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

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KU Alumni Association, Black Alumni Network to honor alumni leaders and innovators
LAWRENCE — Eleven alumni will receive the University of Kansas Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Network Mike and Joyce Shinn Leaders and Innovators Award for their contributions to the university, their profession and their communities. The recipients will be honored Oct. 26 on the first evening of the network’s biennial reunion, during KU’s Homecoming weekend. The honorees have ties to the Greater Kansas City area, Lawrence and Wichita.

KU Alumni Association, Black Alumni Network celebrate young alumni with Emerging Leaders award
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Network will honor seven young alumni for their professional achievements and community service with Emerging Leaders awards at the network’s biennial reunion Oct. 26-28 during Homecoming weekend. The award recipients have ties to the Greater Kansas City area, Lawrence and Topeka.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Jennifer Sanner, KU Alumni Association, 785-864-9782, [email protected]; @KUAlumni
KU Alumni Association, Black Alumni Network to honor alumni leaders and innovators
LAWRENCE — Eleven alumni will receive the University of Kansas Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Network Mike and Joyce Shinn Leaders and Innovators Award for their contributions to the university, their profession and their communities. The award is named for the late Mike Shinn, a 1966 School of Engineering alumnus, who helped found the Black Alumni Network and the Leaders and Innovators Project, and his wife, Joyce.
The 11 recipients will be honored Oct. 26 on the first evening of the network’s biennial reunion, during KU’s Homecoming weekend:
• Maj. Gen. Kevin Admiral, Fort Cavazos, Texas, who earned his bachelor’s degree in cellular biology in 1994;
• Val Brown Jr., Wichita, who completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1975 and graduated from the KU School of Medicine in 1979;
• J. Erik Dickinson, Kansas City, Missouri, who earned his bachelor’s degree in personnel administration in 1991;
• Jarius Jones, Kansas City, Kansas, who earned his mathematics education degree in 1999 and his doctorate in education in 2019;
• Ngondi Kamatuka, Lawrence, who earned his master’s degree in higher education in 1983 and in 1987 completed his doctorate in educational evaluation;
• Jerrihlyn Miller McGee, Kansas City, Kansas, who completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2002, her master’s in nursing and organizational leadership in 2005 and her doctorate in nursing practice in 2015;
• Col. Robin Montgomery, Valrico, Florida, who earned his master’s in public administration in 2010;
• Milt Newton, Minnetonka, Minnesota, who earned his education degree in 1989 and his master’s degree in education in 1993;
• Loleta Robinson, Wilmington, North Carolina, who completed her microbiology degree in 1993 and graduated from the KU School of Medicine in 1999;
• Reuben Shelton, Chesterfield, Missouri, a 1978 journalism graduate;
• Brenda Marzett Vann, Kansas City, Kansas, who earned her speech pathology education degree in 1971 and her master’s in speech pathology in 1972;

Maj. Gen. Kevin Admiral
Admiral commands the U.S. Army’s largest and most modern armored division, the historic 1st Cavalry Division, with over 21,000 soldiers stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas. He previously served in the Pentagon as the Army’s director of force management. He has earned numerous military honors, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, four Bronze Star medals, the Purple Heart, seven Meritorious Service medals, an Army Commendation Medal and four Army Achievement medals.

Admiral commissioned from the KU Army ROTC program as an active-duty armor officer. He holds a master’s degree from the National Defense University’s Joint Advanced Warfighting School, and he is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.

Val Brown Jr.
Brown, a third-generation Wichita physician, was one of the first two African American students to graduate from the KU School of Medicine’s Wichita campus. Although he retired from his private internal medicine practice in 2016, he continued to work in emergency rooms. He also served for 18 years as volunteer medical director for the EC Tyree Health and Dental Clinic at St. Mark United Methodist Church.

He has served on the boards of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Urban League, and the city and county health departments. He also mentored numerous students. For his community service, he received the Golden Eagle Award from Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, the NAACP Community Service Award, and the Urban News Best Doctor and Best Health Care Provider awards.

J. Erik Dickinson
Dickinson is president of the Urban Ranger Corps, a youth development agency founded in 2003. He previously served as director of the Boy Scouts of America: Heart of America Council and executive director of the Cleaver Family/Linwood Centers YMCA of Greater Kansas City.

His community involvement includes the Kansas City-Plaza Rotary Club, which he led as president in 2020. He was appointed to the Public Improvements advisory committee and the Housing Trust Fund advisory board of Kansas City, Missouri. He is currently president of the Kansas City, Missouri, alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

Jarius Jones
Jones directs classified human resources for the Shawnee Mission School District. He previously served as principal of Center Middle School and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri, where he also was vice principal of Northeast High School. In 2001, he was among the first Kansas City Teaching Fellows, which led to his seven-year tenure as a teacher at Wyandotte High School in his native Kansas City, Kansas. A graduate of Schlagle High School, he was inducted into the school district’s Reasons to Believe Alumni Honor Roll.

Jones is a board member of the Start a Smile Foundation, the Pentecostal Church of God in Christ and The Good Work. He previously served on the Kansas National Education Association board and on several Kansas Department of Education committees. In 2017, the Friends of Yates named him a Black Man of Distinction.

Ngondi Kamatuka
Kamatuka is the assistant dean for diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging in the KU School of Education & Human Sciences, where he has taught for 15 years. He also directs KU’s Achievement & Assessment Institute’s Center for Educational Opportunity Programs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Tabor College in Hillsboro.

He served as president of the Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel and chair of the Council for Opportunity in Education. Through the University of Liverpool, he advised the European Commission’s Science in Society Catalyst project at universities in Austria, Germany and Slovakia. His KU honors include Unclassified Employee of the Year, the School of Education & Human Sciences Achievement Award for Professional Staff and the Phi Delta Kappa chapter’s Outstanding Educator Award. He also received the Council for Opportunity in Education’s Walter O. Mason Award.

Jerrihlyn Miller McGee
McGee is a nurse and clinical associate professor in the KU School of Nursing. She also is the inaugural vice chancellor for diversity, equity & inclusion and the chief diversity officer for KU Medical Center’s three campuses in Kansas City, Salina and Wichita. Before earning her three KU degrees, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University in New Orleans.

Her scholarly work has focused on civility, healthy work environment, cultural intelligence, emotional intelligence, underrepresented students’ perceptions of nursing as a career, perceptions of health in urban settings, health and educational equity, and professional development. She facilitates seminars, webinars and workshops in Kansas City as well as nationally and internationally. She co-wrote the 2019 State of Black Kansas City report and has published numerous other peer-reviewed journal articles.

Col. Robin Montgomery
Montgomery is chief of strategic plans and policy for the U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. He also has served the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and the Allied joint headquarters of NATO in Naples, Italy. He has played a pivotal role in shaping contemporary military force dynamics and foreign policy frameworks.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Washington before completing his KU master’s degree. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and the U.S. Army War College, where he served as a national security fellow at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Milt Newton
Newton is assistant general manager of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and previously served as an executive for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Washington Wizards. He also helped establish the NBA Developmental League and was assistant director for the USA Basketball Men’s National Team. As a Jayhawk, he was a starter on KU’s 1988 NCAA national championship team and captain of the 1989 team.

He was a member of the NBA’s “Basketball Without Borders” delegation that held clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Dakar, Senegal. In Washington, D.C., he volunteered as a mentor for adolescents through the National Center for Children and Families, and he serves on a committee that provides college scholarships for students at his alma mater, Calvin Coolidge Sr. High School. Newton grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he helped create the Emerald Gems Foundation Inc. to benefit teenagers. The government renamed the playground of his youth as the Milton M. Newton Recreational Park.

Loleta Robinson
Robinson is president and CEO of Fortis Industries, providing investment insights and strategic guidance to venture capital firms. She formerly held leadership positions at Thermo Electron Corp and MedImmune Vaccines, and she served as an entrepreneur in residence at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska and the National Institutes of Health. While at the NIH, she supported the development of rapid COVID tests. As a co-founder and chief medical officer at Syan Biosciences, she helped develop a new point-of-care diagnostic test for underserved populations.

In addition to her KU degrees, she holds a master’s in business and health administration from the University of Colorado Denver and a certificate in venture capital finance from the University of California-Berkeley School of Law. She has served on advisory boards for the KU School of Medicine, the University of North Carolina department of digital health, the Springboard Enterprises Life Sciences Council and several startup companies.

Reuben Shelton
Shelton earned a law degree from St. Louis University and a master’s in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. He retired as lead litigation counsel for Monsanto Co. Before Monsanto, he was special chief counsel in the Office for the Missouri Attorney General, where he co-led the state’s lawsuit against the tobacco industry, which resulted in a $6.7 billion settlement for Missouri, the largest in state history.

Shelton recently concluded his term as the international president of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. after serving on the board for 16 years. He also has served on the boards of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the NAACP and the Fathers & Families Support Center, as well as the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Development Board and the St. Louis University Board of Regents. His numerous awards include St. Louis University Law School’s Order of the Fleur de Lis Hall of Fame, the highest honor the school bestows.

Brenda Marzett Vann
Vann is a retired speech-language pathologist and educator. She began her career at KU as assistant director of Supportive Educational Services and director of Urban Affairs, now known as the Office of Multicultural Affairs. As SES director, she helped obtain the first federal grant for the program. She later became coordinator of speech, occupational and physical therapy for the Kansas City Public Schools in Missouri and a faculty member at Rockhurst University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

She received the American Cancer Society’s Outstanding Volunteer Award and the Terese Lasser Award, the highest honor for service to the Reach for Recovery Program. As a longtime volunteer for the KU Black Alumni Network and the KU Alumni Association, she served on the association’s national board of directors from 2010 to 2015. She received the association’s Mildred Clodfelter Alumni Award in 2009 and the Black Alumni Network’s Distinguished Service Award in 2015. She continues to advocate for KU as a member of the association’s Jayhawks for Higher Education, and she co-chairs KU Endowment’s Women Philanthropists for KU.

Since 2006, the Black Alumni Network has honored 94 Leaders and Innovators. For information about the network and the 2023 Reunion Weekend Oct. 26-28, visit kualumni.org/ban.

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Contact: Jennifer Sanner, KU Alumni Association, 785-864-9782, [email protected]; @KUAlumni
KU Alumni Association, Black Alumni Network celebrate young alumni with Emerging Leaders award

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Network will honor seven young alumni for their professional achievements and community service.

Seven Jayhawks will receive the inaugural Emerging Leaders awards at the network’s biennial reunion Oct. 26-28 during Homecoming weekend:

• Steven Johnson Jr., Lawrence, who earned his doctorate in educational leadership & policy in 2022;
• Olivia Jones, Lawrence, a 2022 psychology and applied behavioral science graduate who is now a second-year doctoral student in counseling psychology;
• Chanté Martin, Phoenix, who earned her master’s in public administration in 2018;
• Whitney Morgan, Kansas City, Missouri, a 2011 architecture graduate who earned his master’s in urban planning in 2013;
• Stanton Parker II, Kansas City, Missouri, a 2012 graduate in accounting;
• Keon Stowers, Lawrence, who earned his sociology degree in 2015;
• Derrick Williams, New Orleans, a 2017 business graduate.

Steven Johnson Jr.
Johnson currently serves as the interim director of KU’s Student Involvement & Leadership Center and the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life, roles he has added to his responsibilities in the School of Business, where he is assistant dean of diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging. He’s also involved in the American College Personnel Association as past chair of the Pan African Network. He earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial and manufacturing systems engineering at Iowa State University and his master’s in student affairs administration at Michigan State University before completing his KU doctorate.

Olivia Jones
Jones works as a graduate research assistant for the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project in Kansas City. As an undergraduate, she was a Ronald F. McNair Scholar, and she received an Undergraduate Research Award for her work titled “Cross-Cultural Code-Switching: Its Relationship to Black Americans’ Adaptability and Identity.” As a member of the Applied Masculinities and Positive Psychology lab, she hopes to pursue research that uses positive psychology principles to create a more inclusive and accessible therapy culture for marginalized people, specifically for Black men.

Chanté Martin
Martin directs strategic partnerships for Polco, a company focused on elevating the voice of community members in government decision-making. She grew up in Topeka and rural Arizona and now lives in Phoenix. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Washburn University before completing her KU master’s in public administration. She is the incoming president of the Kansas University City Managers and Trainees Alumni Organization, and she previously worked in local governments in Minnesota and Texas.

Whitney Morgan
Morgan works for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, where he is the civil rights program manager and the liaison to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. He previously served as a transportation planner at the Mid-America Regional Council. He is the immediate past president of the Kansas City chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, and he received the 2020 Rev. Jerry Moore President’s Leadership Award.

Stanton Parker II
Parker is a certified information systems auditor and director of internal audit for MacroSource. In addition to his full-time role, he provides accounting services to entrepreneurs and other business owners. A Kansas City, Kansas, native, he is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and served in leadership roles for the organization as a student and an alumnus, including undergraduate grand board member and undergraduate chapter adviser.

Keon Stowers
Stowers is an associate development director for KU Endowment, where he assists the KU Alumni Association in cultivating major gifts, including the commitments that funded the $29.5 million Jayhawk Welcome Center and Adams Alumni Center renovation. He previously worked for the association as assistant director of student programs, helping the Student Alumni Network become the largest organization of its kind in the Big 12. He began his career with KU Admissions, recruiting first-generation students and those from underrepresented groups. As a student-athlete, he led the Kansas football team as captain during the 2013 and ’14 seasons. He serves on the board for K-Club and is the finance and fundraising chair for the Black Alumni Network. In addition, he is a board member of Special Olympics Kansas and the American Red Cross Lawrence chapter.

Derrick Williams
Williams is a wealth manager and financial planner for Creative Planning in New Orleans. He recently obtained his certified financial planner designation; only 1.9% of these professionals are Black. As a KU student, he was a Multicultural Scholar, and he tutored student-athletes. He began his career at Renaissance Financial before moving to Morgan Stanley and U.S. Bank. He now offers guidance on various financial topics through a monthly broadcast segment on WWL-TV in New Orleans, and he is involved in Pathway Education, providing financial education for underrepresented communities. He is treasurer of the Black Sports Professionals New Orleans chapter.

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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

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Week of activities for KU Homecoming begins Oct. 23
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas will host its 111th Homecoming Oct. 23-28. The week will feature a variety of events for alumni and students, including the Rock Chalk Block Party in downtown Lawrence on Oct. 27, with activities concluding at the KU football game against Oklahoma on Oct. 28 in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. KU Homecoming award finalists include students from Andover, Mulvane, Olathe and WaKeeney in Kansas and from Blue Springs, Missouri.

KU doctoral student earns national fellowship
LAWRENCE ¬— Maggie Swenson, doctoral candidate in the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs & Administration, has won a competitive Dwight D. Eisenhower/Clifford Roberts Graduate Fellowship from the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College. The $10,000 stipend will support Swenson’s research on improving health equity.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Paige Freeman, KU Alumni Association, 785-864-0953, [email protected]
Week of activities for KU Homecoming begins Oct. 23
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas will host its 111th Homecoming Oct. 23-28. The week will feature a variety of events for alumni and students, culminating in the KU football game against Oklahoma on Oct. 28 in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
The theme for this year’s Homecoming celebration is “Rah Rah Jayhawk,” a nod to the origins of the Rock Chalk chant and Jayhawk nostalgia. Homecoming activities will include:
1. Oct. 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Homecoming Kickoff at the Jayhawk Welcome Center. Get details on all the events of the upcoming week in a fun, festive atmosphere, with a performance by the KU Spirit Squad and special guest appearances.
2. Oct. 24, 10 p.m.-midnight: Glowtopia at Royal Crest Lanes, 933 Iowa St. Enjoy a neon-bright night of bowling, complete with free food and prizes, all in a spectacular, glow-in-the-dark setting. KU students and alumni bowl free.
3. Oct. 25, 6:30-11:30 p.m.: Hawktober Movie Night at Central Field by Stouffer Place Apartments. Head outdoors for an entertainment-filled fall evening featuring a showing of the movie “Haunted Mansion” (2023) plus food, games and a Halloween costume contest.
4. Oct. 26, 6-8 p.m.: Alumni Trivia Night at Wayne & Larry’s, 933 Iowa St. Test your knowledge of KU history for prizes, plus enjoy networking opportunities and more with the KU Alumni Association.
5. Oct. 26, 6:30-10 p.m.: Mike and Joyce Shinn African American Leaders and Innovators Award reception at the Jayhawk Welcome Center. The KU Black Alumni Network will host this event recognizing and celebrating Black alumni. There will be a meet-and-greet with Chancellor Douglas A. Girod, and dinner will be served. Get more details and register.
6. Oct. 27, 1-3 p.m.: Home Football Friday: Homecoming Fest! at the Jayhawk Welcome Center. Get in the spirit for Saturday’s football game against Oklahoma with activities hosted by the KU Alumni Association’s Student Alumni Network and Student Union Activities, including music from DJ Mac, refreshments from Pickleman’s and a 360 photo booth experience presented by Truity Credit Union.
7. Oct. 27, 3-6 p.m.: KU Black Alumni Network Reunion Weekend activities at the Jayhawk Welcome Center. Connect with students and alumni on tours of campus and the Jayhawk Welcome Center and during a special Mocktails and Mingle gathering featuring an alumni panel, food and beverages.
8. Oct. 27, 5:30 p.m.: Rock Chalk Block Party on Mass Street. Join fellow Jayhawks for an evening of music, games and activities, including the Homecoming Pep Rally and a concert by country artist Michael Ray. The free event, hosted by Kansas Athletics, is presented by Central Bank and supported by Adidas.
9. Oct. 28, 8:30-10:30 a.m.: Gameday at the Jayhawk Welcome Center. All Jayhawks are welcome to stop by and enjoy a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere ahead of KU’s matchup against Oklahoma. At 9:30, artist Megh Knappenberger will be unveiling a new series of paintings for the recently renovated Adams Alumni Center. A cash bar and light snacks will be available.

All KU student organizations registered through Rock Chalk Central are invited to participate in the Homecoming Student Competition, which includes signature events such as the Homecoming Sign Competition, Chalk ’n’ Rock and Jayhawk Jingles. More information on the Homecoming Student Competition and a complete schedule of events can be found at kualumni.org/homecoming.

At halftime of the Oct. 28 football game, KU will announce the winners of the 2023 Konica Minolta Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership (ExCEL) Award and the Jennifer Alderdice Homecoming Award. Nominees for the ExCEL Award were selected based on their leadership, communication skills, involvement at KU and in the Lawrence community, academic scholarship, and ability to work with a variety of students and organizations. The Jennifer Alderdice Homecoming Award recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding loyalty and dedication to the university.
The selection committee included representatives from the KU Alumni Association, Student Involvement & Leadership Center, Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity, Student Union Activities/Kansas Memorial Union and the Homecoming Steering Committee. Fourteen student finalists have been selected from the pool of applicants for this year’s awards:
1. Ahmad Azhar, a senior in mechanical engineering and communication studies from Mailsi, Pakistan.
2. Camden Baxter, a senior in economics with minors in math and Spanish from Andover.
3. David Betts, a senior in information systems from Brooklyn, New York.
4. Cooper Curtin, a junior in finance with minors in Spanish and entrepreneurship from Centennial, Colorado.
5. Taylor Durst, a junior in psychology and sport management from Hills, Minnesota.
6. DaNae Estabine, a junior in psychology and philosophy from Olathe.
7. Libby Frost, a senior in business administration on the pre-med track from WaKeeney.
8. Jordan Nevels, a senior in theatre performance with a minor in film & media from Overland Park.
9. Thanh Tan Nguyen, a senior in business analytics and supply chain management from Phu Yen, Vietnam.
10. Yash Prajapati, a junior in applied mathematics and interdisciplinary computing in economics from Gujarat, India.
11. Emma Saville, a junior in multimedia journalism with a minor in photography from Mulvane.
12. Aarush Sehgal, a junior in molecular, cellular & developmental biology from Chandigarh, India.
13. Navya Singh, a senior in biochemistry from Chandigarh, India.
14. Selia Walton, a junior in project management and environmental studies with a minor in strategic communication from Blue Springs, Missouri.

This year’s Homecoming celebration is sponsored by Central Bank of the Midwest, Konica Minolta, KU Bookstore, Pepsi Zero Sugar and StoneHill Hotel. Jayhawks can purchase the official 2023 “Rah Rah Jayhawk” Homecoming T-shirt online from the KU Bookstore.

For more information and to view the full schedule of Homecoming activities, including events at the KU Edwards Campus, go to kualumni.org/homecoming.

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Contact: Savannah Rattanavong, Office of the Provost, 785-864-6402, [email protected], @KUProvost
KU doctoral student earns national fellowship

LAWRENCE ¬— Maggie Swenson, doctoral candidate in the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs & Administration (SPAA), has won a competitive Dwight D. Eisenhower/Clifford Roberts Graduate Fellowship from the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College.
The institute awards the fellowship to doctoral students from select institutions who are studying topics related to the role of government in a free society, public service, public policy and an improved understanding of the U.S. role in world affairs. The $10,000 stipend will support Swenson in the completion of her dissertation, “Collaboration Toward Health Equity: Exploring the Drivers, Success, and Strategies of Cross-sector Collaborations on the Social Determinants of Health.”
Swenson’s research is informed by the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) framework, which examines how factors outside of health care affect health and well-being. This approach emphasizes public health departments working with non-health sectors, such as education, housing, employment and planning, to address health disparities. Swenson is exploring what makes these collaborations feasible and encouraging partnerships between non-medical entities to better serve communities’ health needs.
Swenson said when working in health-focused nonprofits, she observed disparities in health based on race and socioeconomic status that held true across disease and stages of life. She saw differences in every health outcome, from birth weight to mortality rates.
“As a nonprofit professional, I also saw gaps in the research on interventions local organizations could use to alleviate health harms to marginalized groups,” Swenson said. “The persistent health disparities and lack of knowledge on how to address them inspired me to come back and get my Ph.D. and study how local government, nonprofit and private organizations can better promote health equity.”
Dorothy Daley, professor in SPAA and Swenson’s dissertation adviser, said a collaborative approach is imperative in advancing health equity “where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to achieve their highest level of health.”
Daley said public health scholars and practitioners regularly call for multisector collaboration to achieve their programmatic goals, but the recommendations often lack a deep understanding of collaborative decision-making or collaborative governance. That is an area where public administration scholarship can help, according to Daley.
“Maggie’s dissertation will generate high-quality and impactful interdisciplinary scholarship by linking these two areas in clear and transparent ways. It has been really wonderful to see her grow as a scholar and pursue important work that has both theoretical and applied significance,” Daley said.
Swenson is currently conducting interviews with public health workers across the country to inform her research, as well as performing data analysis on factors that predict whether local health departments partner with non-health sector organizations. Her data analysis also looks at the success of those partnerships.
At the conclusion of her research, Swenson said she hopes to provide information on how to better design and implement partnerships that promote health equity, as well as disseminate the results to health departments and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States.
“I feel extremely honored and fortunate to be a recipient of the Dwight Eisenhower and Clifford Roberts Graduate Fellowship,” Swenson said. “I have collected and analyzed secondary data on how local health departments collaborate across sectors to promote health equity, but the perspective of frontline workers is vital. Having research funding allows me to complete interviews with local health officials to gain their perspectives on health equity collaborations. I also am excited that the Eisenhower Institute sees the value in my work.”
Swenson, a Fulton, Missouri, native, earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a bachelor’s degree in nonprofit leadership from William Jewell College. She expects to complete her doctorate at KU in 2024.

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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

School of Engineering to welcome dean candidates to Lawrence campus
LAWRENCE — Four candidates will hold public presentations in consideration of becoming the next dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas. Presentations will take place Oct. 23, 25, 31 and Nov. 2 on the Lawrence campus and will be available via livestream.

KU debaters take second place at Houston tournament
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas debate team of freshman Easton Logback, Overland Park, and sophomore Rita Pham, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, took second place at a tournament hosted by the University of Houston from Oct. 13-16. The pair defeated teams from the University of Houston in both the quarterfinals and the semifinals before losing to Harvard University in the championship debate. Other KU competitors included students from Olathe and Overland Park.

Co-founder of Monument Lab will give public talk at KU
LAWRENCE — Join organizers of the Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe / Sacred Red Rock project and the Institute for Policy & Social Research for a special presentation, “Telling the Full Story: Power and Presence in Public” by Paul Farber, director and co-founder of the Monument Lab, at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Burge Union, Forum AB. There will be time for questions following the public presentation.

KU conference will commemorate 100 years of the Turkish Republic
LAWRENCE — An event at the University of Kansas will bring together experts in the politics and history of Turkey to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the republic. The conference will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Malott Room of the Kansas Union, covering topics such as Turkey’s politics, state and society relations; the Kurdish issue; and Turkish foreign policy. It will culminate in a roundtable to discuss the direction the republic is headed over the next 100 years.

KU writing center will celebrate 25th anniversary with campus reception
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Writing Center, as part of the Writing & Learning Center, welcomes faculty, staff and students to celebrate a milestone anniversary during a reception from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 25 at Anschutz Library. For the past 25 years, the Writing Center has worked with thousands of undergraduate and graduate KU students through one-on-one consultations, workshops, writing groups, write-ins, coaching, thesis/dissertation accelerators and other programming.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Savannah Rattanavong, Office of the Provost, 785-864-6402, [email protected], @KUprovost
School of Engineering to welcome dean candidates to Lawrence campus
LAWRENCE — Four candidates will hold public presentations in consideration of becoming the next dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas. The university is seeking a collaborative and entrepreneurial leader who is committed to student success, faculty and staff achievement.
Dean candidates will describe their vision for the School of Engineering under their leadership.
“We are excited by the caliber and expertise of these finalists,” said Arash Mafi, executive dean of the KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and co-chair of the search committee. “Each candidate’s skill set and knowledge would benefit the School of Engineering, the university and the community.”
The public presentations are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
1. Candidate 1: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Oct. 23, Beren Petroleum Conference Center/Slawson Hall G192
2. Candidate 2: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Oct. 25, Woodruff Auditorium at the Kansas Union
3. Candidate 3: 1:30–2:30 p.m. Oct. 31, Beren Petroleum Conference Center/Slawson Hall G192
4. Candidate 4: 9:30–10:30 am. Nov. 2, Burge Union Forum A

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. The name of each candidate will be announced approximately two business days before their respective campus visit.
Jennifer Roberts, vice provost for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies, serves as co-chair of the search committee.
“The search committee reviewed a number of excellent candidates,” Roberts said. “We are pleased to invite the finalists to campus so they can meet the KU community and share their vision for the School of Engineering.”
The dean, acting as the chief academic and administrative officer of the School of Engineering, is responsible for providing imaginative, dynamic and transformational leadership to ensure the school’s long-term success. Responsibilities include securing partnerships to advance the school’s mission; ensuring the school attracts and retains talented students, faculty and staff; and overseeing the school’s approximately $34 million budget.
The KU School of Engineering, an ABET-accredited public engineering school, was founded in 1891 and is the oldest engineering school in the state. It emphasizes interdisciplinary research, encouraging engineers and computer scientists from different disciplines to work together to provide innovative solutions to challenges around the world.
WittKieffer, an executive search firm specializing in higher education, aided with the search process and development of a robust and diverse candidate pool.
More information about the search can be found online.

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Contact: Scott Harris, KU Debate, 785-864-9878, [email protected], @KansasDebate
KU debaters take second place at Houston tournament
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas debate team of freshman Easton Logback, Overland Park, and sophomore Rita Pham, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, took second place at a tournament hosted by the University of Houston from Oct. 13-16. The pair defeated teams from the University of Houston in both the quarterfinals and the semifinals before losing to Harvard University in the championship debate.
Schools competing in the tournament included Harvard University, the University of Houston, Kansas State University, Oakton Community College, the University of Oklahoma, Southern Nazarene University, the University of Texas, Trinity University and the U.S. Military Academy.
The KU team of Logback and Pham won five of six debates over two days in the preliminary rounds to advance to the single-elimination bracket. In the preliminary rounds they defeated teams from the U.S. Military Academy, Kansas State University, the University of Houston, and the University of Oklahoma. Their only preliminary loss was to the team from Harvard that went undefeated and won the tournament.
“We are very proud of Easton and Rita,” said Jesse Smith, assistant KU coach. “They worked incredibly hard to prepare for the tournament and were a joy to coach this weekend.”
Other members of the KU squad who competed at the Houston tournament included sophomore Averi Harker, Olathe; freshman Sasha Sharman, Spokane, Washington; freshman Lily Ren, Overland Park; and sophomore Luke Vu, Hooksett, New Hampshire.
“Easton and Rita had an outstanding performance at the tournament, and they should be very proud. I am also grateful for the hard work of coach Jesse Smith and the other members of the squad who helped them prepare for the elimination rounds at the tournament,” said Scott Harris, the David B. Pittaway Director of Debate at KU.
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Contact: Mandy Frank, Institute for Policy & Social Research, [email protected]
Co-founder of Monument Lab will give public talk at KU
LAWRENCE — Join organizers of the Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe / Sacred Red Rock project and the Institute for Policy & Social Research for a special presentation, “Telling the Full Story: Power and Presence in Public” by Paul Farber, director and co-founder of the Monument Lab, at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Burge Union, Forum AB. There will be time for questions following the public presentation.
Monument Lab is a nonprofit public art and history studio based in Philadelphia, and it has recently made national news for its curated art exhibition on the National Mall, “Beyond Granite: Pulling Together,” that explores diverse American stories told through art on one of the most powerful civic stages in the United States. Read more about the “Beyond Granite” exhibition, “CBS Sunday Morning”: Art on the Mall, or view the corresponding video featuring an interview Farber about the exhibition.

The Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe / Sacred Red Rock project is led by members of the Kaw Nation in collaboration with the city of Lawrence, University of Kansas, Spencer Museum of Art, Kanza Heritage Society and other partners, and it is funded the Mellon Foundation Monuments Project Initiative.

More information on the Iⁿ‘zhúje‘waxóbe / Sacred Red Rock project is available on the project website. Read more information about the project’s history as well as a pronunciation guide.

For questions and event accommodations, contact Mandy Frank, project coordinator, at [email protected].

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Don’t miss new episodes of “When Experts Attack!,”
a KU News Service podcast hosted by Kansas Public Radio.

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Contact: Jennifer Duhamel, Center for Global & International Studies, [email protected]
KU conference will commemorate 100 years of the Turkish Republic
LAWRENCE — An event at the University of Kansas will bring together experts in the politics and history of Turkey to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the republic.
100 Years of the Republic of Turkey/Türkiye: Cycles, Continuity & Change will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Malott Room of the Kansas Union, featuring scholars from Kansas and across the nation. The topics will capture Turkey’s politics, state and society relations; the Kurdish issue; and Turkish foreign policy. It will culminate in a roundtable to discuss the direction the republic is headed over the next 100 years.
“We are thrilled to be hosting great scholars and experts on the broad scope of Turkish politics and society over the last century. People are not going to want to miss these excellent talks on critical topics that shed light and insight into Turkey while simultaneously reflecting back on issues of global importance,” said Mike Wuthrich, associate professor of political science and associate director of the Center for Global & International Studies.
Arash Mafi, executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at KU, will deliver the opening remarks at the event. Other presenters are as follows:
1. “Turkish Political Leadership and the Under-appreciated Legacy of İsmet and Erdal İnönü,” by Mike Wuthrich, KU
2. “National Holidays in the Making of Modern Turkey,” by Hale Yilmaz, associate professor of history, Southern Illinois University
3. “The New Turkey, the Middle East, and the Kurds Between Them,” by Mehmet Gurses, professor and chair, political science, Florida Atlantic University
4. “One Hundred Years of Turkish Foreign Policy: Demystifying the Roles of Identity, Security, and Economic Interest,” Sabri Ciftci, professor of political science, Kansas State University

Schedule, speaker bios, and paper abstracts can be found at https://crees.ku.edu/turkishconference.

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Contact: Jennifer Rupp, Writing & Learning Center, [email protected]
KU writing center will celebrate 25th anniversary with campus reception

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Writing Center, as part of the Writing & Learning Center, welcomes faculty, staff and students to celebrate its 25th anniversary during a reception from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 25 at Anschutz Library.
The reception will include light refreshments and cake, the opportunity to meet staff and learn about current services, and tours of the newly updated Writing & Learning Center space. The Writing & Learning Center is located on the fourth floor of Anschutz Library on the Lawrence campus. Since the center will be open for tutoring and writing consulting at this time, the main reception will take place across the hall in the David Beaham Reading Room.
The KU Writing Center grew out of a faculty resource center begun in the 1980s. The current Writing Center was founded Oct. 12, 1998, as a peer writing support resource for students under the direction of Michele Eodice. For the past 25 years, the Writing Center has worked with thousands of undergraduate and graduate KU students through one-on-one consultations, workshops, writing groups, write-ins, coaching, thesis/dissertation accelerators and other programming.
Today, the Writing Center continues as a vital part of University Academic Support Services and Academic Success with the goal of helping students gain confidence, improve as writers and achieve their academic goals by providing high-quality services in a supportive, inclusive environment. The Writing Center recently combined spaces and programming with the Academic Learning Center to become the KU Writing & Learning Center.
“I’m proud to be part of this longstanding tradition of strong writing and academic support at KU,” said Jennifer Rupp, associate director of the center. “The Writing Center’s leadership of the past 25 years has built a wonderful foundation that we continue to expand on today with more programming and campus collaborations each year. I am excited to celebrate this milestone with our KU community.”

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