Featured news at KU


Our top featured stories

Photo of musk ox in Greenland.
New research from the University of Kansas in Ecology Letters reveals study of spatial synchrony over a long enough timescale leads to better testing of ideas, improved statistical results and new conceptual realms for understanding ecology, conserving species and farming more profitably.

Other featured news

Photo of musk ox in Greenland.

Study of ‘spatial synchrony’ using long-term data exposes ecological trends and could boost conservation, farming

New research from the University of Kansas in Ecology Letters reveals study of spatial synchrony over a long enough timescale leads to better testing of ideas, improved statistical results and new conceptual realms for understanding ecology, conserving species and farming more profitably.
Director Nicole Hodges Persley , standing at right, gestures as she speaks with actor Ash Bowen seated in chair.

Professor mentors as she shepherds 'Family Sideshow' through world premiere at KC Melting Pot Theatre

Nicole Hodges Persley has a sense of fulfillment on many levels as she works on her last play as artistic director of the Kansas City Melting Pot Theatre. She is directing a cast of four in the world premiere of Brysen Boyd’s tragicomic drama, “Family Sideshow,” opening May 1.
The full mosaic of MIRI EGS Galaxy and AGN (MEGA) survey using all four of their observed MIRI filters.

Galaxies at ‘cosmic noon’: Research gives deep dive into universe’s wild growth spurt

A new University of Kansas survey of distant galaxies using the James Webb Space Telescope reveals never-before-seen star formation and black hole growth at “cosmic noon,” a mysterious epoch 2-3 billion years after the Big Bang when galaxies like the Milky Way underwent an intense growth spurt.
Reflections of skyscrapers in the windows of an office are superimposed on silhouettes of employees in a corporate boardroom.

Partisan politics proved most significant factor for speed of corporate shutdowns during pandemic, study shows

In a new study, Shradha Bindal, assistant professor of finance at the University of Kansas, investigates the speed with which U.S. firms shut down their headquarters because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that the political orientation of the firms and their CEOs proved the most significant factor.

Research



Fifty-two physicists affiliated with the University of Kansas — both currently and formerly — are on the teams that recently were awarded the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their papers analyzing data from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. The prize recognizes outstanding research papers published between 2015-2024.
A KU researcher calculated carbon footprints of residents of one of the poorest neighborhoods in Seoul, South Korea. Joonmo Kang found that, despite contributing much less to climate change than other residents, they bore the brunt of the effects. This highlights the vital role of social workers in helping address climate injustice and advocating for equitable solutions, according to researcher.
Director Nicole Hodges Persley , standing at right, gestures as she speaks with actor Ash Bowen seated in chair.
Nicole Hodges Persley has a sense of fulfillment on many levels as she works on her last play as artistic director of the Kansas City Melting Pot Theatre. She is directing a cast of four in the world premiere of Brysen Boyd’s tragicomic drama, “Family Sideshow,” opening May 1.

Kansas Communities



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.
Kristi Northcutt will direct the center that provides professional education and leadership development programs and events for public service professionals across Kansas and beyond.
ROTC student in front of war memorial
All University of Kansas campuses received top rankings among Tier 1 research institutions in the annual “Military Friendly Schools” survey, the longest-running review of college and university investments in serving military-affiliated students.

Economic Development



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.
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.
An assortment of KU faculty and students in university research settings against a backdrop of a geological formation in Kansas.
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.

Student experience and achievement



The Center for Undergraduate Research at the University of Kansas is hosting online and in-person research presentations through April 25 to celebrate Undergraduate Research Week, featuring the work of more than 150 Jayhawks.
The Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research at KU has awarded $4,000 in funding this spring for student research to be conducted this year. Four students will receive assistance through the research center’s 2025 Student Research Awards.
Campanile in spring.
Three University of Kansas students were recently named to the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The distinction provides three years of financial support with an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost of education allowance of $16,000 to the institution.

Campus news



KU has 48 graduate programs in the top 50 among public universities — including 10 programs in the top 10 — in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.
Hongyang Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, is the recipient of an NSF Early Career Development award for his efforts to strengthen high-performance computing systems by allowing them to do more work as they continue to expand.
United States and China flags overlapping
A conversation between former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and longtime Wall Street Journal journalist Jerry Seib will open a University of Kansas conference April 30-May 1 that seeks to understand China’s long-term geopolitical objectives and how they affect U.S. national security.

Latest news

Photo of musk ox in Greenland.

Study of ‘spatial synchrony’ using long-term data exposes ecological trends and could boost conservation, farming

New research from the University of Kansas in Ecology Letters reveals study of spatial synchrony over a long enough timescale leads to better testing of ideas, improved statistical results and new conceptual realms for understanding ecology, conserving species and farming more profitably.
Campanile in spring.

Three KU students named to prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Three University of Kansas students were recently named to the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The distinction provides three years of financial support with an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost of education allowance of $16,000 to the institution.
Portaits of

KU Engineering recognizes 2 alumni and a longtime educator for distinguished service

Willem Anemaat, David Darwin and Frank Tsuru are the recipients of the KU School of Engineering 2025 Distinguished Engineering Service Award. They will be honored at a ceremony May 8.
Individuals gather under banner for Anti-Evolution League at the Scopes Trial, Dayton Tennessee. Source: Literary Digest, July 25, 1925, via WikiCommons.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson to speak at KU for Scopes Trial centennial

On April 29, join the Department of Religious Studies for a public lecture by acclaimed historian Edward Larson, reflecting on the 100th anniversary of the landmark Scopes "Monkey Trial." The event will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Kansas Union.