Donald E. Rathbone

Underclassman of the Year

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About Dean Rathbone

Donald E. Rathbone, Indiana Alpha '50, was born in Havre, Montana in 1929. He graduated as valedictorian from his small high school; and as then as leader of his class at Purdue in 1951. He joined K-State as dean of engineering in 1973. His main goal as dean was to develop the college into “one of the finest undergraduate engineering colleges in the country.” During his 24-years as dean, he helped create successful scholarships, oversaw the addition of multiple new buildings and centers for excellence, and saw the undergraduate and graduate student populations rise from 949 to 2,500; and from 150 to 500, respectively. Former K-State President Jon Wefald described Rathbone’s superb leadership of the college as the primary reason for its growth and recognition.

About this Award

Renamed in his honor in spring 2024, our Underclassman of the Year Award honors the late Donald E. Rathbone, former dean of the College of Engineering at K-State. This award was established during Dean Rathbone’s tenure at K-State where he served as a devoted Kansas Gamma advisor for 32 years. He strove for improvement and set a standard of excellence in all his pursuits. We honor his memory each year by awarding the Donald E. Rathbone Underclassman of the Year Award to one exceptional underclassman who exhibits these values and exemplifies integrity and excellence in engineering.

2020s

2025 - TBD

TBD

2024 - Karsyn M. Fuchs

Karsyn McKenna Fuchs is a freshman from Marshall, Missouri studying biomedical engineering. She is involved in various organizations within the College of Engineering, including Engineering in Medicine and Biology (EMBS), the Engineering World Health Design Team, and Engineering Ambassadors. Outside of engineering, she is a member of the Kansas State University Rodeo Team. Her interests are broad, her academic performance is commendable, and she exemplifies integrity and excellence in engineering through her exhibiting of distinguished scholarship and exemplary character.

2023 - Eleanor K. Braynock

Eleanor Kathryn Braynock is a junior in Biological Systems Engineering pursuing a career in biotechnology exploring new-generation solutions. At K-State, she is involved in Engineering Ambassadors, Society of Women Engineers, Student Foundation, and Engineering in Leadership and Innovation. Additionally, she works in Dr. Lisa Wilken's Bioseparations & Bioprocessing Laboratory as an undergraduate research assistant. Her favorite part about the College of Engineering is how friendly and connected everyone is.

2022 - Emma Worthington

Emma is a first-year student studying Biological Systems Engineering. Emma has served as a Student Director with the Center for Civic Leadership, a non-profit based in Hays, KS. Through this role, Emma led and coordinated outreach and service programs operated by the non-profit. The first event she hosted, called "SWIPE Out Hunger", brought together over 100 volunteers from the Hays community and sent over 300,000 meals to Haiti. The event has led her to participate on the leadership team with the Food Recovery Network at K-State. Along with this, Emma is involved on-campus as an undergraduate researcher in the Bioprocessing and Separations Laboratory, is a member of the Recycled Materials Design Club and Engineers Without Borders and serves as the secretary of Marlatt Hall Council.

Emma is interested in a career focused on developing sustainable materials that replace current environmentally damaging materials such as plastics, cements, and fuels. After completing her undergraduate degree, Emma plans to complete a PhD program in biological engineering, with a plan to eventually move into the industry to help develop these new materials and facilitate commercial distribution.

2021 - None

No award was granted in 2021

2020 - None

No award was granted in 2020

2010s

2019 - Marissa X. Shivers

Marissa is a freshman from Topeka, Kansas majoring in Computer Science. She is a member of the Computer Science Scholars program and the University Honors Program. On-campus, she is involved with the Society of Women Engineers, Women in Engineering, and K-State's chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery - Special Interest Group in Artificial Intelligence (ACM-SIGAI). She is currently a student office worker for the Office of Student Life. She also serves as Vice President External for the Asian American Student Union, as well as Event Programming Chair for the Honors House Executive Board.