Alumni events, conference highlight western tour by two KU officials

LAWRENCE -- University of Kansas Athletics Director Al Bohl and Executive Vice Chancellor for University Relations Janet Murguia will visit alumni and prospective students in 10 Kansas communities during a swing through western Kansas Feb. 20-23.

The two officials will be featured guests at alumni events in Great Bend on Feb. 20, in Goodland on Feb. 21, and in Garden City on Feb. 22. Murguia also will speak to Hispanic students at Goodland High School.

On Feb. 23 Bohl will be the featured guest at an alumni breakfast in Dodge City, while Murguia will stay in Garden City to give the keynote address for the Latina Women's Leadership Conference at Garden City Community College.

Other communities in which the officials will make informal stops include Russell, Bunker Hill, Hays, Johnson, Ulysses and Salina.

Both Murguia and Bohl are in their first year on the job for KU. Murguia began July 1 as KU's first executive vice chancellor for university relations -- KU's top post to oversee public affairs and public relations at all KU campuses. Bohl, who started Aug. 1, is the university's 13th director of athletics.

Murguia grew up in the Mexican-American neighborhood of Argentine in Kansas City, Kan. She served as deputy campaign manager and director of constituency outreach for the Gore/Lieberman presidential campaign. Before the campaign, she worked at the White House in various capacities beginning in 1994. She was deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of legislative affairs, serving as the senior White House liaison to Congress.

Murguia holds three degrees from KU: a juris doctorate from the law school, a bachelor of science in journalism from the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and a bachelor of arts in Spanish from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Before coming to KU, Bohl served five years as athletics director at Fresno State College in California and for nine years as athletics director at the University of Toledo in Ohio. A native of Vermilion, Ohio, Bohl earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Bowling Green University, a master's of education from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Ph.D. in physical education administration from Ohio State University.

In December, Bohl announced the hiring of Mark Mangino, top Oklahoma assistant coach, as new KU head football coach to revitalize the KU football program. At Fresno State, Bohl was a dynamic force in the resurgence of the athletics program. Among highlights were back-to-back bowl games for the football team, a national championship in softball and two consecutive appearances by the men's basketball team in the NCAA Tournament. Under Bohl's guidance, student-athlete classroom performance and graduation rates improved at Fresno State.