December 2015
Newsweek lists College of Education among great teaching schools Kansas State University's College of Education is getting national attention for doing what it does best: preparing
educators, both current and future.
The college is featured in Newsweek magazine's list of 2015's great teaching schools. The magazine cites the
college's national award­winning programs; centers that address many of the key topics in education, such as
diversity and professional development; and its innovative initiatives to advance teaching and education, including
original documentaries that can be used as classroom resources and programs to assist early­career teachers. The Newsweek article highlights a tradition of national recognition for the college ­ including 12 major awards since
2012 ­ and shows why the college produces more teachers annually than any other program in Kansas, according
to Debbie Mercer, dean of the college. "The College of Education at Kansas State University is having an impact on the field of education around the nation
and the world," Mercer said. "Whether it is through research, textbooks ­ one was recently translated into Chinese ­
or through the college's online offerings of graduate programs, the fact is people from all walks of life are seeking us
out to start their careers and advance them."
From bachelor's to doctoral degrees, the college's comprehensive programs prepare future educators for the
classroom and help current educators to advance in their careers, garnering national recognition along the way.
Some recent honors: The 2015 Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International teacher Education from the American
Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The 2014 Lt. Gen. (Ret.) H.G. "Pete" Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award for Higher Education.
The 2014 Outstanding Service to Underserved Populations Award from the Association for Continuing
Higher Education for Go Teacher, a language training program for Ecuadorian teachers.
The 2012 Distinguished Elementary Education Program in Teacher Education Award from the Association of
Teacher Educators.
In addition, the college's graduate programs are consistently ranked in the top 100 by U.S. News and World Report,
and its faculty have earned many national and campus honors ­ including Mercer, who was recognized recently as
one of the top 30 education deans in the nation by Mometrix. Commencement ceremonies to be held for over 1,700 students
Kansas State University will award more than 1,300 bachelor's degrees, 340 master's degrees, 70 doctorates and
10 associate degrees during commencement ceremonies on December 11­12, 2015. More than 300 students are
earning their degree through K­State Global Campus distance education programs. Ken Selzer, Kansas insurance commissioner is among the distinguished alumni and student leaders speaking as a
part of the ceremonies. Representing the Kansas Board of Regents at the Graduate School ceremony will be Regent
Joseph Bain and Shane Bangerter, chair of the Kansas Board of Regents, will be the commencement speaker at the
Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus. Marlin Fitzwater, who served as assistant to the president and press secretary for Ronald Reagan from 1987 to
1989 and for George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, will receive an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from the
university. Fitzwater will also serve as the commencement speaker at the Graduate School ceremony. "Marlin Fitzwater is a political figure that I and millions of other Americans remember well throughout some of our
nation's biggest historical moments," said Kirk Schulz, Kansas State University president. "It is through the
leadership of such distinguished alumni that will help Kansas State University be recognized as a Top 50 public
research university by 2025."
Fitzwater, a native Kansan from Abilene, earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Kansas State University in
1965. He worked for several federal agencies in Washington, D.C., and is the only press secretary in history to be
appointed by two U.S. presidents. For millions of Americans, he was recognized as a calm and knowledgeable voice
for the American government through two recessions and eight military conflicts, as well as the voice of the 16­nation
coalition in the Persian Gulf War. K­State's Polytechnic Campus
receives nation's first approval
for unmanned commercial flight
training
Interior architecture and product
design at K­State ranked at the
top Kansas State University's polytechnic campus has set
K­State's College of Architecture, Planning &
a new precedent in the unmanned aircraft systems
Design's interior architecture & product design (IAPD)
industry, becoming the first entity in the United States
is ranked one of the top graduate program in the
to receive approval from the Federal Aviation
country by DesignIntelligence, a bimonthly magazine.
Administration to provide UAS commercial flight
training to both students and outside companies.
The America's Best Architecture & Design Schools
ranking show Kansas State University's interior
The authorization, which is referred to as a Section
architecture & product design as the No. 1 graduate
333 exemption, allows Kansas State Polytechnic to
program in the Midwest region, No. 1 in construction
create and conduct an extensive flight training
methods and materials, and the No. 1 graduate
program for unmanned aircraft operations. The
program at a public institution nationally. The rankings
authorization is open to students both internal and
survey is conducted annually and the research ranks
external and is not restricted to any one particular
undergraduate and graduate programs from the
application. The UAS program will incorporate the new
perspective of leading practitioners. flight training with current curriculum, building
structured discipline that is modeled after the
campus's manned professional pilot program.
"Kansas State's UAS program continues to be a
leader and innovator in the UAS industry," said Kurt
Carraway, Kansas State Polytechnic's acting UAS
program manager. "Kansas State Polytechnic is
essentially setting the standard on how to
University working with state,
industry to turn area into pet
food industry hub U.S. consumers spend $23 billion on pet food each
year. Kansas currently garners $7 billion of the
national total, and an integrated program and industry
engagement approach at Kansas State University is
aiming to bring much more of it to the state and region.
educating tomorrow's unmanned pilots." The university has supported the pet food industry for
Another distinction of this FAA approval is being able
to provide flight training to commercial partners. Those
learning commercial flight training can do so through
two avenues that are exclusive to Kansas State
Polytechnic. They can train out in the field under the
auspices of the nationwide Certificate of Authorization
a number of years, but more recently these efforts
have been bundled and leveraged by Greg Aldrich,
research associate professor of grain science and
industry. Aldrich joined K­State in 2012 to establish a
pet food science program to support the growing
industry.
that was included with the FAA approval, or students
can also fly on campus inside one of the largest
enclosed unmanned flight facilities in the country. In collaboration with K­State, Petfood Forum, the
industry's major international meeting, offered a
hands­on pet treat innovation workshop at K­State
The campus's UAS bachelor's degree program began
Olathe during the April 2015 conference.
in 2011 and since doubled in enrollment almost every
year. The initial degree focused on flight and
operations; in fall 2015, a second bachelor's degree
was added in UAS design and integration. Kansas
State Polytechnic is a core member of the FAA Center
of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, as is
Wichita State University and the University of Kansas. Interest was so high that Petfood Forum invited the
university to collaborate in creating the Petfood
Innovation Workshop and the K­State Pet Food
Experience. Nearly 200 attendees gathered in
Manhattan to hear KSU faculty presentations and
keynote speakers from the Kansas Departments of
Agriculture and Commerce. DID YOU KNOW?
Aldrich said the meeting brought together researchers,
Kansas State University has been designated the first
bicycle friendly university in Kansas by the League of
students, industry contacts, innovators and public
officials to a town hall­style meeting to discuss how the
industry can grow in Kansas. American Bicyclists? Facebook
K­State Governmental Relations Staff
Sue Peterson, Director of Governmental Relations Kristin Holt, Assistant to the Director Asher Gilliland, Legislative Assistant
Twitter
Website
Contact Information
Office of Governmental Relations 110 Anderson Hall Manhattan, KS 66506­0112
785­532­6227
www.ksu.edu/govrelations
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