Life Span Institute Connections

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026

University Research Awards  |  Community Partnership  | KU Brand Policy
KU Call for Research Stories | Recent Publications

Hello! 

This edition of Connections is packed with upcoming events and university news updates, including a brief primer on KU Brand policy that has affected some LSI units. You'll also see the first in a series of accessibility tools and tips ahead of the federal government's April 2026 deadline, and a roundup of recent scholarly publication highlights from across the Life Span Institute. In the next Connections, we'll do a deep dive into all things Microsoft Teams, Teams Premium and the accessibility of the platforms. As always, if there's news to point out for inclusion in future issues, please contact us. 

Cheers, -Jen

Jen Humphrey
Associate Director for Strategic Communications

Kathleen Lynn Lane, Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor in the Department of Special Education and director of human subjects research at KU, is one of four Kansas researchers named as a recipient of the Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards, the state higher education system’s most prestigious recognition for scholarly excellence. Lane will be recognized with the Irvin Youngberg Award in Applied Sciences.

Lane, a Life Span Institute investigator, and fellow honorees will be honored April 14 at the annual University Research Awards event, along with recipients of other KU research awards. All faculty and staff are invited; RSVP online.

Lane studies how to design, implement and sustain positive, productive school systems to support student success. She is distinguished by her contributions to the development of tiered systems of support. This includes being a leader in the design and dissemination of the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention. The Ci3T model helps prevent academic and behavioral issues before they escalate by providing proactive, tiered support to students.

👉Read more about Lane and other honorees. 

The Kansas University Center on Disabilities (KUCD) is among five national recipients of the 2026 Excellence in Community-Engaged Partnerships Award. 

The distinction from Campus Compact honors higher education programs and initiatives that make a meaningful impact by partnering with communities to address complex social issues. KUCD, based at the KU Life Span Institute, is the only honoree in the Midwest region of the United States.

Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities developed to promote civic and community engagement, recognized KUCD for its work partnering with the disability community as active members of inclusive research and dissemination teams.

“Partnering with the community is foundational to our work at KUCD,” said Karrie Shogren, KUCD director and Ross and Marianna Beach Distinguished Professor of Special Education.

👉Read more about the recognition from Compact. 

One of the most frightening things for a parent and caregivers of autistic children is when your child isn't where they're supposed to be. 

The risk of elopement, or wandering off, is higher for autistic children, who also tend to be attracted to water. As children with autism get older and especially if they start to drive, the potential for misunderstandings with law enforcement increases. 

Stephanie Coleman, autism family educator with Kansas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND), discussed this topic with experts from law enforcement during the Family Education Series in January (available on YouTube). 

👉 Read more about elopement. 

KU has formally announced brand guidelines as KU policy. While news releases, existing websites, internal newsletters and social media generally aren’t its focus, anything such as swag for a public event, a one-off public campaign, new websites (including non-KU-CMS WordPress sites, for example) are subject to review. Note that this policy applies to marketing communications tactics only — not academic work product or personal communications. 

Review can include graphic design, strategy, messaging, and tone. Under the following criteria, materials should be submitted through the KU brand alignment website, which has full details:

Materials include any of the following:

Some LSI units have seen recently that enforcement can be tied to procurement processes. Marketing has reviewed more than 600 content and other submissions since they began requesting review, prior to formal rollout of the policy.

More information is on the brand alignment website. 

In 2024, the federal government published a new rule that requires public entities including universities to comply with what are known as the WCAG 2.1 A/AA standards by April 24, 2026. Digital content produced by entities such as universities must meet the new accessibility requirements. The rule has specific requirements to make sure that web content and mobile apps are accessible to people with disabilities. 

To meet these needs, one tool that KU adopted is DubBot, which was featured in a prior LSI Connections newsletter. 

As KU IT notes, DubBot is a tool designed for website quality assurance and accessibility monitoring. It scans websites to identify and report issues like broken links, accessibility errors (such as missing alt text on images), spelling mistakes, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) concerns. The goal of DubBot is to help web teams maintain high-quality, accessible, and functional websites by automating the detection of these common issues.

What you may not know if you haven't signed up to use DubBot is that it crawls every KU CMS website and sends an email with details about a selection of them daily to KU DubBot users. The snapshot displays information about broken links, accessibility, spelling, and other details. Depending on your email preferences with DubBot, you can see how other units' websites perform, or opt out. 

Training for DubBot is brief, and allows users access to their website's dashboard to prioritize what to correct. 

Future issues of Connections will cover other accessibility tips as we approach the April deadline. 

KU announced a new provost fellow and chair program fellows who have joined the Office of Faculty Affairs. They are Allison Kirkpatrick, associate professor and associate chair of physics & astronomy (provost fellow), Jonathan Brumberg, professor and chair of psychology and a Life Span Institute investigator (chair fellow); and Claudia Dozier, professor and chair of applied behavioral science (chair fellow).

A project that began as sponsored research led by Sean Smith and Amber Rowland is among 32 startups that have advanced in a bracket-style competition for $25,000 in prize money among other awards and opportunities, the Gamechangers & Champions 2026 Pitch Competition. VOISS is among those that have advanced from a pool of 75 total entries -- several from KU. The projects will be showcased 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at the Conference Center at Kansas Memorial Stadium, for a “Bracket Bash for Innovators and Angels,” designed to bring together Kansas startups with angel investors and regional venture-capital fund managers. 

Research published by John Colombo about the influence of DHA on high blood pressure, child obesity and fetal cardiovascular development was featured on knowledge.com.

A previously announced grant led by Val Mazzotti was promoted by the University of Oregon and in area media such as Mirage News.

Research by Tera Fazzino was included in "Hyperpalatability: Inside the heart of the UPF debate," in Food Navigator, and in  "Ultra-Processed Food Linked to 124,000 Premature Deaths in the U.S. Each Year, Studies Estimate, published on Medium.

A delegation from KU Transition to Postsecondary Education, which is led by Dana Lattin, attended the 2nd Annual Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities Advocacy Day at the Capitol. TPE students, alumni, staff, and family members met with Kansas state legislators and representatives to raise awareness about issues that impact people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (view on TPE social media)

Frontiers tip: To browse Frontiers CTSI (https://frontiersctsi.org) events such as the upcoming Symposium on Dissemination and Implementation Science, use KU's Guest network wifi if you are on the Lawrence campus, or no wifi at all if using a phone, or view off campus. The issue with accessing the custom website has been investigated by IT staff and cannot be resolved.

Events calendar

Event details:

Shake, Rattle & Roll: Music Brain Play in Early Childhood, an interactive event for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, will be offered 5:45-7:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 4th at the Lied Center of Kansas Pavillion. Event presented by professors Deanna Hanson-Abromeit, Christina Svec and Rebecca Lepping, with Lied Center Education Director Hanan Misko and a performance by the Lawrence Children's Choir. RSVP to event (webform); view flyer on SharePoint (PDF). 

KUMC Pediatrics Grand Rounds: Mark Del Monte, CEO of the American Academy of Pediatrics, will present, “The Future of Pediatrics in America” 8 a.m. Thursday, March 5th in Miller 2001 at the KU Medical Center and on Teams (Passcode: es3tw3te) KUMC and on Teams. The event is offered by KUMC Pediatrics Grand Rounds.

Research training: The next “How to KU,” held virtually at 3:30 p.m. March 9, will be geared toward faculty planning to apply for or currently working with grants from U.S. federal research funding agencies. The event, “Faculty How To at KU: Emerging Changes for Public Access Research and Navigating Requirements,” will offer information about important changes to public access requirements for publications and project data; numerous changes will impact researchers, institutions and publishers. Registration is required.

REDCap meeting: The REDCap users, data managers, and project coordinators are invited to participate in an informal monthly meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 12 noon Central, starting March 12, via Zoom (no passcode required). The group will discuss project design and data management, and learn from each other in the process. 

Bracket Bash: The next round of Gamechangers and Champions 2026 will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at the Conference Center at Kansas Memorial Stadium. Registration and details on the event sponsor's website.

Frontiers Symposium: The 2026 Annual Research Symposium by Frontiers CTSI will be March 12, 9 am to 5 p.m. at the Children's Mercy Research Institute. Keynote at 9 a.m. by Paul Estabrooks of the University of Utah. The theme for this year is "Dissemination and Implementation Science." Register here. Please note that to access Frontiers’ website, you must use KU Guest wifi or view the link off campus. The registration link, however, will work for any connection (REDCap survey).

GAIN training: The Global Autism Interactive Network, based at the KU Life Span Institute, will offer ADOS-2 Introductory Training March 18-19 with optional toddler module March 20. The training introduces the basic principles of administering and scoring ADOS-2 Modules and provides an essential step toward competence in using the ADOS-2 as a part clinical assessment and/or for research purposes. Additional online option available in July. Information and registration available at gain.ku.edu.

New awards competition: The Office of Research has issued a call for proposals for three internal funding opportunities designed to support KU faculty establishing their research programs, pivoting existing research to align with new funding agency priorities, or developing collaborative research projects that span the Lawrence and Medical Center campuses:

Cofrin Logan spring seminar: The Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatement will offer a seminar presented by Eric Pederensen, associate professor at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 11:30 a.m. Friday March 27 in 1031 Dole and streamed online via the center's YouTube channel.

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. RSVP here. 

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. A call for presenters will be issued late March. Email Michael Amlung (mamlung@ku.edu) with questions.

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.

Access to Dole after hours to change to key card access only

After hours and weekend building access to Dole and Haworth will change on March 9 to be accessible only by KUID card swipe, known as keycard access. Physical keys will no longer work as the locks will be removed. LSI affiliated staff who need to maintain access to the building between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., or on weekends, should take the following steps:  

Drew Rosdahl is providing photo services for those who would like a new photo to use for their KUID card 10-11 a.m. Monday, March 2, and 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, March 3. Photos will be taken in the hallway connecting Dole and Haworth. Contact Drew Rosdahl with questions. 

Please note that individuals who work in a hybrid or remote capacity or who do not require building access outside of regular hours, do not need to take any action.

As mentioned in the last Connections, “Created by KU” is the new storytelling platform created by KU Marketing to promote research impact to public audiences. Marketing recently put out a call for story ideas for the areas listed below. These are broad areas; most everyone has work in an LSI associated center or lab that includes these topics. The case can be made that all of our work makes the lives of Kansans better, for example.

Marketing requested ideas to be submitted by February 27 but items can be offered after that date. Send links or ideas – a sentence or two is sufficient – using this form and Jen Humphrey will collate them on behalf of the Life Span Institute. The categories are:

KU asks staff to participate in the Great Colleges to Work For. This nationally benchmarked instrument, administered by ModernThink, provides KU with confidential insights into workplace culture, leadership, communication, job satisfaction, professional development, and more. Find your individual survey link in your email under the subject line "2026 University of Kansas Staff Survey," from ModernThink.

The survey will runs until March 9, 2026, and is open to benefits eligible staff at both the KU Lawrence and Edwards Campuses and the KU Medical Center. Participation helps KU understand strengths and opportunities across the institution and informs future planning, action steps, and improvements to enhance employee satisfaction.

Because of ongoing contractual negotiations, KU faculty are not eligible to participate. 

Potential landmark legal settlement in Washington state has set a precedent that harm reduction programs like syringe exchanges are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, STAT News (subscription required)

Donna Ginther, director of the KU Institute for Policy and Social Research, asserts that cuts to research mean that the U.S. is leaving discoveries on the table that in 10 or 20 years would contribute to economic growth, improved health, human longevity: The Guardian

The American Academy of Pediatrics has become a leader in the fight to push back against vaccine policy changes from the federal government: STAT News (subscription required). See also note in the Connections Calendar about AAP CEO Mark Del Monte speaking at the Medical Center March 5.

The American Association of the Advancement of Science called for scientists to be more involved in policy and advocacy. A new network of scientists have formed SNAP, or the Scientist Network for Advancing Policy, with chapters starting to sprout across the U.S., including one at KU called Jayhawks for Science Policy: Inside Higher Ed.

A study by University of Kansas addiction researchers has shown that young adults’ self-reported current cannabis use and anticipated future expenditure on cannabis can accurately predict their future use patterns, with cost playing a smaller role in high demand users.   

Individuals who reported they would purchase or use a lot when cannabis is priced low and who said they would buy cannabis at higher prices were much more likely to use cannabis frequently three months later. The sample of young adults were relatively good at projecting their willingness to pay for cannabis in the future, which was largely consistent with their current willingness to pay for cannabis. 

👉 Read about delay discounting research 

Publication highlights are gathered from a variety of sources; the following are from late 2025 through February 2026. Did we leave out one of yours? Email Christina Knott with recent publication information.

Beuoy, A., & Goddard, K. S. (2025). Does who responds matter? Exploring potential proxy response bias in the Washington Group Short Set disability estimates. Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, 10, 1654769. https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2025.1654769

Bottera, A. R., Thomeczek, M. L., Rasheed, S. I., et al. (2025). Examining the role of insomnia in maintaining binge eating and restricting in United States veterans. European Eating Disorders Review, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.70067

Buckman, M. M., Lane, K. L., Oakes, W. P., Common, E. A., Buffington, A. A., Bernard, A. M., & Tuck, K. N. (2026). Preliminary testing of Recognize. Relax. Record.: A Tier 2 intervention for elementary students with internalizing behaviors. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1177/10634266261417641

Christensen Pacella, K. A., Bottera, A. R., Forbush, K. T., Isquith, J., & De Young, K. (2025). Feasibility and acceptability of brief behavioral treatment for insomnia after eating disorder treatment: The TIRED study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 58(12), 2451–2464. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24540

Coelho, S. G., Belisario, K. L., Keough, M. T., Amlung, M. T., Murphy, J. G., & MacKillop, J. (2026). Development of a brief adjusting alcohol purchase task as a measure of behavioral economic demand for alcohol in two samples of heavy-drinking young adults. Psychological Assessment, 38(3), 203–219. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0001434

Colombo, J., Cuevas, K., & Shaddy, D. J.  Leveraging research in early cognitive development for application and impact. Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, 4, 1745860.

Estrapala, S., Scheibel, G., Mirielli, L., & Wills, H. (2026). A case-study analysis of intervention decisions made by high school special education teachers within the context of technology-based self-monitoring. Behavioral Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1177/01987429261418714

Fantozzi, P. M., Patton, S. R., & Cushing, C. C. (2026). Insights and advances in physical activity research on youth with type 1 diabetes. Current Diabetes Reports, 26, 2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-025-01614-1

Ferreira, S., Cruz-Santos, A., Almeida, L. S., & Buzhardt, J. (2025). Cross-cultural exploration of growth in expressive communication between English- and Portuguese-speaking infants and toddlers. First Language. https://doi.org/10.1177/01427237251397677

Goldman, S. R., Smith, S. J., & Carreon, A. (2025). Special education teachers' use of AI to support students with disabilities in writing. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1710974. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1710974

Hugh, M. L., Martinez Cueto, A. P., Bruzios, K. E., Corbin, C. M., Gaias, L. M., Landa, Y., … Lyon, A. R. (2026). Exploring fidelity elements of a motivational interviewing-based implementation strategy to improve adoption of evidence-based practices in schools. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 36(1), 154–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/10474412.2025.2595110

Karrie A. Shogren, Linnenkamp, B., Townsend, R., Edwards, B., Rentschler, L., Taconet, A., Stelter, C., Henley, R., Bright, K., Hildebrandt, L., Dean, E., Loyless, R., & Swindler, S. (2025). Advancing inclusive research in intellectual and developmental disabilities: Building community and supports for participation. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 63(6), 457–471. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-63.6.457

Kim, M. E., et al. (2026). Analytic bounds on GAMLSS model variability of normative white matter brain charts. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.28.702453

Koon, L. M., Donnelly, J. E., Washburn, R., et al. (2025). Feasibility and preliminary functional, physical, and psychosocial effects of high-intensity functional training for adults with mobility disabilities. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 11, 152. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-025-01725-2

Landes, S. D., Swenor, B. K., Hall, J. P., & Forber-Pratt, A. J. (2025). Disability data: A case study in research limitation transparency. Health Affairs Scholar, 3(11), qxaf205. https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxaf205

Malone, E. J., Tuck, K. N., & Fu, Y. (2026). Self-advocacy and social problem-solving intervention for preschoolers with social and behavioral support needs. Journal of Behavioral Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-025-09614-7

Miller, A., & Kurth, J. (2025). Photovoice and cartography as activist tools: Mining for solutions with disabled girls of color in one U.S. high school. In C. Vanner (Ed.), Girls take action: Activism networks by, for, and with girls and young women (pp. 143–168). Berghahn Books. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781805397113-010

Moreira, C., Oliveira, A., Shogren, K. A., et al. (2026). Linking self-determination to life outcomes of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Criterion validity of the Self-Determination Inventory. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 39(1), e70191. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.70191

Mulcahy, A., Schmidt, E. K., McMaughan, D. J., Goddard, K. S., Batza, K., Wallisch, A. M., Streed, C. G., Kurth, N. K., & Hall, J. P. (2025). Discrimination among disabled adults in the United States: Findings from the 2022 National Survey on Health and Disability. Disabilities, 5(4), 110. https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities5040110

Negi, S., Thomeczek, M. L., Wildes, J. E., & Forbush, K. T. (2026). A meta-analysis and systematic review of single-session interventions for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.70055

Raley, S. K., Edwards, B., Shogren, K. A., Bumble, J. L., Hicks, T. A., Beuoy, A., … Mosconi, M. W. (2025). Autistic young adults setting transition goals using the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction. Exceptionality, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09362835.2025.2593667

Rentschler, L. F., Taconet, A., Linnenkamp, B., et al. (2026). Quality considerations when planning and conducting a virtual World Café using an inclusive research approach. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 39(1), e70175. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.70175

Scheibel, G., Grasley-Boy, N. M., Wills, H. P., & Zimmerman, K. N. (2025). A pilot study of intervention usability among authentic implementors of technology-based self-monitoring. Exceptionality, 34(1), 29–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/09362835.2025.2566674

Schulz, J. A., Owen, A., & Gimm, G. (2025). Reasons for cannabis use among adults with disabilities: Findings from the 2023–2024 National Survey on Health and Disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 101979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2025.101979

Shogren, K. A., Hume, K. A., Rentschler, L. F., & Boyd, B. (2026). Combining evidence-based practices to enhance outcomes for autistic students: Considerations and challenges. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1177/10883576251407633

Spencer, T. D., Thompson, V., & Watson-Thompson, J. (2026). Community-engaged scholarship: An interpartner approach for collaborative practice. Behavior and Social Issues. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-025-00239-z

Stanford, H. L., Caldarella, P., Wills, H. P., & Richardson, M. J. (2026). Improving behavior in middle school family and consumer sciences classrooms. RMLE Online, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404476.2026.2623594

Walters, C. B., Smith Hill, R. B., Waldron, A. M., Russell, C. J., Mansour, N., Badger, J., Deibler, E., & Shogren, K. A. (2025). Reimagining self-determination in research, education, and disability services and supports. Journal of Disability Policy Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/10442073251404904

Wilt, C. L., Toews, S. G., Andreoli, M., Kurth, J. A., Morningstar, M. E., Miller, A. L., Mansouri, M., & Ruhter, L. C. (2026). Forging teacher agency for inclusive education in teacher preparation. The Journal of Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669261422774

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

Writing and editing by Jen Humphrey, Christina Knott and Brendan Lynch (KU News)
Image credits: Adobe stock; Christina Knott; KU Marketing; Jen Humphrey; image of "Ride Ahead" director and star with KUCD staff contributed by KUCD/

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

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).

The University of Kansas is a public institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.