Your daily dose of news, notes and links from around Kansas University.

• I heard from a few folks who wanted some more information on how KU paid the $2.28 million in private dollars for an upcoming consultant, so here you go.

I placed a call to Dale Seuferling, president of the KU Endowment Association. Seuferling told me that the funds came from a grant request out of the Greater KU Fund.

Those are unrestricted private dollars controlled by KU Endowment’s Executive Committee. The chancellor can make a grant request to the committee for the funds.

That’s what happened in this case, Seuferling said.

According to the 2010 KU Endowment Annual Report, more than 3,800 alumni and friends donated to the Greater KU Fund in the 2010 fiscal year, and it provided $10.3 million in support.

Other things the unrestricted dollars were used for last year included direct aid to 1,000 undergraduates, 12 teaching professorships, three faculty awards, enhancements in research libraries, support for students studying abroad, among other efforts.

Seuferling said he intended to use the consultant’s project as an example of something that can be accomplished using unrestricted private donations in the future.

• KU leaders released several statements yesterday after the death of Edwyna Gilbert, a professor emeritus of English.

Gilbert, who died this week at the age of 74, retired in 1993 after 26 years of teaching. She served as chairwoman of the KU Libraries Board of Advocates, among other roles on campus, and had been active in KU’s Endacott Society for retired faculty and staff.

I found this photo of her in our archives.

“Edwyna was a beloved teacher in the English department; faculty who knew her describe her as a true mentor. For many years, she was the only person teaching children’s literature at KU,” said Marta Caminero-Santangelo, chair of the English department at KU, in a statement. “She is going to be missed tremendously.”

• The KU department of African and African-American studies celebrated its 40th anniversary Thursday with a symposium beginning at noon at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union.

The symposium discussed the department’s history, including the student activism leading to its creation in 1970-71 through today.

UPDATE: A kind person from the department of African and African-American studies contacted me to kindly point out that this event indeed occurred YESTERDAY, and not today like I’d originally said. So I’ve fixed it. Sorry for the mix-up! Sometimes my head gets filled with too much information and it all jumbles together.

• I’ve received many good nominees for awesome graduates this year — thanks to all who sent some in. If you think of any more — or would care to share any other tips for Heard on the Hill — feel free to send them my way at ahyland@ljworld.com.