On her road to med school, English & Biology major Nidhi Patel makes discoveries at KU and abroad

Nidhi Patel

As a freshman biology major, Nidhi Patel began her KU journey with a path in mind. What she didn't anticipate, however, was that she would find a perfectly complementary second major in English. Now, having recently been accepted into KU's School of Medicine, she's making her dreams a reality…

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Hawks to Watch: Marlon Marshall, Grassroots Campaign Organizer

Marlon Marshall

Why Marlon's a Hawk to Watch:It’s no secret that politics, campaigns, and social movements can be contentious subjects, to say the least. So much so that it often feels as if there’s an ocean of ideological difference separating communities. Marlon Marshall wants to help build bridges to mend those…

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I am Seeking: Steven A. Soper

Steven A. Soper with the text 'I am seeking, Steven A. Soper'

Our new video series, I am Seeking, highlights what our faculty are seeking with their research. From elevating African-American playwrights, to looking for signs of alien life in rocks on earth, or finding new ways to treat addiction, our faculty are innovators and explorers seeking answers and…

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Rebekah Taussig: Rewriting disability

Rebekah Taussig, PhD English, Creative Writing (2017)

Disability is often viewed through a distorted lens, with stories of disability perpetuating oversimplified images of either tragedy or inspiration. This treatment is easy to become accustomed to but falls painfully short of reality, trading complexity and nuance for convenient, easily digested…

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Hawks to Watch: David Toland, Kansas Secretary of Commerce

David Toland. Kansas Secretary of Commerce

Why David's a Hawk to Watch:Serious issues call for serious action. And David Toland has long been guided by the philosophy that real-world results are best achieved through a willingness to roll up one's sleeves and work collaboratively to put concrete plans in motion, or as he aptly put it, "stop…

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Aroog Khaliq examines human nature through writing, psychology, and medicine

Aroog Khaliq smiling and text that reads 'Aroog Khaliq Majors: English & Psychology Pre-Medicine Track'

Where are you from? And why did you decide to come to KU? My hometown is Overland Park, KS. I really ended up at KU in a miraculous way; I hadn’t even seen more than two buildings on campus before I committed to the University, and even during summer Orientation, I didn’t go on a full “…

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Pegah Naemi examines critical multiculturalism and its influence on social justice

Pegah Naemi Ph.D. Social Psychology, 5th Year

Hometown: Santa Monica, CA What are your research interests and why did you choose them? Was there a moment when you decided this is what you wanted to study? What was that journey like? My current work draws upon cultural psychology and de-colonial perspectives to interrogate and resist…

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Sarah Wright: Depth of Field

Sarah Wright

 Where are you from? And why did you decide to come to KU?I’m from Overland Park, Kansas. I decided to come to KU because I attended a summer camp here with Duke TiP in middle school, and I absolutely fell in love with campus. It’s also a nice mix of just close enough to home, but just far…

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Hawks to Watch: Abbie Hodgson, Officer with the State Strategy Group at the Pew Charitable Trusts

Abbie Hodgson, Officer with the State Strategy Group at the Pew Charitable Trusts, B.A. Political Science (2003), M.A. Communication Studies (2008), Ph.D. Communication Studies (2017)

 Why Abbie's a Hawk to Watch:Abbie Hodgson is a problem solver. It's fitting then that she’s built a career taking on some of the most pressing issues of the day, traveling back and forth between Kansas and Washington D.C. working in government, on the campaign trail, and for a non-profit. In…

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Sam Henkin Explores Concepts of Security, Violence, and Social Justice

Sam Henkin Ph.D. Geography 5th Year

What are your research interests and why did you choose them? Was there a moment when you decided this is what you wanted to study? What was that journey like?My research of state power and security governance has drawn considerable attention to the political and spatial dynamics of social…

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