The Leadership Communication doctoral program at Kansas State University celebrated the fall 2025 graduates in December. Dominic Barnes, Ph.D., David Barnhart, Ph.D., Emmanuel Jeje, Ph.D., and Michaela Saunders, Ph.D., have completed their doctorates in Leadership Communication, an interdisciplinary program between the Department of Communications and Agricultural Education, the Staley School of Leadership, and the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.
Graduates’ dissertation topics and research areas demonstrate the breadth and depth of learning and the possibilities within the Leadership Communication doctoral program for students whose desire to make a positive impact in our communities is evident in their summaries: Continue reading “Leadership Communication celebrates fall 2025 doctoral graduates “→
Alternative Breaks are immersive trips, facilitated by the Staley School of Leadership, that focus on community service and social issues in Midwest communities. Wildcats engage in hands-on projects and service, learn about the local culture, and reflect on their experiences to deepen their understanding of leadership through service.
That’s the short version.
What do students get out of these experiences?
“The benefits of Alternative Breaks as professional development and skill development are unequivocal,” said Del’Sha Roberts, administrator of student programs. “Every student comes back influenced in such positive ways and armed with a deeper sense of what it really takes to ensure our cities and towns persist.”
Seeing a community operate from the perspective of a citizen, patron, or visitor is where most students’ understanding stops. But pulling back the curtain and participating in the processes that uphold that community provides an in-depth understanding unlike any other conventional professional development.
Alternative Breaks place students directly within communities, local organizations, and broader systems, helping them develop valuable skills and strengthen their resumes while making a meaningful, positive impact alongside community members.
Jess Ramirez, now an instructor at the Staley School of Leadership, was a graduate student when she traveled to Garden City, Kansas, last year. Here’s an excerpt from her reflection:
“Even now, weeks after returning, we continue to reflect on the people we met, the connections we made, and the lessons we learned. Garden City was not just a place we visited—it became a part of us, a lens through which we now see food systems, migration, and leadership in a new light,” said Ramirez.
The 2025 Garden City Alt Break team pictured with partner Amanda Brookover Lee. From left: Andrew Le, Sunday Olubejide, Jess Ramirez, Jadhida Resendiz, Amanda Brookover Lee.
She continued, “Our experience in Garden City was more than a trip—it was an immersion into the interconnected realities of food systems, migration, and leadership in action. It was a reminder that leadership is not about a title but about showing up, listening, and engaging with the complexities of the world around us. This trip challenged us to think critically, to step outside of what we thought we knew, and to build relationships that extend far beyond a single week of service.”
As a highlight of the Garden City experience, K-State alumnae Amanda Brookover Lee, and her husband, Andrew, serve as hosts. Amanda was born and raised in Garden City and is closely connected to the agriculture industry as a partner in Brookover Feed Yard, a third-generation family-owned commercial cattle feeder. Andrew is principal at Charles O. Stones Intermediate Center. They have been instrumental in helping design this Alternative Break by connecting students to several community members and opportunities in Garden City.
Coming up
In January 2026, a student team will once again head to Garden City, Kansas, to work with community members and gain insight into the systems in place. All students, including undergraduates and graduate students, are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
Here are the details:
Sunday, Jan. 11 – Wednesday, Jan. 14
Students meet on campus and travel together to Garden City
Visit local schools to work in classrooms and learn how educators support students
Tour Tyson Foods, Brookover Feed Yard and the Kansas Food Bank’s new regional center
Eat authentic meals inspired by Garden City’s immigrant community
Work alongside community partners in hands-on service projects addressing food insecurity
Explore local markets, museums, and historic spaces to better understand the evolving culture of this rural town
Dine with a city commissioner to gain insight into local decision-making, and connect over issues that shape the community
Return with new insights into service, identity, and community, and a story that might change how you see Kansas
The cost to participate is $250 per student. The fee helps cover transportation, accommodation in Garden City, all meals and a K-State Service Teams T-shirt. Scholarships are available.
Kansas State University will serve as the host institution for the 2026 North-Central Extension Leadership Development (NELD) Program, reinforcing the university’s commitment to leadership excellence and its strategic vision through Elevate 2025, an initiative announced earlier this year.
As part of Elevate 2025 and the transition to university-level oversight of K-State Extension (formerly K-State Research and Extension), hosting the NELD program within the Staley School of Leadership highlights K-State’s role in strengthening leadership capacity across the region and expanding its impact as a modern, connected land-grant institution.
“K-State is proud to be the next host of the NELD program. While extension professionals can choose from a variety of leadership programs, few leadership development programs focus on leadership in extension,” said Gregg Hadley, Ph.D., assistant vice president and director for K-State Extension. “Whether a person is interested in local, state, national, administrative, or programmatic leadership – NELD will prepare you for your extension leadership goals!”
The NELD program brings together extension professionals from 13 states across the North Central region to cultivate leadership skills, build collaborative networks, and prepare participants to lead with purpose and vision. Through a blend of in-person and virtual learning, participants gain practical tools to strengthen their leadership identity and translate insights into real-world organizational and community impact.Continue reading “Kansas State University named host institution for 2026 North-Central Extension Leadership Development (NELD) Program “→
Graduate school can be a time of discovery, challenge, and growth. Between research deadlines, coursework, and balancing life beyond the classroom, it’s easy to focus on technical expertise and forget that leadership (how we communicate, collaborate, create impact and more) is just as vital to success.
That’s why the Graduate School and the Staley School of Leadership are partnering once again to offer the Grad Edge: Leadership Development Program this spring. This semester-long experience is designed to help graduate students strengthen their leadership mindset, build professional confidence, and apply what they learn to real challenges in their research, work, and communities. Applications are open now and due Dec. 5, on the Grad Edge website.
“Giving graduate students the opportunity to work alongside peers from many different fields creates a unique learning environment, where they can focus on their leadership development while building their community on campus,” said Mac Benavides, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Staley School of Leadership. “Our cohorts become close, and that really deepens their learning when they are working on skills like collaboration, mobilizing others, and thinking in innovative ways.” Continue reading “Finding your edge in graduate school: Leadership development this coming spring”→
“When we talk about … that fast pace and those moments of just living in a society that, at times, has lost the emphasis of community … I think of it all different ways: To take the moments and reflect in that. To take the moments and get to know the people around you … it’s who shapes you.”
This message from Shawna Jordan, associate dean for student success and undergraduate studies in the College of Health and Human Sciences, underscores the value in building and creating community and belonging in our lives. We also heard from K-State Provost Jesse Perez Mendez. Both reflected on and shared their personal journeys. If you missed them, you can find the recordings on our website at this link.
At K-State, we know that community isn’t accidental, it’s built intentionally through shared experiences and honest conversations. What Matters to Me and Why is one way we come together to build that sense of belonging. This year, as K-State focuses on the theme of community through our common read, Together by Dr. Vivek Murthy, these conversations offer a meaningful way to live out that idea. They remind us that we are, indeed, better together.
In a time when busyness often takes priority over belonging, What Matters to Me and Why invites us to pause and explore the values, experiences, and turning points that shape who we are and how we live and lead in community.
Keep reading to learn about upcoming fall 2025 speakers…
Kansas State University students in the LEAD 499 capstone course for the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate turned leadership theory into action last spring through innovative, student-led projects funded by the Hershey Heartwarming Project Youth Grant. The projects, which took place April 26, addressed real community needs through creativity, service, and collaboration with local partners.
One of those students, David Webb, an accounting, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit leadership student, co-led the Well Fair event in partnership with theBoys and Girls Club at Ogden Elementary. The event invited youth volunteers to help lead an interactive health fair for elementary students, featuring seven stations on physical activity, nutrition, mindfulness, and healthy relationships.
Webb said that while the planning phase had its challenges, the experience reinforced the value of teamwork and communication.
To our Staley School of Leadership alumni and friends,
Want to hang out soon?
We love seeing our alumni and friends stay connected, and this season we’ve got plenty of ways to join in! From opportunities to engage in person to ways to engage from afar, there’s something for everyone.
How do you view leadership through your lens?
Do you remember the large, framed photographs that hang throughout the Leadership Studies Building? It has always been our goal to refresh them regularly with work from photographers connected to Kansas and Kansas State University. Well, it’s time to refresh!
Leadership Lens is the name of the refresh project. The call is open now to submit up to five photos by Sunday, Oct. 26, that depict how you view leadership through your camera lens. Submit up to five entries. We will unveil the new photos at our Spirit of Leadership 2026 (details below!).
Caitie Whelan, civic strategist and former Congressional staffer, helps folks understand how public policy is made so they can help shape and influence their own communities. Her involvement with the School has spanned at least a decade, creating opportunities for our students, faculty and staff across K-State to learn together about positive impact in our communities.
During this Zoom meeting, Caitie will focus on simple and practical ways to shape our democratic process and with your elected officials.
All Staley School friends and alumni are welcome to attend, but seats are limited! Don’t miss your opportunity to join this leadership learning opportunity.
Spirit of Leadership in Kansas City
Saturday, Nov. 8
We’re taking Spirit on the road in Kansas City this fall! Join us for a service event followed by a happy hour. Join one or both events.
Our Staley School team will include:
Mary Tolar, dean
Del’Sha Roberts, administrator of student programs
Kaitlin Long, director, advancement and administration
From 1:30-3:30 p.m., volunteer at Harvester’s Community Food Network. Children ages eight and older are welcome to join! Sign up to volunteer with Harvesters. The event registration code is SSOL.
From 4-5:30 p.m., we’re hosting a happy hour at The Parlor. We’ll have light appetizers, beverages and conversation. Let us know you’re coming by Sunday, Oct. 26.
Spirit of Leadership in Manhattan, Kansas
Lastly, save the date for Spirit of Leadership in Manhattan, on Friday, March 27, 2026.
Del’Sha Roberts is the student programs administrator at the Staley School of Leadership, and oversees HandsOn Kansas State, a volunteer service program that serves universitywide and the local community. Here, Roberts reflects on the value of serving from a personal perspective that helps drive her work, fulfill her passion, and connect with community on a deeper level.
She asks readers to explore within themselves and reflect:
How can we best serve within our communities and how does that serve our personal missions and well-being?
I was recently at a conference when someone asked me a question that has lingered in my mind ever since: “When did you get involved in service, and what was it that made you want to be involved?”
For me, service has always been part of my DNA. Growing up, my mom and stepdad both worked at a homeless shelter. I watched them give their last, donate their time, and show up for their neighbors again and again. That way of living, putting others first even in small ways, has stayed with me.
When I think about service today, I think about small moments like these I’ve witnessed in the Manhattan community:
When a community member was scrolling through Facebook saw a post from a woman who did not have a car and no way to get food. Without hesitation, she drove across town and brought her a meal.
When a man sitting in line at a food distribution and spotted a snake. Instead of panicking, he calmly picked it up, carried it to the grass, and set it free, removing a danger and a fear for others.
During Furniture Amnesty Day, when neighbors come together to donate and pick up free furniture, a campus employee noticed a barrier. Some families had no way to transport their items. He stepped up to provide delivery, ensuring those in need could get their furniture home.
None of these moments were glamorous or carried public recognition. They were not about awards, headlines, or applause. They were about neighbors seeing a need and acting.
As part of Elevate 2025 and the transition to university-level oversight of K-State Extension (formerly K-State Research and Extension), hosting the NELD program within the Staley School of Leadership highlights K-State’s role in strengthening leadership capacity across the region and expanding its impact as a modern, connected land-grant institution.
“When we talk about … that fast pace and those moments of just living in a society that, at times, has lost the emphasis of community … I think of it all different ways: To take the moments and reflect in that. To take the moments and get to know the people around you … it’s who shapes you.”
7-8 p.m. (CST) Wednesday, Oct. 29
