News
Wed, 12/10/2025
New space/time newsletter
Read the latest newsletter: reunions, student profiles, alumni updates, a possible new observatory, and more
Wed, 04/30/2025
Physics and Astronomy graduate student completes prestigious fellowship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Amrit Gautam, a KU graduate student in the physics doctoral program, was among just 62 doctoral students nationwide selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Fellowship. Gautam spent the fellowship conducting his thesis research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
Mon, 04/28/2025
Physics and Astronomy graduate student among new 2025-2029 Self Graduate Fellows
Twenty doctoral students have been selected to receive the University of Kansas’ prestigious Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship for the 2025-2026 academic year. This is the largest cohort in the program's history. The total value of the four-year doctoral fellowship exceeds $225,000.
Thu, 04/24/2025
Physics and Astronomy student among 3 from KU awarded prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Three University of Kansas students were recently named to the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The distinction provides three years of financial support with an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost of education allowance of $16,000 to the institution.
Tue, 04/22/2025
Astronomy professor Allison Kirkpatrick's research uncovers universe’s wild growth spurt
A new University of Kansas survey of distant galaxies using the James Webb Space Telescope reveals never-before-seen star formation and black hole growth at “cosmic noon,” a mysterious epoch 2-3 billion years after the Big Bang when galaxies like the Milky Way underwent an intense growth spurt.
Wed, 04/16/2025
52 KU-affiliated scientists recognized for Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Fifty-two physicists affiliated with the University of Kansas — both currently and formerly — are on the teams that recently were awarded the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their papers analyzing data from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. The prize recognizes outstanding research papers published between 2015-2024.
Tue, 04/08/2025
Physics and Astronomy graduate program among 48 KU graduate programs in top 50 among public schools
KU has 48 graduate programs in the top 50 among public universities — including 10 programs in the top 10 — in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.
Mon, 03/24/2025
Physics and Astronomy Department REU Program Renewed for 3 Years
The Physics and Astronomy Department REU, a summer program supporting undergraduate research for 10 students from around the country each summer, was awarded a $460,000, 3-year renewal from the National Science Foundation.
Mon, 02/03/2025
Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Chosen for Prestigious Summer Research Program
Abishai Mathai, an undergraduate in the Physics and Astronomy department, was accepted to the Global Quantum Leap International Research Training Experience Program at the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan for summer 2025.
Thu, 01/23/2025
KU senior receives Courtwright Award for Undergraduate Research Excellence
A University of Kansas student who is researching the theory that active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can significantly influence galaxy morphology is the recipient of the summer/fall 2024 Courtwright Award for Undergraduate Research Excellence through KU’s Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships.
Mon, 11/18/2024
New idea may crack enigma of the Crab Nebula’s ‘zebra’ pattern
A theoretical astrophysicist from the University of Kansas may have solved a nearly two-decade-old mystery over the origins of an unusual "zebra" pattern seen in high-frequency radio pulses from the Crab Nebula.
Wed, 10/23/2024
Quantum fluctuations at subnucleon level discovered by KU physicist at Large Hadron Collider
University of Kansas experimental nuclear physicist Daniel Tapia Takaki and his team for the first time report suggestions of gluonic quantum fluctuations at the subnucleon level in heavy nuclei. The findings boost understanding of quantum fields that control interaction of particles at the tiniest scales.
Wed, 10/16/2024
KU astronomer on space probe team that advances to next round of $1B NASA mission selection
Elisabeth Mills is a co-investigator on a proposal for a far-infrared mission that over the next year will receive $5 million to flesh out the plans and prototypes for a new class of astrophysics observatories.
Wed, 10/09/2024
KU Physics and Astronomy Professor receives more than $600,000 from NASA for his research
Associate Professor Ian Crossfield (Physics & Astronomy) was awarded more than $600,000 from NASA to support his group's work characterizing planetary systems around other stars.
Mon, 10/07/2024
KU Planetarium Celebrates its 1000th Visitor
The KU Planetarium celebrated its 1000th visitor on September 18th, 2024. Since its start in 2022 the planetarium has educated and entertained visitors from the public, local schools, rural Kansas, and members of the KU community.
Mon, 10/07/2024
KU Physics and Astronomy Professor receives $1 million award from Department of Energy
Assistant Professor Dmitry Ovchinnikov was awarded a large grant from the Department of Energy to support his research in state-of-the-art nanofabrication techniques.
Wed, 07/10/2024
Researchers show promising material for solar energy gets its curious boost from entropy
In a study appearing in Advanced Materials, researchers in the lab of Wai-Lun Chan, associate professor of physics & astronomy at KU, have discovered a microscopic mechanism partly explaining the outstanding performance of new carbon-based organic solar cells.
Mon, 04/29/2024
Physics and Astronomy Professor Organizes Symposium at Materials Research Society Spring Meeting
Dmitry Ovchinnikov, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, organized symposium QT02 “Low dimensional quantum materials” at the Materials Research Society Spring Meeting April 22 – 26, 2024. ...
Mon, 03/11/2024
KU Department of Physics & Astronomy professor receives prestigious NSF award for black hole research
A prestigious CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation will help Department of Physics & Astronomy researcher Elisabeth Mills continue her groundbreaking research on supermassive black holes.
Fri, 03/08/2024
Department of Physics & Astronomy professor receives NSF CAREER Award for work on zinc-ion batteries
University of Kansas researcher from the Department of Physics & Astronomy has been chosen for a prestigious CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation for his innovative work with zinc-ion batteries, a sustainable alternative to the more widely used lithium-ion batteries that currently are in everything from mobile phones to electric vehicles.
Fri, 02/02/2024
Neptune-like exoplanets can be cloudy or clear — new findings suggest the reason why
A KU researcher has published findings in The Astrophysical Journal Letters showing new atmospheric detail in a set of 15 exoplanets similar to Neptune. While none could support humanity, a better understanding of their behavior might help us to understand why we don’t have a small Neptune, while most solar systems seem to feature a planet of this class.
Wed, 01/31/2024
Experts in special education, social welfare and particle physics receive KU Research Achievement Awards
University of Kansas researchers expanding our understanding of special education, social welfare and particle physics have received this year’s Steven F. Warren Research Achievement Award and the KU Research Staff & Postdoctoral Achievement Awards.
Wed, 01/31/2024
KU faculty recognized for research excellence at KU Athletics events
University of Kansas sports events have long showcased the talent and tenacity of athletes at the top of their game. A new program launched in fall 2023 extends that tradition beyond the university’s gifted student-athletes to shine a light on exceptional faculty researchers who exhibit talent and tenacity in their academic disciplines.
Tue, 01/30/2024
Researchers seek to understand how regions of 'cosmic web' influence behavior of galaxies
Gregory Rudnick, professor of physics & astronomy at KU, is leading a team that recently earned a $375,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study “gas content and star-formation properties of galaxies” that are altered depending on where they are moving through the cosmos.
Wed, 05/17/2023
‘Potentially volcano-covered’ Earth-size planet found orbiting star first described by KU astronomer
Wed, 04/26/2023
KU announces new 2023-2027 Self Graduate Fellows
LAWRENCE — Fifteen doctoral students have been selected to receive the University of Kansas’ prestigious Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship for the 2023-2024 academic year. This incoming group of fellows is the largest cohort in over 20 years. Over 200 students have benefited from the Self Graduate Fellowship since...
Tue, 04/25/2023
KU physicist appointed to help prepare next Long Range Plan on Nuclear Science
LAWRENCE — Daniel Tapia Takaki, University of Kansas associate professor of physics & astronomy, was appointed to serve on the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee (NSAC) earlier this year. The appointment carries the responsibility to provide official advice to the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation on the nuclear...
Tue, 04/25/2023
U.S. News & World Report ranks 37 KU graduate programs in top 50 among public schools
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas has 37 graduate programs in the top 50 among public universities – including nine programs in the top 10 – in the 2024 rankings from U.S. News & World Report, released today. ...
Mon, 04/17/2023
A Fresh Map of Mars, From a Spacecraft Called Hope (Opens in new window)
Dimitra Atri, KU Physics & Astronomy PhD, featured in story on a new Mars map. Can also be found here: https://www.space.com/uae-mars-hope-orbiter-new-map. ...
Thu, 04/06/2023
Professor Dmitry Ovchinnikov Receives KU Research GO Award (Opens in new window)
Dmitry Ovchinnikov, Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy receives KU Research Go Award for: Electric Field Control of Magnetism in Two-Dimensional Quantum Materials. ...