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With next-generation space telescope, researchers glimpse first evidence of photochemistry on exoplanet
LAWRENCE — Findings from an international team of astrophysicists using NASA’s recently deployed James Webb Space Telescope give new detail to exoplanet WASP-39b, a “hot Saturn” orbiting a star roughly 700 light years from Earth. The higher-resolution JWST data reveals the first indication of a photochemical byproduct — a chemical reaction accelerated by starlight — on an exoplanet.

School of Music announces performance dates for Vespers, Jazz Vespers
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Music has announced the return of two beloved annual Vespers programs for the 2022 holiday season. KU Vespers, now in its 98th year, features performances at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4. Jazz Vespers, another free event, returns this year as well at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8. All performances take place at the Lied Center of Kansas.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Brendan Lynch, KU News Service, 785-864-8855, [email protected], @BrendanMLynch
With next-generation space telescope, researchers glimpse first evidence of photochemistry on exoplanet

LAWRENCE — Findings from an international team of astrophysicists using NASA’s recently deployed James Webb Space Telescope give new detail to exoplanet WASP-39b, a “hot Saturn” orbiting a star roughly 700 light years from Earth. The higher-resolution JWST data reveals the first indication of a photochemical byproduct — a chemical reaction accelerated by starlight — on an exoplanet.

This and other findings are included in a set of five new scientific papers, three of which are in press and two of which are under review. The new research also serves as a “test drive” for astrophysicists evaluating the JWST’s instrumentation by studying an exoplanet already measured by previous space telescopes like Hubble and Spitzer.
The research collaboration, known as the Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Program for the JWST, includes Ian Crossfield, assistant professor of physics & astronomy, who runs the KU ExoLab and has helped guide the JWST observing program as a member of the ERS Science Council since its inception.
“This is the first time photochemical byproducts have been detected in any planet outside the solar system,” Crossfield. “We fully expect that this is just the first of many such surprises as we use JWST’s unprecedented sensitivity to make new observations of these other worlds.”
Another KU scientist involved in the collaboration was Jonathan Brande, doctoral student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the KU ExoLab.
“Until JWST, we’d hit the limit at which we could continue characterizing this planet with our capabilities,” Brande. “Because WASP-39b had been so well-studied — and we thought we understood a lot of what was going on in the planet’s atmosphere — the ERS leadership team, including Ian Crossfield, decided that it would make a very good target for the first suite of observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. It could confirm our assumptions about this planet based on previous observations, and there was the possibility we would learn something new.”
Brande said observations with the new space telescope’s instrumentation offer more granular data covering a much broader wavelength range.
“We can study more of this planet’s atmosphere at higher resolution with more detail and really improve our modeling efforts to determine what’s going on in the planet’s atmosphere,” he said.
Among the major findings on WASP-39b presented by the research team:
1. The team found three of the JWST’s instruments “meet or exceed expectations for transmission spectroscopy of exoplanets” and don’t reveal errors in sensing or communicating that effect interpretation of the data.
1. The research collaborators found a “panoply” of atoms and molecules in WASP-39b’s atmosphere, including sodium, potassium, water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and a “mystery molecule,” sulfur dioxide.
1. The sulfur dioxide in WASP-39b’s atmosphere is generated via photochemistry – chemical reactions catalyzed by starlight
1. The data suggest clouds in the atmosphere of the exoplanet. Additionally, “the cloud deck is not one uniform blanket but has more complex meteorological patterns.”
Brande worked as a key member of a group that wrote the software used to analyze data from JWST on “light curves” — measurements of light during a transit (when the exoplanet passes between its star and the JWST). Observing transits is typically how astrophysicists detect the makeup of an exoplanet’s atmosphere.
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Contact: Fally Afani, School of Music, [email protected], @MusicKU
School of Music announces performance dates for Vespers, Jazz Vespers
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Music has announced the return of two beloved annual Vespers programs for the 2022 holiday season.
KU Vespers, now in its 98th year, features performances at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4. The event is free and open to the public, and it will feature performances and seasonal sounds from vocal and instrumental ensembles. Jazz Vespers, another free event, returns this year as well at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8. All performances take place at the Lied Center of Kansas. Though there is no admission fee, tickets must be picked up at the Lied Center box office.
About Vespers:

This year’s Vespers program will feature instrumental numbers, works that combine choir with orchestra and a cappella songs. The repertoire includes classics like “Ding, Dong Merrily on High!” in an arrangement by Ryan Murphy and “Gloria” (first movement) by John Rutter.
Musicians will also perform “Thixo Onothando,” a South African song of praise arranged by Michael Barrett; “Estrellita de Belén,” a folk-inspired new song by Ariel Quintana; “Kujichagulia” (self-determination, one of the principles of Kwanzaa), composed by Zanaida Robles; “El Yivneh Hagalil,” a traditional Hebrew folk song arranged by Peter Sozio; and the spiritual “Music Down in My Soul,” arranged by Moses Hogan. The program will also include the festive “Walz Les Patineurs,” written by Émile Waldteufel; Slavonic Dance 8 by Antonín Dvořák; and a piece from the opera “La traviata” by Giuseppe Verdi.
Also planned are special appearances by the KU Trumpet Ensemble, directed by Steve Leisring, and by the KU Trombone Ensemble, directed by Michael Davidson.
About Jazz Vespers:

The 2022 KU Jazz Vespers will feature performances of holiday favorites in a jazz and pop setting. This year’s edition of Jazz Vespers will feature 2022 DownBeat Award winners KU Jazz Ensemble I and a newly reassembled version of the KU Jazz Singers, along with featured guest artists Kerry Marsh and Julia Dollison, vocalists/arrangers.
Marsh is a graduate of KU (Bachelor of Music Education, 2000) who is one of the leading arrangers and publishers of vocal jazz music in the world today. He has worked with singer/songwriter Ben Folds for many years as an arranger and director in numerous performances with major symphony orchestras. Dollison, a classically trained soprano and experienced studio and jazz singer, released her critically acclaimed debut CD “Observatory” in 2005 and can be heard on the soundtracks for “Vera Drake,” “The Corpse Bride” and numerous commercials for Disney, Fox, Coca-Cola and others. In 2010, she and her Marsh released “Vertical Voices: The Music of Maria Schneider,” which was named as one of DownBeat’s Best Albums of 2010. Both Dollison and Marsh previously taught at the University of Northern Colorado and Sacramento State University, where their vocal ensembles and soloists won 19 DownBeat Student Music Awards.
For more information, visit lied.ku.edu or call 785-864-2787.

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Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]

Today’s News is a free service from the Office of Public Affairs

From the Office of Public Affairs | http://www.news.ku.edu

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Partisan alignment of CEOs and US president increases biased optimism in corporate disclosures
LAWRENCE — With essentially a 50/50 split in both the House and Senate, the country’s political leanings remain equally divided. But for many business leaders, key decisions are based primarily on who is occupying the White House. That idea is explored in a University of Kansas professor’s new scholarly article titled “Political Euphoria and Corporate Disclosures: An Investigation of CEO Partisan Alignment with the President of the United States.”

Biology faculty members honored by Class of 2023 with HOPE Awards for teaching
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas senior class has honored two faculty members who teach undergraduate biology with 2022 HOPE Awards — to Honor an Outstanding Progressive Educator. Josephine Chandler, associate professor of molecular biosciences, and Eileen Hotze, associate teaching professor of molecular biosciences, were recognized Nov. 19 during the Senior Day football game between KU and Texas.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Jon Niccum, KU News Service, 785-864-7633, [email protected]
Partisan alignment of CEOs and US president increases biased optimism in corporate disclosures
LAWRENCE — With essentially a 50/50 split in both the House and Senate, the country’s political leanings remain equally divided. But for many business leaders, key decisions are based primarily on who is occupying the White House.
“Even CEOs, as business savvy as they might be, can get swept up in partisan euphoria,” said Mehmet Kara, assistant professor of accounting at the University of Kansas.
“They think, ‘My guy is leading the country, so everything is much better.’ Or, ‘The other guy is leading the country, so we’re all doomed.’ This focus causes business leaders to bias their forecasts and reports.”
That is revealed in his new article titled “Political Euphoria and Corporate Disclosures: An Investigation of CEO Partisan Alignment with the President of the United States.” It examines how such alignment between chief executive officers and the U.S. president influences corporate disclosure outcomes, finding evidence that aligned CEOs display greater optimism in their disclosures. It appears in the Journal of Accounting & Economics.
Co-written by Adi Masli and Mazhar Arikan of KU and Yaoyi Xi of San Diego State University, Kara’s research also observes if one party or the other proved more susceptible to this “political euphoria.”
“We found it doesn’t matter whether you’re a Democrat or Republican,” Kara said. “If your candidate is in power, then you’re going to exhibit this type of behavior.”
It is no mirage that partisanship seems worse than ever before. An August survey by Pew Research Center confirms negative sentiment about the opposing party’s policies being harmful to the country remains a primary factor in why Democrats and Republicans choose to affiliate with their party.
Are America’s corporate leaders more partisan than ever before?
He said, “It has unfortunately gotten to where some of these surveys such as Pew show it is the primary identifier for many individuals, even above and beyond religion, race or ethnicity. People will forego their religious beliefs to make sure what they’re doing aligns with their partisan beliefs. So not only is it American business leadership, American life has become extremely partisan.”
Kara’s team scrutinized donations to determine political allegiances.
“Thankfully, we live in a society where everything is still fairly transparent,” he said.
Thus, any political contributions made above a certain dollar amount are catalogued, recorded and available for public disclosure. He utilized information located at the Center for Responsive Politics, which has kept track of every presidential donation since the 1990s.
“By chronicling this throughout time, we were able to create an index of hardcore Republican CEOs who have always donated to the Republican Party, hardcore Democrats who have always donated to the Democratic Party and ‘moderates’ who tend to be more candidate-based,” he said.
Given the number of one-percenters who are CEOs, it might be assumed they typically favor Republican politicians. Interestingly, their allegiance is not as one-sided at people might think.
“There have been previous studies that show whether CEOs identifying with one party or the other influences the way in which they run the company,” Kara said. “Our study goes one level beyond that by examining a phenomenon where if there’s an alignment between their beliefs and the president’s beliefs, it would influence the way in which they forecast and provide disclosure.”
Kara also noted previous studies weighing the effects of CEO overconfidence. Yet in those analyses, the measure of overconfidence has always been something intrinsic to the individual that is not changing over time. You’re either confident because that’s your personality type … or you’re not.
“We bring in a new measure that changes with time because every four years there’s potential for regime change. And every four years you could have a CEO who flips from being confident about business conditions to not being so confident. If you are someone who believes CEO decisions have tangible outcomes that affect financial markets, then that’s something important to keep track of,” he said.
A native of Trabzon, Turkey, Kara has been with KU since 2019. He predominantly focuses on tax research as part of the university’s accounting academic area.
The professor said people should not assume that successful business professionals are free from favoritisms – some of which are based on ideology, not information.
Kara said, “Even the most experienced financial market participants are susceptible to biases that affect their decision making.”
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Contact: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, KU News Service, 785-864-8858, [email protected], @ebpkansas
Biology faculty members honored by Class of 2023 with HOPE Awards for teaching
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas senior class has honored two faculty members who teach undergraduate biology with 2022 HOPE Awards — to Honor an Outstanding Progressive Educator.
The HOPE Award was established by the Class of 1959. Today, the award remains the only honor given to faculty by the senior class through the Student Alumni and Endowment Board. Thanks to successful fundraising efforts, 2022 marks the second year that the award has been given to two recipients.
Josephine Chandler, associate professor of molecular biosciences, and Eileen Hotze, associate teaching professor of molecular biosciences, were recognized Nov. 19 during the Senior Day football game between KU and Texas.
As a researcher, Chandler studies how bacteria interact with one another and respond to stress in complex communities. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and has included upending assumptions about how dangerous pathogens respond to acidic environments in the host. Chandler is also part of the leadership team of a recently renewed NIH-funded program to help Native students bridge from Haskell Indian Nations University to KU and prepare for careers in the biomedical sciences.
One student who nominated Chandler noted how she goes “above and beyond” to help each student succeed and how she can accommodate each student’s needs, even in a large class. Another nominator noted that without Chandler, they wouldn’t have been able to continue their journey at KU. “More importantly, I would not have discovered my passion for microbial genetics,” they wrote.
“It is amazing to receive this award and be recognized for my efforts to make science inclusive and exciting, especially during a time when science has become so important to all of us,” Chandler said. “I feel extremely lucky to be able to work with such exceptionally talented students at KU.”
Chandler joined KU in 2013. She earned a doctorate in microbiology from the University of Minnesota after earning a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Iowa.
Hotze teaches undergraduate biology courses in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, including classes on molecular and cellular biology, fundamentals of microbiology and the laboratory component to courses on bacterial infectious disease.
Students who nominated Hotze noted how she wants her students to succeed in class and in the future — and how Hotze provides resources to make that happen. One student wrote how Hotze helped them with their degree path.
“She gives great advice and got me in contact with really helpful people,” the nominator wrote.
Hotze spent more than 15 years as a research scientist at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center prior to joining KU as a full-time teaching faculty member in 2018. She earned her bachelor’s degree and doctorate in microbiology from the University of Oklahoma.
“KU is a fantastic place to work because our students are so enthusiastic and eager,” Hotze said. “Each one of them has a unique experience that they bring with them to KU to make this campus so special. I enjoy getting to know their stories and am fortunate to walk with them during their academic journey.”
“To be awarded the HOPE Award is very humbling,” Hotze said. “I am overwhelmed. They have made such an impact on my life. I am not sure they know this.”
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KU News Service
1450 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence KS 66045
Phone: 785-864-3256
Fax: 785-864-3339
[email protected]
http://www.news.ku.edu

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]

Today’s News is a free service from the Office of Public Affairs