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Four educators receive Chancellors Club Teaching Professorships
LAWRENCE — KU Endowment has announced the recipients of the 2021 Chancellors Club Teaching Professorships. The honorees are Dr. Scott Moser, associate dean of curriculum at KU School of Medicine-Wichita; Cynthia Teel, associate dean for academic affairs at the KU School of Nursing; Mikhail Barybin, professor of chemistry, KU Lawrence campus; and George Tsoflias, professor of applied geophysics, KU Lawrence campus. Each will receive an annual $10,000 honorarium for each of the next five years.
Fifteen KU students named finalists for 31st annual ExCEL Awards
LAWRENCE — Fifteen KU students have been selected as finalists for the 31st annual Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership Awards at the University of Kansas. Three winners will be announced at the conclusion of Homecoming week, which culminates in the KU-Texas Tech football game at 3 p.m. Oct. 16 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Finalists include Kansas students from Dodge City, Kansas City, Lawrence, Lenexa, Overland Park, Shawnee, Ulysses and Wichita (67210, 67212).
Full stories below.
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Contact: Michelle Strickland, KU Endowment, 785-832-7363, [email protected]; Michelle Keller, KU Endowment, 785-832-7336, [email protected]; @KUEndowment
Four educators receive Chancellors Club Teaching Professorships
LAWRENCE — KU Endowment has announced the recipients of the 2021 Chancellors Club Teaching Professorships. The honorees are health care educators at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita and KU School of Nursing and professors of geophysics and chemistry at KU’s Lawrence campus.
The recipients are Scott Moser, associate dean of curriculum at KU School of Medicine-Wichita; Cynthia Teel, associate dean for academic affairs at the KU School of Nursing; Mikhail Barybin, professor of chemistry, KU Lawrence campus; and George Tsoflias, professor of applied geophysics, KU Lawrence campus.
Each will receive an annual $10,000 honorarium for each of the next five years.
Dr. Scott Moser
As an educator, Scott Moser has brought his own creative style to Wichita educational programs. He joined the KU School of Medicine-Wichita faculty in 1998 and was chosen as vice chair for education in the Department of Family and Community Medicine-Wichita in 2005. In 2015, he became associate dean for curriculum at KU School of Medicine-Wichita. He infuses a practical, case-based approach into family-medicine education and has developed and overseen the recruitment, training and mentoring of a group of part-time and retired physicians as coaches for students in Wichita. He has been the primary driver in the development of the department’s Objective Structured Clinical Examination, which evaluates students in a clinical setting.
Career highlights:
1. Moser was instrumental in initiating the new ACE Curriculum (Active-learning, Competency-based, Excellence-driven) for medical students on the Wichita campus.
2. He is the founding faculty adviser for the KU School of Medicine-Wichita’s JayDoc Community Clinic, the student-led outreach free clinic on the Wichita campus.
3. He has earned several teaching awards, including the Chancellors Club Distinguished Teaching Award and the Ruth Bohan Teaching Professor Award. In 2013 he was voted a Wichita Health Care Hero by The Wichita Business Journal.
Cynthia Teel
Cynthia Teel joined the KU School of Nursing faculty in 1993 as an assistant professor, teaching multiple courses in adult nursing, nursing role development, theory, geriatrics, research and synthesis at all levels from bachelor’s to doctorate over 24 years. Under Teel’s leadership as associate dean for graduate studies, the graduate programs in nursing developed into successful online programs with an outstanding national reputation. In 2016, Teel was appointed as associate dean for academic affairs with responsibility for all academic programs.
Career highlights:
1. Since the inception of the KU School of Nursing in Salina, Teel has worked with a team to develop the framework and processes for joint teaching and learning using iTV technology, maintaining consistency in the curriculum and developing faculty skills in teaching.
2. She has created and implemented the predoctoral rural health immersion experience and assisted with the development of the postdoctoral fellowship in rural health nursing education, spearheading the nursing school’s continued commitment to rural health in Kansas.
3. She successfully secured the Kansas Board of Regents Nursing Initiative grant — which supports faculty and nursing lab supplies — six times, with awards ranging from $21,000 to $280,000.
Mikhail (Misha) Barybin
Misha Barybin is known for his engaging teaching and selfless mentoring. In his nomination letter, Department of Chemistry Chair Robert Dunn notes that “Professor Barybin’s excellence as an educator flows from the sincere care he has for the success and well-being of his students” and “his continued mentorship of students long after they have left his classroom.” Since joining the KU faculty in 2001, Barybin has taught courses from freshman General Chemistry to advanced graduate-level classes. He is a passionate proponent of interdisciplinary education as exemplified by his honors freshman seminars Chemistry in the Context of Nanotech Revolution and Exploring Parallels between Chemistry and Music as well as by his recent University Scholars Seminar course Nuclear Chemistry in the Modern Society.
Career highlights:
1. Barybin has developed innovative teaching approaches, including combining undergraduate and graduate cohorts in a unique hybrid class on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
2. His research program at the interface of organometallic and materials branches of chemistry has been funded by the National Science Foundation since 2006.
3. He holds multiple accolades for teaching and mentoring at KU and served as an Honors Faculty Fellow from 2013 to 2020.
George Tsoflias
Since he joined the faculty in 2003, George Tsoflias has excelled in developing core classes, innovating experiential learning opportunities and mentoring undergraduate and graduate research in the Department of Geology at KU. Both student and peer evaluations reflect his thoughtfulness and enthusiasm as a teacher and mentor. He has taken his teaching to the international level by developing the successful study-abroad geology course Greece: Natural Environment and Civilizations, immersing students to the study of geologic processes, culture and diversity.
Career highlights:
1. Tsoflias has coached KU’s teams in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists’ Imperial Barrel Award Program for eight years. The IBA competition pits geoscience students from universities around the world in the evaluation of the resource potential of selected geological basins. Under his guidance, the KU team was recognized for “Technical Innovation Excellence” at the 2021 Global Final competition.
2. Through his research program, he has trained students broadly across the geosciences in the areas of environment and energy. He and his students and collaborators have published four major peer-reviewed papers, 54 expanded abstracts and conference transactions, and 155 conference abstracts and presentations.
3. He has actively participated in the Emerging Scholars program, McNair Scholars program and CLAS Faculty Mentor program.
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Contact: Jennifer Sanner, KU Alumni Association, 785-864-9782, [email protected]; @KUAlumni
Fifteen KU students named finalists for 31st annual ExCEL Awards
LAWRENCE — Fifteen KU students have been selected as finalists for the 31st annual Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership Awards at the University of Kansas. Three winners will be announced at the conclusion of Homecoming week, which culminates in the KU-Texas Tech football game at 3 p.m. Oct. 16 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
The ExCEL Award provides an annual $250 scholarship to students. Nominees were selected on the basis of leadership, effective communication skills, involvement at KU and in the Lawrence community, academic scholarship and ability to work with a variety of students and organizations. The selection committee included representatives from Student Union Activities, the Board of Class Officers, the Student Involvement & Leadership Center and the Homecoming Steering Committee.
The award was first given in 1991 to recognize students for achievement. Names of winners are listed on a plaque on the fifth level of the Kansas Union. To be eligible, applicants must be full-time undergraduate students with an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Each finalist completed an application and participated in an interview. The finalists and their academic majors are listed below, along with highlights of their campus achievements.
Tamara-Doubra Anoruse-Thomas, a pre-med senior in microbiology with a minor in business from Lagos, Nigeria, is an undergraduate teaching assistant for the Department of Chemistry and a data analyst for the Center for Community Health and Development. She is president of LEAD UP, an organization that helps underrepresented youths, and she served as vice president of the African and Caribbean Student Association.
Javen Betts, a junior in education from Kansas City, Kansas, is a student ambassador for the School of Education & Human Sciences and an assistant for KU TRIO SES & STEM. He is president of the Black Student Union and serves as the Big XII constitution delegate for Black Student Government.
Nikki Brown, a senior in political science, sociology and American studies with a minor in social justice from Lisle, Illinois, is vice president of the Latin American Student Union and vice president of the Latina-founded sorority Kappa Delta Chi. A McNair Scholar, she is a peer mentor for first-year minority and first-generation students as well as a social justice peer educator in the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Maura Corder, a senior in communication studies and psychology from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a third-generation Jayhawk and a resident assistant for KU Student Housing. She is a rank leader in the Marching Jayhawks and president of Lambda Pi Eta, a communication studies honors fraternity.
Emily Curl, a pre-medicine senior in behavioral neuroscience and strategic communication from Ulysses, is a student ambassador for the Office of Admissions and previously worked as an orientation assistant, Hawk Week leader and a peer mentor. She volunteers at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lawrence.
Yasmin Edrees, a senior in behavioral neuroscience with a minor in Spanish from Overland Park, is communications director at the Center for Community Outreach. She is co-director of Camp Kesem and co-president of HEAL KU, a student-led group that builds sustainable relationships with community organizations. She participates in the pre-med fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon.
Natalie Krieger, a senior in marketing with a minor in photography from Lenexa, is president of the Multicultural Greek Council and a member of Sigma Psi Zeta Inc., a progressive, multicultural sorority. She also served as public relations and social media chair for the Asian American Student Union.
Mikayla Leader, a junior in mathematics from Wichita (67212), is a customer service attendant for KU Info and building manager for the Kansas Union. She led Student Union Activities as executive director and served as director of finance and partnerships.
Madison McGuire, a pre-med senior in human biology with a minor in American studies from St. Louis, is an undergraduate researcher on Alzheimer’s disease and a volunteer crisis counselor. She serves on the Homecoming Steering Committee and is a member of the KU Chemistry Club.
Sarah Moore, a senior in journalism with a minor in anthropology and dance from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, is a student ambassador for the Office of Admissions and a rank leader for the Marching Jayhawks. She directs diversity, equity and inclusion for Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and is a member of the national service fraternity Omega Phi Alpha.
Lily Nguyen, a senior in global & international studies and Japanese language & culture with a minor in political science from Wichita (67210), is a resident assistant for KU Student Housing and an honors seminar assistant for the University Honors Program. She was a digital media engagement intern at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Megan Shah, a senior in human biology with a minor in Spanish from Lawrence, participates in the University Honors Program and is a research assistant at the Life Span Institute’s Center for Community Health and Development. She is executive director of KU Dance Marathon and directs events for the Center for Community Outreach.
Marah Shulda, a junior in chemical engineering with a minor in global & international studies from Shawnee, is a Self Engineering Leadership Fellow and rank leader and equipment manager for the Marching Jayhawks. She serves as vice president of KU Hearts for the Homeless.
Leah Stein, a pre-law senior in sociology with a minor in social justice from Dodge City, is president of Chi Omega sorority and previously served as the organization’s vice president and foundation ambassador. She participates in the University Honors Program and is a student ambassador for the Office of Admissions. She serves on the student advisory board for the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics.
Ellen Vandewater, a senior in computer science with a minor in business from St. Louis, directs marketing and engagement for Student Union Activities and serves as legacy chair for KU’s Board of Class Officers. She also was the Kansas Union Gallery coordinator.
The theme for KU’s 109th Homecoming is “Back in Action.” The Alumni Association and its Student Alumni Network Homecoming Steering Committee oversee this year’s event, which is sponsored by Best Western Plus West Lawrence, KU Bookstore and Truity Credit Union. Jayhawks can purchase Homecoming T-shirts while supplies last at the KU Bookstore and online at kubookstore.com.
A complete schedule of Homecoming week activities can be found at kualumni.org/homecoming.
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