K-State Alumni Association honors eight K-State students for excellence

Posted April 01, 2020

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Eight graduating Kansas State University students have been recognized by the K-State Alumni Association for outstanding achievements throughout their college careers.

The Association recognizes students annually with Anderson Senior Awards, Graduate Student Awards, Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Awards.

Faculty and peers nominate students for the awards, and committees consisting of members of the Alumni Association board of directors and K-State students select the recipients.

"These students are role models for leadership, community service and academics and exemplify the caliber of students at K-State," said Collin Just, assistant director of student programs for the Alumni Association. "The Alumni Association is pleased to celebrate their successes by recognizing them for their contributions to the Wildcat community."

The Anderson Senior Award recognizes four graduating seniors for excellence in academics, leadership, inspiration and service. The award was established in 1998 and pays tribute to K-State's second president, John Anderson, who served from 1873 to 1879. The recipients are:

Clara Wicoff, Iola, Kansas, bachelor's candidate in agricultural economics with a secondary major in global foods systems leadership, for academics.
Darrell Reese Jr., Plano, Texas, bachelor's candidate in human resource management, for leadership.
Megan Briggs, Leavenworth, Kansas, bachelor's candidate in social work, for inspiration.
Katheryn Gregerson, Herman, Nebraska, bachelor's candidate in agricultural economics with a secondary major in global foods systems leadership, for service.

The Alumni Association recognizes two graduate students with its Graduate Student Award, which was established in 2010. The award recognizes outstanding graduate students for academics, service and leadership. The recipients are:

Hojjatollah Fallahi, Marvdasht, Iran, doctoral candidate in electrical engineering, for academics.
Emily Pascoe Oertling, Forked River, New Jersey, doctoral candidate in human ecology – specializing in apparel and textiles, for leadership and service.

Two students have been recognized with the Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Award. The award was established in honor of the late K-State professor Tony Jurich, who taught in the College of Health and Human Sciences – formerly the College of Human Ecology for more than 39 years. It recognizes both graduate and undergraduate students who have demonstrated a commitment to community leadership and service through Jurich's core leadership tenets. The recipients are:

Katie Buhler, Pratt, Kansas, bachelor's candidate in elementary education.
Michelle Washburn-Busk, Pleasant View, Utah, doctoral candidate in family studies and human services.