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KU announces new 2024-2028 Self Graduate Fellows
LAWRENCE — Fifteen doctoral students have been selected to receive the University of Kansas’ Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship for the 2024-2025 academic year, marking the 35th anniversary of the program. The total value of the four-year doctoral fellowship exceeds $200,000. Recipients include current or incoming graduate students from Benton, Hays, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Olathe and Overland Park.
Tradition of Excellence Award honors student leaders
LAWRENCE — Eleven University of Kansas students were honored for their leadership on the Lawrence campus at the Tradition of Excellence Award ceremony, co-hosted by KU Endowment, the KU Alumni Association and the Student Alumni Endowment Board. The annual awards were presented April 19 at KU Endowment. Honorees include students from Leawood and Kansas City, Kansas, and from Blue Springs and Kansas City, Missouri.
Third candidate for vice chancellor for research to present April 25
LAWRENCE — Kevin Gardner, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Louisville, will be the third candidate for the vice chancellor for research position to give a public presentation at the University of Kansas. His presentation will take place 3-4 p.m. April 25 at the Lied Center Pavilion, and it also will be livestreamed.
US-China vaccines collaboration leads to partisan distrust, study finds
LAWRENCE — Despite previously effective international collaborations in developing vaccines, a new study from University of Kansas political science researchers finds that people are much less likely to receive a U.S.-China flu vaccine than ones created by a U.S.-Japan collaboration or U.S. alone. The study also pinpointed a politically partisan divide in acceptance of an FDA-approved flu vaccine developed through U.S.-China collaboration.
Marginalized communities develop ‘disaster subculture’ when living through extreme climate events, study finds
LAWRENCE — A new study from a University of Kansas social welfare researcher found residents of one Seoul, South Korea, neighborhood have endured so many extreme climate events that they have developed a “disaster subculture” that challenges both views of reality and how social agencies can help.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Daniel Rivera, Self Graduate Fellowship, 785-864-7249, [email protected], @Selfgraduate
KU announces new 2024-2028 Self Graduate Fellows
LAWRENCE — Fifteen doctoral students have been selected to receive the University of Kansas’ prestigious Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship for the 2024-2025 academic year, marking the 35th anniversary of the program since its establishment in 1989. This incoming group of fellows matches the largest cohort, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to over 200 students throughout program’s history. In fall 2024, the fellowship reaches 47 total fellows, making it the largest fellowship size ever.
The Self Graduate Fellowship’s mission is to identify and recruit exceptional doctoral students who demonstrate the promise to make significant contributions to their fields and society.
The fellowship is a four-year package awarded to incoming or first-year doctoral students who demonstrate leadership, initiative and passion for achievement. The fellowship covers full tuition and fees, provides graduate research assistant support of $34,850 per year, a $5,500 professional development award, a first-year $5,000 start-up award, $1,000 textbook and technology awards (years 2-4), and a unique professional development program.
The Fellow Development Program provides general education and training in communication, management, innovation, policy and leadership to assist Self Graduate Fellows in preparation for future leadership roles. The role of the development program is to complement the specialized education and training provided in doctoral programs. The total value of the four-year doctoral fellowship exceeds $200,000.
The late Madison “Al” and Lila Self launched and permanently endowed the Self Graduate Fellowship in 1989, motivated by their strong belief in the vital importance of developing leadership for tomorrow. Madison Self was a 1943 KU graduate in chemical engineering. Lila Self attended KU with the Class of 1943.
The new Self Graduate Fellows for the 2024-2028 cohort:
Sivani Badrivenkata of Lawrence: bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences from KU; incoming doctoral student in pharmaceutical chemistry.
Kelly Nalani Beym of Bishop, California: bachelor’s degree in individualized studies, minor in agricultural business management from New Mexico State University; first-year doctoral student in geography.
Brody Gatza of Olathe: bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from KU; first-year doctoral student in aerospace engineering.
Fernando Gonzalez of Brownsville, Texas: expected bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; incoming doctoral student in chemistry.
Kiera Eckhardt of Virginia Beach, Virginia: bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Florida Gulf Coast University; master’s degree in anthropology from Illinois State University; first-year doctoral student in anthropology.
Kaitlyn Hinz of Benton: bachelor’s degree in behavioral neuroscience and chemistry from Drury University; first-year doctoral student in pharmacology, toxicology & therapeutics, KU Medical Center.
Ashley Howard of Overland Park: bachelor’s degree in molecular, cellular & developmental biology from KU; first-year doctoral student in the interdisciplinary graduate program in biomedical sciences, KU Medical Center.
Danielle Land of Albuquerque, New Mexico: bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of New Mexico; expected master’s degree in biology from the University of New Mexico; incoming doctoral student in ecology & evolutionary biology.
Jeb Marshall of Leavenworth: expected bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from KU; incoming doctoral student in aerospace engineering.
Kevin Mulcahy of Yardley, Pennsylvania: bachelor’s degree in biology and bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh; first-year doctoral student in ecology & evolutionary biology.
Macie Proctor-Roser of St. Louis: bachelor’s degree in biology, minor in Spanish from Northern Arizona University; first-year doctoral student in molecular biosciences.
Alexis Redwine of Ponca City, Oklahoma: bachelor’s degree in chemistry, minors in biology and physics from Southern Nazarene University; first-year doctoral student in chemistry.
Marina Stoilova of San Francisco: bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California Santa Barbara; first-year doctoral student in ecology & evolutionary biology.
Kayla Whatley of Green Bay, Wisconsin: bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; incoming doctoral student in bioengineering.
Sheena Zeng of Hays: bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan; first-year doctoral student in mathematics.
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Follow @KUnews for KU News Service stories, discoveries and experts.
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Contact: Kerry Glasgow, KU Endowment, [email protected], @KUEndowment
Tradition of Excellence Award honors student leaders
LAWRENCE — Eleven University of Kansas students were honored for their leadership on the Lawrence campus at the Tradition of Excellence Award ceremony, co-hosted by KU Endowment, the KU Alumni Association and the Student Alumni Endowment Board. The annual awards were presented April 19 at KU Endowment and recognize students from diverse majors who have significantly enhanced the KU community through endeavors such as serving as teaching assistants, leading student organizations or volunteering in the Lawrence community.
Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for the award, which includes a $1,000 scholarship for each recipient and an additional $200 for awardees to donate to a KU area of their choice.
Friends, family and university representatives attended the private ceremony and reception. The 2024 Tradition of Excellence Award winners are:
Aisha Malik, Leawood, senior in speech-language-hearing.
Ahmad Azhar, Mailsi, Pakistan, senior in mechanical engineering.
Aarush Sehgal, Chandigarh, India, senior in molecular, cellular & developmental biology.
Audrey McBride, Kansas City, Missouri, senior in business administration.
Emmelea Schatz, Libertyville, Illinois, senior in architecture.
Hannah Brown, Monroe, North Carolina, doctoral candidate in audiology.
Adam Cory, St. Louis, master’s student in architecture.
Jenna Shaw, Kenosha, Wisconsin, doctoral candidate in occupational therapy.
Leslie Koffi, Denver, junior in architecture.
Aprajita Tripathi, Kansas City, Kansas, doctoral candidate in cancer biology.
Selia Walton, Blue Springs, Missouri, junior in project management and environmental studies.
About the award
The award is organized by the Student Alumni Endowment Board (SAEB), a student organization that provides students with leadership experience in support of the KU Alumni Association and KU Endowment. SAEB members champion alumni networking, philanthropic engagement and numerous KU traditions. The awards are funded through private support raised through KU Endowment’s Class Legacy Walk, an initiative that honors and celebrates the legacy of past generations of Jayhawks with a growing campus walkway near the Ambler Student Recreation Center.
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Contact: Savannah Rattanavong, Office of the Provost, 785-864-6402, [email protected], @KUProvost
Third candidate for vice chancellor for research to present April 25
LAWRENCE — Kevin Gardner will be the third candidate for the vice chancellor for research position to share his vision and strategies for the future of research and discovery at the University of Kansas.
His public presentation will take place 3-4 p.m. April 25 at the Lied Center Pavilion. The event will also be livestreamed, and the passcode is 475861.
Gardner is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Louisville and most recently served as the university’s executive vice president for research and innovation for four years.
The final candidate will be announced approximately two business days before their campus visit. Their public presentation is scheduled for the following date and location:
Candidate 4: 2:30-3:30 p.m. May 1, 1502 Building Auditorium
Members of the KU community are encouraged to attend the presentations and provide feedback to the search committee. Presentation recordings and the online feedback form will remain available on the search page through May 7.
Additional search information, including Gardner’s CV, is also available on the search page.
During his term as executive vice president for research and innovation, Gardner managed Louisville’s research enterprise, including industry engagement, research development and administration, and technology commercialization. He oversaw growth in the university’s research activities, which reached $230 million in research expenditures in fiscal year 2022.
Gardner has served in a number of leadership roles, including vice provost for research and director of strategic initiatives at the University of New Hampshire. He served for a decade on the executive committee of UNH’s interdisciplinary Natural Resources and Earth Systems Science doctoral program and also previously taught at Case Western Reserve University and Hofstra University.
Gardner’s research has focused on environmental science and engineering, contaminant behavior in the aquatic environment, contaminant release in post-industrial byproducts and wastes, and interdisciplinary sustainability science and engineering.
He has been principal investigator or co-principal investigator on over $60 million in awards, produced more than 100 publications and mentored more than 40 graduate students and numerous faculty members, undergraduates, teachers and high school students.
Gardner earned his doctorate and master’s degrees in civil and environmental engineering from Clarkson University and his bachelor’s in civil engineering from Union College.
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Don’t miss new episodes of “When Experts Attack!,”
a KU News Service podcast hosted by Kansas Public Radio.
https://kansaspublicradio.org/podcast/when-experts-attack
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Contact: Jon Niccum, KU News Service, 785-864-7633,
US-China vaccines collaboration leads to partisan distrust, study finds
LAWRENCE — Anti-vaccine sentiments are not new. But in recent years, attitudes toward vaccines have increasingly become more politicized along partisan lines. Accompanying such hesitancy is escalating distrust of China, which is where the COVID-19 epidemic originated.
A new study titled “The politics of flu vaccines: international collaboration and political partisanship” examines the influence of international collaboration and vaccine developments on people’s attitudes toward vaccines.
“Interestingly, it was the collaboration between the U.S. and China that resulted in our annual flu vaccines,” said John James Kennedy, a professor of political science at the University of Kansas.
Despite the previously successful and effective U.S.-China collaboration in developing vaccines, Kennedy’s study finds that respondents are much less likely to receive a U.S.-China flu vaccine than ones created by a U.S.-Japan collaboration or U.S. alone. It appears in the Japanese Journal of Political Science.
Co-written with KU assistant professor of political science Jack Zhang, KU doctoral student Riago Liu and former KU doctoral students Haruka Nagao and William Hatungimana (currently of the University of Oklahoma), the survey’s results further suggest that Republicans are significantly less likely to accept an FDA-approved flu vaccine developed through U.S.-China collaboration than a flu vaccine developed through U.S.-Japan collaboration or the U.S. alone.
Historically, international collaboration has been critical to vaccine development, even with the general public being largely unaware of foreign involvement in the process.
“U.S.-China relations with medicine goes back to the 1900s,” said Kennedy, who also is chair of KU’s political science department.
“They’ve been collaborating specifically on vaccines for nearly 20 years. And it was through the World Health Organization (WHO) that they’ve been sharing the actual flu viruses — because you have to share the virus to get a piece of that virus in order to create the vaccine.”
Kennedy’s team set up an experimental design that introduced four scenarios testing for vaccine nationalism, country-specific hypothesis and partisan hypothesis. More than 1,200 respondents were surveyed.
“We knew there would be resistance in the U.S. to vaccines from China. We also assumed we would likely see Democrat and Republican differences, in terms of the Republicans being much more anti-China. But the surprise was there was greater support for the Japanese collaboration. In fact, more people would rather take a U.S.-Japan vaccine than one made solely by the U.S.,” he said.
This surprising result wasn’t merely because of the eroding trust in the FDA coming from partisan influences.
“It’s also because of overall trust in Japanese products,” Kennedy said.
“Many cars driven in the U.S. are made by Japanese countries: Honda, Subaru, Toyota. Sony is a huge product, both in entertainment and things like headphones. Anime is extremely popular. And US-Japan relations together against China have been also prevalent. I think the trust in Japanese products over time has contributed to a trust in the vaccine.”
Kennedy revealed that the impetus for this study was the conflux of seeing news reports about the anti-China legislation in Kansas coupled with advertisements touting the flu vaccine.
“I was thinking, ‘Well, I wonder if people would take the flu vaccine if they really knew that China has been engaged with helping create it?’ Because we asked people in the survey, ‘Did you ever get a flu shot in the last 10 years?’ Almost everybody said yes — which means they’ve all been affected by this collaboration. But I thought the difference between knowing and not knowing would make an interesting survey experiment,” he said.
A Los Angeles native who has taught at KU since 2003, Kennedy is fluent in Mandarin and conducts research on Chinese local governance. His first book, “Lost and Found: The ‘Missing’ Girls in Rural China,” was published by Oxford in 2019.
“The politics of vaccines could have a real influence on our public health,” Kennedy said.
“If people are refusing to take vaccines for political reasons, rather than medical reasons, that is unusual. Distrust in the FDA plays a role in some of that. Pandemics are not going away — we were losing 30,000 to 50,000 people a year due to flu-related deaths before the pandemic. So I’m hoping the biggest takeaway of this research is that people will be less political when it comes to vaccine choices.”
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The official university account for X (formerly Twitter) is @UnivOfKansas.
Follow @KUnews for KU News Service stories, discoveries and experts.
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Contact: Mike Krings, KU News Service, 785-864-8860, [email protected], @MikeKrings
Marginalized communities develop ‘disaster subculture’ when living through extreme climate events, study finds
LAWRENCE — Locations around the globe are experiencing climate disasters on a regular basis. But some of the most marginalized populations experience disasters so often it has come to be normalized.
A new study from the University of Kansas found residents of one Seoul, South Korea, neighborhood have grown so accustomed to living through extreme climate events they have developed a “disaster subculture” that challenges both views of reality and how social agencies can help.
Joonmo Kang, assistant professor of social welfare, spent a year living in Jjokbang-chon, an extremely impoverished neighborhood in Seoul, as part of an ethnographic research project. Residents there routinely live through extreme heat and cold in tiny, 70-square-foot units about the size of a closet. Over the course of a year, he interviewed residents about their experiences and worked with local social agencies to understand how they worked with the residents.
Residents regularly expressed a sort of indifference to extreme heat and climate change, stating they had no options or even that “every day is a disaster.” While that seeming difference with reality can potentially be caused by several factors, it shows that social work has a challenge in how to respond to climate disasters and their everyday effects, Kang said.
The study, published in the International Journal of Social Welfare, is part of Kang’s larger body of work in climate justice and eco social work. Through that lens, he said hopes to learn more about how climate change affects certain groups and populations and how social work can respond.
“For this paper I wanted to highlight the lived experiences of so-called slum housing in Seoul, South Korea, where I’m originally from,” Kang said. “But heat and climate disasters don’t just happen there, it happens throughout the Global North, even in the wealthiest countries. I want to see how this affects lives in the most marginalized communities.”
In his ethnographic study, Kang had informal conversations and semi-structed interviews with the residents of Jjokbang-chon. One resident reported how he simply sits still and tries not to move during the hottest times. Others reported they did not go to government-provided cooling centers because they were too far away and the effort to get there would outweigh riding out the heat.
“All year around, all four seasons are filled with distress; every day is a disaster. When every day is like that, when every day is a disaster, when our daily lives are a disaster, the weather doesn’t matter. It’s not like the summer or the winter becomes particularly hard,” one resident said.
Other residents reported living in a jjokbang was preferable to previous experiences of homelessness. Even though they were not allowed by landlords to install cooling systems beyond fans — and the facilities were not equipped to handle them — residents seemed resigned to accept living in extreme conditions.
“This research focused on how people make meaning of extreme weather. The findings revealed they developed a ‘disaster subculture,’” Kang said. “When they experience this, it causes them to reflect a sense of normalcy. One of the main things I found was even though it’s been widely reported these living conditions can be a living hell, people told me, ‘It is what it is.’ I was really struck by that.”
Building a tolerance to seemingly intolerable climate may be difficult to understand, but a community organizer who works with the Jjokbang-chon population offered insight into why residents may express such acceptance.
“It might also be their way of telling us, ‘I am trying my best to adjust,’ and at the same time even though they have a desire to get out of here, they might just be saying that because they don’t have the resources or the means to turn things around,” the organizer said. “Being stuck in that situation for a long period of time, they might have gotten used to it or even built a tolerance because they can’t change their reality, and as a result leads to a sense of acceptance, like a shrug of resignation.”
The field of social work has a responsibility, however, to serve the world’s most vulnerable populations, Kang writes, and understanding their lived experiences is key to doing so effectively.
Kang compared the situation to the boiling frog metaphor, in which a frog in a pot of slowly heated water does not jump out before it is cooked. People living in extreme conditions can be exposed to trauma for long periods, but unlike the frog, can offer insight into how to address the issue.
“Their own views of vulnerability and reality did not seem to align with what was objectively true. This shows we need to address the everyday reality and root causes and why people are living in these conditions.”
In ongoing and future work, Kang said he would further explore how to advocate for and empower marginalized communities to address climate issues that affect them every day.
“The folks who live these experiences know best. They have agency, and we need to listen to them,” Kang said. “I think it can be a waste of money and effort if we don’t listen to what people want and need and work with them to address climate-related issues.”
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