KU News Release

2008 ExCEL Award winners announced at homecoming game

Back row, from left: David Ambler, vice chancellor emeritus for student affairs; Mandy Shriwise, Overland Park; Kimberly Westphall, Andover; Alex Rock, Lawrence; John Babcock, Fort Scott; Todd Crawford, Leawood; Bill Walberg, El Dorado Hills, Calif.; and Kathryn Tuttle, associate vice provost for Student Success. Front row: Elizabth Bartkoski, Basehor; award winner Nathan Mack, Lawrence; award winner Rachel Burchfield, Topeka; and Kaleigh Braun, Hutchinson. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Alderdice, KU Alumni Association.

LAWRENCE — Two University of Kansas seniors were presented with the 17th annual Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership Awards during halftime of the KU-Texas Tech homecoming football game Oct. 25 in Memorial Stadium.

The 2008 ExCEL award winners are Rachel Burchfield of Topeka and Fairmont, W.Va. and Nathan Mack of Lawrence.

The ExCEL Award provides an annual $500 award to two students. The winners will plan a leadership conference during the spring semester in conjunction with KU’s Student Involvement and Leadership Center.

Burchfield is a journalism major. She is the daughter of Larry Burchfield of Fairmont, W.Va., and Joy Burchfield of Topeka. She is senior class president and president of the 2008-09 Board of Class Officers, which has had a fivefold increase in membership under Burchfield’s direction. She is a new student orientation assistant and a University Daily Kansan copy editor. She is secretary of Student Senate Elections Committee and Mortar Board senior honor society. For the last two years, Burchfield has been advisory board secretary of KU’s Rock Chalk Revue, which benefits United Way of Douglas County. She plans to pursue a master’s in higher education administration with a goal of becoming a greek life or leadership development director at a major university. She is a Washburn Rural High School graduate.

Mack is majoring in linguistics and Russian. He is the son of John and Karen Mack of Lawrence. Mack is vice president of administration for Student Union Activities, where he monitors the SUA budget and is a peer adviser to two of its committees. He has been president of the Russian Club and worked to help integrate new Russian immigrants into the Lawrence and KU communities. Mack has volunteered as an English teacher in Uganda and served as president, secretary and treasurer of KU for Uganda. He serves on the 2008 homecoming steering committee and the Board of Class Officers senior advisory board.

Previously, he served as a member of Student Senate. He has been a new student orientation assistant for two years. He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society and was the undergraduate representative in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. He hopes to complete further study in higher education administration and work with student activities and leadership development. Mack is a graduate of St. Sophia Academy in Lawrence.

The winners were selected from among 10 finalists on the basis of leadership, effective communication skills, involvement at KU and in the Lawrence community, academic scholarship and ability to work with a variety of students and organizations. The selection committee included representatives from Student Union Activities, the Board of Class Officers, the Student Involvement and Leadership Center and the homecoming steering committee.

The award was established in 1991 to recognize one male and one female student for achievement and to add student interest to annual homecoming festivities.

To be eligible, applicants must be full-time undergraduate students with an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Each finalist completed an application and participated in an interview.

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