Featured news at KU

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Illustration of anthropomorphic animals interacting

Role-playing game RiverBank a new twist on author Kij Johnson's concept

Photo collage of Timothy Jackson, Ward Thompson, Jon Tunge and Michael Branicky

Four KU professors in chemistry and engineering named AAAS fellows

Wooden model of a house with image of map on its roof, words on its side

Multimedia art project pays tribute to vanished Topeka neighborhood

The “Reclaiming Home: Remembering the Topeka Bottoms” project, led by a University of Kansas professor, includes oral history, art and documentary film components. Events connected to the project begin April 4.

Other featured news

Wooden model of a house with image of map on its roof, words on its side

Multimedia art project pays tribute to vanished Topeka neighborhood

The “Reclaiming Home: Remembering the Topeka Bottoms” project, led by a University of Kansas professor, includes oral history, art and documentary film components. Events connected to the project begin April 4.
Collage featuring photo of Howard Thurman and newspaper headline Martin Luther King Stabbed

Podcast dramatizes spiritual bridge between Gandhi, MLK

Darren Canady, University of Kansas professor of English, wrote the six-part, three-hour audio drama that is part of the multimedia “Day of Days” project helmed by executive producer Michael Epstein.
A silhouette of a human head with an old-fashioned key in place of the top part of the cranium.

Evolution of distinctively human cognition explored in new book

In a new book, Armin Schulz, professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas, explores what makes human cognition unique, suggesting its evolution is built on a feedback loop of innate representations, forms of cultural learning and technology.
Illustration of anthropomorphic animals interacting

Role-playing game RiverBank a new twist on author Kij Johnson's concept

Kij Johnson, associate professor of English, has turned a book inspired by "Wind in the Willows" into a new ‘Cottagecore’ role-playing game

Research

KU environmental law expert part of research team working to place solar arrays over thousands of miles of California canals

Robin Kundis Craig of KU Law is part of the California Solar Canal Initiative, which is working to place solar arrays over thousands of miles of water canals in California. The project aims to produce clean energy, reduce water loss and land waste, all while creating local jobs and reducing pollution.

Study: Social media doesn’t always bring people together, even when they have shared goals for democracy

A study of feminist protesters who took part in the 2019 Algerian “Hirak“ protests found they experienced dismissal and violence from people on social media, even when they shared goals of reforming their government. The findings indicate the power of social media to unite people around a common cause can be limited when all are not viewed as equals.
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Collage featuring photo of Howard Thurman and newspaper headline 'Martin Luther King Stabbed'

Podcast dramatizes spiritual bridge between Gandhi, MLK

Darren Canady, University of Kansas professor of English, wrote the six-part, three-hour audio drama that is part of the multimedia “Day of Days” project helmed by executive producer Michael Epstein.
More Research

Kansas Communities

KU Public Management Center announces new director

Kristi Northcutt will direct the center that provides professional education and leadership development programs and events for public service professionals across Kansas and beyond.

Program will train high schoolers to write code and develop microelectronics for artificial intelligence

Researchers at the University of Kansas, along with the University of Florida and the University of North Texas, will partner with regional high schools to engage about 500 students and 25 teachers in real-world projects to build interest in artificial intelligence technology as a career path.
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Center for Evaluation and Educational Leadership (CEEL) Director Bart Swartz engages new and established school districts at the Spring 2025 Showcase and Advisory Board on March 24 at KU Innovation Park.

AAI’s Center for Evaluation & Educational Leadership expands school support through business partnerships

The goal of the Center for Evaluation & Educational Leadership (CEEL), a center within the Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI), is to help school district leaders navigate challenges to foster effective, well-balanced learning environments for students. One of the primary ways Director Bart Swartz accomplishes this is through a network of business partners that can help districts with their needs.
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Economic Development

New $5 million DoE award supports KU startup’s green hydrogen energy research

With $5 million in support from U.S. Department of Energy, the University of Kansas and Avium, a startup firm founded by researchers from KU’s School of Engineering, aim to make clean hydrogen more affordable.

Design-Zyme, KU collaboration results in $3 million SBIR award for Lyme disease vaccine development

The woods can be a place of adventure and beauty, a peaceful escape for a walk. But among the leaves and grass, the threat of ticks can turn a hike into a health-altering encounter with Lyme disease. A recent $3 million Small Business Innovation Research award will fund the research and development of a vaccine to stop Lyme disease in its tracks.
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Collage of images showing a researcher in a biomedical sciences laboratory, researchers in an engineering lab space, and K-12 students in a classroom. Kansas prairie grasses create a background for the images.

Record-high research at KU benefits Kansans, fuels state economy

Research and development expenditures spanning all University of Kansas campuses increased to $546.1 million in fiscal year 2024, surpassing the half-billion-dollar mark for the first time in university history. The reverberations of that growth extend far beyond KU to benefit people throughout the Sunflower State and beyond.
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Student experience and achievement

KU Law wins fifth-straight NNALSA moot court championship

For the fifth consecutive year, a University of Kansas School of Law team won first place at the National Native American Law Student Association (NNALSA) Moot Court Competition, which took place Feb. 14-15 in Las Vegas.

KU Debate qualifies third team for National Debate Tournament

The University of Kansas debate team of Ethan Harris and Jacob Wilkus, both alumni of Free State High School in Lawrence, have qualified for the National Debate Tournament set for April 4-7 in Spokane, Washington.
More Student Experience and Achievement
aerial view of campanile in spring with Fraser Hall in backround

KU senior from Lawrence is first-ever Jayhawk to be named a James C. Gaither Fellow

As part of the fellowship, Charlie Johnson will be assigned to scholars in Carnegie’s Middle East Program in Washington, D.C., assisting them with research and writing on projects related to the Middle East and North Africa.
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Campus news

Hardy family provides $2 million gift to propel restoration of iconic KU Natural History Museum exhibit

KU alumni Tom and Jan Hardy have provided a $2 million gift to the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum to fuel preservation efforts for the historic exhibit at the heart of the museum, the Panorama. The 132-year-old exhibit showcases a variety of preserved animal specimens in their habitats, with North American mammals at its center.

Artist Stephen T. Johnson extends family’s legacy in new, three-generation show

Stephen T. Johnson, lecturer in the School of Architecture and Design, carries on his family’s artistic legacy in a new “three-generation” show opening Feb. 28 at the Cider Gallery in Lawrence.
More Campus News
Aerial view of earthwork of Bob Dole adjacent to Dole Institute of Politics, pool of water

Dole Institute late spring programming to feature former Dole staff leaders, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas will welcome a slate of national leaders and feature student-led issue programs, an original exhibition and the family-favorite annual Easter Egg Roll.
More Campus News

Latest news

A Latino man with a prosthetic hand is seated in the cab of a large truck facing the camera.

National KU-based survey asks adults with disabilities to share their experiences to guide future research and policy

The 2025 National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD) collects information that informs and shapes policy. The survey is based at the University of Kansas.
Mike Wuthrich

Mike Wuthrich to be recognized for excellence in international education

Mike Wuthrich, a KU associate professor of political science, will receive the Woodyard International Educator Award for his leadership, research and impact on global education.
Center for Evaluation and Educational Leadership (CEEL) Director Bart Swartz engages new and established school districts at the Spring 2025 Showcase and Advisory Board on March 24 at KU Innovation Park.

AAI’s Center for Evaluation & Educational Leadership expands school support through business partnerships

The goal of the Center for Evaluation & Educational Leadership (CEEL), a center within the Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI), is to help school district leaders navigate challenges to foster effective, well-balanced learning environments for students. One of the primary ways Director Bart Swartz accomplishes this is through a network of business partners that can help districts with their needs.
Kansas River

Global Climate Teach-in to bring together perspectives related to climate change, offers opportunities to build community

For the fourth year, KU is participating in the Worldwide Climate Education Week, led by Bard College. Five events offer opportunities to come together in different settings around education about the climate crisis.
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