Sept. 25 — Schulz's inauguration draws Board of Regents, governor

For Kirk Schulz's inauguration as the 13th president of K-State on Sept. 24, he was welcomed by speeches from Gov. Mark Parkinson and Jill Docking, chair of the Kansas Board of Regents, among others.

During the inauguration ceremony, which took place in Bramlage Coliseum, Schulz spoke about the two qualities he was looking for in a university — that it was a land-grant school and had a major athletics program.

"So folks, it is a real privilege to be able to serve the university that is my dream job," he said.

Nov. 9 — Wildcats beat Jayhawks in 107th Sunflower Showdown

K-State defeated the University of Kansas on Nov. 7, marking the end of a three-year losing streak to the Jayhawks. The last win against KU occurred during head coach Bill Snyder's last year before retirement.

Snyder, who has a 13-4 all-time record against KU, said he was happy for the fans because he knows how much the Sunflower Showdown means to them.

With more than 48,000 people in the stadium, the cheers at the end of the game overpowered the marching band.

"You could hear it in their response, that it meant an awful lot to them," Snyder said.

Nov. 18 — Mason named new provost and senior vice president

April Mason, current dean of the College of Applied Human Sciences at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., was announced the provost and senior vice president for K-State on Nov. 17. Mason, who presented as a candidate on Oct. 27, said her first goal is to get to know the university.

President Kirk Schulz said he was looking for an individual who would complement his leadership style and be an important member of his cabinet — which he felt Mason was.

Mason is replacing M. Duane Nellis, who left K-State in June to become president of the University of Idaho.

Aug. 25 — Riley least economically stressed county in US

Although the effects of a recession were evident in Riley County, it was the least economically stressed county in the nation, according to an analysis by the Associated Press for the month of August.

This report, called the "AP Economic Stress Index," is released each month, and Bruce Snead, Manhattan city commissioner, said he expected Manhattan to see an eventual downturn in local business in later months. Eileen King, Riley County treasurer, pointed to Fort Riley and K-State as income sources that kept the recession from affecting the county as much as other counties.

Nov. 3 — City officials announce relocation of federal lab

U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., announced the relocation of Arthropod-Borne Animal Disease Research Library to Manhattan at a City Hall meeting Nov. 2. The federal research lab, which is currently located in Laramie, Wyo., collaborates on research projects concerning infectious agents carried by insects, according to its Web site.

Brownback said the relocation of the lab, along with the construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, would provide an anchor for industry to expand in the region.

"Kansas is quickly becoming the epicenter of animal health research for the United States and the world," he said.

Aug. 31 — Flight to Dallas links K-Staters together

Flights between the Manhattan Regional Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport began Aug. 25 through American Eagle Airlines, an affiliate of American Airlines. Leaders from Manhattan, K-State and the state of Kansas flew to Dallas on Aug. 28 to celebrate the connection.

While in Dallas, President Kirk Schulz and Athletic Director John Currie spoke at an alumni event, and Schulz announced the creation of and search for a new vice president for marketing and communications. 

Dennis Kuhlman, dean of the College of Technology and Aviation at K-State at Salina, said the college, which is involved with all the major airlines, has a special relationship with American Eagle.

Sept. 1 — Warren Theatres backs out of downtown project

Warren Theatres pulled out of the south-end redevelopment project, leaving a 50,000-squre-foot void in the area, according to an early August press release from the city. The company had proposed a luxury movie theater, but owner Bill Warren said the company made a recent decision to keep Warren Theatres out of cities with a metro area of less than 500,000 people. Instead, a college city in another state had been selected.

Jason Hilgers, assistant city manager, said the city would have to find a tenant to fit with state and local regulations.

Oct. 1 — Federal stimulus funds to address campus repairs

For the 2009 fiscal year, K-State received $2.3 million in Federal Stimulus funds, awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to support infrastructure projects. The first project slated to start is replacing the 80-year-old steam pipes located in the southwest corner of campus.

The project to fix piping that stretches from the power plant to the K-State Student Union and Memorial Stadium could start as early as spring 2010.

K-State faces more than $1 billion worth of deferred maintenance projects, according to a 2007 conditions survey conducted by the university.

Nov. 13 — K-State breaks ground at Olathe campus

At the groundbreaking for the K-State Olathe Innovation Campus, President Kirk Schulz said the campus would create a permanent presence in Olathe, Kan.

The first building for the new campus is scheduled to be the National Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety, which is the first step in highlighting K-State's presence in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor. This region stretching from Manhattan to Columbia, Mo., is the location for the largest amount of animal health-related industries in the nation, according to Bovinevetonline.com.