KU to honor outstanding graduate students April 24

LAWRENCE — More than 25 outstanding graduate students at the University of Kansas will be recognized at the annual Graduate Student Awards Ceremony, at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, in the Kansas Union Ballroom. Awards will be presented by Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter and Dean of Graduate Studies Thomas Heilke.

“Graduate students contribute to the university in a variety of ways – they are active instructors, researchers and supportive citizens in the university community,” said Heilke. “It is important to close the academic year with praise for their contributions to KU and their disciplines.”

Graduate awards from KU’s recent Graduate Student Research Competition will be presented to 12 students, and seven participants in the Graduate Student Capitol Research Summit will be recognized.

Kelly Harper Berkson, linguistics, will be recognized for receiving an honorable mention in the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Master’s Thesis competition. Berkson is from Lawrence.

The Chancellor’s Teaching Assistant Award will be presented to Whitney Court, political science. Court’s nomination emphasized her ability to bring her research experience into the classroom. Court is from Lacrosse, Wis.

The Carlin Graduate Teaching Assistant Award goes to Jeremy Manternach, music education and music therapy. Manternach’s recommenders lauded his patient, skillful instructional technique. He is from Minneapolis, Minn.

Three students will receive awards for outstanding undergraduate instruction: Jennifer Guthrie, communication studies, from Neosho, Mo.; Zachary Rothschild, psychology, Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Elizabeth Villalobos, Spanish and Portuguese, La Mesa, Calif.

Additionally, Philip Duncan, linguistics, will be recognized for receiving an honorable mention in the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Excellence in Teaching Award competition. Duncan is from Lawrence.

Jacob Rapp, Spanish and Portuguese, will receive a Distinguished Service Award recognizing outstanding service provided by a graduate student to the KU community. One nominator noted that, “In 22 years at KU, I have never met a graduate student with such a strong service ethic.” Rapp is from Broomfield, Colo.

Representatives of academic programs throughout the university nominated graduate students for the teaching and service awards. Selection committees chose winners based on their departmental nominations and student evaluations.

Additional honorees are listed below by name, hometown, award and area of study.

• Jose Aleman Banon, of Murcia, Spain, received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Aleman Banon is a graduate student in Linguistics.

• Megan Blossom, of Pawtucket, R.I., received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Blossom is a graduate student in Child Language.

• Joshua Brinkley, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Brinkley is a graduate student in Psychology.

• Laura Dean, of Seattle, received a Capital Graduate Research Competition presenter award. Dean is a graduate student in Political Science.

• Dennis Eck, of Colwich, was a Capital Graduate Research Competition presenter. Eck is a graduate student in Geography.

• Marie-Odile Fortier, of Gainseville, Fla., received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Fortier is a graduate student in Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering.

• Laci Gerhart, of Lawrence, received a Distinguished Service honorable mention. Gerhart is a graduate student in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.

• Madhav Ghanta, of Hyderabad, India, received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award and was a Capital Graduate Research Competition presenter. Ghanta is a graduate student in Chemical & Petroleum Engineering.

• Jarod Hart, of La Crosse, Wis., received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Hart is a graduate student in Mathematics.

• Candace Hogue, of Prairie Village, received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Hogue is a graduate student in Health, Sport & Exercise Sciences.

• Kelly Huff, of Springfield, Mo., received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Huff is a graduate student in Musicology and Music Theory & Composition.

• Nayma Khan, of Dhaka, Bangladesh, received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Khan is a graduate student in Architecture, Design & Planning.

• Jeffrey Lamping, of Olathe, was a Capital Graduate Research Competition presenter. Lamping is a graduate student in Bioengineering.

• Mary Mba, of Lagos, Nigeria, received a Distinguished Service honorable mention. Mba is a graduate student in French & Italian.

• A.J. Mellott, of Lawrence, received a Capital Graduate Research Competition award. Mellott is a graduate student in Bioengineering.

• Heather Nelson, of Springfield, Mo., received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Nelson is a graduate student in Music Education & Music Therapy.

• Juli Pitzer, of Cordova, Tenn., was a Capital Graduate Research Competition presenter. Pitzer is a graduate student in Film & Media Studies.

• Caitlin Schupp, of Schaumburg, Ill., received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Schupp is a graduate student in Chemistry.

• John Vilanova, of Wanamassa, N.J., received a Graduate Student Research Competition Presentation award. Vilanova is a graduate student in American Studies.

• Clayton Wauneka, of Las Cruces, N.M., was a Capital Graduate Research Competition presenter. Wauneka is a graduate student in Health, Sport & Exercise Sciences.