More than 40 Kansas University faculty and staff will visit nearly 30 cities and sites around the state as part of the 2011 Wheat State Whirlwind Tour.

The group will leave on May 23 and return on May 27.

The tour is now in its 13th year, and was designed by then-Chancellor Robert Hemenway as a way to take faculty and staff throughout the state to gain a better understanding of where many of their students come from.

The group will visit Kansas towns of many different sizes, including Barnes, Marysville, Salina, Lucas, Palco, WaKeeney, Quinter, Scott City, Inman and Wichita.

Tour participants will share their thoughts about the trip on Twitter at twitter.com/kuwheatstate from May 23-27. More information about this year’s tour can be found at www.wheatstate.ku.edu.