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CLAS students earn more than $53,000 in scholarships
KU professor emeritus updates "magnum opus"

CLAS students earn more than $53,000 in scholarships

Forty-six students from around the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences were awarded scholarships this summer for the 2007-’08 academic year. Freshman, sophomores and juniors competed for scholarships, which were funded by gifts from alumni and friends of the College through KU Endowment. Scholarships were awarded by merit and need.

“We are pleased to honor the accomplishments of our students by awarding these scholarships,” said Joseph E. Steinmetz, dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. “The field of scholarship applicants was extremely strong, and the College scholar selection committee was impressed by the high quality of the students that applied. All of these scholarships were possible through the generosity of alumni, faculty and friends of the College who provided financial support for the awards. We are very grateful for their support.”

A reception to honor the recipients is planned for Sept. 27.

KU professor emeritus updates "magnum opus"

The year was 1939. World War II had just begun after the Nazis invaded Poland. John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was first published and “The Wizard of Oz” premiered in New York City. This was also the year that professor emeritus Charles Michener first published his tome on bees.

“I started at a very early stage,” said Michener. “When I was a kid in southern California, first I drew pictures of flowers, then of insects. By the time I reached the university stage I was already fairly sophisticated at identifying California bees. I published papers—I really got into them.”

Since that time, Michener has worked ceaselessly to update and elaborate his massive work, earning praise along the way. Science magazine deemed his work a “magnum opus” and the American Association of Publishers gave a coveted R.R. Hawkins Award in 2000.

His new edition of the book, The Bees of the World, Second Edition, compiles 80-plus years of knowledge in 992 pages. It catalogs approximately 17,000 bee species and contains 48 color photos, 40 black and white illustrations and 434 line drawings.

Colleagues have hailed Michener as the one of the greatest entomologists of the 20th century. He estimates that he personally has discovered and published about 100 new species of bees.

Visit the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Web site for more information.