In this issue
Research highlights | New awards | Innovation spotlight
Leadership updates | Unsung heroes | Faculty kudos
Research development | Nuts & bolts | Upcoming events
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A snapshot of our progress |
One of the commitments we made when we launched the One KU Research initiative was to keep you informed — not just about what we're planning, but about what we're doing and how it's going. This month, I'm pleased to share a new resource that puts that commitment into action: the One KU Research Snapshot.
This page reflects two converging efforts: the collaborative work of the One KU Research Administration Council — a cross-campus body driving research administration excellence under our broader One KU initiative — and our ongoing delivery on recommendations from last year's assessments by the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). Together, these efforts are organized around three priority areas: efficiency optimization, effective communication and risk tolerance.
The Snapshot shows what we’ve accomplished, what's coming next and who is leading the work. I hope you'll take a look. I welcome your thoughts through our One KU Research feedback form.
Shelley Hooks
Vice Chancellor for Research
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As antibiotic resistance makes everyday infections tougher to treat, researchers in Kansas from multiple institutions are teaming up to target pathogens and overcome antibiotic resistance. The National Institutes of Health recently awarded KU funding for Phase 3 of KU’s Chemical Biology of Infectious Disease center, an NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence that was established in 2016.
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As the world's population continues to grow and the amount of arable land shrinks, developing drought-tolerant crops is essential to future food security. A new NSF grant will bring $1.9M to study microscopic soil fungi and their potential to improve drought tolerance in wheat and rice.
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Most grocery stores have a policy allowing purchasers to return items that are spoiled, damaged or unsatisfactory. While this process proves valuable to the customers, new research by KU business scholars shows it can also be highly beneficial to the store.
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In a new article, Nathan Wood, associate professor of history, details how Polish naturalists and international partners worked to bring the species back from the brink after World War I. In some ways, he said, bison became a metaphor for Poland itself.
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Every year, around 40 million magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are performed in the U.S., but most recipients of these exams may be unaware of how this technology relies on a discovery made by three University of Kansas researchers in the early 1900s.
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Kier Mitchel E. Pitogo, doctoral candidate in herpetology and the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum, works with local governments and other stakeholders to conserve frog ecosystems in the Busa Mountain Range in southern Mindanao, Philippines.
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KU researchers are assessing education outcomes for students across the country, examining the effectiveness of adaptive functional fitness for adults with mobility disabilities, evaluating behavioral interventions for adoptive families, studying the Higgs boson particle with machine learning, and more — all with the aid of external funding awarded in August.
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The KU Center for Technology Commercialization is pleased to recognize KU faculty and research directors who were named on one or more U.S. patents issued in fiscal year 2026. These achievements highlight the distinctiveness and impact of KU research and demonstrate our community’s commitment to advancing discovery. Patents not only honor inventive contributions but also serve as a vital bridge between university research and real-world applications — strengthening KU’s reputation as a leader in innovation while creating opportunities for commercialization and societal impact.
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- Ronald Barrett-Gonzalez
- Shannon Blunt
- Stefan Bossmann
- Elizabeth Friis
- Timothy Jackson
- Shawn Keshmiri
- Michael Lundin
- Mary Markiewicz
- Patrick McCormick
- Terence McIff
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| - Ana Morais
- Trung Nguyen
- Erik Perrins
- Aaron Scurto
- Mark Shiflett
- Bala Subramaniam
- Candan Tamerler
- Xinmai Yang
- Hongda Zhu
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Meet three new KU research leaders |
The Office of Research recently announced leadership updates for three KU research organizations. Please join us in welcoming Michael Branicky, director of Kansas NSF EPSCoR; Jackie Counts, director of the Achievement & Assessment Institute; and Candan Tamerler, director of the Institute for Bioengineering Research. Click each name to learn more about these appointments.
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Behind every successful award are teams of KU research support staff who help investigators identify opportunities, prepare and submit complicated proposals under strict deadlines, help manage finances and compliance for funded projects, and more. They are the unsung heroes of KU research, greasing the wheels of innovation and discovery.
In each issue of KU Discoveries, we shine a spotlight on a research support staff member deemed particularly outstanding by colleagues. Click or tap the button below this month's story to nominate a deserving candidate from any unit at KU.
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Data engineer helps scholars understand nuances of population data |
Xan Wedel | Senior Research Data Engineer | Institute for Policy & Social Research
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Social scientists, health scholars and policymakers often rely on complex population and geographic data to answer important questions. At the University of Kansas, many turn to Xan Wedel, whose expertise helps researchers navigate the nuances of those data and use them with confidence.
Wedel is the senior research data engineer at the Institute for Policy & Social Research. In 1999, she joined IPSR, which was then called the Institute for Public Policy & Business Research.
“Xan takes her job with great pride and is flexible with the many data requests that come her way. She truly loves the work she does and loves sharing her knowledge to help other researchers use the tools we have to help with their research,” said Jena Gunter, associate director of IPSR.
The statewide reports and datasets Wedel produces and maintains help faculty, staff, students, and local and state leaders answer questions about Kansas communities. She served on the state’s 2020 Census Complete Count Committee, helped organize Geographic Information Systems Day at KU from 2006 to 2017 and has contributed to 27 of the 60 editions of the Kansas Statistical Abstract. The publication is regularly used by Kansas municipalities to support economic development activities such as retail recruitment, grant applications and housing development decisions, according to a former Miami County official quoted in a news release announcing publication of the 2025 edition.
Colleagues say Wedel’s experience makes even the most complex research requests manageable. For one project, researchers needed a dataset identifying poverty rates, median household income and gross domestic product at the county level across the entire country. Because county boundaries have changed over time and statistical agencies handle those changes differently, assembling an accurate dataset required careful analysis. Wedel helped gather the data and determine where county definitions varied among agencies.
“This project would have taken weeks to complete,” Gunter said. “Xan provided the data in days.”
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Doctoral candidate Kyrian Chinemeze Adimora and his advisor, Hongyang Sun, assistant professor of electrical engineering & computer science and faculty member of the Institute for Information Sciences, were recognized with the 2025 Best Paper Award Runner-Up by the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems journal.
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A documentary film by Kelly Chong, chair and professor of sociology, called “Invisibility and Rage: Asian Americans, Racial Trauma, Mental Health” was selected to screen at the 2026 Kansas City Film Fest (Sept. 18-20) and the 2026 Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival (Oct. 23-25). The film will also air on KTWU Topeka in November.
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Claudia Dozier, professor of applied behavioral science, received the International Nathan H. Azrin Distinguished Contribution to Applied Behavior Analysis Award from the American Psychological Association, Division 25, Association for Behavior Analysis.
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Andrés Lepage and Rémy Lequesne, professors in the Department of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering, received the Mete A. Sozen Award for Excellence in Structural Research. The award from the American Concrete Institute recognizes their work on high-strength steel bars in reinforced concrete coupling beams.
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Zach Mohr and co-authors received the Best Book Award from the Association for Budgeting & Financial Management. Mohr is the author of "A Republic If You Can Afford It: How Much Does It Cost to Administer Elections?"
- Katie Siengsukon, professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science & Athletic Training, received the Excellence in Neurologic Research Award from the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy.
- Steven Soper, professor of chemistry, received the July 2026 Sutton Family Research Impact Award.
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Elaina Sutley, Diane M. Darwin Chair's Council Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering, is the president-elect of the Structural Engineering Institute. She will lead more than 30,000 structural engineers and allied professionals in the United States and across the world as president of the organization.
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Russell Swerdlow, Gene & Marge Sweeney Professor in the Department of Neurology and co-director of the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, has been appointed to a four-year term on the National Advisory Council on Aging. The council is the advisory body for the National Institute on Aging, the federal agency dedicated to advancing research on aging and age-related diseases.
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Join the One KU Training Grant Network |
The One KU Training Grant Network is a new cross-campus community of practice designed to connect training grant leaders, program managers, coordinators and prospective applicants. Through collaboration, knowledge sharing, peer learning and practical problem-solving, the network aims to strengthen KU's training programs, support future grant success and create new opportunities to connect colleagues across campuses.
One KU Training Grant Network Launch Meeting: Strengthening Training Programs at One KU
Monday, Oct. 26 | 10:30 a.m. – noon
258 Strong Hall (KU Lawrence) or 2004 Orr-Major (KU Medical Center) or virtual | Register by Oct. 20
Future meetings will include sessions on proposal development and competitiveness, as well as program management and resource sharing.
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Grant Writing for the Digital Humanities |
From data management to sustainability plans, grant writing in the digital humanities involves unique considerations. Dave Tell and the Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities team will share experiences, resources and tips for writing competitive grant applications. The workshop will give particular attention to the American Council of Learned Society’s Digital Justice grants (conventionally due in late November).
Grant Writing for the Digital Humanities
Friday, Oct. 30 | 10 a.m. – noon
455 Watson Library
Register online
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Join a Collaborative Research Lunch on circular economies |
How do we make, use, waste and/or reuse things? What does sustainable energy mean for the economy and planetary health? Please join us for a Collaborative Research Luncheon on circular economies.
The luncheon will feature a panel of experts, table-based conversations, and opportunities for networking.
Collaborative Research Luncheon: Circular Economies
Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 12 – 1:30 p.m.
Malott Room, Kansas Union
Register today
Panelists:
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Alan Allgeier, Don W. Green Professor of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, and director, Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis
- Sharon Billings, University Distinguished Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and senior scientist, Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research
- Beth Embry, assistant professor, Management & Entrepreneurship
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Mark Shiflett, Foundation Distinguished Professor, Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, and director, Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH)
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Same Time Next Week will keep the conversation going, offering extended time and consultation to expand on ideas and possibilities that emerged over lunch the week before.
Same Time Next Week: Circular Economies
Wednesday, Oct. 13 | 12 – 1 p.m.
The Commons (Spooner Hall)
Register at the Oct. 6 luncheon
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myAgreements launching Oct. 12 as first myResearch module |
As part of the One KU research initiative, KU is expanding the myResearch software suite to provide a shared platform for research administration. The first One KU functions within the myResearch environment will go live Oct. 12, marking the beginning of a phased expansion of research administration tools across One KU.
myResearch is the software suite currently serving research administration functions at KU Medical Center. The first module to expand service across One KU is myAgreements, a contract management module designed to support multiple agreement types across the research enterprise. Initially, Lawrence-campus adoption will focus on agreements managed by Research Fiscal Affairs. Roll-out of additional agreement functionality will occur incrementally over the coming months.
Beginning Oct. 12, KU Lawrence users will submit applicable Research Fiscal Affairs contract requests through myAgreements. The initial launch includes business service agreements, fee-for-service agreements, event and hotel agreements, master service agreements and other contract types managed by Research Fiscal Affairs.
Important dates
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- Oct. 1: Live myAgreements system demonstration and overview webinar | Thursday, Oct. 1 | 10 – 11 a.m. via Teams
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Oct. 9: Planned system downtime in preparation for launch
- Oct. 12: myAgreements goes live for applicable Research Fiscal Affairs contract requests
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Faculty, staff and administrators who submit agreements managed by Research Fiscal Affairs are strongly encouraged to attend the Oct. 1 webinar. The session will provide an overview of myAgreements, demonstrate the new submission process and help users prepare for the Oct. 12 transition.
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Navigating Uncertainty: Open/Public Access in a Shifting Policy Landscape |
KU Libraries will celebrate International Open Access Week with a virtual webinar featuring Corinna Turbes, senior manager of government relations at the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC). The webinar will offer an overview of where federal public access policy stands right now, what's on the horizon, and practical strategies researchers and institutions can use today.
Navigating Uncertainty:
Open/Public Access in a Shifting Policy Landscape
Thursday, Oct. 22 | 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Register on Zoom
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Questions? Comments? Content suggestions?
Mindie Paget | Office of Research | mpaget@ku.edu
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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 person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC 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. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or online and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or online.
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