News
Wed, 07/17/2024
Five standout educators recognized as Kemper Fellows
KU this week is celebrating five outstanding faculty members as winners of the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. Each of the five awardees receives $7,500.
Wed, 07/17/2024
Science On Tap: 7:30-8:30 PM Wednesday, July 24 at Free State Brewing Company
Join us at Free State Brewing Company for the next Science on Tap event featuring Dr. Jorge Soberón, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and a senior scientist in biodiversity modeling at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. The presentation, "On Redcoats, Bugs, and the Nopal. A Tale of Science and Commerce," will combine history and science to explain how a tiny cactus-dwelling insect, native to subtropical South America, became a global commodity in the 16th century.
Fri, 05/10/2024
KU announces promotion and tenure for 149 faculty and researchers
Chancellor Douglas A. Girod has approved the promotion and award of tenure, where indicated, for 64 individuals at the University of Kansas Lawrence and Edwards campuses and 85 individuals at the KU Medical Center campuses.
Wed, 05/08/2024
University plans summer makeover for Potter Lake
This summer, Potter Lake is getting a makeover for its 113th birthday. A major project will begin in May to dredge the lake, rebuild portions of the original edge wall, and improve the spillway and sediment basin. Part of the work will be to collect turtles, frogs and reptiles and relocate them to a pond in KU’s West District.
Tue, 04/30/2024
Researchers parse oddity of distantly related bats in Solomon Islands that appear identical
A study of body size in leaf-nosed bats of the Solomon Islands that involved evolutionary biologists from the University of Kansas — who collected specimens, conducted genetic analysis and co-wrote research in the journal Evolution — reveals surprising genetic diversity among nearly indistinguishable species on different islands.
Wed, 04/24/2024
EEB alumnus nominated into the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (Opens in new window)
KU EEB alumnus Rob Anderson, Ph.D. 2001, was recently elected to the rank of Elected Fellow in the AAAS. Anderson is currently a Professor in the Department of Biology at City College of New York, City University of New York. Election as a Fellow honors members whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications in service to society have distinguished them among their peers and colleagues and is a distinguished lifetime honor within the scientific community. Anderson’s areas of expertise include biology, biodiversity, biogeography, ecology, mammals and modeling.
Mon, 04/22/2024
Dr. Rafe Brown selected as Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2024-2025 for Philippines
Congratulations to Rafe Brown, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and curator-in-charge of the Herpetology Division of the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum! Brown largely conducts research in the Philippines, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands, but he has collaborated on biodiversity research in India, northern Melanesia, the tropical Americas and central Africa. Fulbright Scholar Awards are prestigious and competitive fellowships that provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbright scholars also play a critical role in U.S. public diplomacy, establishing long-term relationships between people and nations.
Mon, 04/08/2024
KU, Haskell students to present research projects at 24th annual symposium
Research on heat shock stress in colorectal cancer, wetland restoration practices’ impact on soil, neurodegeneration of Alzheimer’s disease and other topics will be among the work presented at the 24th annual University of Kansas-Haskell Indian Nations University Student Research Symposium. The event will take place April 12 at Haskell.
Tue, 03/26/2024
Red Hot Research: Friday, March 29, 4 to 5:30 PM, Watson Library, 3 West (Opens in new window)
Plan to attend to see Undergraduate Biology’s Jenny Archibald discuss systematics, taxonomy, species, plant, diversity.
Red Hot Research introduces researchers to the work of their colleagues; prompts questions within current research through the perspectives of many disciplines; and develops collaborative research teams as a result of overlapping interest & expertise.
Thu, 03/21/2024
Red Hot Graduate Research: Friday, March 22, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Watson Library, 3 West (Opens in new window)
EEB and the BI research highlighted once again at Red Hot Research! Plan to attend to see EEB's Keana Tang present. Red Hot Graduate Research introduces KU scholars to the work of their colleagues; prompts questions within current research through the perspectives of many disciplines; and develops collaborative research teams as a result of overlapping interest & expertise.
Wed, 03/06/2024
Tang receives MAGS Distinguished Thesis Award
Keana Tang, PhD Candidate and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow with the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at KU, has been awarded the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Distinguished Thesis Award for the Biological Sciences. The award recognizes and rewards the recipient’s distinguished scholarship and research. Tang will receive an honorarium of $750 from MAGS, plus $500 toward travel expenses to attend the MAGS annual meeting.
Thu, 02/29/2024
KU students to present at Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol
KU students will join their peers from other Kansas Board of Regents public four-year universities to deliver in-person poster presentations March 1 at the Kansas Capitol Rotunda in Topeka.
Wed, 02/28/2024
Red Hot Research: 4-5:30 PM Friday, March 1 (Opens in new window)
Red Hot Research introduces researchers to the work of their colleagues; prompts questions within current research through the perspectives of many disciplines; and develops collaborative research teams as a result of overlapping interest & expertise. The event takes place Friday, March 1, 2024, from 4-5:30 PM at Watson Library, 3 West. One of this week’s presenters includes Kelly Matsunaga, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and Biodiversity Institute.
Tue, 02/27/2024
2024 Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference at KU May 20–31 (Opens in new window)
iDigBio, the Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA), and The University of Kansas's Biodiversity Research Institute are delighted to announce the 2024 Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference, 29-31 May, with this edition of the conference again offering both in-person and virtual participation. The overall theme for the 2024 conference will be Synthesizing & Harmonizing Data for Integrated Biodiversity Research.
Wed, 01/31/2024
EEB’s Katya Mack featured in UC Berkeley’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Newsletter (Opens in new window)
The publication “Gene regulation helps species thrive in new climates” is highlighted in the Winter 2024 edition.
Thu, 01/25/2024
Timm receives Jackson Award for Outstanding Service (Opens in new window)
The American Society of Mammalogists recognizes Dr. Robert M. Timm, professor emeritus, as the 2023 recipient of the Hartley H. T. Jackson Award. Timm joined the KU Natural History Museum as curator-in-charge of mammals in 1986 and as a faculty member in the Department of Systematics and Ecology, and went on to serve in a variety of roles while at KU. His research has focused on ecology, evolution, and in recent years conservation of mammals, and in host–parasite interactions.
Tue, 01/23/2024
55 students receive Undergraduate Research Awards for spring 2024
UGRA recipients are awarded a $1,000 scholarship as they work on mentored research and creative projects. Students apply for UGRAs by writing a four-page research proposal under the guidance of a mentor. Faculty reviewers evaluate the applications based on the merit of the applicant’s proposal and a recommendation from the mentor.
Tue, 01/23/2024
KU KUDOS: Jayhawk Faculty and Staff Achievements, January 2024 (Opens in new window)
Congrats! Liz Koziol, assistant research professor for the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, was awarded the Women in Science Incentive Prize from The Story Exchange. Her Startup Aims to Revolutionize Soil Health (thestoryexchange.org)
Mon, 01/22/2024
VIDEO: KU Field Station researchers use fire to protect the forest (Opens in new window)
Staff from the KU Field Station and the Kansas Forest Service worked together last autumn to conduct a prescribed burn of the Rice Woodland tract of the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve outside of Lawrence. Though it seems destructive, this process allows native plant life to thrive by controlling invasive plant species in the forest — and preventing spontaneous wildfires throughout the rest of the year.
Wed, 01/17/2024
APPLY NOW! Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Applications Due Feb. 28 (Opens in new window)
The University of Kansas Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology/Kansas Biological Survey is recruiting students to participate in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) opportunity in Summer 2024. The REU opportunities are part of the New Roots for Restoration Biology Integration Institute, a National Science Foundation funded initiative whose overarching focus is how plant organismal systems (plant roots and shoots) relate to one another and how those relationships influence and are influenced by plant communities and the soil ecosphere.
Fri, 01/12/2024
Age-dependent extinction and the neutral theory of biodiversity (Opens in new window)
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) features article from James G. Saulsbury, postdoctoral researcher in EEB and the Biodiversity Institute. Like people, species have lifespans: they originate at some time, get older, and eventually go extinct. This new work shows that a simple and well-known model in ecology, known as neutral theory, can account for the “lifespans” or durations of species in the fossil record.
Thu, 01/11/2024
Drs. Jorge Soberon and Town Peterson are named Distinguished Fellows of the International Biogeography Society!
University Distinguished Professors in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Town Peterson and Jorge Soberón, who is also director of the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum, have been named 2024 International Biogeography Society Distinguished Fellows. Fellows are chosen for their significant contributions to the society’s objectives via “brilliance in basic research and great service to the area of biogeography.” IBS Distinguished Fellow Award – International Biogeography Society
Tue, 12/19/2023
Research offers a reason why diversity in plant species causes higher farming yield, solving ‘a bit of a mystery’
A study appearing in Nature Communications based on field and greenhouse experiments at the University of Kansas shows how 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.
Mon, 12/11/2023
Ecology and evolutionary biology professor receives NSF Career Award
LAWRENCE – Kelly Matsunaga, assistant curator of paleobotany and Thomas N. Taylor Assistant Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, has received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation. ...
Mon, 12/04/2023
Curator Kelly Matsunaga receives NSF Career Award
Assistant curator of paleobotany at the Biodiversity Institute and Thomas N. Taylor assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, Kelly Matsunaga, has been awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation. The CAREER is a 5-year grant. Total award amount is $946,323. The project will investigate how the widespread and ancient group of plants known as conifers (examples: pines, junipers, redwoods) evolved over the last 300 million years in response to a changing planet. "We will integrate information from living species and the extensive fossil record of the group to reconstruct evolutionary relationships, investigate evolutionary dynamics through time, and test hypotheses on the evolution of conifer reproductive organs," Matsunaga said. "As part of the project, I will offer a new research-based course on plant anatomy and development, and create a new permanent exhibit in the KU Natural History Museum."
Thu, 11/30/2023
University Teaching Awards (Opens in new window)
Chancellor Girod hosted the University Teaching Awards on Nov. 7 in the Big 12 Room of the Kansas Union. You can watch the ceremony and clip of Trevor Rivers receiving his award. Rivers, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology assistant teaching professor, received the Bob & Kathie Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award.
Thu, 11/09/2023
Rafe Brown is inaugural recipient of KUIA Advisory Board International Research Award
Thu, 11/02/2023
Kristen Baum will lead Monarch Watch
LAWRENCE — Monarch Watch, an international program at the University of Kansas dedicated to the conservation and study of monarch butterflies, has a new director. Kristen Baum, well known for her work on monarchs and pollinators, began this week as director of Monarch Watch and as a senior scientist at...
Thu, 10/26/2023
Bruce Lieberman receives 2023 David Shulenburger Award for Innovation & Advocacy in Scholarly Communication (Opens in new window)
The Shulenburger Award recognizes KU faculty, staff, students and academic departments who champion open access and innovation in scholarly communication. Lieberman was chosen as a recipient for his efforts to convert a prestigious and extensive subscription-based journal into a broadly accessible open access resource.