Office of Fellowships expands, takes up new residence

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas students pursuing premier national and international scholarships have a new campus space and expanded support.

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Office of Undergraduate Studies have reorganized the support provided to students seeking competitive, prestigious fellowships such as the Rhodes, Goldwater or Truman scholarships. Previously, the Office of Fellowships was housed in the University Honors Program. The office has an extensive history of success cultivating KU’s top scholarship and fellowship honorees. With a new expanded role, the office is now part of Undergraduate Studies and reports through the Center for Undergraduate Research.

“Our track record of achievement proves KU students are competitive with the brightest students at elite universities across the nation, and we look forward to supporting KU’s continued success,” said DeAngela Burns-Wallace, vice provost for undergraduate studies. “As a recipient of the Pickering Fellowship, I have seen first-hand how transformative these fellowships can be. We are delighted to bring the Office of Fellowships within Undergraduate Studies so even more students feel engaged and able to pursue these top opportunities.”

University Honors Program Director Bryan Young spoke highly of the move and of KU’s expanded support for the office.

“We are proud of the success of the office and are excited that these services will be more visible and available to all KU students,” Young says.

In its expanded role, the office, located in 222 Summerfield Hall, will enhance support for additional fellowships in the areas of public service, research, and diversity and equity. The Office of Fellowships currently coordinates the campus nomination process for 11 nationally and internationally competitive fellowship programs, and it can support students applying for other prestigious awards as well. A list along with initial eligibility criteria can be found on the Office of Fellowships website. A highlight of last year’s KU students earning fellowships was listed in the 2017 Chancellor’s report.

Faculty interested in working to support student applications to these fellowship programs should contact Program Director Anne Wallen at fellowships@ku.edu. Wallen was recently elected to the Executive Board of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors (NAFA), of which KU has been an institutional member since 2002.

The Office of Fellowships will host an open house as part of the Summerfield Block Party from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14. KU faculty, students and staff are encouraged to stop by and see the new space in Room 222. 

Photo, from left: Office of Fellowships Program Director Anne Wallen, 2017 Rhodes Scholar Shegufta Huma.