KU News Release

June 22, 2009
Contact: Sandee Kennedy, Department of History, (785) 864-9442.

KU history department honors 14 outstanding students

LAWRENCE — The Department of History at the University of Kansas honored 14 outstanding students with scholarships and awards totaling $25,440 for work completed in the 2008-09 academic year.

This year, the department presented a new award honoring longtime associate professor Lloyd Sponholtz, who died Sept. 30, 2008. He had taught history at KU since 1967 and was a 2002 recipient of a W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. He also was director of KU’s Mount Oread Scholars program for many years. His colleagues in the history department created and funded the Lloyd Sponholtz Most Promising Student Award. Two students received the award: Nora Marie Simon, Manhattan sophomore, and Jamie Leigh Bost, St. Charles, Mo., junior.

Two students received Melissa Evans Study Abroad Awards, established in memory of Melissa Beth Evans, who died after a September 2007 car accident near Lawrence. Just four months earlier, she had graduated from KU with bachelor’s degrees in history and Latin American studies. The award provides funds for study abroad in any country to KU undergraduates in history. Hayley Genevieve Brazier, Topeka junior, and Lindsey A. Schuler, Carson, Iowa, senior, were the recipients.

Two W. Stitt and Connie Robinson-Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society Awards were presented this year. The award is for students who have made outstanding achievements in the history department. W. Stitt Robinson was a longtime KU professor of history. Two spring 2009 graduates in history received the award: Kate Marie Mallula of Roeland Park and Mary K. Sorrick of Omaha, Neb.

Six more awards and scholarships were presented to outstanding history majors, including the Nicole Bingham Memorial Scholarship, Carl Becker Best Paper in History 696 Seminar Award, Lila Atkinson Creighton Scholarship, Anne Stewart Higham Book Award, Clifford R. Hope Jr. Award and James C. Malin Award.

Three students majoring in history received Harley S. Nelson Family Scholarships, a merit-based scholarship for KU students in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The scholarship was established through estate plans by KU education alumnus John M. Nelson to honor his parents, Harley Stanton and Mary Esther Nelson, and other family members. Nelson received a bachelor’s degree in 1938, a master’s degree in 1940 and a doctorate in 1954 in education.

The awards honoring Sponholtz, Evans and Becker are funded and managed by the KU history department. The funds for other scholarships and awards given by the department are managed by KU Endowment, the independent, nonprofit foundation serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment is the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

Recipients are listed below by hometown, major, award, parents’ names and high school, when available.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence 66044
David Michael Gates, senior in anthropology and history, received the Nicole Bingham Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship honors Bingham, who was a KU senior in history when she died in the October 2005 fire at Boardwalk Apartments in Lawrence. The scholarship is for undergraduate history majors. Gates is a Leavenworth Senior High School graduate.

From Lawrence 66046
Margaret Kelsey Yoe, senior in history, received a Harley S. Nelson Family Scholarship. She is the daughter of Daniel and Janet Yoe and was home schooled in Kansas.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Lenexa 66215
Luisa I. Muradyan, spring 2009 graduating senior in history, received the Carl Becker Best Paper in History 696 Seminar Award, which honors Becker, a longtime KU history professor who served as department chair for 20 years. Muradyan is the daughter of Yana and Igor Muradyan and Olathe East High School graduate.

From Olathe 66062
Anna A. Alexandrovitch, junior in history, received the Lila Atkinson Creighton Scholarship for juniors, seniors and graduate students majoring in history. Alex E. Creighton established the scholarship fund in memory of his wife. Alexandrovitch is a Shawnee Mission Northwest High School graduate.

From Roeland Park 66205
Patrick Sullivan De Oliveira, senior in environmental studies, history and journalism, received a Harley S. Nelson Scholarship. De Oliveira is the son of Luiz Carlos and Pat Sullivan De Oliveira and graduated high school in Brazil.

Kate Marie Mallula, spring 2009 graduating senior in history, received a Robinson-Phi Alpha Theta Award. She is the daughter of Catherine Creed and Isaac Mallula and a Shawnee Mission East High School graduate.

RILEY COUNTY
From Manhattan 66503
Nora Marie Simon, sophomore in journalism and history, received the Lloyd Sponholtz Most Promising Student Award. She is the daughter of Todd and Geri Simon and a Manhattan High School graduate.

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka 66604
Kye Anderson Barker, senior in history and political science, received the James C. Malin Award for students majoring in history. The award honors a longtime KU professor who earned two degrees from KU — a master’s in 1916 and doctorate in 1921. Barker is the son of Joan and William Barker and a Topeka High School graduate.

Hayley Genevieve Brazier, junior in history, received the a Melissa Evans Study Abroad Award. Brazier is the daughter of Lorraine Brazier and a Topeka West High School graduate.

ILLINOIS
From Lake Zurich 60047
Abbi Kaye Huderle, spring 2009 graduating senior in anthropology and history, received the Anne Stewart Higham Book Award. The award honors a 1920 KU graduate and provides books for students in the history department. Huderle is the daughter of Todd and Denise Huderle and a Lake Zurich Senior High School graduate.

IOWA
From Carson 51525
Lindsey A. Schuler, senior in history, received a Melissa Evans Study Abroad Award in history. Schuler is the daughter of Gary and Martha Schuler and a Treynor (Iowa) Community High School graduate.

From Iowa City 52240
Meredith Joy VanNatta, spring 2009 graduating senior in history and Latin American studies, received the Clifford R. Hope Jr. Award. The award is named for a retired Garden City attorney who is a former state legislator. Van Natta is the daughter of Timothy and Joan Van Natta and a graduate of City High School.

MISSOURI
From St. Charles 63303
Jamie Leigh Bost, junior in history and linguistics, received the Lloyd Sponholtz Most Promising Student Award and a Harley S. Nelson Scholarship. Bost is the daughter of Deborah Bost and a St. Charles West High School graduate.

NEBRASKA
From Omaha 68135
Mary K. Sorrick, spring 2009 graduating senior in history and journalism, received the Robinson-Phi Alpha Theta Award. Sorrick is the daughter of David and Sue Sorrick and a Millard West High School graduate.

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