October 8, 2024
A Successful Summer and Start to the Fall 2024 Semester for the DPO
Happy Fall!
We trust you are excited to be back on campus and are feeling good about classes. As this fall semester starts to get going, the K-State College of Agriculture/K-State Research & Extension (KSRE) Diversity Programs Office (DPO) and the K-State Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) Chapter want to highlight some events that happened over the summer and announce the upcoming events.
We are excited to welcome all Project IMPACT students back, but especially the 2024-2025 MAPS & KOMPASS scholars! We also want to welcome Sydney Love. Sydney completed her undergraduate at Langston University and was a fellow in the KSRE program. She has been accepted into K-State and the Agronomy Master’s program and her advisor is Dr. Colby Moorberg. Congrats Sydney! We also welcome Terrah Dunn from the 2023 KSRE cohort who started this summer in Grain Sciences and Industry with Dr. Chad Miller as her advisor and Bryce Scott, South Carolina State University graduate and FAS fellow in Agricultural Economics with Dr. Lonnie Hobbs, Jr. as his advisor. Below are the 2024 cohorts!
KSRE Fellows:
• Avion Brown, Tennessee State University
• Amore Clayton, Tuskegee University
• Chaz Hardy, Tennessee State University
• Caleb Hines, Tuskegee University
• Cana Jackson, Prairie View A&M University
• Dawn Earles, Tuskegee University
• Ervin Richebourg, Virginia State University
• Jaden Teamer, Florida A&M University
• Kayli Smith, Prairie View A&M University
• Kourtney Brown, Langston University
• Luke Roberts, Delaware State University
• Malachi Guillory, Prairie View A&M University
• Myles Lowery, Langston University
• Sydney Love, Langston University
• Sydney Wyche, Tennessee State University
• Tamesha Young, North Carolina A&T State University
• Zaria Heckstall, Virginia State University
Project Impact Scholars:
MAPS:
• Arianna Simmons, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Cedar Umana, Pre-Veterinary Medicine
• Elijah Lewis, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Evan Buckner, Food Science
• Hailey Black, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Isabel Huddleston, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Katelyn Patrick, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Patrick Amaro, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Sara Lopez, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Blue Sawyer, Entomology
KOMPASS
• Lillian Duran, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Zhariah-May Lewis, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Madison Seyb, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Lionel Dunbar Jr., Animal Sciences & Industry
• Noah Elmore, Animal Sciences & Industry
• Ja’Ron Carter Lee, Agricultural Economics
• Dayannara Briceno, Animal Sciences & Industry
To start the semester, the DPO and MANRRS have successfully completed the Week of Welcome that included the MSO Mixer on August 21, the Activities Carnival on August 22, the BSU Barbecue on August 24, and the Watermelon Feed on August 27. Thank you to all who helped with running these events and tabling!
K-State MANRRS prepared for the fall semester with their Executive Board Retreat on August 21, 2024. Thanks to Valerie Conard, Ardent Mills Sr Director PMO, for coming and facilitating this for our executive board. Her theme was the “Value of Leadership.” Later, K-State MANRRS had the first general body meeting on August 28 with new and returning students about their summer experiences with excitement for a great fall 2024 semester. On September 12-14, K-State MANRRS took a group of students to John Deere Headquarters visit in Moline IL, for the Deere/MANRRS Day. During the 2024 All University wide career fair, K-State MANRRS hosted their annual corporate showcase that included, Hills Pet Food Nutrition, Merck Animal Health, Ardent Mills, Cargill, and Seaboard on September 25, 2024, at 6:00 pm in Waters Hall.
The DPO kicked off October by visiting Haskell Indian Nations University to share opportunities in MANRRS on the local, regional, and national levels. It was a productive meeting with food and fellowship with HINU administrators, faculty/staff, and students. The K-State MANRRS executive board represented us well. We are pleased to continue the opportunity to partner with HINU students to increase the impact of MANRRS and opportunities in the food/agricultural sciences. At the Oct 9th meeting we will celebrate our advisor, Dr. Zelia Wiley’s birthday as well as update the chapter for K-State MANRRS week, October 14-18, 2024. The week includes partnership with the Popenoe Entomology Club, Kansas First Book (KSFB), The Andersons, Office of DEIB, and many others. We will start on October 14 with a 9:00 am coffee hour with Hill’s Pet Nutrition at Waters Hall and a 6:00 pm study hall later that evening. On October 15, Dr. Rana Johnson, VP for Diversity Equity, Inclusion and Belonging will be our featured speaker for our 15th biannual “Growing Our Mindset” with other speakers to include College of AG student leadership and closing remarks from The Andersons. For Wednesday, October 16, we will have our Career Readiness Workshop to get students prepared for the MANRRS Regional Cluster on November 1 with many corporate and governmental partners. Our continued partnership with K-State First and the Provost Office to support the 2024 common book will allow us to continue our reach to students. The book, “Dear Utopia: A Memoir – and A Love Letter to the Way of Life” by Nyle DeMarco was selected for the common read. Join us for our virtual book review panel facilitated by April Mason-Taylor, Coordinator for Diversity Programs, on October 17 at 11:30 am. The zoom link will be forthcoming. We will finish MANRRS week on October 18 on social media to capture the week and show all of you appreciation for your participation.
If you have questions and would like to collaborate on future programming, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Zelia Wiley or April Mason–Taylor at 785.532.5793 and to stay informed follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram.