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Tue, 04/21/2026

Study finds high school journalism leading the way in financial literacy, even if business isn't part of curriculum

Journalism classes usually are not paired with business lessons. While there have been calls for increasing business knowledge in journalism, research from the University of Kansas has found that high school journalists are learning business skills even though they are not a core part of the curriculum.
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

KLETC hosts inaugural 5K, 1-mile event supporting fentanyl awareness

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.
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.
Mon, 04/20/2026

Bart Swartz named growth officer for KU Achievement & Assessment Institute

The Achievement & Assessment Institute (AAI) at the University of Kansas has named Bart Swartz its first growth officer, a new executive role created to strengthen AAI’s position as a national leader in research-based solutions for education and community well-being.
Mon, 04/20/2026

Advisory: Media invited to ceremonial groundbreaking for KU Entrepreneurship Hub on April 24

KU leaders, alumni, donors and community partners will gather April 24 to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking of KU’s Entrepreneurship Hub, a new, donor-funded facility operated by the School of Business and designed to serve students of all disciplines.
Fri, 04/17/2026

Kit and Diana Smith pledge $3 million to support KU Law students and student-athletes

Christopher “Kit” and Diana Smith have tapped into their passions for the law and student athletes and pledged $3 million to the University of Kansas — $2 million to create the Dean Davis Law School Scholars Fund and $1 million to create the Kit and Diana Smith Athletics Scholarship.
Fri, 04/17/2026

New philosophical theory of personal well-being introduced in latest ‘Oxford Handbook’

In a new book chapter, Jason Raibley, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas, proposes a new theory of personal well-being in which the most essential building block is having and then realizing personal values through one’s own agency.
Fri, 04/17/2026

KU research lab provides KC high school students with unique learning experience

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.
Fri, 04/17/2026

Students will share work at 29th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium

The Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships will host over 150 students, both online and in person, presenting their research and creative works to faculty, staff, peers and the public during Undergraduate Research Week.
Fri, 04/17/2026

Renowned earthwork artist Stan Herd creating Algerian flag installation in Lawrence for World Cup

On a slope of grassland near Iowa Street and Bob Billings Parkway, behind the Lied Center of Kansas, Lawrence-based earthwork artist Stan Herd is creating an image of an Algerian flag, rippling in the wind.
Thu, 04/16/2026

‘The Laramie Project’ tells a true story with courage and authenticity

University Theatre will present "The Laramie Project," a documentary play about the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard and how it affected a western college town, April 24-26 at the William Inge Memorial Theatre in Murphy Hall at the University of Kansas.
Thu, 04/16/2026

KU researchers enhance training for the Kansas health care workforce to prevent substance use disorders

Researchers in the KU School of Social Welfare have updated training materials that prepare health care providers to prevent, identify and treat substance use disorders across Kansas. SBIRT — Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment — is an evidence-based approach to talking with people about their substance use.
Wed, 04/15/2026

KU student Nora Jennings named finalist for Truman scholarship

Nora Jennings, a University of Kansas junior in chemical engineering from St. Louis, has been named a finalist for a 2026 Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Jennings was among 198 finalists from a pool of about 800 nominees.
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, 04/15/2026

KU professor co-edits book designed to address special education workforce crisis

Lisa Dieker, Williamson Family Distinguished Professor of Special Education at KU, is co-editor of a new book that proposes adopting a whole-systems approach to recruit, train, support and retain quality special educators. The book focuses on the rights and needs of vulnerable students who are most affected by the special education workforce crisis.
Tue, 04/14/2026

Final journalism dean candidate to present April 16

Jennifer Vardeman, director of the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston, will be the final candidate in the KU School of Journalism & Mass Communications dean search.
Tue, 04/14/2026

Study reveals how dreams affect emotions in day-to-day life

A KU clinical psychology scholar sought to test whether emotions experienced within dreams — like fear and joy — change feelings the following morning. Garrett Baber and colleagues published the findings in the peer-reviewed journal Sleep.
Tue, 04/14/2026

KU Professional Selling Program, King’s Hawaiian mark sixth year of sales competition with record participation

The sixth annual KU Professional Selling Program/King's Hawaiian Sales Competition brought a record-breaking 15 teams to the KU Conference Center in Lawrence.
Mon, 04/13/2026

Study shows cigarette smoking almost twice as likely for people living with chronic pain

Researchers have analyzed responses from more than 195,600 Americans surveyed over 10 years. The key finding: Chronic pain is tied to smoking and vaping at higher rates.
Mon, 04/13/2026

KU's 10th International Jayhawk Festival set for April 15

The University of Kansas will hold its 10th Annual International Jayhawk Festival from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 15 in the Burge Union. The free event will feature cultural performances, an international fashion show, interactive activities and study abroad information, along with free food and giveaways.
Mon, 04/13/2026

Research finds efforts to end child marriage in Malawi leave out local knowledge, culture

University of Kansas researchers propose viewing the problem through an African feminist lens that would engage culture, local customs and knowledge to address an issue that has persisted despite legal reforms.
Mon, 04/13/2026

From students to officers: KLETC graduation honors lifesaving response on I-35

U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt addressed members of the 355th graduating class, emphasizing the importance of support from families, colleagues and the broader law enforcement community. Two members of the Overland Park Police Department received the Director's Award for lifesaving actions.
Fri, 04/10/2026

New approach to religious literacy aims to foster deeper understanding, avert conflict

In a new article, Ryan Lemasters, a doctoral student in philosophy at the University of Kansas, advocates for a fresh approach to religious literacy compared with current theories. He draws attention to their limitations by virtue of three challenges: conversion, multiple religious belonging and motivation.
Thu, 04/09/2026

Third journalism dean candidate to present April 13

Cory Armstrong, Lawrence L. and Ruth E. Pike Professor in Journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will be the third finalist in the University of Kansas School of Journalism & Mass Communications dean search to present her ideas for the school’s future.
Thu, 04/09/2026

Hall Center to host conversation on Langston Hughes, democracy featuring former KU professors

Randal Jelks, author of "My America: Langston Hughes on Democracy," will join Distinguished Professor Emerita Maryemma Graham in conversation about art as resistance, democracy and activism as they trace Hughes' journey from Lawrence and Kansas City around the globe.
Thu, 04/09/2026

First public trail at Baldwin Woods set to open April 25

The public is invited to the opening of the new Rice Woodland Trail at the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve, which is managed by the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research as part of the KU Field Station.
Thu, 04/09/2026

KU Law to host annual Federal Courts Junior Scholars Workshop

The KU School of Law will host the 15th annual Federal Courts Junior Scholars Workshop, a selective national conference that brings together emerging and established legal scholars to exchange ideas, strengthen scholarship and build community within the field of federal courts. The conference will take place April 24.
Thu, 04/09/2026

Composer elevates voices of women poets on new recording

A University of Kansas professor has released a new album, “Three Silent Things: Vocal Chamber Music by Ingrid Stölzel,” featuring the settings of female poets’ writing, including one by Kansas native aviator Amelia Earhart.
Thu, 04/09/2026

Jayhawks Elevate: KU's continuous improvement program processes more than 300 ideas

KU employees are encouraged to continue submitting ideas to Jayhawks Elevate, the University of Kansas continuous improvement initiative that seeks to enhance operations, the educational environment and community engagement — one idea at a time.

Media Contacts

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson

KU News Service

785-864-8858