College of Veterinary Medicine announces new class of RUSH DVM Scholars

The 2026 RUSH DVM scholars, from left: Nathan Frater, Karli Miller, Ellie Kidwell, Reighan Sherrill, Kristian Farran and Dr. Caroline Rost, assistant dean of admissions.

 

The College of Veterinary Medicine has selected recipients for a scholarship program that helps address shortages of rural veterinarians while increasing overall access to veterinary education.

Created by a $250,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in 2024, the program is titled Rural and Underrepresented Scholarship for Hopeful Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Students program, or “RUSH DVM.”

“The RUSH DVM program, a NIFA MSP grant, focuses on recruiting candidates to K-State College of Veterinary Medicine who are passionate about rural veterinary medicine, who are first generation student and who have unique backgrounds and unique future interests,” said Dr. Caroline Rost, assistant dean of admissions. The award also provides opportunities to receive support to attend conferences and participate in professional development while the students complete the DVM program. The RUSH scholarship supports students financially but also allows them to build valuable connections and gain insights relevant to their veterinary careers.

The new class of RUSH DVM Scholars are:

Karli Miller, Kokomo, Indiana; Kristian Farran, Rogersville, Missouri.; Nathan Frater, Frisco, Texas; Reighan Sherrill, Keller, Texas; and Ellie Kidwell, Walhonding, Ohio.

The grant was funded through NIFA’s Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP), whose goal is to increase the variety of the food and agricultural workforce and to advance the educations achievement by providing competitive grants to higher learning institutions.

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