KU names 2014 Men of Merit

LAWRENCE — Fifteen students, staff and faculty have been selected as University of Kansas Men of Merit, recognized for positively defining masculinity through challenging norms, taking action and leading by example while making contributions to the university and/or the community.

The sixth-annual KU Men of Merit posters have been released and are available in the Student Involvement & Leadership Center. A reception will take place at 5 p.m. Monday, March 10, in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union. Each man will be honored for his accomplishments and contributions and given a certificate of recognition.

This year’s honorees include Perry Alexander, professor, electrical & computer engineering and director, Information and Telecommunication Technology Center; Schuyler Bailey, captain, KU Public Safety; Preston Barr, senior in business management and leadership from New Haven, Ind.; Mitchell Cota, junior in marketing and international business from Overland Park; Will Dale, senior in English, Topeka; Michael Detmer, graduate student in music therapy, Breese, Ill.; Bryne Gonzales, senior in speech language hearing, Topeka; Drew Harger, junior in accounting and finance, McPherson; Robert Klein, professor, anatomy and cell biology and vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate students at KU Medical Center; Bret Koch, junior in community health, Tonganoxie; David Mucci, director, KU Memorial Unions; Eddie Munoz, office manager, engineering administration; Jorge Perez, associate professor, Spanish, and graduate studies chair; Dustin Struble, assistant director, Student Involvement and Leadership Center; and Phil Wagner, graduate student in communication studies, Lynchburg, Va. 

The KU Men of Merit poster project was created six years ago by former KU football player Gary Green. This project is sponsored by the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity, with the support of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Current research supports the important role gender plays in college students’ identity development and academic achievement. Recently, attention has been focused on men’s declining enrollment in college as well as their higher rates of underperformance and underachievement compared to women. In fact, recent studies indicate that nationally, male students are less likely to complete a bachelor’s degree than are female students. In addition, men are less likely to engage in volunteer activities and participate in student clubs and organizations. This growing gender gap points to the need for college campuses to address this disparity and create mechanisms for increasing men’s involvement, engagement and achievement.

This poster aims to increase awareness of the importance of education and involvement in men’s lives, inspire campus men to take an active role in their college experience and provide role models and mentors for men to be successful.          

Sponsors and assistance with the poster include KU Marketing & Communications, the Office of Diversity and Equity, and the Commission on the Status of Women.

This project is organized by Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity.