Leadership and Staff
Susan Metzger, KWRI Director
Susan Metzger serves as director of the Kansas Water Resources Institute (KWRI) and KCARE. Susan is the Director of Stategic Interdisciplinary Program Development for Kansas State University.
Susan has broad experience representing Kansas State University and Kansas agriculture. Before her work at K-State, she was the Deputy/Assistant Secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, where she served the farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses of Kansas and assisted in the development and delivery of tools to grow the state’s agricultural economy. Prior to that, she was the Chief of Planning and Policy for the Kansas Water Office, where she was the team leader in the development and implementation of the Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas.
Randy Griffith, Grants Specialist
Randy Griffith is the grants specialist for KWRI. His responsibilities include the day-to-day financial management of awards as well as the KWRI accounts.
Randy has had nearly 40 years of experience at K-State in various departments, but his connection to K-State began as a student when he received a B.S. in Business Administration (Marketing). His previous professional experience includes positions in the Admissions Office, Global Campus, Financial Services, and the College of Engineering.
Melissa Harvey, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Melissa Harvey joined the KWRI/KCARE team as a marketing and communications specialist in 2017. She is responsible for developing materials for print and online publication, writing articles for the KCARE website, and working with faculty and staff to write any other articles for publication. Prior to working at K-State, she has worked as a writer and communications coordinator at the University of California, Davis, as well as a consulting science writer and editor at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. Melissa received her B.A. in English from Washington and Lee University, in Virginia.
Brooke Burden, Student Intern
Brooke Burden is currently a senior at Kansas State University pursuing her degree in Agricultural Communications and Journalism. Brooke has been responsible for writing articles over KWRI researchers, creating social media highlights, and developing online publications. After graduating, she plans to use her experience as a communications intern to be a voice for producers and to give the public insights into the important work of Kansas agriculture.
