Research Tracks

A publication of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at Baylor University

Big 12 research connections: University of Kansas

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This weekend, Baylor’s football team travels to Lawrence to take on the University of Kansas.  While the Bears and Jayhawks will be competitors on the field, the two institutions share some important connections in research and scholarship.

KU

Water research

Last fall, KU played host to the Big 12 Universities Water Workshop.  Scientists from Baylor were among the 41 researchers from nine of the 10 Big 12 institutions who came together for public plenary presentations as well as breakout discussions on water-related research topics such as water conservation and reuse, nutrient and contaminant management, reservoir sedimentation and the impact of climate change on future water availability.

Dr. George Cobb, the chair of Baylor’s environmental science department, said the workshop’s breakout sessions resulted in a number of journal article submissions and plans for a follow-up conference at Baylor are in the works.

“The Big 12 water conference was, in my opinion, a great first attempt to engage across the universities,” he said. “I look forward to our continued collective pursuits in this regard.”

Jayhawks who are Bears (and vice versa)

Several faculty members at Baylor and Kansas have academic connections with both schools.  Here are just a few examples:

  • Dr. Matt Gerber, associate professor of communication and the director of Baylor’s nationally recognized debate team, earned his Ph.D. in communication at the University of Kansas.
  • Dr. Jane W. Gibson, department chair and associate professor in KU’s department of anthropology, earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and environmental studies and a master’s degree in environmental studies at Baylor.
  • Dr. Adrienne Harris, associate professor of Russian in Baylor’s department of modern languages and cultures, earned her master’s degree and her Ph.D. in Slavic languages and literatures at the University of Kansas.
  • Dr. Liskin Swint-Kruse, an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Baylor (Update: Dr. Swint-Kruse also has a sister, Dr. Lorin Swint Matthews, who is an associate professor of physics at Baylor!).

We’d like to thank Kevin Boatright, director of external affairs in KU’s Office of Research, for his assistance in compiling information for this post.  To learn more about research at the University of Kansas, visit the Office of Research web page, or follow them on Twitter at @ResearchAtKU.

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