Students, Faculty Receive Honors during Engineering Recognition Ceremony


2006 recognized graduates

The University of Kansas School of Engineering honored its graduates at a recognition ceremony, Sunday, May 21, 2006.

About 300 students at the graduate and undergraduate level earned the right to take part in the ceremony held at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts.

During the ceremony, several undergraduate students were honored as the outstanding graduating senior in their particular discipline. One of these students, Shannon Sanderson Skoglund, a senior in computer science from Olathe, Kan., was named the recipient of the Sammie and Carl Locke Award for outstanding graduating senior in the School of Engineering in 2006.

Shannon Skoglund accepts her award

The outstanding graduating seniors for 2006 are:

Joel Abrahamson,

chemical engineering

Talal Alkhonaini,

petroleum engineering

Fabrice Baijot,

computer engineering

TszPing (Charley) Chan,

electrical engineering

Logan Johnson,

mechanical engineering

Christopher Schroeder,

aerospace engineering

Shannon Skoglund,

computer science

Tyler Waldorf,

architectural engineering

Victoria Wigle,

civil engineering

Five faculty members also received awards during the event.

Marylee Z. Southard,

associate professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, was selected by students to receive the Gould Award for Teaching.

Southard shares with her students a visible level of commitment. She keeps the class involved by asking them questions, pushing them to think and search for new understanding throughout the lecture. The classroom experience she offers her students is an opportunity for them to explore real-life situations pertaining to the course material. Because she is so approachable, students know they can seek her advice and guidance on courses other than her own.

The award provides $4,000 for the recipient.

Kyle V. Camarda,

associate professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, was selected by students to receive the Gould Award for Outstanding Advising.

Camarda recognizes that college is a place where students discover their passions and values that they will carry throughout their lives. During advising, Camarda encourages his students to take difficult courses that will apply to research or broaden a particular student's knowledge of engineering. He's also wise to remind students of the importance of life beyond engineering: family, friends, hobbies and more; aspects that create the well-rounded engineer

The award provides $4,000 for the recipient.

Michael Detamore,

assistant professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, was selected by a faculty committee to receive the Miller Professional Development Award for Service.

In the two years since arriving at the University of Kansas, Detamore has led, as well as taken part in, a flurry of activities. He has established his laboratory, developed collaborative relationships with other researchers at KU and outside the university, and he has excelled in the classroom. Moreover, he has been integrally involved in the development of the bioengineering program at KU, leading the team to develop the biomaterials and tissue engineering track. He also is chair for an NIH-supported international conference on temporomandibular joint disorders to take place this summer.

The award provides $4,000 for the recipient.

Cory Berkland,

assistant professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, was selected by a faculty committee to receive the Miller Professional Development Award for Research.

Berkland's research program in drug delivery bolsters KU’s existing strengths in pharmaceuticals. Berkland has submitted successful research proposals that are funded by COBRE, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundations, the American Heart Association, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and more. Although he only joined the university in 2004, his current active funding as principle investigator is more than $675,000, with an additional $596,000 in funding to begin in July. Berkland's research group currently consists of four postdoctoral research associates, four graduate research assistants and several undergraduate students.

The award provides $4,000 for the recipient.

Man Kong,

associate professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, was selected by a faculty committee to receive the John E. Sharp and Winifred E. Sharp Teaching Professorship.

Kong was selected to be the 2006 Sharp Teaching Professor based on his demonstrated innovations to the curriculum, innovations in course delivery and outstanding classroom teaching evaluations. Although Kong teaches undergraduate courses that are considered among the more difficult the department offers, he continues to earn excellent evaluations from his students. Kong encourages open discourse with his students and strives to develop creative thinking in his students by requiring independent research projects. Previously, he earned two awards for teaching; the department's Harry Talley Excellence in Teaching Award in 2001 and the university's Excellence in Teaching Award from the Center for Teaching Excellence in 2004.

The award lasts three years and includes an annual personal award of $5,000 plus access to $5,000 annually for instructional development.