Featured news at KU


Our top featured stories

Students cross Wescoe Beach on a sunny day at the University of Kansas campus.
Nearly 8,700 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned honor roll distinction for the spring 2025 semester.

Other featured news

Coronavirus illustration

Research from the University of Kansas suppresses coronavirus by targeting Mac1

A study published in mBio details the vulnerability of coronaviruses to inhibitors of a small protein domain called Mac1, found in all coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. The findings point toward potential antiviral therapies.
A gloved hand provides a key to a hand holding money as the image of a locked computer screen appears in the background.

Corporate victims of ransomware may make matters worse by paying attackers, study finds

In a new study, University of Kansas business researcher Debabrata Dey examines when organizations accede to ransomware payment demands and, in doing so, incentivize attackers to launch more attacks, elevating the chance of a future breach not just for themselves but for others.
Artwork depicting man riding on a turtle's back across the sea, with a bronze bell in tow.

Author follows Japanese bells under sea, around world in new book

Where does the triangular relationship among dragons, bells and water come from, and how has it been portrayed and explained through the centuries? Sherry Fowler, professor in the Kress Foundation Department of Art History at the University of Kansas, explores those questions in “Buddhist Bells and Dragons: Under and Over Water, In and Out of Japan.”
A doctor vaccinates the arm of a teen.

‘Muslim Ban’ decreased preventative care for children of Middle Eastern ancestry, study finds

In a new study, David Slusky, professor of economics at the University of Kansas, evaluates the impact of the 2017 “Muslim Ban” on preventive care use among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) ancestry children in the U.S., finding decreased well-visits and associated vaccinations.

Research



A University of Kansas professor is headed to Lake Tahoe this summer to continue his experiments refining the best types of nature-conservation signage. Jeremy Shellhorn and colleagues emphasize the importance of “telegraphic messaging” and proper tone in the effectiveness of designing warning signs in bear country.
A new study appearing in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One from a psycholinguist at the University of Kansas explores how ChatGPT, the popular artificial-intelligence chatbot, responded to nonwords.
Coronavirus illustration
A study published in mBio details the vulnerability of coronaviruses to inhibitors of a small protein domain called Mac1, found in all coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. The findings point toward potential antiviral therapies.

Kansas Communities



University of Kansas leadership broke ground on major renovations at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center near Hutchinson on May 23, part of a bold campus master plan to support its competency-based curriculum and to expand programs to meet the training needs of partners in public safety.
KU has received funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to team with Workforce Partnership and the Kansas City Public Library to expand a program that works with women leaving incarceration and those who have left to provide technology and career training and learn about online security. The program has also shown it reduces recidivism rates.
Group of people standing in a line facing camera in prairie setting with milkweed blooming in foreground.
Ten secondary school science teachers from Kansas will take part in the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute, an immersive program that gives secondary educators the chance to work with KU scientists to explore resources and gain new ideas for their classrooms.

Economic Development



The University of Kansas School of Business received a $10 million gift commitment from an anonymous donor that ensures the construction of a new entrepreneurship hub building that benefits the greater KU community by teaching students to solve problems in meaningful ways. The new gift supplements the donor's lead gift of $50 million in 2023.
The University of Kansas ranked 37th among public institutions in the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2024, a list published by the National Academy of Inventors. The list showcases universities that play a pivotal role in advancing the innovation ecosystem and driving economic growth in the United States. KU ranked 59th among all universities.
Lab assistant holds up computer chip in blue light.
The University of Kansas is a powerful engine of economic growth and job creation for the state of Kansas, according to a new study detailing the university’s impact.

Student experience and achievement



Alexa Magstadt of Shawnee is the University of Kansas’ most recent Astronaut Scholar, an award that provides a scholarship up to $15,000 and access to an Astronaut Scholar conference, mentorship, professional development, networking and recognition.
At the initiation of the U.S. Department of State, the University of Kansas Wind Ensemble will represent the United States at the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, as part of a landmark international tour from June 25-July 5.
Students cross Wescoe Beach on a sunny day at the University of Kansas campus.
Nearly 8,700 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned honor roll distinction for the spring 2025 semester.

Campus news



Chancellor Douglas A. Girod has approved the promotion and award of tenure, where indicated, for 44 individuals at the University of Kansas Lawrence and Edwards campuses and 114 individuals at the KU Medical Center campus.
The University of Kansas has selected Jide Wintoki, Capitol Federal Professor of Finance, as the next dean of the KU School of Business. Wintoki first joined the school in 2008, and he currently serves as its associate dean of graduate programs. He will begin his new role July 1.
Silhouettes of two figures facing each other in busy nighttime cityscape; illustration.
A group of scholars will convene at the University of Kansas from July 19 to 21 to discuss the state of civility in contemporary politics. KU faculty are among the speakers at the free, in-person conference, which organizers hope will establish an international network of scholars working in this field.

Latest news

KGS staffers accept check from NextEra representatives.

Kansas Geological Survey receives donation from NextEra Energy Resources for continued research

A $10,000 donation to the Kansas Geological Survey is earmarked for the development of an experimental solar array in southwest Kansas.
Coronavirus illustration

Research from the University of Kansas suppresses coronavirus by targeting Mac1

A study published in mBio details the vulnerability of coronaviruses to inhibitors of a small protein domain called Mac1, found in all coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. The findings point toward potential antiviral therapies.
A gloved hand provides a key to a hand holding money as the image of a locked computer screen appears in the background.

Corporate victims of ransomware may make matters worse by paying attackers, study finds

In a new study, University of Kansas business researcher Debabrata Dey examines when organizations accede to ransomware payment demands and, in doing so, incentivize attackers to launch more attacks, elevating the chance of a future breach not just for themselves but for others.
Students cross Wescoe Beach on a sunny day at the University of Kansas campus.

University of Kansas announces spring 2025 honor roll

Nearly 8,700 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned honor roll distinction for the spring 2025 semester.