Chancellor's Doctoral Fellowship
In 2013, then Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little announced the creation of the Chancellor's Doctoral Fellowship, a dozen of which are awarded each year to graduate students. The fellowships assist KU in obtaining its mission as a flagship university that provides advanced education to students in a range of fields. The fellowship provides support through appointment as a graduate research assistant or a graduate teaching assistant, and covers tuition and fees, for up to five years of support. Students are also involved in professional development workshops and networking opportunities. More information about the Fellows can be found on the KU Lawrence campus Graduate Studies website.
The University of Kansas Medical Center was given the opportunity to award two students this prestigious fellowship every other year beginning in 2015.
Pursuing Ph.D. in Neurosciences
Faculty Mentor: Julie Christianson, Ph.D. - Professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Hailing from Topeka, KS, Olivia began her pursuit by receiving her Bachelors of Science in Biology from Kansas State University. When deciding where to take the next step and further her education, she chose KUMC because of the translational biomedical research taking place here. "My goal for my research is to make a difference in people's lives and I think the doctoral training opportunities that KUMC offers will be the best way to make this happen" she said. "I am very excited to receive the Chancellor's Fellowship because it will assist me in reaching my goal." Her research will investigate if there is behavioral and molecular evidence indicative of comorbidity of urogenital sensitivity and migraine in a mouse model of early life stress. Additionally, she will be examining the effects of exercise on chronic pain sensitivity as exercise appears to have a positive impact on neuro-development and could therefore serve as a potential therapeutic for treatment of pain disorders.
Pursuing Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management
Faculty Mentor: Mary Zimmerman, Ph.D. - Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management
A dedicated Kansan from McPherson, Dorothy moved to the Kansas City area nine years ago. After completing her Bachelors of Science in International Studies at American University in Washington, D.C., Dorothy pursued her Master of Health Services Administration degree within the School of Medicine at KUMC. "I am a proud Kansan and feel so lucky to have a world-class academic medical center right here in Kansas City" says Dorothy. Regarding the fellowship, Dorothy stated "receiving the fellowship was a game-changer for me. After working in politics and policy for almost 13 years, I had doubts about taking the leap into academia. I wasn't sure it was feasible. When the Health Policy and Management Department offered me the Chancellor's Fellowship, it was a dream come true; it gave me the resources and confidence I needed to leap into doctoral studies." She is planning to research health outcomes and health communications to develop more effective public policies to empower healthcare professionals and patients.
Pursuing Ph.D. through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (IGPBS)
Faculty Mentor: to be determined after completing her introductory year in IGPBS
A Kansas native from Overland Park, Rosalyn Henn is eager to pursue biomedical research right here at KUMC. Henn took a brief hiatus from Kansas with her move to Kirksville, Missouri where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Truman State University. She is thankful for the opportunity to pursue biomedical research in collaboration with KUMC researchers. In particular, Rosalyn has hopes of utilizing bioinformatics within Electronic Medical Records to improve patient care. When asked about the meaning of this award, Henn said, "I am honored to be recognized out of my outstanding classmates, and I love the opportunity to feel more involved in KU's community." Her future ambitions involve working in a translational environment that studies patient-centric, personalized genomic data that can influence patient care.
Pursuing Ph.D. in Biostatistics
Faculty Mentor: Milind Phadnis, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics & Data Science & Data Science
Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, Brian Mosier is happy to return to his home city to pursue his Ph.D. in Biostatistics at KUMC. Mosier attended Emporia State University for his Bachelor's of Science in Mathematics. While a student at Emporia State, Mosier met several KUMC Biostatistics faculty members at American Statistical Association meetings. These encounters inspired Mosier to investigate research as a career. The interactions he had with the KUMC faculty also reassured him that KUMC was a good fit for his specific interests and goals. One of the most appealing aspects of his KUMC academic journey is the opportunity to collaborate with the faculty on research. Mosier expressed his gratitude about the Chancellor's Award, "This award has made it possible for me to study at KUMC and I am grateful for that." As for his future, Mosier is interested in working on pharmaceutical trials because it is work that he finds to be interesting and enables him to contribute to the greater good.