Recruiting and retaining the best and brightest faculty is vital to the health of a university. At the University of Kansas — one of the nation’s leading public research universities — financial awards and incentives supported in part by generous donors make this possible. In fiscal year 2021, KU Endowment provided $43.2 million in faculty support. At any given time, close to 700 of KU’s nearly 2,800 faculty members benefit from this important source of funding.

The additional resources allow outstanding faculty members to continue their cross-disciplinary research and service while also fostering learning environments where students exchange ideas and are exposed to discoveries that change the world. Our university, surrounding communities and society benefit from these discoveries.

On April 5, the University Research Awards celebrated some of KU’s most research-productive faculty. Among the recipients were four faculty members recognized with a University Scholarly Achievement Award: Amy Burgin, Brian Boyd, Soumen Paul and Misty Schieberle.

Much of the work in Burgin’s lab involves aquatic ecology, seeking answers to big questions such as, “How do human activities and climate change alter water quality and microbial communities?” Boyd develops and evaluates evidence-based behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder to improve outcomes. Paul’s research is focused on understanding molecular mechanisms that regulate cell type-specific gene expression during mammalian development. Schieberle pores over handwritten manuscripts and rare books in her concentration on medieval studies and the history of language as well as issues related to politics, culture, education and gender.

Students who learn from top-tier faculty such as these are often inspired to become the teachers, researchers and leaders of tomorrow, benefiting generations to come.