Bobkowski, Butcher receive J-School faculty awards

Peter Bobkowski and Cal Butcher have been selected as the recipients of this year’s William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications faculty awards. The awards recognize instructors’ commitment to teaching and helping students at the J-School.

Cal Butcher, director of Media Crossroads, was selected to receive the Katich Award for Creativity. Butcher, who also is the sports media liaison between the J-School and KU Athletics, teaches video production and assists students in front of or behind the camera who work on TV programs produced at The Studio inside Stauffer-Flint Hall.

The selection committee commented that Butcher excelled during the pandemic “when students really needed faculty members to step up. He especially went above and beyond to make sure that students could have the full experience, and he helped keep the lobby of Stauffer-Flint a safe beehive of activity when the rest of the campus seemed deserted.”

The Katich Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated creativity in teaching, research, service or a combination of these areas. It was established to honor former J-School Professor John Katich, a dedicated teacher who loved students and inspired them to exceed their own expectations.

The Bengtson Mentoring Award honors and recognizes faculty members who demonstrate a dedication to student mentorship. It was established by alumnus Mark Mears to honor his mentor, Professor Emeritus Tim Bengtson.

Associate Professor Peter Bobkowski was selected as this year’s recipient for his many years of mentoring all levels of students, according to the selection committee.

In 2019, Bobkowski received KU’s Gretchen and Gene Budig Teaching Professorship of Writing and was named the David Adams Journalism Educator of the Year, Scholastic Journalism Division, by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. He was the J-School’s Katich Award recipient in 2016.