April 2025

In this issue

Research highlights  |  Innovation spotlight  |  New awards  
Unsung heroes  |  Faculty kudos  |  Research development  |  Nuts & bolts

Donna Ginther is among nearly 250 new members named to the Class of 2025. The distinguished professor of economics and director of KU’s Institute for Policy & Social Research focuses her research on the economics of science, academic labor markets, gender differences in employment outcomes, wage inequality and investments in children. 

“KU’s continued recognition by NAI in its list of the Top 100 Universities Granted Utility Patents is a testament to the university’s prioritization of innovation,” said Clifford Michaels, executive director of the KU Center for Technology Commercialization.

In the 1950s and '60s, more than 3,000 Topekans were forced to leave their homes to make way for the construction of I-70. María Velasco, professor of visual art, Matt Jacobson, professor of film & media studies, and their colleagues are using art to help descendants of the neighborhood tell their side of the city's history. 

The National Science Foundation's most prestigious award for early-career faculty supports emerging scientists who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in their departmental or organizational missions. 

Shoshani, assistant professor of chemistry, received a five-year grant totaling more than $769,000 to further his research on converting carbon dioxide so it can be used to develop valuable products for energy, agriculture and pharmaceuticals.

Sun, assistant professor of electrical engineering & computer science, won a five-year, $558,000 grant for his efforts to strengthen high-performance computing systems by allowing them to do more work as they continue to expand.

Steve Bien-Aime, assistant professor of journalism, examines longtime conventions in journalism and asks how the field can continue to evolve. 

Victor Hugo Gonzalez, associate teaching professor of biology and research associate in KU's Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum, studies bees in Latin America and Greece to understand their responses to human-induced environmental changes.

Do you have an idea with commercial potential? Are you considering being entrepreneurial or forming a company to advance your innovation toward the market? Let KUCTC help with our newly launched Rock Chalk Ready opportunity development program, which offers funding to develop technologies with promising business potential and supports moving ideas to the market.  

Rock Chalk Ready will provide 4-6 pre-company opportunities from KU Lawrence and KU Medical Center with funding (up to $35K) to tackle critical questions that “de-risk” either the technology or business opportunity. De-risking at this early stage of development means identifying and addressing critical milestones that will increase the likelihood of a sustainable new venture being formed or make an opportunity more appealing to a potential licensee. 
 
Who is eligible? 

Ready to apply? 
Submit through KU’s InfoReady internal funding and award system, available to all KUL and KUMC employees. Applications are due by May 9. 

KU investigators are creating research experiences for physics undergraduates, developing AI-human collaboration in education, surveying tri-state mining areas that include Kansas, integrating social water-use models to understand sector tradeoffs, and more — all with the aid of external funding awarded in March.

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 the button below this month's story to nominate a deserving candidate from any unit on campus.

Kate Meyer | Curator of Works on Paper | Spencer Museum of Art

Works of art deepen our understanding of the world, but researchers with little art experience often don’t know how to incorporate art into their studies without guidance. Kate Meyer, curator of works on paper at the Spencer Museum of Art, bridges this gap.

Meyer began her time at the Spencer Museum as a graduate curatorial assistant in 2004. She was promoted to assistant curator of works on paper in 2012 and again to associate curator. Since 2019, Meyer has served as the senior curator for this collection.

“Kate manages an incredible array of activities that range from behind-the-scenes to many public-facing programs. To all of these she brings great thought, intentionality, good energy and much creativity,” said Celka Straughn, deputy director for public practice and curatorial at the Spencer Museum.

Meyer recently helped Margaret Kelley, professor of American studies, use art in her expanding research practice. Kelley earned a Keeler Family Intra-University Professorship, which provides KU faculty with one semester free of departmental responsibilities to allow that faculty member to engage in substantive work in another discipline. During spring 2024, Meyer pulled works from the Spencer Museum’s collection for Kelley to examine.

“Her deep knowledge and enthusiasm made each visit feel like a masterclass in art history. She introduced me to new ways of seeing and thinking — about art, about scholarship, and about the themes at the heart of my own research,” Kelley said. “My students continue to speak enthusiastically about their experiences at the Spencer and their time with Kate. She is patient, generous and visionary. Her behind-the-scenes work is transformative and brings art to life for the KU community.”

Another example of Meyer’s work connecting art to research involved a 2010 National Science Foundation-funded project examining how farmers make decisions about which crops to grow and whether those decisions are affected by climate change. The project was started by Dietrich Earnhart, professor of economics at KU, and was already slated to be interdisciplinary. But it was Meyer who recommended including Larry Schwarm, distinguished professor of photography at Wichita State University, who could document contemporary realities of farm life in Kansas through still images. The collaboration later led to an exhibit at the museum and a book that Meyer edited.

“Kate brings great enthusiasm and passion to her work. She generously shares her broad and deep expertise with the Spencer Museum of Art collection,” Straughn said. “She creates a welcoming and positive work environment, supportive of her museum colleagues as well as faculty, students, donors and others who seek to engage with the museum and, particularly, the works on paper collection.”

VIDEO

In case you missed it, KU's partners at Lewis-Burke Associates provided updates on the federal funding landscape during a One KU webinar on Friday, April 25. They also answered questions submitted in advance by members of the KU research community; KU research leaders joined the webinar to help respond to those inquiries. The webinar recording and slides are available on the Federal Research Updates webpage.

GENERAL

In a recent edition of AIRE Connect, KU Analytics, Institutional Research & Effectiveness highlighted five dashboards that research leaders should consider when seeking answers to key questions about research activity:

Effective March 25, 2025, the policy outlines reimbursement guidelines for suppliers, consultants, guest speakers, research participants and other third-party entities conducting business with the university — ensuring that KU only reimburses actual, necessary and reasonable expenses while maintaining cost-effective travel policies. Exceptions require prior approval from the appropriate authority as outlined in the policy, and all expenses must be submitted with itemized receipts within 30 days.

Vendors are encouraged to review the policy for full details, including specifics about air travel, ground transportation, lodging, food & incidentals, and non-reimbursable expenses. 

RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION

Research Administration News & Notes is a monthly e-newsletter that provides important tips, guidance, updates and professional development highlights for research administrators and grant coordinators on the University of Kansas Lawrence/Edwards campus. The April 2025 edition included a roundup of year-end deadlines, details from NIH about its latest salary cap and delayed implementation of the common forms, as well as training opportunities.

If you would like to receive this newsletter or recommend it to others, please visit or share the Office of Research subscription form and select "Research Administration News."

Join the Office of Faculty Affairs the week after finals for KU Faculty Development Academies — day-long intensives, focused on a particular topic, giving faculty time to delve deep and develop a core capacity in a chosen area. Participants are welcome to register for as many dates as they'd like. Breakfast, lunch and snacks provided. 

Global Engagement 
May 19 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Academic Mentorship 
May 20 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Academic Leadership 
May 21 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Research & Innovation 
May 22 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Let's Write! 
May 23 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

KU Medical Center's new Cardiovascular Research Core is hosting an open house May 5-9. Based in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the core offers fee-based services in support of biomedical research — primarily collecting physiological data for cardiovascular organs.

Open house hours run 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, but appointments are required. To reserve a tour, email cardiovascularcore@kumc.edu.

Questions? Comments? Content suggestions?
Mindie Paget  |  Office of Research  |  mpaget@ku.edu

KU Office of Research
Strong Hall | 1450 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045

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