May 1, 2003

Contact: Ann Eversole, Student Life Administration, (785) 864-4060.

9 KU graduating seniors win Chancellor's Student Awards

LAWRENCE -- As part of the 131st commencement at the University of Kansas, nine graduating seniors who are receiving Chancellor's Student Awards for their academic and leadership skills will be honored during a reception from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 17, in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union.

The Chancellor's Student Awards Committee selected the winners from nominations submitted by KU students, faculty and staff. The committee includes students, faculty and staff. The winners are:

 • Paige Issacson, Salina, Donald K. Alderson Memorial Award
 • Sahar Habibi, Wichita, Class of 1913 Award
 • David C. Roby, Topeka, Class of 1913 Award
 • Fouzia Haq, Kansas City, Mo., Alexis F. Dillard Student Involvement Award
 • Courtney Bates, Chicago, Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award
 • Aramis Watson, Wichita, Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award
 • Jennifer Huang, Wichita, Caryl K. Smith Student Leader Award
 • Loren Malone, Senatobia, Miss., Agnes Wright Strickland Award
 • Jonathan Ng, Leawood, Agnes Wright Strickland Award

The Donald K. Alderson Memorial Award goes to a graduating senior who has demonstrated loyalty to and interest in the university and who has been active in student activities and services that benefit other students. The award was established in memory of Alderson, former dean of men and dean of student services at KU.

The Alexis F. Dillard Student Involvement Award goes to a graduating student who has unselfishly contributed to the university through campus involvement. The award was established in 1993 by Dillard's family and friends to remember and honor him.

The Class of 1913 Award annually goes to a graduating senior who shows evidence of intelligence, devotion to studies and personal character and who shows promise of usefulness to society.

The annual Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award goes to students who demonstrate a concern for furthering the ideals of the university and higher education. The award was established by a group of graduating seniors in 1973 to honor their friend and fellow student Rusty Leffel.

The Caryl K. Smith Student Leader Award goes to a graduating senior who is a member of a fraternity or sorority and who has demonstrated commitment to the local chapter, the KU fraternity and sorority community, the university and the Lawrence community. The award was established in 1993 to honor Smith's dedication and support of the KU fraternity and sorority community during her tenure as dean of student life.

The Agnes Wright Strickland Award was established in 1953 in memory of Strickland, a member of the class of 1887. The award annually goes to a graduating senior in recognition of his or her academic record, demonstrated leadership in matters of university concern, respect among fellow students and indications of future dedication to service to the university.

Brief biographies of the winners follow.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Leawood
Jonathan Ng, Agnes Wright Strickland Award recipient, will earn bachelor's degrees in strategic communications and in Spanish. He is the son of Siong and Lily Ng and is a Blue Valley North High School graduate. He plans to enter law school after a year either in the workforce or traveling. At KU, Ng served as student body president for the 2002-03 school year, overseeing, among other issues, the construction of a new multicultural resource center and the restructuring of the KU Information Center. He also founded the pre-journalism club and was a founding father of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity Theta Epsilon chapter. He was a teaching assistant for Journalism 101 and was reader representative for the University Daily Kansan.

SALINE COUNTY
From Salina
Paige Isaacson, Donald K. Alderson Memorial Award recipient, will earn a bachelor's degree in business administration. She is the daughter of Rex Isaacson and Jennifer Isaacson and is a Salina High School South graduate. She plans to teach in an under-resourced school before entering law school. At KU, she was president of the Hawk Nights planning team, held several offices in Watkins Scholarship Hall and on the All Scholarship Hall Council, and served as a residential senator on Student Senate. She is a member of Mortar Board and Owl Society honor societies, is a KU Merit Scholar and was a finalist for the Ex.C.E.L. Award in 2002. She also received the KU School of Business Gordon Fellowship for 2001-02.

SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Wichita
Sahar Habibi, Class of 1913 Award recipient, will earn a bachelor's degree in political science. She is the daughter of Reza and Zee Habibi and is a Goddard High School graduate. She has been accepted to the graduate program in government at the London School of Economics and Political Science for fall 2003 and will work toward a master's degree in comparative politics. At KU, she worked as a research assistant for the Middle East Research and Information Project, based in Washington, D.C., and as the graduate program coordinator for the master's in international studies degree program. With a fluency in Persian and working knowledge of Arabic and Turkish, she also worked as a conversation leader for the Applied English Center. She is a member of several honor societies, including Pi Sigma Alpha, Phi Beta Delta for international scholars, and Golden Key. She also wrote a senior honors thesis on the role of Islam in the Turkish political system.

Jennifer Huang, Caryl K. Smith Student Leader Award recipient, will earn a bachelor's degree in film studies. She is the daughter of Ray Huang and Leigh Huang and is a Wichita High School East graduate. Huang was active in the Alpha Pi Delta sorority and Greek life and in many service opportunities. She was community service coordinator for the Rock Chalk Revue advisory board and was voted Most Community Service Dedicated Individual for 2001-02. She was a finalist for the Ex.C.E.L. Award in 2002 and was honored as Outstanding Greek Senior Woman in 2003. She is a member of several honor societies, including Mortar Board, Order of Omega and Beta Beta Beta in biology. She has volunteered for Salvation Army biddy basketball, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence and Jubilee Cafe.

Aramis Watson, Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award recipient, will earn a bachelor's degree in psychology. She is the daughter of Karen Thomas and is a Wichita High School North graduate. She plans to enter graduate school and work toward a master's degree in higher education. At KU, she worked as a summer housing intern, resident assistant and desk assistant in KU residence halls. She is the current president of the Association of University Residence Halls, served as co-onsite coordinator for KU Leadershape and was president of Hawk Nights for 2001-02. In addition, she coordinated the homecoming parade and KU Open House Union Carnival, and she served on the 2002 Hawk Week planning committee and on the search committee for the vice provost for student success. She is a National Residence Hall Honorary member and was honored as GSP/Corbin Outstanding Woman of the Year for 2000-01.

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka
David Roby, Class of 1913 Award recipient, will earn bachelor's degrees in mathematics and in film studies, the first in recent KU history to combine the majors. He is the son of Bruce and Charlene Roby and is a Shawnee Heights High School graduate. He has received a full-tuition Rice scholarship to attend law school at KU to prepare for a career as a civil rights attorney and for public service. Roby was a 2003 nominee for a prestigious Marshall scholarship for KU. He received KU's Summerfield scholarship, was chosen for the University Scholars program and earned a Undergraduate Research Award to create his film "Henon Mappings and Hypercubes." He served as president of the All Scholarship Hall Council and of Stephenson Scholarship Hall. He organized an endowment for the hall, negotiating $3,000 in startup funds from the university, and he revived KU's Mathematics Club. In addition, he was a member of the KU Marching Jayhawks band and is an amateur magician.

ILLINOIS
From Chicago
Courtney Bates, Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award recipient, will earn bachelor's degrees in psychology and in human development and family life. She is the daughter of Ricardo and Rosana L. Bates of South Orange, N.J., and is an Ann Arbor Pioneer High School graduate. She plans to enter graduate school in clinical psychology. At KU, Bates was president of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Black Student Union and was second vice president of the Panhellenic Council. She conducted research on acculturation of middle-class African-American youth for her senior honors thesis. Bates is a member of the University Honors Program, the Dean's Scholars Program and Golden Key honor society.

MISSISSIPPI
From Senatobia
Loren Malone, Agnes Wright Strickland Award recipient, will earn a bachelor's degree in psychology. She is the daughter of Patrick Malone and Margaret McCune and is a Magnolia Heights School graduate. She plans to attend medical school. While at KU, she served as student body vice president, presiding over the Student Senate. She served on the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center board, the Tuition Advisory Committee and the Multicultural Resource Center Task Force. She was vice president for public relations for the Kappa Alpha Theta social sorority and was a Hawk Nights committee vice president. She was honored as Outstanding Greek Senior in 2003 and received the Kappa Alpha Theta Service Award. In addition, she is a volunteer at Health Care Access and Jubilee Cafe in Lawrence.

MISSOURI
From Kansas City
Fouzia Haq, Alexis F. Dillard Student Involvement Award winner, will earn bachelor's degrees in psychology and in communications studies. She is the daughter of Mohammed and Shahida Khan and is a Winnetonka High School graduate. She served as a conference planner/facilitator for the Student Leadership Institute, a program presenter at the Stepping Stones leadership conference and a planner/group leader at the Blueprints Leadership Conference. She is president of the Commission on the Status of Women and co-coordinator of KU Concerned, Active, Aware Students, and she was president of Gertrude Sellards Pearson/Corbin Hall in 2000-01. She received the KU Organizations and Leadership Center's Make a Difference Award. She was Woman of the Year in GSP/Corbin Hall in 2000-01, while serving as resident assistant.