August 2008
Professor Elizabeth Asiedu was one of twenty KU professors presented with a $5,000 W.T. Kemper Fellowship in recognition of their teaching and advising excellence.
The 2008-09 “KU Women of Distinction” poster-calendar highlights accomplishments of female students and faculty at the University of Kansas, including Elizabeth Asiedu ,Maritza Machado-Williams and Pamela Scott.
July 2008
Professor Derrick Darby of the KU Philosophy Department will serve as the faculty advisor for this year's Kansas Law Review Symposium, on Law, Reparations, and Racial Disparities. The Symposium will be held Friday, October 31, 2008 at KU Law School. Speakers include: Roy Brooks (University of San Diego School of Law); Derrick Darby (University of Kansas); William Darity, Jr. (Duke University); Adrienne Davis (Washington University School of Law); Daniela Ikawa (Public Interest Law Institute); Kevin Outterson (Boston University School of Law); Ruth Peterson (The Ohio State University); Cassia Spohn (Arizona State University), and Bruce Western (Harvard University).
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded $250,706 in direct costs over 2 years to Dr Babalola Faseru, a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health. This award provides support under the National Institutes of Health’s Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health Related Research. The grant beginning July 1, 2008 provides support for Dr. Faseru to continue to work with Dr. Lisa Sanderson Cox on her R01 titled “Enhancing Tobacco use treatment among African American Light smokers” - Kick It at Swope III (KIS III); a joint research program of the University of Kansas Medical Center and Swope Health Central.
June 2008
KU’s new choir director, Paul Tucker, is featured in LJW article.
Listen as Special Collections Librarian Deborah Dandridge narrates a tour of highlights from the Kansas Collection of regional African American history, starting with early settlers. Professor Sandra Gautt donated $30,000 to the University of Kansas Libraries, which will benefit scholars who study the African American materials in Spencer Research Library’s Kansas Collection.
May 2008
Deborah Dandridge, field archivist for KU Libraries, is the recipient of the 2007-08 Budig Distinguished Librarian Award. The Gretchen and Gene A. Budig Award recognizes recent achievements in professional service and scholarship, as well as reputation among professional colleagues. Since joining KU Libraries, she has become a highly respected archivist and expert in African American history.
March 2008
Nine University of Kansas faculty members, including Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka, associate professor in the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and the Department of Theatre and Film, connected with representatives of 10 community agencies during the Center for Service Learning’s second “cslMatchmakers” workshop, held Feb. 29 at the Commons in Spooner Hall.
The format was a mock speed-dating activity in which community agency representatives and KU faculty met in pairs to brainstorm ways to collaborate through service-learning partnerships around the theme of social justice.
The following black faculty members have received sabbatical leaves for the 2008-2009 academic year.
Edgar Tidwell was promoted to full professor of English
Susan King received the BFSC Hobart Jackson Award for outstanding service to students
The Office of Multicultural Affairs received a BFSC Special Certificate for the outstanding success in student retention of its HAWK Link Program.
Maryemma Graham, professor of English, was the moderator at a panel discussion that aired on C-SPAN Book TV, called Richard Wright: Looking Back, Looking Forward. The panel was hosted by the Organization of American Historians and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture that marked the 100th birthday of novelist, nonfiction writer and social critic Richard Wright.
January 2008
Elizabeth Asiedu is among a group of 10 researchers and educators chosen by Diverse magazine as Emerging Scholars for 2007. Scholars are nominated by department chairs, other scholars in their field and university public relations staff.
Asiedu caught the attention of the magazine, formerly called Black Issues in Higher Education, for her research into the role of foreign nations’ direct investments on Africa’s economy.
“Africa has received a lot of foreign aid,” Asiedu said. “That is all well and good, but unlike foreign aid, foreign direct investment creates employment, fosters the transfer of technology and enhances productivity.”
Previous honorees have been recognized for their research influencing the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action at institutes of higher education; leading the development of an instrument for radio astrophysics; and leading research into plastic electronics, which in the future could mean wallpaper that changes at the flick of a wrist or televisions that roll up and carry for travel.
Asiedu has advised policymakers in Africa on how to make a “friendlier” investment climate to attract more foreign investment. She has also worked for several international organizations including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, International Labor Organization and the International Monetary Fund on issues regarding foreign investment to Africa.
“I am where I am because of the generosity of so many people,” she said. Asiedu cites Charles Oswald, a businessman whose multi-million dollar gifts to KU Endowment made Asiedu the first Oswald scholar in economics; Joe Sicilian, chair of the Department of Economics who nominated her; and her colleagues for creating an environment conducive to research.
Asiedu came to KU as an assistant professor in 1998. She’s a member of the African Studies Council and Black Faculty and Staff Council and a research scholar at KU’s Institute for Policy and Social Research.
She’s a graduate of the University of Ghana and completed her graduate work at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.
Source http://www.news.ku.edu/2007/january/10/asiedu.shtml
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