KU Phi Kappa Phi Chapter selects Blackiston Fellowship honoree
LAWRENCE — A student who completed requirements for two undergraduate degrees in three years was selected to receive the James Blackiston Fellowship from the University of Kansas chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
Christina Hagemeier, who graduated in May with bachelor's degrees in psychology and visual art, is the 2016 recipient of the James Blackiston Memorial Graduate Fellowship and the chapter’s nominee for a national Phi Kappa Phi fellowship.
“Christina is a diligent student who combines the best of academic excellence with a desire to apply her knowledge in ways that elevate others,” said Professor Bryan Young, president of the KU Phi Kappa Phi chapter and director of the University Honors Program. “She is an inspiring example of the excellence that inhabits our campus and so deserving of this honor.”
The fellowship provides $1,500 toward advanced degree study.
In addition to graduating in three years, Hagemeier of Edmond, Oklahoma, graduated as a University Honors Program Scholar with a 4.0 GPA and earned departmental honors in both of her majors. The fellowship is among the latest achievements for Hagemeier, who was selected for the Department of Visual Art's Spring Scholarship Show for both Spring 2014 and 2015 and received the Geier Award for the Visual Arts in 2015. She has been awarded the Walker Scholarship for Visual Arts and the Amsden Book Award for Academic Excellence in Art History. Hagemeier was honored as the Hall Government Member of the Year for 2014-2015, and has been on the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Honor Roll every semester.
Her involvement on and off campus is a true indication of her dedication to helping others. She has actively worked with children with disabilities, served as community service chair for her scholarship hall, tutored international students in English and volunteered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Lawrence. She also interned with Van Go, Lawrence, working to instill a love of art and provide a creative outlet for at-risk youths.
Hagemeier, who was initiated in Phi Kappa Phi in fall 2015, will pursue a master’s degree in art therapy at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
As recipient of the Blackiston Fellowship, Hagemeier becomes the KU chapter’s nominee for one of 60 fellowships from Phi Kappa Phi with values from $5,000 to $15,000. These national fellowships provide assistance to students during their first year of post-graduate study.
About the Blackiston Fellowship
This fellowship was created to honor the memory of James Blackiston, a graduate student in the Department of Linguistics and an instructor in the Intensive English Center, now the Applied English Center, at KU. He graduated from Michigan State University, where he was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi.