Kansas Communities

Sam Zipper, an ecohydrologist at the Kansas Geological Survey and assistant professor at the University of Kansas, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

In partnership with the Wichita Metro Crime Commission, KLETC hosted its first Law Enforcement Against Fentanyl 5K race and 1-mile walk. The event took place on the center’s Emergency Vehicle Operator Course, offering participants a rare opportunity to run on the training track.

The Unckless Lab at the University of Kansas conducted a yearlong outreach program with Blue Valley North High School, helping students learn about microbial diversity in insects. The work was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Twenty cadets graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center on March 20. They completed 14 weeks of training and will return to their communities to serve as law enforcement officers.

Twenty recruits from the 353rd Basic Training Class at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) graduated after completing 14 weeks of intensive training. The new officers will now return to their agencies across Kansas to begin serving their communities.

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.

Tuition assistance is now available for all qualifying Kansans for the online Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Training Program at the University of Kansas. The 40-hour program has been approved statewide for funding under the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity.

The Kansas University Center on Disabilities (KUCD) is among five national recipients of the 2026 Excellence in Community-Engaged Partnerships Award. The distinction from Campus Compact honors higher education programs and initiatives that make a meaningful impact by partnering with communities to address complex social issues.

After 14 weeks of intensive training, 25 graduates of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center officially completed the academy Feb. 6 and will now return to their communities to begin serving as law enforcement officers.

On Feb. 20, the 2026 Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy Symposium will convene leading scholars, practitioners and policymakers to examine the structural and legal challenges confronting rural American communities.