News

Mon, 04/21/2025

Award-winning filmmaker Shalini Kantayya, creator of ‘Coded Bias’ and ‘TikTok, Boom,’ to offer virtual event

The Commons and the Institute for Information Sciences (I2s) will host a virtual talk April 30 by filmmaker Shalini Kantayya as a keynote talk in the Navigating Our Worlds Series. This event is presented in collaboration with University Honors Program and its Common Cause initiative.
Wed, 04/02/2025

Global Climate Teach-in to bring together perspectives related to climate change, offers opportunities to build community

For the fourth year, KU is participating in the Worldwide Climate Education Week, led by Bard College. Five events offer opportunities to come together in different settings around education about the climate crisis.
Tue, 04/01/2025

Red Hot Research expands to students

This spring, two events in the Red Hot Research series will feature undergraduate and postbaccalaureate research. These events are presented by The Commons, the Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships and the BioGEM Postbaccalaureate Research Program.
Tue, 03/04/2025

Red Hot Research resumes in spring 2025 with cross-disciplinary presentations

Red Hot Research returns this week at the University of Kansas, with its signature cross-disciplinary presentations, offering researchers a way to connect with colleagues across research areas. The series opens March 7 with Women-led Movements.
Thu, 02/13/2025

Engaged Reading Series event planned Feb. 17 at Spencer Research Library

A program from the Engaged Reading Series will feature "Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership," by Brea Baker. The event will take place Feb. 17 at the Spencer Research Library.
Fri, 02/07/2025

Educate & Act spring series will center on topics of technology and democracy, the Kansas Legislature and climate legislation

The Educate & Act series resumes in spring 2025 at KU, offering students opportunities to learn more about contemporary issues affecting U.S. democracy and how to connect to resources for learning more.
Thu, 02/06/2025

Author to give Spencer Lecture addressing Black land ownership movement

Brea Baker, author and organizer, will give the Kenneth Spencer Lecture for The Commons at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at Liberty Hall. The talk will center research that contributed to her 2024 book, "Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership."
Tue, 10/08/2024

Engaged Reading series at KU offers opportunities to connect over books

The Engaged Reading series features shared reading experiences across the University of Kansas, with faculty leading discussions about works from recent visiting authors.
Fri, 09/13/2024

Poet, novelist, professor Ocean Vuong to give Spencer Lecture

The Commons at the University of Kansas will host the Fall 2024 Kenneth Spencer Lecture, which will feature a conversation between Ocean Vuong and Chloé Cooper Jones, on Sept. 26 at Liberty Hall.
Thu, 09/12/2024

The Commons will host Red Hot Research events in fall 2024

Red Hot Research events, featuring University of Kansas scholars from a variety of disciplines giving short talks on a related topic, will resume Sept. 20 at Watson Library with a focus on "Pedagogy & Purpose."
Mon, 04/22/2024

Afrofuturist performance group to offer 3 world-building experiences April 24-26 in Lawrence

The AfroRithm Futures Group (ARFG) will be in Lawrence April 24-26, offering three public events during a residency at the University of Kansas.
Tue, 04/16/2024

Scholar will give talk on book connecting cannabis industry to settler colonialism

Yurok/Hupa/Oneida scholar Kaitlin Reed will speak about research that contributed to her book “Settler Cannabis: From Gold Rush to Green Rush in Indigenous Northern California.” The free public event will take place at 7 p.m. April 17.
Wed, 04/10/2024

Essayist, poet, MacArthur Fellow Hanif Abdurraqib will give talk in Lawrence

Writer Hanif Abdurraqib will visit Lawrence as part of his current book tour for a talk at 7 p.m. April 16 at Liberty Hall. He will read from his latest book, “There’s Always This Year” (Random House, 2024).
Fri, 03/29/2024

KU Global Climate Teach-in returns for third year

This year, KU Global Climate Teach-in events will include a panel on climate feminism and inclusive leadership, a zine workshop and screening of the documentary "Hot Times in the Heartland." Events begin April 2.
Tue, 03/26/2024

All We Can Save series will highlight discussion on clean energy transition

The All We Can Save series at the University of Kansas returns March 28 with a virtual event titled “The Power of Local Advocacy: Beyond Coal to Clean Energy,” featuring Mary Anne Hitt, senior director of Climate Imperative.
Fri, 03/01/2024

Educate & Act Series will cover Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

An ongoing series at the University of Kansas will host virtual events this semester for the Jayhawk community to learn more about the policies and procedures that characterize democracy in the United States and connects attendees to resources for further learning.
Wed, 02/28/2024

Interdisciplinary Red Hot Research sessions return for spring 2024 semester

The Commons at the University of Kansas will host Red Hot Research sessions throughout March and April 2024, including three themed sessions with faculty presenters, one graduate student session and two collaborative sessions co-hosted by internal, interdisciplinary awards.
Mon, 02/19/2024

Series on misinformation and wellness of democracy resumes Feb. 21

KU panelists will discuss “Historical Fact, Whiteness, and the Challenge to preserve Our Democracy” at a virtual event.
Fri, 09/22/2023

The Commons announces Global Revolution film series

LAWRENCE — A new film series at the University of Kansas will explore the theme of revolution around the globe. The first event will take place at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at The Forum in Marvin Hall, featuring the 2013 film “The Square.”...

Wed, 09/20/2023

Red Hot Research returns for its 12th year

LAWRENCE — Red Hot Research returns for three sessions this fall, offering a fast-paced, presentation-style event from The Commons at the University of Kansas as a way of introducing colleagues to one another. ...

Fri, 09/15/2023

KU series on wellness in democracy resumes, centering Ogallala Aquifer and human decision-making

LAWRENCE — A collaborative series at the University of Kansas that centers misinformation, disinformation and the wellness of democracy resumes in fall 2023 with a program about the Ogallala Aquifer, the center of substantial research and public debate because of its increasingly limited supplies and the reliance upon the aquifer...

Fri, 09/01/2023

Educate & Act Series continues in fall with opportunities to learn about recent local activism, upcoming election participation

LAWRENCE — The Educate & Act series, led by the Center for Service Learning, the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity and The Commons, will host two events this semester for students, staff, and faculty at the University of Kansas. This series offers opportunities to learn more about...

Fri, 08/25/2023

KU Common Book Program announces 2023-24 events

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Common Book Program will host a slate of activities and events surrounding the 2023-24 Common Book selection, “Parable of the Sower,” by American science fiction writer Octavia Butler. ...

Wed, 03/29/2023

April Red Hot Research sessions to highlight graduate research, racial equity projects

LAWRENCE — The Red Hot Research series returns in April with two sessions focused on graduate student research and racial equity. ...

Tue, 03/21/2023

Second KU-led Global Climate Teach-in offers local perspectives to worldwide event

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas scholars and students as well as activists and area professionals will share their research and advocacy as part of a global effort to come together around solutions and education for the climate crisis. The second annual Global Climate Teach-in will take place March 29 at...

Thu, 01/26/2023

Educate & Act Series resumes in spring 2023 with new topics around civic engagement, democracy

LAWRENCE — The Educate & Act series, led by The Commons, the Center for Service Learning and the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity, will host four virtual events in spring 2023 for University of Kansas students, staff and faculty. This series offers opportunities to learn more about...

Wed, 01/18/2023

Best-selling author, poet Ross Gay to give 2023 Kenneth Spencer Lecture

Feb. 16 update: This event has been postponed due to illness. ...

Fri, 11/04/2022

Artist Fereshteh Toosi to be in Residence Nov. 6-10 with Talk Planned Nov. 9

LAWRENCE — The Commons, in partnership with the Department of Visual Art and the Advanced Poetry Writing class, will host artist Fereshteh Toosi at the University of Kansas this month. Toosi’s work largely examines the relationships between humans and nature, and they utilize multiple media to create experiences for audiences. ...

Thu, 09/22/2022

New Series Will Explore Disinformation and How University Communities Can Respond

LAWRENCE — A new virtual series this fall at the University of Kansas will ask important questions about the threats that misinformation and disinformation pose to democracy, while pairing these challenges with a consideration of care — for ourselves and our communities. ...

Thu, 09/08/2022

The Commons announces Red Hot Research Dates for fall 2022

LAWRENCE — Red Hot Research returns this fall with in-person events for University of Kansas researchers. Red Hot Research is a regular Friday event at The Commons, built of five short presentations by faculty and graduate researchers across the university to open the door for new ways of understanding research...