Brian William Lagotte, of Lawrence, recently earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in anthropology and educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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The Kansas Juvenile Officers Association recognized the Lawrence school district and a Free State High student during its annual conference in Lawrence. The KJOA presented the Lawrence district with its School District of the Year Award for “demonstrating extra effort to work with school-based police officers to keep students and schools safe.” Lucy Haines Dechairo, the district’s former director of administrative services with oversight of school safety, accepted the award. In addition, the Association recognized Free State High junior Logan Brown for her selection to represent the state of Kansas on the Youth Advisory Board of D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) America. Brown also was recently recognized as the United Way Roger Hill Volunteer Center’s 2011 Wallace Galluzzi Outstanding Youth Volunteer of the Year.

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Hannah Frydman, of Lawrence, has graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history from Smith College in Northhampton, Mass. She has been named a First Group Scholar and has been named to the Dean’s List for the 2011-2012 school year. First Group Scholars generally represent the top 10 percent of their class.

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Tate Andrews, of Lawrence, has made the Dean’s Honor Roll at Garden City Community College. To qualify, students must have a GPA of at least 3.2.

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Shereen Fattaahi, of Sedalia, was named to the College of the Ozarks spring 2012 President’s List in Point Lookout, Mo. Fattaahi is a Veritas Christian School graduate. To qualify for the President’s List, students must maintain a 4.0 GPA.

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Brittany Nicole Pastor and Sgt. Sidney James Pastor III, Eudora, announce the birth of their daughter, Kimber Jameson Pastor, born June 27, 2012, at Abilene Regional Hospital in Abilene, Texas. Kimber joins brother Maddox Von Pastor, 2. Maternal grandparents are Gary and Teresa Roach, Forney, Texas. Paternal grandparents are Tammy and Richard Ziesenis, Lawrence, and Sidney J. Pastor Jr., Liberty, Texas. Great-grandparents are Robbie Wisdom, Eudora, and Sidney J. Pastor Sr., Beasley, Texas, and Mavis Roach, Tyler, Texas.

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Meixi Wang, a 2012 graduate of Lawrence Free State High School, was selected to represent Kansas as a delegate to the 2012 National Youth Science Camp from June 27 to July 21. Wang joined 119 other top science students from across the nation and around the world for this honors science leadership program.

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Kelsey Schweer, of Lawrence, has been chosen to serve as a First-Year Experience peer educator at Washburn University in Topeka. She will assist new students participating in the First-Year Experience class this fall.

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Liam Smith, of Lawrence, has been named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2012 semester at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. To qualify, students must maintain a 3.5 GPA or better.

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The following Lawrence residents were named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2012 semester at Washington University in St. Louis: Joseph Randall and Betty Zhang. To qualify, students must earn a semester GPA of 3.6 or above.

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Jordan Payne, of Lawrence, has been named to Drake University’s President’s List in Des Moines, Iowa, for the spring 2012 semester. Students must have a GPA of 4.0 to receive this honor.

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The following Lawrence residents achieved a GPA of 3.5 or above and were named to Drake University Dean’s List in Des Moines, Iowa, for the spring 2012 semester: Justine Ahle and Byron Varberg.

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The following local residents graduated from Drake University at the conclusion of the 2012 spring semester: Justine Ahle of Lawrence, with a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry and molecular biology; Shaun James, of Lawrence, with a Bachelor of Science in health science; and Michael Santee, of Lawrence, with a Bachelor of Science in business administration.

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Amelia Davis Hurst, of Baldwin City, has been named to the Dean’s List at the University of Iowa for the spring 2012 semester. To qualify, students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

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Local students were among those graduating in May from Fort Hays State University. Degrees are as listed by the university.

From De Soto: Morgan Burns, Bachelor of General Studies.

From Eudora: Alex Hammes, B.B.A. in management.

From Lawrence: Gabriel Bailey, Bachelor of General Studies; Leslie Evans, a B.G.S. (networking); Hallie Godfrey, Bachelor of General Studies; Jacob Larsen, M.S. in special education (adaptive); Nicole Lutz, B.B.A. in management; Jeremy McGinnis, B.G.S. (organizational leadership); Mary Rooney, Master of Science in Education (English for speakers of other languages).

From McLouth: Scott Smelser, B.S. in technology studies.

From Oskaloosa: Jennifer Newman, B.S. in health and human performance (health promotion and wellness).

From Tonganoxie: Michael Holton, M.B.A. in business administration (finance); Rachel Weston, B.S. in health and human performance (K-12 teaching and coaching).

From Wellsville: Madison Shoemaker, B.S. in psychology.

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The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Kansas University has honored outstanding students this spring with more than $29,000 in awards and scholarships. Area honorees are as follows:

Steven Roels, of Lawrence, received the Outstanding Thesis Award. Roels earned a master’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology. His thesis was “Not Easy Being Mead’s: Comparative Herbivory on Three Milkweeds, Including Threatened Mead’s Milkweed (Asclepias meadii) and Seedling Ecology of Mead’s Milkweed.”

Paul Thomas, of Ottawa, received the Betty Wahlstedt Student Memorial Award for undergraduates majoring in psychology, sociology or anthropology.

Carolisa Watson, of Lawrence, received the Van Eekeren Family Scholarship.

Liesel Reussner, of Lawrence, received the Veta B. Lear Memorial Award. This award is for a freshman with a 4.0 grade-point average during his or her first semester.

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Jared Willits, of Lawrence, has earned academic honors at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., for the spring 2012 semester. To qualify, students must have had at least a 3.5 GPA.

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Carol Whaley, of Baldwin City, a 2012 Baldwin High School graduate, has accepted an $800 Hays City Silver Academic Award from Fort Hays State University for the 2012-2013 academic year.

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The following area students graduated from the University of Iowa in the spring:

From Baldwin City: Amelia Davis Hurst, Bachelor of Science, biology with honors; Amelia Davis Hurst, Bachelor of Arts, Spanish.

From Basehor: Thomas William Moody, Master of Arts, Latin.

From Lawrence: Arna Bontemps Hemenway, Master of Fine Arts, English.