Why Stephanie's a Hawk to Watch

Why Caitlin's a Hawk to Watch

Caitlin has never been afraid to take a risk to pursue passions and achieve her dreams. The books Caitlin read during her English degree at KU inspired her to run with bulls in Spain and then move her life to London to start her culinary education at Le Cordon Bleu. Since then, Caitlin's mastery of classic French pastries have landed her jobs in some of the most critically acclaimed restaurants in Kansas City, including Bluestem and Extra Virgin. Now a pastry chef at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Caitlin finds herself in the perfect place where her beautiful treats match the works of art that hang on the walls.

Hometown: Dryden, NY

KU degree: B.S. & M.S. atmospheric science 

Current title: Meteorologist & environmental reporter 

The list of careers Delano Lewis has held is lengthy and diverse. After graduating from KU in 1960 with majors in political science and history and a law degree soon after, he embarked on a career including roles with the Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Peace Corps in Nigeria and Uganda, as U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, CEO of NPR and more than 20 years in telecommunications with C & P Telco in D.C., culminating as president of Bell Atlantic/DC, which is now Verizon. Alongside his professional career, Lewis has made contributions as a public servant and philanthropist in the Washington, D.C. community, and on a federal level.

George Mullinix has been called one of the best #exploreKU contributors ever, and makes a career shooting footage for commercial clients around the world. But can you guess what KU degree the artist behind this photo has?

Anna Allen was passionate about the German language when she arrived at KU. It connected her to her family history, and she was inspired to master the language. But she was also drawn to journalism, and wanted to pursue a career that allowed her to write on a daily basis. With one eye on life beyond KU, she decided to pursue both interests, balancing her passions with her career aspirations by completing a B.S. in journalism and a B.A. in German. It turns out that both degrees proved pivotal as she embarked on her career path.

In the past year, a new option for supporting KU programs, faculty and students has taken off. Launch KU, an online crowdfunding platform, has broadened opportunities for alumni and friends to make a big impact no matter the size of their gift. Campaigns have benefited the College in multiple ways, including support for initiatives such as study abroad, scholarships and bringing a T. rex back to campus.

Mary Klayder Study Abroad Opportunity Award

William McNulty’s time on the Hill propelled him into a life lived around the world and a career as a nonprofit leader. McNulty, a 2001 graduate in economics and communication studies, is the 2017 recipient of an honorary doctorate from KU.

This March, the University of Kansas will host the National Debate Tournament (NDT) for the first time. For the uninitiated, the NDT is the debate world’s equivalent of March Madness. Spread over five intense days, the top teams from across the USA compete to be crowned the nation’s best debaters. After a hugely successful fall semester, KU was ranked number one in the country in the national varsity debate rankings, and head into the tournament full of confidence. KU’s success in this prestigious event is as long-standing and impressive as that of the Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team.

Across the humanities, sciences and the arts in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, there are inspiring faculty and students busy helping us understand our world better. From dinosaur digs to social media to explaining the Black Lives Matter movement, we have compiled some of our highlights for you below.  

One of the greatest discoveries by a KU alum just got a stamp of approval. In 1930, a 24-year old amateur astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh was working at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona to pay for his upcoming freshman year at KU when he discovered Pluto. Tombaugh’s stellar discovery earned him a scholarship to the University of Kansas, where he completed his bachelor’s degree (1936) and master’s degree (1938) in astronomy. Tombaugh and Pluto were back in the news last year when the New Horizons probe finished its nine-year journey to Pluto and sent back some of the highest-quality images of the former planet to date.

Bishop James D. Conley oversees the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln, which serves 97,000 Catholics in 134 parishes across 25,000 square miles of Nebraska. It’s a position he was appointed to in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. And it’s a calling that he first discovered as a KU student. “I wanted to do something unusual and out of the ordinary.” Conley was an English major and part of the Integrated Humanities Program at KU.