Boomer Futures Think Tank this Friday : Our first Think Tank this semester will be held on Friday, February 3, 2012, from 11:30 am to 1:00 p.m. in 210 Snow Hall. In this Think Tank we will emphasize the importance of doctoral education and research in our work by featuring four Ph.D. students who will make three presentations:


Ellen Rozek and Erin Smith (Psychology and Gerontology)

Jason Roe (History)

John Shreve (American Studies)


These presentations will take on the characteristics of typical presentations at scholarly meetings: three 20-minute presentations with a 30 minute time period for discussion at the end. I know that you are going to enjoy this and I am very happy to have them on our agenda. They are all Boomer Futures Fellows.
Posted Feb 1, 2012

Academic Achievement and Access Center honors 2011 Access Champions : As part of Disability Awareness Month in October, the Academic Achievement and Access Center (AAAC) recognized four faculty members and three staff members for their outstanding commitment and effort in support of accessible learning.

A small “prize patrol” surprised each individual in class or in their work settings to present a plaque and offer the appreciation of AAAC staff and the students they serve.

Each champion promotes the university’s commitment to creating an accessible campus both in and out of the classroom. They are models of everyday behavior that creates an inclusive, welcoming environment for students with disabilities and a template for universal design that supports the success of all students.

Ray Pence
American Studies

Ray Pence earned his doctoral degree at KU in 2005. He has taught college courses for 17 years. His classes include American Identities and The United States in a Global Context. Pence’s research, writing and teaching interests include the disability rights movement, the African-American Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. He is an active supporter of people with disabilities in all settings and is committed to their academic success at KU. Posted Dec 14, 2011

Dr. Doretha Williams selected as Executive Director : The Black Archives of Mid-America is pleased to announce the selection of Doretha K. Williams, Ph. D. as Executive Director. Dr. Williams began her tenure on September 26, 2011. Williams received her doctorate in American Studies from the University of Kansas. Her dissertation "Kansas Grows the Best Wheat and the Best Race Women: Black Women's Club Movement in Kansas 1900-30," was funded in part by a Woodrow Wilson Dissertation grant, the Social Dissertation Completion grant.

Williams most recently served as project manager for the Project on the History of Black Writing (HBW), where she coordinated federally funded grants, implemented public programs, and organized HBW's literary collections. As project manager, Williams coordinated the Langston Hughes National Poetry Project (LHNPP), an educational grant funded in part by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Williams also assisted in implementing other NEH-funded grants, including the "Making the Write Collection: Reading Native Son, Black Boy, and Uncle Tom's Children," and "Language Matters II: Reading Toni Morrison.: Both programs sought to educate high school teachers and college professors on how to present the works of Wright and Morrison to their students.

As a graduate student Williams taught courses in the Humanities and Western Civilization program at the University of Kansas. In addition she served as a speakers bureau member for the Kansas Humanities Council and the State Library of Kansas Center for the Book program. Through a partnership between the Black Archives and the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Central Missouri, Williams will also serve as an adjunct instructor in Africana and Women's Studies.

A native of Topeka, Kansas, Williams is the daughter of Lee and Ozella Williams. Williams is a graduate of Fisk University and a member of the Kansas City, Kansas chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Posted Dec 12, 2011

November Employee of the Month : Teresa Rockhold

November University Support Staff employee of the month

Teresa Rockhold

Teresa Rockhold
Started at KU: 1975

Current title: Administrative associate senior in American Studies

What that means: Rockhold assists with promotion and tenure reviews and provides orientation to new faculty or those who take on administrative duties. As well as managing the office and supervising staff, Rockhold is assistant to the Chair, and is responsible for accounting, payroll, special projects and planning.

Notable: Rockhold has helped the American Studies department transition and function smoothly under several chairs, and in fall 2011 she proved indispensable to the new acting chair. Rockhold guides the American Studies faculty, administrators and students through deadlines, unexpected opportunities, necessary paperwork and near-constant change. She is widely acknowledged as the pivotal force behind the workings and operations of the American Studies program. Posted Dec 6, 2011

"Lowrider Space: Aesthetics and Politics of Mexican American Custom Cars" : Ben Chappell delivered the lecture "Lowrider Space: Aesthetics and Politics of Mexican American Custom Cars" at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville on November 3. Dr. Chappell was hosted by the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Program.

Posted Nov 7, 2011