Featured news at KU


Our top featured stories

Photo of islands in the Vona Vona Lagoon of the New Georgia Group, Solomon Islands.
A study of body size in leaf-nosed bats of the Solomon Islands that involved evolutionary biologists from the University of Kansas — who collected specimens, conducted genetic analysis and co-wrote research in the journal Evolution — reveals surprising genetic diversity among nearly indistinguishable species on different islands.

Other featured news

Photo of islands in the Vona Vona Lagoon of the New Georgia Group, Solomon Islands.

Researchers parse oddity of distantly related bats in Solomon Islands that appear identical

A study of body size in leaf-nosed bats of the Solomon Islands that involved evolutionary biologists from the University of Kansas — who collected specimens, conducted genetic analysis and co-wrote research in the journal Evolution — reveals surprising genetic diversity among nearly indistinguishable species on different islands.
Students working on math problems at a chalkboard.

Intervention based on science of reading, math boosts comprehension, word problem-solving

New research from the University of Kansas has found an intervention based on the science of reading and math effectively helped English language learners boost their comprehension, visualize and synthesize information, and make connections that significantly improved their math performance.
Illustration of COVID virus

Study reports new compound halting replication of COVID by targeting ‘Mac-1’ protein in cell models

Research from the University of Kansas shows for the first time SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can be inhibited from replicating in living cell cultures using a compound that targets “Mac-1,” a protein key to defending SARS-CoV-2 against the human immune response.
Fraser Hall

KU professor of anthropology receives prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship to work on 2nd book

Jennifer Raff, KU associate professor of anthropology, was recently awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for her work on the history of human populations through sequencing the genomes of contemporary peoples and their ancestors.

Research



In a new study, John James Kennedy, a professor of political science at the University of Kansas, examines the influence of international collaboration and vaccine developments.
Three KU faculty members — Kristin Bowman-James, Donna Ginther and Bala Subramaniam — have been elected as 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows, a distinct honor within the scientific community.
Portrait of Miguel Albújar-Escuredo in the Department of Spanish/Portuguese office suite.
The “deep, existential malaise” stemming from fear of impending ecological catastrophe has permeated science fiction around the globe, a KU professor writes in a new journal article.

Kansas Communities



The Kansas Geological Survey-produced map shows the type and age of rock layers found at or near the surface in the north-central Kansas county. The map identifies deposits of rocks and other materials of economic importance for building roads and construction projects.
The KGS, based at the University of Kansas, and the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas Department of Agriculture measure water levels in about 1,400 wells every year to monitor the health of the High Plains aquifer and other aquifers in western and south-central Kansas.
Jerry Moran making presentation at KU Law School with KU Law signage on screen behind him.
The University of Kansas School of Law is set to receive $1.6 million in federal funding for the establishment of a free legal aid clinic dedicated to serving veterans. With an estimated 194,000 veterans in Kansas, the clinic would be the first of its kind in the state.

Economic Development



An upcoming cybersecurity conference will bring together experts in the field from industry, workforce and research to KU. FBI Director Christopher Wray will be the first keynote speaker at 8:35 a.m.
KU's Institute for Sustainable Engineering has a new name —Wonderful Institute for Sustainable Engineering-KU (WISE-KU). The naming builds on the university’s deep relationship with The Wonderful Company, a global agricultural company co-founded and led by Stewart and Lynda Resnick.
Pair of scientists working in lab; supervised smiling children working with cookie cutters; individuals sitting in creek bed taking samples on partly cloudy day; medical professionals talking to seated patient with blood pressure cuff on her arm.
Research expenditures spanning all KU campuses increased to $368.6 million in 2023, capping nearly a decade of steady expansion. Last year alone, externally funded research at KU supported the salaries of 4,372 people, and the university spent $78.9 million in 97 Kansas counties on research-related goods and services, according to a report from the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science.

Student experience and achievement



The University Career Center has announced the 2023-2024 Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) as Daphne Tibbetts, who works for the Department of English in the History of Black Writing (HBW) research center.
Annie Chuning, Kara Hageman, Natalie Lind and Luke Parker were each honored for their exceptional research and presentations at an event that assembles the top graduate student researchers in the state of Kansas. Their work delved into topics including the effects of food insecurity on rural Kansans' health and solutions to orthopedic joint infections.
Bronze Jayhawk with Campanile in distance
Twenty-two students have been selected to receive the KU Madison and Lila Self Memorial Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year. The merit-based scholarship is awarded to outstanding seniors from KU who will be transitioning into their first year of a graduate degree program at the university in fall 2024.

Campus news



School of Engineering alumni Zack Holland and Brian McClendon will receive the school’s highest award in a ceremony set for 6 p.m. May 2. The Distinguished Engineering Service Award (DESA) is given each year to individuals who have maintained close association with the school and have made outstanding contributions to the engineering profession and to society.
The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas will host a public event with the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., cousin and childhood best friend of Emmett Till, in conjunction with the traveling exhibition “Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See.” The event will take place at 6 p.m. April 24 at the Spencer Museum. Seating is limited; free tickets are required.
Scott Cramer and Willie Justus, landscape workers, shovel mulch into wheelbarrows during a bed renovation outside of Stauffer-Flint Hall in November 2023.
The Lawrence campus aesthetic plays a key role in recruiting, and the KU landscaping team works to create a beautiful and welcoming environment for students, employees and visitors.

Latest news

Jayhawk in cap and gown

Information for news media covering University of Kansas Class of 2024 Commencement

The University of Kansas invites news media to cover the university’s Commencement ceremony May 12 for the Class of 2024. News media photographers will need KU credentials to shoot from the photo pen on the Campanile plaza and to get inside the stadium.
Portrait of Miguel Albújar-Escuredo in the Department of Spanish/Portuguese office suite.

Contemplating eco-catastrophe through Spanish science fiction lens

The “deep, existential malaise” stemming from fear of impending ecological catastrophe has permeated science fiction around the globe, a KU professor writes in a new journal article.
Bronze Jayhawk with Campanile in distance

KU announces new 2024-2025 Self Memorial Scholars

Twenty-two students have been selected to receive the KU Madison and Lila Self Memorial Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year. The merit-based scholarship is awarded to outstanding seniors from KU who will be transitioning into their first year of a graduate degree program at the university in fall 2024.
Scott Cramer and Willie Justus, landscape workers, shovel mulch into wheelbarrows during a bed renovation outside of Stauffer-Flint Hall in November 2023.

KU grounds crew taking a new, more strategic and sustainable approach to landscaping

The Lawrence campus aesthetic plays a key role in recruiting, and the KU landscaping team works to create a beautiful and welcoming environment for students, employees and visitors.