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A hand holding a phone is shown liking posts on social media while a stock market graph is superimposed over the image.

Social media discussions fueled ‘meme stock’ events and significant short squeezes, research finds

Rahina Muazu holds a copy of her book

Pioneering book aims to uplift Nigerian Hausa Muslim women

A stylized graphic of a city made to look like a painting or abstract work of art.

Study shows social capital improves public health, but not equally for all communities

A study from the University of Kansas has found that high levels of social capital, such as civic participation, leads to better public health. However, the improvement was not equal among white and Black populations in the same communities with high levels of social capital, meaning more work is necessary to improve health outcomes for all, according to the authors.

Science and Technology

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.

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.
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Car driving toward tornado in rural Kansas area.

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.
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Health and Well-Being

Startup from School of Pharmacy seeks to redefine oral testosterone replacement therapy

SteroCore, a startup emerging from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, is developing a novel oral testosterone therapy designed to work with, rather than bypass, the liver’s natural physiology. The company’s approach aims to address longstanding challenges in testosterone replacement therapy.

New research supports ‘trauma-informed lens’ for entrepreneurship community

Past research has found that some subpopulations — including immigrants and veterans — who experience disproportionate exposure to trauma are more likely to become entrepreneurs. New work from a KU School of Business researcher introduces a trauma-informed approach as an evidence-based tool to mitigate trauma's effects on functioning and entrepreneurial success.
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A stylized graphic of a city made to look like a painting or abstract work of art.

Study shows social capital improves public health, but not equally for all communities

A study from the University of Kansas has found that high levels of social capital, such as civic participation, leads to better public health. However, the improvement was not equal among white and Black populations in the same communities with high levels of social capital, meaning more work is necessary to improve health outcomes for all, according to the authors.
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Teaching, Learning and Behavior

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.

One size does not fit all when it comes to return-to-office policies, study finds

New University of Kansas research shows which personality types are most affected by communication overload in the workplace and how that corresponds with in-office versus remote work preferences.
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An image of people's hands as they sit in a circle, having a conversation.

Study finds emphasis on conversation facilitation helps journalists re-engage communities

A research project among educators, students, journalists and communities in six states has found that pairing student journalists with communities through structured conversation can help to rebuild trust while also teaching future reporters how to listen to and investigate on the needs of overlooked populations. A KU journalism faculty member is co-author of the new study, published in Journalism Practice.
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Arts, Architecture and Humanities

Pioneering book aims to uplift Nigerian Hausa Muslim women

In a new book, Rahina Muazu shows how Hausa Muslim women and men are actively interpreting scripture, making families, earning livelihoods and building institutions amid rapid social change. The book is an act of decolonizing knowledge because it is written in her native Hausa language, according to the KU faculty member.

Author offers hope in ‘mushroomy’ sci-fi novel ‘Song of Spores’

Science fiction writer Bogi Takács Perelmutter's “Song of Spores” was recently published by Broken Eye Books. The KU faculty member’s novel addresses questions like the persistence of prejudice, the possibilities of international cooperation and what happens when reality doesn’t match the high-minded slogans you’ve been taught to uphold.
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Kris Ercums and Maki Kaneko in gallery with art behind them.

Japanese painting tradition meets street materials in new exhibition

The many lives of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani: The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas has brought together the largest collection of work by the beloved street artist in an exhibition opening Feb. 19.
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Business, Economics and Innovation

Witnessing service workers being treated poorly inspires bigger tips, study finds

In a new article, Jonathan Beck, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Kansas, finds that customers who witness incivility toward service employees experience feelings of pity, followed by increased emotional support and, ultimately, an increased tip for the target employee.

Multinational corporations weigh ‘de-risking’ strategies for navigating political unpredictability in China

In a new article, University of Kansas political science researchers introduce an analysis of how multinational corporations might adapt to political risks in doing business with an increasingly authoritarian China.
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A hand holding a phone is shown liking posts on social media while a stock market graph is superimposed over the image.

Social media discussions fueled ‘meme stock’ events and significant short squeezes, research finds

In a new article, Angel Tengulov, assistant professor of finance at the University of Kansas, examines how discussions on social media fueled the association between retail trading and subsequent stock returns during the “meme stock” events of 2021 that sparked massive short squeezes.
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Law, Politics and Society

Pandemic, election crises mark ‘critical events’ in declining democratic accountability standards, governance scholar writes

Christopher Koliba, University of Kansas public affairs and administration researcher, has published a new study examining how the COVID-19 pandemic response and perpetuation of false claims about the 2020 presidential election were critical events in declining democratic accountability standards. Scholars and others have important work to do in documenting such cases to learn the effects of democratic backsliding, according to Koliba.

Study explores how women in public sector regulate their emotions at work

New research from the University of Kansas investigates how women employed in the public sector regulate emotions in professional settings. The study found respondents suppress negative emotions more than positive but that efforts to suppress such emotions for professional reasons are not always effective, stifling authenticity.
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A stylized graphic of a city made to look like a painting or abstract work of art.

Study shows social capital improves public health, but not equally for all communities

A study from the University of Kansas has found that high levels of social capital, such as civic participation, leads to better public health. However, the improvement was not equal among white and Black populations in the same communities with high levels of social capital, meaning more work is necessary to improve health outcomes for all, according to the authors.
More Law, Politics and Society