $5,000 to students interested in aviation management, aerodynamics, aircraft systems, aviation safety. Must have a 3.0 gpa. DEADLINE: October 31. Applications can be picked up on Room 105 Welcome Center.  https://www.naraaircraft.com/scholarship

3.  AVIATION students - National Business Aviation Association is offering a number of different scholarships to students majoring in aviation related fields. There are scholarship for students majoring in any aviation field and some scholarship specifically for students in airport management and AVM.   http://www.nbaa.org/prodev/scholarships/

Part-time Employment

To apply for these opportunities, log in to your CES account https://www.myinterfase.com/kstate/Account/LogOn?ReturnUrl=%2fkstate%2fstudent and search the corresponding job numbers. For more information about these resources, for networking tips and additional employment resources, or for CES search assistance, please contact Marva Morgan by email at [email protected], by phone at (785) 826-2659, or in person at the K-State Salina Welcome Center.  

 

All Majors

Officiate Youth Sports & Fitness

CES Job ID: 66451 - Expires 06/09/2015

Fort Riley Directorate of Family Morale Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR) - Fort Riley, KS 

Internships

To apply for these opportunities, log in to your CES account https://www.myinterfase.com/kstate/Account/LogOn?ReturnUrl=%2fkstate%2fstudent and search the corresponding job numbers. For more information about these resources, for networking tips and additional employment resources, or for CES search assistance, please contact Marva Morgan by email at [email protected], by phone at (785) 826-2659, or in person at the K-State Salina Welcome Center.   

 

Arts, Sciences & Business

Marketing Intern - Marketing/Sales

CES Job ID: 71114 - Expires 06/08/2015

Coronado Area Council Boy Scouts of America - Salina, KS 

 

Aviation

Civil Engineering Intern

CES Job ID: 66357 - Expires 06/26/2015

ASM Engineering Consultants - Andover, KS

 

Summer Internship

CES Job ID: 61681 - Expires 06/30/2015

Baughman Company PA - Wichita, KS

 

Engineering Technology

Civil Engineering Summer Internship

CES Job ID: 71047 - Expires 06/06/2015

American Bridge Company - Overland Park, KS

 

Electrical Engineer Intern

CES Job ID: 71429 - Expires 06/15/2015

Gates Corporation - Iola, KS

  

Technology Management

Congressional Internship

CES Job ID: 64010 - Expires 12/01/2015

US Congressman Mike Pompeo (KS-04) - Wichita, KS/Washington, D.C.