Engineering Professor Wins University Research Rising Award

partners have conducted—is that students who don’t have afterschool transportation don’t have the same opportunities to get jobs or internships or other ways to improve themselves professionally,” said Lisa Koch, associate director for research, partnership and innovation at the KU Transportation Center. “That gap of being able to have opportunities to grow work skills really impacts them throughout their education and careers.” She added: “This is a very special grant.”

The grant was awarded through the federal government’s Civic Innovation Challenge, which funds researchbased projects that address community priorities and have the potential for long-term impact. The KU project was one of 17 nationwide to receive backing during the CIVIC Innovation Challenge and one of six on the mobility track.

Kondyli said she hoped the project results in work that improves the lives of Kansas City youths.

“These are folks that are really young, trying to explore opportunities and trying to learn more about what they’d like to be involved with in the future,” she said. “Breaking the accessibility barriers will help educate them further and grow their occupational identities.”

ENGINEERING PROFESSOR WINS UNIVERSITY RESEARCH RISING AWARD TO DESIGNED TO ADDRESS CRITICAL CHALLENGES FACING HUMANITY

by Mindie Paget

Perry Alexander, AT&T Foundation Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and director of the Institute for Information Sciences, is the leader of one of four major research initiatives the university selected for a Research Rising award in summer 2022.

Alexander’s team and the other three groups will each receive $3 million over five years to support projects that rose to the top of a strong pool of finalists after rigorous review by nationally and internationally recognized experts. The projects align with one or more of KU’s five strategic research areas and will help the university achieve national preeminence in several areas of inquiry.

“These exciting projects bring together University of Kansas researchers from across disciplines to address critical challenges facing humanity. The knowledge, ideas, approaches and solutions generated by these teams will benefit people in Kansas and beyond,” said Simon Atkinson, vice chancellor for research. “What’s more, these teams will be highly competitive for federal research funding, so we anticipate a steady influx of external dollars in the future that will outpace KU Endowment’s initial $12 million investment to help establish these initiatives at KU.”

ABOUT ALEXANDER’S PROJECT

Securing Our Worlds: Physical, Digital, Social

This project will form an interdisciplinary, multicenter organization focused on finding solutions to otherwise unsolved problems related to safe and secure physical, digital and social environments — ultimately creating more secure and resilient communities. The principal investigator is Perry Alexander, who will be joined by faculty colleagues in engineering, philosophy, history and journalism. The project aligns with two of KU’s strategic research areas: Safety & Security and Human Experience in the Digital Age.

Other projects awarded are titled Big Data for Drug Discovery, Growing KU’s Interdisciplinary Strengths in Genomics, and Advancing Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research at KU.

Alexander