KU Kudos: Jayhawk faculty and staff achievements, March 2023


LAWRENCE — It's time to celebrate Jayhawk colleagues' achievements: KU News Service accepted submissions and combed websites, social media and newsletters for recent external honors and awards for current faculty and staff at the Lawrence, Edwards and Medical Center campuses and affiliates. Have something to share? Submit by April 21 for the next edition. Self-nominations are encouraged, with more information available here.

Mohammad Alian, assistant professor of electrical engineering & computer science and a researcher with KU's Institute for Information Sciences, led a team that received second place in the Samsung Memory Open Innovation Contest. They received a $30,000 research & development incentive award.

Alex Bardas, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and at the Institute for Information Sciences, co-wrote a scholarly paper that has been recognized with an honorable mention in the 10th Annual Best Scientific Cybersecurity Paper Competition. 

Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law, testified to the House of Commons International Trade Committee of the British Parliament about the use of free trade agreements to advance the rights of women and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Amii Castle, professor of the practice of business, was recently featured among Lawrence Business Magazine's Woman of Impact. 

J.F. Devlin, professor of geology, was named the 2022 Farvolden Lecturer at the University of Waterloo. The Farvolden Lecture Series is hosted by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and fosters interaction and communication between the department, alumni of the hydrogeology program and the groundwater community at large.

Hao Gao, associate professor and director of physics research in the Department of Radiation Oncology, been selected by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine as a recipient of the 2023 John S. Laughlin Early-Career Scientist Award. 

Mugur Geana, associate professor of health communications, has been appointed to the RADx-UP Publication and Dissemination Committee. RADx Underserved Populations is a consortium of more than 125 research projects studying COVID-19 testing patterns and testing interventions in communities across the United States. 

Melissa Greene-Blye, assistant professor of journalism & mass communications, has been named a Faculty Champion by the Center for Community News for work to build innovative local news programs. She advises "Good Morning Indian Country," the only collegiate-level, student-led Native news and information program in the nation.

Misty Heggeness, associate professor of public affairs & administration and research scientist with the Institute for Policy & Social Research, has been named associate chair of outreach and partnerships for the Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession.

Dorothy Hines, associate professor of curriculum & teaching and African & African-American studies, has been voted vice chair and chair-elect of the Classroom Management, special interest group No. 19 of the American Educational Research Association.

Kelly Hutton-Gordon, clinical instructor in the School of Health Professions, was selected to serve as president elect on the 2022-2023 board of directors for the Kansas Association of Nurse Anesthetists. 

Jamilla Jefferson-Jones, Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor of Law, was keynote speaker at The American Dream Belongs to All of Us symposium Feb. 24 at Florida A&M University College of Law.

Steven Johnson Jr., assistant dean of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the School of Business, was recently named a 2023 ACPA Diamond Honoree by the ACPA Foundation.

Minyoung Kim, associate professor and Frank T. Stockton Fellow in the School of Business, was elected as a representative-at-large for the Research Methods Community at the Strategic Management Society. 

Kevin Leonard, associate professor of chemical & petroleum engineering, received a 2023 Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Lectureship Award from the American Chemical Society. Leonard is being honored for his multiple contributions to the field of sustainable chemistry and engineering.

Dr. Colleen Loo-Gross, assistant professor of family & community medicine, is the recipient of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County’s 2023 Dr. Joe Meek Young Physician Award. This award is named after the longtime former dean of KU School of Medicine-Wichita and aims to foster leadership among practicing physicians 40 or younger. 

Dr. Donna Logan, volunteer clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, has been selected as the 2022 National AAFP Exemplary Teacher of the Year in the volunteer category. 

Briana McGeough, assistant professor of social welfare, and students received the 2022 Best Practice Note award in the journal Families in Society for the article “Integrating SMART Recovery and Mental Health Services to Meet the Needs and Goals of LGBTQ Individuals Experiencing Substance Use-Related Problems.”  

Glennda McKeithan, associate teaching professor in special education, has been selected as the North Carolina Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities Distinguished Service Award recipient.

Andrea Meyertholen, associate professor in the Department of Slavic, German & Eurasian Studies, was named to the shortlist for the Waterloo Centre for German Studies Book Prize for her publication “The Myth of Abstraction: The Hidden Origins of Abstract Art in German Literature.” The prize recognizes first-time authors whose scholarly work contributes substantially to our understanding of any aspect of German-speaking society. 

Crystal Nevins, recruiting and talent management director, KU School of Medicine-Wichita, has been inducted into the Wichita Business Journal HR Professionals Hall of Fame. 

Meg Paceley, associate professor of social welfare, was selected to participate in the National Cancer Institute-funded workshop Sexual & Gender Minority Cancer CARE. These workshops are part of the effort supported by sexual and gender minority health leaders from across the nation to expand the number of health professionals engaging in SGM cancer research from prevention through survivorship and end-of-life.

Pritha Prasad, assistant professor of English, is the recipient of the 2023 CCCC Richard Braddock Award National Council of Teachers of English, presented to the author of the outstanding article on writing or the teaching of writing in the CCCC journal, College Composition and Communication. 

Jennifer Raff, associate professor of anthropology, will be a keynote speaker at the Alaska Anthropological Association's Annual Meeting in March. 

Raúl Rojas, professor of speech-language-hearing, is an invited speaker to the 2023 Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, the foremost national research symposium of child language researchers from a range of disciplines. Rojas was also invited to be an advisory committee member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Pathways Program, where he will serve a three-year term.

Katie Siengsukon, associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science & Athletic Training, received the Outstanding Behavioral Sleep Medicine Advocate Award at the annual scientific conference of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. 

Brian Steele, associate dean for admissions in the School of Medicine, has been appointed as the Central Group on Student Affairs representative to the Committee on Admissions. Steele will represent the central region at all meetings, conference calls and leadership workshops. CGSA is an affinity group within the Association of American Medical Colleges.

John Stipetich, emergency management specialist, received the Kansas Certified Emergency Manager certification from the Kansas Emergency Management Association. The KCEM program was created to establish professional standards for emergency managers in the state of Kansas. 

John Symons, professor of philosophy, was elected to be a member of the International Academy for Philosophy of Science. 

Kyle Velte, professor of law, received the Dukeminier Award from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law for her article, "Recovering the Race Analogy in LGBTQ Religious Exemption Cases."


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