Today’s News from the University of Kansas
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2021 KU seniors honor high school teachers with Wolfe Family Teaching Awards
LAWRENCE — Three outstanding high school teachers will be recognized with the 2021 Wolfe Family Teaching Award from the University of Kansas this graduation season. The award recipients are Nikki Chamberlain, Salina South High School, and Damian Johnson, Eudora High School; and Sarah Goodman, Eureka High School, in Eureka, Missouri.
Law school honors 2021 students for scholarship, leadership and service
LAWRENCE – Eleven University of Kansas School of Law students received awards in spring 2021 for distinguishing themselves in scholarship, leadership and service to the law school and the community. They include Kansas students from Fredonia, Manhattan, Overland Park, Topeka and Wichita (67213) as well as Missouri students from Independence and Kansas City (64113).
AAI Arts & Humanities Grant recipients plan projects in Lawrence, Topeka
LAWRENCE — The Achievement & Assessment Institute at the University of Kansas has announced the recipients of the organization’s first Arts & Humanities Grant. Ryan Clifford, KU assistant professor of design & visual communication, will develop a pop-up youth workshop experience at Wonder Fair gallery focused on engaging at-risk youths, while F. María Velasco, KU professor of visual art, was awarded for her proposal to create bespoke flags, installed at sites throughout Topeka, to champion the collective aspirations of diverse constituencies of the community. Both projects are slated for 2022.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Sherrie Saathoff, School of Education & Human Sciences, 785-864-4297, [email protected], @KUSOEHS
2021 KU seniors honor high school teachers with Wolfe Family Teaching Awards
LAWRENCE — Three outstanding high school teachers will be recognized with the 2021 Wolfe Family Teaching Award this graduation season.
“Great teachers impact people’s lives,” said Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School of Education & Human Sciences. “This year’s winners of the Wolfe Teaching Award embody just that — incredible teachers who have had a significant impact on the lives of KU students.”
Nominations are submitted by KU seniors. Students from any major can nominate their former teachers, and the winners can be high school teachers from anywhere in the world.
The 2021 award recipients:
1. Nikki Chamberlain, Salina South High School, Salina
2. Sarah Goodman, Eureka High School, Eureka, Missouri
3. Damian Johnson, Eudora High School, Eudora.
Nikki Chamberlain was nominated by Tyler Ross, a senior in microbiology with minors in both psychology and sociology at KU. Ross took Chamberlain’s chemistry and Advanced Placement (AP) chemistry classes while also serving as her lab assistant in high school. In the nomination, Ross specifically wrote: “From the skills learned in the lab to the mentorship she provided, no one prepared me for the rigors of college more than Mrs. Chamberlain. Thanks to her, I, and many of my peers, have been successful in college and look forward to using the skills I have learned to pursue a career in service of others.”
Sarah Goodman was nominated by Zachary Thomason, a senior in business accounting with minors in both public policy in the U.S. and Spanish at KU. Thomason took Goodman’s advanced language arts, research, presentation skills course as a sophomore in high school. In the nomination, Thomason wrote: “The passion, drive and energy she puts into investing in her students is unparalleled. If the heart of teaching is the teacher and their love of educating today’s youth, there is no one who exemplifies that more than Mrs. Goodman does.”
Damian Johnson was nominated by Jesse Dennison, a senior in pharmaceutical studies at KU. In the nomination, Dennison describes Johnson’s ability as the band teacher to reduce the stress and pressure of learning to play while also achieving greatness. In the nomination, Dennison wrote: “One of the most important things that Mr. Johnson taught us was to have fun. He encouraged student leadership and fostered many opportunities to fall further in love with music.”
Recipients each receive a cash award of $3,000, and their respective high schools each receive $1,000. The award winners were selected from a large pool of outstanding nominees by a committee of faculty, administrators and students from KU’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and School of Education & Human Sciences.
The award recipients are typically honored during commencement weekend at the KU School of Education & Human Sciences convocation ceremony, along with a dinner held in their honor. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s in-person convocation ceremony has been canceled. Award recipients will receive a plaque in honor of their accomplishment.
The Wolfe Family Teaching Award was created in 2006 with a $250,000 gift from R. Dean Wolfe, business administration, ’66, and juris doctorate, ’69, and Cheryl L. Wolfe, Spanish education, ’69, Clayton, Missouri, through the Wolfe Family Foundation. The award fund is managed by KU Endowment, the official fundraising and fund-management foundation for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.
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Contact: Ashley Golledge, School of Law, [email protected], @kulawschool
Law school honors 2021 students for scholarship, leadership and service
LAWRENCE – Eleven University of Kansas School of Law students received awards in spring 2021 for distinguishing themselves in scholarship, leadership and service to the law school and the community.
The recipients:
1. Jacob Barefield, Martinez, Georgia: Law Class of 1949 Award for Leadership
2. Ellen Bertels, Overland Park: Walter Hiersteiner Outstanding Service Award
3. Sydney Buckley, Kansas City, Missouri: Faculty Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement
4. Cortez Downey, Edmond, Oklahoma: Law Class of 1949 Award for Leadership
5. Marisol Garcia, Wichita: Robert F. Bennett Student Award
6. Aidan Graybill, Scottsdale, Arizona: Janean Meigs Memorial Award in Law
7. Delaney Hiegert, Topeka: Samuel Mellinger Scholarship, Leadership, and Service Award
8. Jared Jevons, Manhattan: Justice Lloyd Kagey Leadership Award
9. Zachary Kelsay, Independence, Missouri: Justice Lloyd Kagey Leadership Award
10. Cori Moffett, Overland Park: Law Class of 1949 Award for Leadership
11. Bria Nelson, Woodstock, Illinois: The Dru Mort Sampson Center for Diversity & Inclusion Award of Distinction.
Howard Mahan, of Fredonia, was selected to serve as the 2021 banner carrier, an honor bestowed upon a student who exemplifies excellence in their program.
The award winners were part of a class composed of 98 recipients of the juris doctor as well as two Master of Laws in American Legal Studies and one Doctor of Juridical Science graduate. Fifteen students graduated from the Master of Science in Homeland Security: Law & Policy program.
Funds for the awards are managed by KU Endowment, the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.
Student award recipients are listed below alphabetically.
Jacob Barefield, of Martinez, Georgia, received the Law Class of 1949 Award for Leadership for the 1L class. The award is given annually to students who, in the opinion of the faculty, contributed most significantly to the overall experience of students in Green Hall. Barefield is known for being exceptionally supportive of other students and fostering a collegial atmosphere for first-year law students. This summer, he will intern with Enoch Tarver Law Firm in Augusta, Georgia. Barefield is a member of Women in Law. Barefield is the son of Tracy Barefield and the late Mickey Barefield. He is a graduate of Evans High School and Georgia Southern University.
Ellen Bertels, of Overland Park, received the Walter Hiersteiner Outstanding Service Award, which is given to the student whose service to their fellow students in the law school and to the university community demonstrates the greatest promise for contribution to the legal profession and to society. Bertels co-founded the Gender Marker and Name Change Project at KU with classmate Delaney Hiegert in 2019. The GMNC Project, operating within the KU Legal Aid Clinic at Green Hall, provides pro bono legal representation for transgender and nonbinary individuals as they seek affirming gender marker and name changes in Kansas.
Bertels also was a finalist in two national writing competitions for scholarship about topics affecting the LGBTQ community. Bertels was the president of the Public Interest Law Society, vice president of KU’s chapter of the American Constitution Society, comments editor for the Kansas Law Review, a student ambassador and a member of the Moot Court Council. She earned Pro Bono Distinction at graduation for completing more than 50 hours of unpaid legal service during law school. Bertels is the daughter of Elizabeth and Mark Bertels. She graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School and KU.
Sydney Buckley, of Kansas City, Missouri (64113), received the Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement, which is given to the graduating student selected by the faculty as having made the most significant contribution toward overall legal scholarship. Buckley served as president of Christian Legal Society and articles editor for the Kansas Law Review, where her own article, “Getting SLAPP Happy: Why the U.S.
District Court for the District of Kansas Should Adopt the Ninth Circuit’s Approach When Applying the Kansas Anti-SLAPP Law,” was published. Buckley co-wrote two articles with Michael Hoeflich, John H. & John M. Kane Distinguished Professor of Law. She also worked on research and scholarship with Stephen Ware, Frank Edwards Tyler Distinguished Professor of Law, and Thomas Stacy, professor of law. Buckley was also a member of the Moot Court Council, a Shook, Hardy & Bacon Scholar, student ambassador and legal intern for the Judicial Field Placement Program. Buckley is the daughter of Mitzi and Brad Buckley. She graduated from Bishop Miege High School and Fairfield University.
Cortez Downey, of Edmond, Oklahoma, received the Law Class of 1949 Award for Leadership for the 2L class. The award is given annually to students who, in the opinion of the faculty, contributed most significantly to the overall experience of students in Green Hall. Downey served as president of the Black Law Students Association and president of the school’s Student Ambassadors. He is a member of the Intellectual Property Law Students Association and Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council. Downey was a Shook, Hardy & Bacon Scholar and a legal intern for the Tribal Judicial Support Clinic and Mediation Clinic. Downey is the son of Teaver and Cartius Downey. He graduated from Edmond Santa Fe High School and Oklahoma State University.
Marisol Garcia, of Wichita (67213), received the Robert F. Bennett Student Award, which is given to a graduate whose undergraduate degree is from a Kansas university or college and who has demonstrated leadership qualities through public service. Garcia displayed top-notch leadership, a caring spirit and a willingness to help others throughout her time in law school. Garcia served as president of First-Generation Professionals and was a member of OUTLaws & Allies, Hispanic American Law Students Association and competed in the Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competition. Garcia is the daughter of Martina and Baltazar Garcia. She graduated from Northeast Magnet High School and Kansas State University.
Aidan Graybill, of Scottsdale, Arizona, received the Janean Meigs Memorial Award in Law, which is given to a student who has demonstrated a caring spirit in service to the students of the law school or to the community at large. Graybill served on the National Native American Law Students Association (NNALSA) Board as the Area 3 representative and co-chair of the organization’s advocacy committee. Graybill also served as president of KU’s Native American Law Students Association and competed in the NNALSA moot court competition twice. Graybill served as president of the Mindfulness in Law Society, ABA representative for the Student Bar Association and treasurer for Women in Law. She was also a member of the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council, Public Interest Law Society and American Constitution Society. She also gained legal experience through the Tribal Judicial Support Clinic and the Criminal Prosecution Field Placement Program. Graybill is the daughter of Jolie and Patrick Graybill. She graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Delaney Hiegert, of Topeka, received the Samuel Mellinger Scholarship, Leadership, and Service Award, which is given to the student who has most distinguished themselves in the combined areas of scholarship, leadership and service. Hiegert co-founded the Gender Marker and Name Change Project at KU with classmate Ellen Bertels in 2019. The GMNC Project, operating within the KU Legal Aid Clinic at Green Hall, provides pro bono legal representation for transgender and nonbinary individuals as they seek affirming gender marker and name changes in Kansas. Hiegert served as president of OUTLaws & Allies and participated in the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council, the American Constitution Society and the undergraduate ACLU of KU student organization. They were also a staff articles editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy and participated in the school’s 6th Semester in D.C. program. They earned Pro Bono Distinction at graduation for completing more than 50 hours of unpaid legal service during law school. Hiegert’s parents are Jill and Wayne Hiegert. They graduated from Seaman High School and Newman University.
Jared Jevons, of Manhattan, received the Justice Lloyd Kagey Leadership Award, which is given to the graduate who has most distinguished themselves through leadership in the law school. Jevons is a strong leader demonstrating compassion and thoughtfulness. Jevons served as editor-in-chief of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, represented the law school as a student ambassador and mentored first-year law students as a Dean’s Fellow.
He is deeply committed to the law school and has shown leadership in numerous organizations as president of the Military Law Society and as a member of the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council. Jevons’ article describing how his Navy experience related to his law school experience was published in the Journal of the Kansas Bar Association, “Taking Navy Skills from the Cockpit to the Classroom.” Jevons is the son of Virginia and Keith Jevons. He graduated from Manhattan High School and KU.
Zachary Kelsay, of Independence, Missouri, received the Justice Lloyd Kagey Leadership Award, which is given to the graduate who has most distinguished themselves through leadership in the law school. Kelsay and classmate Emily Depew won the top prize at the 2021 NNALSA Moot Court Competition. In 2020, Kelsay and teammate Karen Fritts, L’21, won the first-place award for Best Overall Advocates and placed in the top three teams overall at the NNALSA competition. He served as a staff articles editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy and participated in Mock Trial Council, Student Bar Association, Dean’s Fellows and Black Law Students Association. Kelsay was a Shook, Hardy & Bacon Scholar and participated in the Legal Education Accelerated Degree Program. Kelsay is the son of Darlene Kelsay and Brian Kelsay. He graduated from Blue Springs South High School and KU.
Cori Moffett, of Overland Park, received the Law Class of 1949 Award for Leadership for the 3L class. The award is given annually to students who, in the opinion of the faculty, contributed most significantly to the overall experience of students in Green Hall. Moffett served as Head Dean’s Fellow, vice president of Women in Law and a research assistant for Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law. She also participated in the ACLU of Kansas’ Clemency Project, advocating for the release of Kansas prisoners who are medically vulnerable or have completed most of their sentence. She earned Pro Bono Distinction at graduation for completing more than 50 hours of unpaid legal service during law school.
Moffett is the daughter of Marcey Moffett. She graduated from Blue Valley Northwest High School and Kansas State University.
Bria Nelson, of Woodstock, Illinois, received the inaugural Dru Mort Sampson Center for Diversity & Inclusion Award of Distinction, which is given to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, has exhibited exemplary leadership and a commitment to promoting diversity and belonging – both in Green Hall and in the law school’s broader communities. Nelson served as president of the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council, treasurer of Black Law Students Association, a campus student representative for Equal Justice Works, a student ambassador and class vice president for Student Bar Association. They also participated in the ACLU of Kansas’ Clemency Project, the Mediation Clinic, OUTLaws & Allies and the undergraduate ACLU of KU student organization. Nelson also participated in the school’s 6th Semester in D.C. program. They earned Pro Bono Distinction at graduation for completing more than 50 hours of unpaid legal service during law school. Nelson’s parent is Stephanie Davis. They graduated from Harvard High School and Iowa State University.
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Contact: Chance Dibben, Achievement & Assessment Institute, [email protected], @AAI_at_KU
AAI Arts & Humanities Grant recipients plan projects in Lawrence, Topeka
LAWRENCE — The Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI) in the University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences has announced the recipients of the organization’s first Arts & Humanities Grant.
Work in AAI focuses on enhancing educational opportunity; optimizing the well-being of children, youth and families; creating accessible assessment systems that better support student learning, especially for struggling learners; and creating educational technologies and data systems that support students, teachers and organizations.
The two winning proposals strongly align with these areas of focus through interactive arts programming that deeply engages community and creates dialogue around issues of marginalization and social justice.
Ryan Clifford, assistant professor of design & visual communication, was awarded for his proposed RadLab! DIY Youth Creative Workshop Series.
According to Clifford, RadLab! will be a pop-up youth workshop experience focused on engaging at-risk youths — particularly LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC youths — in creative collabora¬tion, co-design and DIY zine and bookmaking. RadLab! will take place at Wonder Fair’s Wonder Gallery in spring/summer 2022. Wonder Fair owners Meredith Moore and Paul DeGeorge are slated to serve as collaborators in addition to offering pro bono use of gallery space.
The workshops will culminate in a public exhibition of work created by participants at Wonder Gallery in Lawrence with projected pieces to include a papercraft robot, a personal journal and sketchbook, and two unique DIY zines. Participants will also receive a portable art kit that will allow them to continue creating after the workshop’s end.
“Zines are an extremely adaptable, fun and inexpensive method for creative expression and storytelling and are limited only by the maker’s interests,” Clifford said. “An experience like this workshop series gives a creative outlet to youth who may not have had the opportunity to engage in facilitated creative skill-building and expression.”
F. María Velasco, professor of visual art, was awarded for her proposed On Our Terms, In Our Own Words project.
Drawing on Velasco’s interest of the history of Topeka, the city’s neighborhoods and her research of the Mulvane Art Museum’s permanent collection, the project will “involve the creation of bespoke flags as vehicles serving to champion the collective aspirations of diverse constituencies of the Topeka community.”
The project will engage community through workshop discussions about meaning, history and representation, which will be used to develop 7-12 flags to be installed at specific sites throughout Topeka. On Our Terms, In Our Own Words will take place during the fall 2022/spring 2023 academic year. Velasco anticipates the participation of relevant community organizations and individuals, including The Tonantzin Society, a Topeka-based organization with a focus on Latino topics across the Americas.
“I am very interested in the idea that a flag is something that can connect your private, or unique experience, and then be cast out into the world, therefore bringing visibility to certain issues,” Velasco said about the project. “I’m trying to reverse the hierarchy and empower individuals to bring to the table their own values, the things that we want to be inspired by when we look at a flag. I want to make visible certain histories and everybody’s connection to it.”
For Neal Kingston, AAI director and University Distinguished Professor, the Arts & Humanities Grant is an opportunity to look at AAI’s work in education and the social sciences through arts and humanities lenses, to the benefit of the populations and goals the institute serves.
“The work that AAI and its individual centers do is very broad, encompassing healthy human development and education from early childhood through adulthood,” Kingston said. “The Arts & Humanities Grant is a natural extension of our efforts and a great opportunity to connect with creative KU faculty in other fields exploring some of the same areas we are.”
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