Science and Technology

Beginning in mid-June and continuing until early July, residents of west-central Kansas may see a low-flying helicopter towing a large hexagonal frame. This unusual arrangement is part of a project to map groundwater conditions in the Ogallala aquifer in Western Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 1.

The Sentinel GreenReport Plus, created at the University of Kansas with support from the KansasView and AmericaView programs, is a web-based app with free satellite monitoring and analysis of vegetation and crops for Kansas and the nation.

Amrit Gautam, a KU graduate student in the physics doctoral program, was among just 62 doctoral students nationwide selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Fellowship. Gautam spent the fellowship conducting his thesis research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“These four researchers have demonstrated excellence in their fields and have done so in a way that reflects well on our entire university. As one of the nation’s leading research institutions, KU strives to make discoveries that change the world — and these four scholars are helping us fulfill that mission every day," said Chancellor Douglas A. Girod.

Robin Kundis Craig of KU Law is part of the California Solar Canal Initiative, which is working to place solar arrays over thousands of miles of water canals in California. The project aims to produce clean energy, reduce water loss and land waste, all while creating local jobs and reducing pollution.

Registration is now open for the Third Annual FBI & KU Cybersecurity Conference: Bridging the Knowledge of Government, Industry, Workforce and Research, which will be April 3 and 4 at the Kansas Union on KU’s Lawrence campus.