Milling & Baking News - September 11, 2018 - 42

Education and Research

Kansas State's Grain Science
department seeks greater visibility
Management, Feed Science & Management, and Milling Science & Management - plus a graduate program in
Grain Science, the department is dedicated to cultivating a well-rounded
curriculum that prepares students for
the workforce. By operating in tandem
with its faculty and advisory council,
it continuously reinvents itself to meet
students' evolving needs.
At the forefront of the program is its
hands-on training and technical preparation the faculty provides. Throughout all disciplines, professors prepare

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

MANHATTAN, KAS. - Although its
resume is teeming with positive features, the Grain Science and Industry
department at Kansas State University
still faces some challenges.
Established in 1905, the Grain Science and Industry department has
catapulted the careers of many in the
milling and baking industries. It is the
only university in the United States
that offers degrees in baking, feed
or milling science and management
and holds a 100% job placement rate
- with students typically receiving

From research and analytical laboratories to processing equipment, students learn about
the latest advances in grain science in a functional setting.

multiple job offers upon graduation.
Despite increasing demand for qualified students, departmental enrollment has not substantially grown for
about seven years.
"I would tell you no one - including me - thinks that number is right,"
said Gordon Smith, Ph.D., head of the
Grain Science Department, K.S.U. "The
industry could hire twice as many students out of the department easily."
But finding students who are familiar
with the program and sector is a struggle. Saddled in the small town of Manhattan, Kas., Dr. Smith said the program
remains a hidden gem.
"I believe a major barrier for students is simply awareness about what
the department does and the quality
of careers that are possible by this type
of education," Dr. Smith said.
Made up of three undergraduate programs - Bakery Science &
42 / September 11, 2018

Milling & Baking News

students with the technical expertise
they need to be successful. From research and analytical laboratories to
processing equipment, students learn
about the latest advances in grain science in a functional setting.
While traditional skills and concepts
are covered throughout courses, staff
provide students with a new, international perspective that aligns with the
increasingly globalized milling and
baking industries.
"One of the criticisms of the department is that all of our students are from
Kansas, but that, of course, isn't true,"
Dr. Smith said. Many of the department's instructors have experience
working outside of the United States
and bring that valuable expertise back
to K.S.U.'s students, even emboldening them to take jobs abroad upon
graduation. Dr. Smith noted that as
students become more interested in

this global connectivity, they search
far and wide for job opportunities that
meet their needs.
The department's advisory council
has been a critical tool that provides industry perspective on programs, facilities and student readiness for the workplace. Made up of industry leaders from
across bakery, milling and feed sectors,
the Department of Grain Science's Advisory Council has become an indispensable asset in guiding the strategy
for the department, Dr. Smith said.
With help from these industry professionals, the department teaches leadership and communication skills that students can't glean from a textbook.
"You can sit in a classroom and learn
a bunch of grain science and technology, but when you leave, how are you
going to be able to clearly communicate those concepts with business people?" Dr. Smith asked.
These soft-skill concepts are taught
across a number of courses and in a
capstone class, which Dr. Smith coteaches with Charles Stark.
"We try to present our students
with real-life industry situations,"
Dr. Smith said. "The students already
learned the technical skills, but, in this
course, they will learn to apply them
in a business setting."
The committee also empowers students by opening doors to new internship opportunities that provide a
wealth of experience. Because of the
demand for new talent within the industry, K.S.U. students can begin internships during their freshman year.
By graduation, many have completed
up to three internships with different
companies. In return, this allows the
department to recruit top-tier students.
"I don't think people realize how
competitive it is to get K.S.U. grain
science interns," said Robb MacKie,
advisory council chairman and president and chief executive officer of the
American Bakers Association. "About
once a year, I am joined by an (A.B.A.)
board member for an advisory council
meeting. They come back and immediately start reworking their internship program to accommodate those
students and make it more competitive and attractive to them."
The department's close ties with the
milling and baking industries also enable students to attend educational and
networking events outside of school.
"Students from the program attend industry conferences to learn
more about real world opportunities, supplement their classroom
work and network with their future
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Milling & Baking News - September 11, 2018

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