News
Polish naturalists saved European bison from extinction, research reveals
In a new scholarly article, Nathan Wood, associate professor of history at the University of Kansas, describes how after soldiers and poachers killed the last free European bison, Polish naturalists worked with international organizations following World War I to revive the species from the few animals scattered on estates and zoos across the continent.
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Mon, 08/31/2026
Four years later, KU researchers continue their work strengthening American dams
Nearly four years after launching a federally funded research initiative to strengthen American dams and levees, University of Kansas engineers are demonstrating how that work is delivering measurable benefits to Kansas infrastructure, workforce development and public safety.
Tue, 08/25/2026
$1.5 million NSF grant will support KU research modeling molecular systems using AI
University of Kansas researcher Ilya Vakser and colleagues at Stony Brook University and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research will use a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to expand knowledge of macromolecular systems using artificial intelligence.
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
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.
Wed, 07/15/2026
KU Engineering researcher receives NSF CAREER award for work on reliable healthcare AI
Zijun Yao, assistant professor of electrical engineering & computer science at the University of Kansas, earned a National Science Foundation CAREER award for a project that tackles a major hurdle in healthcare technology: teaching AI to understand a patient’s full medical history without losing sight of human clinical judgment.
Wed, 07/15/2026
National Science Foundation honors KU Engineering researcher for protecting public trust in global supply chains
Sumaiya Shomaji, assistant professor of electrical engineering & computer science at the University of Kansas, is building a secure, high-tech tracking system powered by artificial intelligence. Her project, AuthenTrack, recently earned her a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award.
Thu, 07/09/2026
Dinosaurs probably dined upon a variety of fruits and seeds
Recent research appearing in the journal Science overturns a long-held idea that flowering plants didn’t evolve large fruits and seeds until after the mass extinction of dinosaurs about 66 million years ago, when Earth was smacked by a giant asteroid.
Wed, 06/10/2026
KU researcher’s work contributes to data transmission link from Artemis II mission
Research from Erik Perrins, University Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, enabled observers on Earth during the April mission to receive high-bandwidth transmissions from the Orion capsule, such as video and audio feeds, without being corrupted by errors.
Tue, 06/02/2026
Research could lead to cheaper, better testing for ‘forever chemicals’ in US drinking water
A new investigation from the University of Kansas improves detection of PFAS, a family of so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water supplies. The method, which can measure such trace pollution levels of PFAS in water more quickly and inexpensively than current techniques, recently was published in the open-source journal PLOS Water.
Wed, 05/27/2026
Poet and scholar argues attention to place is one of the most urgent practices of our time
“Living Roots: The Promise of Perennial Foods” (Princeton University Press) makes a cultural argument as much as an agricultural one: that perennial foods — crops that return year after year, building deep root systems and healthier soil — represent not just a different way of farming but a different way of belonging to the earth. The collection includes a contribution from Megan Kaminski, poet and professor of environmental studies at the University of Kansas.
Mon, 05/11/2026
Airborne electromagnetic survey of Ogallala aquifer conditions planned in southwest Kansas
Beginning in late May and continuing until late July, residents of southwest Kansas may see a low-flying helicopter towing a large hexagonal frame. This aerial arrangement is part of a project to map groundwater conditions in the Ogallala aquifer in Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District (GMD) 3.
Wed, 05/06/2026
Four students receive Kansas Biological Survey Student Research Awards for 2026
The Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research at KU has awarded $4,000 in funding this spring for student research to be conducted in the coming academic year. Four students will receive assistance through the research center’s 2026 Student Research Awards.
Fri, 05/01/2026
KU Ichthyology collection reaches milestone with Missouri Department of Conservation partnership
The University of Kansas Ichthyology Division at the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum has reached a milestone of more than 45,000 cataloged lots, aided by a substantial collection from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Wed, 04/29/2026
Study: Faced with a hotter future, America needs better data and response plans
A new paper from researchers at the University of Kansas looks at extreme heat events in the United States, arguing a combination of inadequate data and unclear delineation of responsibility among government agencies leaves the nation unprepared for a hotter climate.
Mon, 04/20/2026
KU hydrologist receives Fulbright Scholar Award to research High Plains aquifer
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.
Mon, 04/20/2026
NSF digitization project opens access to millions of African plant specimens
A National Science Foundation grant led by Town Peterson, University Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and senior curator with the KU Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute, is uniting 21 U.S. herbaria, biodiversity data specialists and African researchers to create one of the largest digital resources of tropical African seed plants ever assembled.
Wed, 04/15/2026
Haskell, KU student researchers to present their work at the 26th annual symposium
Twenty-nine undergraduate and postbaccalaureate scholars supported by research training programs at Haskell Indian Nations University and KU will present posters of their research at the 26th annual Haskell-KU Student Research Symposium.
Wed, 04/08/2026
Research traces evolution of anglerfishes’ famed fishing-rod lures
Variously horrific- or alien-looking, many female anglerfishes sport long, protruding lures used for enticing prey or signaling during mating. Now, research from the University of Kansas is giving new detail to the evolutionary history of anglerfishes’ lures.
Thu, 04/02/2026
Groundwater levels in the Kansas High Plains aquifer see first overall increase since 2019
Preliminary measurements by the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) show an overall increase in 2025 groundwater levels across Kansas High Plains aquifer regions, due in part to periods of above-average rainfall. In south-central Kansas, water levels increased an average of nearly 2.5 feet — the highest since 2019.
Thu, 04/02/2026
Research targets outdated manufactured housing wind-safety codes
Wind provisions governing the design of manufactured homes haven’t changed since 1994. Part of the problem in modernizing HUD building codes has been a lack of supporting research showing inadequacies in the current regulations. A University of Kansas researcher aims to change that.
Thu, 03/26/2026
Three KU professors in paleontology, medicinal chemistry and microbiology named AAAS fellows
Three University of Kansas professors — K. Christopher Beard, Jianming Qiu and Michael S. Wolfe — have been elected as 2025 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellows, a distinct honor within the scientific community.
Wed, 03/25/2026
KU physics & astronomy postdoc wins highly competitive NASA Hubble Prize Fellowship
Hayley Beltz, a postdoctoral researcher in physics & astronomy, won a highly competitive NASA Hubble Prize Fellowship, making her the first KU scientist to receive the prestigious award in its 36-year history. The fellowship will enable her to use data collected from the Hubble Space Telescope to analyze magnetic fields on planets outside our solar system — known as exoplanets.
Wed, 03/11/2026
To attempt world record, researchers will use their finding that prep phase is most vital to accurate three-point shooting
Researchers at the University of Kansas found three-point shooters with greater flexion in their hips, knees and ankles during the prep phase of shooting were the most accurate. They are using these findings to help a former college player prepare to set a world record for most consecutive made three-point shots.
Thu, 03/05/2026
KU awarded $2.2 million NIH research career training grant renewal
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.
Mon, 03/02/2026
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.
Tue, 01/27/2026
Tornado-forecast system can increase warning lead times, study finds
Today’s tornado warnings rely on radar data and regional spotters. By contrast, the Warn-on-Forecast System synthesizes observational data in real time and runs high-resolution simulations to gauge uncertainties and produce guidance for tornado and severe weather threats well before they form.
Tue, 01/20/2026
Cleaner ship fuel is reducing lightning in key shipping lanes, KU research shows
A University of Kansas researcher found lightning-stroke density — the number of individual lightning discharges, or “strokes,” per square kilometer — to be about 36% lower than before the 2020 IMO sulfur cap. Findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Climate and Atmospheric Science.
Fri, 01/09/2026
KU study shows that species-diverse systems like prairies have built-in protection
Six years into a study on the effect of plant pathogens in grasslands, University of Kansas researchers have the data to show that species diversity — a hallmark of native prairies — works as a protective shield: It drives growth and sustains the health of species-diverse ecosystems over time, functioning somewhat like an immune system.
Fri, 12/19/2025
Experiment nixes ‘sterile’ neutrino explanation of previous unexpected measurements
Experimental particle physicists working at the MicroBooNE experiment at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory have found evidence against the existence of a “sterile” type of neutrino hypothesized to be responsible for previous experiments’ anomalous results, as detailed in a paper recently published in Nature.
Mon, 12/15/2025
A clerical error caused misidentification of frog specimen that once stood for an entire species
Researchers at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum recently uncovered a slipup from decades ago: the misidentification of a poison frog specimen from Peru used as a holotype.