Wendy Conover
LAWRENCE — Jeffrey Girard and Rami Zeedan, two University of Kansas faculty members who champion open-access scholarship — one by creating widely used open-source software and tools, and the other by launching an open journal and textbook — have been named recipients of the 2025 Shulenburger Award for Innovation and Advocacy in Scholarly Communication by KU Libraries.  
The award was announced Oct. 21 during events for KU Libraries’ celebration of International Open Access Week.
Girard, associate professor of psychology, and Zeedan, associate professor of Jewish studies, both have long histories of making their own scholarship available on open platforms and stood out for their advocacy and empowerment of others to participate in open initiatives, according to the award committee.   
“Each year’s nominations remind us of how deeply our KU scholars are committed to openness as an essential driver of progress and inclusion,” said KU Libraries Dean Carol Smith. “Jeffrey and Rami embody these values in distinct but complementary ways — through open tools that strengthen research integrity and through open publishing that broadens understanding of complex histories, cultures and perspectives. Their sustained commitment to open scholarship captures both the spirit of the Shulenburger Award and the collective momentum advancing open scholarship at KU.” 
Girard has demonstrated a sustained commitment to open science spanning his early career to present throughout his research, teaching and service. He has created widely used open-source tools and datasets, cited in more than 2,000 peer-reviewed publications and adopted by hundreds of research groups worldwide. His Open Science Framework portfolio includes more than 50 preprints and extensive supplementary materials, modeling transparency and reproducibility.  
As an associate editor for Collabra: Psychology and through his integration of open principles in teaching, Girard advances open access in his field, empowering early career researchers and fostering a culture of openness toward a better body of scientific practice and knowledge. 
“Professor Girard has integrated open science practices throughout his work,” said Josh Bolick, head of KU Libraries’ Shulenburger Office of Scholarly Communication & Copyright. “He demonstrates that open practices lead to better and more reliable research. That speaks to the real value of innovation and advocacy in scholarly communication.” 
As founding editor-in-chief of the Druze Studies Journal, Zeedan established a pioneering open-access platform for interdisciplinary scholarship focused on an important but understudied religious community. His open textbook “Israel’s Divides Explained,” co-created with students, transforms classroom research into accessible public scholarship through digital media and podcasts that examine complicated issues and help more people understand complex debates about Israel and Palestine. 
Zeedan’s advocacy includes revising KU’s Open Access Policy and serving on the Open Access Advisory Board. Over half of his recent publications are in open journals, and all of his articles are in KU ScholarWorks. Additionally, he mentors students in creating licensed digital humanities projects. 
“Professor Zeedan demonstrates a deep, sincere and multifaceted commitment to open access,” Bolick said. “His work advances inclusive, globally relevant scholarship and exemplifies courageous leadership in open communication.” 
The Shulenburger Award recognizes KU faculty, staff, students and academic departments who champion open access and innovation in scholarly communication. The award was established in 2014 through a gift by David Shulenburger, former KU provost and executive vice chancellor, to encourage open sharing of the results of research and promote greater equity in access to scholarly endeavors. 
Up to two individuals or departments are selected from nominations each year for award amounts between $500 and $2,500. Individual awardees may be invited to serve on KU’s Open Access Advisory Board. In all, 16 honorees have been named throughout the award’s history. 
KU and KU Libraries’ history of supporting open scholarship includes open access advocacy, article publishing support, scholarly communication and copyright issues, KU ScholarWorks repository, digital publishing services, and partnership in research data management and sharing. KU is a member of the Higher Education Leadership Initiative for Open Scholarship (HELIOS Open) and Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), among others. KU Libraries’ work currently includes the digital publication of more than 60 open journals. 
Wendy Conover
Kevin McCarty
KU Libraries
785-864-6428
kmccarty@ku.edu

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