News
Study finds effective method to help teachers address gap between finding a good practice and getting started
Researchers at the University of Kansas have documented an approach that helps educators address the “know-do gap.” The gap is when teachers and schools know a practice will benefit the students but it is difficult to get started for any number of reasons. The practice helps anticipate obstacles, plan for them and deliver new practices for students.
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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
Dorris Mbogo selected as KU’s interim university ombuds
Dorris Mbogo, director of informal resolution in the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, will serve a part-time position as interim university ombuds. She succeeds Ada Emmett, who retired from KU after nearly 25 years of service in the Ombuds Office and in KU Libraries.
Wed, 07/15/2026
Startups’ co-innovation outcomes depend on venture capitalist type, study finds
Independent venture capitalists tend to trigger more frequent, less impactful but more novel co-inventing outcomes by their portfolio startups, new research finds. KU business researcher Kaushik Gala also found that corporate venture capitalists tend to trigger less frequent, more impactful but less novel inventive outcomes.
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.
Wed, 07/15/2026
Study finds effective method to help teachers address gap between finding a good practice and getting started
Researchers at the University of Kansas have documented an approach that helps educators address the “know-do gap.” The gap is when teachers and schools know a practice will benefit the students but it is difficult to get started for any number of reasons. The practice helps anticipate obstacles, plan for them and deliver new practices for students.
Wed, 07/15/2026
Christopher Johnson serving as School of Music interim dean
Christopher Johnson, professor of music education and music therapy, accepted an interim leadership role at the School of Music, effective July 1. The faculty member of 34 years stepped in as former dean Paul Popiel retired to return to Notre Dame University, his alma mater.
Mon, 07/13/2026
Graduates of KLETC’s 359th Basic Training Class take oath of office
Family members, friends and law enforcement leaders gathered July 10 at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center to celebrate the graduation of the 359th Basic Training Class as new officers took the oath of office and began their careers serving communities across Kansas.
Mon, 07/13/2026
KU chapter of Phi Beta Kappa initiates new members
The University of Kansas Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society has initiated 87 new members. Election to Phi Beta Kappa recognizes a student’s high academic achievement while pursuing a broad and substantive liberal-arts curriculum.
Mon, 07/13/2026
KU Jazz sets record at DownBeat Student Music Awards
The University of Kansas Jazz and Commercial Music program has earned national recognition with a record-setting eight honors in the 49th Annual DownBeat Student Music Awards. The 2026 awards mark the most DownBeat Student Music Awards that KU has received in a single year, underscoring the program's continued excellence and reinforcing its reputation as one of the nation's premier university jazz and commercial music programs.
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, 07/08/2026
KU autism AI tool launched to provide resources to Kansas families
With a new artificial intelligence chatbot tool developed at the University of Kansas, families can receive vetted information about autism that is specific to their needs in Kansas.
Wed, 07/08/2026
KU Theatre & Dance unveils 2026-27 season
With its message of community and optimism, “The SpongeBob Musical” will conclude a highly inventive season that celebrates contemporary theatre and dance. A reimagined Greek tragedy and a Restoration comedy are also highlights of KU Theatre & Dance's season.
Wed, 07/08/2026
20 KU students receive Undergraduate Research Awards for summer and fall 2026
The KU Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships gave out $1,000 awards to 20 Jayhawks pursuing mentored research and creative projects across all disciplines.
Wed, 07/08/2026
KU School of Education & Human Sciences dean delivers address at UN World Cup Diplomacy Summit
Joshua Newman, dean of the KU School of Education & Human Sciences, delivered an address and led a panel on sport, policy and artificial intelligence at the United Nations World Cup Diplomacy Summit in New York. Newman also met with UNITAR leaders to explore future partnerships with the school.
Tue, 07/07/2026
University of Kansas announces spring 2026 honor roll
More than 9,000 Jayhawks were named to the dean's lists for their respective schools for academic excellence in the spring 2026 semester.
Mon, 07/06/2026
Entrepreneurs need partners unless solo founder has broad and deep experience, study finds
In a new scholarly article published in the Strategic Management Journal, a University of Kansas business scholar explored whether entrepreneurs need co-founders, finding disadvantages partially diminished when a solo founder has broad and/or deep experience.
Thu, 07/02/2026
KU student from Lawrence named Astronaut Scholar
Arthur Benson, a Lawrence native and School of Engineering student, has been named a 2026-2027 Astronaut Scholar. The program awards approximately 60 scholarships annually to sophomores and juniors in STEM who demonstrate exceptional academic performance, significant research experience and a commitment to pursuing a career in research.
Wed, 07/01/2026
Audio-Reader receives 3 awards, honorable mention from the International Association of Audio Information Services
Audio-Reader, based at the University of Kansas, was recently honored at the 2026 Annual IAAIS Program Awards presentation. Awarded categories include Newspapers, Magazines, Books/Short Story Programs and the Now Hear This category for short works.
Tue, 06/30/2026
Study reveals what people really see when they read lips
New research from the University of Kansas uses network science to determine why people make mistakes when lip reading. The research could improve lip-reading training as well as help the advancement of automatic transcription. The results appear in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
Tue, 06/30/2026
KU scholar can comment on president’s planned July 4 remarks about nation’s 250th anniversary
Robert Rowland, a communication studies scholar and presidential rhetoric expert at the University of Kansas, can discuss President Donald Trump’s planned July 4 remarks at the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration and how the president’s remarks are a radical departure from traditional presidential rhetoric.
Mon, 06/29/2026
Official newspaper of China has reduced foreign news coverage during President Xi Jinping’s administration, study finds
In a new article, Jack Zhang, associate professor of political science at the University of Kansas, finds that the People’s Daily newspaper has reduced foreign news coverage during President Xi Jinping’s administration, suggesting such coverage is influenced more by domestic politics than by China’s growing international interests.
Mon, 06/29/2026
Jayhawks compete in 2025-2026 math events
University of Kansas students recently competed at math events at the local, state and national level. KU undergraduate students took fourth and eighth place in the team competition at the 2026 Kansas Collegiate Math Competition.
Fri, 06/26/2026
Tickets go on sale for Day on the Hill concert featuring Turnstile
Turnstile, which made history this year by winning Grammy Awards in both the metal and rock categories in the same year, will be joined by artists Slayyyter and Die Spitz for the Oct. 6 event at the University of Kansas.
Fri, 06/26/2026
KU School of Music Chamber Choir takes high prize at international competition
The University of Kansas School of Music has announced that the KU Chamber Choir has won top honors at an international choir competition in Slovakia.
Tue, 06/23/2026
Research shows AI advertising can deliver relevant content without spying on users' internet behaviors
Four experiments conducted by a University of Kansas researcher have shown that AI-derived ads can deliver effective, relevant advertising for users without tracking their internet behavior. The findings counter prevailing attitudes that online surveillance is necessary for effective advertising at a time when the future of online privacy is at stake, according to the study author.
Tue, 06/23/2026
Study finds estrogen-based hormone therapies could protect brain health in older women
Researchers from the University of Kansas discovered older women who had used hormonal birth control in young adulthood were more likely to have larger volumes in brain regions vital to memory, cognition and information processing.
Tue, 06/23/2026
Audio-Reader to host donation drive at Fairlawn Plaza in Topeka to support benefit audio sale
The Audio-Reader Network, based at the University of Kansas, seeks donations of stereo equipment, speakers, vinyl records, cassette tapes and musical instruments. Audio-Reader will collect items from the public from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 30 at Fairlawn Plaza in Topeka.
Mon, 06/22/2026
Christian nationalists’ views on punishing lawbreakers contingent on identity of victim and offender, study finds
In a new scholarly article, Kevin Mullinix, associate professor of political science, finds Christian nationalism shapes beliefs about who is most deserving of punishment in society in ways that are contingent on the identity of the offender and victim — and the extent to which the crime violates particular norms.
Mon, 06/22/2026
Whayne Scholars to highlight research projects, KU’s African American Experience Collections during public talks July 9
The University of Kansas Libraries will host a public presentation featuring the 2026 recipients of the Alyce Hunley Whayne Visiting Researchers Travel Awards at 3 p.m. July 9.
Wed, 06/17/2026
Keeler Professorship fuels KU collaboration on Mars simulant research
Steve Gurysh, associate professor of visual art, will further his exploration of Mars Global Simulant through sculpture and by contributing to evolutionary biology scholarship at KU.