Six to be inducted into KU Women's Hall of Fame
LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas Women’s Hall of Fame will induct six new members during the annual Women’s Recognition Program today. The program, which honors outstanding women in the KU community, begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Big 12 Room in the Kansas Union.
In addition to the six new Women’s Hall of Fame inductees, 18 women will be honored with one of the 14 Women’s Recognition Awards. Twenty outstanding female students in on-campus housing or sororities will also be honored. These awards were established to honor KU female students, staff, faculty and alumnae who have enriched and improved the campus and community through their service, teaching or involvement.
The program is sponsored by the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center, the Commission on the Status of Women and the Office of Diversity and Equity.
Faculty and staff being honored include Susan Williams, director of the KU Biodiesel Initiative, Outstanding Woman Educator; Janet Riley, associate director of KU Budget Management & Fiscal Affairs, Outstanding Woman Staff Member; and Marilu Goodyear, director of the School of Public Affairs & Administration, Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett Woman Mentoring Women Award.
The 2012 Pioneer Woman award honors Marlene Mawson, often called the “Mother of KU Women’s Athletics.” Mawson was a professor and administrator at KU for 22 years, beginning in 1968, with the added responsibility of initiating an intercollegiate women’s sports program sponsored by the KU Physical Education Department. The program began with six sports on an annual budget of $2,000, which covered expenses for sports equipment, uniforms and travel. In addition to directing the program and teaching full time, Mawson coached basketball, volleyball, softball and field hockey.
KU has inducted outstanding leaders into its Women’s Hall of Fame since 1970. The Women’s Hall of Fame site is on the fifth floor of the Kansas Union. The 2012 KU Women’s Hall of Fame inductees are:
The Honorable Carol A. Beier is a member of the Kansas Supreme Court. As a student at KU, Justice Beier was a Watkins-Berger Scholar, served as editor of the University Daily Kansan and had a 3.9 grade-point average when she earned her Bachelor of Science in journalism in 1981. She continued her outstanding scholarship when she attended KU law school, graduating fifth in a class of 159 in 1985. As a lawyer in private practice, she practiced as a staff attorney for the National Women’s Law Center, for Arent, Fox, Kinter, Plotkin & Kahn, in Washington, D.C., and at Foulston Siefkin, LLP, the largest law firm in Kansas. She was appointed to the Kansas Supreme Court in February 2000 by then-Gov. Bill Graves.
Mary Burg has served as executive assistant to the chancellor for more than 15 years. She has been described as a goodwill ambassador, master organizer, sensitive reader of people and central hub of the university. She serves as adviser to Mortar Board and serves on numerous committees and advisory boards, including the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center. In the words of Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, “One of her most salient characteristics is her upbeat, can-do attitude. She is invaluable in our office not only because she is a thoughtful staff manager, but because she serves as an adviser to me on everything KU.”
Cynthia Carroll is CEO of Anglo American PLC, a global mining group and FTSE 20 company headquartered in London. She has been named the fourth most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. Carroll graduated from Skidmore College with a B.S. in geology, holds a master’s in geology from KU in 1982 and an MBA from Harvard University. She was the first woman and outsider to become chief executive of Anglo American in its 89-year history. Moreover, she became only the third female chief executive of a FTSE 100 company when she came to Anglo American. Prior to joining Anglo American in 2006, Carroll spent 18 years at Alcan Inc., including five years as president and CEO of the Primary Metal Group.
Lorraine Haricombe is the dean of libraries at KU and an accomplished scholar in the field of librarianship. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has produced numerous articles in the leading journals in the field, and has served on premier editorial boards at the national level. Haricombe has led KU’s efforts to develop a pioneering Open Access [to scholarly work] Policy (the first of its kind among public universities), enacted by the Faculty Senate and approved by the Provost. She has also developed the means to realize the goals of this policy by establishing a Center for Digital Scholarship in close coordination with leaders in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Hall Center for the Humanities.
Debra Kamps is senior scientist for the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at KU. She earned a master’s degree in special education in 1975 and her Ph.D. in special education in 1983 from KU. Her 35-year career has benefited children with severe behavioral, emotional and developmental disabilities through the development of research-based practices for educators and other practitioners, families, individuals themselves and hence the field, the state of Kansas and beyond. In 2008, the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training was established under her leadership. In 2009, she initiated the annual Discovery Pilot Grants that have supported small but exciting new studies in autism research to pave the way for external funding of larger studies. Also in 2009, Kamps was the recipient of the University of Kansas Research Achievement Award with 16 externally funded research programs since 1991.
Linda Weir-Enegren is president of LS Industries and founder of Rainbows United. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in speech communication and human relations in 1977 from KU. In 1972, at the age of 24, with the help of volunteers, she founded Rainbows United, a preschool for disabled children. Today Rainbows is a United Way agency with professional staff serving nearly 3,000 children in Sedgwick County. Weir-Enegren went on to establish five other organizations centered around the needs of children and those with disabilities. She has also excelled as a businesswoman, founding with her husband, Phil Enegren, LS Industries, a manufacturer of blasting and degreasing equipment. Linda serves as the president and general manager of the company. The successful company employs 50 people and has business all over the globe.
Student honorees are as follows:
• Annabel Christner, Abilene, a junior in social welfare, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Charlotte Davis, Overland Park, senior in secondary education, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Kelley Courington, Wichita, sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, pre-pharmacy, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Jamie Rosenberg, St. Louis, senior in CLAS, speech language and hearing, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Sam Benson, Prairie Village, senior in CLAS, biology, neurobiology, chemistry and pre-medicine, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Kirsten Marples, Topeka, senior in art history, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Anrenee Reasor, Thayer, sophomore in CLAS and economics, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Kirsten Selstad, Overland Park, freshman in journalism and news and information, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Stephanie Taylor, Wichita, senior in pharmacy, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Emily Schapker, Merriam, senior in engineering and mechanical engineering, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Annie Heble, Overland Park, junior in pharmacy, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Lisa Curran, Girard, senior in journalism and news and information, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Shelby McIntosh, Prairie Village, junior in civil engineering, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Alexandra Nicole Rose, Topeka, senior in CLAS, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Jasmine Onianwa, Wichita, senior in economics and supply chain management, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Addison Hood, Leawood, freshman in CLAS and pre-journalism, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities and Alma Poehler Brook Memorial Award
• Elizabeth Boresow, Leawood, senior in music therapy, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Julia Barker, Las Vegas, freshman in psychology, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Jessica Swenson, Castle Rock, Colo., sophomore in chemical engineering, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Christine Van Allen, Clearwater, senior in business and marketing, Outstanding Woman Student in On-Campus Housing and Sororities
• Shari Hilton, Paradise, Ariz., freshman in pre-sport science and community health, Alma Poehler Brook Memorial Award
• Jessica Horner, El Dorado, senior in CLAS and pre-medicine, Alma Poehler Brook Memorial Award
• Rebeka Stowe, Olathe, senior in health and physical education, Outstanding Woman Student in Athletics
• Danielle Onions, Shawnee, junior in political science and women’s studies, Outstanding Woman Student in Community Service
• Emily Lamb, Lawrence, senior in social welfare, Outstanding Woman Student in Leadership
• Dayona Nett, Kingman, senior in human biology, biology and Italian, Outstanding Woman Student in Leadership
• Julia Barnard, Lawrence, senior in history, Outstanding Woman Student in Partnership
• Stephanie Jian, Lawrence, senior in chemical engineering, Outstanding Woman Student in Partnership
• Sylvia Nwosu, Nigeria, graduate student in chemical and petroleum engineering, Outstanding International Woman Student
• Karen Lewis, Lawrence, junior in environmental studies, Outstanding Non-Traditional Woman Student
• Lauren Lacey, Troy, Mo., senior in mechanical engineering, Sally Mason Woman Student in Science Award
• SueZanne Thibodeau, Lawrence, senior in psychology and philosophy, Ethel Bohning Single Mother Award
• Annie McBride, Lawrence, graduate student in higher education, Marlesa and Hannalesa Roney Student Success Mentor Award.