Life Span Institute Connections

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Letter from the Director  | Disability data | Calendar of events
Teams and Zoom Training, Survey and Tips  | REDCap settings

Back at the end of March, the Lawrence Journal World reported that KU had set a new record for research productivity in 2025, surpassing previous consecutive records set in both 2023 and 2024. In the Big 12 (which, ironically – as we are talking math here – has 16 schools), the $611M in external funds total places KU only behind Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Cincinnati, and Colorado.  This achievement is notable, as Kansas has the second smallest population (and therefore, the second smallest tax base) in the Big 12, with only West Virginia trailing in last place. I have long said publicly that KU “punches above its weight” – that is, KU compares with its peers far more favorably than it should given its budget.  

So, as KU sees record increases in its external funding portfolio, it’s reasonable to wonder what is behind this remarkable achievement. Certainly, LSI has done its part in contributing to this productivity, given that annual records were set in awards across the last two years, and LSI’s last 5 years of funding have been the highest on record, ranging from $38M to $46M in external awards. A now-former provost has been quoted publicly saying that research on the Lawrence campus had “stagnated,” and that any growth in KU’s portfolio was due to growth at the KU Medical Center.  Here, we run into a common issue at KU, where individuals in leadership positions do not always speak from objective data.

First of all, it’s hard to have record increases in external research productivity and label it as “stagnant.”  The adjective may have been used to refer to the fact that the units and areas responsible for much of the research growth on the Lawrence campus have been those representing the campus’ traditional strengths (…as if that’s a bad thing). Indeed, even a quick query about KU research funding on Google’s AI will return the acknowledgement that KU is especially noted for its high external funding portfolio in “non-science-and-engineering.” While the characterization is somewhat annoying, I would presume that refers to non-STEM fields like behavioral sciences and education.

But, now, let’s look at the data. Among the better developments emerging from recent pressures on KU’s designated centers has been increased communication and collaboration among those units in compiling an objective case for the maintenance of the center-based infrastructure. In that context, Donna Ginther has dug down into KU’s research expenditure data and has analyzed those data for a presentation to the Distinguished Professors group in order to determine what is behind KU’s increase. The predominant point is made in the graph shown below.
 

This graph shows cumulative research growth for KU, divided by totals from the entire KU Med campus (green), KU’s Lawrence-campus designated centers (red), and KU’s non-center research (blue). Clearly, KU Med has increased; it now represents 49% of KU’s total funding and has nearly doubled from a relatively low baseline. But the graph also shows that the centers’ research totals have grown by 27%; they represent 65% of the research on the Lawrence campus, and one third of KU’s total. Non-center research funding at Lawrence is essentially flat.

The contribution of the LSI and KU’s centers generally continues to be scrutinized as the institution weathers a difficult financial climate.  With the exception of the Hall Center (where research productivity is not typically evaluated in terms of external funding), all of KU’s centers have shown double-digit percentage increases in funding over the last 3 years (relative to the 3 years before).  As we move forward into the new fiscal year, with expectations of large cuts owing at least in part to the subsidization of tuition, housing, and board for KU Athletics from the university’s general fund, we hope that decisions on how to make those cuts will be strategic and data-based. Those data suggest that KU’s strengths in LSI and its other research centers is a good thing and represents continued investment.

John Colombo, PhD
Professor of Psychology
Director, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies
University of Kansas

In the weeks before and after passage of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer, some of the most vocal critics of the bill’s changes to Medicaid were those worried about the effect Medicaid cuts could have on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or IDD, and their families.

Along with personal experiences describing how supports had helped individuals live in their communities, preserved independence or obtain employment, Medicaid and policy advocates cited longitudinal state and national data analyzed for more than four decades by a University of Kansas research team. 

The LSI researchers have now published findings that show that federal and state expenditures assisted almost 1 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities nationwide with support for health care, home and community-based services (HCBS) and other areas and supports for fiscal year 2023, the latest year for complete figures.

“There is a lot of work that still needs to be done to ensure people with IDD and their families have the supports and services necessary for quality-of-life outcomes,” said Shea Tanis, associate research professor at the KU Center on Disabilities and director of the research project.

“But," she added, "without national data, it is challenging to make informed decisions and implement policies that lead to meaningful change.”

👉Read more about comprehensive data analyzed by the research team. 

👉See also: How the 'DD Act' transformed disability rights and community services

While writing skills are critical to academic and post-school outcomes, teaching these skills is a time-intensive process for educators who must read, score, and offer individualized feedback to students for revisions.

That prompted KU Life Span Institute researchers Sean J. Smith, professor of Special Education, and Samantha Goldman, assistant research professor at the Life Span Institute, to pursue a project that could help students who were struggling to meet writing benchmarks. Project AI SCORE, which stands for Artificial Intelligence Scored Composition to Improve Outcomes for Written Expression, uses artificial intelligence to provide feedback on ideas, organization, and style.

Smith said writing isn’t only important for language arts classes. Most if not all subjects require writing — from explaining one’s thinking in algebra to writing essays for history or science.

“We realized it was a problem years ago,” Smith said. “We have teachers that are asking students to demonstrate their knowledge in writing. And it’s not just in English language arts. It’s science teachers with science reports or social studies teachers.”

👉Read more about progress on the AI SCORE project. 

As part of the My Transition, My Career project, KUCD staff including Sean Tyree and Sean Swindler teamed up  with community partners for a reverse job fair held in Parsons, Kan., which was featured on KOAM news.

Linda Heitzman-Powell of the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training was among panelists for "Making History at KU Medical Center: Resilience, Innovation, & Impact," a Women's History Month panel offered by the KU Medical Center. The panel highlighted individuals advancing healthcare, research, and education across Kansas.

Many LSI affiliated staff, partners and emerging leaders recently attended the Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C. They included representatives from the State of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Kansas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities, which shared photos from the event. 

Matt Mosconi was a guest for the Distinguished Lecturer Series at UC Davis MIND Institute in early March, speaking on identifying subgroups of autism based on family traits. View the talk on YouTube.

Chamisa Edmo, graduate student in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department and a GRA at Juniper Gardens, played a lead role in the planning and coordination of the 2nd annual AI and Data Sovereignty Across The Southern Plains Symposium at KU March 3rd-4th. As noted by Juniper Gardens staff, she brought in tribal leaders from around the country to discuss efforts for indigenous tribes ethically using AI while maintaining sovereignty of their data, language, and history.

KUCD Research Project Specialists Ben Edwards and Ryan Henley presented "Promoting Self-Determination in People with Disabilities" as part of the Hall Center for the Humanities Disability Studies Seminar.

Congratulations to KU graduate student Anne Cao and undergraduate student Kendall Dickerson, both recognized with 2026 Hawks for Hope Research Awards at the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment. Established in memory of Patrick Guthrie by members of the Guthrie family, the awards provide support for research on substance use. Cao will use the $4,000 graduate award for dissertation research investigating how varying intensities of exercise and environmental cues interact to shift alcohol valuation, through a behavioral economic framework. Dickerson's $2,000 award will support a project investigating the long-term cognitive and behavioral effects associated with surviving fentanyl overdose.

On recent episodes of the podcast All Things Behavior, Juniper Gardens Children’s Project was the subject of conversations with Trina Spencer and with Charles Greenwood.   

Events calendar

Event details:

Staff wellness fair: On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 10:30am to 1:00pm, in the Kansas Union Ballroom (5th Floor), join hundreds of staff and faculty at the KU Employee Wellness Fair, featuring more than 50 vendor booths. Free parking is available in the KU Mississippi Street parking garage. More information through wellness.ku.edu.

University Research Awards: KU invites the university community and the public to the University Research Awards, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 14th at the Jayhawk Welcome Center to celebrate KU's most outstanding researchers across the Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses, including LSI's Kathleen Lynn Lane. RSVP here. 

ATK Open house: Assistive Technology for Kansans will celebrate their new demonstration space and Assistive Technology Awareness Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 22, with a brief ceremony at 11:30 a.m., on the fourth floor of Dole. Register and find more information through ATK.

Communication of Science: On April 24 from 2-3:30 p.m., the Department of Clinical Child Psychology will welcome Andres De Los Reyes, professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, for a talk on improving communication of science. Among many roles, De Los Reyes is editor of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and author of "Discrepant Results in Mental Health Research.” Save the date; more information forthcoming.

ODOKU in April: One Day One KU will be held April 28-29. The Center for the Advancement of Research on Eating Behaviors, or CARE, led by Kelsie Forbush, will be the focus of the campaign for the KU Life Span Institute this year. Organized by KU Endowment, One Day One KU encourages donations of any level for any area of KU during a 24-hour period each year.

Teams Training: Offered 9 a.m. Tuesday April 28 and 2 p.m. Wednesday April 29, the LSI central office is offering the LSI community live Teams training. Full details and links to meetings are below in the LSI Administrative Updates section.

Trainee Showcase: The 2026 Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment Trainee Research Showcase will be held on campus Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 8:30-12:30 p.m. Trainees at any stage are invited to present their addiction research. Email Michael Amlung (mamlung@ku.edu) with questions.

Faculty Academies: The Office of Faculty Affairs will offer the third annual KU Faculty Development Academies Week, May 18-22. Each day features interactive programming focused on a specific topic, such as adapting through change in the research landscape. Registration and details are available through the event website.

Provide Feedback to LSI on Zoom Use
LSI staff and researchers received a survey distributed March 30 to help LSI administrators evaluate Zoom needs. Survey results will help LSI assess potential impacts, identify critical use cases (e.g., healthcare recording, webinars, external collaboration), and inform ongoing discussions with KU IT. Please take the survey by April 9; find it in your email inbox with the subject line "LSI Zoom Use Survey."

Outage
There will be an overnight firewall update that will cause some KU file storage servers and LSI websites to be inaccessible overnight between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., Wednesday, April 1.

Apple device alert
The certificate for Jayhawk Wi-Fi was renewed Thursday. This should have happened automatically for any KU-managed device powered on before that day, including on Apple devices such as iPads, Apple TVs, and Mac computers. Personal Apple devices, like iPhones, will need to be updated manually. When connecting to Jayhawk Wi-Fi, a prompt to ‘Trust’ the new certificate named “radius.home.ku.edu" will pop up. Select “Trust” and the device should connect to Jayhawk Wi-Fi.

Contact lsi-its@ku.edu if you have problems accessing the Jayhawk network.

Microsoft Teams Training Sessions Available specifically for LSI community

To help prepare for the university’s upcoming transition to Microsoft Teams, happening on June 1st, the Life Span Institute Central office is offering two training sessions open to all, led by Linda G Dixon, KU-IT Analyst. Sessions will be held on Zoom (yes, ironic) so that information about Teams can be demonstrated live:

Session 1:  Tuesday, April 28, 9–10 a.m. (link will send to your calendar) on Zoom; (passcode: 332904).

Session 2:  Wednesday, April 29, 2–3 p.m. (link will send to your calendar) Zoom (passcode: 332904)

The sessions will provide an overview of the new system and give you the opportunity to ask questions. Whether you're eager to get a head start or just need a refresher, we encourage everyone to attend!

If you have any questions, please contact Alyssa Cool at alyssa.cool@ku.edu

Outlook and Teams integration for meeting creation

Many of you are accustomed to scheduling meetings within Outlook and adding a Zoom meeting link for participants. Adding a meeting hosted by Teams instead of Zoom functions similarly but there is one key difference in how to add a Teams link to a meeting.

Generally, as you create a calendar meeting in Outlook, there are customization options available to you in the “ribbon” at the top of the invitation (save, “mark as private,” etc.). If you chose a Zoom option to host the meeting, the Zoom meeting link appeared in your Outlook invitation, visible before you sent the invitation.

The Teams option for meetings is not located in the ribbon. Instead, a “Teams Meeting” toggle appears inline when creating a new calendar event. Slide or click the Teams toggle to enable the function. The Teams link and meeting instructions from Teams will appear on the invitation to the recipient.

The toggle is present in “New Outlook” software for both Mac and Windows. If you access Outlook from a browser, there is no toggle because it automatically creates a Teams meeting.

If you use “Classic Outlook for Windows,” the Teams add-in is enabled in Outlook when Teams is installed on the computer. It can be accessed by a button on the “ribbon” of the calendar and appointment windows. If the Teams button is missing, you can fix that by re-installing Teams or re-enabling the add-in via File > Options > Add-ins.

Contact lsi-its@ku.edu if you have problems adding Teams to Outlook.

Tip: Set up REDCap survey settings to orient the viewer 

When setting up your surveys, don’t forget the survey settings.

Remember that someone filling out your survey should be given more context than the default “Please complete the survey below” introductory text. Take the time to give people context:

You can add graphics or information specific to your lab at the top of the survey to provide the viewer immediate understanding of the host for the survey. You will get more and better responses that way.

Connections is produced by strategic communications staff at the Life Span Institute for affiliated researchers, staff and students. 

Writing and editing by Jen Humphrey and Christina Knott.
Image credits: Adobe stock; Christina Knott; KU Marketing;

Please submit news, kudos, achievements and other items for consideration here.

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