News
KU lands funding to expand center helping educators use AI, create more ed tech leaders
The Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning at the University of Kansas has received a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, to expand its work in helping educators across the country keep up with rapidly evolving technology like artificial intelligence.
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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.
Thu, 12/11/2025
KU scientist known for discoveries in precision medicine named to National Academy of Inventors
Steven Soper was among the 185 academic inventors named to the 2025 Class of NAI Fellows on Dec. 11. Election as an academy fellow is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to academic inventors.
Mon, 11/24/2025
Research challenges idea that gene PTPN22 boosts production of interferons
A new paper from the University of Kansas overturns the idea that a “risk gene” carried by millions of people worldwide influences production of Type 1 interferon, a workhorse of the immune system.
Tue, 11/18/2025
Researchers at KU launch new Kansas Flood Mapping Dashboard
The Kansas Flood Mapping Dashboard uses stream gauge data from the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, among other sources, along with the terrain-based FLDPLN (“Floodplain”) model developed at the University of Kansas. The tool will aid emergency managers across the state as well as the public.
Tue, 11/11/2025
Research shows human gene PARP14 could be novel target for viral diseases or immune-mediated disorders
Researchers at the University of Kansas have discovered a human gene, the protein PARP14, plays a role in regulating interferon, part of the body’s innate immune system. Their study, appearing in journal mBio, could guide development of antiviral therapies for several groups of viral infection.
Mon, 11/03/2025
KU researcher’s new work focuses on Indigenous fire sovereignty
University of Kansas scholar Melinda Adams has found evidence from far-flung global regions about benefits of Indigenous fire sovereignty, ranging from Arizona to Australia. She is the co-author of new work published in PNAS, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Fri, 10/31/2025
Detailed map of US air-conditioning usage shows who can beat the heat — and who can’t
A researcher at the University of Kansas has produced the most comprehensive and detailed map of air-conditioning usage in the United States. The data could inform energy efficiency decisions and help policymakers identify regions that lack adequate cooling.
Thu, 10/30/2025
New study explores ‘legacy effects’ of soil microbes on plants across Kansas
Findings from the University of Kansas could offer important context for farmers who want to use beneficial microbes to improve yields. Today, microbial commercialization in agriculture represents an expanding multibillion dollar sector.
Wed, 10/08/2025
KU engineering professor wins Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists
Elaina Sutley, associate professor of civil, environmental & architectural engineering and KU Engineering associate dean for impact & belonging, is the laureate of the 2025 Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists in the Physical Sciences and Engineering category. She is KU’s first-ever laureate.
Tue, 09/30/2025
KU research-trained employees fuel economy, meet critical workforce demands in Kansas and beyond, report shows
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.
Wed, 09/17/2025
Researchers will develop spectrum technologies for safer, more reliable communication for drones and air taxis
With a $760,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation, investigators at the University of Kansas will develop “intelligent spectrum management frameworks” to enable reliable communication for drones as they become more ubiquitous.
Wed, 09/17/2025
NSF grant will support new research for pharmaceutical drug discoveries
Zarko Boskovic, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry in the KU School of Pharmacy, has been awarded a $575,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant will be used in the Boskovic Lab to shed light on the process of efficiently and selectively creating new molecules that hold potential for drug discovery.
Tue, 09/02/2025
Study: Cellophane bees are built for chill temperatures, more so than honeybees
Scholarship from the University of Kansas shows the cellophane bee is specialized by evolution to handle the harsh shocks and cold temperatures of early spring.
Tue, 08/26/2025
Expert on catfishes publishes updated volume on catfish biology and evolution
Researcher Gloria Arratia serves as editor and contributor to the just published first volume of “Catfishes: A Highly Diversified Group,” a two-volume reference.
Fri, 08/22/2025
AI can imitate morality without actually possessing it, new philosophy study finds
In a new paper, a philosophy scholar at the University of Kansas addresses the moral agency of artificial intelligence. Although AI does not currently have practical judgment, the researcher shows it has a functionally equivalent mechanism, transformer models, which can allow it to form maxims that consider morally salient facts.
Tue, 08/19/2025
6 KU innovations selected for Rock Chalk Ready commercialization program
The University of Kansas Center for Technology Commercialization (KUCTC) has selected six promising research projects for its inaugural Rock Chalk Ready program, a universitywide initiative designed to mature early-stage innovations and position them for commercialization success.
Wed, 07/30/2025
Techniques honed by Kansas nuclear physicists helped detect creation of gold in Large Hadron Collider collisions
Nuclear physicists working at the Large Hadron Collider recently made headlines by achieving the centuries-old dream of alchemists: They transformed lead into gold, at least for a fraction of a second.
Mon, 07/28/2025
KU chemistry professor receives NSF CAREER Award for research on synthetic polymers
Aaron Teator, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Kansas, has been chosen for a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. The five-year grant totaling more than $687,000 will enable Teator to further his research, which seeks to develop new reactions leading to unique synthetic polymers that have the potential to impact a variety of products.
Wed, 07/23/2025
Study of now-submerged migration routes redraws map of how humans settled beyond Africa
An improved simulation of ancient sea levels can reveal how melting glaciers continuing long after the Last Glacial Maximum may have transformed migration pathways and shaped the rise of civilizations in Afrlca.
Wed, 07/23/2025
Researchers unveil evolutionary effects on mammalian species due to extreme environments
New research from the University of Kansas reveals an unexpected way animals adapted to high-altitude environments.
Tue, 07/22/2025
Paleontologists will convene in Kansas to boost sharing and crediting of scholarly data
A conclave of about 20 prominent paleontologists, data scientists and editors from academic journals will gather Aug. 4-5 at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum to improve how data is shared among professionals in the field — and beyond.
Wed, 07/16/2025
Research shows freshwater fish like complicated shoreline environments, just as saltwater species do
A University of Kansas associate professor is co-author of new research seeking to ascertain how fish react to waterfront edges using a variety of underwater seawall panels made to resemble plant roots. The intent is to attract wildlife — both plant and animal — improving species diversity and water quality.
Thu, 04/24/2025
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.
Tue, 04/22/2025
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.
Wed, 04/16/2025
52 KU-affiliated scientists recognized for Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
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.
Fri, 04/04/2025
KU professor of engineering wins NSF CAREER Award for research into high-performance computing
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.