Professors recognized for commitment, mentorship to graduate students
LAWRENCE — Two University of Kansas educators received honors for their dedication to fostering personal and professional development of graduate students.
Giselle Anatol, professor of English, and Hyunjin Seo, Oscar Stauffer Chair and professor of journalism & mass communications, earned the Louise Byrd Graduate Educator Award.
The $1,000 award is given to outstanding educators who reflect former secretary of the graduate school and graduate council Louise Byrd’s deep concern for the welfare of graduate students and commitment to graduate education at KU.
Giselle Anatol
In recommendation letters, former students and colleagues described Anatol as having a “student-first” mindset and conducting her teaching, scholarship and service through the lens of diversity, equity inclusion and belonging.
“Dr. Anatol is not even in my department, and yet her concern for myself and other Caribbean diaspora, African diaspora and any other graduate student who sought her guidance was a shining light for so many of us,” wrote Timmia Hearn DeRoy, assistant professor of social justice theater and directing at the University of California, Berkeley. “I have sat around with fellow graduate students extolling Dr. Anatol, detailing how none of us would have survived, yet alone thrived, without her.”
Others said Anatol ensured time to connect and offer feedback on projects, whether it was reading papers, holding spaces for students to network, offering professional development opportunities or simply providing needed encouragement. As the interim director of the Hall Center for the Humanities and director of the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction, Anatol also creates programming and opportunities to benefit graduate students beyond the Department of English.
“I am thrilled to have been selected as one of the recipients of the Louise Byrd Graduate Educator Award,” Anatol said. “There are so many excellent teachers, advisers and mentors at KU. I am lucky to have been guided by many of them, particularly my colleagues in the English department and in the Center for Teaching Excellence.
“It's really an honor to be recognized when there is so much innovation in classrooms and dedication to graduate education all across campus. I also learn so much from the graduate students themselves. They are frequently inspired and inspiring.”
Anatol’s research focuses on Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora literature, particularly in 20th and 21st century women’s writing, African American literature and children’s and young adult literature.
She has written more than 40 publications, including creative writings, peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.
Anatol earned her doctorate and master’s degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in English from Yale University.
Hyunjin Seo
Seo said mentorship is the most exciting and rewarding aspect of her job, so it was especially meaningful to be recognized for this by her students and colleagues.
“Graduate students are an integral part of research and teaching at KU,” she said. “I am lucky to have worked with wonderful graduate students not only as their mentor, but also their colleague and partner in research and teaching endeavors. Seeing graduate students find and pursue their passion and thrive gives me great joy.“
Students recounted in recommendation letters moments of Seo offering support and flexibility when it came to navigating personal challenges with their academic endeavors, as well as providing ample feedback and resources in class and research settings.
They described her teaching style as “inspiring” and her guidance as “transformative and life-changing.”
“Her dedication to nurturing the educational and research pursuits of graduate students has paved the way for many individuals, including myself, to turn our dreams into reality,” wrote Muhammad Ittefaq, assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University. “Her kind, supportive and collegial personality has not only significantly contributed to my own success but has also served as a model that I strive to emulate in my interactions with my own students, collaborators and colleagues.”
Seo is also the associate dean for research and faculty development in the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications, and she is director of the KU Center for Digital Inclusion.
Seo’s research examines how social collaborative networks facilitated by digital communication technologies affect social change at local, national and international levels.
She has published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, including her own book, “Networked Collective Actions: The Making of an Impeachment.”
Seo earned her doctorate in mass communications from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a master’s degree in international relations from Kyung Hee University in South Korea and a bachelor’s degree in English education from Kyungpook National University in South Korea.