For Friends oF the University oF Kansas • winter 2012 • KUendowment.org

Ancient,current,future KU’s Biodiversity Institute studies the life of the planet

“Twilight drops her curtain down, and pins it with a star.” — Lucy Maud Montgomery, Canadian author

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VISIONS OF KU

building a greater universityKU Endowment partners with donors in providing

philanthropic support to build a greater University of Kansas.

Ancient, current, futureKU’s Natural History Museum is more than meets the eye.

Features

A community of, by and for scholarsKU’s scholarship halls offer unique opportunities.

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COVER: Vipers collected as part of a grant-funded program to document all vertebrates and their parasites across the 7,000 islands of the Philippines. See story page 12 photo by brian goodman

3 PRESIDENT’S NOTETo touch the future

4 uP fRONT

5 EVERY GIfT MATTERSFour foundations team up to create a new scholarship

6 fAR ABOVE

8 WHY I GIVE

24 NEW AT KuSF author’s archive teleportsto Spencer Research Library

25 GREATER Ku fuNDUndergraduate researchers’ projects run the gamut

26 THE fAITHfulMarilyn Stokstad works to improve students’ experiences

27 Ku VOIcES Jeannette Johnson reflects on 30years in administrative support

28 AMONG fRIENDS

29 PAST & PRESENT KU’s steam whistle, startling passersby for 100 years

DePartMeNts

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Theodore Sturgeon’s archive, including early editions of his best-known books, has landed in the Spencer Research Library.

The natural history collections of the Biodiversity Institute include specimens both

new and old. This bird’s tag shows the date and the collector: lewis lindsay Dyche.

About 600 students cook, clean, bond (and study) in the 12 scholarship halls.

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Click on one and let’s be social

Neither snow nor rain nor heat stays Ku’s Memorial campanile from tolling the hours; it does stop in the gloom of night.

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Passion for KUThe generosity of alumni and friends influences the very fabric of KU, helping the university advance the frontiers of knowledge. We are dedicated to serving the university and helping it achieve its aspirations.

Partnership with donorsOur donors empower us to accomplish our mission. We pledge to faithfully administer their gifts, adhere to their philanthropic intentions and respect their requests for privacy.

Perpetual supportThe long-term vitality of KU represents our ultimate, unwavering goal. We strive to wisely invest funds and steward property, with the goal of achieving the greatest possible assurance of long-term financial support for the university.

People-centered approachOur team of employees, trustees and volunteers guides our present and shapes our future. We seek to attract and develop the best talent, value each individual’s unique contributions and celebrate diversity as a strength.

Our core values

CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEESA. Drue Jennings

PRESIDENTDale Seuferling

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CommUniCations & marKeting

Rosita Elizalde-McCoy

EDITORCharles Higginson

ContribUting editorsLisa Scheller

Katie CoffmanJessica Sain-Baird

Valerie Gieler

ART DIRECTORChris Millspaugh

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORMelissa Meyer

CONTACT USKU Endowment

Communications & MarketingP.O. Box 928

Lawrence, KS 66044-0928

785-832-7400 or toll-free 800-444-4201Email: kugiving@kuendowment.org

kuendowment.org

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KU Endowment, P.O. Box 928,

Lawrence KS 66044-0928

KU Giving is published three times a year by KU Endowment, the private fundraising foundation for the University of Kansas. You are receiving this

magazine because you support KU. We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions.

wiNter 2012 i voluMe 5 i NuMber 2 KueNDowMeNt.orG

- FouNDeD 1891 -

100% of your gift benefits the area of your choice at the University of Kansas.

onlIne GIvInG — You may make a gift securely online using your debit or credit card. visit kuendowment.org/givenow.

GIfTS of STock — By donating appreciated securities or mutual fund shares, you can provide a lasting contribution while receiving tax benefits, such as capital gains tax savings.

real eSTaTe — Your gift provides a convenient way for you to enjoy a charitable deduction based on the current fair market value of your property, and it can reduce the size and complexity of your estate.

GIve BY maIl — Gifts made by check should be payable to kU endowmentand mailed to:

kU endowmentP.o. Box 928lawrence, kS 66044-0928

eSTaTe PlannInG — To remember kU in your will or estate plan, be sure to name The kansas University endowment association (our legal name) as beneficiary. our federal tax i.d. number is 48-0547734.

If you already have named kU endowment in your estate plan, please contact us so we can welcome you to the elizabeth m. Watkins Society.

We also offer life-income gifts that provide income and immediate tax benefits. call our director of gift planning at 800-444-4201 during business hours, or visit kuendowment.org/giftplanning.

ways to support ku

Dale Seuferling’s first day, May 19, 1981.

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 3

PRESIDENT’S NOTE

I started my career at KU Endowment working on a typewriter. That taught me invaluable lessons in patience and care.I joined this organization 30 years ago — a

young KU Journalism graduate setting out on a new adventure. I still remember my first visit to a donor. It was in rural Shawnee County, and in the days before GPS it took a while before I found the right address. More about that later.

The first major gift I was involved in came from K.K. Amini and his wife, Margaret Wenski Amini. When I first met them, I was excited to discuss various opportunities for philanthropy at KU. Margaret said, “Be patient. We will consider this in our own time.”

Though he was born in Iran (then called Persia), K.K. was deeply patriotic and proud to have become a U.S. citizen. He and Margaret

ended up donating $2.5 million for construction of two scholarship halls. They believed in the power of democracy and loved to see it in action in the scholarship halls. From Margaret’s words of wisdom and similar experiences, I learned the value of listening to people, of understanding that donors’ interests and timelines are paramount.

Some people characterize my work as fundraising. But that term doesn’t come close to describing what I think I do. I’m in the business of helping people touch future generations. No one makes a transformational gift without wanting to improve other peoples’ lives. Witness the difference the scholarship halls have made at KU, as featured in this magazine.

I circle back to my drive in Shawnee County. Once I found the home I was looking for, I discovered that these humble people had no connection to KU. They were not alumni, not even Jayhawk fans. It was the first time I realized that KU is much more than what I knew as a recent graduate.

Little did I know that I would be here 30 years later, loving every day I get to meet someone who has a dream to lift other peoples’ lives.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

To touch the future

Dale Seuferling, President

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UP FRONT

Write to usKU Giving, kU endowmentP.o. Box 928, lawrence, kS 66044-0928email: kugiving@kuendowment.orgfax: 785-832-7493

We welcome your comments on our magazine and invite you to share your kU experiences with our readers. Please include your name, address, email and daytime phone. letters may be edited for length and clarity; we assume letters are intended for publication unless the writer indicates otherwise.

Small world, indeedOur previous issue’s article about Audio-Reader brought two unexpected results. Audio-Reader occupies the former Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house, built in 1910 and renovated in 1988. John Mallon, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering 1962, lived there as a fraternity member from 1959 to 1961. He let us know that he and some of his brothers recognized the room in our photo as the TV room while they lived there. He wrote, “Great public service happens from there now, and we’re proud to be part of the building’s past!”

And KU Endowment employee Max Mayse, pictured in the photo, received a call from Millicent Hunt Wesley, Cave Creek, Ariz. He had never heard of her, but she recognized his name; their grandfathers were brothers. Mrs. Wesley earned a bachelor’s in music education from KU in 1953. Her father, Homer B. Hunt, graduated from KU in 1919 and established the Homer B. Hunt Scholarship in 1989. He died in 1990. Max wrote, “Is this a small world?!”

Good things come in threesThree people associated with KU Endowment recently received honors from District VI of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Kurt and Sue Watson, of Andover, received the Volunteers of the Year Award, and Judy Wright, of Lawrence, received the Virginia Carter Smith Recognition Award. The awards were presented Jan. 9 at the district conference in Denver.

The Watsons are serving as chairs of KU’s comprehensive campaign, Far Above: The Campaign for Kansas,

scheduled for public kickoff April 28. Kurt is president and chief operating officer of IMA Financial Group in Wichita. He is past chair of KU Endowment’s Board of Trustees and a current member of its executive committee. Sue is past chair and a former member of the executive committee of the Board of Directors of the KU Alumni Association. Kurt and Sue both earned bachelor’s degrees in education from KU.

Judy Wright retired Dec. 22 from KU Endowment, where she was assistant vice president and director of the Chancellors Club. Throughout her 17-year career at KU Endowment, she was active in leadership of CASE District VI. She chaired the district conference in 2008 and served on the Board of Directors for six years. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Baylor University in theatre and speech, and a doctorate in communication studies from KU.

KU Endowment President Dale Seuferling said he was thrilled by the honors. “It’s rare for both of these awards to go to people associated with one university,” he said. “It’s well-deserved. I know I speak for many at KU and KU Endowment when I say we appreciate and respect the dedication that the Watsons and Judy have shown through their volunteerism and careers in support of the University of Kansas.”

CorrectionOur previous issue misidentified Joann Browning as an associate professor of civil engineering. In fact, she joined the KU faculty in 1998 and was named a full professor in 2010.

Judy Wright

Kurt and Sue Watson

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every giFt matters

Social service agencies team up for scholarship

A new scholarship offers social welfare graduate students the first step toward a career. The Tikkun Olam Scholarship is for students familiar with Jewish culture and traditions who are interested in working in the administration of a Jewish social service agency in the Kansas City area after graduation. “Tikkun Olam” is a Hebrew phrase with a long history and complex connotations, often translated “repairing the world.”

Ellen Kort, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Foundation, worked with three additional foundations to raise the initial $40,000 for the scholarship: the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City;

the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City; and the Menorah Legacy Foundation, whose gift was made possible by the Aks Family Fund.

Kort said this may have been the first time the four foundations jointly funded a project. “We all felt this was a communal need,” she said. “We wanted someone who had a fluency with Jewish history and culture, though they don’t have to be Jewish. Also, the skills that were inherent in a social work graduate with an administrative degree were very important to us.”

The inaugural recipient, Julia Evnen, of Lincoln, Neb., is working toward a master’s degree in social work administrative and advocacy practice. She’s completing her practicum at Hillel,

an organization for KU’s Jewish students that falls under the umbrella of Kansas City-area Jewish social services.

“I have a lot of gratitude for the foundations and families that have provided me with this opportunity,” Evnen said. “I am excited that I will be able to give back to the Kansas City community in future years.”

Mary Ellen Kondrat, dean of social welfare, said, “It’s a win-win situation. The Kansas City-area Jewish social service organizations have a need, and we have an answer. Everybody has success, including the students.”

Kondrat said Jewish service agencies help people from all walks of life. “The agencies are Jewish at the core,” she said, “but they serve the entire Kansas City community, not just Jewish people. They take very seriously this special idea of repairing the world.” — Lisa Scheller

Four work as one

In ServIce To all To support the Tikkun olam Scholarship, visit kuendowment.org/tikkunolam, or contact Debbie mccord, 785-832-7372 or dmccord@kuendowment.org.

Julie Evnen, first recipient of the Tikkun Olam Scholarship, stands directly

behind the woman with a gray headband holding the flag. Ku Hillel sponsored

the Israel leadership Mission over winter break; here, Ku students visit the

Western Wall in the Old city of Jerusalem.

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FAR ABOVE

Mike and Joyce Shinn promoted gifts to support minority engineering students. Three May 2010 engineering graduates (left to right): lauren

fitzpatrick, B.S., aerospace engineering; Gerime Smith, B.S., architectural engineering; and Tanesha Bledsoe, B.S., architectural engineering.

Bledsoe is currently working on a master’s degree in architectural engineering at Ku.

Challenge grants are a great way to support a cause and motivate others to join you. Matching grants don’t hurt, either. Just ask KU alumnus Mike Shinn and his wife, Joyce, of Highland Heights, Ohio.

Shinn earned a bachelor’s in aerospace/aeronautical engineering from KU and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University.

In April, the School of Engineering celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Minority Engineering Programs. Shinn, a KU Endowment Trustee, addressed the group about the importance of private philanthropy and giving back to the university. And he announced a surprise matching gift challenge. The Shinn Family Foundation would match gifts toward the minority programs, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000. The Shinns’ gifts also would receive a second match from the GE Foundation.

The group responded, providing 13 gifts totaling $10,000. Two of those gifts had their own corporate matches. Combined with the matches by the two foundations, the $10,000 snowballed into an impressive $38,746.

“This was almost like alchemy, where you can take something and it can multiply into something greater than expected,” Shinn

said. “My wife and I didn’t plan this ahead of time. We made the decision right there during the event. There were a lot of successful people in the room, and this was a way of encouraging them to reach in their blue jeans and support the program.”

Donors specified the areas they wanted their gifts to support, including:

• Florence Boldridge Diversity Scholarship in Engineering;• Minority Engineering Programs scholarships and support;• Society of Women Engineers (as only about 20 percent

of engineers are women, they are considered a minority); and• Project Discovery, an engineering summer camp for high school girls.

The Shinns previously have supported numerous areas across KU, including the Mike Shinn Scholars Program for minority students in engineering, the Black Alumni Program, the library system’s African American Experiences Collection and athletics. Mike Shinn has served on the School of Engineering’s advisory board for more than 10 years.

— Lisa Scheller

Striking up a match

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Westwood lutheran church has closed its doors, but its good works continue. The 105-year-old congregation, formerly located at 5035 rainbow in mission Woods, kan., voted last summer to close, sell its property and distribute proceeds to causes it had long supported. one of those gifts was a $48,000 check to kU medical center’s student-run JayDoc free clinic.

JayDoc provides a medical safety net for the uninsured and underinsured populations of kansas city. about 2,000 patients annually seek its services, which are free to patients. church members learned about the

clinic several years ago when a JayDoc student joined their congregation.

as Westwood church member clarice oeltjen presented the check, she said, “We are pleased to present you with this gift. It is given with our gratitude for the work you do and God’s blessing for each of you and the people you serve.”

Second-year medical student martha Schneider, one of JayDoc’s executive co-directors, said, “Quality, free healthcare is not cheap to provide. Thanks to this very generous gift from the church, we can focus a little less on our budget and devote more time and

energy to providing and improving the care that we give to patients right here in our local community.”

other causes benefited included the lutheran campus ministry at kU, which will use the gift to renovate a building and add a chapel.

— Charles Higginson

A final act of outreach

HelP JaYDoc STaY alofT To support the JayDoc free clinic, contact Bruce Broce at 913-588-5960 or bbroce@kuendowment.org, or visit kuendowment.org/freeclinic.

For library leadershipHowever far-flung, former Jayhawks — be they alumni, faculty or chancellors — tend to remain Jayhawks. Case in point: A distinguished alumnus and a former chancellor recently teamed up to create an annual award that honors an outstanding KU librarian.

The inaugural award honored Sarah Goodwin Thiel, KU digital imaging librarian and chair of KU Libraries’ Exhibits Program. The award recognizes her leadership in creating an exhibition space called the Library Gallery in Watson Library. It features multimedia exhibits of KU Libraries collections with related research by KU faculty and students.

The Anschutz Foundation and Chancellor Emeritus Gene Budig and his wife, Gretchen, each provided $25,000 to KU Endowment to endow the award fund. The Budigs reside in Isle of Palms, S.C.

Philip and Nancy Anschutz, of Denver, created the foundation in 1983. Philip Anschutz earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from KU in 1961. He said, “We are pleased to be associated with Gene and Gretchen Budig in this effort to support one of the finest libraries in the state of Kansas.”

Gene Budig, KU chancellor from 1981 to 1994, said, “There are no great universities without superior libraries. With that belief, Gretchen and I support libraries at KU, and have for years. It is especially important for undergraduate students to learn from the priceless treasures therein. Effective use of a great library opens the doors of opportunity; it assures intellectual growth and access to modern-day opportunities.”

Both Gene Budig and Philip Anschutz have received the Alumni Association’s Fred Ellsworth Medallion

and the university’s Distinguished Service Citation, and both serve as KU Endowment Trustees. Gretchen Budig received the Fred Ellsworth Medallion in 2010.

— Charles Higginson

Sarah Goodwin Thiel

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“I BElIEVE fuTuRE ENGINEERS NEED TO BE PREPARED to jump into a job when they graduate and, for many, this means they will need to be well versed in programming

for future mobile computing. low-cost smartphones and tablets are revolutionizing the world’s access to information, and they need to be ready.”

Brian A. McClendon, B.S. Engineering 1986, and Beth Ellyn McClendonPortola Valley, Calif.

$50,000 — to supply free Samsung/Droid tablet computers for all entering freshmen in the Department of Electrical Engineering and computer Science

“THIS fuND IS A quIcK WAY TO KNOcK DOWN A BARRIER that is stopping someone from being successful. We are helping people through urgent,

momentary crises. There is no big application or lots of reviews. It’s very different from the other funding the university does.”

Bill and Francie Stoner, B.A. Microbiology 1972, B.S. Medical Technology 1973Weston, Mo.

$20,329 — for the Ku Women 4 Ku Women fund

“WHEN I THINK ABOuT THINGS I’D lIKE TO DO with the rest of my life — my bucket list — I’m really doing what I want to do. It’s getting this

scholarship set up and writing Polly’s story. I don’t have any trips I want to go on, and I don’t want to buy a new BmW. But it would be wonderful to know the name of the first person who receives this scholarship, to know who it is and a little bit about them, I’d love that.”

Thomas Lovitt, bachelor’s in music education 1952, master’s in music education 1960, Ph.D. Education 1966Kirkland, Wash.

$60,500 — to establish a scholarship for music majors who participate in Ku choirs, in memory of his wife, Polly Owen lovitt, bachelor’s in music education 1952, master’s in education 1966

“WE BOTH fEEl WE NEVER WOulD HAVE MADE IT THROuGH without the scholarship halls. They gave us a start and a great orientation.”

Robert Nelson, Ph.D. Radiation Biophysics 1984, and Lois Nelson, B.A. Anthropology 1978Kennewick, Wash.

$100,000 by charitable Remainder unitrust; they directed the trust’s income to their previously established scholarships for residents of Miller and Pearson scholarship halls

“OuR fAMIlY HAS A lONG HISTORY WITH Ku. We’ve had more than 15 graduates spanning three generations, and my brother was a professor of physics. This

gift recognizes the enormous lifelong benefits that each of us has received from the university, based on our diverse experiences during those innumerable campus years. ”

John M. Prosser, B.Sc. Architecture 1955, and Dr. Ann C. Prosser FamiliesDenver, Colo.

Gift-in-kind to the Spencer Museum of Art, a painting by Richard Schmid titled View of My Studio (in Connecticut) from the North

“MANY INDIVIDuAlS, INcluDING BOTH Of uS, have been helped by the intellectual and medical resources

offered at kU and kU medical center. We hope that our gift will benefit the university in continuing to assist the well-being of individuals in the future.”

Stata Norton Ringle, professor emeritus of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics and former dean of the School of Health Professions; and Dr. David A. Ringle, retired, Principal Physiologist, Midwest Research Institute; Leawood, Kan.

$244,380 — charitable Gift Annuity, divided evenly between the School of Health Professions, clendening History of Medicine library and Spencer Research library

why i giveSnapshots

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“THE DOlE INSTITuTE IS A fANTASTIc fORuM. You can see, first hand, people who are on the world stage making critical decisions, taking different sides of issues where they can

be heard without screaming back and forth — exactly what I imagine Senator Dole wanted. maybe it can help show the next generations of leaders a new way to communicate and solve problems.”

Brian C. King, B.G.S. History 1998, and Barbara McLiney King, B.G.S. Psychology 1995Leawood, Kan.

$30,000 — to the King family Opportunity fund, Dole Institute of Politics

“WE HOPE, IN THE lONG RuN, THAT THE PROGRAM IN SAlINA WIll PROVIDE MORE DOcTORS WHO WANT TO REMAIN IN NORTHWEST KANSAS.

It’s a good sign that more than half of Wichita’s medical graduates have stayed in kansas.”

Trustees of the Dane G. Hansen FoundationLogan, Kan.

$150,000 — to the Ku School of Medicine-Salina; $50,000 in scholarships for students interested in practicing in northwest Kansas, and $100,000 for improved medical education facilities.

“THE KIDS fROM SOuTHEAST KANSAS GENERAllY AREN’T fROM WEAlTHY fAMIlIES. I was raised in neodesha, and I had a high school teacher who

was a kU graduate. He occasionally brought us up here for games. I’ve been a fan ever since.”

Lawrence V. HouchinsDes Moines, Iowa

$50,000 — added to a charitable Remainder Trust he established in 1998, now valued at $521,100; for scholarships, with preference to students from Neodesha, Wilson county or southeast Kansas.

“Ku AND THE ScHOOl Of PHARMAcY STARTED ME ON A WONDERful lIfETIME cAREER PATH. Barbara and I are proud to be a small part of kU’s growth and service to the state.”

David O. Weaver, B.S. Pharmacy 1967, and Barbara WeaverAurora, Colo.

$50,000 — for the School of Pharmacy

why i giveEstate gifts

The last full measure

Many people make their most significant gifts to KU through their estates, by including KU Endowment in their wills or trust arrangements. Recent estate gifts include:

James G. Bowman, B.S. 1949: for unrestricted scholarships, in honor of his mother, Lola D. Bowman

George A. Daniels, B.S. 1955: to support unrestricted university scholarships

Edwyna Gilbert, Ph.D. 1965; professor emerita, English: to support preservation, acquisition and cataloging of Renaissance and Reformation History collection, KU Libraries

Tom Harkness, B.A. 1942, J.D. 1947: for scholarships, School of Law

Pauline Harvey, CLAS 1982: for the Herk Harvey Memorial Fund, Film & Media Studies

Clyde Jacobs, B.A. 1946: for scholarships, French & Italian

Eleanore Johnson: to support professorships and lectureships, School of Medicine, and three-dimensional arts, School of the Arts

Irene Kiester, Teachers Diploma 1941: for unrestricted university scholarships

Jerry Knudson, B.S. 1956: to establish a new scholarship, School of Journalism

Alice Woodward, Teachers Diploma 1940: for unrestricted university scholarships

Estate gifts to benefit KU should be written to KU Endowment. Please contact our Office of Planned Giving, 785-832-7329, when you set up your estate to make sure your wishes can be fulfilled. If you have included KU Endowment in your estate plans, please let us know so we can recognize you in the Elizabeth Watkins Society. We respect all requests for confidentiality.

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why i give featured gifts

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A first-of-its-kind professorship

KU’s Department of Urban Planning has its first endowed professorship. Alan Black, professor emeritus of urban planning, recently created it with a $1.4 million estate commitment to KU Endowment.

Black, who worked at KU from 1981 to 2007, specializes in transportation planning, particularly urban mass transit. He directed the graduate program in urban planning from 1981 to 1986. He said he enjoyed his career at KU, especially working with students.

Black earned three college degrees — a bachelor’s from Harvard University, where his father was a professor; a master’s from the

University of California, Berkeley; and a doctorate from Cornell University.

In addition to his gift commitment for the professorship, Black has contributed $158,000 to a scholarship he created for urban planning graduate students, which is named after him. Since 1998, the scholarship has provided nearly $50,000 in support to 12 students.

While nationally known and published for his urban planning work at KU, Black also has been active locally. He has long served on the Land Use Committee of the League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County, both as a member and chair; on the Public Transit Advisory Committee for the city of Lawrence; and on Douglas County’s Air Quality Committee. In the

1990s, he actively campaigned for the creation of a bus system in Lawrence, which started in December 2000. He also volunteers as a reader for Kansas Audio-Reader Network, a reading and information service for the blind and visually impaired.

WHY I GIVE “I RETIRED IN 2007, BuT THE DEPARTMENT WAS uNABlE TO HIRE A REPlAcEMENT uNTIl 2011. It was clear that a professorship was a major need. I live in the same house that I paid off years ago, and I drive a Toyota celica that I bought new in 1986. It still runs pretty well. That saves me a lot of money.” — Alan Black

The best-laid plans

Alan Black’s estate commitment

will create a professorship in the

Department of urban Planning.

chancellor Bernadette Gray-little

said his gift was a milestone for

the program, for the School and

for Ku. He worked in Marvin Hall

for more than 25 years.

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Historic scholarship for education

A University of Kansas alumnus and his wife have made a $2.5 million estate commitment to establish an endowed scholarship for KU’s School of Education. The donors, who wish to remain anonymous, have had strong ties to KU’s School of Education through both graduate teaching and the supervision of elementary student teachers.

The gift is the largest in the school’s history.

The planned gift will include funding for specialized work in acquiring leadership skills connected to the organizational change disciplines first outlined in Peter Senge’s book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. This book provides guidelines to lead organizations in transforming rigid hierarchies into more fluid and responsive systems.

“We thank the donors for this generous gift,” said Rick Ginsberg, dean of education. “The intent is to provide

undergraduate students the opportunity to be supported in their quest to become leaders with organizational understanding and appreciation of the larger system in which their work is embedded. Once the scholarship program is in place, it will attract the best students for professional studies in education at KU.”

uNlOcKING OPPORTuNITY THESE DONORS MADE THEIR GIfT PART Of THEIR ESTATE PlANNING. like them, many donors find that they can create more opportunities, and give more back to kU, than they thought possible. The key? Planned gifts. Several types of gifts can be arranged now to benefit the university later. Planned giving can reduce taxes on your income and estate, resulting in a larger gift. Bequests are the most common planned gifts, but several other kinds exist. Some bring additional advantages, such as steady, secure income for you. These gifts are very

flexible and can serve kU, and you, in many ways. Planned gifts to kU endowment can support kU, the kU medical center, the School of medicine-Wichita, the School of medicine-Salina, the kU edwards campus or The University of kansas Hospital. Your attorney and tax adviser can help you determine how various options might affect your personal tax and estate-planning objectives. If you’ve already included kU in your estate plan, contact us to ensure that your gift is properly recognized and that your intentions are carried out. We honor all requests for anonymity. To learn more about planned gifts, please visit kuendowment.org/plannedgifts or contact Dan almanza, director of planned giving at the main campus (785-832-7341 or dalmanza@kuendowment.org) or nell lucas, assistant vice president for medical development at the kU medical center (913-588-5551 or nlucas@kuendowment.org).

To learn, teach and lead

An estate gift will boost

the study of leadership and

organizational transformation

in the School of Education.

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KU’s Biodiversity Institute studies the life of the planet

Ancient, current, future

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 13

vidence of birds surrounds KU ornithologist Mark Robbins’ office in Dyche Hall: feathers, wings, preserved skins, skeletons — and eggshells.

Robbins moves to a cabinet and opens a drawer. It’s full of hollowed bird eggs nestled in clear boxes, each with a tiny, often handwritten label. He points out a pair of glossy blue eggs collected in Mexico: the Great Tinamou, a bird that lays multiple clutches hatched and tended by males. In another drawer sit large flecked eggs collected near Baldwin City, Kan.: the turkey vulture, a bird that soars Kansas skies.

Dozens of drawers in dozens of cabinets hold dozens and dozens of eggs, some of them 100 years old. Why keep them all? An example: Eggshells provided the key to unraveling the mysterious crashes in the populations of eagles, brown pelicans, peregrine falcons and other birds after World War II. Scientists compared the thickness of eggshells collected before the war to the shells of more recently laid eggs. They concluded that the pesticide DDT, widely used after the war, altered

birds’ production of calcium, leading to thin-shelled eggs and high mortality rates for chicks.

The data helped drive an environmental movement to ban DDT, and eventually the bird populations began to recover.

To Robbins, the cautionary tale told by old eggshells about DDT illustrates a key point about natural history collections:

“We can never predict how these specimens will be used down the road,” he said. “We have a responsibility to care

for them for the future.”

Ancient, current, future By Jen Humphrey

Photos by Brian Goodman

14 | Ku GiviNG | wiNter 2012

ku’s biodiversity institute holds 10.2 million such animals, plants, fossils and archaeological artifacts collected in Douglas County and across seven continents over 140 years.

Each specimen can unleash an enormous stream of information. A researcher who collects a bird, for example, will record the color of its feathers, eyes and toes, its sex, the location where it was found, even the contents of its stomach. In the laboratory, scientists may analyze the bird’s DNA. Based on all these characteristics, they can determine the bird’s relationship to other bird species and to other animals, living and extinct.

A deeper look might reveal parasites in the bird’s eyes, viruses in its liver or protozoa swimming in its blood. Does the bird carry disease? Where and how was it infected? Considering knowledge about the bird’s geographic range, where will this disease occur next? Will it affect people?

The 120 research scientists and graduate students at the Biodiversity Institute study natural history collections to investigate the history and composition of life on Earth, and to forecast environmental change in the future — as well as our place in that future.

The KU Natural History Museum, housed in iconic Dyche Hall atop Mount Oread, is most people’s introduction to the Biodiversity Institute. An umbrella research organization created in 2005, the institute also includes 12 animal, plant, fossil and archaeology research divisions and units dedicated to biodiversity modeling and policy, informatics research, and production of the encyclopedic Treatise of Invertebrate Paleontology. It is the fourth-largest biodiversity enterprise in the country behind the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the Field Museum in Chicago.

Visitors to the KU Natural History Museum see extinct aquatic reptiles from the Kansas chalk beds, the historic Panorama and many other exhibits spread across four floors. But less than 1 percent of the Biodiversity Institute’s collections of animals, plants and fossils is on display.

To support the Biodiversity Institute, please visit kuendowment.org/biodiv, or contact Dale Slusser at dslusser@kuendowment.org or 785-832-7458.

The Biodiversity Institute

While many specimens in the collections came from

distant places, including this exotic-looking beetle

from nicaragua, researchers also discover and

describe species in Kansas that are new to science.

in 2010, entomology student taro eldredge found a

new species, Myrmedonota heliantha, in the Baker

Wetlands just south of Lawrence — the only place

where the tiny carnivorous beetle is known to exist.

ku’s charter establishes a “cabinet of natural history”

research scientists and staff

graduate students annually

ku buildings occupied by institute staff, students and collections

new entomology species described in 2011

continents to which researchers have traveled for expeditions since 2009

new herpetology species described in 2011

percent of biodiversity institute specimens on display in museum exhibits

natural history museum was expanded into the biodiversity institute

biological collections worldwide using “specify”, a specimen data management system that was developed at the institute

annual visitors to the natural history museum

animals, plants and fossils in the institute’s collections

archaeological artifacts in the collections

1864

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biodiversity.ku.edu

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 15

About 100 years after european travelers fanned

across the globe with their house sparrows in tow,

Ku ornithology curator richard Johnston, now

retired, and his students amassed a diverse, global

collection of the birds to document their many

differences and adaptations.

the best-seller you check out at your public

library is the same as a copy you could check out

at any other library: same title, same content,

multiplied across thousands of copies of the book.

in natural history collections, however, every

specimen in the “library” is unique.

researchers collect many examples of a species

because physical and genetic differences appear

across time, age, sex and region, among other

factors. Only with a full spectrum of examples can

scientists fully explore the forces behind evolution

and extinction. information about every specimen

collected is recorded in enormous databases that

scientists worldwide use to answer questions about

changes across time, geographic range and species.

HOuse sPArrOWPasser domesticus

HercuLes BeetLe Dynastes hercules

16 | Ku GiviNG | wiNter 2012

these orchid bees lay their eggs in the nests

of similar species. stealing nest space saves

them the trouble of building nests of their

own or collecting pollen to feed their young.

the collection includes about 200 of

these orchid bees from central and south

America. Most orchid bees appear metallic.

About half of the world’s almost 20,000

species of bees are represented in the

institute’s entomology collection, making

it one of the most comprehensive in the

world. the collection spans 140 years of

bee diversity, which enables researchers

to track changes in the characteristics

and geographic distribution of bee species

that have occurred in response to climate

change and other factors.

OrcHid BeeExærete smaragdina

used for teaching students and research, this delicate platypus skeleton

is one of the few mounted skeletons of its kind.

the ku biodiversity institute is one of the leading u.s. organizations

training the next generation of biodiversity scientists and evolutionary

biologists. its programs are ranked with those of Harvard and Berkeley,

and it attracts students from all over the world.

Most of the 50 to 60 students in residence conduct collection-based

research toward their master’s or doctoral degrees under the advisement

of faculty-curators. they also are enrolled in the degree-granting

programs of a Ku department, such as ecology and evolutionary Biology.

to fund their early research, including expedition expenses, students

compete for research awards. the institute runs the competition as a training

exercise, using criteria that mimic applications for grants from the national

science foundation. Annual gifts from many donors make this program

possible and provide support for curatorial internships at the institute.

Biodiversity institute alumni are encouraged to connect with other

alumni via the institute’s website, biodiversity.ku.edu/alumni.

PLAtyPusOrnithorhynchus anatinus

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 17

cHiLeAn rOund rAy Urotrygon chilensis

this cleared-and-stained ray was collected

in 1976 in el salvador. the species lives in

shallow coastal water from Mexico to chile.

traditionally, scientists identified and

classified species based on morphology — the

specimen’s physical characteristics. newer

tools, including X-ray, ct scans, dnA analysis

and a process called “clearing and staining,”

yield information that can’t be gathered

through observation of external features. to

clear and stain an animal specimen, scientists

first make the soft tissue translucent, then

apply dyes to stain bones and hard tissue red

and cartilage blue. the result allows close

examination of skeletal details.

the chilean ray also exemplifies the

extensive museum network for loaning

specimens for research and education. the

field Museum in chicago provided the ray

for a Ku natural History Museum exhibit.

Other loans help researchers study a more

comprehensive sample of a particular species

to more fully understand their biology.

Holotype specimens in Ku’s collections

are indicated with red ribbons. former

Ku herpetology curator ed taylor

collected and described these neotropical

snakes in costa rica in 1947.

when scientists discover and name

a new species, they must describe the

characteristics that distinguish it from

all other species. And, importantly,

they designate what is called a

“holotype” — the specimen that is the

standard-bearer for the new species.

the institute’s herpetology collection

of 333,000 frogs, toads, salamanders,

snakes, lizards and turtles is among the

best in the world and includes about 600

holotypes, each one representing a new

species discovered by a Ku scientist.

GuiAnAn cOcK-Of-tHe-rOcKRupicola rupicola

AndeAn cOcK-Of-tHe-rOcKRupicola peruvianus

the Guianan cock-of-the-rock, left, lives

only in the Guianas, adjacent Venezuela

and extreme northern Brazil; the Andean

cock-of-the-rock is found only in the

Andes of south America. Both mate in an

unusual way: Males congregate in groups

and perform elaborate, complex displays

to attract females.

collections help researchers to map

current and past geographic distributions

of species. using sophisticated software,

institute researchers can also create

models of the ecological niche of species

and forecast how their geographic ranges

might shift with changes in climate. this

information can then be used to predict

the potential spread of diseases carried

by a particular species, the invasion of

pest animals and plants, and the ecological

changes these invaders might cause.

for example, beginning in 2001, a team

of Biodiversity institute researchers

led by ornithology curator A. townsend

Peterson used predictive modeling to

forecast the spread of the West nile

virus. the team first determined where

bird populations affected by the virus,

such as crows and jays, overlapped with

mosquito populations, which were known

to carry the virus. if infected birds in

one state traveled to another, the team

theorized, mosquitoes might transmit the

virus to uninfected birds. As the newly

infected birds migrated, they would

carry the disease with them. By modeling

the movement of bird populations,

the team successfully predicted the

progression of the disease in north

America, and provided that information

to federal agencies to monitor and help

stem the spread of the virus.

18 | Ku GiviNG | wiNter 2012

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 19

AndeAn cOcK-Of-tHe-rOcKRupicola peruvianus

the polar bears, mountain goats and walrus that greet

visitors to the Ku natural History Museum are part of

one of Ku’s most famous exhibits, and one of its oldest.

the panorama of north American Plants and Animals

wowed visitors to the Kansas pavilion at the 1893 columbian

exposition, a world’s fair in chicago. the naturalist Lewis

Lindsay dyche shipped seven railroad cars of animals from

Ku’s collections and painstakingly arranged them in a lifelike

panorama. As many as 20,000 people came each day

to see the examples of dyche’s mastery of taxidermy.

the acclaim the Panorama earned for Kansas, and the need to

better house the rest of Ku’s burgeoning collections, helped

dyche lobby for a new, permanent building at the heart of Ku’s

early campus. Architects designed what is now known as dyche

Hall, completed in 1903, around the centerpiece Panorama.

still on display almost 120 years after the fair, some of these

specimens show their age. Animal hides that dyche soaked in

saltwater and arranged over wood, wire and clay mounts have

begun to crack. the museum’s exhibit staff have modified the

Panorama to help stem the deterioration of the animals in the

exhibit, but more serious conservation measures are needed to

reverse years of damage from exposure to fluorescent lights,

dust, and large swings in temperature and humidity.

About 95 percent of the Biodiversity institute’s resources are

tied to its research mission. from the Panorama to spectacular

fossils from the Kansas chalk beds, frogs from the Philippines

and butterflies from south America, the museum’s exhibits tell

the grand stories of the institute’s research and discoveries

in understanding the life of the planet. this year, an institute

strategic priority is to raise funds for a comprehensive

assessment of the Panorama, to plan how to best preserve this

Kansas historic treasure for future generations.

HArLeQuin frOGsAtelopus spp.

When these frogs were collected in the

1960s, they were considered one species

based on their physical characteristics.

new analytic technologies have shown

they represent at least four species,

some of which are now thought to be

extinct. the Biodiversity institute will

have a greater capacity for genetic

research after a major $4.5 million

laboratory expansion made possible by

federal and state funds, and gifts from

donors, to be completed in 2013.

20 | Ku GiviNG | wiNter 2012

By Jessica Sain-Baird

A community of, by and for scholars

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 21

An unusual arrangementKU’s “schol halls” provide cooperative housing in small groups. About 50 students live in each hall, all located directly east of the main campus. Students govern themselves, overseeing the rules and ways of life in the halls as proctors and food board managers. Each has a president, treasurer and other officers. Graduate students studying student affairs or higher education serve as scholarship hall directors.

“When people tell me stories of life in the scholarship halls,” said Diana Robertson, director of student housing, “a lot has to do with cooking and the interdependency on each other.”

Nearly every aspect of schol hall life revolves around interdependency — residents take turns cooking three meals a day, clean the hall, and organize social and community service events. Each meal is a sit-down affair with all housemates who can make it. Since many students have hectic schedules, the kitchens are open to residents 24 hours a day.

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Dayona Nett cooking in the kitchen at Douthart today.

Dayona Nett has lived at Douthart Scholarship Hall

for the past four years. A senior from Kingman, Kan., she serves as treasurer of the hall, cooks lunch once a week for her fellow residents (she calls them some of the “coolest women” she’s ever met) and leads the scholarship hall community as president of the All-Scholarship Hall Council.

“There are a lot of great benefits to living in the scholarship hall community,” she says. “It’s a really great location, and it’s a very close-knit community. After a month of moving to a scholarship hall, you probably know people in every single hall.”

22 | Ku GiviNG | wiNter 2012

Battenfeld, 1940, men; Jesse and Margaret Battenfeld, in memory of their son, John. Sellards, 1952, women; Pearson, 1952, men; and Grace Pearson, 1955, men; J.R. and Gertrude Sellards Pearson, a 1901 KU alumna. Stephenson, 1952, men; partly funded by Grace

Stephenson, in honor of her husband, Lyle Stephenson. Douthart, 1954, women; Burt Chronister, in memory of his wife, Ava Douthart Chronister, a 1901 graduate, and her sister Lela Douthart, an 1899 alumna. K.K. Amini, 1992, men; K.K. and Margaret Amini. Margaret Amini, 2000, women; K.K. and Margaret Amini. Dennis E. Rieger, 2005, women; Annette and Roger Rieger, in honor of Roger’s brother. Floyd H. and Kathryn Krehbiel, 2008, men; Karl Krehbiel, in honor of his parents. He gave an additional $400,000 to establish a hall maintenance fund, as Watkins had done with the first two scholarship halls. Crawford Community Center, 2007, not a residence but a convenient place for all scholarship hall residents to study or hold meetings. Originally the home of KU Professor Reginald Strait and his wife, Juanita. She bequeathed it to KU Endowment, and Tom and Jann Rudkin funded its renovation; it’s named for Jann’s mother.

The long history of scholarship halls is built on generous private gifts, starting with two from Elizabeth Miller Watkins. She funded Watkins Scholarship Hall in 1926 and Miller Scholarship Hall in 1937, the first two halls of their kind in the country. Watkins was instrumental in the design and operation of

this new type of housing. The scholarship hall community has since grown to 12, six for men and six for women. The halls, the years they opened, and the donors whose gifts made them possible:

From two, now twelve

In return, their cost of living is lower than if they lived in a residence hall — they save up to $1,600 per year. Because of the halls’ popularity, residents must meet some scholarly requirements. Prospective residents must write two essays. Residents read the essays, and incoming residents are placed in halls based on their preferences and assigned scores of their essays. To stay on, residents must pass at least 28 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA (residents average a 3.3 GPA).

A memorable experience“Scholarship hall students develop a deep and lifelong affection for the university,” Margaret Battenfeld Hashinger, who funded Battenfeld Hall, said in 1974. It’s still true. Schol hall residents join a genuine community, and it can be life-changing.

“For me, the scholarship halls are more than just a place to live — they are a family tradition,” said Stephen “Sai” Folmsbee, the first president of Krehbiel Hall.

The experience has led to growth of the scholarship hall community — several of the newer halls were funded by alumni of older scholarship halls who wanted to contribute to the community that had made their time at KU so exceptional.

KU’s first Iranian student, K.K. Amini, lived in Battenfeld Hall in the mid-1940s and met his wife, Margaret, when she wrote a story about him for The University Daily Kansan. Years later, the couple funded K.K. Amini Scholarship Hall.

“All I can say is, this is my American dream,” K.K. said at the dedication of the hall. The couple also funded Margaret Amini Hall, an architectural twin of the first.

Annette and Roger Rieger, alumni of Douthart and Battenfeld, funded Rieger Hall in memory of Roger’s late brother Dennis. And when Karl Krehbiel funded Krehbiel Hall in honor of his parents, he explained, “I had a great experience living in Stephenson Scholarship Hall when I was a student.”

The nearly 600 residents of the schol halls hear about the halls’ history every year. They honor their halls’ namesakes in various ways. The women of Douthart Hall call themselves “Douthartians,” and residents of Stephenson Hall, named for Lyle Stephenson, call themselves “Lylemen.” Battenfeld Hall residents award scholarships each year to residents who display notable leadership or contribute in outstanding ways to the hall.

When Elizabeth Watkins funded the first scholarship hall, she wasn’t entirely sure of the idea. The experiment has turned out well, and continues with good result. “The scholarship halls are one of KU’s greatest gems,” Robertson said. “Some schools may have only one, and here it’s a whole community that is very rich in tradition.”

Archival photographs from Spencer Research Library, KU Libraries

Watkins Scholarship Hall, 1926

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 23

Battenfeld

Battenfeld Miller

Pearson

K.K. Amini: An annual “Amini Weenie Roast”; Margaret Amini: A 30-second “screaming break” during finals week; Battenfeld: An annual Casino Night; Douthart: Candle lightings for residents to announce news such as engagements and acceptance into graduate school; Grace Pearson: Taking a dip in the scholarship hall fountain before singing to women’s halls at the beginning of the school year; Krehbiel: Playing drums in the hallways during finals week’s “loud hour”; Miller: An annual alumni tea; Pearson: Hosting “Breakfast, Shmeckfast” — residents cook and serve breakfast to the scholarship hall community

at midnight; Rieger: Fireside chats around the fireplace with treats, coffee and hot chocolate; Sellards: An annual International Dinner, with alumnae invited back to enjoy the chosen country’s cuisine; Stephenson: An annual “superhero” party and home of fictional resident Wilbur Q. Nether; Watkins: A pair of stuffed llamas as mascots (Supposedly, in the early 1970s, when a Peruvian resident of Watkins couldn’t afford a plane ticket home during Christmas break, Watkins women paid for her ticket, and she brought back stuffed llamas); All-Scholarship Hall Council: An annual fountain dance.

Remind me why we do thisThe scholarship halls have many serious long-lasting traditions — student retention, support for studying abroad and a strong sense of community. Each hall also has lighthearted traditions, many of them decades old.

Back to the ’50s

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An archive of imagination

new at KU

24 | Ku GiviNG | wiNter 2012

The late science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon often counseled, “Ask the next question.” KU students and scholars curious about his work now can do just that, right here on campus. The Sturgeon Literary Trust recently donated the definitive archive of his materials to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library.

The Sturgeon Collection contains books, papers, manuscripts and correspondence. Among the treasures is the original manuscript for Sturgeon’s best-known novel, More than Human, and the screenplay for “Amok Time,” the award-winning Star Trek episode that introduced the famous Vulcan phrase, “Live long and prosper.” The collection is valued at more than $535,000.

Sturgeon is considered one of the most influential writers of the Golden Age of science fiction, along with Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and Robert Heinlein. He transformed the pulp magazine short story into an art form and had an intuitive ability to convey human emotions. He earned nearly every major science fiction literary award, including the Hugo, the Nebula and the International Fantasy Award, and was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

James Gunn, professor emeritus of English and director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction, invited Sturgeon in 1975 to be a visiting writer at the Intensive English Institute on the Teaching of Science Fiction. Sturgeon continued to collaborate with writers every summer until his death in 1985. The Center now annually presents the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short science fiction.

— Valerie Gieler

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 25

greater KU FUndgreater KU FUnd

Inquiring minds

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This year, KU’s annual Undergraduate Research Awards are giving 48 inquisitive students the funding necessary to support original, independent research. The current award recipients have tackled a wide array of research projects. A few examples:Engineering Physics: Caleb Michael Christianson, sophomore, is working to develop a biosensor probe just one-fifth to one-third the diameter of a human hair but strong enough to be implanted in tissue, for research related to disorders of the central nervous system.

Humanities, Linguistics and Music Composition: Jason Evan Charney, senior, is creating an original composition for a chamber ensemble in two movements inspired by energy from the twilight periods of dawn and dusk.Psychology: Mary Zinnanti Pisciotta, senior, pursues an understanding of the role war memorials play in shaping individual feelings of nationalism and other attitudes, such as support for military spending and U.S. intervention abroad.Design: Riley D. Griffith, senior, aims to develop a radically new design for a

dental chair that better serves the health and comfort of dental professionals.Electrical Engineering: Angela Ndhuya Oguna, senior, has focused on identifying technologies that municipal utilities could use to improve their performance and lower customer utility costs.

The University Honors Program administers the research awards, in part with unrestricted private donations to KU Endowment’s Greater KU Fund. This financial support opens the door for promising students who aspire to pursue their passions.

— Katie Coffman

26 | Ku GiviNG | wiNter 2012

THE FAITHFUl

The reading room at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library is still quiet, but almost everything else about it has changed. A gift from longtime faculty member Marilyn Stokstad has turned what was two rooms and a half-dozen offices into a single, welcoming space.

The 5,000-square-foot renovation includes a new interior entryway, a more inviting central service desk and an enclosed area for small groups within the reading room. Improved electrical and data wiring, indirect lighting and resilient cork flooring completed the transformation.

“I want to improve the student experience,” Stokstad said. “I don’t have any children except my KU students, so why not look after them? You never know what is going to affect a particular student. Someone who has never looked at this kind of material before could become one of our greatest scholars.”

She joined KU’s art history faculty in 1958 and served as director of the KU Museum of Art from 1961 to 1968. When the Helen F. Spencer Museum of Art was built, she became senior curator.

She assumed emeritus status in 1997. Her book Art History, now in its fourth edition, has been widely adopted as a college text.

She was inducted into the KU Women’s Hall of Fame in 1972 and received the Chancellors Club Career Teaching Award in 1997. She is a Chancellors Club Life Member, an Elizabeth Watkins Society member

and — not least — a men’s basketball season ticket holder.

Stokstad’s $250,000 gift for the reading room was one of the largest the Libraries had ever received. She has

made almost 270 gifts to KU, supporting the Spencer Museum of Art, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Lied Center and numerous other causes.

“Giving just seems the reasonable thing, the best thing I can do,” she said. “Instead of doing a lot of little things, I’d rather do a big thing every once in a while.” — Charles Higginson

Come on in, the reading’s fine

“I’m speechless.” — Marilyn Stokstad, Judith Harris Murphy Distinguished Professor Emerita of Art History, during her first visit to the revamped reading room.

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“I want to improve the student experience. I don’t have any children except my KU students, so why not look after them?” — marilyn stokstad

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 27

KU VOICES

In more than 30 years as a member of KU’s administrative staff, Jeannette Johnson has worked as assistant to deans, executive vice chancellors and provosts. She’s now director of the Policy Office, a division of the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor. For the 2009-2010 academic year, she was president of the Unclassified Senate, which represents all unclassified professional staff. She has served on numerous search and administrative review committees. She holds two degrees in Germanic Languages and Literatures from KU.

How do staff contribute to the university’s excellence?Staff enable faculty members to research, teach and provide service without having to handle the administrative or clerical work. Staff are involved in all aspects of the university, from research, recruiting and business functions to street repair and landscaping. Commencement is a great example. It is amazing what Facilities Operations does to make things look beautiful and what other staff do to ensure that the events are successful. As a guest, you just take it all in, but it takes more than a village to keep this place going.

What do you keep in mind when formulating university policies? The university is a special place, much different from a commercial entity. We want to foster knowledge and intellectual growth. To do that, you have to strongly support First Amendment rights and academic freedom. You have to be very thoughtful about what the law or good practice requires, while ensuring that you don’t affect academic freedom or the open marketplace of ideas.

We’re great believers in fairness, open inquiry and due process. We’re trained to look at both sides. Universities by nature are decentralized organisms, and there is a lot of debate about any major change. I think it’s healthy.

Talk about some highlights from your time in Strong Hall.Del Shankel was absolutely wonderful to work with as executive vice chancellor. In meetings with him, I got to listen to the interchange between experienced administrators who knew the university and their colleagues very well. I learned about the give and take of people of integrity. They would have very direct, spirited debates, but those debates were always about issues; they were not personal.

Then Bob Cobb came into that position, and he was also a tremendously wise person. If I asked a question, he would give me an honest answer and also enough background that I could understand why we did something.

How do you go about recruiting high-quality candidates for administrative positions?Making sure we’ve got the best person is important, of course. But another important part of a search committee’s job is selling this institution. I never minded driving people to the airport or their next appointment on campus, because that was my opportunity to tell them why I’m here, and why they ought to want to be here. To let them know that they could, over time, have the affection for this university that I have.

How have you seen the effect of private philanthropy at KU?I saw it before I ever walked this campus. Before I started graduate study, the German Department offered me a fellowship that funded a trip to a summer institute in Germany. I could

not have taken that trip without that gift from people I’d never met. I see many ways that a relatively small amount of money can help an individual. For example, there’s a graduate student travel fund. The awards aren’t huge, but they enable students to attend professional conferences or research at another library. It gets them just that little bit farther down the road.

The people who have been responsible for stewarding our resources have been very good at it, very ethical, and donors have reason to believe that their money will be used for good purposes.

The enduring heart of the university

After more than 30 years on Ku’s

administrative staff, Jeannette Johnson

knows her way around Strong Hall.

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among Friends

28 | Ku GiviNG | wiNter 2012

Visit kuendowment.phanfare.com Our online photo gallery is chock full of ’Hawks. find yourself and Ku friends at these recent events that brought the flock together:

reception at kauffman center for the performing arts, nov. 13

christina hixson visits with hixson scholars, oct. 27

nason family award for excellence in family medicine education, oct. 20

chancellors club pre-game brunch, oct. 1

chancellors club reception, sept. 30

annual meeting of ku endowment board of trustees, sept. 30

This year saw the 10th anniversary of Treads and Threads, an annual black-tie event at the Kansas Speedway to benefit The University of Kansas Hospital. Donors set records in both attendance and fundraising numbers, with 3,600 guests and $785,000 raised to support cancer care at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. U.S. Bank was entertainment sponsor, presenting country music star and Kansas native Martina McBride, and Kansas City-based law firm Polsinelli Shugart PC was presenting sponsor.

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Ten-year toast

Tom and Judy Bowser (left), honorary chairs, and Mark and Mary Jorgenson, event co-chairs, hosted the 10th annual Treads & Threads. Tom Bowser

recently retired as president and cEO of Blue cross and Blue Shield of Kansas city, and Mark Jorgenson is president and cEO of u.S. Bank.

KueNDowMeNt.orG | 29

PAST AND PRESENT

Since 1912, a steam whistle has trumpeted the end of class periods on Mount Oread, often startling unprepared pedestrians. The original whistle sang from atop the campus power plant for about 30 years. The second, nicknamed “Big Tooter,” blew for about 60 years before suffering an irreparable crack Jan. 22, 2003.

Lawrence surgeon Neal Lintecum (M.D. 1990) and his wife, Julie, pledged to cover acquisition of a third whistle. It was installed in late April, breaking three months of end-of-class silence. The Lintecums’ gift honored Neal’s father, Dean, a 1955 KU architecture alumnus who directed his own architecture firm for more than 30 years.

Dean Lintecum died two days before Big Tooter’s last blast. Neal said, “My father’s funeral was the day the whistle went out, so this gift makes a fitting way to carry on his memory.”

— Charles Higginson

“Whooooooooooooooooooooo!” If you’ve spent any time on Ku’s lawrence campus, you know the sound.

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The blast that lasts

P.o. Box 928lawrence, kS 66044-0928

non-Profit org.U.S. Postage

PaIDlawrence, kansas

Permit no. 72

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Make a gift to build a greater university at www.kuendowment.org/givetoku

Veterans’ Day vigil, Ku’s Vietnam War Memorial, November 11, 2011