News
Studies find media literacy, social media use can predict trust in institutions, civic engagement
Christopher Etheridge and researchers in KU’s School of Journalism & Mass Communications conducted two studies with citizens of India gauging their media literacy and online behavior. The studies found the higher a person’s media literacy was, the higher their trust in democratic institutions. How and what types of social media they used also predicted how civically engaged they were as citizens.
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Wed, 08/19/2026
Dole Institute fall programming will include talk by former FDIC chair Sheila Bair
The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics will host lawmakers, field experts and practitioners in fall 2026 for discussions on topics including midterm elections, bipartisan cooperation, public housing and artificial intelligence’s impact on energy. Guests will include KU alumna Sheila Bair, former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Tue, 08/18/2026
KU Libraries opens ‘Ad Astra: A Kansas Story Written in the Stars’ exhibition
“Ad Astra: A Kansas Story Written in the Stars” is now open in Watson Library’s Haricombe Gallery, tracing Kansas’ deep roots in human spaceflight. The public is invited to a reception Sept. 10 featuring a keynote with KU alumnus and astronaut Steve Hawley, who will also sign copies of his new memoir.
Tue, 08/18/2026
Studies find media literacy, social media use can predict trust in institutions, civic engagement
Christopher Etheridge and researchers in KU’s School of Journalism & Mass Communications conducted two studies with citizens of India gauging their media literacy and online behavior. The studies found the higher a person’s media literacy was, the higher their trust in democratic institutions. How and what types of social media they used also predicted how civically engaged they were as citizens.
Tue, 08/18/2026
Class of 2026-27 Senior Administrative Fellows announced
The University of Kansas has named 10 faculty members to its 2026-27 Senior Administrative Fellows cohort, a leadership development program that prepares faculty for administrative and leadership roles in higher education. The yearlong program provides participants with opportunities to learn more about university operations, explore leadership pathways and develop their leadership skills through reflection and professional growth.
Mon, 08/17/2026
Spencer Museum’s ‘Looking After’ exhibition reflects on art’s role in education, learning
A new exhibition at the Spencer Museum of Art, "Looking After: Art and Care in Education Across Kansas," features more than 80 artworks from its collection that are used in education initiatives to inspire creativity while supporting the academic standards of Kansas. Visitors are invited to explore the many ways that art can facilitate and enrich learning.
Mon, 08/17/2026
KU Department of Theatre & Dance celebrates scholarship recipients
Fifty-two University of Kansas Theatre & Dance students, including 34 Kansans, were honored for academic merit and potential for the 2026-27 academic year. Jayhawks were awarded approximately $210,00 in scholarships.
Mon, 08/17/2026
KU Dining expands sustainability efforts with campuswide cutlery change
KU Dining is expanding its compostable bamboo cutlery initiative to all Lawrence campus retail dining locations as part of an ongoing effort to reduce plastic waste and advance sustainability in on-campus dining.
Mon, 08/17/2026
Heavy traffic anticipated Aug. 20, 21 for KU Housing & Residence life move-in
University of Kansas employees and the Lawrence community should anticipate heavy traffic around the Lawrence campus this week during KU Housing & Residence Life’s busiest move-in days for its residence halls.
Mon, 08/17/2026
Bales Choral Society seeks new members for 2026-27
University of Kansas faculty, staff and students who join the Bales Choral Society help build community across all segments of the university and help provide choral music students with real ensemble experience. Singing interviews will take place Aug. 24-26.
Fri, 08/14/2026
KU librarian races to save record of Ngäbe voices, one fragile page at a time
A University of Kansas Libraries project is preserving decades of Indigenous Panamanian history: KU librarian Milton Machuca-Gálvez and architecture graduate student Miguel Ángel Castro Cano have digitized 61 issues of Drü, a hand-assembled bulletin produced from 1988 to 1998 by Acción Cultural Ngäbe documenting the culture, land rights and politics of Panama's Ngäbe people.
Thu, 08/13/2026
Sporting KC co-founder Cliff Illig to headline panel at KU exhibition closing event
The University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design’s “Shaping the Future of Football” exhibition concludes Aug. 21 at Keystone CoLAB in Kansas City with the KC Sports Impact Panel. Featured speaker Cliff Illig will discuss Kansas City’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opportunity and the future of sports, entertainment and economic growth in the region.
Wed, 08/12/2026
KU economics expert can discuss how misinformation in social networks may affect midterm election
Tarun Sabarwal, professor of economics at the University of Kansas, is available to discuss how misinformation contagions in social networks might affect the Nov. 3 midterm election. He was just awarded a patent for his algorithms that manage network contagion.
Tue, 08/11/2026
KU lands grant funding to boost Indigenous representation in news media using character-based approach
Melissa Green-Blye of KU is principal investigator of two grant projects that will train students to boost Indigenous representation in news media. They will work to build partnerships with students at Haskell Indian Nations university to build journalism networks that move beyond "problem of the day" coverage of topics like mental health for young people.
Tue, 08/11/2026
New CERN measurement challenges long-standing theory of how gluons behave inside atomic nuclei
A University of Kansas physicist played a leading role in a CERN study showing that two rival explanations for how gluons behave inside atomic nuclei can now be experimentally distinguished.
Thu, 08/06/2026
New novel ‘Sunlight Finds You’ explores how a first love can affect one’s entire life
In a new novel, Laura Moriarty, a professor of English at the University of Kansas, crafts a coming-of-age tale set in 1950s Florida. It has been selected as a featured book for “The Today Show.” Moriarty will give talks at several events across Kansas this month.
Wed, 08/05/2026
With new Department of Energy award, KU-Fermilab team builds next-generation detectors for CERN’s Large Hadron Collider
A University of Kansas project to design and build two cutting-edge particle detectors for the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has been approved for funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or DOE EPSCoR.
Tue, 08/04/2026
‘Unsettled Lawrence’ exhibit will reveal history of city’s unhoused, encamped population
In a new exhibition, a University of Kansas researcher focuses on how unhoused and encamped individuals in Lawrence’s past and present have formed a diverse community. “Unsettled Lawrence” opens Aug. 7 at the Watkins Museum of History.
Tue, 08/04/2026
KU law professor examines the rule of law through the Bard’s ‘Measure for Measure’
Raj Bhala, University Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Kansas, has published a new scholarly analysis examining how the rule of law is defined in Shakespeare's “Measure for Measure.” Developed during a sabbatical at three universities in England, the paper is part of a series exhibiting how Shakespeare can illuminate several legal matters, according to Bhala.
Tue, 08/04/2026
Fossils from Wyoming’s Smiley Draw deepen understanding of early primate evolution
A new study from the University of Kansas complicates the picture of primates living in North America some 55 million years ago during the Eocene. The research was published in the Journal of Human Evolution.
Tue, 08/04/2026
KU School of Music’s popular Collage Concert returns Sept. 25 to support music students
The University of Kansas School of Music has announced the return of its most popular event of the year, the annual Collage Concert, at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Lied Center of Kansas.
Tue, 08/04/2026
KU Dining earns Silver Award from national collegiate dining organization
KU Dining is the recipient of the 2026 National Association of College & University Food Services Retail Sales: Single Concept of the Year, Silver Award. This award was received in recognition of KU's outstanding dining concept, Blend.
Mon, 08/03/2026
Graduates of KLETC’s 360th Basic Training Class take oath of office
U.S. Rep. Ron Estes addressed the graduates of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center on July 31 as they completed their 14-week basic training course.
Mon, 08/03/2026
Spencer Museum announces KU Common Work of Art for 2026-2027
The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas has selected the painting “Winter Flight” by Kay WalkingStick as the KU Common Work of Art for the 2026-2027 academic year. The painting complements themes from the KU Reads book, “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey.
Mon, 08/03/2026
Students lead community-minded service projects through KU Trailblazers Program
The University of Kansas Center for Service Learning has received external funding to support the continuation of the CSL’s Trailblazers Mini-Grant and Cohort Program. The 2025-2026 cohort included more than 25 student Trailblazers across 16 projects focused on sustainability, youth development, health and more.
Mon, 08/03/2026
Research finds rhetoric around #MeToo often focused on punishment, not causes of violence
Meggie Mapes, a communication studies researcher at the University of Kansas, has found in a new study that rhetoric around the #MeToo movement often focused on punishment and "carceral feminism" instead of causes of gender-based violence. The work shows how punishment is a common part of communication in society, the author argues.
Thu, 07/30/2026
Book event will bring life, investment lessons home to Lawrence
University of Kansas alumnus David Booth, founder of Dimensional Fund Advisors, will discuss his new book, “Stay Calm: Learn to Embrace Uncertainty in Investing and Life,” at an event Sept. 10 at KU. Booth will be joined by Coach Bill Self and former Jayhawk athlete Mario Chalmers for a panel discussion.
Thu, 07/30/2026
New KU School of Business microcredential helps professionals build in-demand sales skills
The KU School of Business will launch an online Professional Selling Microcredential in September, offering working professionals a fast, flexible pathway to build in-demand sales skills.
Thu, 07/30/2026
Construction begins on accessible entrance to KU Natural History Museum
The KU Natural History Museum has announced the start of construction on the new accessible entrance from Jayhawk Boulevard to Dyche Hall, a donor-funded project designed to benefit all who visit.
Thu, 07/30/2026
KU to host THATCamp 2026, a day of hands-on digital humanities collaboration
The Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of Kansas will host THATCamp 2026 on Aug. 28. The free event, open to all KU faculty, staff, students and community members, encourages exploration at the intersection of technology and humanities.
Tue, 07/28/2026
Research shows people aren’t lonelier — they’re changing how they spend their time
University of Kansas researcher Jeffrey Hall and American Friendship Project colleagues have conducted studies on how and why people spend time with their friends. As National Friendship Day approaches, the researchers can discuss why people are spending less time in person with friends.