2012 KU graduate a finalist for Rhodes scholarship


Julia Barnard


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LAWRENCE — Julia Barnard, a May 2012 graduate of the University of Kansas, has advanced in the competition for one of 32 prestigious Rhodes scholarships awarded annually for graduate study at Oxford University in England. She will join other regional finalists Nov. 16-17 in St. Louis for interviews with the selection committee.

Barnard graduated with highest distinction with a Bachelor of Arts in history. Her research interest is in urban environmental history, studying how current environmental policies developed and how successes and failures may inform a more sustainable future.

She is a 2007 graduate of Lawrence High School. Her parents are Cheryl Lester and Philip Barnard.

Two winners are announced from each of 16 districts following the Nov. 17 interviews by Rhodes Foundation representatives. KU students compete with finalists from colleges and universities in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Mississippi.

Rhodes scholarships provide full tuition and fees for two years of graduate study at Oxford University, as well as a living allowance.

KU has produced 26 Rhodes scholars, more than all other colleges in Kansas combined. U.S. students between ages 18 and 24 who have demonstrated high academic achievement and leadership are eligible to apply for a university nomination.

After graduation, Barnard moved to Austin, Texas, where she accepted the position of Repair the World and Tzedek Professional at Texas Hillel. She is working with University of Texas students and developing a service learning curriculum. She also has worked since 2010 as copy editor and research assistant for author Jonathan Kozol, including assisting on Kozol's recent book, "Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America."

Barnard is a University Honors Program graduate and was recognized as a KU Woman of Distinction for 2011-2012. She was awarded the Donald K. Alderson Memorial Award at commencement. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, KU Mortar Board and KU Student Senate. Barnard was co-director of KU Alternative Breaks and a KU Hillel Campus Entrepreneurship Initiative intern. She is also a nominee for a Marshall and a Truman scholarship.


Fri, 11/02/2012

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Anne Wallen

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