KU Office of Faculty Affairs

🌟 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

🎉 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

🏆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

🏆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

🏆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

🏆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

🏆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

🧩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

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

KU scientists’ group gathers to welcome new fellows 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.