Distinguished Alumni: Major Dan Rooney gives back to veterans' families with Folds of Honor
Major Dan Rooney, an F-16 pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, was on a commercial flight in 2006 that would end up changing his life and guiding his future. Major Dan Rooney and Jacob, scholarship recipient and inspiration for Major Rooney's non-profit Folds of Honor The flight was …
College Professors Win KU Teaching Awards
Two College of Liberal Arts & Sciences professors were honored with teaching awards during the 2015 KU Teaching Summit in August. Associate Professor of Theatre Nicole Hodges Persley received the Byron T. Shutz Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Associate Professor of Communication…
Carl Lejuez named 14th dean of the College
Carl Lejuez has been named as the next dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at KU. Lejuez comes to KU from the University of Maryland. He currently serves there as a professor of psychology and associate dean of research for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Lejuez will…
Chancellors Club Professor, Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, helps students overcome fear of math
Helping students overcome anxieties about math, Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, professor of mathematics and courtesy professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has been awarded the 2015-16 Chancellors Club Professorship by KU Endowment. These professorships are held by outstanding faculty who…
Combining the arts and sciences provides unique inspiration
Balancing the arts and the sciences comes naturally to Natali Diaz-Yepes, a graduating senior double majoring in dance and biology. Diaz-Yepes’ father is a doctor of biology statistics, and she’s been in love with dance since the age of three. This solid foundation in both fields keeps her days…
Visual Art debuts new technology lab
The Department of Visual Art debuted a new, innovative lab that has greatly enriched the studio curriculum this year. The Visual Art Studio Technology (VAST) Lab contains a laser system, 3-D scanner and 3-D desktop printer systems. It is also staffed by VAST Lab coordinator, Garrett Brown. “These…
Q&A with Megan Lease: KU's First PhD Candidate in Women's Studies
On the first day of the new semester, Megan Lease made history. Megan defended her dissertation, “A Strong Woman of the Lord: Performing Gender at the Intersection of Sport and Evangelical Christianity," making her the first student at KU to receive a PhD from the Department of Women,…
Distinguished Alumni: Social justice and public service are hallmarks of Anne Levinson's career
In a time when girls were still wearing bloomers in gym class, Anne Levinson tried out for the boys’ baseball team in junior high. Such an act, when most people expected young girls to sit still and be quiet, was not very well received. Working to open doors so that more people can have…
Graduation Profile: Wake-up call turns expulsion into opportunity
Marcus Florez, B.S. in chemistry, Class of 2015 If it weren’t for Marcus Florez being expelled, he may never have become a promising young Alzheimer’s researcher. Florez, a senior from Bel Aire, had a wake-up call at the young age of 14. He describes himself as a troubled kid, who was…
Graduation Profile: Academic success isn’t up for debate
Waiting with bated breath for the results to be posted, the excitement in the room was palpable. After a moment of silent scanning, a single shout goes up and the team erupts. Jumping up and down, the cheers from the crowd signal that the team of Jyleesa Hampton and Quaram Robinson made it to the…