KU News Release

KU math department presents awards, scholarships worth more than $62,000

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LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas mathematics department recognized its students and faculty for outstanding academic and teaching achievements for the 2008-09 academic year at its 52nd annual honors banquet.

This year, the math department presented more than $62,450 in awards and scholarships. Award winners are announced in the spring. Scholarship recipients will be announced in the fall. Funds for the awards and scholarships are administered through the KU Endowment.

Phillip Regier, Madrid, Neb., senior, and Richard Robinson, Garnett senior, received cash awards for their performance in the National William Lowell Putnam Competition, sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. The competition is open to all regularly enrolled undergraduates in colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

Three students received certificates and Jayhawk statues from the Kansas Algebra Program for their outstanding contributions to teaching, tutoring and extra duties. Winners, all seniors, were Megan Niemann of Shawnee, Eli Tuttle of Tribune and Anna Bliss, Portage, Mich.

KU’s math department annually recognizes outstanding graduate students.

Antonis Stylianou, Limassol, Cyprus, master’s degree student, received the Florence Black Excellence in Teaching Award. The award was established in memory of Black, a faculty member who served from 1918 to 1960.

Xiaoming Song, Jinan, China, doctoral student, received the John Bunce Award. The Bunce award commemorates a KU math professor who served from 1970 to 1991.

Jonathan Hemphill, former master’s degree student, is the recipient of the Ralph Byers Graduate Student Award. This award was established to commemorate Byers’ commitment to numerical analysis.

Jian Song, Jinan, China, doctoral student, received the Paul F. Conrad Graduate Scholarship. This is the first year the award has been given in his memory. Conrad was the first Henry J. Bischoff Professor of Mathematics.

Rodolfo Torres, professor of mathematics, received the G. Baley Price award for Excellence in Teaching, presented by the Mathematics Graduate Students Association.

Award and scholarship winners are listed below by hometown, level in school, major, parents’ names, high schools (when available) and award or scholarship. Individuals with several awards are listed multiple times.

KU Endowment is 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.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.