Elaine Johannes and her personalized box of Wheaties, part of her award for being named Afterschool Champion.

Elaine Johannes, associate professor in family studies and human services, has been named an Afterschool Champion for her contributions to the professional development of youth workers across Kansas, the nation and the globe.

The Afterschool Alliance named eight state champions from around the country. They were honored at the “Breakfast of Champions,” a gala recent event in Washington, D.C. featuring actor Kevin Sorbo and Project Exploration co-founders Dr. Paul Sereno and Dr. Gabrielle Lyon.

Nominated by the Kansas Enrichment Network, Johannes specializes in youth development, healthy lifestyles and community capacity- building. She teaches youth development classes to improve the skills of youth development staff and strengthen the afterschool programs in which they work. The classes are available online and reach national and international audiences.

She has directed two $2.5 million efforts to use afterschool programs to prevent young people from engaging in risky behaviors and has written several afterschool curricula and teaching guides, as well as journal articles and reports on afterschool and youth development.

The professor is on the board of the Manhattan Boys & Girls Club, the executive committee of the Kansas Enrichment Network and the Kansas Military Inter- Service Family Assistance Committee. She also works with the Kansas Dropout Prevention Initiative and is chair of the Kansas Positive Youth Development team.

“We are proud of Professor Johannes and the work she does to instill professionalism and expertise in our students,” said Virginia Moxley, dean of the College of Human Ecology. “Her deep commitments to strengthening military families, to giving youth a voice in society and to promote healthy teens exemplify the mission of the college.”

“Dr. Elaine Johannes is an asset to her community, the University, the State of Kansas, and others nationally and internationally,” said Marcia Dvorak, director of the Kansas Enrichment Network.

The “Breakfast of Champions” is part of the eleventh annual Afterschool for All Challenge, sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance, which brings together hundreds of parents, educators, children, program directors and advocates from around the country for a series of events and meetings with Members of Congress.

The alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs.

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Smith earned her degree from the university in 2004 by taking classes online while on duty overseas with the U.S. Navy. She is now the director of nutrition services at San Diego’s Neighborhood House Association, where she revamped the daily menu for children in the association’s Head Start program. The program provides approximately 6,500 meals each day to children from low-income families.

When Smith started her job in 2008, she was disappointed in and stunned by the foods that the children, who are mostly ages 3 and 4, were being served. The foods were highly processed with an abundance of sodium and fats.

The kitchen she inherited contained no knives, only can openers. The cooks only knew how to use microwaves and ovens. Smith immediately set out to right the situation, purchasing new cooking utensils and retraining her kitchen staff. She said she believes the younger generation deserves the utmost nutritional care.

“Nowhere in my job description does it say that I need to create menus that have whole and natural foods or that I need to feed them in any certain way other than to meet the child care food guidelines from the USDA,” Smith said. “But I feel it is my own responsibility to give them the very best that I can give them.”

Though convincing all of the children to buy into eating more fruits and vegetables presented some obvious challenges, Smith has kids asking their parents to cook at home what she makes for them in the Head Start program.

“We have a 94 percent kid approval rating now,” she said. “The kids go to the grocery store and ask for fresh produce — they recognize it from what they had at school.”

Smith is now focusing her energy on the Farm to Pre-School program, which replaces much of the factory-distributed food in her kitchen with healthy, locally grown foods.

The program will take the children on field trips to the farms where their foods come from, connecting them to the local farming community and introducing them to the idea that food actually grows naturally from the ground and not on grocery store shelves.

Because of her work success and her exemplary representation of Kansas State University, Smith was honored as the university’s Division of Continuing Education alumni fellow for 2012. She visited campus in February to attend the alumni fellow ceremonies. While on campus, she noted the attachment she felt to the university and the hospitality of all the K-State faculty, students and staff she encountered.

Smith said that her bachelor’s degree in dietetics from the College of Human Ecology has served her well in her career. It has helped her make the right decisions in regard to the health and nutrition of the children she works with, and she would recommend it to anyone.

“This degree in dietetics has made a huge impact on my life. I feed children primarily in Head Start, and those children are from families in the lowest incomes in our community. I feel like when they come to our Head Start centers, they are getting the best meals maybe in their whole lives,” she said.

To learn more about Kansas State University’s bachelor’s degree in dietetics through distance education, visit http://www.dce.k-state.edu/humanecology/dietetics/bachelors.

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“Military tactics are one of the pillars the land-grant philosophy was based on,” said Ron Trewyn, vice president for research at K-State. “This fact gives us a greater appreciation of the soldiers’ sacrifice and commitment.”

The university shares that commitment by focusing on research that helps soldiers and their families at all stages of their service: at home; as they prepare to deploy; and during their time overseas.

Helping at home

There may be seemingly endless programs for soldiers and their families focused on relationships, finances or trauma. But Briana Nelson Goff, director of the Institute for the Health and Security of Military Families, said the questions, too, are endless.

“We have to discover if the programs are effective,” she said. “The military is starting to look at that, and we want to help answer those questions. We have to ask what we can do as a university, then provide the research.”

The institute, which is part of the university’s School of Family Studies and Human Services, addresses important questions through research related to the familial aspects of the military. Jared Anderson, assistant professor of family studies and human services, is currently conducting the study “Transition to Marriage in the U.S. Army,” an effort to understand the relationship between areas like marital risk factors and external stress to improve programming supporting Army couples.

Sonya Britt, assistant professor of family studies and human services, and Mary Bell, doctoral student in personal financial planning, are also conducting longitudinal research on financial behaviors and resilience in soldiers and spouses across the deployment cycle.

“This generation is different because they face unique demands like multiple deployments, and that has a different impact, creating wounds that have yet to be fully understood,” Goff said. “Resiliency is a big focus, and as a society we need to ask what we can do for those who aren’t so resilient. Our programs are systemic, based on family.”

Cultural preparation

Proper preparation for deployment is crucial, often going beyond combat training. That’s where research from Kansas State University Libraries comes in. Daryl Youngman, associate professor at Hale Library, said that K-State Libraries have been leaders in creating productive engagement with various elements of the Army community.

“Partnerships have been developed and are being recognized at higher levels,” he said. “There’s a realization of the mutual benefits of working together.”

Through cultural seminars, soldiers are trained to interact with other soldiers and civilians in the countries where they will deploy. At these seminars, Youngman said soldiers participate in activities like cultural meal lessons. They learn the importance of properly engaging Afghan leaders and conducting business during meals by interacting with native Afghan K-State students.

Female U.S. soldiers also have the opportunity to work with Afghani female scholars to discuss cultural issues and the role of women in Afghan society, creating specialized engagement teams.

“These female engagement teams can then go to Afghanistan and interact with female soldiers and civilians in ways that men cannot,” he said.

 Extending the reach

It is also important not to overlook the importance of food and agriculture when preparing for deployments, Youngman said. “As a soldier, you can’t prepare to interact with a society of farmers if you don’t understand their culture.”

The College of Agriculture aims to blur the boundaries between the professions by training Agribusiness Development Teams, in which soldiers learn to be semi-extension agents.

Steven Graham, assistant to the dean of agriculture/director of research and extension, said faculty members put together a crash course in agriculture, with topics ranging from pest management to soil fertility. With this training, soldiers are able to help with things like seed planting, irrigation, crop storage and growing livestock.

“We teach soldiers techniques to make farmers more profitable and to practice safety,” Graham said. “If we can take people up one step, that is a success. If a village doesn’t have clean drinking water, the soldiers can help them build a well. The projects must be sustainable once the soldiers leave, so simpler is better.”

Kansas State University researchers work to arm soldiers with knowledge to help others and themselves.

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The students and their programs are:

• Joanna Howard – apparel marketing. Joanna plans to move to New York City to start a career in the fashion industry. She was an intern with Fashion Connection there last summer. A member of Kappa Omicron Nu honorary and the Apparel Marketing and Design Alliance, she was co-chair of the Apparel & Textiles symposium this spring. She is from Gardner.

• Becca Law Ayon – interior design. Becca has been an interior design intern at Hirsch Bedner Associates in San Francisco and a space planning intern for Perkins+Will working at GTM Sportswear in Manhattan. She served as president of the K-State chapter of American Society of Interior Designers and received several scholarships. Becca, a graduate of Wamego High School, plans to work with Perkins+Will, a nationally architectural firm.

• Logan Hartpence – communication sciences and disorders. Logan plans to pursue a doctorate in audiology at the University of Kansas. He has a cumulative GPA is 4.0 and has received numerous scholarships. He received Outstand Tutor in 2009 from Douglass Tutoring and is vice president of the K-State Student Speech Language Hearing Association. He is from Eudora.

• April Bonilla – family studies and human services on Salina Campus. April is certified as a nursing assistant and a dental assistant and worked as patient coordinator at Salina Pediatric Care. She has received academic honors at K-State and volunteers with League of United Latin American Citizens. She hopes to work with families in Salina build foundations to help them attain their goals and hopes.

• Michelle Hirsch – family studies and human services. Michelle was Human Ecology Council president and attended the honors leadership boot camp in Washington D.C. Her volunteer work includes United Way, Eisenhower Presidential Museum, Boys & Girls Club and Meadowlark Nursing Home where she played the piano and discussed music memories with residents. From Abilene, she plans to become a clinical family therapist.

• Shawna Peters – family studies and human services. Shawna minored in American Ethnic Studies and Nonprofit Leadership Studies. She received the Anderson Senior Award from the Alumni Association and the 2012 Pat Bosco Outstanding Graduating Senior Award. She studied abroad in rural Mexico where she worked with families affected by migration. She has interned with Zawadi Fund International and Gallery for Peace and Justice. During Alternative Spring Breaks she rebuilt communities after tornadoes and hurricanes. She plans to apply to the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas. She is from Timken, Ks.

• Stephany Moore – dietetics coordinated program. Last year Stephany earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and human nutrition. She did her dietetics internship at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City which included a clinical rotation at Children’s Mercy Hospital. For her community practicum, she created low-cost toys for a Platte County Daycare Providers workshop. She is from Overland Park.

• Tiffany Brax – dietetics didactic program. Tiffany graduates with degrees in dietetics and public health nutrition. She interned at St. Mary’s Food Bank. She is a Foundations Scholar and member of two honor societies. Community service work includes a mission trip to Botswana, Africa, Flint Hills Bread Basket and a Kansas City homeless shelter. She is from Washington, Kansas.

• Kale Hamm – hotel and restaurant management. Kale was a Human Ecology ambassador and an open house chair. He worked with the annual Travel and Dining Auction and with the student Hospitality Management Society. A transfer from Crowley County Community College, he has interned at Palmer Gulch Resorts in South Dakota and at Piping Rock Country Club in New York where he has a job awaiting him upon graduation. Kale is from Waverly.

• Kaitlin Christensen – athletic training. Katie has served as president of the campus Student Athletic Trainers Association, the Kansas group’s leadership council and the council for District 5 that includes 7 states. She organized the state’s first student athletic training conference last year. She has received several scholarships and worked with K-State’s football, women’s basketball and women’s tennis teams as well as with injured soldiers at Fort Riley. From Plano, Tex., she plans to go to graduate school.

• Brooke Johanna Cull – nutrition and kinesiology. Brooke has received numerous scholarships and awards and works as a certified nursing assistant at Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community and an undergraduate teaching assistant. She was on the cadaver dissection team and was published in Prairie Lights Magazine. From Oakland, Nebraska, Brooke plans to be a physician assistant.

• Alison Meyer – nutritional sciences. Alison is headed to dental school at Craighton University. She has been a college ambassador and undergraduate teaching assistant. The recipient of numerous scholarships, she studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Spain. Her minor is Spanish. Alison is from West Des Moines, Iowa.

• Katie George – public health nutrition. Katie received the Undergraduate Cancer Research Award and several scholarships. She has worked in anatomy and physiology research, was an undergraduate teaching assistant and was on the cadaver dissection team. Volunteer work includes Meadowlark Hills and Mercy Regional Hospital. Katie is also getting a degree in dietetics. She is from Clyde.

• Janet Peak Holden – family and consumer sciences education. Janet will teach at Council Grove High School next year. She chaired the FACS interest group for several years and was an intern last summer for the Tornado Relief Trauma Unit where she counseled children. She is from Scammon.

• Mollie Wallace – general human ecology. Molly also studied non-profit leadership and communications to prepare her for a career with non-profit children’s organizations. Mollie has volunteered with Flint Hills Breadbasket, Up ‘Til Dawn, and Champions are Readers that addresses the importance of literacy for Youth. She is from Overland Park.

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Those earning summa cum laude honors graduate with a cumulative grade point average of 3.95 or higher during their academic career grade at K-State.

Students are Jessica Bocquin, dietetics; Tiffany Brax, dietetics/public health nutrition; JuliAnne Chisholm, athletic training; Brooke Cull, nutrition/kinesiology; Katie George, dietetics/public health nutrition; Annell Harmon, early childhood education; Logan Hartpence, communication sciences and disorders; Robert Klug, nutrition science; Xi Luo, hotel and restaurant management; Annelise Masters, communications sciences and disorders; Alison Meyer, nutritional sciences; Allison Morris, family studies and human services; Maria Mussi, dietetics; Kelley Nelson, public health nutrition; Colleen O’Brien, dietetics; Virginia Robinson, interior design; Beth Schneider, communication sciences and disorders; and Melissa Schwabauer, athletic training.

Graduating magna cum laude, with as 3.805 to 3.949 K-State academic average, are:

Breanna Axe, family studies and human services; Erica Blackford, communications sciences and disorders; Melanie Delimont, communication sciences and disorders; Emily Eugster, family studies and human services; Teran Frick, early childhood education; Ashley Green, hotel and restaurant management; Lauren Hand, nutritional sciences; Tricia Forbes–Hollenbach, dietetics; Diana Maki, family studies and human services; Clareen O’Connor, family studies and human services; Breanne Rushing, family services and human services; Alexandrea Schaible, apparel marketing; Nicole Stenzel, apparel marketing; and Emily VanWoerkom, family studies and human services.

Students earning a K-State cumulative grade point average of 3.750 to 3.849 and graduating cum laude are:

Alice Arensdorf, dietetics; Hanna Bieberle, dietetics; Brandon Blount, athletic training; Kelsie Brandt, nutritional sciences; Jillian Carl, interior design; Megan Denison, family studies and human services; Chelsie Green, communication sciences and disorders; Tara Haffener, communication sciences and disorders; Tara Killingsworth, apparel marketing; Jennifer Larsen, hotel and restaurant management; Mitchell Loeb, public health nutrition; Kiara Ohle, family studies and human services; Megan Patchen, interior design; Natalie Pederson, athletic training; Sarah Reade, dietetics; Alexandria Rupp, apparel marketing; Sydney Smolecki, family studies and human services; Judith Swarts, family studies and human services; and Holly Williams, family studies and human services.

Students receiving Honors Program Completion Certificates are Sara Devine, Teran Frick, Sarah Kesler, Annelise Masters and Mitchell Loeb.

A reception and viewing of honors projects will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Room 112 of the Leadership Studies Building. Award presentations start at 4 p.m. in 114 McVay Town Hall in the same building.

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•  Joyce Baptist and Elaine Johannes, both in family studies and human services, for “Military Children: Resilience in the Face of Parental Military Deployment.”

• Jared Durtschi, family studies and human services, for “Military Couples as First-Time Parents: Understanding and Predicting Romantic Relationship Quality Trajectories.”

• Richard Rosenkranz in human nutrition, Sara Rosenkranz in human nutrition and David Dzewaltowski in kinesiology, for “Evaluation of a Home-based Health Coaching Program to Prevent Childhood Obesity in the Community.”

• Amber Vennum, family studies and human services, for “Evaluating the Impact of School-based Family Therapy on Student and Family Outcomes.”

“These faculty members and their projects represent the breadth and depth of our mission – to improve the human condition. Their topics are especially relevant to society today,” Moxley said.

The competitive grants are awarded annually.

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IFMA president Larry Oberkfell, left, with Mary Molt and chairman Mark Bendix.

Molt, assistant professor in the department of hospitality management and dietetics, was selected from nine Silver Plate winners, each representing a different segment of food service operations. She traveled to 58th annual Gold and Silver Plate Awards Celebration to receive that prestigious honor and was surprised to be awarded the gold. She is only the third College and University Silver Plate winner to be awarded the top honor in 58 years.

Molt is the author of “Food for Fifty.” She has worked in housing and dining services for 34 years and serves as adviser for Kappa Omicron Nu National Honor Society for Family and Consumer Sciences.

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Photo courtesy of Food Management magazine

Promoted to full professor are Delores Chambers, human nutrition, and Weiqun “George” Wang, human nutrition.

Earning tenure and promotion to associate professor are: Joyce Baptist, family studies and human services, and Chihyung Ok, hospitality management and dietetics.

Throughout the university, 22 faculty members were promoted to the rank of full professor, one faculty member to the rank of clinical professor, 46 faculty members to the rank of associate professor, and one faculty member to the rank of clinical associate professor. The promotions and tenure go into effect at the start of the university’s 2013 fiscal year on July 1.

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• Keep your eyes open. “Engage in the world around us…music, the environment, food, the Kardashians.”

Lee Moreau explains about HAL 9000 from Kubrick's "2001 Space Odyssey."

• Use your imagination. Innovation is a team sport, he said, explaining some of his company’s projects. Moreau is a principal with Continuum, a global innovation design consultancy headquartered in Boston.

• Make stuff. “Make a decision, make change, make stuff,” he said.

• Don’t cut corners in thinking or production.

• “It’s okay to work hard,” he said. In fact, he recommended it.

To come up with good ideas for innovation, dig deeper and look around, Moreau advised. He was keynote speaker at the annual event in the Union. It is sponsored by ATID.

Business today is about engaging in a whole eco-system. “It’s about understanding people,” he said, careful not to call them “consumers.”

He is an architect and designer involved the new field of service design to provide unified customer experience. The movement, to focus on people more than products, is driven by social networking that has given individuals power to complain publically, Moreau said.

He and his teammates gather “ethnographic information” about customers of their clients. He is not a fan of focus groups. “Study people like YOU are from Mars,” he said.

The ultimate goal is to see the new in the familiar.

The architect/designer/thinker had more advice for students. “Don’t think you are going to go out and get a job that satisfied every fiber of your being,” he said, encouraging students to be involved in other interests, projects and “moonlighting.”

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Kelley Nelson has been selected as student commencement speaker for the May 12. She will graduate with a degree in public health nutrition.

About 350 students will receive Bachelor of Science degrees at the 4:15 p.m. event in Bramblage Coliseum.

Nelson, who is from Manhattan, was chosen to represent her fellow graduates based on public speaking skills, academic achievement, activities and professional potential. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Blue Key Senior Honorary and she received the cancer research award and is a Putnam Scholar. Nelson also volunteers at the Flint Hills Community Clinic. She has been accepted to optometry school.

Levis has received the college’s Partner Award given to an alumnus who helped forge a strong corporate partnership with the College to enhance student and faculty research, internships, and other educational opportunities. A native of Greece, Levis earned his Ph.D. in food science with an emphasis in sensory analysis in 1998. He promoted internships at General Mills for sensory analysis students and each year returns to campus to conduct a class lecture and meet with students to discuss industrial opportunities and challenges.

DVDs of the ceremonies may be ordered through the K-State Student Union Bookstore at 800-KSU-CATS or 785-532-6583.

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