Life Span Institute investigators recognized for research excellence at KU Athletics events
University of Kansas sports events have long showcased the talent and tenacity of athletes at the top of their game. A new program launched in fall 2023 extends that tradition to shine a light on exceptional faculty researchers who exhibit talent and tenacity in their academic disciplines, heightening KU’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading research universities.
Salute to Faculty Excellence is a partnership among the Office of Research, Office of the Provost and Kansas Athletics to recognize outstanding faculty who demonstrate excellence in research, scholarship and creative activity. Honorees are researchers, scholars or creators of national or international stature who have contributed significantly to society, their disciplines, the local and/or university community — and who have demonstrated a commitment to developing future leaders in their fields through mentoring. Each enjoyed a VIP experience at a KU football or basketball game, where they were introduced on the field or court during a timeout.
The program recognized seven faculty members during its pilot year:
Jomella Watson-Thompson, Life Span Institute researcher and professor of applied behavioral science
Watson-Thompson’s work focuses on creating safe and supportive communities where all young people can thrive. She collaborates with community partners in the Kansas City metropolitan area to find ways to prevent youth violence. This collaboration increases awareness of the factors that make it difficult for young people to succeed, and her research contributes to the creation of supports that clear the pathway toward healthy futures for youth.
Deanna Hanson-Abromeit, Life Span Institute researcher and associate professor of music therapy 
In her KU lab, Hanson-Abromeit studies how different types of sound influence the development and behavior of babies, particularly premature and other at-risk infants. She also taps into the power of music to train preschoolers to regulate their emotions. Her international leadership helps to chart healthy futures through music and inspires the next generation of music therapists through mentored research experiences.
Teri Finneman, associate professor of journalism
Finneman started The Eudora Times, an online publication staffed by KU journalism students, to fill the gap left by the closure of the community’s newspaper due to financial challenges. The Eudora Times won 25 awards in the most recent Kansas Press Association contest and has received national recognition for its innovative university-community partnership. Finneman’s research on the “news desert” crisis helps publishers across rural America think about new models for sustaining community journalism.
Emily Arnold, associate professor of aerospace engineering
Arnold mounts custom radar devices to state-of the-art drones, then flies them over glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica. The drones collect data from deep within polar ice sheets to help predict future sea-level rise and the potential impacts of climate change. Arnold was the first female faculty member in KU’s aerospace engineering program and uses her platform to encourage K-12 students to explore careers in STEM.
Trent Herda, professor of health, sport & exercise sciences
Herda’s research yields clues about how human bodies respond to exercise. In his Neuromechanics Laboratory, he measures how resistance training changes muscles over time — and how those changes might enhance performance for everyone, including children, elite athletes and aging adults. In addition, he studies the effects of nutritional supplements on performance gains.
Allison Kirkpatrick, assistant professor of physics & astronomy
Kirkpatrick uses the most powerful telescopes in the world — including the James Webb Space Telescope — to focus on supermassive black holes. Her observations contribute to understanding how galaxies change over time, and she discovered a never-before-documented type of galaxy. She uses her platform as a woman in astrophysics to inspire underrepresented students to gravitate toward careers in science.
Hui Cai, professor and chair of architecture
Cai uses specialized tools to study how the design of health care settings can support nursing staff workflow and communication while providing a better healing experience for patients. These discoveries will inform future design recommendations for health care facilities and help address health disparities in rural areas. Cai received Healthcare Design Magazine’s Educator of the Year Award for leading more than 100 students through KU’s Health + Wellness Design program and preparing them for professional life.
“KU has so many talented researchers whose work improves lives and leads to greater understanding of our world,” said Barbara Bichelmeyer, provost and executive vice chancellor of the Lawrence and Edwards campuses. “Partnering with KU Athletics adds visibility and creates an exciting opportunity to raise awareness of the great work of our faculty and the innovative research happening at KU.”
Salute to Faculty Excellence partners are evaluating the pilot program and hope to continue recognizing outstanding KU researchers at athletic events in future years.