Research

Featured research news

An investor checks stock prices on a smart phone.

Professional stock recommendations on social media prove a surprisingly valuable source, according to new study

Three colorful ceramic sake bottles line the shelf of a liquor store.

History of Japan’s signature beverage sake shared in new book

Newspaper-style cutouts of hands waving checked ballots reveals check marks in red or blue.

Attitudes toward immigration become more polarized during electoral periods, study finds

In a new study, Sofia Vera, assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas, examines how the issue of immigration affects voters, finding that a strong partisan polarization occurs close to an election, but once it is over, both sides begin to converge in the middle.

Science and Technology

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.

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.
More Science and Technology
Flaming grassland

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.
More Science and Technology

Health and Well-Being

Study uses GPS technology to find football practices can be up to 40% more demanding than games

Quincy Johnson, a researcher at the University of Kansas, led a study that used GPS technology to track how far and fast football players run and which positions had the most high-intensity work. They compared the workloads of practices to games, and the findings can help coaches, trainers and athletes find the best balance to properly prepare for a demanding game.

KU Positive Psychotherapy Clinic doubles number of clinicians, provides service across Kansas

The Positive Psychotherapy Clinic in the University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences has served Kansans from 48 counties, with plans to continue growing services. Clinicians report seeing improvements in clients as early as the first session.
More Health and Well-Being
Sillhouettes show a dejected couple being ostracized by another couple.

Research reveals people desire social distance from spouses of those with mental illness

In a new book chapter, Elizabeth Felix, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Kansas, employs a vignette survey experiment to investigate the extent to which the public wants social distance from people with certain mental illnesses, as well as their romantic partners.
More Health and Well-Being

Teaching, Learning and Behavior

KU expanding program to bring students with disabilities to college, including to Wichita, Atchison

Researchers at KU have secured a grant to expand the Transition to Postsecondary Education program. The program helps bring students with disabilities to higher education, work toward career goals and meet in-demand jobs in their communities. The work will expand outreach to educators and families across Kansas and establish similar programs at WSU Tech and Benedictine College.

Job applicants suspicious of AI, so less said the better, research shows

A University of Kansas-led survey of job applicants shows they don’t believe artificial intelligence can account for human uniqueness. Thus, employers who use AI to screen candidates are best off not to mention it, according to the researchers.
More Teaching, Learning and Behavior
Green chalkboard with the state of Alaska drawn on it

KU ATLAS awarded $3M contract to enhance math instruction in rural Alaska

Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems (ATLAS) at the University of Kansas has received a five-year, $3 million contract to make math instruction more meaningful by connecting classroom learning to students’ lives and local traditions.
More Teaching, Learning and Behavior

Arts, Architecture and Humanities

History of Japan’s signature beverage sake shared in new book

Eric Rath, professor of history at the University of Kansas, explores the evolution of Japanese sake from homebrew to flavored varieties, while tracing its cultural significance and global rise, in his new book, “Kanpai: The History of Sake.”

Everything old is new again on latest Draper Family Band recording

A University of Kansas School of Music professor’s multigenerational band is back at it with a second album of original songs. Brandon Draper dusted off old material and wrote new works, as well, for for the Draper Family Band’s new album in a blues-rock vein.
More Arts, Architecture and Humanities
Decorated skeleton figures from Haunting Humanities in Abe & Jake's Landing in Downtown Lawrence.

Haunting Humanities returns with a wicked lineup of attractions

The Hall Center for the Humanities at the University of Kansas will bring the mysterious, the magical and the macabre to downtown Lawrence Oct. 29 with Haunting Humanities, the all-ages “science fair for the humanities” with a Halloween twist.
More Arts, Architecture and Humanities

Business, Economics and Innovation

Matching skills with jobs in mutual fund industry leads to higher risk-adjusted performance, study finds

In a new study, Gjergji Cici, the Koch Professor in Business Economics at the University of Kansas, explores how firms that match skills of their employees with jobs in the mutual funds industry leads to significantly higher risk-adjusted performance.

IT-capable employees improve relevance and timeliness of financial reporting, study finds

In a new study, University of Kansas School of Business researcher Adi Masli examines IT-capable employees’ role in the production process of financial information, deducing that enhanced management of raw data during this process decreases technical errors and increases data processing speed.
More Business, Economics and Innovation
Two teams of corporate business executives shake hands while an enlarged handshake is superimposed in front of them.

B2B sales now require a ‘holistic’ selling approach, study finds

In a new study, Murali Mantrala, the Ned Fleming Professor of Marketing at the University of Kansas, examines how the key role of the salesperson has evolved in business-to-business sales, in response to changing buyer behavior during the purchase journey.
More Business, Economics and Innovation

Law, Politics and Society

Study documents wind regulations across all Kansas counties, can help guide energy policies nationwide

Researchers at the University of Kansas have published a study based on the Kansas Energy Transition Atlas. The site documents wind energy regulations across all 105 of the state's counties, and findings from the study document which regions of the state tend to have enabling or blocking restrictions, how agriculture influences policy, whether voting habits play a part and more.

Study finds group reflective practice beneficial to planning commissions, staff, yet rarely used

A University of Kansas researcher conducted a study on how staffing reports for planning commissions could be improved. The results showed that group reflective practice, or simply making time for elected officials and staffers to discuss why they do what they do, can lead to better practice.
More Law, Politics and Society
Newspaper-style cutouts of hands waving checked ballots reveals check marks in red or blue.

Attitudes toward immigration become more polarized during electoral periods, study finds

In a new study, Sofia Vera, assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas, examines how the issue of immigration affects voters, finding that a strong partisan polarization occurs close to an election, but once it is over, both sides begin to converge in the middle.
More Law, Politics and Society