Graduation Profile: Senior perseveres to give speech of a lifetime
As a first-generation college student and a single parent earning minimum wage, Alyssa Cole was stressed and frustrated. At the end of her rope, she decided to write a letter to the one person she thought could help, President Barack Obama. “Writing to him was basically a last resort,” Cole, a…
Graduation Profile: College experience alters path for senior
Marquise Paige, B.S. in geology, Class of 2015 The student carrying the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ banner at graduation this year is not the same student he was as a freshman four years ago. Student senator. Geology major. Camper. Researcher. None of these were experiences Marquise…
Graduation Profile: Finding a place that fits
Vashti Goracke, B.F.A. in dance, Class of 2015 Vashti Goracke has a bittersweet relationship with dance. Some days are good, some days are bad. There can be lots of pain. But she wouldn’t trade anything for the ability to tell stories and say whatever she’s thinking and feeling through dance.…
Graduation Profile: Study abroad inspires lifetime of work
Adam Sundberg, Ph.D. student in history, Class of 2015 Growing up in the same house with an evolutionary botanist and a historian clearly had an impression on Adam Sundberg. He and his parents spent many vacations at national parks and going camping. Now, as an environmental historian, he can…
Graduation Profile: Grad student follows 'convoluted road' to career
Amy Esplund, M.A. in speech-language pathology, Class of 2015 For many students, determining a future career isn’t always easy and the path to deciding on a major can be difficult. “It was a long, convoluted road,” Amy Esplund, a Eudora graduate student, said of her experience in choosing a…
Graduation Profile: Making space for women’s voices
Katherine Gwynn, B.A. in English and women, gender & sexuality studies, Class of 2015 As a double major in English and women, gender & sexuality studies, Katherine Gwynn is an advocate for opening up the conversation about women’s experiences. “I’m really passionate about not treating women…
Classroom guests help students envision careers
Rodney Hill, visiting artist from Rennie Harris Puremovement in Philadelphia, taught a hip-hop class as part of the dance department visiting artist series. Liberal arts and sciences graduates go on to successful and sometimes unconventional careers. They combine personal passion with the…
Visual Illusion: Are you #TeamWhiteGold or #TeamBlueBlack?
Thursday afternoon, this photo began circulating around the internet, creating controversy and blowing minds. “The Dress” has been confirmed by the manufacturer to be Royal blue and black but the original photo is quite a polarizing optical illusion. What color do you think the dress is? Are…
Distinguished Alumni: Sharon Lee cares for fellow Kansans through low-cost clinic
During her time on the Hill, alumna Sharon Lee’s experiences shaped not only her future career but her values, belief system and outlook on life. “It’s really hard to separate my experiences at KU and in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences from who I am,” Lee said. Lee graduated in…
Finding a home on the Hill
John Nalbandian gives back to the University that became his home"I joined the KU faculty in 1976. My family and I moved to Kansas from Los Angeles, our home, and we thought we would spend a few years here and then return to Southern California. I have returned, but only to visit!…