{"id":942,"date":"2024-05-01T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kualumni.org\/stories\/?p=942"},"modified":"2025-12-10T14:00:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T20:00:36","slug":"ku-self-graduate-fellowship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kualumni.org\/stories\/ku-self-graduate-fellowship\/","title":{"rendered":"Ripple effect: KU\u2019s Self Graduate Fellowship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The world was a much different place in 1989, when Madison \u201cAl\u201d Self, e\u201943, and Lila Reetz Self, \u201943, donated $1 million to KU to create the Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship. Yet the couple\u2019s far-reaching vision\u2014that their gift not only would fund exceptional PhD students\u2019 education but also would position promising scholars to become leaders and change-makers\u2014has proved an enduring, successful formula. KU\u2019s Self Graduate Fellows<\/a>, now an alumni community of more than 200 and counting, have indeed gone on to make vital contributions in addressing some of modern society\u2019s most vexing challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctoral students in 22 academic disciplines in STEM, business and economics are eligible for the four-year, highly competitive award that now supports 10 to 15 new graduate students each academic year. Stefani Buchwitz, c\u201906, g\u201908, EdD\u201916, director of the fellowship, says its financial component\u2014which exceeds $200,000, the largest financial package available for any KU graduate student\u2014is only part of its appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of fellowships throughout the country offer financial support, but very few also include a robust professional development program,\u201d Buchwitz says. \u201cMadison and Lila knew that having a PhD would get you a job, but the development program that they designed as part of the fellowship helps make these students leaders in their field. It\u2019s a distinguishing feature, and it\u2019s incredible that they thought of this 35 years ago and it\u2019s still extremely relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lila and Madison \u201cAl\u201d Self in 2004.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Madison and Lila met on the Hill\u2014Madison was from Ozawkie, Lila from Eudora\u2014and wed in September 1943. Madison, a chemical engineer, in 1947 co-founded Bee Chemical Co. in Chicago. In his 37 years as CEO, the company, which produced polymer coatings for use on plastics, grew from a staff of three into an international enterprise, with operations in Japan, England and Canada, and clients that included major automakers. After selling Bee Chemical Co. in 1985, Madison founded Allen Financial, a private investment firm, and in 1989 co-founded Tioga International, a supplier of industrial sealants. Despite his immense success, however, Madison, known to those close to him as Al, came to recognize gaps in his skill set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAl had a strong professional education, but he knew he would have benefited from leadership training and exposure to other fields to prepare himself for all the decisions he\u2019d later make running a multimillion-dollar company,\u201d says Dale Seuferling, j\u201977, who, in his role as director of major gifts at KU Endowment in the 1980s, worked closely with the Selfs. \u201cAl hoped that through the fellowship, he could expose students to experience and knowledge outside their own disciplines as a means to better prepare them for the future. He and Lila wanted to make a difference not only in the individual student\u2019s life, but they hoped that student would make a difference for the broader society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Selfs were a very powerful example of a donor reflecting on their own life experiences, what they\u2019ve learned from that, and how they can translate that into the impact of their philanthropy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fellowship\u2019s professional development program comprises an exclusive, customized curriculum that includes oral and written communication, leadership, management, innovation and public policy. The supplemental education aims to expand fellows\u2019 career horizons and fuel their growth into well-rounded, effective professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 2023-\u201924 Self Graduate Fellows, comprising students in each year of the four-year program.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The value of the development program lies in both the training and in the unique community that arises when top students from a variety of specialties convene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re a PhD student, you can hyperfocus on your specific field and not look up and out,\u201d Buchwitz says. \u201cThe professional development program gives these highly intelligent, highly motivated PhD students a built-in interdisciplinary network, and that\u2019s where innovation can really thrive. Conversations among PhD students in mechanical engineering, physics, neuroscience, business\u2014those aren\u2019t conversations that exist at KU organically. Bringing these students together in a room is intentional, and that was Madison and Lila\u2019s idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Selfs (no relation to the basketball coach) continued to fund and refine the fellowship in the years after its launch, and they went on to expand their giving, creating the Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program<\/a>, which benefits undergraduate students in the School of Engineering, and a professorship in the School of Pharmacy that honors the late Howard Mossberg, who served as the school\u2019s dean for 25 years and directed the Self Graduate Fellowship from 1991 to 2003. Madison Self received the Alumni Association\u2019s Distinguished Service Citation in 1997, and the School of Engineering honored him with its Distinguished Engineering Service Award in 2000. Self Hall, the Daisy Hill residence hall that opened in 2015, honors the couple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Madison Self early in his career.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both Madison and Lila died in 2013. A $58 million estate gift the following year sustained their existing initiatives and established the Self Memorial Scholarship<\/a>, which supports outstanding seniors who choose to stay at KU for master\u2019s or doctoral degrees. All told, the Selfs donated $106 million to KU, placing them among the most generous private donors in University history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCertainly the size of their gift is historic,\u201d says Seuferling, who led KU Endowment as president from 2002 to 2022. \u201cBut what I think is of equal value is the focus on maximizing student potential. The largest portion of their giving, which is focused on graduate studies, is very rare. The undergraduate experience resonates with all college graduates, but it\u2019s more difficult to engage donors in graduate support. It\u2019s really unique, and it\u2019s a difference-maker for KU to have that kind of support for graduate studies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self Graduate Fellows are nominated by their academic departments and chosen by the fellowship\u2019s board of trustees. They are selected for their achievements, lofty goals, leadership potential and passion for lifelong learning. They are employed as graduate research assistants and receive funds to pursue additional professional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jennifer Roberts, managing trustee of the program and senior vice provost for academic affairs and graduate studies, says Self Graduate Fellows create a ripple effect that strengthens KU. \u201cThey elevate the level of inquiry, the work ethic and the innovation within their laboratories and departments, so there is a value-add that goes beyond just the fellows themselves,\u201d Roberts says. \u201cHaving these students be part of the fabric of the student body enhances the educational experience in a way that sets KU apart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jennifer Roberts and Stefani Buchwitz<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Below, KU Alumni spotlights a handful of current fellows and alumni of the program who are applying their expertise to critical challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are extraordinary students who are being trained at our University,\u201d Roberts says, \u201cand they will go on to make great discoveries and contribute to our society in ways we can\u2019t even imagine yet. We can all be proud of that as part of KU.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mary Krause, PhD\u201911<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Amid the upheaval and uncertainty of 2020, Mary Krause was among the scientists who swiftly shifted focus to fast-track a treatment for the COVID-19 virus. Although the antibodies she and her colleagues at the pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb worked on never came to market, for Krause, the experience still yielded meaningful returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOvercoming some pretty significant stability challenges with the product to get it into clinical trials was probably my proudest moment,\u201d says Krause, who is based at Bristol Myers Squibb\u2019s facility in New Brunswick, New Jersey. \u201cOne lesson we learned is that there are always opportunities for acceleration. Being forced to think outside the box to make things happen faster taught us some important skills that we can now apply to get our other drugs to clinical trials faster and hopefully on the market sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krause\u2019s path into drug product development was paved by the Self Graduate Fellowship. The Springfield, Missouri, native had always thought she\u2019d apply her lifelong fascination with the natural world\u2014\u201cI was the kid out on the playground picking up rocks,\u201d she laughs\u2014to teaching. She arrived at KU in 2005 after earning her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in chemistry from Missouri State University, and through the fellowship discovered a compelling new course. \u201cI was going to be a professor all along, but there were other pharmaceutical chemists in the Self fellowship, and seeing their passion helped me identify a different path,\u201d Krause says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krause has been at Bristol Myers Squibb for nearly 10 years, currently as director of formulation development in sterile drug product development. She and her team of 10 work primarily on injectable drugs for cancer and autoimmune diseases. \u201cFor me, that very tangible piece of taking the active ingredient and going from a molecule to a medicine is the piece that I love,\u201d Krause says. \u201cWhen a drug product, with different formulation components to ensure it\u2019s stable for its entire shelf life, is actually in a vial or injection device that a patient can touch, it\u2019s incredibly rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her career also satisfies her yearning to teach. \u201cAt BMS, we have the opportunity to dig into science, and I get the joy of mentoring and coaching people, which is what I always loved about academia,\u201d says Krause, who leads the STEM group in the company\u2019s global Network of Women. \u201cGetting to help people grow and learn, but getting to do it in a place where we\u2019re also working on very applied science to improve patients\u2019 lives\u2014it\u2019s the best of both worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Krause is thrilled to add more of the flock to her team: She hired two fellow Jayhawks earlier this year. \u201cOne of the really cool things about being a Jayhawk in the pharmaceutical industry is that there are a lot of us,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with leadership skills, Krause cites the emphasis on communication as a standout part of the Self fellowship. \u201cOne gap we often have as scientists is being able to communicate our thoughts in a very clear way, and sometimes people can be afraid of what they don\u2019t understand,\u201d she says. \u201cHaving a community of leaders who have that fundamental knowledge and ability to solve a problem that they\u2019re getting from their primary PhD program, combined with the skills that they\u2019re learning from the fellowship about how to communicate and translate that information in a cohesive and clear way\u2014it really can benefit the overall community. People are then learning how scientists can impact their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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David M\u00e9nager, e\u201915, g\u201919, PhD\u201922<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The robots and computers in Saturday morning TV shows intrigued young David M\u00e9nager. \u201cThose shows captured my imagination and ignited a curiosity about what it means for a computer to \u2018think\u2019 and if that was really possible,\u201d he says. \u201cAs a kid, those questions and the unknown of it all were very interesting to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, as an AI scientist at Parallax Advanced Research, M\u00e9nager is at the forefront of exploring those grand possibilities as he works to develop higher-functioning, more autonomous AI systems for complex, real-world situations. His niche, cognitive artificial intelligence, focuses on creating AI systems that can reproduce the full range of human intelligent behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy specific area of expertise comprises theories of event memory, incremental concept formation and cognitive architecture,\u201d M\u00e9nager says. \u201cWhat distinguishes cognitive systems from other areas of AI is that we focus on high-level cognition and we take a systems perspective, thinking about how different cognitive abilities fit together within one implemented system while embracing constraints, such as computing resources and time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical triage is one such time-sensitive, high-stakes context to which M\u00e9nager and Parallax are applying AI to improve decision-making. \u201cIn triage, AI systems can leverage my work on event memory to think about what happened in the past, what its experiences were like, and reason from the basis of similar cases to make predictions for the patient,\u201d says M\u00e9nager, adding that much of Parallax\u2019s work ties to national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M\u00e9nager, who grew up in Topeka, came to KU to study computer science in the School of Engineering. As an undergraduate, he was selected as a Self Engineering Leadership Fellow and worked as a research assistant in the lab of Dongkyu Choi, a former assistant professor of aerospace engineering. M\u00e9nager went on to earn his master\u2019s and PhD in computer science, exploring cognitive AI systems with Choi and Arvin Agah, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, as his co-advisers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For M\u00e9nager, who now lives in Fort Worth, Texas, perhaps the biggest benefit of the Self Graduate Fellowship was the freedom it afforded him to immerse himself in research. \u201cIt allowed me to set the foundation for all the things I\u2019ve done in my career to date,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m getting to make new discoveries in my field and finding new applications for my contributions, getting to work with interesting folks, and it\u2019s all because I had that opportunity to focus on research during my PhD program, and that was because of the Self fellowship funding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He leans often on the communication skills he sharpened through the fellowship when writing his research proposals, and he reflects with gratitude on the generosity of the Selfs, which propelled him at each stage of his academic journey. \u201cI feel really blessed and fortunate to have had their support during my undergraduate and graduate careers,\u201d M\u00e9nager says. \u201cIt has been an incredible gift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rena Stair, c\u201919<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rena Stair can trace her deep scientific curiosity back to her childhood in Chanute, when she frequently pondered why she and her identical twin sister, Shelby, had slowly changed from an indistinguishable pair into distinct individuals. \u201cAll throughout growing up, I was interested in genetics and trying to understand how we were becoming so different and what made us the way we were,\u201d Stair recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the doctoral student in neuroscience applies her quest for answers to a complex human affliction: chronic pain. She will complete her PhD this summer and, thanks to a unique arrangement, since March has also worked in her new role as a scientist at the pharmacology startup Doloromics in Menlo Park, California. Stair aims to develop more precise treatments for pain that would provide targeted relief without side effects and leave the body\u2019s \u201cinformative\u201d pain sensations intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo many people\u2019s quality of life is diminished because of chronic pain,\u201d Stair says. \u201cMy main goal is to design better therapeutics that can alleviate that burden.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A first-generation college student, Stair flourished in KU\u2019s inquiry-inviting environment while earning her bachelor\u2019s degree in biology. \u201cIn classes, the lecturers would let me ask all sorts of questions and really let me dive in,\u201d Stair says. \u201cI found my time at KU very inspiring for just becoming a scientist.\u201d As an undergraduate, she completed two summer internships at a gene therapy startup in North Carolina that had recently been acquired by Pfizer, and post-graduation worked at Pfizer\u2019s St. Louis site for six months as she prepared for graduate school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although another university offered a PhD program that aligned perfectly with Stair\u2019s interest in genetics, \u201cI chose KU because there was a chance I might get this fellowship,\u201d she says. \u201cI remember thinking, \u2018I\u2019m going to get that fellowship, and I\u2019m going to do good work.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the first year of her PhD studies, Stair rotated through labs at KU Medical Center, the last of which was Kyle Baumbauer\u2019s. \u201cHe had so much energy,\u201d Stair says of Baumbauer, assistant professor of cell biology & physiology and anesthesiology. \u201cAnd he had this inherent interest in getting all the data he could so we could find out how things work. It was exactly what I wanted in a mentor.\u201d She joined Baumbauer\u2019s lab, where her passion for neuroscience and researching pain took root.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stair credits the Self fellowship with helping her land her job at Doloromics. While attending a conference in April 2023, she learned the company\u2019s co-founder would be at a Q&A session and resolved to introduce herself. \u201cI was primed to be a little more outgoing than I would have been,\u201d Stair says. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have approached her if the fellowship didn\u2019t teach me how. And that\u2019s what got the ball rolling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The camaraderie has been another highlight for Stair: \u201cTo have this cohort of people supporting you, being a witness to your success and also to your failure and continuing to provide reinforcement and motivation\u2014it\u2019s just an incredible bond that you wouldn\u2019t have otherwise. It increases everyone\u2019s likelihood for success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curiosity remains a cornerstone for Stair when she contemplates her future. \u201cMy mission is to try to help people in their daily lives, and also to continue being scientifically curious,\u201d she says. \u201cI hope to keep finding opportunities that help me fulfill those missions. There\u2019s probably going to be an opportunity\u2014something that I\u2019m suited for\u2014that I don\u2019t even know is out there yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grant Downes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While working toward his engineering merit badge in Boy Scouts in elementary school, Grant Downes learned about the relatively new field of bioengineering. \u201cIt included all the subjects I was interested in from class, all in one core discipline, and with an application toward human health,\u201d Downes remembers. \u201cIt seemed like an opportunity to develop something that would have the potential to impact millions of people\u2014anything from making medical devices to engineering drug compounds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downes\u2019 interest never wavered, and this fall he\u2019ll complete his doctorate in bioengineering. Through his work with his research advisers\u2014Cory Berkland, a former professor of both engineering and pharmacy, and Laird Forrest, professor of pharmaceutical chemistry\u2014Downes has also discovered a complementary calling: entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the reasons I decided to join Dr. Berkland\u2019s lab was because he has an entrepreneurial mindset in terms of translating academic research ideas and discoveries and trying to commercialize them, to get them from point A to point Z, which is to the person who needs it,\u201d says Downes, whose graduate research has focused on immunotherapy development for Type 1 diabetes, a disease that has affected his family. \u201cThat was something that was new to me, and I realized I wanted to pursue a career that combines the technical aspect of scientific research with the entrepreneurial spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downes grew up in Kansas City and earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in biomedical engineering from Wichita State University, where he competed in track and field. While at a conference to present his undergraduate research, he met Self fellow Bailey Banach, PhD\u201922, and their conversation put KU\u2019s bioengineering doctoral program on his radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside his PhD work, Downes has cultivated his entrepreneurial acumen, taking classes in the School of Business, interning at the University Venture Fund Crossroads in Kansas City and participating in the Entrepreneurship for Biomedicine training program at Washington University in St. Louis. The Self fellowship community has provided additional knowledge. \u201cGetting perspectives from all different disciplines is important for not only diversity of thought,\u201d Downes says, \u201cbut for keeping your brain sharp and continuing to think about things in different lights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduation, Downes, who competed on KU\u2019s track and field team for two years, aspires to work with entrepreneurs, ideally as a venture analyst at a biotech investment firm or as a consultant for small companies. Longer term, he\u2019d like to play a part in increasing career opportunities for biomedical engineers in the Midwest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ability to convey his scientific research in a way that\u2019s accessible to a broad audience is a skill Downes has been thankful to hone through the fellowship. \u201cYou can do all this data crunching and all these experiments,\u201d he says, \u201cbut at the end of the day, you need to be able to talk about it and communicate it in an effective way. That\u2019s something the fellowship has allowed me to grow in: making sure my ideas are coming across as I intend, without misunderstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With funds from the fellowship, Downes traveled to Paris in May 2023 to present his research at the Immunology of Diabetes Society Congress, where he received fresh feedback on his work and connected with peers from around the world. \u201cYou can\u2019t really put a price on the opportunity this fellowship provides from a professional development standpoint,\u201d Downes says. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t trade the fellowship for anything. It\u2019s been one of the most transformative experiences of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Megan Hirt, c\u201908, j\u201908, is managing editor of Crimson & Blue.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Madison and Lila Self photo courtesy of KU Endowment
Self Graduate Fellows group, Madison Self and David M\u00e9nager photos courtesy of the Self Graduate Fellowship
Jennifer Roberts and Stefani Buchwitz, Mary Krause, Rena Stair, and Grant Downes photos by Steve Puppe<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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