KU announces Men of Merit

LAWRENCE — Fifteen students, staff and faculty have been selected as University of Kansas Men of Merit, recognized for positively defining masculinity through challenging norms, taking action and leading by example while making contributions to the university and/or the community.

The fifth-annual KU Men of Merit posters will be released today and available in the Student Involvement & Leadership Center, and a reception will take place at 5 p.m. in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union. Each man will be honored for his accomplishments and contributions and given a certificate of recognition.

This year’s honorees include Ryan Burton, senior, English and political science; Coulter Cranston, senior, biological chemistry, pre-med; Eric Driscoll, senior, accounting; Jonathan Earle, associate professor, Department of History; Cameron Johnson, first-year pharmacy student; Philip Lowcock, director of records, coordinator, International Student-Athlete Support; Mauricio Gomez Montoya, retention specialist, Office of Multicultural Affairs; Ryan Moulder, senior, chemical engineering, pre-med; Seyool Oh, graduate student, aerospace engineering; Dillon Pearson, graduate student, higher education administration; Rueben Perez, director, Student Involvement & Leadership Center; Thomas Plummer, junior, management & leadership, economics minor; Brandon Rogers, senior, human biology, psychology concentration, pre-med; Sam Schroeder, senior, engineering; Matt Visser, senior, political science, global and international studies, and French.

The KU Men of Merit poster project was created five years ago by former KU football player, Gary Green. This project is sponsored by the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity, with the support of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Current research supports the important role gender plays in college students’ identity development and academic achievement. Recently, attention has been focused on men’s declining enrollment in college as well as their higher rates of underperformance and underachievement compared to women. In fact, recent studies indicate that nationally, male students are less likely to complete a bachelor’s degree than are female students. In addition, men are less likely to engage in volunteer activities and participate in student clubs and organizations. This growing gender gap points to the need for college campuses to address this disparity and create mechanisms for increasing men’s involvement, engagement and achievement.

This poster aims to increase awareness of the importance of education and involvement in men’s lives, inspire campus men to take an active role in their college experience and provide role models and mentors for men to be successful.          

Sponsors and assistance with the poster include KU Marketing & Communications, the Office of Diversity and Equity and the Commission on the Status of Women.

This project is organized by Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity.