KU Kudos: Faculty and staff achievements, May 2026
It’s time to celebrate Jayhawk colleagues’ achievements: KU News Service accepted submissions and combed websites, social media and newsletters for recent external honors and awards for current faculty and staff at the Lawrence, Edwards and Medical Center campuses and affiliates.
Have something to share? Submit by June 20 for the next edition. Self-nominations are encouraged. Learn more about how to submit your professional achievements.
Jane Barnette, professor of theatre, was featured at a digital lecture of the Last Tuesday Society, hosted by the Viktor Wynd Museum in London, to discuss her book “Witch Fulfillment: The Witch as Theatrical Type.”
Gerri Berendzen, lecturer in journalism, has received the Glamann Award from ACES: The Society for Editing. The award recognizes significant contributions to ACES.
Stacey Blakeman, assistant dean of career services for the School of Law, was appointed to the Rural Justice Initiative Committee by Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Rosen.
Sarah Cavanah, assistant professor of journalism, and Ashley Muddiman, associate professor and director of graduate studies in communication studies, participated as community experts during a roundtable breakfast for American Public Square’s Civics Education Initiative April 9.
Several KU faculty members will present this summer at a national artificial intelligence, Ai4, which last year drew over 12,000 attendees. The presenters are Lisa Dieker, Williamson Family Distinguished Professor of Special Education; Rick Ginsberg, former SOEHS dean; Maggie Mosher, assistant research professor; and Amber Rowland, assistant research professor.
Courtney Fletcher, assistant professor of voice, was named a finalist for the inaugural Barbara Hill Moore Emerging Teaching Artist Award from the National Association of Teachers of Singing. This new biennial award recognizes outstanding teaching artists who are actively balancing careers as both performers and educators. Winners will be announced in July.
Sherry Fowler, professor of the history of art, gave an invited talk, “Why Get a Japanese Dragon Tattoo?,” at the Seattle Art Museum.
Four community leaders were recently inducted into the Lawrence Business Hall of Fame, including Chancellor Douglas A. Girod. The Lawrence chapter of the nonprofit organization Junior Achievement sponsors the hall of fame.
Steve Jernigan, faculty member in the Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science & Athletic Training, received the Pauline “Polly” Cerasoli Lectureship Award. Presented by the American Physical Therapy Association's Academy of Education, this recognition honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to physical therapy education.
Christopher Koliba, Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor of Public Administration, Policy & Governance, has joined the Braver Angels Civic Scholars Council. The organization advances courageous citizenship by bringing leading reflective practitioners and scholars together to define, challenge and shape its meaning and practice in modern American life.
Jesus Gonzalez Lugo, assistant professor of hematologic malignancies and cellular therapeutics, has been selected for the Winn Career Development Award, a national program that supports clinicians leading community‑focused clinical research.
The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs has appointed Laura McDonald, Department of Nurse Anesthesia Education faculty member, to serve as a team onsite reviewer.
Webster McDonald, assistant professor of theatre, was awarded a C.L.R. James Research Fellowship from the African American Intellectual History Society. The fellowships promote research in Black intellectual history. Webster’s book project is titled “Archival Weight: Sexuality, Citizenship, and the Performance of Black and Queer Life in Jamaica.”
Murali Mantrala, Ned N. Fleming Professor of Marketing, has been named a Distinguished Research Fellow of the Institute for the Study of Business Markets.
Lisa Mische Lawson, faculty member in the Department of Occupational Therapy Education, presented her research at the Kansas Parks and Recreation Association Annual Conference earlier this year in Topeka. The session, "Building Inclusive Aquatics: University-Community Partnerships for Research and Program Innovation," was presented with community partners from the cities of Fairway, Lenexa and Merriam.
Amanda Ostreko, assistant vice provost and director of Graduate Enrollment Management, was recently honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Graduate Enrollment.
“Luminous,” the first novel by Silvia Park, assistant professor of English, has won Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction, an Otherwise Prize (formerly the Tiptree award) and been named a finalist for the Locus Magazine award for first novel.
Locus Magazine has announced RB Perelmutter (pen name Bogi Takács), professor of Jewish studies, is a finalist in the first novel category for “Song of Spores.” Perelmutter is also a finalist in the editor category. Winners will be announced May 30.
Tessa Rohrberg, associate professor of family & community medicine at the School of Medicine-Wichita, was recognized by the National Board of Medical Examiners for service during 2025 on the Medical School Services Subject Examination Test Material Development Committee as an MSS forms and pool reviewer.
Adam Sokoloff, director of the School of Law Trial Advocacy program, was named winner of the 2026 Stetson Advocacy Writing Competition. His article, “Trial Lawyers Have Been Teaching Cognitive Science for 2,000 Years: How Modern Neuroscience Explains Advocacy Pedagogy Built on Ancient Wisdom,” will be published in the Stetson Journal of Advocacy and the Law.
Paul Stock, associate professor of sociology, won the Midwest Sociological Society's inaugural Teaching Excellence Award for Full-Time Faculty. Stock, who is also an affiliate of the Institute for Policy & Social Research, is an environmental and rural sociologist.
Debra Sullivan, chair of the Department of Dietetics & Nutrition, presented as part of the Lefeber Hughes Winter Series on Aging at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Her lecture was titled "Food for Thought – How Nutrition Shapes Your Aging Brain."
Yunwen Wang, assistant professor of journalism, presented a research poster titled "Dementia in U.S. news: A network analysis of journalistic topics, priorities and gaps," in the Media Systems session at the 2026 Kentucky Conference on Health Communication.
Robert Warrior is serving as the nonfiction chair for 2026 National Book Awards. He is among the 25 judges in five categories who will review submitted titles and select the winners of the 77th annual awards.
Jo Wick, professor of biostatistics and data science, has been elected a Fellow of The American Statistical Association.
Robert Wittler, professor of pediatrics in the School of Medicine-Wichita, was recognized by the National Board of Medical Examiners for service on the United States Medical Licensing Examination Committee in the USMLE Forms Review Group.
Recently in the News
Three University of Kansas professors — K. Christopher Beard, Jianming Qiu and Michael Wolfe — have been elected as 2025 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellows, a distinct honor within the scientific community.
Hayley Beltz, a postdoctoral researcher in physics & astronomy, won a highly competitive NASA Hubble Prize Fellowship, making her the first KU scientist to receive the prestigious award in its 36-year history.
Brett Bricker, head debate coach, was awarded the Ross K. Smith Debate Coach of the Year award at the 2026 National Debate Tournament in recognition of his career achievements in coaching.
Amy Hansen, associate professor of civil & environmental engineering, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to conduct research in Chile during the 2026-2027 academic year.
Jenn Johnson, director of the Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute, was awarded the Organizational Excellence Award by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress on April 10.
Ana Morais, assistant professor of chemical & petroleum engineering, received a National Science Foundation Early CAREER Award for research focused on improving how difficult-to-recycle plastics can be converted into useful products while advancing broader sustainability efforts through education and outreach.
The National Academy of Inventors has named two KU researchers to the 2026 class of senior members: Elizabeth “Lisa” Friis, M.J. Spahr Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Lisa Stehno-Bittel, professor emerita, KU Medical Center
Sam Zipper, an ecohydrologist at the Kansas Geological Survey and assistant professor at the University of Kansas, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.