Our graduates are not only scientists but leaders in the lab, classroom and across the campus. Some found their passions early in life, while…

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Our graduates are not only scientists but leaders in the lab, classroom and across the campus. Some found their passions early in life, while…
Our humanities graduates push boundaries, driven by the conviction that anything is possible. They look to the past to understand different ways of living,…
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…
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…
Rachel Myslivy, Statewide Coordinator, Double Up Food Bucks; Board Member, Climate + Energy Project Age: 38 KU Degree: MA – Religious Studies; Graduate Certificate…
Natalie Pak, Speech-Language Pathologist at Widefield School District #3, Colorado Springs, CO Age: 24 KU Degree: BA Spanish, BA Speech-Language-Hearing (2013), MA Speech-Language Pathology…
Michael Barry, Senior Product Manager, Amazon Age: 31 KU Degree: BA, English (2007) Why he’s a Hawk to Watch: Michael is one of those…
Michael Barnicle, Trial Attorney, Duane Morris LLP Age: 34 KU Degree: BA, Political Science (2004) Why he’s a Hawk to Watch: Michael tested his…
Lauren Henion, Speech-Language Pathologist II at TIRR Memorial Hermann Age: 27 KU Degree: B.A. in Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences & Disorders (2011); M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology…
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…
Kenton Rambsy, Assistant Professor of English and Digital Humanities, University of Texas Arlington Age: 27 KU Degree: MA English (2012); PhD English (2015) Why…
Justin Mackey, Assistant Athletic Director, Student-Athlete Development/University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Age: 34 KU Degree: BGS Communication Studies (2004), MA Communication Studies (2008)…
Age: 32 KU Degree: Master of Fine Arts (Painting and Drawing) (2012) Why he’s a Hawk to Watch: John is an artist, filmmaker and…
Chris McDonald, Youth Treatment Counselor at Denver Children’s Home, Relief Treatment Supervisor and part time Program Assistant for Easter Seals Age: 24 KU Degree:…
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…
Devon Cantwell, Founding Computer Science and Science Teachers, Smilow Prep- RePublic Schools Age: 25 KU Degree: Political Science (2012) Why she’s a Hawk to Watch:…
Johanna Maska, SVP Communications and Marketing, Karmic Labs Age: 34 KU Degree: B.S., Journalism, B.A., History (2004) Why she’s a Hawk to Watch: Johanna…
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…
Todd Bradley, Ph.D., Medical Instructor and Director of Viral Genetic Analysis at Duke Human Vaccine Institute Age: 32 KU Degree: Human Biology (2007) Why…
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…
It will come as no surprise to fellow alumni that many families truly seem to have KU in their DNA. Their family trees have…
Kierstin McMichael is the definition of busy. Between leadership positions and jobs on campus, reading and studying hundreds of pages a week for her…
Evan Traylor is the kind of person who goes after what he wants and doesn’t look back. From his first campus tour, Evan knew…
Four years ago Gabe Alaniz never would have agreed that a liberal arts degree at a large, research university would be the best place…
Growing up in a town of less than 150 people tends to leave an impression on a person. Emily Lenherr’s experience was such a…
One week into her first desk job, avid hiker and outdoorsman Rachael Boothe knew that she wanted to trade in her computer screen for…
In the six years Cindy Sexton has organized the Department of Psychology’s graduation ceremony, she’s seen hundreds of students walk across the stage. This…
When pundits and the public turn their attention to Iowa and its presidential caucuses every four years, J. Ann Selzer has become something of…
In the decades since her disappearance in the summer of 1937, famed aviator and Kansan Amelia Earhart has continued to captivate the interest of…
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 diversity continues to be an important issue on our campus, it’s also a significant issue nationally – especially in STEM fields. Alumna Anita…
2015 was a big year for Alina Zheng; in the same year that she celebrated her sweet 16, she also earned a bachelor’s degree…
High in the mountains just outside Santiago, Chile, a group of scientists are looking toward the sky, capturing information about every corner of our…
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…
In a time when girls were still wearing bloomers in gym class, Anne Levinson tried out for the boys’ baseball team in junior high.…
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…
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,…
It’s a story that could’ve been taken straight from the script of a romantic comedy. For most of their lives, they had been just…
Waiting with bated breath for the results to be posted, the excitement in the room was palpable. After a moment of silent scanning, a…
Leaving her home on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota to study at KU changed Jordyn Gunville’s life in more ways than…
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…
Katherine Gwynn, B.A. in English and women, gender & sexuality studies, Class of 2015 As a double major in English and women, gender &…
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…
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…
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.…
Marquise Paige, B.S. in geology, Class of 2015 The student carrying the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ banner at graduation this year is…
Getting a job is often as much about who you know as it is what you know. For students looking to enter the technology…
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…
Liberal arts and sciences graduates go on to successful and sometimes unconventional careers. They combine personal passion with the flexibility of their degree…
Alumna combats violence against native women through tribal law reform Chaos. That’s how Sarah Deer, College alumna and MacArthur ‘genius’ grant winner, describes her…
Just after collecting his diploma in 2009, Patrick Mathay embarked on a bike trip that would steer him toward his future career. It started…
The University of Kansas Army ROTC commissioned its first female Field Artillery officer this spring following Pentagon orders in 2013 to open combat-arms branches…
Growing up in an underprivileged area of Wichita, Kansas, it never occurred to Edgar Heap of Birds that being a professional artist was an…
Looking at the sum of his career, William Fisher attributes many of his accomplishments to a crucial conversation during his college years. Initially, Fisher…
Honduran filmmaker, Hispano Durón, looks to a creative future making films and teaching at the University of Honduras after successfully achieving his Ph.D in…
Imagine witnessing many monumental international issues of the 20th century firsthand. Living in China as a political officer in the 1970s right after the…
If you notice a lifelike presence when you look into the eyes of John Gurche’s sculpture of an ancient human ancestor, that’s no accident.…
Think of great pairings and you might come up with combinations like rock and chalk, or crimson and blue. But what about liberal arts…
Ryan Rowan got his B.G.S. at KU in political science and African and African-American studies in 2008. What do you do and what’s your…
Karen Arnold-Berger earned her undergraduate degrees from KU in personnel administration, political science and psychology in 1979. What do you do and what’s your…