KU Office of Faculty Affairs

06/22/2026

🌟 Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Becky Achen 🌟

At KU, Dr. Becky Achen helps students prepare for careers in entertainment, entrepreneurship, and the creator economy as director of the Professional Performance Program.

Beyond the classroom, she shares practical teaching strategies and resources with educators through her Prof Talk LinkedIn series and Prof Talk Pod on YouTube, covering topics like student engagement, AI in education, course design, and professional development.

Whether working with students or supporting fellow educators, Dr. Achen is passionate about helping others learn, grow, and succeed.

Join us in celebrating Becky and the impact she makes at KU and beyond! 💙❤️

🔗 Check out her YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/

KU Edwards Campus

06/18/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Steve Gurysh, associate professor of visual art, and recipient of the 2026-27 Keeler Family Intra-University Professorship!

💡 Gurysh’s work combines art and science. Through this professorship, he will expand his exploration of Mars Global Simulant (MGS), an engineered material that replicates the mineral profile of samples collected and analyzed by NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover.

🤝 His work will be in partnership with Benjamin Sikes, professor and senior scientist of ecology & evolutionary biology.

🔗 Read more:
https://facultyaffairs.ku.edu/news/article/keeler-professorship-fuels-ku-collaboration-on-mars-simulant-research

University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
University of Kansas Provost Office

06/01/2026

Welcome June! ☀️

🗺️Whether you are here or traveling, we still have ways for you to engage and learn! Some summer workshops take place here in Lawrence, but many are online - plug in where it's convenient for you!

🧩June 9-July 14 (Tuesdays): Faculty THRIVE
📚 June 17 & 24: Annual Evaluations Policy Alignment workshop
✨ June 18: Faculty How To at KU: Accessibility & Learning Series - Setting Up Your Canvas Course (New Faculty)
💡 June 25: Faculty How To at KU: Accessibility & Learning Series - Introduction to Accessibility and the Student Experience

🔎 Take a closer look at our June events: 📅
https://calendar.ku.edu/department/office_of_faculty_affairs/calendar and facultyaffairs.ku.edu/faculty-collaborative

05/29/2026

🏆Join us in celebrating Ward Thompson, professor of chemistry! Thompson was recently awarded a William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. 🎉

See photos from Thompson's prize patrol here and read more on his Kemper nomination at https://rockcha.lk/Kemper-2026.

University of Kansas Provost Office
University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
KU Department of Chemistry

05/28/2026

🏆Congratulations to Meggie Mapes, associate teaching professor of communication studies. She is one of this year's William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence recipients 🎉

Click through to see photos from Mapes' prize patrol and read more about why she was selected for this year’s Kemper Fellowship at https://rockcha.lk/Kemper-2026.

University of Kansas Provost Office
University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Communication Studies at the University of Kansas

05/28/2026

🏆Today we celebrate Chad Kraus, professor of architecture and one of this year's William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence recipients 🎉

See photos from his prize patrol, which took place during his studio course, and read more about why he was selected for this year’s Kemper Fellowship at https://rockcha.lk/Kemper-2026.

University of Kansas Provost Office
KU School of Architecture & Design

05/27/2026

🏆We are celebrating Angela Gist-Mackey, associate professor and associate chair of communication studies and one of this year's William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence recipients 🎉

Click through to see photos from Gist-Mackey's prize patrol and read more on why she was selected for this year’s Kemper Fellowship at https://rockcha.lk/Kemper-2026.

University of Kansas Provost Office
University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Communication Studies at the University of Kansas

05/27/2026

🏆It’s our favorite time of year! In April, the “prize patrol” surprised five very deserving KU educators to inform them that they are this year’s William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence awardees!

Our first Kemper recipient is Gerrit de Boer, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology 🎉

De Boer is also celebrating emeritus status, following his retirement this spring - congratulations!

Click through to see photos from his prize patrol and read more to hear why he was selected for this year’s Kemper Fellowship at https://rockcha.lk/Kemper-2026.

KU Biology
University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
University of Kansas Provost Office

05/26/2026

🧩There is still time to register for Faculty TRIVE, but it begins soon!

🕙Join us on Tuesdays from June 9-July 14, from 10:00am-12:00pm, to sustain your momentum on your summer projects in community with your peers!

Sessions are remote - join from anywhere!

Learn more at facultyaffairs.ku.edu/faculty-collaborative

05/22/2026

On May 4, KU American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows met to network and welcome three newly elected members. Chancellor Douglas A. Girod recognized the KU inductees: Chris Beard, Jianming Qiu and Michael Wolfe.

🔗 Read more at

On May 4, KU American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows met to network and welcome three newly elected members. Chancellor Douglas A. Girod recognized the KU inductees: Chris Beard, Jianming Qiu and Michael Wolfe.