MANHATTAN — Kansas State University Salina is home to students, faculty and staff who are shaping the future of aviation and technology.

The campus recently recognized outstanding Wildcats for excellence during the academic year.

Two outstanding students and five faculty and staff members have been recognized for their distinct commitment and accomplishments at K-State Salina in the 2025-2026 academic year with annual awards. The recognition highlights the outstanding achievement of the campus’s community in their teaching, scholarship and impact on the culture of K-State Salina.

“We celebrate not only the accomplishments of our honorees but also the collective success of our entire K-State Salina team,” said Alysia Starkey, K-State Salina CEO and dean. “Each award recipient serves an important role to our campus, and their dedication and efforts are a testament to the unwavering determination that defines us.”

Lupita Gonzalez, senior in marketing, Salina, is this year’s recipient of the K-State Salina Student Employee of the Year Award, an annual award given to a student worker that recognizes the invaluable services student employees perform for the campus. Recipients demonstrate reliability, initiative and professionalism, and they leave a lasting imprint on those they serve. Gonzalez is a student employee for the campus’s communications and marketing department.

“Lupita is exceptionally dependable and can be trusted to follow through on projects from start to finish with minimal supervision,” her nominator said. “She communicates clearly with supervisors, meets deadlines consistently and is always prepared to step in where support is needed. K-State Salina’s TikTok presence would not function without her continued reliability. Lupita plays a critical role in ensuring content is consistently created, filmed, edited and published.”

Chad Fridley, senior in professional pilot, Shawnee, is recognized with this year’s Outstanding Graduating Senior award for the Salina campus. This award acknowledges the significant student life contributions of graduating seniors during their K-State carers. Directors and staff members in the Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs on the Manhattan and Salina campuses nominate candidates, and the winners are selected by a committee.

“I can think of no student who has had a larger impact on K-State Salina campus life and community than Chad Fridley,” his nominator said. “Chad demonstrates a commitment to our campus and to students with every task he undertakes. Chad’s servant leadership style models not only a commitment to K-State Salina campus community as a whole, but also to each individual student who is a part of that community.”

Don Born, HVAC technician for the K-State Salina facilities unit, is this year’s recipient of the University Support Staff of the Year Award. This distinction recognizes an employee’s contribution to the success of the campus through excellence in performance and service.

“Don is the first to arrive and the last to leave during weather events like snow removal and storm clean ups,” his nominator said. “He is on the roof when it’s -10 or 110 degrees, just to keep campus users comfortable. In addition to the assigned responsibilities, Don has been willing to work on kitchen equipment, power equipment, shop equipment, dirt work, equipment operation and welding repairs. He also helps with inventory of the units and inspections of roofs.”

Kelli Witte, academic service coordinator in the campus’s academic success and student affairs unit, is the 2026 recipient of the Professional Staff of the Year Award. Recipients of this award are acknowledged for their exemplary contributions to the mission and values of the campus through their commitment to service, productivity, innovation and leadership.

“During numerous events on campus, Kelli has demonstrated exceptional leadership, coordination and commitment to strengthening connections for internal and external clients,” her nominator said. “She takes the initiative to plan, coordinate and organize to ensure that every team member feels included, engaged and motivated. Kelli’s contributions to campus and the university have improved team morale, positivity and their dedication to campus instills the values of K-State Salina.”

Chad Bailey, instructor of electronic and computer engineering technology and robotics and automation engineering technology, is recognized with the 2026 Rex and Jean McArthur Family Faculty Award. The award recognizes a distinguished faculty member who demonstrates teaching excellence in the classroom, commitment to research and innovation, and honorable service to the college, university and community.

“Chad’s passion for creating and improving experiences extends beyond the recipient’s own courses,” Bailey’s nominator said. “They actively support and connect with learners through K-12 school visits, summer camps, student clubs, campus tours and outreach activities. Furthermore, he is always willing to step up and keep K-State Salina moving forward. Over the past two years, Chad led efforts to develop a proposal for a new bachelor’s degree. His vision for the program is to bridge the gap between student exposure to the technology found in K-12 education and industry needs, particularly in the rapidly expanding field of autonomous mobile robotics.”

John Dahl, a teaching assistant professor in the professional pilot degree program, is this year’s recipient of the Marchbanks Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence. The award recognizes a K-State Salina faculty member for their exemplary service to students, commitment in the classroom and overall excellence in teaching. Recipients promote excellence in education with a focus on developing students’ talents and abilities.

“John enhances each student’s academic and personal development through active, engaging and innovative instructional methods,” his nominator said. “He fosters an environment where students are encouraged to think critically, solve problems and apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. Through hands-on learning, scenario-based instruction and dynamic training, he ensures that every student not only meets but exceeds the rigorous standards expected of the industry. One of John’s most impactful contributions is the re-implementation of the Mountain Flying course. This program required exceptional creativity, adaptability and continuous refinement to meet the challenges of a dynamic operational environment.”

Kathy Brockway, professor and graduate faculty in applied business and technology, is recognized as this year’s Delker Faculty Excellence Award recipient. The award celebrates a faculty member who is developing innovative courses and curriculum. Recipients demonstrate a passion for improving student learning opportunities and innovation in academics. This award encourages self-nominations from faculty who seek to bring new ideas into the classroom.

“My goal is to develop expertise in using the newly established campus recording studio to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the online accounting, capstone and occasional graduate courses I teach,” Brockway said. “By intentionally learning and applying best practices for the lightboard, green screen and podcasting equipment, I aim to create clearer, more engaging and more accessible instructional content for students. Through purposeful experimentation, practice and refinement, I will apply proven instructional strategies to produce high-quality learning materials that support student comprehension and retention and elevate the overall student experience.”