William McNulty, Cofounder and CEO, Team Rubicon Global 

Age: 38 

KU Degree: Economics, Communication Studies (2001) 

Why he’s a Hawk to Watch: 

William is a Marine who served in both the infantry and intelligence. He’s a cofounder and CEO of Team Rubicon Global, an organization that enlists veterans in humanitarian and disaster relief efforts. It all began with the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which inspired McNulty and co-founders to assemble a team of military veterans and deploy to Port-au-Prince to support emerging relief efforts.

Sara Sneath, Environmental Reporter at the Victoria Advocate 

Age: 30 

KU Degree: B.S. in journalism and B.A. in sociology (2013) 

Why she's a Hawk to Watch: 

A typical day in the office for Sara could involve wandering through marshes, riding an oyster boat, or waiting by the phone. Such is the life of an environmental journalist. She is the environmental reporter for the Victoria Advocate of Victoria, Texas. She writes about oil, gas, water and coastal issues in the Crossroads, the name given to Victoria because of its proximity to Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. 

Kirsten Michelle Devin, 4th Year Medical Student at KU Medical Center, Fulbright Scholar 

Age: 27 KU Degree: B.A. Spanish (2011) 

Why she’s a Hawk to Watch: 

Kenton Rambsy, Assistant Professor of English and Digital Humanities, University of Texas Arlington 

Age: 27 KU Degree: MA English (2012); PhD English (2015) 

Why he’s a Hawk to Watch: 

Kenton is charting new academic territory by placing rap music squarely within an academic tradition by displaying the overlaps between famed writers and rappers. 

What do you feel is your biggest achievement so far? 

John Sebelius, artist and filmmaker 

Age: 32 KU Degree: Master of Fine Arts (Painting and Drawing) (2012) 

Why he’s a Hawk to Watch: 

Amy Virginia Buchanan, Artistic Director/Cofounder at Spring Street Social Society 

Age: 29 

KU degree: BGS, Theatre (2010) 

Why she’s a Hawk to Watch: 

Amy has carved her own path as a performer in New York City, acting, singing and writing. She also co-founded Spring Street Social Society, a business enterprise that plans and hosts creative and unexpected dinner parties and/or performances across the country.

What do you feel is your biggest achievement so far? 

Sustainability in an artistic career. 

It will come as no surprise to fellow alumni that many families truly seem to have KU in their DNA. Their family trees have generations of Jayhawks filling its branches. Clyde Toland (c’69, l’75) is proud to have 34 Jayhawks in his tree. “I believe in the importance of knowing your family’s roots in order to have a greater appreciation of who each person is,” Toland said. “Of particular interest are experiences we have in common, such as our shared KU heritage.” Toland’s KU legacy began 110 years ago with his great-aunt, who graduated in 1906, and continues today with a second cousin currently in the School of Business. His family members have degrees from all of the schools at KU, but more than half are graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

When pundits and the public turn their attention to Iowa and its presidential caucuses every four years, J. Ann Selzer has become something of a political celebrity. In 2008, when Hillary Clinton was pursuing her first bid for president, Selzer predicted an upset victory from Barack Obama. Her pronouncement had its skeptics. But they were silenced when the high voter turnout that Selzer had predicted vaulted Obama to a win in Iowa. Since that moment, her place as the polling guru of Iowa has been cemented.

Last year, Forbes magazine proclaimed “That 'Useless' Liberal Arts Degree Has Become Tech's Hottest Ticket.” Increasingly, reports show that creative thinking has become just as valuable as engineering skills in the industry, and for the former, more tech employers are seeking out liberal arts and sciences graduates. Brad Garlinghouse, a KU alumnus who is a veteran of the tech sector, has put his liberal arts and sciences background to use for two decades in Silicon Valley. And he’s building a talent pipeline from KU to California to encourage other Jayhawks to join the tech industry.

As diversity continues to be an important issue on our campus, it’s also a significant issue nationally – especially in STEM fields. Alumna Anita Csoma was recently recognized among 100 Inspiring Women in STEM by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for not only her work in the field, but her dedication to inspiring and encouraging a new generation of young women to consider careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). After earning her Ph.D. in geology from KU, Anita worked with major oil companies ConocoPhillips and Shell. We were able to hear more from Anita about the award, her work style and her training as a violinist! 

Looking back, it’s amazing to see what our students, professors and alumni have accomplished in the past year. They made ground-breaking discoveries, received national and international recognition for their work and experienced exclusive learning opportunities. Here are just a few highlights from 2015.