Edwards Campus philanthropist dies

Helen Regnier, wife of Johnson County developer Victor Regnier and supporter of KU’s Edwards Campus, died March 17. The Victor and Helen Regnier Charitable Foundation pledged $3 million toward the construction of Regnier Hall, a classroom building nearing completion on the Edwards Campus in Overland Park. They are survived by three children.

Volunteers sought for MS study

A graduate student in clinical health psychology is seeking volunteers to be controls for a study on multiple sclerosis. Participants should be over the age of 40, should not be on any strict dietary regimen and should not have MS. Volunteers will answer demographic questions, complete a questionnaire on mood and a three-day food record, and provide a blood sample. There will be no monetary compensation for participation. Contact Robin Aupperle at 841-7989 or osurobin@ku.edu.

Life sciences group calls for abstracts

The Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute invites scientists focused on life sciences research to submit abstracts for the annual Kansas City Area Life Sciences Research Day, “Life Sciences Research: Partnerships for Success,” on June 4. For abstract submission forms, visit www.kclifesciencesday.org and click on “scientific conference,” then click “abstract submission.” The deadline is May 7.

Reception will honor pharmacy dean

The School of Pharmacy faculty, students and staff will hold a reception in honor of Dean Jack E. Fincham and his wife, Melinda, in recognition of Fincham’s 10 years of service. The reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 15, in the English Room of the Kansas Union. Fincham is leaving KU to become the Albert W. Jowdy professor of pharmacy care at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Georgia. Contact Gene Hotchkiss at 864-3591 for more information.

Women in Higher Education to meet at KU

The Office of Women in Higher Education will hold its 2004 Kansas meeting, “Life’s Journey: Developing the Professional While Honoring the Personal,” April 13 and 14 in the Kansas Union. For more information, visit www.kuce.org/programs/kwhec.

Program to help students make transition

The Backpacks to Briefcases series will present “Great Expectations” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, at the Adams Alumni Center. An alumni panel will discuss workplace realities, financial tips, networking and ethics. The series is designed to assist students as they make the transition from students to professionals. “Great Expectations” is free and open to all KU students. For more information visit www.ku.edu/~uces/backpacks/index.shml.

Human resources names interim librarian

Sharon Bullard has been named interim human resources librarian. She will manage human resources functions for the libraries, including recruitment, performance evaluation, faculty promotion and tenure, position classification, and personnel policies and procedures. A search for a permanent human resources librarian will begin in the summer.

KU Med cancer center taps Vanderbilt researcher

The Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., has hired Roy Jenson to be the center’s first full-time director. Jenson was a nationally recognized cancer researcher at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and helped Vanderbilt’s Ingram Cancer Center achieve the National Cancer Institute’s comprehensive cancer center designation. Jensen succeeds William Jewell, who founded the institute in 1996. Jewell will return to full-time research and medical practice.

Former KU associate athletic director to head Emory program

Betsy Stephenson, associate athletics director at the University of California-Los Angeles since 1996, has been appointed director of athletics and recreation at Emory University in Atlanta.
At Emory, Stephenson will oversee 18 varsity sports as well as the recreational services program (intramurals, club sports, recreational activities). Stephenson was associate athletics director and senior women’s administrator at KU from 1992 to 1996. She served under athletics director Bob Frederick, former chair of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee. There she supervised 12 head coaches and the marketing, equipment and strength/conditioning operations.

Information Services fills administrative position

Kari Balthazor is the new administrative officer for the Office of the Vice Provost for Information Services. Balthazor manages projects that support the vice provost, assistant vice provost for strategic initiatives, coordinator of IT policy and planning, and public relations and marketing manager, and she assists with public relations and maintains the Information Services Web site.

NTS names financial analyst

Kalletta Lofts has been named financial analyst for Networking and Telecommunications Services. Lofts will develop an accounting system to help NTS analyze and realign the cost and pricing structures for KU’s voice, video and data services. Lofts formerly was coordinator of licensing programs for the KU libraries and the Kansas Regents Library Database Consortia.

International Programs hires GAP coordinator

Jane Irungu has joined the staff of the Graduate School and Office of International Programs as the Global Awareness Program coordinator.
Irungu will publicize GAP, develop the Web site, and work with departments and other units to implement it. She also will maintain the database of student participants. Irungu has worked as an outreach coordinator in the African Studies Resource Center and as an interim language coordinator. She is a Kiswahili lecturer in the Department of African and African-American Studies.

KU law professor takes Wake Forest position

Sidney A. Shapiro, distinguished professor of law and associate dean of research, has been named a University Distinguished Chair at Wake Forest University's School of Law. Shapiro is a national scholar in administrative law and regulatory policy as well as biotechnology law. He has written six books and almost 50 articles in the area of law, and he recently lectured at the University of Limerick in Ireland and at the U.S.-European Biotechnology Initiative Workshop in Florence, Italy.