Faculty recognized for research excellence at 2024-25 KU Athletics events
LAWRENCE — For the second year, a group of University of Kansas faculty touted for their excellence in research, scholarship and creative activity were honored at KU Athletics events. The Spotlight on Faculty Excellence expanded beyond Lawrence this year to include researchers from KU’s Edwards and Medical Center campuses. Each enjoyed a VIP experience at a KU volleyball, football, or men’s or women’s basketball game, where they were introduced on the court or field during a timeout.
The honorees are scholars of national or international stature who have contributed significantly to society, their disciplines and the local and/or university community — and who have demonstrated a commitment to developing future leaders in their fields through mentoring. They were chosen from nominations submitted by deans, department chairs and center directors.
Twelve faculty members were recognized as part of this year’s program:
Nicholas Britt, associate professor of pharmacy practice, Lawrence
Britt and his lab partners are working to identify more effective treatments for drug-resistant infections, especially in people with sepsis and cystic fibrosis. Britt mentors professional pharmacy students and trainees who are regularly hired into highly competitive jobs. His research has been published and recognized by the top academic journals in his field.
Amanda Emerson, assistant professor of nursing, KU Medical Center
Emerson and her lab are leading two community-engaged projects that seek to understand the role of incarceration in aging-related health and find solutions to better support citizens returning to the community. Her work is funded by a Eugene Washington Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Engagement Award and a prestigious Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators.
Hao Gao, associate professor of radiation oncology/director of physics research, KU Medical Center
Hao and his research teams have developed groundbreaking radiotherapy technologies for faster and better cancer treatments. These new developments promise to not only improve treatment outcomes but also reduce side effects and improve patient quality of life. Gao’s research, funded by the NIH and industry sponsors, has the potential to dramatically change the way cancer is treated in the future.
Angela Gist-Mackey, associate professor of communication studies, Lawrence
Gist-Mackey is a leading expert on the power of communication in shaping human experience. Her research explores how people communicate when they face adversity. For example, she has studied how people manage their identities as they cope with challenges like poverty or attending college as a first-generation student. In 2021, she won the Community Engaged Scholarship Award from KU’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences for partnering with local, regional and campus organizations to help them improve their programming.
Sarah Kessler, professor of family medicine & community health, KU Medical Center
Kessler collaborates with various agencies in developing an international research program that addresses health care disparities in the United States and Africa. She is making a major impact in the prevention and treatment of HIV, cervical cancer and COVID-19. Since the pandemic, Kessler has led a project in Kansas called COPE: Communities Organizing to Promote Equity. COPE mobilizes community coalitions and health workers in 20 Kansas counties to address health equity issues like access to transportation, affordable child care and primary health care.
Kevin Leonard, professor of chemical & petroleum engineering, Lawrence
Leonard’s research lab is discovering how sustainable materials can be used to speed up chemical reactions and make valuable products. With a former KU student, Leonard started a company based on technology they invented that creates green hydrogen for sustainable fuels, earth-friendly fertilizers and renewable electricity storage. Leonard also leads a program that prepares graduate students for successful STEM careers. His research has been recognized with multiple awards from the American Chemical Society, one of the world’s largest scientific organizations.
Amalia Monroe-Gulick, social sciences librarian, KU Libraries, Lawrence
Monroe-Gulick has devoted her career to understanding and meeting the library and data needs of researchers. With more information readily available today than at any other time in history, KU scholars rely on librarians to help scour vast digital repositories for the most relevant sources or to ensure they haven’t missed important findings. Monroe-Gulick not only meets these demands, but she also publishes her own scholarship and guides new librarians as they establish their research careers.
Catherine (Katie) Siengsukon, professor of physical therapy, rehabilitation sciences, and athletic training, KU Medical Center
Siengsukon’s primary research involves understanding how sleep affects health-related outcomes and recovery, particularly in individuals with neurologic injury or disease. As the director of the Sleep, Health and Wellness — or Sleepwell — Laboratory, Siengsukon is spearheading groundbreaking research on the use of behavioral interventions to improve sleep in people with multiple sclerosis and post-concussion. She is also studying whether improving sleep may help protect against the onset of chronic conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. Siengsukon is recognized nationally and internationally for her expertise on promoting sleep health and integration of sleep health into physical therapy practice.
John Thyfault, professor of cell biology and physiology, KU Medical Center
Thyfault’s research examines how exercise and physical activity reduce risk or treat fatty liver and type 2 diabetes at a cellular level. He has been the author of more than 200 publications and has been awarded several large grants by the NIH and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Thyfault is internationally recognized for his metabolism-based research at KU Medical Center by serving as director of the KU Diabetes Institute and co-director of the Kansas Center for Metabolism & Obesity Research.
Jack Treml, associate professor of the practice/assistant director for biotechnology, Edwards
Treml helped start the biotechnology program in 2016 with four students and has since guided hundreds of KU undergraduates into careers that solve scientific challenges and benefit society. By building strong relationships with local companies, Treml knows what jobs are available for graduates, and he tailors their education to prepare them for early success in the workforce. His outreach includes high school and community college efforts to spark early interest in scientific careers and SciFlix, a free science-in-film series at the Edwards Campus.
Kathleen Tuck, associate professor of special education, Lawrence
A former public school teacher who is now a KU special education professor, Tuck and her research partners help teachers support young students with intensive needs. The team created free tools to help educators increase engagement among these students. They also developed a national framework of skills every teacher should have to support all students — and a road map for building these skills into educator preparation. Tuck’s team is now putting its research into action training educators and future researchers to meet the needs of young children and their families in diverse settings.
Mike Wilkins, professor of business, Lawrence
Wilkins, the Larry D. Horner & KPMG Professor of Accounting, researches the audit industry, which keeps an eye on the financial reporting of companies to ensure accuracy. His studies have explored how audit teams and the timing of audit work affect audit quality, and how audits and audit regulation affect people’s decisions. He serves as senior editor of the American Accounting Association’s auditing journal. He also coordinates KU’s doctoral program in accounting and teaches in the master’s program.