Over the next few months, KU will complete necessary construction and maintenance projects, requiring several streets, sidewalks and parking lots to close or partially close for a portion of the summer. 

Please visit the Construction Closures page for the most up-to-date information. Several of the road, parking lot and sidewalk projects scheduled for this summer include: 

A complete and more detailed list can be found on the Provost Office website.

Vital repairs and maintenance projects are scheduled this summer for buildings throughout campus. These projects, necessary to maintain the integrity of KU’s infrastructure, may cause some disruptions to those working in or near the buildings. 

Several projects scheduled for the summer include: 

A complete and more detailed list can be found on the Provost Office website. 

KU has selected Jide Wintoki, Capitol Federal Professor of Finance, as the next dean of the KU School of Business. Wintoki first joined the school in 2008, and he currently serves as its associate dean of graduate programs. He will begin his new role on July 1. 

As School of Business dean, Wintoki will serve as the school’s chief academic and administrative officer, overseeing its research enterprise, educational programs and administrative units, engaging faculty, staff, students and other external stakeholders to promote a shared vision of excellence for the school.  

The dean’s leadership responsibilities also include engaging faculty and staff to work toward alignment with Jayhawks Rising, as well as leading the school's fundraising efforts to transform business education and research as part of KU's Onward capital campaign. 

4 p.m. Today

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Bichelmeyer’s final virtual town hall of the semester will be livestreamed at 4 p.m. today on the Provost Office website. Guests will be Kyle Christian, associate vice chancellor for federal relations, and Shelley Hooks, vice chancellor for research.  

Held on Monday afternoons for the Lawrence and Edwards campuses, the town halls are an opportunity for the provost to discuss with leaders across campus changes in KU’s research and higher education environment.    

The town halls held on April 28 and April 7 are available to watch online (KU login required). To submit a question or comment for a future town hall discussion, please use this form.    

During the Employee Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, Dannah Hartley and Omar Safir received Employee of the Year awards and the KU Power Plant Team was honored with the Team of the Year award.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Bichelmeyer honored the awardees as well as employees with five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 years of service. Three employees — Jane Buttenhoff, Kent Miller and Sandy Patchen — were recognized for 60 years of service.  

The ceremony recognized the Employee of the Month awardees from the past 12 months and selected two from that group to receive Employee of the Year. Each Employee of the Year receives $1,500, a reserved parking space for one year and a Jayhawk trophy. 

Dannah Hartley, formerly associate director in Jayhawk Academic Advising and currently an assistant dean for the School of Professional Studies on the Edwards Campus, was named a 2025 Employee of the Year for exemplifying dedication, leadership and compassion.

Over the past 12 years, Hartley has played a pivotal role in shaping the advising experience for students — from leading teams that support new and exploratory students to guiding assistant directors and coordinating efforts across campuses. 

Known for her engaging and heartfelt orientation presentations, Hartley has set the tone for thousands of students and families as they begin their KU journey. Parents have consistently praised her humor, empathy and insight, often seeking her out just to say thank you. One parent described her words as “essential wisdom.” 

Read more about Hartley’s contributions in her Employee of the Month bio. 

Omar Safir, education program coordinator at the Center for Teaching Excellence, was named a 2025 Employee of the Year for embodying technical excellence and human-centered leadership.

Known as the “Swiss army knife” of his department, Safir seamlessly juggles data analysis, faculty development, student assessment and cross-institutional collaboration with a clear sense of purpose and compassion. 

He has transformed his role into a linchpin of innovation, co-leading major initiatives that promote equitable teaching practices and student success across institutions. Safir stands out for his analytical acumen as well as his moral clarity and commitment to centering student and faculty welfare, especially for those from historically marginalized communities. 

Read more about Safir’s contributions in his Employee of the Month bio. 

Working through weekends, holidays and winter storms, the Power Plant Team (Shop 405) has a mission that never stops: the continuous around-the-clock operation of KU’s power plant facilities. For the group’s unwavering reliability, tireless dedication, technical expertise and exceptional ability to adapt to challenging and unpredictable circumstances, the Power Plant Team, led by Robert Mills, was honored with the 2025 Team of the Year award. 

Despite extreme weather and staffing challenges, the team of 13 employees has had zero service outages in the past year. The groups’ in-house expertise enabled them to complete more than 340 maintenance tasks, numerous emergency repairs and boiler inspections without a single deficiency. 

The team’s ability to solve problems in real time has prevented what could have been catastrophic service disruptions affecting thousands of people on the Lawrence campus. 

The Team of the Year winner was selected from nominations solicited across campus. In addition to the Power Plant Team, other groups nominated included:  

More information about the award winners can be found on Provost Office's website. 

Five KU faculty members were honored with the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence award, recognizing their commitment and contributions to teaching excellence on the Lawrence campus. Awardees were: 

On May 16 and 17 during student move out, Housing and Residential Life will host nine Habitat for Humanity donation drop-off locations on campus. Volunteers are needed to help guide residents to donation locations and help students identify which items can be donated.  

Shifts are two-hour time slots, and volunteers can be asked to be paired together. To sign up to volunteer, go to this form. Organizers will email you with information on what location you'll report to, parking instructions and additional updates.  

Email Habitat for Humanity with questions.  

Your KU email account is the official channel for important university communications.

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