Community news
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Originally published 02:27 p.m., April 28, 2008
Updated 02:27 p.m., April 28, 2008
Honored graduate
Anne Kretsinger, a University of Kansas senior, has been chosen to receive a Chancellor’s Student Award. The honor is given to 10 of the more than 3,500 undergraduate seniors.
She received the “Class of 1913” award, given to the senior who exhibits “evidence of intelligence, devotion to studies, personal character, and shows promise of usefulness to society,” according to a news release.
The award winners will walk with Chancellor Robert Hemenway at the head of the procession to the graduation ceremony on May 18. Winners will sit on the stage during the proceedings and will receive a monetary award from the university.
Kretsinger, a communication studies major, will graduate with both departmental and university honors.
She has served as president of the KU chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the national communications honor society, and as historian of Mortar Board honor society.
She recently was selected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa, a national academic honor society. She has a 4.0 grade-point average and is in the KU Honors Program.
She was chosen to present her honors research on the rhetoric of Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,” at the opening session of the KU Undergraduate Research Symposium, the news release stated.
Kretsinger performs with the KU Concert Choir and has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity Restore in Lawrence.
She is the daughter of W. Brock and Mary Kretsinger and a graduate of Emporia High School.
Wins scholarship
Amanda Roberts of Emporia has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Beth E. Johnson Memorial Scholarship Foundation of Topeka for the academic year of 2008-2009. The Foundation grants two $1,000 scholarships each year to a family member actively involved in the propane industry and who will attend a school in Kansas. Roberts will graduate from Emporia High School in May 2008. She is the daughter of Larry and Pamela Mechtley. He is vice president of S & S Oil and Propane. Pamela Mechtley is a substitute teacher.
New lawyer
Toby Burris graduated from Widener Law School in Harrisburg, Pa., and has been admitted to the bar. He and his family live in Elizabethtown, Pa. He is the son of Paul and Ilene Burris of Emporia.
Presents paper
Crystal Cunningham of Emporia was a presenter at the 22nd annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research recently held at Salisbury University in Maryland. Cunningham, a student studying biology at Truman State University, gave a presentation entitled “Determination of Dominance Hierarchy by Two Methods and the possible Influence of Preferred Association.” She is the daughter of Cecil and Evelyn Cunningham of Emporia.