Featured news at KU


Our top featured stories

NASA image of the Crab Nebula seen by the James Webb Space Telescope.
An theoretical astrophysicist from the University of Kansas recently published work largely solving the mystery of the Crab Pulsar's zebra pattern. Now, Mikhail Medvedev has honed his analysis by incorporating gravity's lensing effects.

Other featured news

Image on side of ancient vessel depicting Clytemnestra and Orestes

Scholar links Greek tragedy, new evidence on transmission of trauma

A University of Kansas scholar has won a fellowship from the National Humanities Center to work on a book drawing parallels between the rhythmic tropes of ancient Greek tragedy and cutting-edge scientific research on epigenetic trauma.
An 1840 painting depicts enslaved individuals of all ages garbed in osnaburg while picking cotton.

Enslaved people transformed clothing into instruments of rebellion, research reveals

In a new article, Zay Dale, assistant professor of English at the University of Kansas, reveals how textiles operated as violent aesthetic tools in the formation of Black existence during American slavery, but enslaved people transformed these fibers into instruments of refusal, creativity and ontological reclamation.
NASA image of the Crab Nebula seen by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Study reveals cosmic tug-of-war behind the Crab Pulsar’s zebra stripes

An theoretical astrophysicist from the University of Kansas recently published work largely solving the mystery of the Crab Pulsar's zebra pattern. Now, Mikhail Medvedev has honed his analysis by incorporating gravity's lensing effects.
A hand holding a phone is shown liking posts on social media while a stock market graph is superimposed over the image.

Social media discussions fueled ‘meme stock’ events and significant short squeezes, research finds

In a new article, Angel Tengulov, assistant professor of finance at the University of Kansas, examines how discussions on social media fueled the association between retail trading and subsequent stock returns during the “meme stock” events of 2021 that sparked massive short squeezes.

Research



In a new article, Zay Dale, assistant professor of English at the University of Kansas, reveals how textiles operated as violent aesthetic tools in the formation of Black existence during American slavery, but enslaved people transformed these fibers into instruments of refusal, creativity and ontological reclamation.
A study from the University of Kansas has found that high levels of social capital, such as civic participation, leads to better public health. However, the improvement was not equal among white and Black populations in the same communities with high levels of social capital, meaning more work is necessary to improve health outcomes for all, according to the authors.
Image on side of ancient vessel depicting Clytemnestra and Orestes
A University of Kansas scholar has won a fellowship from the National Humanities Center to work on a book drawing parallels between the rhythmic tropes of ancient Greek tragedy and cutting-edge scientific research on epigenetic trauma.

Kansas Communities



By delivering a digital “toolbox” to 300 countries, researchers at the Center for Community Health and Development are bringing life-saving lessons back home to Kansas.
A streamlined credentialing system is helping Kansas get firefighters and emergency personnel into the field faster through computer-based assessments. KU‘s Assessment and Technology Solutions (ATS) and Kansas Fire and Rescue Training Institute (KFRTI) are partnering on the project.
Blue calculator buttons
The University of Kansas School of Law students will once again assist eligible community members with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Last year, the VITA clinic filed 141 returns totaling $223,486.

Economic Development



Registration is now open for the annual gathering that brings together cybersecurity experts from industry and research to the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence. This collaborative event fosters critical dialogue on cybersecurity policy, education and strategy.
A recent report from the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science shows more than 7,000 KU research-funded employees leveraged their experience to build careers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia from 2011 to 2023 — and nearly 40% found employment in Kansas.
Collage of images showing researchers in an engineering laboratory, researchers on a Kansas roadside, and researchers in a KU faculty office. A Kansas prairie creates a background for the images.
Research and development expenditures spanning all University of Kansas campuses climbed to $610.6 million in fiscal year 2025, surpassing the previous record of $546.1 million by 12% and marking a full decade of sustained research growth.

Student experience and achievement



The University of Kansas Debate team of Brooklynn Hato, Overland Park, and AJ Persinger, Lawrence, have qualified for the 80th National Debate Tournament, to take place March 26-31 in Houston. They are the third KU pair to qualify for the national tournament this year.
The University of Kansas will celebrate Civic Learning Week @ KU March 9-13 with a slate of events for KU students and others in the Jayhawk community who are interested in learning more about community engagement and civic leadership opportunities at the university and beyond.
KU student Kayla Castillo gives a research presentation standing next to posterboard.
For almost 30 years, the Office for Advancing Success in Science at KU has provided opportunities for undergraduates to engage in research through grant support from the National Institutes of Health. KU has recently been awarded a $2.2 million Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) grant from the NIH that will carry on this tradition for another five years.

Campus news



Stephanie Stillo’s journey has stretched coast to coast, but it was in Kansas where an extraordinary path began to reveal itself. Stillo, who graduated from KU in 2014 with a doctorate in modern European history, returns to the university April 16 as the keynote speaker for KU Libraries’ Snyder Book Collecting Contest. The contest is now accepting student entries through March 24, celebrating 68 years of encouraging student book collections.
Two current KU leaders will assume new leadership roles at the University of Kansas. Arash Mafi will serve as the provost and chief academic officer for KU and executive vice chancellor for the Lawrence and Edwards campuses. Jennifer Roberts will become the executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
Photos of Katie Batza, Bret Freudenthal, Anthony Fehr and David Slusky, the 2026 University Scholarly Achievement Award winners..
The annual award at the University of Kansas recognizes significant research or scholarly achievement across the Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses and is typically presented in each of four categories.

Latest news

Daffodils bloom in front of Dyche Hall along Jayhawk Boulevard at the University of Kansas.

KU Kudos March 2026: Celebrating Jayhawk achievements

It’s time to celebrate Jayhawk colleagues’ achievements: KU News Service accepted submissions and combed websites, social media and newsletters for recent external honors and awards for current faculty and staff at the Lawrence, Edwards and Medical Center campuses and affiliates.
Joseph R. Pearson Hall exterior.

Second School of Education & Human Sciences dean finalist to present March 9

Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer, professor of curriculum and instruction and associate dean in the Texas Tech University Graduate School, will be the second dean candidate to give a public presentation on her strategies for the future of the University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences.
A large group of people holding various percussion instruments onstage.

KU World Percussion Ensembles celebrating 10 years with free concert

The University of Kansas School of Music invites the community to experience an electrifying evening of rhythm, culture and collaboration at Azad’s 10th Annual KU World Percussion Ensembles Concert, taking place at 7 p.m. April 13 at the Lawrence Arts Center.
Hall Center for the Humanities

Students to present at Undergraduate Research Colloquium

The University of Kansas community is invited to attend the Undergraduate Research Colloquium, which will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. March 10 at the Hall Center for the Humanities Conference Hall.