Anthony Gilyard

Keep an eye on Anthony Gilyard – his can-do attitude and ambitious spirit are positioning him to become one of Kansas City’s future business leaders. Gilyard, a sophomore in the UMKC Honors College, was recently selected as an intern for the prestigious Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute.

The Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute is a highly selective, Kansas City-based professional development program that is designed to equip minority scholars with the skills necessary for the current healthcare landscape, and to encourage interest in healthcare leadership. Gilyard, who is studying Business Administration with an emphasis in Management, is one of thirteen individuals who were selected to participate in the two-phase professional development program out of sixty who interviewed for the position.

“I interviewed with Mr. John Bluford himself – it was pretty intimidating but I think I did pretty well overall,” Gilyard said. “We sat down and talked briefly about each other and so he pretty much just wanted to know who I was and how did I get to this point, and what made me interested in the Bluford Institute.”

“I told him that business is such a huge field and that I didn’t even know that there was a potential for me to work in healthcare as a businessman. The Dean of the Honors College recommended this program so I told him (Mr. Bluford) that I genuinely believe that this is a good program to get involved in.”

In phase one of the program, Gilyard will spend two weeks receiving a comprehensive overview of healthcare through experiential learning activities, presentations, and on-site healthcare visits. In phase two, which will occur the following summer, Gilyard will be assigned as an intern to a notable healthcare organization and will receive mentorship from the host healthcare organization’s leadership team. Gilyard is optimistic about this opportunity. “I am very open to whatever possibilities are out there.”

In addition to his professional ambitions, Gilyard is also very active in the Honors College and UMKC. He is a member of UMKC’s student business organization Enactus, the managing editor of UMKC’s only undergraduate interdisciplinary research journal Lucerna, and serves as a student assistant for the Honors College.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to just be the best that I can be to stand out from others,” Gilyard said, “and to have a very unique and well-rounded experience. The Honors College has certainly done that for me so far, and I have only been in it for one semester.”

Dr. James McKusick, Dean of the Honors College, agrees. “We encourage all of our students to engage in internships, since it is one of the best ways for them to gain workplace experience and learn valuable skills.”

To learn more about the Bluford Healthcare Institute, visit their website at http://www.blufordinstitute.org.

Written by Kate Horvat, former Honors College Office Support Assistant

Linda Hood Talbott

One of Kansas City’s most revered philanthropists, Linda Hood Talbott, Ph.D., has chosen to leave her estate to the Honors College. The $1 million gift will endow the dean’s position. An endowed position provides a steady flow of funding for the dean to use at his/her discretion. In addition to the estate commitment, Linda endowed the first scholarship for the Honors College students. She meets regularly with the two current recipients of the scholarship, offering mentoring and encouragement.

Senior LeAnna Cates was one of the first recipients of the Linda H. and Thomas H. Talbott Honors College Scholarship. “Dr. Talbott constantly pushes me to be my best,” LeAnna says. “Her reassuring advice and consistent support have allowed me to perform at a level that was not possible before.” LeAnna, who plans to become a medical scientist, interned as a researcher at Boston University this summer. She say she would not have had the financial resources for the internship without the Talbott Scholarship.”She has been both a mentor and a strong female example for me in my role as editor-in-chief of the UMKC undergraduate research journal (Lucerna) and as a leader, in general, on campus,” LeAnna says. “She has instilled in me the importance of community, philanthropy and leadership.”

Linda gives to many organizations and has been especially supportive of those that support women. Her greatest love, however, is the Honors College. As an honors student during her years at the University, Linda understands its benefits to UMKC and Kansas City. “Whatever the undergraduates’ ultimate career goals, the broad liberal education provided by the Honors College will help students of all majors learn to think analytically, write clearly, speak and express themselves persuasively, compare and contrast cultures, communicate with diverse audiences, research to learn what they don’t know, and-best of all for a satisfying life and vacation- how to continually learn and enjoy learning throughout their lives.”

In the 50-plus years since her graduation, Linda has been a consistent champion of the University. After earning three degrees from UMKC, including her doctorate, she became our first director of development. Her first project was raising money for a new performing arts center. The performing arts were dispersed in 13 locations at the time. The initial goal was $14 million. Her team raised $20 million.
Linda spent her career working in fundraising, eventually founding her own consulting firm, Talbott & Associates. She has been honored for her leadership by three presidents and international organization. Her list of honors includes:

• Recognition by Presidents Ronald Regan, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton
• Names 1989-90 UMKC Alumnus of the Year
• Inducted into the International Hall of Fame in Cambridge, England, as an “extraordinary role model, humanitarian and philanthropist
• Became first woman to serve on a Fortune 100 corporation board, Great Plains Energy and KCP&L included in Great Women of the 21st Century.

“We are tremendously grateful for Linda’s continued support as a trusted advisor to our faculty, staff and students,” says Dean Jim McKusick. Look for Linda at one of this year’s Honors College events, where she will be wearing a big, supportive smile.

Written by Beth Hammock, Development Consultant

John Kaleekal

John Kaleekal graduated from UMKC as an Honors alumnus in May of 2015 with a B.A. in Chemistry, a B.A. in Psychology, and a minor in Spanish. In July of the same year, he moved to South Korea as a Fulbright grantee English Teaching Assistant, where he immediately completed a six-week program orientation at Jungwon University. There, along with sixty-eight other grantees, John completed an intensive Korean language course taught by professors from Korea University and attended several cultural and teaching workshops.

Upon completion of the orientation, he was placed in Sejong Metropolitan Autonomous City, the new administrative capital of Korea, where he enthusiastically witnessed the city’s rapid development. He currently works full-time at Yangji Elementary School as a fifth- and sixth-grade English teacher.

As part of the Fulbright Korea Program, John lives with a Korean
homestay which consists of a host mother, father, and younger sister. Together they hike, visit temples, and share many traditional Korean dishes. In order to further his Korean language skills, he meets with a Korean tutor on a weekly basis and is preparing for the Korean proficiency exam. Additionally, John volunteers for the North Korean Defector Program where he tutors students who have defected from North Korea. During the week he can be found jogging (he completed his first half-marathon in November), listening to K-Pop (his favorites are BTS and Zion T.), exploring the Korean beauty industry, and getting weekly dinners with the other Fulbright teachers in his city. On the weekends, he frequents Seoul or meets with other friends around the country.

John chose to study in South Korea because he wanted to learn about and participate in its renowned education and healthcare systems. As of 2013, over ninety-seven percent of the country is literate and Korea consistently ranks amongst the highest with regards to healthcare satisfaction. As an aspiring physician, this thoroughly interests John. John’s goal is to shadow Korean physicians and participate in medical research while on-location. He is also working to expand his sock collection, with South Korea providing many unique and affordable collectibles.

Written by John Kaleekal

Austin Hoffman

Austin Hoffman is a senior enrolled in his fourth semester in the Honors College with an expected graduation in December 2015. Austin is currently completing a Bachelor’s degree in sociology and philosophy, with minors in classics and anthropology. Following graduation, he plans to attend graduate school to study urban anthropology and social movements. Before transferring to UMKC, Austin attended a community college, where he assisted in the development of the school’s first academic journal. Upon arrival he served on Lucerna’s essay review board. Austin is also an active member of UMKC’s sociology club. Within the community, he interns with the American Friends Service Committee, an organization that promotes social justice. In addition, Austin is a member of the coalition One Struggle KC, which seeks to connect and aid the struggles of communities worldwide, as well as Kansas City Food Not Bombs, which provides free food and supplies to some of KC’s most underserved communities.

Austin recently completed a Senior Honors Thesis entitled “Black Lives Matter: Pain, Protest, and Representation” which he presented at the Honors Colloquium on December 9, 2015. His thesis examined the sociological understanding of pain and its connection to the Black Lives Matter movement, a result of the momentous events that occurred in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014. Austin affirms that the Senior Honors Thesis project provided him with the invaluable opportunity to complete graduate-level work while an undergraduate, and urges all honors students who crave a similar experience to undertake their own.

Austin encourages honors students to obtain success by following their passion. He offers the following advice to his fellow students: “Make your work align with your passion as much as possible – not just in school, but in everything in life. That was what sustained me.”

Written by Chelsea Wheeler, Honors College Student Assistant

Abigail Pang

Abigail Pang is a junior at UMKC, currently enrolled in her fifth semester in the Honors College. She is majoring in Biology with a pre-medical emphasis, while minoring in both Chemistry and Art History. Abigail is heavily involved on campus, serving as Secretary for the Honors Student Advisory Council and leader of an Honors discussion group for Chemistry 211. She formerly served as Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Honors College undergraduate research journal, Lucerna, and currently serves as Co-Secretary. Following graduation, Abigail plans to attend medical school in pursuance of both a Master’s degree in Public Health and an M.D.

Her passion lies in health policy research. She recently had the opportunity to participate in the Parker B. Francis Summer Fellowship Program at the KU School of Medicine, where she studied the cessation of smoking in hospitalized patients. This exclusive program offered Abigail hands-on experience in the field of medical research at a graduate level, as well as high-caliber mentorship in her chosen field.

Beyond the lab, Abigail is fascinated by the study of art and will be spending the spring 2016 semester abroad in Florence, Italy, concentrating on the completion of her Art History minor. Here her academic focus will be analyzing the Baroque and Renaissance periods.

Written by Chelsea Wheeler, Honors College Student Assistant

Dr. Stephen R. Christ will be joining the UMKC Honors College faculty in the fall as an Assistant Teaching Professor. Dr. Christ earned his Ph.D. in Sociology in 2015 from the University of Missouri. He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Society and Environment at Truman State University.

Dr. Christ aims to engage students with issues of social importance in order to facilitate intellectual growth and passion for knowledge. His goal is to teach towards a cross-cultural comparative understanding of society and social phenomena using interdisciplinary approaches to sociology. Dr. Christ hopes to get students excited about social science through the use of participatory learning.

In his research, Dr. Christ examines the everyday experiences of Mexican immigrants in the United States that contribute to Mexican-American identity formation. More specifically, he examines how Mexican Americans experience daily life at home, at work and in public life, and he investigates how these experiences impact their sense of personal identity, their relationships with natives, their interactions with their families and community, and the identity work that goes into producing such categories and social worlds.

Stephen is married to his very best friend, Marie. Together, Marie, his terribly feisty cat, Oliver, and mischievous dog, Toby, keep Stephen grounded and enthusiastic about teaching and research. Growing up in the Southwestern Borderlands, Stephen has long been interested in immigration, race/ethnicity, culture and human rights. As a faculty member at UMKC, Stephen plans to continue a life dedicated to teaching and inspiring students to be agents of social change in their communities. Stephen also plans to continue studying Mexican Americans in the United States and advocating for social justice. In his spare time, Stephen is active in sports. He is an avid tennis player, competitive golfer, and loves to bowl. Stephen also loves comedy movies and would like to one day dabble in stand-up comedy.

Written by Dr. Stephen R. Christ