Library news: Student, staff and faculty achievements

Friends of the K-State Libraries awards

K-State Libraries honored several employees at its annual recognition ceremony in 2025. The awards are funded by the Friends of the K-State Libraries.

Brice G. Hobrock Distinguished Faculty Award

Jason Coleman, academic services librarian, received the Hobrock Distinguished Faculty Award. The award recognizes outstanding librarianship and superior accomplishments among K-State Libraries faculty. Coleman received the award for creating literature search resources students found useful and developing engaging undergraduate content.

Lori Goetsch Professional Staff Award

Ashley Stark, academic services specialist, received the Lori Goetsch Professional Staff Award. The award recognizes a nontenure-track professional's contributions to K-State Libraries. Stark received the award for creating engaging, hands-on learning activities while fostering a positive and collaborative learning environment.

Support Staff of the Year

Felisa Osburn, library assistant, was chosen as the Support Staff of the Year. The award recognizes a support staff member’s special contribution, dedication to daily tasks and ability to work successfully across the organization. Osburn received the award for cultivating a supportive and productive space for students. She was also the recipient of the 2025 K-State Support Staff Award of Excellence.

The Kirmser Undergraduate Research Awards

The Kirmser Awards are made possible through a gift from the Phillip and Jeune Kirmser estate. They recognize and promote outstanding undergraduate scholarship and use of library resources. Individual grand prize winners receive $1,500 each and group grand prize winners share a $6,000 award. Their work is uploaded to the K-State Research Exchange.

Freshman category winner

Emma Rupprecht, freshman in secondary English education, "Branching Out of Grief: Ada Limón Navigating Grief Through the Use of Trees."

Nonfreshman category winners

Nicholas Edwards, senior in biomedical engineering, "A Formal Report Exploring the Addition of Endoscopic Suturing as an Anti-Migration Feature for Boston Scientific's Vici Venous Stent System.”

Eleanor Braynock, senior in biological systems engineering, "Therapeutic Strategies for Ankylosing Spondylitis."

Continued research category winner

Lillianna Lamagna, senior in English literature, "You're Just Making Up Sounds: Radical Creative Possibilities Through Translanguaging in Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Group research category winners

Symone Simmons, senior in social work; Rylie Yoakum, sophomore in social work; Morgan Doane, senior in social work; and Cate Alling, junior in social work, “PTSD and Substance Abuse among Homeless War Veterans.”

The Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Family and Community Public Policy Scholarship

The $5,000 Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Family and Community Public Policy Scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate. The 2025 winner was Mihwa Gassett, senior in social work and addiction counseling. She used her award to launch a collaborative initiative directed toward enhancing community support for veterans who face substance abuse and mental health challenges.

K-State Student Programs and Involvement Advisor of the Year Award

Academic services librarian Sara K. Kearns received the 2024 K-State Student Programs and Involvement Advisor of the Year award. Kearns was nominated by the K-State Libraries Student Ambassadors. This award recognizes a dedicated and supportive student group advisor who plays a key role in building community and empowering student group members to succeed.

2025 Distinguished Service Award

Margaret Corby, metadata librarian, received the 2025 Distinguished Service Award from the Music OCLC Users Group. The award recognizes those who have made significant professional contributions to OCLC users in the area of music and music cataloging.

2025 Community of Care Award

The library user services team received the 2025 Community of Care Award, presented by the K-State Career Center. This award honors departments that continually nominate hardworking students for the Kyle Pelton Student Employee of the Year Award, recognizing the importance of creating a positive work culture.