Byron A. Alexander & John C. Wright Outstanding Graduate Mentor Awards
Overview
Each year, graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are invited to nominate faculty and academic staff for the Byron A. Alexander and John C. Wright Outstanding Graduate Mentor Awards. These awards are presented to faculty and academic staff who provide outstanding mentorship to master's and doctoral students. They inspire their student through their own teaching, research, and mentoring, foster a collegial learning environment, successfully balance personal support and professional guidance, and prepare their student for careers in academics and beyond.
Call for Nominations
Eligibility:
Current and former master's or doctoral students may nominate faculty and academic staff in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Each award amount is $1500. Past awardees (listed below) are not eligible.
Instructions to Nominator(s):
Please submit the online nomination form along with one or more letters of nomination. The most competitive nominations will include multiple letters from current and/or past students. Letter(s) should explain why the nominee deserves to be awarded an Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award. Please use specific examples to address the following award criteria, which the review committee will use to select award winners:
- Inspires students through their teaching, research, and mentoring.
- Has an established track record of successfully mentoring students through various stages of graduate education.
- Provides a good balance of personal support/encouragement and professional guidance.
- Creates a collegial environment and supports students' integration into the department/program.
- Provides students with information and opportunities for networking within the disciplinary community.
- Provides mentoring that is broad in scope and addresses the multiple areas of competency required by practicing professionals in the discipline (e.g., teaching, research, service, professional ethics, career development).
- Provides mentoring with a demonstrable impact on student outcomes (e.g., awards, publications, presentations, performances or other professional accomplishments) that would be considered "outstanding" by disciplinary standards.
Nomination packets may include no more than 10 nomination letters. Individual letters may not exceed two single-spaced pages (12 point font).
If you have questions or would like more information, please email coga@ku.edu or call 785-864-4201.
Current Year Awardees
Angela Gist-Mackey, Communication Studies
Prof. Gist-Mackey is an Associate Professor and Associate Chairperson in the Department of Communication Studies with an expertise in organizational communication.
Among the many nomination letters written in support of Prof. Gist-Mackey, the overarching theme of them all was her wholistic approach to graduate mentorship. Prof. Gist-Mackey meets her students where they are at, offering personal care and professional guidance. As expressed by one student, "What distinguishes Dr. Gist-Mackey as a mentor is her remarkable ability to balance high expectations with genuine care. She offers rigorous professional guidance while remaining deeply attentive to the human dimensions of graduate school. She understands that mentorship is not simply about helping students complete a degree; it is about helping them become confident, ethical, and sustainable scholars and professionals. Whether she is offering feedback on research, helping students navigate institutional challenges, or providing encouragement during moments of uncertainty, Dr. Gist-Mackey consistently shows up with both honesty and compassion."
Congratulations to Prof. Angela Gist-Mackey!
Darren Canady, English
Prof. Canady is a Professor in the Department of English and a playwright.
Prof. Canady brings an infectious enthusiasm to his mentorship, taking the time to truly engage with students and their work. He provides them with the resources to explore their individual scholarly identity, expand their professional network, and offers support in times of difficulty. Per one student, "Canady’s mentorship and experiences similar to my own were immensely helpful as I met and excelled through coursework, thesis writing, and comprehensive exams. Studying for comprehensive exams became something I looked forward to when upon finishing a set of required reading texts, I met with Professor Canady one-on-one to discuss each novel, play, essay, and memoir and how they contributed to what would become my areas of expertise in the English literary and scholarly community. He also helped forge relationships and made me feel like a colleague and respected member of the department. Professor Canady routinely used his network to help me throughout my studies. Professor Darren Canady’s exceptional teaching and mentoring is among the best of the best at the University of Kansas. I am profoundly grateful for the foundation he gave me as a graduate student that has led me to where I am today in my career."
Congratulations to Prof. Darren Canady!
Past Awardees
1993 – Professor John C. Wright
1994 – Professor Linda Stone-Ferrier
1995 – Professor Diana Carlin
1996 – Professor Amy J. Devitt
1997 – Professor Byron A. Alexander
1998 – Professor Carol Warren
1999 – Professor Jack Porter
2000 – Professor Stephen Goddard
2001 – Professor Jack Weller
2002 – Professor Mehrangiz Najafizadeh
2003 – Professor Mary Lee Hummert
2004 – Professor Rick Snyder
2005 – Professor Mark Richter
2006 – Professor A. Townsend Peterson
2007 – Professor Joann Keyton
2007 – Professor Robert Timm
2007 – Professor Robert Rowland
2008 – Professor Geraldo de Sousa
2008 – Professor William Johnson
2009 – Professor Alison Gabriele
2009 – Professor Theodore A. Wilson
2010 – Professor Mikhail Barybin
2011 – Professor Juliet Kaarbo
2012 – Professor John Janzen
2012 – Professor Eve Levin
2013 – Professor Stephen Egbert
2013 – Professor Ric Steele
2014 – Professor Maria Carlson
2015 – Professor Nyla Branscombe
2016 – Professor Paula Fite
2016 – Professor Don Haider-Markel
2017 – Professor Luis Corteguera
2018 – Professor Alesha Doan
2019 – Professor Hannah Britton
2019 – Professor ChangHwan Kim
2020 – Professor James Bever
2021 – Professor Utako Minai
2022 – Professor Sharon Billings
2023 – Professor Amy McNair
2024 - Professor Ward Lyles
2025 - Professor Jonathan Brumberg
2002 – Professor Annette Stanton
2003 – Professor John F. Sweets
2004 – Professor Linda Stone-Ferrier
2005 – Professor Iris Smith Fischer
2006 – Professor Bill Picking
2007 – Professor Craig Lunte
2008 – Professor John (Chris) Brown
2008 – Professor Rick Ingram
2009 – Professor Mabel Rice
2009 – Professor Rolfe Mandel
2010 – Professor Leisha DeHart-Davis
2011 – Professor Adrianne Kunkel
2012 – Professor Randal Jelks
2013 – Professor Michael Roberts
2014 – Professor Amy Rossomondo
2015 – Professor W. Matthew Gillispie
2016 – Professor Omri Gillath
2017 – Professor William Barnett
2018 – Professor Kelsie Forbush
2019 – Professor Eric Vernberg
2019 – Professor Sarah Kirk
2020 – Professor Jarron Saint Onge
2021 – Professor Mary Jo Reiff
2022 – Professor Dorothy Daley
2023 – Professor Nathaniel Brunsell
2024 - Professor Beth Bailey
2025 - Professor Andrew Isenberg