Courtney Beffa started in September as an academic advisor. >Courtney advises students in the Integrative Human Sciences bachelor’s degree program and also serves as a point person for students interested in various minors and certificates within the department. Prior to starting in this role, Courtney earned her bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from K-State and her master’s in Emergency Medical Services with an emphasis in Administration from Creighton University. Prior to returning to K-State, Courtney worked at Riley County EMS as an EMT. Her experience in the healthcare field has been a true asset as several students in the Integrative Human Sciences program have a pre-health designation.

Ben Eastes also started in September as the academic advisor for the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. Ben earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Prior to joining K-State Ben worked in Financial Aid as well as Admissions and Recruitment at his alma mater before working at Municipal Power Generation in Pratt, KS. We are glad to have Ben back in higher education at K-State.

Anna Nippert serves as an Instructor in the Early Childhood Education program. Anna earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Early Chidhood Education from K-State. Anna previously served as a Supervising Instructor for the Early Childhood Education program before transitioning to the role of Pre-K Teacher in the Rock Creek school district. We’re glad to have Anna back at K-State!

Danielle Schwartz joined us as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. Danielle earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and her master’s in Communication Sciences Disorders, both from K-State. Prior to working with us full-time, Danielle worked part-time as a clinical supervisor for the Communication Sciences and Disorders program and also worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist, both in medical and school settings.

Mehmet Yavuz joined us in January as an Assistant Professor in the Conflict Resolution program. Dr. Yavuz earned his bachelor’s degree in Jounralism from Cyprus International University, his master’s in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Manitoba. Prior to coming to K-State, Mehmet was engaged in both teaching and research in the areas of Peace and Conflict Studies; Women’s Gender, and Sexualities Studies; Sociology; and Criminal Justice and brings a wealth of experience with him.

Moving forward, most of the programs currently within the Department of Applied Human Sciences will be within the School of Human Sciences. The exception is that the Communication Sciences and Disorders bachelor’s and master’s programs will shift to the School of Health Sciences. We will greatly miss working directly with our CSD colleagues, and also know that we will continue to have opportunities to collaborate with the Speech & Hearing Center and Family Center being collocated in the Campus Creek Complex as well as collaborative research and interprofessional educational opportunities. To wish our CSD colleagues well, we had a social gathering during our last department meeting of the year.

CSD faculty and staff pictured above from left to right: Ben Eastes, academic advisor, LaNasia Cottner, program assistant, Dr. Jane Garcia, professor, Dr. Bob Garcia, program chair and clinical associate professor, Danielle Schwartz, clinical assistant professor, Dr. Kristin Pelczarski, associate professor, Dr. David Rehfeld, assistant professor, Melanie Hilgers, clinic director and clinical associate professor, and Dr. Jeridy Oetken, clinical associate professor.

With the reorganization, we are looking forward to working more closely with the Gerontology program within the School of Human Sciences. Gerontology was previously located within the Center on Aging. It will now be housed in the School of Human Sciences, allowing the academic programs to be in the same School, providing greater opportunities for collaboration between programs and among faculty and staff. We look forward to working more closely with our colleagues in Gerontology!

Stacy Conner, Ph.D., LMFT, LMAC, received her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy from Kansas State University. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Master’s Addiction Counselor in Kansas.

Stacy is currently an Associate Professor at Washburn University in Topeka, serving as the Chairperson for the Family and Human Services Department. She takes joy in developing others to be their best as team members in the department. Stacy finds teaching both undergraduate and graduate coursework to be a rewarding challenge. She has focused her early research on studying recovery from substance use disorders and how helping professionals can support recovery efforts. Stacy also contracts with Family Service and Guidance Center in Topeka to provide a Family Seminar, teaching family theory to PhD Psychology students and other clinicians on staff.

Outside of work, Stacy is privileged to have four children with her husband, Ross, two of whom were welcomed as fraternal twins last September. Her family lives in Wamego, where Ross is a high school social studies teacher.

Over the past decade, David has designed, developed, and managed the delivery of more than 50 international aid and development projects primarily funded under the auspices of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs an Trade and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aid Programs. Through these programs, he has contributed to improving leadership capabilities; education and health outcomes; sustainable economic growth; peacebuilding; poverty reduction; disaster mitigation and response; and improvement of gender, equality, disability, and social inclusion all whilst strengthening people-to-people linkages across Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and South America.

David has been awarded the Rotary Wold Peace Fellowship as well as the lifetime achievement President’s Call to Service Award from the President of the United States of America’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

• Kristin Anders, Assistant Professor in Human Development and Family Science, has earned tenure and promotion to associate professor
• Kristin Anders, Assistant Professor in Human Development and Family Sciences, was recognized as Professor of the Week at at a K-State men’s home basketball game.
• Joyce Baptist, Professor in Couple and Family Therapy, received funding from the EMDR Foundation for her proposal titled (Re)Defining EMDR.
• Hazel DeWee, Doctoral Student in Couple and Family Therapy, was selected as an Outstanding HHS Graduate Student.
• Jared Durtschi, Professor in Couple and Family Therapy, was awarded the College of Health and Human Sciences Hulsing Mentoring Prize. This award recognizes a faculty member for exceptional mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students in all areas of leadership.
• Sarah Egbo, Prevention Science Doctoral Student, was awarded the International Fellowship from the American Association of University Women.
• Anthony Ferraro, Associate Professor in Human Development and Family Science, and Kristin Anders, Assistant Professor in Human Development and Family Science were awarded a University Small Research Grant and the College of Health and Human Sciences Exploratory Research Development Award to support their research.
• Briana Nelson Goff, Professor in Conflict Resolution, was recognized as an inaugural recipient of the Roots of Research Award. A tree was planted in Briana’s honor on the southeast side of Justin Hall.
• Alisha Hardman, Associate Professor in HDFS, was recognized at the 2024 National Council on Family Relations conference with the Dawn Cassidy Certified Family Life Educator Special Recognition Award.
• Rheagan Harp, Master’s Student in Communication Sciences and Disorders, was selected as an Outstanding HHS Graduate Student.
• Elaine Johannes, Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, was selected as a University Honors Program Gand Challenge Teams Faculty Fellow.
• Carol Johnston, Assistant Professor in Human Development and Family Science, was elected Chair Elect of the Feminism and Family Science Section of the National Council on Family Relations.
• Carol Johnston, Assistant Professor in Human Development and Family Science, was designated a Big XII Faculty Fellow for the 2024-2025 academic year and received funding to support her to visit the University of Texas at Austin to collaborate with colleagues.
• Elaine Johannes, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, has joined the Champion Team of eight academic health centers for the Engage for Equity PLUS: Testing Engagement Strategies to Promote Trustworthy Academic Institutions and Greater Diversity and Capacity for Patient and Community Leadership in Research. This project is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Science of Engagement.
• Emily Jones, undergraduate student in Integrative Human Sciences, was selected as one of two 2025 Kasnas State University Student Ambassadors.
• Erin Martinez, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, was awarded a grant from the National Council on Aging to pursue innovative approaches to older adult falls prevention.
• Erin Martinez, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, became first in Kansas to be designated an Age Friendly Public Health Systems Champion by Trust for America’s Health.
• Emily Matthews, Student employee in Couple and Family Therapy and Communication Sciences and Disorders, was selected as one of the 5 K-State Students for the 2025 Kyle Pelton Student Employee of the Year Award. This award acknowledges the reliability, quality of work, initiative, professionalism, and commitment to the principles of the Wildcat Way our students have that make our K-State family great. Avery Schmidt, master’s student in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Moloud Sivandian, doctoral student in Couple and Family Therapy, were also nominated for the award.
• Kari Morgan, Teaching Associate Professor and Program Chair, received the Faculty Excellence Award at the IDEA conference for her work in the Family and Community Services master’s program.
• Grace O’Toole, Doctoral Candidate in Prevention Science, was selected as an Outstanding HHS Graduate Student.
• Kristin Pelczarski, Associate Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders, was awarded the College of Health and Human Sciences Research Pilot Project Award in collaboration with Julio Cesar Hernandez Pavon in Psychological Sciences for their project titled Exploring Neurological Changes in Adults who Stutter Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.
• Laura Rausch, Department of Applied Human Sciences Program Coordinator, was awarded the College of Health and Human Sciences Outstanding Staff Award. This award recognizes and rewards the outstanding achievement and performance of a staff member in the college.
• Dr. David Rehfeld, Assistant Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders, received funding from the National Science Foundation for a 2.5-year project aimed at increasing graduate enrollment and retention for marginalized groups in STEM fields.
• Noah Renken, Master’s student in Couple and Family Therapy, won a 2025 K-GRAD award for his poster presentation titled, “An examination of gender differences across intimate partner violence and animal abuse. Chelsea Spencer, Research Assistant Professor in Couple and Family Therapy, serves as Noah’s faculty mentor.
• Katie Thompson-Laswell, Senior Instructor in Human Development and Family Science, was awarded the 2025 Commerce Bank and W. T. Kemper Foundation Undergraduate Outstanding Teaching Award. This award recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching. Please watch this video of her and other recipients being surprised with the award in their classes.
• Amber Vennum, Professor in Couple and Family Therapy, and Michelle Toews, Professor and Program Chair in Human Development and Family Science, were awarded a Launch Accelerator Grant to support their work with the #RelationshipGoals Project.
• Amber Vennum, Professor in Couple and Family Therapy, was elected to Chair-Elect of the Intervention Research in Systemic Family Therapy Topic Interest Network for the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
• Mehmet Yavuz, Assistant Professor in Conflict Resolution, was awarded the 2024-2025 Peace and Justice Association Research Grant to support his research.