Department of Entomology

Mudge Week - 2017

Benjamin Franklin Mudge

On April 10-15, 2017, we celebrated our Annual Mudge Week. Benjamin Franklin Mudge (right) was one of the first faculty to teach at what was then the Kansas State Agricultural College, later Kansas State University, starting in 1865. He taught the first entomology course at Kansas State ("Insects Injurious to Vegetation"), and it was also the first economic entomology course taught anywhere in the United States. He also taught courses in astronomy, physics, meteorology, botany, zoology, physiology, mineralogy, geology, physical geography, agricultural chemistry, among others. He was beloved by students, so it is entirely appropriate that we have a week of student-centered activities named in his honor. To learn more about this remarkable man, read this memorial written two years after his death in 1879.

2017 Mudge Week Activities and Schedule

10 April

  • Ice Cream Social for Department: 2:30 to 3:30 pm, Waters 126.

11 April

  • Hopkins Colloquium Speaker: Dr. Fred Gould (North Carolina State University):
    • Luncheon with students at noon - Waters 137
    • Hopkins Seminar: at 4:00 pm in Waters 231
13 April
15 April

  • Potluck Departmental Spring Social and Awards Luncheon at Konza Prairie (starting at 12:00 pm).

    • At the Social we announced (see below):
      - Scholarship recipients
      - Perry L. Adkisson Three-minute competition winners (MS and PhD)
      - Awards of Excellence for Administrative and Technical Support

  • Popenoe Entomology Club announced:
    - Club MVP (most valuable Popenoe)
    - Faculty of the Year - John Ruberson

Perry L. Adkisson 3-Minute Thesis Winners:

Degree Place Name Mentor(s) Amount
MS 1st J.R. Ewing Jeff Whitworth $100
PhD 1st Jessica Thomson Ludek Zurek/Dana Nayduch $100
PhD 2nd (tie) Ryan Schmid Brian McCornack $75
PhD 2nd (tie) Luaay Khalaf Mike Smith $75



Support Awards:

Award Winner Amount
Excellence in Administrative Support Evelyn Kennedy $300
Excellence in Technical Support Kent Hampton $300

Scholarship Winners for 2017:

Scholarship Winner Mentor(s) Amount
Fred Clute Scholarship Ryan Schmid Brian McCornack $3,000
Floyd Holmes Scholarship Shelly Wiggam Greg Zolnerowich/Brian McCornack $7,000
Reginald H. Painter PhD Scholarship Yinping Li Raymond Cloyd $1,000
Joe Pankaskie Scholarship Jessica Thomson Ludek Zurek/Dana Nayduch $3,000
Roger C. Smith PhD Scholarship Phil Freda Yoonseong Park $1,000
Schendel-Mages Scholarship Anastasia Cooper Kun Yan Zhu $1,000