KU Kudos: Jayhawk faculty and staff achievements, December 2022

LAWRENCE — 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 Jan. 13, 2023, for the next edition. Self-nominations are encouraged, with more information available here.

Emily Arnold and Haiyang Chao, both associate professors of aerospace engineering, and KU alumnus Wes Ryan were named associate fellows for the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics class of 2023.

Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law, testified Dec. 7 to the U.K. House of Commons, International Trade Committee, at its “Human Rights Session for UK-GCC Trade Inquiry.” Bhala’s testimony was about the use of free trade agreements to advance the rights of women and LGBTQ+ persons.

Faculty from KU's Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science & Athletic Training presented at the American Physical Therapy Association's Education Leadership Conference earlier this fall in Milwaukee. Giving talks were Karen Bock, Yvonne Colgrove, Linda D'Silva, Stephen Jernigan, Patricia Kluding, Scarlett Morris and Jason Rucker. Rucker also received a commendation for his service on the nominating committee of the Simulation in Physical Therapy Education Consortium. 

Kent Bradley, clinical professor and vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, was honored as the first "Kansas Section Legend in Obstetrics & Gynecology" awardee from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Kansas Section. 

Dave Burnett, associate dean for faculty practice and community partnership and chair of the Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science, presented at the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions 2022 Conference. His talk covered an interprofessional model for treating long COVID. 

Anthony Fehr, assistant professor of molecular biosciences, was invited to serve as an editorial board member for the Journal of Virology.

Zak Foste, Amanda Mollet and Gene Parker III, all faculty members in the School of Education & Human Sciences, were among the scheduled presenters at the 2022 conference of the Association for the Study of Higher Education.

Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, has been named to the national board of directors for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. 

Steven Johnson Jr., assistant dean of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the School of Business, was selected as a member of the 2023 cohort of American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Diamond Honorees. This program recognizes individuals who display a sustained commitment to higher education through student affairs and student development.

Rachna Kalia, clinical associate professor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences, has been appointed to the Kansas Medicaid Mental Health Advisory Committee. Kalia will represent psychiatrists of the state of Kansas at large and bring psychiatry’s voice concerning the utilization of psychiatric medications to the Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Board.

Allison Kirkpatrick, assistant professor of physics & astronomy, was named a plenary speaker for the January meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Alyssa Reed, international student adviser, has been named chair of the Kansas International Educators. She begins her role in January 2023.

Tarun Sabarwal, professor of economics, has been inducted into the Marquis Who's Who in America in recognition of his expertise in economics and finance. 

John Symons, professor of philosophy, was elected to be a member of the International Academy of Philosophy of Science. 

KU occupational therapy faculty member Tobia Zanotto received the 2022 Neurodegenerative Diseases Networking Group Early Career Poster Award from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. It is in recognition of his poster titled "Frailty in People with Multiple Sclerosis Who Use Wheelchairs or Scooters" and was presented at the organization's annual conference.

In case you missed it

Shannon Blunt, Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, will serve as the first editor of IEEE Transactions on Radar Systems, a new online journal published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

A team project led by Masoud Kalantari, associate professor of chemical & petroleum engineering, received the “Breakthrough Research of the Year” award at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC), sponsored by the Society of Petroleum Engineers.