Lifelines Online

August 2026 - Vol. 21, No. 8
< July 2026

Latest Headlines

K-State advances efforts to strengthen veterinary capacity in rural Kansas

Students evaluating a pH test result

Kansas needs frontline veterinarians to serve every corner of the state, and a coalition including experts from Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine is finding new ways to address the gaps in veterinary coverage for rural Kansas. The Rural Veterinary Workforce Task Force recently released a five‑year impact summary highlighting major advancements in strengthening the pipeline, development and retention of veterinarians serving Kansas' agricultural communities.

K‑State's CEZID awarded $11.4M in continued NIH funding

Dr. Juergen Richt stands next to a white board, wearing a white lab coatContinuing a research program that has strengthened Kansas State University's capacity to study diseases that threaten animal and human health, the National Institutes of Health has approved $11.4 million in funding for Phase 2 of the Center on Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The NIH award supports the program for an additional five years through April 30, 2031.

College of Veterinary Medicine appoints Dr. Emily Klocke for Doughman professorship

Dr. Emily Klocke shows the surgery suite in Mosier Hall

Dr. Emily Klocke, clinical professor of small animal surgery in the clinical sciences department, has been chosen as the new holder of the Roy and Lucille M. Doughman Professorship. The recipient of this professorship must be a faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine in the field of small animal surgery. She has taught surgical skills and principles at K-State for 21 years.

Second-year student Brooke Paisley receives national feline scholarship

Veterinary student holding a catThe (FelineVMA) and Merck Animal Health are delighted to announce the recipients. Brooke Paisley was one of two recipients of the $10,000 award. Her dream is to advance research in feline medicine to close the gap in data we have for feline medicine compared to other species. She also hopes to empower veterinarians and contribute to their knowledge of how to care for their feline patients.

Veterinary Research Scholars Program presents posters and attends national symposium

Group photos of VRSP scholarsThe 2026 session of the Veterinary Research Scholars Program, or VRSP, enlisted 17 veterinary students who collaborated with research mentors in the College of Veterinary Medicine and three from the USDA. Fifteen of the students are second-year or third-year veterinary students at K-State. They were joined by a pair of students from the University of Florida and University of Minnesota, respectively.

Cattle Chat: The economics of creep feeding

Cattle in a pasture, photo from KSRE

As the grazing season winds down toward fall, Kansas State University veterinarians say cattle producers may want to consider the practice of “creep feeding” to sustain growth in calves.

 

VTPRK Scholars tour veterinary practices and livestock facilities in rural Kansas

VTPRK Scholars at Ellsworth Animal Hospital, LLC.

Eleven scholars from the Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas (VTPRK) visited veterinary practices and livestock facilities across southwest Kansas May 18-21. The experience gave VTPRK students the opportunity to engage with veterinarians, clients and producers in a variety of practice settings while exploring different regions of Kansas and learning about the unique needs of rural communities.

 

Regular features

Alumni Events, Development and Continuing Education

VMAA Connect Purple logoThe Veterinary Medical Alumni Association organizes alumni receptions at several national annual conferences, as well as continuing education events and more.

 

 

 

News Ticker

More news from the college

Welcome Hodes Family Dean Dr. Annette O'Connor

Following a national search, the K-State Provost named Dr. Annette O'Connor the next dean of the Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. She officially started Aug. 2, having built her career serving science, society, animals and higher education by connecting research to real-world practice and impact and training the next generation of leaders in veterinary science, animal health and public health. She previously served as a professor of epidemiology along with senior leadership roles at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, including senior associate dean for faculty and administrative affairs, interim associate dean for student engagement and success, department chair and interim hospital director. Learn a little about Dr. O'Connor in the video above, hosted by CVM Marketing and Communications Director Audrey Hambright.

A multi-departmental team consisting of Drs. Scott Fritz (lead PI in A&P), Jamie Retallick (DMP), Dr. Kate KuKanich (DCS) and Hatem Kittana (DMP) has received $53,200 from the Federal Drug Administration for their project, “KSVDL Vet-LRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program.”

Dr. Kate KuKanich was one of several contributors to publish, Improvements in knowledge and detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales transmission in companion animals will strengthen prevention across the One Health spectrum, in the American Journal of Veterinary Research on July 31.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited the CVM Aug. 5, to learn about K-State and the CVM's innovative work in veterinary education, including the integration of AI into teaching, research, and patient care. During her visit, Secretary McMahon was given a tour of Mosier Hall and Trotter Hall and viewed demonstrations showcasing how faculty and students are incorporating AI into learning. See a full photo gallery online: Secretary McMahon visits KSU | Flickr

 

Graduate student receives first place for social-media video abstract

Collage of two images of a grad student standing in front of a research poster and also receiving an award certificate from another person
Research assistant and graduate student Christine Langner achieves research success with her video abstract presentation based on her research, which she presented at the American Society for Virology meeting in July in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Congratulations to Christine Langner for winning 1st prize at the American Society for Virology meeting 2026 for her video abstract titled “Why do we still need new COVID vaccines?” The objective of the compeition is aims to reach audiences beyond the conference hall and to support the next generation of science communicators. Entries were judged on scientific communication, accessibility and production design.

Christine extends thanks to Hale Library and the CVM library for providing the filming equipment. She also acknowledges the team of the Science Communication and Society Summer School from the University of Leiden (Netherlands) for their valuable input.

Dr. Troy Holder introduces clients to the VHC's equine emergency services

More than 350 campers visit the CVM for Vet Med ROCKS summer day camp

Collage of activities from Vet Med ROCKS day camp for grade school, middle school and high school students
Vet Med ROCKS campers participate in a wide variety of hands-on stations focusing on different veterinary disciplines involving large animal and small animal medicine.
Vet Med ROCKS (Recruitment and Outreach Club of Kansas State) held its 8th annual summer camp July 27, 28 and 29. A total of 147 high schoolers, 124 middle schoolers, and 88 grade schoolers attended camp. Campers attended from Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. From Kansas, there were 119 high school students, 112 middle school students and 83 grade school students. Campers participated in many hands-on experiences such as dissection in anatomy, identifying parasites, practicing surgery prep skills, and food animal skills just to name a few.

Class of 2030 completes orientation for start of the fall semester

Collage of pictures of the new first-year DVM students going through orientation, including a full group photo of all the students.
The class of 2030 arrived on campus Aug. 19 and sat through several orientation sessions before wrapping up the week with a tour of the Veterinary Health Center.

Every pet counts at Manhattan's annual Everybody Counts community service event

Collage of photos from Everybody Counts community event
The Wellness on Wheels vehicle provides the mobile headquarters for the CVM's Community Outreach team at the annual Everybody Counts event held on the first Saturday in August. Inset photos from top left to bottom right feature fourth-year student Weston Ahles, third-year student Mya Croy, fourth-year student Mary Rosa and third-year student Alexandra Forshee, nurse Intern Ciana Timmins, second-year student Shae McChesney and Dr. Kate KuKanich.
Kudos to all the students, staff and faculty who volunteered their time and talents Aug. 1 for Everybody Counts - Manhattan. The annual community event provides free health services, preventative veterinary care, a clothing giveaway, commodities distribution and information booths for the Manhattan community.

This year, the veterinary team cared for 81 pets belonging to 55 owners, including 63 dogs and 18 cats. A total of 71 rabies vaccines, 58 DA2P vaccines, and 18 FVRCP vaccines were administered, helping keep pets healthy while supporting families in the community. Hill's Pet Nutrition provided free food for the community visitors who brought their pets to the event.

Congrats to the August graduates in the One Year Master's program!

A group of eight students holding certificates
The August cohort of candidates completed their studies in the One Year Master's in Biomedical Science program. From left: Reece Adams, Brooke Welling, Gentiana Lecaj, Whitnie Norton, Sebastiane Rivera Gonazles, Sarah Grandy, Evelyn Sayne and Alexis Vazquez Ramirez.

 

New Arrivals/Recent Departures

 

CVM News Feed is published each month by the Marketing and Communications Office at the College of Veterinary Medicine. The editors are Rylee Moore, ryleec@vet.k-state.edu, and Joe Montgomery, jmontgom@vet.k-state.edu.

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