Matthew Sanderson, associate professor of sociology, asks his rural sociology students on the first day of class, "What in rural Kansas is worth saving?" Some say their families or their farms. The majority are silent. Rural communities are facing challenges such as decline of small businesses and loss of young people to more urban areas. Sanderson teaches the rural sociology class every fall semester, and each year more students say they do not plan to return to the rural towns in which they lived.

When diagnosing most patients, Dr. Francis Koopman believes "when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses." But when it comes to certain patients, like those from Kansas State University's Biosecurity Research Institute, his team "looks for zebras." The BRI researches many significant zoonotic pathogens that could spread from animals to humans. Swine flu, yellow fever, tularemia, rift valley fever, anthrax and even plague are all studied in the building. Mercy Regional Health Center performs special health surveillance for uncommon diseases as part of a medical partnership that keeps zoonotic research safe for the scientists and the community.