Colleagues,
Welcome to "3, 2, One KU," a weekly memo in which I'll share updates and thoughts for the week ahead. The title of the memo is derived from the format: each edition will include three things to know, two things to share, and one reflection on how our "One KU" initiative is enhancing collaboration across our campuses. I hope you find this weekly communication informative.
Respectfully,
Doug
Three things to know
Strengthening HR support for faculty and staff
As part of our One KU initiative, Human Resources is moving from a campus-based structure to a functionally organized model designed to better serve employees across all campuses. This shift brings together related services under shared leadership, allowing us to align processes, strengthen expertise and provide a more consistent HR experience across the university. To learn more, refer to last week’s memo from Chari Young, our chief human resources officer.
One Day One KU breaks record for gifts, raises over $5 million in 24 hours
The ninth annual One Day One KU on April 28-29 saw more than 4,800 Jayhawks unite to support KU and The University of Kansas Health System. From noon to noon, donors from 50 states and several countries contributed $5.1 million through 7,000 gifts, a record for the giving day. These gifts will support programs and initiatives across the university, including research, scholarships, student opportunities and more.
KU leaders, supporters celebrate groundbreaking for Entrepreneurship Hub
KU alumni, donors and partners gathered April 24 to celebrate the start of construction for the new KU Entrepreneurship Hub, a donor-funded building designed to be an academic launch point for student entrepreneurs. The Hub will be operated by the School of Business and serve KU students from all disciplines, providing spaces for experiential education and programming that reflect the university’s commitment to hands-on learning.
Two things to share
From microscopic to cosmic: discoveries powered by KU research
Last month, KU presented the 2026 University Research Awards to outstanding scholars powering breakthroughs at the cellular level and across galaxies. Get to know these exceptional researchers in the latest Created by KU story.
KU students recognized for national awards
One of my favorite things about springtime is learning about the outstanding KU students who are competing for prestigious national awards and recognition. I invite you to learn about some of these remarkable Jayhawks below.
Two KU juniors to compete for Astronaut Scholarships
KU student Wyatt Vaughn named Udall Scholar
KU announces Beinecke scholarship nominee
Three KU students receive prestigious Goldwater scholarships
"One KU"
Enhancing research support in alignment with One KU
Over the past year, we have been progressing toward a One KU research support enterprise to serve researchers seamlessly across campuses while honoring local expertise and strengths. Last week, research leaders Matthias Salathe and Shelley Hooks shared an update on leadership reporting and functional alignments that took effect this month. These changes are part of a longer-term strategy to better coordinate research support services and position KU for continued growth in research excellence and impact. These alignments merge some teams and bring other parallel units and leaders into closer relationship across Lawrence and the KU Medical Center, enabling stronger coordination while maintaining service continuity.