From the Office of Public Affairs | http://www.news.ku.edu

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Two KU juniors named 2024 Goldwater Scholars

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas has two 2024 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars: juniors Cecilia Paranjothi of Lawrence and Kaitlyn (Kit) Savoy of Olathe. This year’s KU recipients are the 78th and 79th KU undergraduates to be given a Goldwater scholarship since they first were awarded in 1989.

KU to welcome vice chancellor for research candidates to Lawrence campus

LAWRENCE — Four candidates will hold public presentations in consideration of becoming the next vice chancellor for research at the University of Kansas. Each candidate will be announced about two business before their respective visit. Presentations are planned April 15, 19, 25 and May 1.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, KU News Service, 785-864-8858, [email protected], @ebpkansas

Two KU juniors named 2024 Goldwater Scholars

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas has two 2024 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars: juniors Cecilia Paranjothi of Lawrence and Kaitlyn (Kit) Savoy of Olathe.

Congress established the Goldwater scholarship program in 1986 in tribute to the retired U.S. senator from Arizona and to ensure a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers. The only students eligible for nomination are sophomore- and junior-level students with outstanding academic records, significant research experience and high potential for careers in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering.

Paranjothi is majoring in chemistry, and Savoy is majoring in biological sciences and minoring in chemistry and theatre. This year’s KU recipients are the 78th and 79th KU undergraduates to be given a Goldwater scholarship since they first were awarded in 1989.

Goldwater alumni can be found conducting research that is helping defend the nation, finding cures for catastrophic diseases and teaching future generations of scientists, mathematicians and engineers. KU students interested in applying for Goldwater scholarships next year should contact the Office of Fellowships via email.

About Cecilia Paranjothi

The daughter of Krishnan and Adrienne Paranjothi, Cecilia Paranjothi is a graduate of Free State High School. She plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry and career in inorganic chemistry with the goal of improving the efficiency of sustainable sources of energy.

Paranjothi said that being a Goldwater scholar will allow her to network with fellow Goldwater scholars — of which there are more than 500 this year — and that the financial support for college will allow her to focus on academics and research in the coming year.

She is part of a research lab led by James Blakemore, KU associate professor of chemistry, where she studies the surface of behavior of various uranium complexes, which is motivated by the need for advances in the processing of spent nuclear fuel. Previously, under Blakemore’s guidance, she assessed influences on the quantification of Lewis acidity with phosphine oxide probes.

Paranjothi’s work has been featured in a paper published by the Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, and she has presented at both regional and national American Chemical Society conferences.

“The (Goldwater) application process helped me to work on my scientific writing skills, which will be crucial for a career in chemistry,” Paranjothi said.

She is a member of the KU Chemistry Club and is a former peer tutor for the KU Academic Learning Center. Paranjothi is also the recipient of the Jack and Carolyn Landgrebe Research Scholarship, the Leland and Jill Weigel Scholarship, the WCC Eli Lilly Travel Award, a 2023 and 2024 Undergraduate Research Award, the Bricker Summer ChemScholar Research Stipend and a KU Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship.

About Kaitlyn (Kit) Savoy

The daughter of John and Heidi Savoy, Kaitlyn (Kit) Savoy is a graduate of Olathe North High School majoring in biological sciences and minoring in chemistry and theatre.

“Receiving this award has improved my sense of competence in pursuing my passion, keeping me excited to continue exploring in the field of microbiology,” Savoy said.

Savoy plans to pursue a doctorate in microbiology and conduct, facilitate and share research in microbiology as a principal investigator.

“Not having to worry about financing my senior year means I’ll be able to dive further into my studies and dedicate more attention to graduate school applications, bringing me closer to the career I aspire to,” Savoy said.

Savoy has participated in several research projects under the direction of Benjamin Sikes, KU associate professor of ecology & evolutionary biology, including those focused on grassland restoration, mimulus plant-soil feedback, perennial crops in sustainable agriculture, gamma irradiation of soils and understanding environmental drivers of extremophile microbes for use in space.

Savoy has also served as a microbiology undergraduate teaching assistant, a Sikes Microbial Lab peer mentor, a biology tutor, a shopkeep for Wander Bee Wares and a transcriber for the Smithsonian Institution. Savoy is a KU BioScholar, the recipient of a 2023 and 2024 Undergraduate Research Award, a Courtwright Award finalist in 2023 and 2024, and a KU Chancellor’s Merit Scholar.

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Follow @KUnews for KU News Service stories, discoveries and experts.

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Contact: Savannah Rattanavong, Office of the Provost, 785-864-6402, [email protected], @KUProvost

KU to welcome vice chancellor for research candidates to Lawrence campus

LAWRENCE — Four candidates will hold public presentations in consideration of becoming the next vice chancellor for research at the University of Kansas. The university is seeking a visionary, strategic and entrepreneurial leader who will inspire discovery that distinguishes KU as one of the nation’s leading research institutions.

The name of each candidate will be announced approximately two business days before their respective campus visit. The public presentations are scheduled for the following dates and locations:

• Candidate 1: 2:30-3:30 p.m. April 15, 1502 Building Auditorium

• Candidate 2: 2-3 p.m. April 19, 1502 Building Auditorium

• Candidate 3: 3-4 p.m. April 25, Lied Center Pavilion

• Candidate 4: 2:30-3:30 p.m. May 1, 1502 Building Auditorium

The presentations also will be livestreamed through links available on the Provost’s Office website. Members of the KU community are encouraged to attend each candidate’s public presentation and provide feedback to the search committee. Presentation recordings and the online feedback form will remain open throughout the visit process.

The vice chancellor for research will lead KU’s research enterprise on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses, as well as oversee research administration. They will be instrumental in aligning the Office of Research with the university’s mission to educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that change the world.

Research at KU addresses opportunities and challenges of worldwide significance, delivers solutions that make a difference to Kansas and the region, and promotes an inclusive community of responsible inquiry and innovation for students and scholars.

The search committee, co-chaired by Perry Alexander, Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, and Amy Mendenhall, vice provost for faculty affairs, has winnowed a diverse and robust applicant pool down to four top candidates. The committee is aided in the process by WittKieffer, an executive search firm specializing in higher education.

More information about the search can be found online.

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KU News Service

1450 Jayhawk Blvd.

Lawrence KS 66045

Phone: 785-864-3256

Fax: 785-864-3339

[email protected]

http://www.news.ku.edu

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]

Today’s News is a free service from the Office of Public Affairs

From the Office of Public Affairs | http://www.news.ku.edu

Headlines

Former NATO commander, leading experts to discuss the Russo-Ukrainian War’s global effects at KU Security Conference

LAWRENCE — Philip Breedlove, a retired U.S. Air Force general who served as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe during Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014, will deliver the keynote address for the 2024 KU Security Conference, “The Russo-Ukrainian War and Global Human Security.” The on-campus event April 10-11 will bring together policymakers, military and intelligence officials, and scholars to discuss the war’s far-reaching effects and how the world can respond.

KU Engineering professor wins NSF CAREER Award for water resources research

LAWRENCE — Research conducted by a School of Engineering professor at the University of Kansas that examines how humans have and will affect natural water systems was awarded a five-year, $609,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Admin Husic is the recipient of an NSF Early Career Development (CAREER) award for his efforts to understand how landscapes adjust as they direct water — and the sediment and nutrients that it carries — to rivers.

Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors to present public programs at KU

LAWRENCE — Activist, artist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement Patrisse Cullors will visit the University of Kansas on April 10–11 and present two free public programs. At 4 p.m. April 10, Cullors will perform “Opening Up” at the Spencer Museum of Art. At 7 p.m. April 11, Cullors will give a talk titled “Our Collective Imagination Will Set Us Free,” discussing the intersection of abolition and art and the power of human imagination as a liberating force.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Megan Luttrell, Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies, [email protected], @KUCREES

Former NATO commander, leading experts to discuss the Russo-Ukrainian War’s global effects at KU Security Conference

LAWRENCE — Philip Breedlove, a retired U.S. Air Force general who served as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe during Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014, will travel to Lawrence to deliver the keynote address for the 2024 KU Security Conference, “The Russo-Ukrainian War and Global Human Security.”

The on-campus event April 10-11 will bring together policymakers, military and intelligence officials, and scholars to discuss the war’s far-reaching effects and how the world can respond.

The event begins at 7 p.m. April 10 at the Dole Institute of Politics with Breedlove’s presentation on how the ongoing war is affecting a range of global issues, including migration, environmental security, food security and disinformation. Breedlove’s presentation and the ensuing discussion will be moderated by Vitaly Chernetsky, professor in the Department of Slavic, German & Eurasian Studies, with introductory remarks given by Barbara Bichelmeyer, KU provost and executive vice chancellor.

The event continues April 11 at the Jayhawk Welcome Center, with a day of panel presentations addressing these important issues in greater detail. Presenters include the following:

Joshua Campbell, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.
Glenn Corn, 34-year veteran of the U.S. intelligence and foreign affairs communities.
Matt Dimmick, a KU Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies (CREES) alumnus and the former director for Russia and Eastern Europe on the U.S. National Security Council.
Mahir Ibrahimov, director of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College’s Cultural and Area Studies Office.

These experts from the military and intelligence community will be joined by invited scholars from across the United States and around the world, including Antonina Broyaka of Kansas State University; Volodymyr Dubovyk of the Center for European Policy Analysis and I.I. Mechnikov National University in Ukraine; Kristina Hook of Kennesaw State University; and Anton Shirikov of Columbia University.

Also taking part will be some of KU’s faculty experts, including Rebecca Johnston (CREES), Shannon O’Lear (environmental studies, geography & atmospheric science), Kurt Preston (Graduate Military Programs), Kat Romanova (communication studies), and Erik Scott (CREES). The day’s events will begin with an introduction by Arash Mafi, executive dean of the KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

More information about the event, including a complete schedule, can be found on the conference website.

Scott, director of KU CREES and of the conference organizers, described the event as both timely and important.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine is more than just a conflict between two states; the conflict has caused the largest refugee migration in Europe since World War II, disrupted global food supplies, damaged ecosystems, and reshaped alliances in the Middle East, Asia, and elsewhere,” he said. “Now is the time to study the war’s consequences and make plans to build a more peaceful and secure future for Ukraine and the international community.”

Other conference partners include the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (ICCAE), Graduate Military Programs and the Dole Institute of Politics.

“KU’s designation as an Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence has opened up doors to the U.S. intelligence community and has led to including leading practitioners in our annual security conference,” said Michael Denning, director for KU Graduate Military Programs.

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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: Cody Howard, School of Engineering, 785-864-2936, [email protected], @kuengineering

KU Engineering professor wins NSF CAREER Award for water resources research

LAWRENCE — Research conducted by an assistant professor of civil, environmental & architectural engineering at the University of Kansas that examines how humans have and will affect natural water systems was awarded a five-year, $609,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

Admin Husic is the recipient of an NSF Early Career Development (CAREER) award for his efforts to document and share what he describes as “dynamic connectivity: a research and educational frontier for sustainable environmental management under climate and land use uncertainty.”

Husic is working to understand how landscapes adjust as they direct water — and the sediment and nutrients that it carries — to rivers. If efforts to manage shared water resources are to be successful, he said, it will be critical to understand the role that humans play in affecting such timeless connections.

He sees two questions driving the work: “How have humans changed the landscapes around us for the worse, and how are we able to manage them for the better?”

“Water is such a basic necessity — not just for humans but for all living things on Earth,” Husic said. “However, in many places throughout the world, water is often lacking — either in its quantity or quality. I’m motivated by a desire to ensure its availability and safety for people.”

CAREER awards are considered among the NSF’s most prestigious, given annually to about 500 early-career faculty with the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education. NSF expects recipients’ activities to build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research.

Husic’s work aims to bring a new, dynamic approach to traditionally qualitative, static assessments of the connectivity of hydrologic systems throughout the United States. His team will look back in time and leverage high-frequency aquatic sensors for nitrate and turbidity in more than 150 rivers, using the data to train a deep learning model. Dynamic connectivity will be expressed through mathematics, revealing dominant pathways of connection. Machine learning will link how attributes of the landscape affect river quality, and a web application will help determine the potential for using dynamic connectivity as a management tool.

“This work will provide us with a set of predictive tools that will indicate where, when and how water quality is deteriorated,” Husic said, noting that the work will attempt to answer a number of critical questions. Among them: “Can dynamic landscape connectivity be strategically managed to confer ecosystem benefits while maintaining societal demands?”

Husic, who joined the KU faculty in 2018, leads a research lab of undergraduate and graduate students developing models and systems that can be used to train the next generation of engineers and policymakers “to be good stewards,” he said, of humanity’s shared and changing human-environment systems.

“The CAREER award will act as a springboard for achieving our lab’s goals and will set us up for success — not only in the next five years, but for the decades to come as land use and climate change intensify and bring new water challenges,” Husic said.

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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: Albert Reyes, Department of Religious Studies, [email protected]

Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors to present public programs at KU

LAWRENCE — Activist, artist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement Patrisse Cullors will visit the University of Kansas on April 10-11 and present two free public programs.

At 4 p.m. April 10, Cullors will perform “Opening Up” at the Spencer Museum of Art. The performance will draw on Yoruba prayers and offerings to honor and remember the lives and experiences of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley. The event begins outdoors in front of the Spencer Museum and then moves into the galleries, which currently feature exhibitions that share Emmett and Mamie’s story.

In an artist’s statement, Cullors shared that the performance “is a testament to the enduring strength of memory and the unbreakable bonds of kinship that connect us across generations. Through this performance, we not only pay homage to Emmett and Mamie, but also reaffirm our commitment to a future where such tragedies are no longer repeated, guided by the wisdom and blessings of those who have come before us.”

At 7 p.m. April 11, Cullors will give a talk titled “Our Collective Imagination Will Set Us Free,” discussing the intersection of abolition and art and the power of human imagination as a liberating force. A moderated conversation and Q&A will follow. This event will take place in 100 Stauffer-Flint Hall.

Cullors’ visit is supported by the Department of Religious Studies, the Spencer Museum of Art, the Department of Visual Art and the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging.

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KU News Service

1450 Jayhawk Blvd.

Lawrence KS 66045

Phone: 785-864-3256

Fax: 785-864-3339

[email protected]

http://www.news.ku.edu

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]

Today’s News is a free service from the Office of Public Affairs

From the Office of Public Affairs | http://www.news.ku.edu

Headlines

KJHK 90.7 wins ‘Best in the Nation’ at national conference

LAWRENCE – KJHK 90.7, the University of Kansas student-operated radio station, was awarded “Best in the Nation” at the Intercollegiate Broadcast System conference, among other honors. Two KU students — Jackson Goodrich of Baxter Springs and Alexis Vielma of Kansas City, Kansas — also won individual awards at the conference.

University Press of Kansas to host talk with Brian Daldorph about teaching creative writing to inmates

LAWRENCE — The University Press of Kansas and the Winter School will host a discussion with Brian Daldorph, senior lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Kansas. The event will take place at 7 p.m. April 9 at Winter School No. 70, 744 North 1800 Road, Lecompton. Daldorph will discuss his book “Words Is a Powerful Thing: Twenty Years of Teaching Creative Writing at Douglas County Jail.”

Full stories below.

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Contact: Bailee Myers, KU Memorial Unions, 785-864-3788, [email protected]

KJHK 90.7 wins ‘Best in the Nation’ at national conference

LAWRENCE – KJHK 90.7, a student-operated radio station, was awarded “Best in the Nation” at the Intercollegiate Broadcast System conference.

The IBS conference, a pinnacle event in the broadcasting community, gathers aspiring broadcasters and industry professionals from high schools and universities nationwide.

Two of KJHK’s students team members were recognized with individual awards:

Alexis Vielma, station IT director and School of Engineering student from Kansas City, Kansas, received the award for Best Phone App.
Jackson Goodrich, station in-studios director and School of the Arts student from Baxter Springs, received the award for Best Live Music Broadcast.

Additionally, staff adviser Bobbi Washechek was recognized as a national finalist for her work.

The station also secured nominations for several other categories.

KJHK, established in 1975, has been a cornerstone of student-led initiatives at the university. Since 2004, the station has evolved under the guidance of the union programs staff, including its relocation to level 3 in 2010.

“I’m so proud of the students and staff. KJHK continues to thrive as a hub for creativity and innovation in broadcasting. They are truly a gem of Lawrence,” said JJ O’Toole-Curran, interim executive director of the KU Memorial Union.

For more information about KJHK and its achievements, please visit the station website.

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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: Derek Helms, University Press of Kansas, 785-864-9170, [email protected]

University Press of Kansas to host talk with Brian Daldorph about teaching creative writing to inmates

LAWRENCE — As part of an ongoing series, the University Press of Kansas and the Winter School will host a discussion with Brian Daldorph, senior lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Kansas.

The event will take place at 7 p.m. April 9 at Winter School No. 70, 744 North 1800 Road, Lecompton.

Daldorph will discuss his book “Words Is a Powerful Thing: Twenty Years of Teaching Creative Writing at Douglas County Jail,” which documents his work teaching creative writing to inmates at the Douglas County Jail.

Daldorph first entered the Douglas County Jail classroom in Lawrence to teach a writing class on Christmas Eve 2001. “Words Is a Powerful Thing” is Daldorph’s record of teaching at the jail between 2001 and 2020, showing how the lives of everyone involved in the class — but especially the inmates who came to class week after week — benefited from what happened every Thursday afternoon in that jail classroom, where for two hours inmates and instructor became a circle of ink and blood, writing together, reciting their poems, telling stories and having a few good laughs.

The historic Winter School was a one-room schoolhouse that served approximately 20 families and functioned for 75 years. After construction to preserve the building, which started in 2019, the building is open as a community center and museum in Douglas County.

In addition to meaningful dialogue, beer donated by Free State Brewing Company in Lawrence will be provided. The event is free to attend and does not require registration.

The University Press of Kansas publishes scholarly books that advance knowledge and regional books that contribute to the understanding of Kansas, the Great Plains and the Midwest. More information about the work of the press is available here.

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KU News Service

1450 Jayhawk Blvd.

Lawrence KS 66045

Phone: 785-864-3256

Fax: 785-864-3339

[email protected]

http://www.news.ku.edu

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]

Today’s News is a free service from the Office of Public Affairs