K-State College of Human Ecology honoring faculty for their contributions to teaching, research

Thursday, April 5th, 2007

MANHATTAN — The College of Human Ecology at Kansas State University is recognizing three faculty members for their outstanding contributions to teaching and research.

“These outstanding faculty members understand the interaction between people and their environments,” said Virginia Moxley, dean of the College of Human Ecology. “By examining these relationships in their scholarship and teaching, they prepare students to carry out the college’s mission — to respond to human needs.”

Tonatiuh Melgarejo, assistant professor of human nutrition, is receiving the College of Human Ecology Faculty Research Award. Melgarejo searches the animal world for secret weapons to help battle deadly human diseases. This year, he was awarded a patent for an antimicrobial peptide that he isolated, cloned and reproduced synthetically, paving the way for a new, natural antibiotic.

John E. Grable, associate professor of family studies and human services, and Richard C. Baybutt, associate professor of human nutrition, were selected for the Dawley-Scholer Award for Excellence in Student Development.

Grable, a certified financial planner, said he believes that joy and self-fulfillment are essential to the learning process. Under his guidance, the college’s financial planning teams have scored wins at the National Collegiate Financial Planning competitions. Grable established the Invest-a-Cats investment management and fundraising program. He also works with graduate and undergraduate students in research, and sponsors an undergraduate student weekly personal finance radio call-in show.

Richard Baybutt said he believes undergraduate students should do research. Being involved firsthand in research teaches students to handle the excitement of discovery, as well as the disappointment of failure, he said. Baybutt’s students have received awards to do cancer research, have published papers, presented their work at professional meetings and participated in independent research. Many of them go on to pursue advanced degrees in medicine or research.

News release prepared by: Jane P. Marshall, 785-532-2206, jpm2@k-state.edu

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 5th, 2007 and is filed under Congratulations, FSHS, HN.