As Kristine Larson Davis ’15 grew up in small-town Galva, Kansas, she looked up at the stars and dreamed about exploring the universe. 

Those far-away stars and planets shining in the night sky seemed a very, very long way from Kansas, but she never let go of her dream.

Her parents would often take her to the Cosmosphere space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas, which helped the wonders of the universe feel just a little bit closer. In middle school, she had the opportunity to attend space camp and heard that one of the best ways to work at NASA was to become an engineer.

“I loved space, and decided then I wanted to become a mechanical engineer to work for NASA one day,” Davis said. “I carried that goal through high school and college, and it helped me get to where I am today.”

Davis currently serves as a spacesuit engineer at NASA, helping to prepare for the Artemis missions. According to NASA, the goal of the Artemis program is to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, eventually taking “the next giant leap,” which is sending astronauts to Mars.

Launching a career

In her role as a spacesuit engineer, Davis is working on the pressure garment of the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU), which will serve as the spacesuit for the Artemis missions. Specifically, she is in charge of the helmet; sun visor, also known as the EVVA (Extravehicular Visor Assembly); and the waist assembly.

“My tasks range from project management and systems engineering, to testing hardware and understanding how well it works for our future astronauts,” she said. “I love that I get to work on the Artemis spacesuit, which will enable future exploration. My favorite days are when I get to be the test subject, and experience what it is like to be in a pressurized spacesuit.”

Want to read more? Look for the full article in the spring 2020 issue of K-Stater magazine, available exclusively for
K-State Alumni Association members. 

From a thrilling victory against Oklahoma during Homecoming week, to the partial reopening of Hale Library after a tragic 2018 fire, the fall 2019 semester was a great time to be a K-Stater. 

Here are some of our favorite news stories from the second half of the year:

Manhattan, Kansas, is more than 2,000 miles away from El Amate, Guatemala. 

However, the Engineers Without Borders program at Kansas State University has brought these two communities closer together in a symbolic sense. 

Through Engineers Without Borders, students are able to work on engineering projects that benefit communities like El Amate, both locally and around the globe. 

Chapters of Engineers Without Borders partner with a community for at least five years, building a long-term, sustainable relationship. The K-State chapter started in 2013 and was partnered with El Amate.

“Engineers Without Borders is a humanitarian organization that helps people meet basic human needs,” said Sierra Staatz, a sophomore in chemical engineering and vice president of the K-State Engineers Without Borders chapter. “That is the essence of what we do.”

Building community

The K-State chapter has 50 members, representing every department in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering. Staatz said the goal is to eventually involve students from other majors, such as marketing or business.

Staatz said she grew up in a small town and was very involved in her high school, signing up for as many activities as possible. Coming to K-State was a very different experience, and at first she said it was hard to adjust to an environment with such a large number of people.

She attended a few Engineers Without Borders meetings, and she ended up helping coordinate program funds, participating in the annual volleyball fundraiser and connecting with inspiring upperclassmen. Through this volunteer experience, Staatz not only found a way to give back to others, she also found a community where she felt she truly belonged.

“It made me find my family,” she said. “That was huge. Now I love K-State. I love the people, and since we have a common goal, we can connect.”

The K-State chapter has worked on a number of projects in El Amate. They completed a school/community center in 2015, followed by a latrine/sanitation system in 2017. The goal for 2020 is to build a retaining wall — a critical piece of infrastructure that will keep the school in place — as well as design a kitchen for the site.

A group of K-State students is planning to travel to Guatemala to work on these projects in January.

Lending a hand

In addition to the international team, K-State Engineers Without Borders also has a domestic team that addresses local needs. They recently partnered with Habitat for Humanity and constructed a wheelchair ramp for a home in Westmoreland, Kansas.

The group’s outreach projects also help the next generation of potential engineers, such as the GROW Workshops for middle school girls interested in STEM.  

Staaz said being involved in Engineers Without Borders has taught her a number of skills, such as working under deadlines and communicating effectively. She said it’s important for students to have something to care about that is beyond themselves.

“I liked that it was service-oriented,” she said of the program. “Engineers Without Borders has an impact on actual people.”

If you’d like to support the mission of K-State Engineers Without Borders, the KSU Foundation has established a special fund for the program. Learn more

Mike Bergmeier ’83 is proud of the fact his family has not just one but eight official K-State license plates. 

“It identifies our family as part of the Kansas State University family,” said Bergmeier, an engineering  grad whose three youngest children are also studying at K-State. “The K-State license plate tells everyone we know that we’re part of the family.”

Since 1996, the official K-State license plate has been helping alumni and friends display their purple pride wherever they drive. Even better, the plates also are a great way for K-Staters to give back. So far, the tax-deductible royalties paid on K-State license plates have raised more than $4.5 million for student scholarships and recognition of achievements.

There are more than 10,000 plates on the road in Kansas, Texas and Maryland* combined — including the eight from Bergmeier family.

Bergmeier said the K-State license plate is a great conversation starter; if another K-Stater sees the plate, it creates an instant connection.

“It helps spread the good word about Kansas State University,” he said.

The Bergmeiers express their K-State pride in a variety of ways. They’re season ticket holders and sometimes ride in Harley Day at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Bergmeier has purple and silver motorcycles — which of course have K-State license plates.

He encourages other K-Staters to show their pride by getting a license plate.

“It makes a great expression of who you are and who you support, wherever you are in the country,” he said.

Learn more about how you can drive with pride with the official K-State license plate.

*Note: The K-State Alumni Association currently offers license plates in all the states we are currently able to do so.

Thank you to all the Wildcats who traveled to support our team in the 2019 AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, on Dec. 31. 

In addition to the fans at the game, we saw lots of purple at the pre-game parade and the Bash on Beale. 

The winter issue of Good for K-State magazine will be hitting your mailboxes and inboxes soon. In this issue, you’ll discover how Kansas State University, with support from private philanthropy, is nurturing growth and success in students, faculty and innovative programs.

K-State succeeds by making education accessible and providing opportunities for continuous learning wherever one may live. K-State faculty and students succeed by tackling the challenges facing individuals, communities and the world through research discoveries and innovation.

K-State programs provide the leverage students need to succeed, and in turn, students work near and far to help lift up others. With investments from industry partners, alumni and individual philanthropists like you, the seeds of success are cultivated at K-State. Read more

Learning internationally

A typical morning routine for Lily Colburn is to wake up, take a shower and get ready for the day. This past summer though, her showers consisted of a bucket and a cup of water to pour over her body.

When living in Gambia, sustainability of life becomes the only option. For two months Colburn traveled with a K-State International Service Team and was immersed in this new culture.

Taking this trip was a big decision. When Colburn thought about not being able to work during the summer while in Gambia, scholarships became more important than she realized.

“The choice of spending money to go and have this amazing experience while also missing out on the chance to make and save money for the upcoming school year was really difficult,” Colburn said. “So having that scholarship was key in being able to have an experience of a lifetime.” Read more