News Categories: Crimson & Blue Magazine

The Living Lab

The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s new facility is engineering a cancer-free future.

Lifting every voice: Michelle Tyrene Johnson champions social justice from the page and the stage

Michelle Tyrene Johnson has known since childhood what it’s like to be different.
She grew up in a low-income, predominantly Black neighborhood in Kansas City—but from 5th grade through 12th grade, she commuted two hours round trip by city bus to attend St. Francis Xavier and then St. Teresa’s Academy.

Resounding success

Gifts drive major restoration of the Campanile inside and out, reviving its sound, beautifying its surroundings, and ensuring its safety and longevity.

The Global Hornist: A Jayhawk musician’s mission to perform on all continents

In 2026, KU School of Music alum Kyra Sims plans to complete her goal of performing with her French horn on all seven continents, which would make her the first African American musician to do so. As of 2025, she had performed in five continents, 22 countries and all but four U.S. states.

Passing the torch

Two longtime deans leave legacies of innovation and steadfast stewardship.

The first to walk down the Hill: What commencement means to a first-generation student

Each year, thousands of graduates pass through the Campanile while family members line the Hill’s walkway and cheer them toward David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. When first-generation KU student Jorge Aragon walked down the Hill with the Class of 2026 in May, he was looking for his mother’s smile in the crowd.

Backward, Forward, Onward — A message from President Dan Martin

KU is experiencing such a moment right now. Across our campuses — in classrooms, labs, performance halls and clinics, change is happening. Good change. New discoveries are being made. New leaders are emerging. And this magazine, Crimson & Blue, tells those stories to showcase KU’s impact, giving alumni, donors, friends and fans a view of the world Jayhawks are shaping.