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

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University Dance Company performance will feature Kansas City Aerial Arts

LAWRENCE — The 2024 University Dance Company Spring Concert will feature ballet, contemporary, hip hop and jazz dance styles performed by more than 50 KU students, including Jayhawks from Allen, Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth, Neosho, Reno, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Sumner counties in Kansas and from the cities of Liberty and Kansas City, Missouri. Performances are April 5-7.

Study considers carbon emissions of AI writing, illustrations

LAWRENCE — A new study co-written by a University of Kansas professor of law has found that for the tasks of writing and illustrating, artificial intelligence systems emit hundreds of times less carbon than humans performing the same tasks. That does not mean, however, that AI can or should replace human writers and illustrators, the study’s authors wrote. Their research was published in the journal Nature.

Join the Institute for Policy & Social Research for doctoral research fellow presentations

LAWRENCE — The Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas will showcase research from the 2023-2024 IPSR Doctoral Research Fellows on April 5 at a public reception. Topics include “Municipal Tax Sale: Race, Profit, and Urban Renewal” and “Contemporary Fathering in Middle America.” Doctoral students share their work in five-minute presentations, followed by five-minute window for audience members to ask questions.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Lisa Coble-Krings, Department of Theatre & Dance, 785-864-5685, [email protected]

University Dance Company performance will feature Kansas City Aerial Arts

LAWRENCE — In the University Dance Company Spring Concert, students and choreographers examine the ideas of world-building, connection and suspense through the artform. The 2024 repertoire concert will feature ballet, contemporary, hip hop and jazz dance styles.

Special guest Kansas City Aerial Arts will have patrons on the edge of their seats with a high-flying hybrid aerial/dance work, choreographed and directed by Meghan Spencer. Faculty choreographers Maya Tillman-Rayton, Claire Buss and Ashley Brittingham will be featured, along with a piece by recent KU dance graduate Olivia Pennell. Additionally, the Jayhawk Tap Co will present two works. More than 50 students will perform, with many more assisting behind the scenes.

The concert is 7:30 p.m. April 5-6 and 2:30 p.m. April 7 at in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall. Tickets are available for purchase at the performance website or by calling 785-864-3982, or in person at the box office in Murphy Hall Additionally, the April 5 and 7 performances will be available via livestream.

“This concert is certainly a highlight of the spring term in the Department of Theatre & Dance and highly anticipated by our greater dance ‘family.’ We invite those who are new to attending live dance performances to check us out,” said Tillman-Rayton, University Dance Company Concert producer and KU lecturer. “This semester’s concert carries on our commitment to producing forward-thinking works and to providing pre-professional performance opportunities for Jayhawks.”

Kansas City Aerial Arts is an aerial arts education and entertainment company that nurtures a sense of empowerment and wonder through aerial arts since 2013. Its mission is to make the joy of the circus accessible to everyone. Spencer, KC Aerial Arts’ education director and performer, has created, choreographed and directed the piece “Life Like Water” for the UDC concert. The company’s participation is made possible in part by the Janet Hamburg Visiting Artist Fund.

About the choreographers

Brittingham is a full-time lecturer and interim co-director of dance in the Department. As a professional dancer, she has performed a wide variety of classical and contemporary principal roles by the world’s leading choreographers. For the past four years, she has set her original choreographic work for the University Dance Company.

Tillman-Rayton is in her seventh year teaching hip hop technique and second year as a full-time lecturer. She is interim co-director of dance for the department. Most recently, she directed and choreographed “Wonka’s Chocolate Factory,” a multi-genre dance production at the Lawrence Arts Center. She debuted her work, titled “Stingy Lulu’s Jumping Juke Joint,” at the 2023 KC Fringe Festival.

Buss is originally from Salt Lake City and graduated from KU with degrees in dance and physical education. She’s worked with Tristian Griffin Dance Company, House of Dragons and Liat Roth in City in Motions Modern Night. She has taught modern and hip hop at KU for a year.

Pennell is a Chicago-based dancer and choreographer. Currently, she is a trainee with Chicago Repertory Ballet and the administrative coordinator of Giordano Dance Chicago. In 2023, Pennell from KU with dual degrees in dance and communications.

Production team and performers

Professional design team members are Kelly Vogel, associate teaching professor and head of scenography, as scenic designer, and Ann Sitzman, technical coordinator and multi-term lecturer, as lighting designer. Josh Gilpin, an MFA student in scenography, is the costume designer. Professional freelancer and recent graduate Kalen Stockton is the guest stage manager. Her participation in the UDC Spring Concert is made possible in part by the John M. and Frances R.B. Peterson Visiting Artist Fund.

Kansas and Missouri performers are listed below; the complete list of performers is available online.

Kansas students

Allen County

Jaydn Kaufman, sophomore in business from Iola.

Douglas County

Cassidy Dunn, sophomore in pre-nursing from Lawrence; Madi Seelye, sophomore in dance from Lawrence; Elizabeth Wellman, sophomore in dance from Lawrence.

Harvey County

Anna Shelton, junior in dance from Hesston.

Johnson County

McKenna Bizal, junior in psychology and dance from Overland Park; Olivia Dondzila, freshman in strategic communications from De Soto; Grace Epperly, junior in biology from Olathe; Cooper Holmes, sophomore in theatre performance from Overland Park; Brooke Howard, senior in English from Overland Park; Lucie Lane, junior in education from Overland Park; Mahika Meesa, sophomore in political science from Overland Park; Audrey Merckling, junior in film & media studies from Lenexa; Paul Ruf, sophomore in biochemistry from Overland Park.

Leavenworth County

Mallory Price, sophomore in dance and journalism from Leavenworth.

Neosho County

Mia Godinez, junior in journalism from Chanute.

Reno County

Emily Shaw, freshman in architecture from Hutchinson; Molly Shaw, senior in journalism from Hutchinson.

Sedgwick County

Morgan Blanton, junior in dance from Wichita; Sofia Dunkelberger, freshman in dance from Wichita; Jazmyne Le, junior in strategic communications from Wichita; Sarah Perez, freshman in psychology from Wichita; Katie Seminoff, junior in biology from Wichita; Nikolette Treadwell, junior in dance from Wichita.

Shawnee County

Abby Boyd, freshman in dance and psychology from Topeka; Sophia Harrison, sophomore in dance from Topeka; Quinn Stahly, freshman from Topeka.

Sumner County

Hope Casner, senior in dance and exercise science from Argonia.

Missouri students

Storm Alicie, junior in applied behavioral science from Liberty, Missouri; Alexandria Demps, junior in dance from Kansas City, Missouri.

The University Dance Company concerts are funded in part by KU Student Senate. The University Dance Company is a production wing of the University of Kansas’ Department of Theatre & Dance.

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Follow @KUnews for KU News Service stories, discoveries and experts.

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Contact: Mike Krings, KU News Service, 785-864-8860, [email protected], @MikeKrings

Study considers carbon emissions of AI writing, illustrations

LAWRENCE — With the evolution of artificial intelligence comes discussion of the technology’s environmental impact. A new study has found that for the tasks of writing and illustrating, AI emits hundreds of times less carbon than humans performing the same tasks. That does not mean, however, that AI can or should replace human writers and illustrators, the study’s authors argue.

Andrew Torrance, Paul E. Wilson Distinguished Professor of Law at KU, is co-author of a study that compared established systems such as ChatGPT, Bloom AI, DALL-E2 and others completing writing and illustrating to that of humans.

Like cryptocurrency, AI has been subject to debate about the amount of energy it uses and its contributions to climate change. Human emissions and environmental impact have long been studied, but comparisons between the two have been scant. The authors conducted a comparison and found that AI systems emit between 130 and 1,500 times less CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per page of text generated than human writers and illustration systems between 310 and 2,900 times less CO2e per image than humans.

“I like to think of myself as driven by data, not just what I feel is true. We’ve had discussions about something that appears to be true in terms of AI emissions, but we wanted to look at the data and see if it truly is more efficient,” Torrance said. “When we did it, the results were kind of astonishing. Even by conservative estimates, AI is extremely less wasteful.”

The study, co-written with Bill Tomlinson, Rebecca Black and Donald Patterson of the University of California-Irvine, was published in the journal Nature.

To calculate the carbon footprint of a person writing, the researchers consulted the Energy Budget, a measure that considers the amount of energy used in certain tasks for a set period of time. For example, it is well established how much energy a computer with word processing software uses per hour. When multiplied by the average time it takes a person to write a page of text, on average, 250 words, an estimate can be arrived at. Using the same amount of energy used by the CPUs that operate AI such as ChatGPT, which can produce text much faster, produces an estimate for AI.

Researchers also considered per capita emissions of individuals in the United States and India. Residents of the former have approximate annual emissions of 15 metric tons CO2e per year, while the latter is an average of 1.9 metric tons. The two nations were chosen as they have the highest and lowest respective per capita environmental impact of countries with population higher than 300 million, and to provide a look at different levels of emissions in different parts of the world in comparison to AI.

Results showed that Bloom is 1,400 times less impactful than a U.S. resident writing a page of text and 180 times less impactful than a resident of India.

In terms of illustration, results showed that DALL-E2 emits approximately 2,500 times less CO2e than a human artist and 310 times less than an India-based artist. Figures for Midjourney were 2,900 times less for the former and 370 times less for the latter.

As technologies improve and societies evolve, those figures are almost certain to change as well, Torrance said.

The authors wrote that carbon emissions are only one factor to consider when comparing AI production to human output. As the technologies exist now, they are often not capable of producing the quality of writing or art that a human can. As they improve, they hold the potential to both eliminate existing jobs and create new ones. Loss of employment has potential for substantial economic, societal and other forms of destabilization. For those and other reasons, the authors wrote, the best path forward is likely a collaboration between AI and human efforts, or a system in which people can use AI to be more efficient in their work and retain control of final products.

Legal issues such as the use of copyrighted material in training sets for AI must be considered, the authors wrote, as does the potential for an increase in artificially produced material to result in an increase in the energy it uses and resulting emissions. Collaboration between the two is the most beneficial use of both AI and human labor, the authors wrote.

“We don’t say AI is inherently good or that it is empirically better, just that when we looked at it in these instances, it was less energy consumptive,” Torrance said.

The research was conducted to improve understanding of AI and its environmental impact and to address the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals of ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns and taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, the researchers wrote.

For their part, the authors have begun to use AI as an aid in producing drafts for some of their writing, but they also agree on the necessity of carefully editing, and adding to, such drafts manually.

“This is not a curse, it’s a boon,” Torrance said of AI. “I think this will help make good writers great, mediocre writers good and democratize writing. It can make people more productive and can be an empowerment of human potential. I’m hugely optimistic that technology is getting better in most respects and lightening the effects we have on the Earth. We hope this is just the beginning and that people continue to dig into this issue further.”

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Don’t miss new episodes of “When Experts Attack!,”

a KU News Service podcast hosted by Kansas Public Radio.

https://kansaspublicradio.org/podcast/when-experts-attack

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Contact: Carrie Caine, Institute for Policy & Social Research, 785-864-9102, [email protected]

Join the Institute for Policy & Social Research for doctoral research fellow presentations

LAWRENCE — The Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas will showcase the research efforts of the 2023-2024 IPSR Doctoral Research Fellows this week at a public reception.

The interdisciplinary cohort of scholars will each give a five-minute overview of their research, followed by a five-minute period for audience members to ask questions. The event will take place 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 5 at the Burge Union (Forum C). Registration is requested by email.

This year’s program will include:

“Local Transformative Capacity and Policy Innovation,” by Mohsen Fatemi, public affairs & administration; adviser: Rachel Krause, professor of public affairs & administration.
“Theorizing Sanctions in Networked Counterpublics. A Study of #StopAsianHate,” by Tatsuya Suzuki, communication studies; adviser: Alcides Velasquez, assistant professor of communication studies.
“Municipal Tax Sale: Race, Profit, and Urban Renewal,” by Noelle Broughton, public affairs & administration; adviser: Dorothy Daley, professor of public affairs & administration.
“How Do Children Self-locate Themselves in the Social Hierarchy? Educationally Homogamous Parents, Working Mothers, and Children’s Subjective Social Status,” by Heeyoun Shin, sociology; adviser: ChangHwan Kim, professor of sociology.
“The Effects of Parental Migration on the Well-Being of Children Left Behind in Zimbabwe,” by Christabel Tsoto, geography & atmospheric science; adviser: Jay T. Johnson, University Distinguished Professor, geography & atmospheric science.
“Perpetuating Neoliberal Pathologies: What Teacher Candidates Believe Students with Disabilities Should Learn,” by Marie Wagner, special education; advisers: Wayne Sailor, senior scientist, special education, and Elizabeth Kozleski, adjunct, special education.
“Smart Home’s Meaning in Later Life: How Older Adults Make Meaning of Smart Home Technology in their Lives,” by Derek Wilson, sociology; advisers: Brian Donovan, professor of sociology, and Sarah Jen, assistant professor of social welfare.
“Investigating Reinforcing Spirals in Incidental Exposure to Political News and News Engagement on Social Media Applications,” by Sreerupa Sanyal, communication studies; adviser: Ashley Muddiman, associate professor of communication studies.
“Refining Hazard Mitigation Planning: Assessing Government Outsourcing’s Influence on Local Plan Quality,” by Yiwen Wu, public affairs & administration; adviser: Ward Lyles, associate professor of public affairs & administration.
“COVID-19 Transmission Paths and Treatment-Seeking Behavior among Slum Residents in Kolkata, India,” by Senjuti Mallik, geography & atmospheric science; adviser: Barney Warf, professor of geography & atmospheric science.
“Contemporary Fathering in Middle America,” by Jennifer Babitzke, sociology; adviser: Tracey LaPierre, associate professor of sociology and gerontology.

Throughout the academic year, the fellows meet to share research and develop professional skills. Students interested in participating in the program in future years are encouraged to attend and talk with the graduating fellows program cohort. Applications for the 2024-2025 academic year begin with a letter of nomination due April 26. To submit a letter of nomination, please complete this online survey.

The IPSR Doctoral Research Fellows program is led by Jay T. Johnson, University Distinguished Professor and director of the Center for Indigenous Science, Research & Technology.

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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

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

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International Jayhawk Festival to celebrate KU’s global community

LAWRENCE — Celebrate and explore the diverse cultures and countries that make up the University of Kansas at the International Jayhawk Festival from 3 to 5 p.m. April 17 in the Burge Union. Representing cultures from around the world, the event includes information about KU’s 150-plus study abroad programs, table activities, games, crafts and performances, as well as free T-shirts, door prizes, international food and a fashion show. Students, staff, faculty and community members are encouraged to attend the free event.

Stories for All Festival to take place April 18-20 in downtown Lawrence

LAWRENCE — Funded by a three-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Stories for All Digital Storytelling Project, based out of the Hall Center for the Humanities at the University of Kansas, will host a festival with the theme “Sharing Community Stories in a Digital World.” Events will take place April 18-20 in downtown Lawrence.

Spooky Cold War broadcasts inspire new poetry collection

LAWRENCE – Joe Harrington’s new poetry collection is titled “Disapparitions” (Blaze/Vox, 2023), and he designed the cover, which riffs on the minimalist Beatles “White Album.” It seems appropriate for the slim yet weighty volume powered by misty, Cold War memories of spooks and spies, ghosts and divination mingling in the mind of a boy listening to global – perhaps even otherworldly — transmissions over a short-wave radio.

KU Law wins back-to-back national transactional law competitions

LAWRENCE – In March, two University of Kansas Law students traveled to Southfield, Michigan, to compete in the Wayne State Taft Transactional Law Competition. Jackie Jeschke and Alli Baden, third-year law students, went head-to-head against 21 other law school teams from around the country and came away victorious, bringing home both of the competition’s top prizes – best negotiation and best draft.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Christine Metz Howard, International Affairs, [email protected], @KUintlaffairs

International Jayhawk Festival to celebrate KU’s global community

LAWRENCE — Celebrate and explore the diverse cultures and countries that make up the University of Kansas at the International Jayhawk Festival from 3 to 5 p.m. April 17 in the Burge Union.

Representing cultures from around the world, the event includes information about KU’s 150-plus study abroad programs, table activities, games, crafts and performances, as well as free T-shirts, door prizes, international food and a fashion show. Students, staff, faculty and community members are encouraged to attend the free event.

In its eighth year, the International Jayhawk Festival celebrates KU’s diverse global community, the importance of global citizenship, the value of international education and the need for global awareness.

Close to 40 student groups, academic units and campus organizations will attend, offering intercultural activities, demonstrations and trivia. Sporting KC and the International Relations Council will also be at the event with activities.

Students can meet with study abroad advisers about international education opportunities around the world, discuss academic programs with area studies representatives and language departments, connect with foreign language clubs, explore international career opportunities and learn about international student organizations.

A highlight will be international performances, including those that represent Ukrainian, South Asian, Honduran, Peruvian, Turkish and Chinese cultures. The International Student Association will host an international fashion show displaying traditional dress from around the world.

The Pederson Grants for Global Engagement, funded by KU alumna Christine Pederson, will provide support for 10 student clubs and organization to represent their countries and cultures at the festival.

This year’s sponsors include the centers for East Asian Studies, Global & International Studies, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, and Russian, Eastern European & Eurasian Studies; Indigenous Studies Program; International Affairs; International Support Services; Kansas African Studies Center; KU Alumni Association, KU Libraries; Middle East Studies; Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging; Office of Multicultural Affairs; Open Language Resource Center; Pederson Grant, Spencer Museum of Art; Student Union Activities; Study Abroad & Global Engagement; and University Career Center.

Additional support comes from community sponsors Central Bank, International Relations Council, Jayhawk Community Partners and Pepsi.

More information about the 2024 International Jayhawk Festival can be found on the International Affairs website.

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The official university account for X (formerly Twitter) is @UnivOfKansas.

Follow @KUnews for KU News Service stories, discoveries and experts.

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Contact: Giselle Anatol, Hall Center for the Humanities, 785-864-4798, [email protected]

Stories for All Festival to take place April 18-20 in downtown Lawrence

LAWRENCE — Funded by a three-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Stories for All Digital Storytelling Project, based out of the Hall Center for the Humanities at the University of Kansas, will host a festival with the theme “Sharing Community Stories in a Digital World.” Events will take place April 18-20 in downtown Lawrence.

The Stories for All Festival will kick off with a keynote panel, including Kelly Baker Josephs, editor of The Digital Black Atlantic (2021); Natchee Blu Barnd, author of “Native Space: Geographic Strategies to Unsettle Settler Colonialism” (2017); Eric Gonzaba, project director of Mapping the Gay Guides and Wearing Gay History; and Alex Ketchum, director of the Just Feminist Tech + Scholarship Lab, discussing the ethics and practice of digitally based social justice storytelling. The panel will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 18 at the Carnegie Library Building, 200 W. Ninth St.

On April 19, the festival will continue at the Lawrence Public Library with interactive presentations from Stories for All project partners; a funders’ forum, highlighting insights from both national and regional funders of digital storytelling projects; and a digital exhibition of Stories for All projects. That evening, there will be a screening of Stories for All film projects from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Ready for Good, 708 Connecticut St.

The festival will conclude April 20 at the Carnegie Library Building with additional presentations by Stories for All project partners and a closing reception.

Events are free and open to the public, though registration is requested.

“As this grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation comes to an end, we are excited to share all the incredible work our partners have been doing over the past three years with the Lawrence community,” said Giselle Anatol, principal investigator and director of the Hall Center for the Humanities. “I’m looking forward to an energizing exchange of ideas between scholars, artists, activists, nonprofit leaders and the public.”

Stories for All is a collaborative digital storytelling project that works with more than 40 community and KU partners to recover marginalized and suppressed histories and share them widely through digital media. Addressing the opportunities, challenges, ethics and politics of storytelling in the digital era, Stories for All asks how different stories and storytelling strategies can connect rather than divide us. Learn more about Stories for All at the project website.

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Contact: Rick Hellman, KU News Service, 785-864-8852, [email protected], @RickHellman

Spooky Cold War broadcasts inspire new poetry collection

LAWRENCE – Joe Harrington’s new poetry collection is titled “Disapparitions” (Blaze/Vox, 2023), and he designed the cover, which riffs on the minimalist Beatles “White Album.”

It seems appropriate for the slim yet weighty volume powered by misty, Cold War memories of spooks and spies, ghosts and divination mingling in the mind of a boy listening to global – perhaps even otherworldly — transmissions over a short-wave radio.

The University of Kansas professor of English said his third collection could be called “investigative” or “documentary” poetry. There is a section of “Sources” notes at the back, citing works by such writers as William Burroughs, Ralph Ellison and Jean Cocteau, fringe figures like Konstantin Raudive and Akin O. Fernandez, as well as recent news stories.

The poems include ruminations over such strange sounds as the droning “numbers stations” whose broadcasts were received in the home of a young boy in suburban Memphis around the time Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt but that they were encrypted messages to espionage agents in the field, perhaps in England or Romania or who knows where,” Harrington said. “They were intended for one person with a key code to decipher them, but they were broadcast to the world, including my home in Memphis.”

Historical figures like Nikola Tesla, Patrice Lumumba and George Wallace are cited.

But some of the poems seem torn from today’s headlines with allusions to such haunted characters as the conspiracy-bedeviled “Targeted Individuals” and the neo-Nazi Patriot Front.

“Whether it’s the Proud Boys or the Oath Keepers or what have you, part of what spawned this project was this feeling of a spiritual insubstantiality among Americans,” Harrington said. “Somehow you can see right through us. We’re lightweights. And that’s a perfect example. On the one hand, they’re scary and dangerous. On the other hand, it’s really hard to take them seriously.”

One of the poems delves into the etymology of the word “truth” itself.

“Whoever you’re loyal to speaks truth … We only believe the ones we believe we can believe,” Harrington writes.

In another passage, the poet wrote, “Writing has always been a suicide note.”

“It came out of this idea of recorded communication, whether it’s written or an audio recording, online or whatever, as being something that really is immortal, in a way, because it lasts,” Harrington said. “It can be there beyond the person’s lifetime.

You’re still hearing the dead person’s voice. That’s probably the sense in which I meant that line — that it’s something that you’re leaving behind.”

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Don’t miss new episodes of “When Experts Attack!,”

a KU News Service podcast hosted by Kansas Public Radio.

https://kansaspublicradio.org/podcast/when-experts-attack

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Contact: Emma Herrman, School of Law, [email protected], @kulawschool

KU Law wins back-to-back national transactional law competitions

LAWRENCE – In March, two University of Kansas Law students traveled to Southfield, Michigan, to compete in the Wayne State Taft Transactional Law Competition. Jackie Jeschke and Alli Baden, third-year law students, went head-to-head against 21 other law school teams from around the country and came away victorious, bringing home both of the competition’s top prizes – best negotiation and best draft.

In preparation, Jeschke and Baden spent months drafting and revising an agreement and then competed in two live negotiations. They were coached by Anna Kimbrell, 2014 graduate, a partner at Husch Blackwell and leader of the firm’s national energy and natural resources practice.

“The opportunity to participate in a transactional law competition was a goal of mine since beginning law school,” Jeschke said. “The real-life experience of gathering deal information, drafting an agreement and negotiating with the other side further solidified that being a deal lawyer is the right career path for me.”

“We were honored and excited to win both Best Drafting Counsel and Best Negotiation Counsel for the buyer’s side,” Baden said. “Credit for our success goes to our coach, Anna Kimbrell, who provided us with valuable advice on how to approach drafting and how to effectively convey our deal points during the negotiations.”

This is the second consecutive national transactional competition victory for KU Law. In February, KU Law students traveled to California for the UCLA Transactional Law Competition, where they took home the competition’s top award, best overall for the second year in a row. KU Law was also well represented at Baylor University’s “The Closer” Transactional Law Competition in January by Abbey Brower, third-year student, who won three out of four negotiation matchups.

Student participation in these competitions is supported by the Polsinelli Transactional Law Center, a partnership between KU Law and Polsinelli, which also offers transactional law courses, symposia and other programming to arm students with the practical skills necessary for successful careers in transactional law.

“Polsinelli’s support in creating the Polsinelli Transactional Law Center enables students who are interested in transactional law an opportunity to travel to these competitions without worrying about travel expenses,” Jeschke said. “Instead, we can focus our attention on learning practical skills that will make us better attorneys.”

Learn more about the transactional law programs at KU Law.

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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

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

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KU Global Climate Teach-in returns with panel, film screening

LAWRENCE — For the third consecutive year, the University of Kansas will be a host site for the Global Climate Teach-in. This year, events will highlight the research and connections of several campus departments and centers and well as community beyond campus. Among the programs, the public panel “Climate Feminism and Inclusive Leadership around Climate Change” will take place at noon April 2. A screening of the film “Hot Times in the Heartland” will take place at 7 p.m. April 4 at Liberty Hall.

Audio-Reader, The Lied Center of Kansas partner for ‘Tetris’ to offer a unique dance experience with live audio description

LAWRENCE — On April 5, the Lied Center of Kansas will present a one-of-a-kind, acrobatic dance show for the whole family. Experience “Tetris,” featuring gravity-defying, physical combinations of movement. The show begins at 7 p.m. with a pre-show reception hosted by Audio-Reader at 6 p.m. in the Seymour Gallery. Throughout the performance, Audio-Reader also will be there every step of the way, helping patrons with visual and learning disabilities engage with the show through live audio description.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Emily Ryan, The Commons, 785-864-6293, [email protected], @TheCommonsKU

KU Global Climate Teach-in returns with panel, film screening

LAWRENCE — For the third consecutive year, the University of Kansas will be a host site for the Global Climate Teach-in. This year, events will highlight the research and connections of several campus departments and centers and well as community beyond campus.

Climate panel

Noon April 2

The Educate & Act Series will feature the topic of “Climate Feminism and Inclusive Leadership around Climate Change” with faculty, student and community panelists: Megan Kaminski, professor of English and environmental studies; artist Melissa Hilliard Potter; and post-baccalaureate research education program scholar Vic Secondine, citizen of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and president of the new Indigenous Stewardship Club.

The Educate & Act series is supported by The Commons, the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity and the Center for Service Learning. Register online to attend the public event.

Zine Night

6 p.m. April 3

The Emily Taylor Center will host its Zine Night series in conjunction with the Climate Teach-in, centering the topic “Destroy the Patriarchy, Not the Planet.” During this session, participants are encouraged to create a 5.5-by-8.5-inch page exploring the relationship between environmental justice and feminism for inclusion in a comp zine. Free pizza will be served at this public event in the Burge Union, Forum B.

Film screening

7 p.m. April 4

Prairie Hollow Productions will screen its new film, “Hot Times in the Heartland,” at Liberty Hall. The two-hour documentary features leading regional voices in the realm of climate change adaptation. The program has been produced by Dave Kendall, former host of “Sunflower Journeys,” along with Rex Buchanan, director emeritus of the Kansas Geological Survey, and Laura Mead, a local multimedia artist. The film includes Leigh Stearns, professor of geology, and Ward Lyles, associate professor of urban planning. Tickets are free but required for the public event; reserve them online.

Red Hot Research

4 p.m. April 5

A Red Hot Research event will feature five KU scholars whose work relates to the broad unifying theme of “Community, Habitat, Resilience.” This event is open to KU faculty, staff and graduate students. It will take place in Watson Library, 3 West.

Additional programming

Weekend programs include a Lawrence Community Fruit Tree Planting and Community Choir from noon to 3 p.m. April 6 at the Lawrence Public Library with Skyler Adamson and Hazlett Henderson. Their project is supported by a Rocket Grants project award, a program of the Charlotte Street Foundation and Spencer Museum of Art. Funding support is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. This event is open to all.

Students in the Environmental Studies Capstone class EVRN615 will offer a seed bomb making workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. April 7 at the Sunrise Project, 1501 Learnard Ave. This event is open to all and will include snacks.

For accessibility requests or further information, please contact Emily Ryan by email.

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The official university account for X (formerly Twitter) is @UnivOfKansas.

Follow @KUnews for KU News Service stories, discoveries and experts.

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Contact: Martha Kehr, Audio-Reader, 785-864-2900, [email protected]

Audio-Reader, The Lied Center of Kansas partner for ‘Tetris’ to offer a unique dance experience with live audio description

LAWRENCE — On April 5, the Lied Center of Kansas will present a one-of-a-kind, acrobatic dance show for the whole family. Experience “Tetris,” featuring gravity-defying, physical combinations of movement. The show begins at 7 p.m. with a pre-show reception hosted by Audio-Reader at 6 p.m. in the Seymour Gallery, where patrons can learn more about audio description, handle tactile “Tetris”-themed toys and enjoy light snacks before the main event.

In a time when social connection and the need to feel accepted is so important, especially for children and teens, “Tetris” features relatable themes including staying true to ourselves as we seek to fit in with groups. Inspired by the addictive puzzle game and the twists and turns of a Rubik’s Cube, “Tetris” has performers fitting, merging, stacking and combining in various feats, and Audio-Reader, based at the University of Kansas, will be there every step of the way helping patrons with visual and learning disabilities engage with the show through live audio description.

According to director and choreographer Erik Kaiel, “none of the more than 1,000 performances of “Tetris” have been exactly alike.” During “Tetris,” performers ask the audience for assistance, and that can alter the interactions and additions to the show.

“This type of unique dance experience is a great way to learn more about audio description because the trained describer has no script to read from or exact expectations for what will happen during the show,” said Nick Carswell, program director for Audio-Reader.

People who might benefit from audio description will be given a special headset and headphones tuned to the describer’s closed network, according to Carswell. The describer will read the program, describe the stage and costumes, and set the scene before the show. Then, throughout the show, they will add context and information between the performers’ lines.

“Tetris” is performed by the production company Arch8. According to its website, the company has performed around the world, including sites such as St. Petersburg, Cairo, New York, San Francisco, Vancouver and throughout Europe.

Audio-Reader fosters independence by providing access to information and the arts for people who have difficulty reading standard print due to vision loss, physical or learning disability, mobility challenges, and age. Audio description is one of the many ways they share the gift of sight through sound. Learn more about supporting Audio-Reader’s mission, find details about their upcoming Audio Equipment Drive or contact Audio-Reader’s development team by email.

Tickets are available through the Lied Center’s Box Office or call 785-864-2787.

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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

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

Headlines

KU research growth fuels Kansas economy, improves lives

LAWRENCE — Research is on the rise at the University of Kansas, and the reverberations of that growth are benefiting people across the Sunflower State and beyond. Research expenditures spanning all KU campuses increased to $368.6 million in 2023, capping nearly a decade of steady expansion. Last year alone, externally funded research at KU supported the salaries of 4,372 people, and the university spent $78.9 million in 97 Kansas counties on research-related goods and services, according to a report from the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science.

KC pianist Eddie Moore pursues a pure vision with new solo live recording

LAWRENCE — Eddie Moore’s new album, “Aperture,” comprises just six songs and 16 minutes of solo piano. But it’s based on a lifetime of listening to and performing in all genres of music — not just the “jazz” that follows his title as a lecturer in the University of Kansas School of Music and for which he has become well known in the Kansas City area.

KU law school 1st in nation for 100% ultimate bar exam pass rate

LAWRENCE – All University of Kansas School of Law graduates in calendar year 2021 passed the bar exam within two years of graduation, according to the American Bar Association. The accrediting body recently released a compilation report of its findings. Among 195 ABA-approved law schools, KU posted the highest rate for ultimate pass rate nationally.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Mindie Paget, Office of Research, 785-864-0013, [email protected], @ResearchAtKU

KU research growth fuels Kansas economy, improves lives

LAWRENCE — Research is on the rise at the University of Kansas, and the reverberations of that growth are benefiting people across the Sunflower State and beyond.

Research expenditures spanning all KU campuses increased to $368.6 million in 2023, capping nearly a decade of steady expansion. Last year alone, externally funded research at KU supported the salaries of 4,372 people, and the university spent $78.9 million in 97 Kansas counties on research-related goods and services, according to a report from the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science. Vendors in 19 of those counties received more than $100,000 in purchases.

“KU research is solving big problems facing Kansans and their communities while simultaneously serving as a vital economic engine for the state,” said Belinda Sturm, interim vice chancellor for research on KU’s Lawrence campus. “Our researchers are driven by opportunities to improve human health and well-being, sustain life on our planet, enhance safety and security, and so much more. In the process, they are also educating tomorrow’s workforce, creating jobs, attracting businesses and external funding, and investing in the prosperity of Kansans.”

Among research funded during fiscal year 2023 were projects to better understand risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, sustain Kansas water resources, develop community-based models for child abuse prevention, explore the physiological mechanisms at work in opioid addiction, evaluate the long-term health of Kansas reservoirs, transform plant material into next-generation batteries to provide cleaner energy, bolster housing to withstand natural disasters, improve decision-making to prevent substance misuse among adolescents, analyze education requirements for jobs over the next decade and more.

Research expenditures are funds spent to conduct research. A majority of KU’s research — nearly 70% in 2023 — is supported by federal agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. KU researchers win grant dollars from these agencies through competitions designed to identify the most innovative ideas for addressing societal challenges. Other sources of KU research funding include state and local governments, private businesses and nonprofit foundations.

Advancing health, economic impact

Additional IRIS reporting shows that KU contributed $1.2 billion to the U.S. economy between 2011 and 2022, with spending from external research funding flowing to more than 7,200 vendors and subcontractors over that time. Of the 60% of KU’s spending that could be matched with specific vendors and contractors, more than 900 were small businesses. Some 650 vendors were minority- or women-owned businesses, which attracted more than $32 million in research spending from KU.

The IRIS reports encompass research spending across all KU campuses. That includes the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas, where research ultimately contributes to life-changing medical advances.

“Research is continuing to grow at KU Medical Center across the board,” said Dr. Matthias Salathe, vice chancellor for research at the medical center. “Whether in basic science, clinical or community research, our scientists and researchers are exploring ways to improve health outcomes for the benefit of people in Kansas and beyond.”

Several large research grants have been awarded to the medical center in the past few years. In July 2022, the NIH awarded $27 million to support the Frontiers Clinical & Translational Science Institute, and the National Cancer Institute awarded the KU Cancer Center $13.8 million and designated it a “comprehensive” cancer center, its highest level of recognition. In October 2022, a $12 million grant from the NIH’s Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program was used to create the new Kansas Center for Metabolism & Obesity Research.

KU’s research-related economic impact extends beyond the data captured in IRIS reporting. For example, 49 active startup companies have spun out of KU or are based on KU technologies, and more than half of those companies are located in Kansas. Through the university’s relationship with the KU Innovation Park, KU researchers help attract businesses to Lawrence, Kansas City and the surrounding area — companies like Archer Daniels Midland and Garmin — that want to be close to KU researchers and students. The park system, which extends to the medical center campus, includes 71 companies and accounts for 680 private sector jobs and $45.1 million in annual direct payroll.

Influencing rankings, AAU membership

KU’s substantial research activity has helped sustain its membership in the Association of American Universities since 1909, and the university’s annual research expenditures affect its standing in the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education & Research Development Survey. KU ranked 48th among public universities for research and development expenditures in the latest HERD survey, which is based on fiscal year 2022 data. The university also claimed the third overall spot in federally financed R&D expenditures in non-science and engineering fields for the second year in a row.

KU ranks 23rd nationally for federally funded social and behavioral sciences, according to the Consortium of Social Science Associations. The association formulates its college and university rankings by combining HERD survey expenditures for social sciences, psychology, law, communications and social work.

Other prominent KU rankings in the HERD survey:

No. 9: overall R&D expenditures in non-science and engineering fields.
No. 35: federally financed R&D expenditures by agencies other than the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Health & Human Services, NASA, National Science Foundation and Department of Agriculture.
No. 38: federally financed R&D expenditures in psychology.
No. 74: overall R&D expenditures among all universities.
No. 80: federally financed R&D expenditures among all universities.

The HERD survey collects information on research and development expenditures by field of research and source of funds among all U.S. colleges and universities that expend at least $150,000 on R&D. The survey included 900 public and private institutions.

IRIS is a national consortium of research universities organized around an IRB-approved data repository, housed at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. IRIS reports are based on administrative data that KU supplies to IRIS, which are then merged with other public and private datasets.

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Follow @KUnews for KU News Service stories, discoveries and experts.

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Contact: Rick Hellman, KU News Service, 785-864-8852, [email protected], @RickHellman

KC pianist Eddie Moore pursues a pure vision with new solo live recording

LAWRENCE — Eddie Moore’s new album, “Aperture,” comprises just six songs and 16 minutes of solo piano. But it’s based on a lifetime of listening to and performing in all genres of music — not just the “jazz” that follows his title as a lecturer in the University of Kansas School of Music and for which he has become well known in the Kansas City area.

“I play everything,” Moore said. “To me, jazz isn’t one style. It’s not actually a style at all. So I play everything — traditional, all of it.”

Moore grew up in Houston with parents who sang rhythm and blues and gospel music. He moved to this area a decade ago to earn a master’s degree in the jazz program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, then run by saxophone great Bobby Watson.

“I knew I was missing some things,” Moore said. “I came here to get the full scope. So while I’m super modern, you can relate to the music because you hear elements of the older jazz that you like, because I’m a student of that. And that gets back to why I practice every day. I listen to older music and transcribe it so I can bring that classic language to my modern world; so it’s grounded.”

Moore has made six albums and several singles of forward-thinking jazz with his own group, the Outer Circle. His previous solo record, “Intuition” (2022), features Moore mainly playing electric keyboard in funky collaborations with rappers Kemet Coleman and Dom Chronicles, among others. He has played with the Marcus Lewis Big Band and several other ensembles.

“There are so many aspects to music, and I sit in many different real estates,” Moore said.

Being ready to jump in any direction is one of the reasons Moore dedicates himself to the craft of music.

“If you want to be a good writer or a good conversationalist, you read and write all the time, so you’re always growing your vocabulary. For me, it’s very similar,” Moore said. “If jazz improvisation is actually a language, then I’m always trying to learn new vocabulary words to be able to tell a deeper, better story, especially over different styles of music.”

The goal is to make it look easy, Moore said.

The new solo recording is a whole different vibe stemming from – and recorded at – Moore’s steady biweekly gig at the high-style Corvino Supper Club in Kansas City, Missouri. Moore said he likes to stretch out there, not breaking between songs but rather setting a mood.

“When I sit down to record this record, I was thinking about my stories, and how I wanted it to sonically sound – the overall experience of the piano,” Moore said. “I wanted the listener to be sitting where I’m sitting, which is why you hear the environment. It’s clearly not a studio record. So you hear me moving on the seat. … I’m a human being in a live environment, sitting on things that make noises. We’re so used to hearing these perfect, sterile records. That’s why I chose to do it live.”

Moore said he modified the baby grand at Corvino to “sound darker,” a la German composer-pianist Nils Frahm.

“I think this record is unique because it’s my full vision,” Moore said. “I recorded it and engineered it with my friend Jaylen Ward. We experimented with different mic techniques. And then I’m the one who mixed it. So these are the ideas I wanted to capture on solo piano, and how I wanted to have it sound.”

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Don’t miss new episodes of “When Experts Attack!,”

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https://kansaspublicradio.org/podcast/when-experts-attack

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Contact: Julie Francisco, School of Law, 785-864-9205, [email protected], @kulawschool

KU law school 1st in nation for 100% ultimate bar exam pass rate

LAWRENCE – All University of Kansas School of Law graduates in calendar year 2021 passed the bar exam within two years of graduation, according to the American Bar Association. The accrediting body recently released a compilation report of its findings. Among 195 ABA-approved law schools, KU posted the highest rate for ultimate pass rate nationally.

The ultimate bar passage rate for law schools is a measurement of a graduating class’s bar exam success over a two-year period. Graduates have four chances to take the exam during that two-year period. While passing the bar on the first try is optimal, passing eventually is critical since the ABA maintains an accreditation standard that at least 75% of a law school’s test-taking graduates must pass a bar exam within two years of earning a diploma.

In addition, nearly 92% of KU Law graduates who took a bar exam for the first time during the 2023 calendar year passed. This achievement places KU Law 26th in the nation for first-time bar pass rate.

“Because KU’s first-time pass rate is so high, it only makes sense that our ultimate pass rate is also high,” said Dean Stephen Mazza. “But the fact that our students achieved a 100% ultimate rate is extraordinary and speaks to their grit and determination.”

KU Law graduates who took the Kansas and Missouri bar exams for the first time in 2023 passed at rates well above the state averages. In Missouri, 100% of KU test-takers passed the bar on their first attempt. That showing outpaces by 15.7% the Missouri average of 84.3%. KU graduates taking the Kansas bar exam for the first time in 2023 achieved a 90.5% pass rate, placing the school 13.3% above the Kansas average of 77.2%.

KU Law’s bar passage rates have improved dramatically since the school implemented its Free Bar Prep Program in 2018. The program offers all students a postgraduation Themis Bar Review course that includes a simulated bar exam and a Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination preparation course. The bar prep program also includes a first-year diagnostic exam that tests students’ understanding of core concepts, a bar exam preparation course for credit during the spring of their third year and assistance from the law school’s director of bar preparation when studying for the bar. KU Law graduates who took the bar exam in 2021 were in the first class to participate in all three years of the Free Bar Prep Program.

Alumni gifts support the Free Bar Prep Program, making it possible for KU Law to be one of a few law schools nationally to offer a commercial, postgraduation bar review course at no cost to students.

“While other law schools may offer similar programs, they build the cost for the prep program into tuition,” Mazza said. “At KU, alumni giving helps graduates clear the final hurdle to becoming a lawyer without the financial pressure of paying for a commercial bar review course.”

With an institutional focus on removing obstacles to ensure that a legal education and career is attainable for all students, KU Law has been consistently recognized as a “Best Value Law School” by National Jurist magazine. Currently, KU Law is ranked the No. 4 Best Value Law School in the nation.

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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

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

Headlines

After 10 years of bringing worldwide attention to sexual assault, ‘What Were You Wearing?’ art installation returns to KU in April

LAWRENCE — For a decade, the “What Were You Wearing?” survivor art installation has brought attention to sexual violence and given a voice to survivors. The exhibition, which first opened at the University of Arkansas, returns to the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence from April 2 to 18 during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Co-creator Jen Brockman — who has led KU’s Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center since 2016 — is available to speak with media at the opening public reception from 4 to 6 p.m. April 4 in the Kansas Union Gallery.

KU names new director to lead Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum

LAWRENCE — Nico Franz, Virginia M. Ullman Professor of Ecology and director of biocollections at Arizona State University, has been named the next leader of the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas. He will begin his role as the Krishtalka Director in mid-August, with a joint faculty appointment in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.

Jack Zhang named inaugural recipient of KUIA Advisory Board International Teaching Award

LAWRENCE — Recognized for innovation in incorporating international education in the classroom, Jack Zhang, assistant professor of political science, is the inaugural recipient of the KU International Affairs Advisory Board International Teaching Award. Zhang will give a lecture on his work during an award presentation and reception from 2:30 to 4 p.m. April 18 in the Kansas Union’s Big 12 Room. Zhang integrates teaching and research in his Trade War Lab, which seeks to understand the U.S.-China trade war and its effect on heartland communities through a data-driven, firm-centric approach. Students conduct research on policy-relevant topics by working in teams to map out global supply chains, survey business leaders, and collect data on tariff exclusions and congressional bills.

KU Law to honor three distinguished alumni

LAWRENCE – Three University of Kansas School of Law alumni will receive the law school’s highest honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award, next month. The award celebrates graduates for their professional achievements, contributions to the legal field, and service to their community and the university. U.S. District Judge Monti Belot, Jan Bowen Sheldon and Paul Yde will receive the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award at a private dinner on April 13 in Lawrence.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, KU News Service, 785-864-8858, [email protected], @ebpkansas

After 10 years of bringing worldwide attention to sexual assault, ‘What Were You Wearing?’ art installation returns to KU in April

LAWRENCE — For a decade, the “What Were You Wearing?” survivor art installation has brought attention to sexual violence and given a voice to survivors. The exhibit returns to the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence from April 2 to 18 during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

First exhibited at the University of Arkansas in April 2014, the project was conceived by leaders of that university’s sexual assault advocacy and resources center, Mary Wyandt-Hiebert and Jen Brockman.

Brockman — who has led KU’s Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center since 2016 — and her colleague were inspired by the Mary Simmerling poem “What I was Wearing.” The pair interviewed survivors about what they were wearing when they experienced sexual violence. Using donated thrift store items, they recreate the outfits and put them on display with survivors’ quotes. The outfits on display have included athletics uniforms and child-sized dresses like those survivors wore when they experienced the violence.

This framework has been used for installations by more than 300 organizations across six continents. Since 2018, many of the organizations have hosted the installation repeatedly in several locations and communities. KU’s installation next month will include touch screens with which visitors can see locations where the installation has been hosted.

Members of the media and the public are invited to an opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. April 4 in the Kansas Union Gallery, where Brockman will be available to speak with reporters.

In the 10 years since Brockman and Wyandt-Hiebert sowed the seeds for the installation, they are seeing the project “blooming.” Notably, in 2022 the “What Were You Wearing: Fashion Exhibit” by RISE was done in collaboration with the United Nations.

“To be the inspiration for so many different projects is really humbling,” Brockman said.

One of the decisions the creators are most proud of is keeping the installation as free, open-source material.

“No one should profit off the stories donated by survivors, and keeping the installation as open source allows for a community response to this shared issue,” Brockman said.

Over the past decade, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have added “depth and movement” to how the installation is experienced in a virtual space.

“It has allowed for access to the conversation to a much larger audience, with survivors around the world utilizing those platforms to answer the universal question “What were you wearing?” Brockman said.

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The official university account for X (formerly Twitter) is @UnivOfKansas.

Follow @KUnews for KU News Service stories, discoveries and experts.

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Contact: Mindie Paget, Office of Research, 785-864-0013, [email protected], @ResearchAtKU

KU names new director to lead Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum

LAWRENCE — Nico Franz, Virginia M. Ullman Professor of Ecology and director of biocollections at Arizona State University, has been named the next leader of the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas. He will begin his role as the Krishtalka Director in mid-August, with a joint faculty appointment in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.

“I am thrilled and honored to join the KU community as director of the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum, a global leader in biological collections-based research, student training and educational impact,” Franz said. “Societal engagement and understanding of biological diversity are fundamental for prosperous communities and for a sustainable planet. For 160 years, the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum has grown outstanding intellectual, collections and data resources. Those accomplishments and the values that drive them will enable us to invent the future of biodiversity science.”

The Biodiversity Institute is an internationally recognized center for research and graduate student education in evolutionary biology, systematics and biodiversity informatics, with curated collections of more than 10 million plant, animal and fossil specimens and 2 million cultural artifacts. It is one of 11 designated research centers that fall under the KU Office of Research.

“Dr. Franz has an impressive record of building collections infrastructure and interdisciplinary research teams,” said Belinda Sturm, interim vice chancellor for research. “He is passionate about making collections accessible and integrated with coursework, and I look forward to supporting the growth and impact of the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum under his leadership.”

Franz is an evolutionary biologist and insect systematist who has dedicated the past 18 years of his career to collections leadership at public universities. His research focuses on developing innovative, accessible biocollections infrastructure and biodiversity data science services, including AI- and logic-enabled tools to integrate evolving systematic knowledge. He is the principal investigator of the National Science Foundation-funded National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Biorepository and iDigBio Symbiota Support Hub, which sustains more than 1,800 collections and 90 million global occurrence records. At Arizona State, he serves as curator of insects and directs both the natural history collections and the Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center. He and his team also run an immersive Biocollections Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summer Scholars Program.

Franz earned a master’s in biology from the University of Costa Rica and a doctorate in systematic entomology from Cornell University.

“I am grateful to the search committee — led by Saralyn Reece Hardy and Chris Beard — for their time and effort in attracting an outstanding pool of candidates and successfully recruiting Dr. Franz to KU,” Sturm said. “I would also like to thank Jorge Soberón for his engaged leadership of the Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum as interim director while we worked to identify a permanent director. This role is critical to KU’s continuing excellence in researching the biological diversity of life on Earth and sharing that knowledge broadly.”

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Contact: Christine Metz Howard, International Affairs, [email protected], @KUintlaffairs

Jack Zhang named inaugural recipient of KUIA Advisory Board International Teaching Award

LAWRENCE — Recognized for innovation in incorporating international education in the classroom, Jack Zhang, assistant professor of political science, is the inaugural recipient of the KU International Affairs Advisory Board International Teaching Award.

Zhang will give a lecture on his work in international education during an award presentation and reception from 2:30 to 4 p.m. April 18 in the Kansas Union’s Big 12 Room.

The award honors KU faculty members who have provided outstanding and sustained leadership in international education through teaching, advocacy and mentorship. In particular, the selection committee was impressed with the international lens and experiential learning opportunities that Zhang has brought to his courses, along with his commitment to mentorship and research.

“In a short time, Jack Zhang has had a tremendous impact on the way we teach international material at KU, the way we bridge research and teaching, and the way we collaborate across disciplines when we do internationally engaged work,” wrote Melissa Birch, director of the Institute for International and Global Engagement, in a nomination letter.

Zhang, who earned his doctorate at the University of California San Diego, came to KU in 2019. An expert on U.S.-China relations and the role of business in international politics, Zhang is also the interim associate director of the Center for East Asian Studies. During his time at KU, he has taught introduction to international politics and foreign policy analysis and developed four Asia-related political science courses that are cross-listed with East Asian studies.

In his nomination letter, John James Kennedy, chair of the Department of Political Science, noted that Zhang teaches some of the most popular courses in the department.

Through grants and collaboration with faculty from other departments, Kennedy wrote that Zhang “has developed innovative ways to engage students in international relations and East Asian studies.”

Through grants from the centers for Teaching Excellence and East Asian Studies, Zhang has made international relations more relatable to students by building writing assignments around a U.S.-China trade war simulation or country risk analysis research project.

“Students seem to really engage in these opportunities to dive deeper into East Asia through role-playing, research and classroom activity,” wrote Akiko Takeyama, CEAS director and professor of women, gender & sexuality studies, in a nomination letter.

Zhang integrates teaching and research in his Trade War Lab, which seeks to understand the U.S.-China trade war and its effect on heartland communities through a bottom-up, data-driven, firm-centric approach. The lab allows undergraduate and graduate students to conduct collaborative research on policy-relevant topics by working in teams to map out global supply chains, survey business leaders, and collect data on tariff exclusions and congressional bills.

“Professor Zhang has created a unique experience for students teaching them to look beyond the headlines and how to evaluate the social and political implications of international policies,” Kennedy wrote.

Since its inception, the Trade War Lab has employed dozens of undergraduate students and five graduate students and is supported by more than $500,000 in internal and external grants. Ten of Zhang’s undergraduate research assistants have received Undergraduate Research Awards. Zhang has also co-written multiple papers with his graduate students.

Nominators also praised Zhang’s mentorship. Takeyama pointed to Zhang’s work with students from KU’s Emerging Scholars program, which supports low-income students’ transition into college by providing research opportunities in their first year. In 2023, Zhang received the Grant Goodman Undergraduate Mentor Award for his research mentorship.

He advises students in political science, global & international studies, economics and business who focus on East Asia in their theses or capstone projects.

“Many students in these disciplines are not necessarily trained to study East Asia or employ cross-cultural comparisons,” Takeyama wrote. “By working with Jack and receiving his advice, some students expand their geographic scope to include other parts of the world, namely East Asia.”

Zhang created the Trade War Lab speaker series, which has brought to KU more than 20 scholars from around the world in partnership with various campus co-sponsors such as IIGE, CEAS and the University Career Center. Along with the speaker series, Zhang has co-hosted the past three local China Town Hall events, which follow the national town halls organized by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. During his time at KU, Zhang has forged local partnerships with the International Relations Council, Dole Institute of Politics, World Trade Center of Kansas City and Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to promote global awareness.

International issues have also been a focus of Zhang’s research. He has published articles, book chapters and think tank reports on the U.S.-China Trade War. He is working on a book manuscript about the national security implications of economic interdependence with China.

Zhang’s scholarship has been recognized nationally. In 2023 he was one of 20 leading China specialists selected as a fellow for the Public Intellectuals Program through the National Committee on United States-China Relations. In 2021 Zhang was named a Wilson China Fellow through the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Asia Program, in conjunction with the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States. He has been interviewed by Bloomberg, CNBC, NPR, CGTN, Arirang TV, Strait Times and South China Morning Post as well as KU’s “When Experts Attack!” podcast.

“The combination of the timeliness of the research topic and the extent of Jack’s scholarly network has greatly enhanced KU’s visibility in the media and academia,” Birch wrote.

Financially supported by the KUIA Advisory Board, the international teaching award comes with a $1,000 stipend.

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Don’t miss new episodes of “When Experts Attack!,”

a KU News Service podcast hosted by Kansas Public Radio.

https://kansaspublicradio.org/podcast/when-experts-attack

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Contact: Emma Herrman, School of Law, [email protected], @kulawschool

KU Law to honor three distinguished alumni

LAWRENCE – Three University of Kansas School of Law alumni will receive the law school’s highest honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award, this year. The award celebrates graduates for their professional achievements, contributions to the legal field and service to their community and the university.

U.S. District Judge Monti Belot, Jan Bowen Sheldon and Paul Yde will receive the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award at a private dinner on April 13 in Lawrence.

Monti Belot

Monti Belot, L’68, was nominated to the District of Kansas by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. Belot took the oath later that year and became a U.S. district judge where he presided over many high-profile cases such as the first U.S. trial related to the Rwandan genocide. In 2008, upon reaching age and service requirements, Belot took senior status. Although a federal district judgeship is a lifetime paid appointment and service to the court is no longer required from a senior judge, Belot remained steadfastly dedicated to the bench and heard cases until 2015. Prior to joining the bench, he served as a JAG Corps officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, clerked for U.S. District Judge Wesley Brown and became an assistant U.S. attorney followed by several years in private practice.

Jan Bowen Sheldon

Jan Bowen Sheldon, Ph.D., L’77, was a professor at KU in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science from 1977 until her retirement in December 2020. She also served as a courtesy professor in the School of Law from 1981 until her retirement. She is currently a professor emerita. Sheldon taught in the areas of juvenile law, delinquency, truancy, behavior therapy, alternative dispute resolution and legal rights of dependent populations. She was inducted into the KU Women’s Hall of Fame and the Women in Behavior Analysis Hall of Fame and has received numerous awards for her teaching, advising and service including the Steeples Service to Kansas Award and the Kemper Teaching Fellow Award. Sheldon was a founding board member of Community Living Opportunities (now GoodLife Innovations), Full Citizenship and the Lawrence Partnership for Children and Youth. She developed the Family Enhancement in-home therapy program as well as the Douglas County Truancy Prevention and Diversion Program, which she co-redirected for more than 40 years. Sheldon was also the director of the Edna A. Hill Child Development Center at KU for more than 20 years. Her community honors include serving as a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International and receiving the Distinguished Contributions to Behavior Analysis Award from the Kansas Association for Behavior Analysis and the Jan B. Sheldon Award for Excellence in Advocacy, Mentorship and Meaningful Change from the Center for Supportive Communities.

Paul Yde

Paul Yde, L’85, M’85, was the head of the U.S. antitrust practice of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer from 2002 until his retirement in 2021. He defended hundreds of large mergers and acquisitions before the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice and various state attorneys general, including many of the largest and most complex transactions worldwide. Yde also defended dozens of clients in some of the most significant civil and criminal antitrust investigations at the FTC and DOJ. For this work, he received numerous professional honors, including being cited for more than 20 years as a leading U.S. antitrust lawyer by Chambers, Global Competition Review, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, New York Times Dealbook and other publications. He wrote numerous articles on antitrust law and economics in scholarly and trade publications and served as an editor of the Antitrust Law Journal and the ABA’s Antitrust magazine. Prior to private practice, Yde served in several positions in antitrust enforcement with the Ohio Attorney General and at the FTC, including advising two federal trade commissioners. After his retirement, Yde co-founded Hector Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on neuroscience innovation with an emphasis on developmental disabilities.

Previous Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are listed on the law school’s website.

The law school will also recognize James Woods Green Medallion honorees and members of the Dean’s Club. Named after the law school’s first dean, the medallion recognizes the school’s major financial supporters. This year’s honorees include:

Orval Baldwin II, L’80
Jane Finn, L’77
Timothy Glassco, L’02
Adam Godderz, L’01, and Meg Godderz
Theresa Leaming
William Moore, L’06
Jan Bowen Sheldon, L’77, and James Sherman
Lawrence Sheppard, L’66
Randall Snapp, L’85
Jean Wise, L’92.

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