In this issue
Research highlights | Innovation spotlight | New awards | Unsung hero
Faculty kudos | Research development | Nuts & bolts | Events
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Recognizing KU researchers |
Making discoveries that change the world is at the heart of what we do at the University of Kansas — along with educating leaders and building healthy communities. This three-part mission is the foundation of Jayhawks Rising and informs the objectives and strategies designed to elevate KU to new heights.
 Under the Research & Discovery pillar, one of the four objectives is Recruit, Retain & Recognize Top Researchers. The primary strategy to get there is to “establish a structure for a comprehensive faculty awards and recognition program,” which meant hiring an individual focused solely on creating and sustaining such a structure.
It’s an honor to be that individual, KU’s first director of faculty recognition & awards. I am inspired by the enthusiasm and support for this program expressed by KU’s executive leaders, deans, center directors, distinguished professors, chairs and researchers. But I am also keenly aware of the size of this job and how important it is to get it right.
What will success look like? Our researcher recognition program must be wide-ranging and inclusive, collaborative, efficient, informative and visible. Faculty and non-teaching researchers will know where to go to get information about external and university/state award opportunities, nomination assistance for honorific awards, and career mapping. My partnership with faculty recognition committees and academic units — along with leaders in Research, Faculty Affairs, Public Affairs, AIRE, DEIB, the Provost’s Office and research centers — will allow me to support nominations, not make them.
As our program takes shape and more researchers enter the awards pipeline, I will stay aware of why we’re doing this: to recruit, retain and recognize top researchers and make them feel fully valued as members of the KU community. Stay tuned for updates, and please let me know if you have ideas or questions.
Robin Lehman
Director of Faculty Recognition & Awards
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A KU English professor has taken the profound grief she felt after the 2019 death of the acclaimed African American author Toni Morrison and turned it into a children’s book inspired by the great storyteller.
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The annual awards recognize outstanding unclassified academic staff, unclassified professional staff and postdoctoral fellows whose research has significantly influenced their fields and expanded intellectual or societal insights.
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Treatment was found to be effective at reducing depression, post-traumatic stress and high-risk drinking. Many veterans struggle with the effects of PTSD, which leaves people feeling the continued effects of trauma even after the source of the danger or stressor is passed.
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A study in Nature Communications based on field and greenhouse experiments at KU shows why a boost in agricultural yield comes from planting diverse crops rather than just one plant species: Soil pathogens harmful to plants have a harder time thriving.
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"We only have one option in the near term (a few to several decades) and that is to reduce groundwater pumping in conjunction with modification of agricultural practices," says Jim Butler, senior scientist at the Kansas Geological Survey.
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KU sports events have long showcased the talent and tenacity of athletes at the top of their game. A new program launched in fall 2023 extends that tradition beyond the university’s gifted student-athletes to shine a light on exceptional faculty researchers who exhibit talent and tenacity in their academic disciplines, heightening KU’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading research universities.
The program recognized seven faculty members during its pilot year.
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| Google Earth creator Brian McClendon is KU's newest National Academy of Inventors fellow
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With National Inventors Day (Feb. 11) around the corner, the KU Center for Technology Commercialization is delighted to celebrate the naming of Brian McClendon, research professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, as one of the 162 academic inventors in the 2023 National Academy of Inventors class of fellows. Brian has a rich history of innovation that spans more than four decades, originating in the development of 3D graphics and eventually leading to Earth Viewer, now known as Google Earth.
“Recognition as a National Academy of Inventors fellow is one of the highest honors accorded to innovators from academic institutions,” said Cliff Michaels, executive director of KUCTC. “We are proud to add Brian McClendon to the list of fellows associated with KU.”
McClendon will be inducted at the NAI’s annual meeting in June.
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KU researchers are testing the effects of cattle grazing on short and tallgrass prairie regions, exploring the use of electric vehicles in rural areas, assessing Kansas afterschool programs, developing novel Alzheimer’s treatments, and more — all with the aid of external funding awarded in November and December.
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Program coordinator helps make humanities more accessible to the public |
Eliott Reeder | Program Coordinator | Hall Center for the Humanities
An important element of research is how it enters the public sphere. In STEM fields, this often takes the form of patents and technology commercialization. Social scientists may produce reports for nonprofits or policymakers to develop more efficient programs. And in the humanities, this sometimes looks like helping the public better understand their lives and communities through history, literature, philosophy and countless other disciplines.
Eliott Reeder is one of the people who makes that happen. He began working for the Hall Center for the Humanities seven years ago and has held several positions that support the center’s mission.
“Eliott has an amazing work ethic. Whether it is a program he is running or a problem with the building, he is able to identify what is needed and get it done,” said Andrew Hodgson, assistant director of the Hall Center. “He has always been willing to chip in and help staff, faculty and visitors with whatever they may need.”
Reeder started at the Hall Center as scholarly programs coordinator before becoming its communications coordinator. Last June he transitioned into the role of program coordinator.
He spearheads Haunting Humanities, a Halloween-themed event where humanities scholars showcase their disciplines to the public with interactive exhibits. Reeder gave feedback to presenters preparing for the evening, worked with local businesses and served as the DJ.
“He is one of the only staff members that experienced the two previous iterations, and he was essential in planning and executing the event,” Hodgson said. “It would not have been possible without him.”
Reeder’s own humanities background has served him well in welcoming more than 50 fellows to the Hall Center, leading and promoting hundreds of public programs, and working on at least 18 publications.
“Eliott is a true believer in the importance and value of the humanities,” Hodgson said. “He’s the heart of the Hall Center, and so much of what we do couldn’t happen without him.”
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- Giselle Anatol, professor of English, and
Hyunjin Seo, Oscar Stauffer Chair and professor of journalism & mass communications, earned KU's Louise Byrd Graduate Educator Award.
- Ronald Barrett-Gonzalez, professor of aerospace engineering, received a 2024 Sustained Service Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics.
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Mikhail Barybin, professor of chemistry, received the November 2023 Sutton Family Research Impact Award from the Department of Chemistry.
- Paulyn Cartwright, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and director of the Office for Diversity in Science Training, received the Robert F. Weaver Graduate Mentor Award.
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Christopher Elles, professor of chemistry, received the October 2023 Sutton Family Research Impact Award.
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Angela Gist-Mackey, associate professor of communication studies, received the 2023 Engaged Scholars Award from the National Communication Association's Organizational Communication Division, which honors research and teaching with transformative impact, engagement and collaboration in local communities.
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Dorothy Hines, associate professor of African & African-American studies and curriculum & teaching, was elected chair-elect of the American Educational Research Association Special Interest Group: Classroom Management, to begin in April 2024.
- Margaret Kelley, professor of American studies, received the Senior Scholar Award from the American Sociological Association’s Section on Drugs & Society.
- Jennifer Raff, associate professor of anthropology, received a Phi Beta Kappa book award for science for her 2022 book, “Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas.”
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New KU faculty receive research development funding |
The New Faculty Research Development Awards awards are designed to help new faculty accelerate their scholarship and start building a sustainable research program soon after their arrival on campus.
Congratulations to the Fall 2023 recipients:
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- Yoonjung Ahn, Geography & Atmospheric Science
- Mohammad Dastmalchi, Architecture & Design
- Gwen Geiger Wolfe, Libraries
- Rashawn Griffin, Visual Art
- Elizabeth Koziol, Kansas Biological Survey
- Dmitry Ovchinnikov, Physics & Astronomy
- Ninel Valderrama Negron, Spanish & Portuguese
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Sofia Vera, Political Science
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Amount: Up to $8K / Up to $20K | Next deadline: March 1
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Workshops focused on crafting competitive NSF, NIH proposals |
The Office of Research Development is offering workshops this spring focused on crafting compelling, competitive proposals for NSF CAREER awards and NIH funding opportunities.
Learn more + register for open seminars
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KU research mileage reimbursement rate increases for 2024 |
The KU Center for Research increased the mileage reimbursement for KURES-funded travel to match the IRS rate for personal vehicle mileage. The new rate is 67 cents per mile for business travel occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2024. The IRS standard mileage reimbursement rate is followed by KUCR-held funds unless otherwise directed by the sponsoring agency.
Visit the Office of Research Travel webpage for details, forms and policies.
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KU policy updates impact PI status requirements |
Effective Nov. 27, individuals who are KU employees will no longer be required to have PI status in order to serve as co-principal investigators (co-PI or co-I) on sponsored project proposals or awards. Individuals serving as principal investigators will still need to have either a title that confers regular PI status or be approved for special PI status. To request special PI status, the individual's supervisor must submit the following to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research:
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- A letter of recommendation based on the nominee's expertise, containing a statement that addresses:
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- The benefit to KU and KU's research enterprise in granting the PI status
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The associated unit's agreement to support and house any project awarded under the nominee's direction
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NSF issues guidance on using AI in merit review process |
The National Science Foundation has issued a notice to the research community establishing guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in its merit review process. For reviewers, NSF cautions that "sharing proposal information with generative AI technology via the open internet violates the confidentiality and integrity principles of NSF's merit review process." Proposers are reminded that they are "responsible for the accuracy and authenticity of their proposal submission in consideration for merit review, including content developed with the assistance of generative AI tools."
Key takeaways from the notice:
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- NSF reviewers are prohibited from uploading any content from proposals, review information and related records to non-approved generative AI tools.
- Proposers are encouraged to indicate in the project description the extent (if any) to which generative AI technology was used and how it was used to develop their proposal.
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NSF will update the 2025 PAPPG with additional guidance and requirements as necessary and will continually evaluate future applications of generative AI technology.
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New rates expand free access to research file storage |
- For no charge, KU researchers may obtain 1TB of storage on ResFS for the purpose of data storage and collaboration.
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Additional storage (up to 15TB) may be requested at no additional charge if more storage is required for a research project.
- Storage over 15TB may be purchased at $50 per TB per year (purchased in 1TB increments).
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Visit the Research File Storage webpage to learn more and to request new storage or increase existing storage. No additional steps are necessary for current users to take advantage of the new rates. Bills under the previous rates for services provided through Dec. 31 should be submitted for payment.
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Questions? Comments? Content suggestions?
Mindie Paget | Office of Research | mpaget@ku.edu
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KU Office of Research
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