Meet the judges

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson is the director for the KU News Service, which seeks national media attention for KU research and researchers. She leads a team of public affairs officers who pitch research story ideas and KU experts to reporters while also conveying complex topics to broad audiences. When she left journalism for higher ed communications 15 years ago, Barcomb-Peterson was herself a public affairs officer, writing for broad audiences about topics ranging from ultrafast lasers and porcine circovirus vaccines, to fast food marketing campaigns and Dr. Seuss.

Bio forthcoming

Jack Cline is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Federal Relations for the University of Kansas and has served in this role since January 2012. Prior to joining KU, Cline was the assistant vice president for federal relations, for five years, at the University of Massachusetts. 

Cline, a member of the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics, is an active higher education and research lobbyist.  

Cline’s past leadership roles include serving as the Chairman of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Council on Governmental Affairs was a member of the APLU Board of Directors in 2014 and 2016. From 2014 to 2016, Cline was also a member of the Association of American Universities Council on Federal Relations Steering Committee. 

In 2016, Cline was the President of The Science Coalition (TSC); the TSC is made up of over 60 of the nation’s largest research universities dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research. Today, he serves on the Association of American Cancer Institutes Government Relations Forum Steering Committee and is the lobbying community’s liaison to the APLU Council on Strategic Communications. 

Prior to joining the higher education / research community, Cline was the Executive Director of Gubernatorial Appointments and Personnel for then Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Before joining the Romney Administration, Cline was an executive staff member for Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci and Governor Jane Swift. Cline also was a Professional Staff Member for former House Speaker John Boehner when Boehner chaired the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. 

Cline was a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, having worked for the White House Military Office and the Pentagon. A third generation GI Bill student / graduate, Cline earned a bachelor of liberal arts, with a concentration in history, from Harvard. After graduation, he earned his Commission in the U.S. Navy Reserve and served as an intelligence officer for five years.  

Bio forthcoming.

Bio forthcoming

Eric Jay is co-owner of struct/restruct, LLC, a design-build company rooted in the heart of East Lawrence.  He earned his Bachelor of Architecture from K-State in 2000 and studied under Charles Cunniffe Architects and James Hardy Architects, both located in Telluride, CO.  He moved to Lawrence in 2008 to join forces with his life-long friend, Matt Jones, to grow the business.  Since 2008, struct/restruct has designed and built numerous projects throughout Lawrence.  Eric is also a Tenants to Homeowners board member, and when not focusing on design projects, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, working on his own house, or seeking fish on the local waters.

Lisa Larsen currently serves as a Lawrence City Commissioner. She has been on the commission since 2015 and was Mayor in 2019. She is a former small business owner (1992-2014) in the environmental consulting and drilling industry, and is currently a Licensed Professional Geologist.

Vickie Randel is a retired commercial banking executive, having worked in commercial lending, business development, and private client services for more than 35 years.  She is a native of Lawrence, Kansas and a graduate of the KU School of Business.  During her career she worked with business owners, investors, real estate developers and managers, and other professionals.  She has been very involved in civic volunteerism for many years, continuing that in her retirement. 

Mindie Paget is communications director for the KU Office of Research, where she leads communications, marketing and public relations efforts for a unit whose mission is to facilitate innovation, creative activity, discovery and the application and dissemination of knowledge. She previously served as communications director for the KU School of Law and has been a KU staff member for 13 years. An experienced writer, editor and graphic designer, she worked for six years as a journalist at the Lawrence Journal-World. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy and a master’s degree in journalism from KU.

Derek Rogers is a lifelong resident of Lawrence and KU graduate. He joined the Kansas Air National Guard in Topeka Kansas while still in high school and retired from the Kansas Air national guard with 32 years of service. During his time in the guard, he held many different positions throughout the organization and served 24 years as a federal civil servant at the same base.  Both retirements from the military and civil service happened December 2015. 

He married his high school sweetheart in 1987 and has 2 kids; a son and daughter at KU.

In July 2017, he was selected as the Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Lawrence.

Dale Seuferling  a Kansas native and a 1977 graduate of the KU William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. He began his university advancement career as the first broadcast media coordinator for the KU Office of University Relations.

Dale joined KU Endowment in 1981, and has held a variety of positions in areas of public relations, constituent development, major gifts, and executive leadership. Prior to being named President of KU Endowment in July of 2002, Dale was Executive Vice President for Development and the corporate secretary.

As President of KU Endowment, Dale directed the KU First campaign which concluded in 2004 raising $653 million for KU and the Far Above campaign which achieved $1.66 billion in 2016.

In 2012, 2013 and 2014, KU was the recipient of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Educational Fundraising Award for superior fundraising programs. Among all U.S. Public Research Doctoral Institutions, only KU and the University of California-Berkeley have repeated as winners.