Louise Byrd Graduate Educators announced

LAWRENCE — Eva Horn, professor in the Department of Special Education and investigator for the Lifespan Institute for Developmental Disabilities, and Victor Frost, Dan F. Servey Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, are the 2014 recipients of the Louise Byrd Graduate Educator Award. The award will be presented Saturday, May 17, during the annual doctoral hooding ceremony.

“Recipients of the Byrd award are exemplars of the best qualities in graduate faculty,” said Michael Roberts, dean of Graduate Studies. “Both awardees distinguished themselves by a focus on the professional development of trainees within the scholarly community, balanced by a personal concern for the students as individuals. Their dedication is truly remarkable.”

Horn was nominated by her colleagues and noted for her dedication to graduate students. Comments from nominators noted her academic, professional and personal support. Another said, “When I am confronted with an unfamiliar challenge, I literally think, ‘What would Eva do?,’ and if the answer isn’t forthcoming, I call or email her, and she continues to provide support and guidance.”

Nominated by his peers because of “his astonishing devotion to his graduate students,” Frost is known for showing “extraordinary support during their studies and after their graduation.” Students praised his informal, humble style that made them feel like a true peer. Another nominator noted that the value of Frost’s mentoring wasn’t just the advice but also the way it was delivered; with a patience and understanding of someone who has advised many yet understands the uniqueness of each situation.

Horn’s research focuses on early education for young children with developmental delays. An educator of young children for more than 10 years, she received her doctorate from and served on the faculty at Vanderbilt University. In 2000, she joined the faculty at KU. Horn currently is the regional director of the National Early Childhood Personnel Center and works regularly with the Kansas Department of Education on issues of early education and personnel preparation.

Frost conducts research on communication systems and networks, with a recent focus on using vulnerabilities in modern wireless networks to create covert communication techniques. With undergraduate and graduate degrees from KU, Frost has been on the faculty since 1982. He has also worked with the Air Force, AT&T and Sprint. Recently he was a program director in the Computer Network Systems Division at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C.

The Louise Byrd Graduate Educator Award was established in 1984 in memory of Louise E. Byrd, who served for many years as secretary of the Graduate School. The award honors faculty members who have demonstrated extraordinary devotion to graduate students and graduate education and who have distinguished themselves as scholars.

KU Endowment is the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management foundation for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

For more information about the 2014 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony, go to www.graduate.ku.edu.