WRITER: Chad Lawhorn

KU leader for diversity and equity resigns after plagiarism incident involving MLK Day email

Story updated at 5:26 p.m. Wednesday: A University of Kansas leader who acknowledged sending out a campuswide Martin Luther King Jr. Day message that was largely plagiarized from another source has resigned from KU. D.A. Graham, interim vice provost of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, offered his resignation to KU after the Journal-World reported Monday on the plagiarism incident. On Wednesday, ...

KU, other Kansas research universities aiming to help create thousands of jobs with new eco devo strategies

A few sentences in Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposed budget could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in new research and development funds to Kansas universities. The provision hasn’t attracted as much attention as Kelly’s other higher education proposals — which would add roughly $100 million of state funding to higher education — because the proposal actually shows up in the Kansas Department of ...

KU Endowment President Dale Seuferling to retire later this year

The longtime leader of KU Endowment plans to retire later this year, setting up a search for who will head the organization responsible for raising and managing billions of dollars for the university. KU Endowment President Dale Seuferling told staff members Tuesday morning that he intends to retire from the position, likely this summer, after having worked for the association since 1981. He’s been the ...

Plans filed for 4-story apartment building on New Hampshire; mix of affordable housing and live-work commercial spaces

A long-vacant lot on the south end of New Hampshire Street may become a new downtown, multistory affordable housing project that also features a row of unique business spaces on its ground floor. Plans have been filed at Lawrence City Hall to develop the vacant lot in the 1000 block of New Hampshire with a four-story building that will have 54 living units, including a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom ...

Local veggie burger company bought by giant agriculture firm; new owner hasn't announced plans for Lawrence plant

Consumers have been gobbling up the veggie burgers made by Lawrence-based Hilary’s for several years. Today, the question is what will happen to the company and its Lawrence operations now that it is being swallowed by one of the largest companies in the agriculture industry. A new venture led by Archer Daniels Midland and Marfrig Global Foods has signed a deal to purchase the parent company of Hilary’s. A ...

KU diversity leader admits plagiarizing his campuswide message regarding MLK Day, says he was in a hurry

The leader of KU’s diversity efforts acknowledged Monday that his campuswide email on the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day was largely plagiarized from an email he had received years ago. D.A. Graham, the interim vice provost for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the University of Kansas, said he did not intentionally plagiarize the text that was sent to all faculty, staff and students of ...