July 3, 2001

Contact: John Scarffe, KU Endowment Association, (785) 832-7336.

Russian history scholarship established

LAWRENCE -- A Texas man has pledged $25,000 to establish a scholarship for graduate students specializing in modern Russian history at the University of Kansas, Thomas Lewin, chair of the history department, announced today.

The pledge to the Kansas University Endowment Association from Aleksander Mrdjenovic of Irving established a scholarship fund in his name.

"The department is deeply indebted to Mr. Mrdjenovic for his most generous contribution," Lewin said. "Our students will greatly benefit from his generosity and his commitment to history in particular and the humanities in general."

Mrdjenovic, a former graduate student in Russian history, said the scholarships he received made a big difference in his life.

"I remember receiving a work study loan or teaching assistantship or German Foreign Exchange (DAAD) scholarship, and how precious that help was to me at the time," he said.

Mrdjenovic was born in Germany. He spent his early childhood in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, until he emigrated to Independence, Mo., with his family. He received a bachelor's degree in Russian and East European studies in 1973 from the University of Missouri at Columbia. He also earned three degrees from KU: a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering and a bachelor's in environmental design in 1983, and a master's degree in European history in 1976. He is currently the database administrator for Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

Mrdjenovic met his wife, Sui Chan, while they were students at KU. The couple married in 1976. Sui Chan Mrdjenovic earned two degrees at KU: a master's degree in social work in 1975, and a master's in business administration in 1981. She became a certified public accountant in 1993. She has been employed as an auditor since graduation and now works as a computer specialist and trainer for the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Kansas University Endowment Association is an independent, non-profit organization serving as the official fund-raising and fund-management organization for the University of Kansas. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment is the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university and one of the largest.