Jayhawk Planet 2019-2020

Winter 2019-20 / Volume 20

THE

J AY H AW K PLANET The Newsletter for the University of Kansas Study Abroad Alumni and Friends

Hannah Duff studied abroad in Peru during the 2013 spring semester. While abroad, she conducted research on gold mining conflicts for her Global Scholars Research project. Duff received a Global Scholars scholarship and a KU Study Abroad Scholarship to support her incountry research. Duff says her Global Scholars experience helped her decide to join Peace Corps Paraguay after her graduation in May 2014.

GLOBAL SCHOLARS Beth Fentress, first row, bottom right

PROGRAM SHAPES LIFE TRAJECTORIES During her KU Global Scholars seminar course, Beth Fentress was asked to draw a segment of a tree trunk with rings, and in each ring to write an event that changed her life. The assignment was intended to have her think about patterns and decisions that led her to that moment and where she wanted to go from there.

Fentress knew where she was going and that was China. Thanks to the Global Scholars Scholarship and financial support from Study Abroad & Global Engagement, she was able to leave the country for the first time. She spent the summer of her sophomore year in Beijing and the 2015-16 academic year in Nanjing.

She credits her time in China for helping her to see different ways of living from those of her small Kansas hometown and to connect with many people in both English and Chinese.

“I can say simply and truthfully that the Global Scholars Program is now one of the rings in my tree.

It was the starting point of many significant changes in my life,” said Fentress, who graduated in 2018 with degrees in Speech-Language-

Hearing and East Asian Languages and Cultures.

Today, Fentress lives in Leshan, China, and teaches university-level English courses through the Peace Corps. Her days are busy facilitating English activities, eating spicy Leshan food, attending school events, and playing Mahjong with coworkers.

“My professional and personal life is the culmination of programs that encouraged me to ask the right questions, validate other people’s stories, learn from everyone, and live fully. This is the importance of globally focused, academic programs.”

In 2010, the then Office of International Programs, now International Affairs, created the Global Scholars Program with support from the Center for Global and International Studies and the Honors Program. Global Scholars is modeled after the long-running University Scholars Program, and like University Scholars, an interdisciplinary seminar serves as the foundation for the 15 sophomores selected as Global Scholars each year. The specially designed seminar course has focused on a different theme each year, including imperialism, memory,

healthcare, dance, and biodiversity.

In addition to taking the seminar, Global Scholars conduct a facultymentored research project that they present their senior year at the Global Scholars Research Symposium. Project ideas often grow out of Scholars’ time abroad, which is supported in part by the Global Scholars Scholarship. For example, while studying abroad in Trier, Germany, Global Scholar Claire Zimmerman was inspired to create a new typeface. Global Scholar Sam Eastes studied abroad in Costa Rica and began researching the factors contributing to the migration of LGBT Refugees in Central America. The experience of living in another nation is an important part of the Global Scholars program.

Matthew Dunn, a member of the 2015 cohort, took part in one of the more athletically strenuous seminars.

Professor Michelle Heffner Hayes, chair of Theatre and Dance, led the seminar, “From the Social to the Global: Seeing the World through Flamenco and Latin Popular Dance.”

The class combined methodologies from anthropology, sociology, women’s studies, queer studies,

and critical dance studies to learn about flamenco, salsa and merengue in their different cultural contexts, and how identities are constructed and performed. Classes met in a dance studio and a lecture room to create a hybrid format of investigation.

“The seminar itself was not only the most fun course of my KU career, but it was also one of the most intellectually stimulating and personally rewarding,” Dunn said. “Actually dancing salsa and flamenco in the studio gave me a greater appreciation for the role of music and dance in different cultures and inadvertently caused me to ‘come out of my shell,’ helping me become a more confident individual.”

After the seminar, Dunn started conducting research under the direction of Andrew Denning, associate professor in history, on the role the Belgian clandestine press played in supporting a national identity during the German occupation in World War I. Through his Global Scholars scholarship, Dunn conducted archival research in Belgium, which was central to his Global Scholars research project and his honors thesis in history Dunn says the Global Scholars program was easily one of his most beneficial experiences at KU. “Participating in Dr. Heffner-Hayes’ seminar and being able to complete original research as an undergraduate student were exceptionally beneficial to my intellectual development, and also

made my resume stand out from other applicants during my job search,” said Dunn, who earned his B.A. in History and Co-Major in European Studies from KU in 2018. The Global Scholars scholarship was a critical piece in that puzzle.

Earlier this fall, the 2019 Global Scholars cohort was selected. It is made up of a strong and diverse group of scholars who will explore the historical development and contemporary dynamics of mobility in a global context in Professor Denning’s seminar course next spring.

In addition to the seminar and research components, the program aims to provide every Scholar with a $1,000$1,500 scholarship to study abroad. The scholarship is dependent on generous donations from alumni and friends.

“The Global Scholars program seeks to deeply immerse scholars into the international context of their disciplines and through that experience further their sense of how their lives and careers will be intimately connected with those of others around the globe,” said Charles Bankart, Associate Vice Provost of International Affairs. “As society becomes increasingly intertwined and complex, universities like KU have a responsibility to ensure our students become empowered and responsibly engaged participants in the world around them. I can think of no better way to gain an appreciation for that than having an immersive experience abroad.”

SU PPOR T TH E GLOBA L S CH O L AR S PR OGR A M Scholarships to support Global Scholars in achieving their study or research goals are made possible through the generosity of our donors.

You can read more about this amazing program, meet current and former Global Scholars, and support scholarships for future scholars at launchku.org/globalscholars.

The scholarship campaign kicks-off on November 25th, 2019!

D ID YOU K NOW ?

111 G LO BAL SC HOLAR S H AVE RE CEI VED S CH O LARSHI P S FOR RE S E ARCH AND ST UDY AB ROAD

O U R G LO BAL S CH O LARS HAVE STU DIE D ABR OAD I N 34 DISTINCT COUNT R I ES

Winter 2019-20 / Volume 20

KU SPA N I SH DEPA RTMEN T C EL E BRATES 100 Y EA R S The Department of Spanish & Portuguese at the University of Kansas commemorated its 100-year anniversary this fall!

The centennial celebration, themed “One Hundred Years of Hispanism in Kansas and Beyond,” included a two-day symposium on October 17-18 featuring presentations from KU, U.S. and international scholars on professional trajectories and lived learning, peripheries of race and gender, cultural competencies, new pedagogies in language learning, Jayhawks in academic leadership and more. A feature event of the celebration was the Centennial Gala, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Danny Anderson, President of Trinity University and former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor in the Spanish Department at KU. Ms. Mari Keyser, Program Coordinator for Spain and Latin America in Study Abroad & Global Engagement, was one of two KU staff members recognized by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the Centennial Gala. In selecting Mari for recognition, the department acknowledged her exceptional and longstanding service as coordinator of their study abroad programs and her commitment to enhancing the learning experience of undergraduate students in the Spanish major and minor, and Portuguese minor. Stated Santa Arias, Professor in Spanish and Portuguese, “Mari always has the best interest of the students at heart and encourages them to travel, learn, and continue learning a world language. We are grateful for her service!”

Winter 2019-20 / Volume 20

KU P R O F E SS O R L E A DS A R E CO RD 51 ST U DY AB R OA D P R O GR AMS . . .

A N D CO U N T I N G! KU English Professor Mary Klayder has just three rules for the students who travel with her study abroad programs: Rule #1: Have a good time.

Rule #2: Let her have a good time Rule #3: Don’t let Rule #1 interfere with Rule #2 Those guidelines have paved the way for transformative experiences among the more than 1,100 students who have studied abroad with Klayder during KU’s winter, spring and summer breaks.

Over the summer, Klayder led her 51st study abroad program as she took students on a month-long journey through Great Britain. For that record-breaking accomplishment in international education, KU International Affairs and Study Abroad & Global Engagement honored Klayder at a reception in October. Klayder is the associate director of undergraduate studies and University Honors lecturer in the Department of English and a Faculty Fellow for the University Honors Program. “KU has many wonderful faculty who are dedicated to providing international education opportunities to our students,” said Angela Perryman, Director of Study Abroad & Global Engagement, “but no one at KU - and quite possibly across the United States - comes close to matching Mary’s achievements in this area.”

Ten years after participating in Klayder’s programs, Mason Heilman, a 2011 graduate in political science and secondary education, can still recite the rules Klayder established. But, it was her Rule #2 (let her have a good time) that shaped his outlook on traveling, which included periods of studying and living abroad.

“She taught me that traveling is meant to be an exploration,” Heilman said. “I watched as she explored with wide-eyed enthusiasm while encouraging us to do the same. She

gave me the courage and wonder to live abroad, and I can only hope I am someday able to pay that sense of excitement forward.”

Traveling for nearly two months of the year, Klayder leads students on three unique study abroad programs at KU: a two-week program to Costa Rica during winter break, a 10-day program in London over spring break and a month-long program in Great Britain in June. After participating in one of her programs, many KU students attempt to complete “the trifecta”, or all three programs, prior to graduation.

Heilman’s trip to Costa Rica with Klayder’s program was only his second time outside the United States. He later participated in the London Review and met-up with the BSI program for a weekend in London. Heilman said Klayder’s programs gave him the confidence to do an entire semester abroad in Spain. Heilman, who now lives in Boston and works for the Massachusetts state legislature, lived abroad and continues to travel incessantly, a universal trait among the classmates in his programs.

“It was such a big part of my experience at KU and probably one of my most transformative,” Heilman said.

That same sentiment was echoed over and over in the words of the many alumni who submitted their reflections on the personal, academic and professional impact of their study abroad experience(s) with Klayder.

“Dr. Klayder is a stellar example of the power of a single individual to create far-reaching change in individuals and institutions” said Director Perryman.

“The impact of her work extends far beyond the more than 1,100 students who have studied abroad with her to the lives of those with whom they interact, the organizations in which they work, and the communities in which they live and serve.”

STUDY ABROAD & GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT THANKS THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR THEIR SUPPORT

Mary Klayder leads her 51st study abroad program - the 2019 British Summer Institute

145 UNIV E RSI T Y O F KA N SAS STUD ENTS RE C E I V E F R E E PASSPOR TS On September 30th, 145 KU undergraduate students took part in the first-ever Passport Caravan, a unique event developed in partnership between KU Undergraduate Studies, International Affairs, Study Abroad & Global Engagement and the nonprofit international education organization, the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), of which KU is a member.

Through the provision of free passports to students, the Passport Caravan aimed to support diverse students in taking the initial step toward participation in a study abroad program. Eligible students included first-generation college students, highneed/Pell Grant-eligible students, and students traditionally underrepresented in Study Abroad. In addition to passport submission services, the event featured an International Opportunities Fair to highlight study abroad opportunities, the Global Awareness Program, language and area studies degrees, and diverse student alumni of international education.

International education has measurable academic and career benefits for all students, yet KU data indicate that females and white students are more likely to study abroad than other student populations. That’s true nationally as well. The Institute of International Education, an organization that tracks study abroad data through the annual Open Doors Report, indicates that 67 percent of students who studied abroad in 2017-18 were women while 70 percent were white.

“One of the primary goals of KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement is to increase the number and diversity of students participating in education abroad, such that the population of study abroad students mirrors the KU undergraduate student population across all (academic majors and student demographics)” stated Angela Perryman, Director of SAGE. “The Passport Caravan directly supports this goal by providing students access to a passport and the resources and motivation to use it during their tenure at KU.”

Jill Allen Madeline Allen-Kasten Abigail Ambrose Sandra & Michael Arbuthnot Julianne Jenkins & John D. Arendt Bruce Osen & Jane Averill Cynthia Baker Charles & Kimberly Bankart Linda Bankes Charles & Nancy Batchelder April Benson Casey & Jacklyn Biggs Kristen Blackton Sarah Bluvas Jan Bolinger Magdalena & Robert Boroujerdi Ruth Bradshaw Melissa Bright Aaron Slater & Katherine Brockman Carol Ann Adams Brown & Clifton Brown Melissa Buckelew Summers Joan Budd Elizabeth Bundschu Bresette G. Wayne Burge Rosemary Burgweger Janet Buttery Kathryn Carroll Peter and Rosalea Postma Carttar Jennifer Cassell Cynthia Caywood Maggie Childs Danielle Christiano Susan & Bryce Clarke Erin Collins Kerry Comiskey Bridget Compton April Davies Deborah Davies & Marc Lowenstien Davies Cynthia Adams Davis Mary Elizabeth Debicki Dipankar Dey Vickie and David Doll Susan D’Orazi Shannon Doyle Pope Kirsten Drickey & Dr.Kendall Whitney Drickey Mryl Duncan Elizabeth & Jordan Edwards Abby Ehling Andrea Eickholt Janet Schrunk Ericksen Lauren Erickson Whitney Escalante Donald & Coralee Evans Kathryn Favrow Viron & Martha Feagan Helen Cheng & David Frey Hadley Galbraith Emily & Ashford Galbreath John Galloway Kate Giessel Aaron Gillespie Mary Jo Glanville

Winter 2019-20 / Volume 20

THANK YOU! Sierra Glasscock Mark Glassman Suzanna Green Linda Baker Green Shannon Green-Kingery Michael Gresser Beth Gurney Wendy Haas Mark Hageman Taylor Hannah-Peter & Daniel Peterson Sandra Hannon Jodi & David Hanson Kelley Hayden Kayley Hemmy Conrad Henderson Harley Hill Tiffany Holthus Donna Manning Horner Nicole Horton Erin Hubert Stephen & Mary Anne Hughes Olivia Hunter Alexandra Hyler Julie Jones Lisa Jones James Jones Robert Kafalenos Kimberly Loeffert Keller & Kristopher Keller Glen Kemper Hon. Joan Fowler Kessler Benjamin & Jessica Kirby Christina Kuebler Nathan Ladd Jacquelyn Langdon Brooke Lapke Steve Larsen Brett Leopold & Heather Lieth Tracie Lewis Adam Lindenlaub & Deborah Slatkin Lindenlaub Nicholas Manoogian Patrick Mawhinney Mark McBride Andrew McDonald Jennifer & Vanja Mehmedovic Susan Vernon Meier Joshua Mermis Thomas Mertz Cynthia Ulery Meyer Gus & Cheryl Meyer Tamara & Steven Mikinski Daniel & Jadi Miller David & Susan Millstien Sarah Misemer Paul Monson Susan Morgenthaler Stephanie Emert Morrison & Steven Morrison Marcy Neal Marilee Neale Margot Jean Nelson Isabel Nogues Frank Norman JoAnn Nunnink Harley Oberhelman Patricia & Edward O’Day Andrew Orton David Oswald

Winter 2019-20 / Volume 20

SC HO LARS H IP S E NABLE STUDE NT TO GAI N HAN DS-ON E X P E RIE NCE IN JAPAN Kelsey Norris’ interest in Asian cultures began while she was on active duty in Hawai’i. Norris joined the U.S. Air Force after graduating high school, which provided her with opportunities to travel. While stationed in Oahu she gained exposure to Japanese tourism and cuisine and was inspired to learn more about Japan and its cultural and geopolitical role in East Asia.

Today, Norris is a senior at KU. She will graduate in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Global & International Studies and a minor in East Asian Languages & Cultures. Since her time in the U.S. Air Force, Kelsey has traveled twice to Japan, participating in two KU summer study abroad programs. Her first international education experience as a KU student was to Lawrence’s sister city, Hiratsuka, through the “Japan Then and Now” program.

“During my first visit to Japan, I absolutely fell in love with the country.

I loved the aesthetic of major cities like Tokyo, with the juxtaposition of the very old and ultra-modern. I also discovered that I am really interested in Japanese history. I think this stems from coming from a country with a relatively short history by comparison. I feel like I could spend the rest of my adult life studying Japanese history and still always be learning something new.”

For Norris, funding had a significant influence on her decisions to study abroad. As a recipient of the GI Bill, she selected programs that enabled her to enroll in KU courses taught in Japan.

As a result, she was able to access this funding with ease.

Norris decided to pursue a minor in East Asian Languages & Cultures following her first visit to Japan. Through her KU coursework, her interest in Japanese culture grew, as did her desire to return to the country. Kelsey applied to participate in the “Internships in Tokyo, Japan” summer education abroad program. Supported by the Freeman Foundation Scholarship for East Asia Internships, Kelsey completed an 8-week internship at Undokaiya, an events company that specializes in organizing morale and team building activities for other organizations.

“Without the Freeman Foundation Scholarship I absolutely would not have been able to study abroad for a second time. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and I loved every moment of my internship experience. Through my internship, I learned that I am capable of living and working overseas. I plan on applying to the JET program and other English teaching jobs in Japan next year because of the positive experiences I have had thus far.”

Norris now works in Study Abroad & Global Engagement as a peer advisor where she meets with prospective study abroad students. Her favorite aspect of her job is talking about her experiences in Japan and encouraging students to step outside of their comfort zone and try something that will challenge them academically and personally.

ST UDY A B ROAD SEC U R ES ADDITIONAL F UND I N G FR O M THE FR EE MAN FOUNDATION More scholarships will be available for University of Kansas students participating in internships in East and Southeast Asia through a renewed two-year, $400,000 grant from the Freeman Foundation.

This award is the third consecutive two-year grant (and fourth grant award) that KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement (SAGE) has received from the Freeman Foundation. The $200,000-a-year funding provides scholarships for KU students to participate in accredited internship programs throughout the East and Southeast Asian region.

Funding through the Freeman Foundation directly supports SAGE’s commitment to increase study abroad participation at KU to 30 percent of all undergraduate students and to ensure access to international education opportunities for all who want to participate. It also furthers the mission of the Freeman Foundation, which works to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the United States and countries of East Asia through student engagement in the region.

SAGE received its first grant from the Freeman Foundation in 2014. Since then, it has awarded more than 200 scholarships totaling $900,000 to KU students interning in China, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam, including 56 student recipients this summer and fall. Recipients come from diverse backgrounds, socio-economic levels, and academic disciplines.

Nearly 70 percent of students who have received Freeman Foundation Scholarships for East Asia Internships have never previously traveled to Asia, and more than 30 percent of recipients have not traveled outside of the United States prior to receiving the award.

With the renewed source of funding, SAGE plans to award 60 additional scholarships each year in both 2020 and 2021.

Kelsey Norris participated in an internship in Tokyo, Japan, during Summer 2019.

Bobby Tech participated in an internship in Xi’an, China during Summer 2018.

THANK YOU! Richard Paegelow & Chris Tang Rodney Parr Christine Pederson Christine Perkins Angela Perryman Jennifer Miller Pesanelli Cecile & John Petermann Julie Peters Knudtson Kathie Phillips Dove Carrie Gardner Pillsbury Maria D. Pirotte Julia Pitner Dr.Mark Praeger & Ms. Sandra Kaiser Praeger Lucy Price Paul & Michelle Rieger Janet Marie Rieke Chala Roberts-Fife Drs. Jean Hardy Robinson & William L. Robinson Marilyn Roelse Debora Roessler Aaron Rosenthal Tom & Jann Rudkin Susan & Mark Schmidtberger Lee Schnee Steven Schnell Deborah Schultz Lee Schwartz John Sennentz Catherine Shafer Wendy Shoemaker Victoria Sickinger Dr. & Mrs. Skoch Lori Slater Ryan Smartt Melissa Spaulding Amy Luiso Stadler Joan Stafford Claire Cain Stafford Dianna Stenzel Lori Stephens Melody Stratton Jessica Townsend Teague Susan Twombly Stacie Daniels & Paul Vincent Thomas & Heather Vrabac Madolyn Wagner Anne Wallace Sally Walquist Langyu Wang Michelle Ward David Clarey & Jean Wayne Alexander Weakley Diana Weatherford Myra & Harris Webber Katheryn Miller Weber & Joshua Weber Brad Weiner Allan & Edna Wicker Morgan Wilson Overman & Logan Overman Wilson Veronica Wilson Sallie Pagels Wolf Dick & Mary Linna Woods John Yeh

Winter 2019-20 / Volume 20

Lippincott Hall 1410 Jayhawk Blvd., Rm. 108 Lawrence, KS 66045-7515

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27.6% OF KU UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS STUDY ABROAD PRIOR TO GRADUATION 152 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS COMPLETED THE GLOBAL AWARENESS PROGRAM CERTIFICATE IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-19. 17% OF THESE STUDENTS EARNED GAP WITH DISTINCTION KU RANKS 24TH IN THE NATION AMONG PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATE PARTICIPATION IN STUDY ABROAD NEARLY1,500 STUDENTS STUDY ABROAD EACH YEAR

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