KU News Release

Three more KU professors receive Kemper fellowships from surprise patrol

LAWRENCE — Three more University of Kansas professors received good news today when a “surprise patrol” bestowed upon them W.T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence and $5,000 checks.

The Kemper fellowships recognize outstanding teachers and advisers at KU as determined by a seven-member selection committee. Now in their 12th year, the awards are supported by $650,000 in gifts from the William T. Kemper Foundation (Commerce Bank, trustee) and $650,000 in matching funds from KU Endowment.

Today’s winners were: James Stiles, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science; Holly Storkel, associate professor of speech-language-hearing; and Anthony Walton, associate professor of geology.

In all, 20 professors will be honored and $100,000 distributed this year as part of the Kemper tradition. Presentations for Lawrence campus faculty members will continue through Thursday, Aug. 23. Four professors at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., will also be honored.

The William T. Kemper Foundation was established in 1989 after the death of the Kansas City, Mo., banking executive and civic leader. The foundation supports Midwest communities and concentrates on initiatives in education, health and human services, civic improvements and the arts.

More about today’s winners:

James Stiles, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science
James Stiles is accustomed to receiving teaching awards. He has earned many during his 11 years at KU, from peers and students. He has also earned the admiration and support of his colleagues. As stated in his nomination letter, “James Stiles embodies precisely what we in our department want undergraduate education to be. He teaches challenging undergraduate courses, making them accessible to all students.” Students are also praiseful of Stiles. Among the things former students have said about him are, “He adjusts his teaching to meet the needs of each class” and “He recognizes each student’s individual struggles.”

Holly Storkel, associate professor of speech-language-hearing
Holly Storkel is a nationally recognized scholar in speech-language-hearing, with particular expertise in language acquisition and phonological development disorders. In her six years at KU, Storkel has led inside and outside of the classroom. Hugh Catts, chair of the speech-language-hearing department said of Storkel, “Holly is well recognized for her program of research, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and for her service at the national level, which includes service as an associate editor of one of our leading journals. But at her core, Holly is an educator.”

Anthony Walton, associate professor of geology
Anthony Walton has taught at KU since 1975. Robert Goldstein, chair of the geology department, said Walton is a veteran professor who has a clear idea of what drew him to teaching in the first place. “Tony Walton is a great example of a teacher who rediscovered the joys of teaching and used this enthusiasm to improve,” Goldstein said. He is also the type of professor who encourages his students to learn not only from him but also from each other. “Tony is big on teaching students how to interact in teams. This is great preparation for the real world and enhances students’ learning, as they can learn more from one another than they can from the faculty member in certain situations,” Goldstein said.

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