As K-Staters, we face challenging times together. 

On March 16, Kansas State University announced that in response to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the university would maintain a limited operations status through the end of the semester, based on  guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly.

All classes will be taught remotely through the end of the semester, and in-person commencement ceremonies have been cancelled. K-State Alumni Association staff is also working remotely during this national emergency. 

As the situation evolves, you can find the most up-to-date information on K-State’s COVID-19 response at k-state.edu/covid-19 and the latest K-State news day-by-day at k-state.edu/today. The K-State Alumni Association also has a detailed information page on our own response to COVID-19. 

“I know each of us will act responsibly to help us protect the entire K-State family and the local communities that are home to our campuses," K-State president Richard Myers ’65 wrote in a letter to the K-State community. “We can meet this challenge with the strength and resiliency our university has demonstrated for over 150 years."

Many K-Staters have asked how they can help with K-State’s COVID-19 response: You can help by giving to the #KStateStrong Emergency Response Fund to address emerging needs of K-State students, faculty and staff at ksufoundation.org/kstatestrong.  

Take care and stay safe,
The K-State Alumni Association staff

Amid increasing worldwide concern about a novel coronavirus, COVID-19, Kansas State University has licensed a technology that may lead to the production of an antiviral drug to treat coronaviruses and noroviruses. 

Yungeong Kim and Kyeong-Ok “KC” Chang, virologists in the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine, and William Groutas, a medicinal chemist at Wichita State University, have been using National Institutes of Health grants to work on human norovirus therapeutics and recently received an additional $3.7 million grant to develop antiviral drugs to treat Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, better known as MERS human coronavirus. Their work extends to other human viruses that have a similar viral protease, such as rhinoviruses and the newly emerged human coronavirus, COVID-19. [See the most up-to-date information on K-State’s response to COVID-19.]

No antiviral drugs are yet available for human norovirus or coronaviruses, which include SARS, MERS and COVID-19. This could change as a result of a new license agreement between K-State and Cocrystal Pharma Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company that is discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics to further develop certain proprietary broad-spectrum antiviral compounds for the treatment of norovirus and coronavirus infections.

Cocrystal has been granted an exclusive license to certain antiviral compounds developed by Kim, Chang and Groutas. The company intends to pursue research and development of these antiviral compounds, including preclinical and clinical development.

“This licensing agreement provides support to confront the emerging strain of coronavirus with urgency and caution,” said Bonnie Rush, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at K-State. “The work of our K-State researchers is tremendously challenging and has never been more timely.”

Rush said Chang and Kim have collaborated for years on the development of antiviral compounds to combat devastating viral diseases of humans and animals.

Similar to coronaviruses, human norovirus is a major pathogen with 10-21 million cases each year in the U.S. alone. The virus causes gastroenteritis and also is a potential bioterrorism agent because of its ability to cause debilitating illness.

“Our protease inhibitors target a virus protein called 3C or 3C-like proteases, which are essential for virus replication,” Kim said. “Other antiviral drugs that have a similar mechanism are HIV protease inhibitors and hepatitis C virus protease inhibitors, but these do not work well against coronavirus.”

The licensing agreement was coordinated by K-State Innovation Partners, formerly known as the Kansas State University Research Foundation.

“The team at Cocrystal Pharma moved with a high sense of urgency to finalize the license negotiations,” said Bret Ford ’03, ’06, director of business development and licensing at Innovation Partners. “We look forward to watching them move with the same sense of urgency to advance our antiviral compounds toward human clinical trials.”

Photo courtesy of Joe Montgomery ’84, K-State College of Veterinary Medicine
Original article: https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/2020-02/cocrystal_license22820.html

Success, sustainability and service — these platforms are what student body president Tel Wittmer (pictured at right), junior in secondary education, and vice president elect Lane Lundeen (left), junior in fisheries, conservation and wildlife biology, championed for during the 2020 SGA elections. The pair is focused on advocating for students and ensuring K-State is a welcoming place for all.

“It’s important that we can give students tools that help them on campus, because it’s not good enough just to recruit students, but making sure that they have resources available and that they’re well supported and we’re meeting their expectations,” said Wittmer, who also served as a 2019 K-State Student Ambassador.

By using their varied experiences growing up, the pair wants to ensure all students are heard.

Tel Wittmer

Wittmer comes from a family of educators, so to him, becoming a teacher is a natural career choice. He was set to student teach next spring. However, by becoming student body president, he has to push back his student teaching semester to the fall 2021 semester. He plans to take classes to pursue a minor.

“I would definitely have no problem with looking at getting a minor [in] anthropology or history,” Wittmer said.

Wittmer grew up is Oswego, Kansas, and Holton, Kansas — two relatively small towns. To some, this might seem like a disadvantage, but Wittmer enjoyed the experience.

“I think the stereotype of small towns is that everyone’s in each other’s business,” Wittmer said. “But, I mean, my perspective at the end of the day was that everybody was connected to each other and invested in each other and I really enjoyed that part.”

Lane Lundeen

Lundeen grew up in the small town of Fowler, Kansas. His graduating class was five students.

“I have more siblings than I do in my graduating class,” Lundeen laughed. “It was definitely a shock coming here, but it wasn’t super bad because two of my brothers came here, and I’d kind of gotten used to it. And I went through Wildcat Warm-up, and that really helped me get acclimated.”

However, coming from a class of five students to large lectures was something he had to adjust to.

“The size of the classes was terrifying,” Lundeen said. “My first class, luckily, was only 20. But my next class was about 114 students. I did so bad on my first tests because I had no idea how to study and I was also like, ‘Freedom, independence!’”
  

Moving forward

Lundeen said they will work with administrators, faculty and Faculty Senate to advocate for students. A large concern Wittmer and Lundeen heard when meeting with students across campus is curriculum and K-State 8 courses.

“It seems like a lot of students are not satisfied with the general curriculum,” Wittmer said. “What I’d love to see and encourage is a push towards very unique and applicable courses that may or may not be required for students like budgeting and financial planning or more intercultural classes.”

Wittmer and Lundeen have big goals, but only a year to achieve them. They plan to work with current student body president Jansen Penny, senior in industrial engineering, and vice president Ali Karamali, senior in chemical engineering, to transition into their roles seamlessly. In addition, Wittmer hopes to communicate with K-State alumni.

“Our alumni do so much and [I] want to make sure we that we have a great relationship with them moving forward because they are so generous,” Wittmer said. “Continuing that relationship is a big priority.”

Wittmer and Lundeen also have individual goals: Wittmer aspires to include all students in the governing process and Lundeen aspires to hear everyone’s voice in the decision-making process.

“I’m really excited to work alongside everyone else in student government to see how cohesive it can be not only for student government, but also for students,” Lundeen said.

Article written by Bailey Britton, K-State Alumni Association

It will come as no surprise to K-Staters that former football coach Bill Snyder is being recognized with an Honorary Star Award at the 30th annual Kindest Kansas Citian Awards Celebration. 

Snyder is known for being a leader with a dedication to service and compassion — both on and off the field. Former players, fellow coaches, university leaders and community members will testify about his personal character and legacy of giving back.

The 30th annual Kindest Kansas Citian Awards Celebration, hosted by Synergy Services, will take place Aug. 8 in Kansas City. More than 400 guests will enjoy entertainment, dinner and the presentation of the 2020 Kindest Kansas Citian and Honorary Star Awards.

The 20 yearly Kindest Kansas Citian award winners are selected through an essay contest, where thousands of students nominate individuals who have made an impact on their lives through kindness. Honorary Stars are outstanding community leaders who will be inducted into the “Kindness Crew” for their charitable work in the community.

In addition to his accomplishments on the football field, Snyder has given back to the community in numerous ways. He’s been involved in many organizations, including:

• Chair of the Kansas Mentors Council and the Kansas Leadership Council
• Board of Directors for Kansas Leadership Center
• Board of Trustees for the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
• Terry C. Johnson Cancer Research Center Advisory Council
• Manhattan Community Foundation Board of Trustees
• KSU Foundation Board of Trustees

He was awarded the 2015 Excellence in Mentoring Award by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership in recognition of his longstanding commitment to meeting the mentoring needs of young people in Kansas.

Even though he has now retired as K-State’s football coach, his influence on the next generation of Wildcats continues through K-State’s Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows, a special leadership development program honoring Coach Snyder’s work.

The program is rooted in the 16 Goals for Success and gives top students at the university a chance to learn from mentors like Coach Snyder, community and business leaders, successful athletes and scholars. It promotes a philosophy of service and leadership in action, encouraging students to make a difference in the world they live in.

Over the years, former players have told stories of how Coach Snyder encouraged them both in football and in life. These former players include the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, who still has a handwritten letter Coach Snyder sent him after a Texas Tech loss to K-State. In his children’s book, Take it From Me, Snyder discusses his 16 Goals for Success: commitment, unselfishness, unity, improve, be tough, self-discipline, great effort, enthusiasm, eliminate mistakes, never give up, don’t accept losing, no self-limitations, expect to win, consistency, leadership and responsibility.  
 
“We are so excited to honor Coach Snyder for our 30th annual Kindest Kansas Citian celebration,” said Synergy Services co-executive director Robin Winner. “Coach Snyder has exemplified kindness in his approach to life as well as in his coaching style, encouraging players on both sides of the field.” 

For tickets to the awards celebration, visit www.synergyservices.org. All proceeds from the event go to Synergy Services’ school-based anti-bullying programming.

Lead photo: Former football coach Bill Snyder is pictured at the 2020 Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award ceremony. (David Mayes ’96, K-State Alumni Association)

Since she was a child, Aurora Rowland-Martinez ’93 knew she wanted to become a performer. 

However, she also knew that the life of an actor could be unpredictable, and she wanted a secure career. Thankfully, this talented K-Stater has found a way to do both. 

Rowland-Martinez works as an occupational therapist, a career that provides enough flexibility in her schedule to attend auditions. She currently lives in Los Angeles and recently booked a guest star role on the ABC network series For Life, which premiered on Feb. 11.

Rowland-Martinez appears in episode seven (which aired March 31), playing the role of Tricia, the girlfriend of a prison inmate. For Life is based on true events and is about a prisoner who becomes a lawyer litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit.

“This is a great role since I have the opportunity to represent Native Americans,” Rowland-Martinez said, adding that she was active in the Native American Student Association while at K-State. “As an actor, I enjoy being part of projects that shed light on social justice issues. [This role] is part of a story that is much bigger than me. It’s a story that calls our attention to the injustices within the foundation of the criminal justice system.”

On the set

Booking a guest star role as an actor is definitely a milestone for any actor trying to break into film and television, Rowland-Martinez said.

“The original casting notice was limited to actors from New York City since the shoot was taking place in New York City. Casting couldn’t find who they wanted so they opened up the role to all regions. My agent submitted me for the role and casting requested that I do a ‘self-tape’ and send it to my agent. A little over a week passed before my agent contacted me to ask if I was available for certain shoot dates, to which I happily said ‘yes!’ The following week my agent called me to tell me that I had booked the job.”

Rowland-Martinez said her experience filming the show included many moments that she will treasure forever — from the time the chauffeur picked her up from her residence, to flying to New York City, staying in a hotel, going to wardrobe and being on set. She also was impressed with everyone’s level of professionalism. 

“On set, I was well taken care of by everyone,” she said. “The lead actors and other actors were welcoming and kind. The writers and directors were especially accommodating and made me feel at ease.”

“Tricia” on For Life hasn’t been Rowland-Martinez’s only role — she’s also booked a role as a sheriff, where she said she enjoyed the scene of taking down a suspect. She has played an assistant to a vigilante, as well as mothers and caregivers. 

“My agent and my acting coach both reminded me that more than half of the actors in Los Angeles will never book a guest star role so I am grateful and humbled that I booked this role [on For Life],” she said.

She believes the series For Life will inspire important conversations in our culture.

“Film and TV will always have an impact on our outlook in society,” she said. “I hope this series For Life will have an impact that moves people to become advocates for others.”

Experience at K-State

Rowland-Martinez earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from K-State and later a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Columbia University. In addition to K-State’s Native American Student Association, she also was involved in HALO (Hispanic and Latino Organization) and the Multicultural Student Organization.

“Besides earning a degree at K-State, I learned the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone and reaching out to people from different countries and different religious backgrounds,” she said. “Being kind to others goes a long way. I built good relationships with my professors who genuinely cared about my education; I felt valued by the faculty and that I mattered. I had wonderful experiences with the organizations that I participated in. I’ve gone back to K-State to visit and I enjoy reminiscing about my time at K-State.

Want to learn more about For Life and Rowland-Martinez’s work as an actor?

• Watch the trailer
• Watch the series
• Aurora Rowland-Martinez’s acting website
• Aurora Rowland-Martinez on Twitter

In theater, an actor brings lines from a page to life, working with fellow actors to create a new world for people to explore, enjoy and learn from. For Jayden Gittle, freshman in theater and education, this ability is what attracted her to pursue theater at Kansas State University.

“Theater has become my way of expression just like painting is to artists,” Gittle said. “It allows me to step into the shoes of others and see the world through their eyes. It teaches me both art and life skills.”

To assist with the cost of attending college, Gittle applied for and was awarded the Slinkman Theatre Scholarship.

The fund was established by Carl Jackson to honor his late wife, Lizbeth Slinkman ’78, ’82.

Slinkman, a Manhattan, Kansas, native, graduated with a bachelor’s in secondary education and a master’s in speech. She spent her career as the associate dean of administration at William and Mary Law School.

“Liz loved theater. I wanted to continue her commitment to help students, but in a different way,” Jackson said. “Liz was a die-hard supporter of all things K-State. She loved Bill Snyder, K-State football and ‘Top of the World.’ I wanted someone else to have those experiences, but made a little easier with the scholarship.” Read more

Pushing boundaries in entrepreneurship and agriculture

K-State students are known for going above and beyond. For Kayley Brethour, a junior in entrepreneurship, going above and beyond her curriculum means a focus on sustainability, while looking for new ways to improve her leadership skills. But Brethour is not your average college student.

Brethour was selected to be a Cargill Global Scholar in her sophomore year at K-State. Cargill Global Scholars are “a group of individuals who excel in their field of interest but who come together to grow as both individuals and professionals by developing their leadership skills and focus on giving back to their communities,” Brethour said.

The Cargill Global Scholars program provides students with tools needed to become global leaders and provide innovative solutions to meet today’s growing economic, environmental and social challenges.

“The program is much more than a scholarship. [As a Scholar] I have the opportunity to participate in an in-country seminar, a global seminar and mentoring from Cargill executives both nationally and internationally,” Brethour said.

She is currently in the middle of the scholars’ program, having completed one seminar with her fellow U.S. representatives. This next summer, Brethour will be spreading her wings farther and meeting with international representatives for a five-day Cargill Global Scholars’ seminar. These seminars help students gain a better understanding of the global perspectives and issues to grow their leadership skills. 

Brethour’s love for the environment started long before she became a Wildcat. While she was in high school, Brethour found a love for beekeeping. This passion project sparked her interest in the research of declining bee populations, as well as showing her the drive that it takes to make a difference.

“Beekeeping was the start of my entrepreneurship journey. Through the experience of raising bees and selling the honey, I learned to work hard, the value of educating the public about your product, and developing marketing techniques to increase sales,” Brethour said. “I am currently working on developing a viable business model using what I’ve learned that I hope to put into place after I graduate.” Read more