Annual Report

Students

Udall Scholarship

Raymond M. "Studie" Red Corn, a civil engineering student and a member of the Osage Nation, was one of 80 Udall scholars for 2007-08. The Udall scholarships are for students planning careers in fields related to the environment and for Native American and Alaska Natives seeking careers in fields related to health care or tribal policy.

Goldwater Scholarships

Two sophomores – Kyle Hesed, Pawnee Rock sophomore in biology, who plans to earn a doctorate in herpetology; and Stephanie Ann Hill, Shawnee sophomore in chemistry and biochemistry, who plans to earn a doctorate in medicinal chemistry – won national Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships, regarded as the premier undergraduate award to encourage excellence in science, engineering, and mathematics.

Forty-three KU students have been named Goldwater scholars.

Perfect Achievement Scholarship

By scoring a perfect 36 on his ACT entrance exam, Edward J. Fensholt, Olathe, earned a Perfect Achievement Scholarship at KU. Offered to Kansas high school graduates, the scholarship provides full tuition for up to four years, housing in a traditional residence hall with a full meal package, and an allowance for books. Fensholt is the fourth KU freshman to receive the Perfect Achievement Scholarship.

Creative QuarterlY – Best of Show

Amy Rottinghaus, a graphic design student from Baileyville, was featured in an issue of Creative Quarterly after winning the top prize in the magazine's most recent competition. Her Tech Girl Bookcovers took Best of Show in the graphic design category.

Bizfest Competition Award

Julio Mata Jr., a pre-business student from Kansas City, Kan., won a national award for the business plan he developed for a bilingual tanning salon to serve Kansas residents. Mata took first place for his presentation at the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation's BizFest training workshop and competition.

Fulbright awards

Seven KU students won prestigious Fulbright awards for study and research abroad for the 2007-08 academic year. This year's recipients are:

• Cristin Burke, Eastham, Mass., doctoral student in geography to study in Kazakhstan
• Hannah M. Franko, Gilbert, Pa., spring 2007 master's degree graduate in architecture, to study in Japan
• Ryan Christopher Gaston, Greenwood, Ind., doctoral student in history to study in Spain
• Kahlil Nabil Saad, Wichita, spring 2007 graduate in Germanic languages and literatures, to study in Syria
• Meredith Seymour Lang, Leavenworth, 1997 graduate in English and 2005 graduate in law, to study in Oman
• Thomas B. Overly, Louisburg, master's degree student in geography, to study in Denmark and Greenland
• Vera Vialievna Volchansky, Lawrence, doctoral student in orchestra conducting, to study in Russia.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Two KU students and two recent graduates have won National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, which are among the premier awards in the sciences. NSF fellowship winners from KU are:

• Joel Abrahamson, spring 2006 graduate in chemical engineering from Grand Forks, N.D., to study chemical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Kristi N. Bond, Lawrence master's degree student in linguistics
• Allison S. Doores, Lawrence doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology, specializing in paleobotany
• Miles Alexander Garrett, spring 2006 graduate in physics and philosophy from Newton, Wichita and Harrisburg, Pa., to study sociology at Cornell University in New York.

Freeman-ASIA scholarships

Seven students won national Freeman-ASIA scholarships for study abroad in Asia. The goal of the program is to increase the number of American undergraduates studying in East and Southeast Asia. The recipients are:

• Libby Ann Allen, Sedan junior, to study in China
• Kim Dieneke Brook, Lawrence senior, to study in South Korea
• Michael Thomas Edmonds, Topeka junior, to study in Japan
• Nicholas Frederick Kellerman, Overland Park sophomore, to study in Japan
• Wing Kwan Lam, Overland Park sophomore, to study in Japan
• Luis Carlos Vargas, Wichita senior, to study in Japan
• Dori Ann White, Merriam junior, to study in Japan.

Science and Innovation Award

Allyn Michael Kaufmann, a pharmaceutical chemistry doctoral student from Baxter Springs, was one of 13 students in the nation to win a Schering-Plough Science and Innovation Award offered by Schering-Plough Corp.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Award

Nina Zuna, a doctoral student in special education from Eudora, won the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Student Award in recognition of her research about parent-teacher interactions.

Robert K. Merton Award

Loralie Lynn Wiebold, a doctoral student in sociology, won a Robert K. Merton Award from the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy to support her dissertation research examining community survival in rural America.

Hearst awards – first place

The William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications placed first in the Intercollegiate Writing Competition of the prestigious Hearst Journalism Awards competition. Often called the "Pulitzers of College Journalism," the Hearst competitions in writing, photography and broadcast news are annual and take place throughout the academic year. For the Intercollegiate Writing Competition, the journalism school that accumulates the most points in each category of the six writing contests is the winner.

special education recognition

Two doctoral students in special education earned national recognition from professional associations dedicated to advancing educational standards and opportunities for students, particularly those with disabilities and exceptional needs.

• Maya Israel of Lenexa was selected as the 2007-08 Higher Education Consortium for Special Education Doctoral Student Intern.
• Sheila Smith of Lawrence earned the 2007 Herbert J. Prehm Student Presentation Award, the highest student recognition given by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Developmental Disabilities.

Smithsonian Institution Display

Ivan Aguirre and Carolina Medeiros, both students in School of Fine Arts, had their artwork displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., after winning a poster contest. They created the posters for KU's Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets to communicate information about the center's participation in the International Polar Year.