KU News Release

LAWRENCE — Ten graduating seniors at the University of Kansas have received 2010 Chancellor’s Student Awards. The awards recognize students’ academic, volunteer and leadership accomplishments during their time at KU.

Marlesa Roney, vice provost for Student Success, and Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle, associate vice provost for Student Success, visited the students in class to make the announcements.

Winners are

— Donald K. Alderson Award: Kaleigh Nicole Braun, Hutchinson
— Class of 1913 Award: Sandra Ristovska, Lawrence, and David Lerner Wilcox, Manhattan
— Alexis F. Dillard Student Involvement Award: Joseph F. Day, Derby, Kan., and Elburn, Ill., and Chelsea Jaye Mertz, Hoyt and Topeka
— Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award: Ryan Thomas Campbell, Olathe, and Elise K. Farrell Higgins, Topeka
— Caryl K. Smith Award: Ashley L. Moser, Topeka
— Agnes Wright Strickland Award: Mary Elizabeth Duarte, Hutchinson, and Matthew Christopher Enriquez, Topeka

As part of the 138th Commencement at KU, the Chancellor’s Student Award recipients will be honored at a reception Saturday, May 15, at the Kansas Room in the Kansas Union. The honorees also receive special recognition during the Commencement ceremony May 16 in Memorial Stadium, and their portraits will be in the Commencement program.

The Chancellor’s Student Awards committee selects the winners from universitywide nominations submitted by students, faculty and staff. The 15-member selection committee includes students, faculty and staff. Winners receive cash prizes, except recipients of the Agnes Wright Strickland Award, who receive lifetime membership in the KU Alumni Association.

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

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 events and services that benefit other students. The award was established in memory of Alderson, former dean of men and dean of student services.

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.

Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Awards annually go to students who demonstrate a concern for furthering the ideals of the university and higher education. The award was established by a group of seniors in 1973 to honor their fellow student, Leffel.

The Caryl K. Smith Student Leader Award goes to a graduating fraternity or sorority member who has demonstrated commitment to the local chapter, the KU Greek community, the university and the Lawrence community. The award was established in 1993 to honor Smith, a former dean of student life.

The Agnes Wright Strickland Awards were established in 1953 in memory of Strickland, a member of the class of 1887. The awards annually go to graduating seniors in recognition of their academic records, demonstrated leadership in matters of university concern, respect among fellow students and indications of future dedication to service in the university.

Brief profiles of the award winners are below.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence 66044 and Skopje, Macedonia

Sandra Ristovska

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Sandra Ristovska, a film and media studies major specializing in ethnographic filmmaking, is expected to graduate with highest distinction in the School of the Arts in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She plans a career in research and teaching at the university level and has been accepted into the doctoral program in visual communications at the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School of Communication. At KU, Ristovska received two undergraduate research awards and two J. Michael Young Opportunity Fund awards through the University Honors Program to support her first ethnographic film, “Kaleidoscope.” The 43-minute film portrays traditional handcrafters and urban artists in Macedonia and the impact of today’s global economy on their work. In addition to working part-time jobs to support her film work, Ristovska also received support for “Kaleidoscope” from two sources in Germany: the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dortmund and from Pictocam Production. Since summer 2008, “Kaleidoscope” has been screened at local, national and international events, including KU’s Spencer Museum of Art, three events in Macedonia, one in Serbia and Germany and at the 2009 American Anthropological Association Conference. She has also been invited to show her film to the European Parliament for an upcoming series to promote Macedonia. As a doctoral student, Ristovska wants to research media as a vehicle of collective memory and producer of national and cultural identities. At KU, Ristovska was a resident of Margaret Amini and Miller scholarship halls and served on the All Scholarship Hall Council. She participates in the KU Project Bridge Program to assist women learning English as a second language and is a recipient of a University Women’s Club Scholarship, among others. In addition to Macedonian and English, she has language skills in Serbian/Croatian, Spanish, German and Italian. Catherine Preston, associate professor of film and media studies, is adviser for Ristovska’s honors thesis “Film Viewing, Collective Memory, and Reframing of Macedonian Identity.” Ristovska is the daughter of Trajce and Snezana Ristovski.

JACKSON COUNTY
From Hoyt 66440 and Topeka

Chelsea Jaye Mertz

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Chelsea Jaye Mertz will report for a Peace Corps volunteer assignment after graduating in May with a degree in political science. Her assignment is working with HIV education in sub-Saharan Africa. Eventually, Mertz plans to attend law school and prepare for a career specializing in protecting civil liberties and personal freedoms. In Lawrence, she has volunteered with the Douglas County AIDS Project, the Lawrence Community Shelter and the GaDuGi SafeCenter, which serves children and adult survivors of sexual violence. Under her leadership as director, the Concerned, Active and Aware Students group organized a food and clothing drive for the 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. National day of Service and conducted the Dog Jog 5K that raised $3,000 for the Lawrence Humane Society. As the Kansas City and Lawrence regional coordinator for the National Day of Service Presidential Inaugural state executive committee, Mertz organized 50 area events that involved more than 500 volunteers. She was elected a national committeewoman for the Kansas Young Democrats of America. She works at the Dole Institute for Politics, coordinating the Pizza and Politics program, an informal weekly discussion forum for students. She has also worked for the Institute for Policy and Social Research at KU and on local political campaigns. She is president of Mortar Board and a member of Pi Sigma Alpha political science honor society. Mertz serves on the board for the campus Ecumenical Christian Ministries and collects day-old bread from local bakeries for the Veggie Lunch Committee. She is also a chef for A Broad Cuisine, a bimonthly cooking class that she coordinates at ECM featuring recipes from around the globe. She was named a KU Woman of Distinction for 2009-10, received a Jayhawk Choice Award for community service program of the year from the Student Involvement and Leadership Center and an award for excellence from KU’s Center for Service Learning. She is the daughter of Lila Mertz of Hoyt and Max Mertz of Topeka and is a Topeka High School graduate.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Olathe 66062

Ryan Thomas Campbell

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Ryan Thomas Campbell is graduating with a dual major in art history and communication studies. He is preparing to teach western civilization and this fall will pursue a master’s degree at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md. At KU, Campbell was executive director of Queers and Allies for two years. His advocacy for the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning and allied community included guiding the passage of legislation through the Student Senate to add gender identity and gender expression to the University’s Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination policies. In addition, Campbell was the men’s outreach coordinator for the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center and led the creation of a Men of Merit poster to recognize male campus leadership. He has worked with the New Student Orientation office for three years, most recently as registration coordinator for hundreds of new students and their families. Campbell served in the Student Senate and chaired the Multicultural Affairs Committee for one year. He has written weekly guest columns on issues of gender, culture and sexuality for the University Daily Kansan and been co-host for several radio programs on KJHK 90.7. He is the son of Ronald and Catherine Puls and is a graduate of Olathe South High School.

RENO COUNTY
From Hutchinson 67501

Kaleigh Nicole Braun

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Kaleigh Nicole Braun is graduating with a degree in chemical engineering. She plans to study medicine with a goal of becoming a physician scientist. She is specifically interested in pediatric oncology. Braun said she learned the value of teamwork in medicine during a summer internship in the Pediatric Oncology Education Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. At KU, she has honed teamwork and leadership skills through student service activities. As a member of the executive committee of Up ’Til Dawn, a student group formed specifically to help support St. Jude, Braun helped raise $80,000. She has been president of the Engineering Student Council, a member of Student Senate and co-chair of Mortar Board’s annual selection committee for outstanding faculty educators. As an Engineering Ambassador, Braun helped recruit students to KU’s engineering programs. As the travel and health coordinator for KU’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders, she organized documentation needed for student service abroad and established evacuation plans and other health precautions. Braun serves with the Wesley KU Campus Ministry and helped with recruitment and philanthropy efforts in her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. She received an undergraduate research award for a project in the Tissue Engineering Lab of Michael Detamore, associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering. Braun is a member of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society and the University Honors Program. She is a Watkins-Berger Scholar and a Sen. Robert C. Byrd Scholar. She is the daughter of Steve and Debbie Braun and a graduate of Trinity Catholic High School.

Mary Elizabeth Duarte

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Mary Elizabeth Duarte is graduating with a degree in neurobiology and plans a career in medicine. Duarte noted in her application that she is the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants who valued hard work, honesty and integrity. They passed those values on to their children and grandchildren. At KU, Duarte has been president of Chi Omega sorority, on the senior advisory board of the Board of Class Officers and on the planning committee for the annual Blueprints Leadership Conference for students. She is a member of Mortar Board honor society and vice president of the Order of Omega, honor society for greek organizations. Duarte is a KU Multicultural Math and Science Scholar, a Mount Oread Scholar and was named a KU Woman of Distinction for 2009-10. She serves on the KU Journal of Undergraduate Research review board. She works as a computer lab assistant with the Information Technology department and as a training assistant for the Office for Diversity in Science Training. She has worked with the First Med Family Practice and Walk-in Clinic in Lawrence and has volunteered with the JayDoc Community Clinic in Wichita and the KU Blood Drive. She is the daughter of Concha Duarte and Peter Duarte, both of Hutchinson, and is a graduate of Trinity Catholic High School.

RILEY COUNTY
From Manhattan 66502

David Lerner Wilcox

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David Lerner Wilcox majored in chemistry and English and is expected to graduate with highest distinction in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He plans to take a year off before continuing his education either in graduate school or to earn a degree in medicine or law. He is a University Honors Program student involved in campus leadership and community service. Wilcox co-directs the Center for Community Outreach and was elected to Student Senate in his freshman and sophomore years. He has volunteered in three Alternative Breaks programs: Teach for America in Philadelphia, Pa., March 2009; Misericordia/Heart of Mercy in Chicago, Ill., January 2008; and Tree Utah in Salt Lake City, March 2007. In January 2009, Wilcox volunteered for a day with the South Central Kansas Tornado Relief Organization to help with cleanup work in Greensburg. He has also been a driver for a weekly Meals on Wheels route in Lawrence. On campus, Wilcox co-directed the 2008 Homecoming Steering Committee and co-founded the KU Film Society. He was one of 14 freshmen selected for the Honors Research Development Program, a three-week immersion program for undergraduates in research. In that program, he developed a research proposal with Michael Vitevitch, associate professor of cognitive psychology, to study language disorders in children. Wilcox was also one of 20 students selected for the University Scholars Program, a mentoring program for outstanding sophomores. As a University Scholar, Wilcox traveled to Washington, D.C., to observe the Supreme Court in session and later met with Justices Clarence Thomas and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In 2009, he received an undergraduate research award to research gothic literature and horror films with Ann Rowland, associate professor of English. This spring, he served on Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little’s inauguration service subcommittee. He is a member of Mortar Board honor society and Beta Theta Pi fraternity, where he has held several offices. He is the son of Dan and Beth Wilcox and a graduate of Manhattan High School.

SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Derby 67037 and Elburn, Ill.

Joseph F. Day

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Joseph F. Day has been offered a position with Occidental Oil and Petroleum after his graduation this spring with a degree in chemical engineering. His long-range goals include working for more collaboration and innovation between alternative fuel and fossil fuel industries. Last summer, he worked as a process engineering intern with Occidental. For the past year, Day was president of Student Union Activities, overseeing a staff of about 70 students and administering a budget of more than $400,000 to sponsor about 230 campus events. During his presidency, Day rewrote the SUA bylaws to streamline the organization, increase student involvement and prepare for a changing economy. He also launched the Hawk Zone positive cheering tradition at athletic events and served as the films and media coordinator for SUA. He serves on the KU Memorial Union Corporation board, on the University Alcohol Task Force and the Student Engineering Council. Day is a member of the University Honors Program. He has worked as a grader in the mathematics department and as a research assistant in the environmental engineering department. He is the son of Jeff and Judi Day Elburn, Ill., and Jack and Geralyn Henderson of Derby. Day is a graduate of Derby High School.

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka 66614

Matthew Christopher Enriquez

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Matthew Christopher Enriquez is receiving a degree in communication studies and plans a career in higher education administration. In his application, Enriquez noted that his experiences as a student leader and employee inspired a desire to work in higher education, especially in student affairs programs. Enriquez is senior class president and president of Ascend KU, a comprehensive leadership program to help undergraduates develop leadership skills. In fall 2009, he received one of two Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership awards made during Homecoming. For the past two years, Enriquez has been an intern for KU’s Student Involvement and Leadership Center and worked two years as orientation assistant for New Student Orientation. Enriquez served on the 2009 Homecoming Steering Committee and was coordinator for the 2009 Jayhawk Choice Awards, given by the Student Involvement and Leadership Center, and for the 2008 Battle of the Sexes Leadership Conference that focused on the gap between men and women in higher education. Enriquez has been involved in campus leadership training since being selected for LeaderShape, a six-day campus leadership program. In addition, he has participated in and worked with KU’s annual Blueprints Leadership conferences since fall 2008. He volunteers with the Lawrence Social Service League and has worked with Lawrence Special Populations and Natural Ties, both serving developmentally disabled children or adults. He is vice president of Mortar Board honor society and historian for his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon. He is the son of Joselito “Ping” and Diana Enriquez and is a Washburn Rural High School graduate.

From Topeka 66610

Elise K. Farrell Higgins

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Elise K. Farrell Higgins will graduate with degrees in political science and women’s studies. As a freshman, Higgins considered majoring in psychology and Spanish, but she found herself most actively engaged in the classroom and beyond with activities related to women and policy-making. For the past year, Higgins has lobbied city and campus officials for a pedestrian lighting project to provide better late-night safety in the Oread neighborhood that links campus to downtown Lawrence. Higgins was president of KU’s Commission on Status of Women for two years. With that group, she campaigned to promote awareness of domestic violence, sexual assault and reproductive justice. Last summer, Higgins worked as a policy intern for the Reproductive Health Technologies Project in Washington, D.C. Her honors thesis on public funding for abortions links her majors. Higgins is community affairs director for Student Senate and serves on numerous campus and community boards — most recently a two-year appointment on the national board of directors for Choice USA. In the state, she was Lawrence delegate to the Kansas board of the National Organization for Women. On campus, she has served on Campus Safety advisory board and the Legal Services for Students board and was judicial board representative for Margaret Amini Scholarship Hall. The Women’s Recognition Program named her the 2010 Outstanding Woman Student in Leadership. She is also a 2009-10 KU Woman of Distinction. In the Student Senate, she served as the appointed senator for the Hispanic American Leadership Organization and was elected to represent juniors and seniors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She is a National Merit Commended Scholar and a member of the University Honors Program. She is the daughter of Toni and Jonathan Farrell-Higgins and a graduate of Washburn Rural High school.

From Topeka 66612 and Hoyt
Chelsea Jaye Mertz. SEE JACKSON COUNTY

From Topeka 66614

Ashley L. Moser

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Ashley L. Moser is a senior in finance marketing planning to graduate in fall 2010. Although her immediate plans are to work in a large bank in New York or San Francisco, Moser says she realizes that goals can change with experience and through connections with friends and alumni. After her freshman year, Moser shifted her degree plans from a dual degree in engineering and finance. At a friend’s suggestion, Moser applied and was accepted into the School of Business Finance Scholars Program, a select group of 15 students with outstanding academic and leadership skills and strong demonstrated interest in finance. Through that program, Moser met alumni who helped her get an interview for a J.P. Morgan summer internship, which she has received. Moser notes in her application essay that her first real lesson in college was that “rejection is not as important as what happens afterwards.” As a new member of Delta Gamma sorority, Moser described the setback of a lost bid for an office on the Panhellenic Council as devastating. Realizing she needed better preparation for interviews, Moser applied and was accepted to the Freshman Leadership Council, a program for a group of about 20 incoming KU students to encourage greater involvement in activities on campus and in the Lawrence community. She later received the Panhellenic Association’s Outstanding New Member Award. During Homecoming last fall, Moser won an Excellence in Community Service, Education and Leadership award. She is a Mount Oread Scholar and recipient of several scholarships in business. She was co-director for the 2009 Homecoming Steering Committee and was vice president of communication for the American Business Women’s Association of Lawrence. She has worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the business school and as an administrative assistant for a local realtor. She has also coached a Topeka volleyball club for middle-school girls. She is the daughter of Jeffrey and Lori Moser and is a graduate of Washburn Rural High School.

ILLINOIS
From Elburn 60119 and Derby, Kan.
Joseph F. Day. SEE SEDGWICK COUNTY