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KU study will help define broadband priorities in Kansas
LAWRENCE — Access to education, health care, public safety and government services increasingly depends on access to affordable, high-speed internet service. Now, through a University of Kansas project, Kansas residents can contribute to research on current internet and broadband infrastructure by completing a survey about their internet service.
Study: Parler provided echo chamber for vaccine misinformation, conspiracy theories
LAWRENCE — In the early days of COVID-19 vaccine development, a new social media platform provided a place for like-minded people to discuss vaccines, share misinformation and speculate about the motivations for its development. A new study from the University of Kansas published in the journal Vaccines shows people flocked to Parler to discuss the vaccines in an echo chamber-type environment, and those conversations can shed light about how to communicate about vaccine efficacy during health crises.
Chief of police search committee to lead candidate presentations
LAWRENCE — Three candidates for the next University of Kansas chief of police and director of public safety will begin campus interviews beginning Wednesday, June 2. The search committee invites the campus community to watch a virtual public presentation by each candidate and submit questions. The first two candidates have been announced: Terence Calloway, chief of police and assistant vice president of Campus Safety and Security at Florida A&M University, and Nelson Mosley, police chief of Rose Hill.
Dole Institute to welcome Juan Manuel Santos for special virtual program
LAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced that it will livestream a special event featuring Juan Manuel Santos at 7 p.m. June 10 on the institute’s YouTube channel. The former president of Colombia will discuss his new book, “The Battle for Peace.”
KU announces featured speakers for the 2021 Virtual Summer Conference
LAWRENCE — The School of Education & Human Sciences at the University of Kansas has announced the featured speakers for each session of the 2021 Strategies for Educational Improvement Summer Conference, a virtual multisession professional development series beginning June 15. Presenters include KU faculty members as well as educators from the Lawrence, Kansas City, Olathe and Wichita school districts.
Law graduate Bria Nelson wins public interest award
LAWRENCE – Bria Nelson, a recent graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law from Woodstock, Illinois, is a recipient of a 2021 Equal Justice Works Regional Public Interest Award. Nelson is one of eight students selected for the national award. After graduation, Nelson will join the ACLU of Kansas for a one-year fellowship working in partnership with the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Carrie Caine, Institute for Policy & Social Research, 785-864-9102, [email protected], @KU_IPSR
KU study will help define broadband priorities in Kansas
LAWRENCE — Access to education, health care, public safety and government services increasingly depends on access to affordable, high-speed internet service. It provides small-business owners with access to resources and markets around the world, allows students the opportunity to participate in remote education and connects patients in medically underserved areas to critical health services. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the importance of that internet access.
Available data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) suggest that Kansas residents, especially in rural communities, lack access to stable, high-speed internet service at home. At the same time, current FCC regulations on broadband measurement and reporting limit the quality of data about internet access in the state of Kansas and the United States more generally. Now, through a University of Kansas project, Kansas residents can contribute to research on current internet and broadband infrastructure by completing a survey about their internet service.
A team of researchers at the Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas surveyed students who attend Kansas Board of Regents colleges and universities about internet access. The team is led by Donna Ginther, Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor of Economics and director of IPSR, and Germaine Halegoua, associate professor of film & media studies.
“The information we’ve received about uneven and inadequate internet access among KBOR students has been valuable, but there are still a lot of geographic areas of Kansas that we know very little about in terms of internet access and options for service provision,” Halegoua said. “Policymakers still lack essential knowledge about internet affordability and quality in rural as well as urban areas. We’re hoping that our statewide survey fills in those gaps.”
Supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, Ginther and Halegoua are expanding their study of internet access and affordability in Kansas by surveying households statewide on the availability and quality of internet connections across Kansas. The expanded survey aims to gather more detailed information on areas with slow internet speeds along with data on service availability and cost.
The team will share the results of this research with residents, internet service providers and state lawmakers to identify service modifications, infrastructure needs or policy changes that may be required to expand Kansans’ access to affordable, high-speed internet service.
“Reliable data on internet access is essential for making good broadband policy in the state of Kansas,” Ginther said. “Individuals who respond to our survey will have the opportunity to inform broadband policy in Kansas.”
Respond to the survey
The survey takes about 15 minutes and includes an internet speed test to connect survey data with broadband speed information. Interested Kansans should take the survey, from the location of their internet service. The survey can be taken on a smartphone.
Anonymized location data will be mapped to show demand for high-speed internet, to identify service gaps and to clarify the need for infrastructure improvements to expand internet access for Kansas communities.
Questions about the content of the survey can be directed to Donna Ginther. The survey will be open from June to July 2021.
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Contact: Mike Krings, KU News Service, 785-864-8860, [email protected], @MikeKrings
Study: Parler provided echo chamber for vaccine misinformation, conspiracy theories
LAWRENCE — In the early days of COVID-19 vaccine development, a new social media platform provided a place for like-minded people to discuss vaccines, share misinformation and speculate about the motivations for its development. A new study from the University of Kansas shows people flocked to Parler to discuss the vaccines in an echo chamber-type environment, and those conversations can shed light about how to communicate about vaccine efficacy during health crises.
In the runup to the 2020 election, then-president Donald Trump claimed a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready before people went to the polls. About that time, millions were flocking to Parler, a new social media platform that claimed a free speech mantra, in which posts would not be regulated. A trio of KU doctoral students in journalism & mass communications analyzed a sample of 400 posts on the platform between November 2020 and January 2021 about the vaccines. Results showed people followed messages of conservative political leaders, shared misinformation and reinforced messages shedding doubt on vaccine efficacy.
“Around October last year, we were hearing a lot of buzz around a new social media platform, Parler, not just in the political field, but in the health field as well,” said Annalise Baines, the study’s lead author. “We wanted to understand more about what was being said about COVID-19 vaccines specifically, as we noticed a shift in the conversation from developing vaccines to distrusting science around the efficacy of vaccines.”
The study, co-written by Baines, Muhammad Ittefaq and Mauryne Abwao, was published in the journal Vaccines.
A thematic analysis of the posts, known as “parleys,” showed users discussing the vaccines in five distinct themes:
1. Reasons to refuse the vaccine
2. Side effects
3. Population control through the vaccines
4. Children getting vaccinated without parental consent
5. Comparison of other health issues with COVID-19
Previous research has extensively examined communication via social media, but Parler, a relatively new platform that has undergone controversy and was deplatformed for several weeks following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, has not been studied widely. The authors, who study environmental, health communications, and new social and digital media topics, analyzed how people discussed vaccines, an important public health issue, among like-minded individuals. While the research didn’t compare users’ political leanings, the platform was widely popular with conservative users and was touted as an alternative to others such as Twitter or Facebook, which they accused of anti-conservative bias.
“If you live in a bubble in which you only hear from people who share the same views as you and information that supports that, that tends to reinforce what you already believe in. It’s also about people you trust. We didn’t have demographic information on users, but we did find echo chambers existed there, and people even used the hashtag #echo,” Ittefaq said.
Among the five key themes, users frequently used a large number of hashtags to help spread their content further, such as #nocovidvaccine, #novaccine, #wedonotconsent, #vaxaware, #wakeupworld and many others. Users also shared polls showing people in the U.S. and Europe didn’t want a vaccine, or they shared dubiously sourced news stories about nurses who suffered from Bell’s palsy after getting the dose. This finding also appeared in the second most frequent theme regarding side effects. Users shared posts about people dying after receiving the vaccine or who had cognitive effects or were hospitalized.
“Some of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy are deemed legit, and the major concerns may have been a result of people being skeptical of the side effects,” Abwao said. “Currently, we have experienced cases where some vaccines have been discontinued; however, this should not deter people from getting vaccinated.”
One of the most popular conspiracy theories shared was that vaccines were being developed as a means for government or a new world order to control the population, according to the KU researchers. Frequent conspiracies involved the use of microchips via the vaccine or an enzyme that would control the population, the study found. People often included links, videos and images with such parleys, though when sources were included, they were from nonverified sites or contained videos that were purported to be leaked from the government. In other themes, users shared posts claiming schools would vaccinate children without parents’ consent or cast doubt on the pandemic’s severity, comparing it to other health issues such as the flu, or citing abortion statistics to claim it was not as deadly as commonly reported. Common hashtags in those themes included #scamdemic, #plandemic, #idonotconsent, #covidhoax and #nocovidvaccine.
The findings illustrate several key points in health communications and social media use, the authors said. People listen to the messages of elected officials and will adhere to them, such as Trump calling the virus a hoax or U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s endorsement of Parler as a place to share opinions on current issues. The views shared by people can not only spread misinformation but can also be informative for policymakers and public health officials to counter anti-vax rhetoric, the KU researchers said. On the Parler platform anyone can post claims online without going through verification steps and share that information with others. This can be dangerous, especially for those who might be more vulnerable and not be able to identify misinformation, Baines said.
Public health officials have a difficult job in which they are trained to perform science and share findings, not to combat misinformation, Ittefaq said. But, if they are able to use credible information through stories of individuals and trusted experts, they can help disseminate credible information on health crises to the public. Failing to do so can have negative ramifications in future public health crises, he added. The analysis shows people listen to those similar to themselves, and that if public health officials can share valid information with people who can share it with their peers, they will have greater success in situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in which people continue to seek valid information about the vaccines.
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Contact: Jill Hummels, Office of the Provost, 785-864-6577, [email protected], @KUProvost
Chief of police search committee to lead candidate presentations
LAWRENCE — Three candidates for the next University of Kansas chief of police and director of public safety will begin campus interviews beginning Wednesday, June 2.
The search committee, led by Callie Long, associate vice provost for operations, invites the campus community to watch a virtual public presentation by each candidate and submit questions. The search began after current Chief of Police Chris Keary announced internally his intent to retire this year.
The chief of police and director of public safety is responsible for providing leadership and direction for all operations of the Office of Public Safety. The next police chief will formulate a strategic vision and mission for the department, develop policies and make policy and procedural decisions of the department related to the operation and delivery of police services and the security of the university. The individual will implement procedures for enforcement of agency regulations, state and federal laws and local ordinances. The chief of police is expected to work toward creating a diverse staff that contributes to a campuswide culture of care and helps everyone in the KU community feel they belong.
Candidates have been asked to present their thoughts on “Police Reform on a University Campus.” The presentation schedule:
1. June 2, 11 a.m.-noon, Candidate 1: Register here
2. June 3, 1-2 p.m., Candidate 2: Register here
3. June 4, 1:45-2:45 p.m., Candidate 3: Register here
Registration is required for all presentation viewers. Participation in each presentation will be limited to the first 300 registrants. Questions from viewers will be moderated and presented by search committee members.
Candidate 1 is Terence Calloway, chief of police and assistant vice president of Campus Safety and Security at Florida A&M University. Calloway joined Florida A&M in 2013 after serving as chief of police at Austin Peay State University from January 2012 to June 2013, and as chief of police for the Village of Woodmere, Ohio, from January 2010 to January 2012. He has held additional positions at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland and in the city of Warrensville Heights, Ohio. Calloway has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from David N. Myers University and a master’s in justice administration from Tiffin University. He attended the FBI National Academy Session 244 in 2011 and the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy in 2018. He has been an adjunct instructor at Florida A&M, Austin Peay and Cuyahoga Community College. His resume is available for review on the search webpage.
The second candidate is Nelson Mosley, police chief of Rose Hill. Mosley joined the Rose Hill Police Department as its leader in July 2016. He spent much of his law enforcement career in the Wichita Police Department, beginning in 1987 as a police officer and advancing through the ranks to become deputy police chief in 2009 and ultimately serve as the interim police chief from September 2014 to January 2016. After earning an associate’s degree from Butler Community College, Mosley went on to acquire a bachelor’s degree in human resources management and a master’s degree in management, both from Friends University. His professional training includes the 241st session of the FBI National Academy, the Chief Executive Leadership Course of the Southern Police Institute and Leadership Wichita. He is the current president of the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police. Mosley has been an adjunct professor at both Wichita State University and Butler Community College. His resume will be available for review on the search webpage.
Finalists for leadership position at KU are typically announced one to two business days in advance of their campus interviews. The final candidate will be announced June 3.
The presentations of all candidates will be recorded and posted to the search webpage after the final candidate has completed campus interviews. Long invites the campus community to be a part of the presentation and also to provide feedback on the candidates by June 13. A link for the feedback form is available on the search webpage.
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Don’t miss new episodes of “When Experts Attack!,”
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https://kansaspublicradio.org/when-experts-attack
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Contact: Zac Walker, Dole Institute of Politics, 785-864-9319, [email protected], @DoleInstitute
Dole Institute to welcome Juan Manuel Santos for special virtual program
LAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced that it will livestream a special event featuring former Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos at 7 p.m. June 10 on the institute’s YouTube channel.
“We are excited to welcome President Santos back to the institute,” said Bill Lacy, director of the Dole Institute. “He will be discussing his new book about his work on ending the Colombian Civil War. His efforts to end the 50-year-long conflict led to him winning the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
“In his book ‘The Battle for Peace,’ Santos shares the lessons he learned about war and peace and how to build a successful negotiation process in the midst of a conflict where a resolution seemed impossible. While Santos is clear that there is no handbook for making peace, he offers conflict-tested guidance on the critical parameters, conditions and principles as well as rich detail on the innovations that made it possible for his nation to find common ground and a just solution.”
Santos was president of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. Prior to becoming president, Santos had a long career of public service in Colombia, including as minister of foreign trade, minister of finance and public credit, and minister of national defense. Santos prepared for these roles by attending KU, through postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics and Harvard University, as a Fulbright Fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and in the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. He is founder and chairman of the board of Compaz Center of Resources for Peace, which works for the empowerment of victims, the consolidation of peace, the reduction of poverty and inequality, and the defense of the environment in Colombia and the planet.
This special program will only be livestreamed to the institute’s YouTube channel and its website, www.doleinstitute.org. Follow the Dole Institute on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for updates regarding this and future programming. This program is co-sponsored by the University Press of Kansas and the KU Alumni Association. The Association features Santos on the cover of Kansas Alumni, its quarterly magazine, and highlights an excerpt from his book. The magazine is available at kansasalumnimagazine.org.
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Contact: Sherrie Saathoff, School of Education & Human Sciences, 785-864-4297, [email protected], @KUSOEHS
KU announces featured speakers for the 2021 Virtual Summer Conference
LAWRENCE — The School of Education & Human Sciences at the University of Kansas has announced the featured speakers for each session of the 2021 Strategies for Educational Improvement Summer Conference, a virtual multisession professional development series.
This year’s theme, “Back to the Future: Time to Redesign,” will focus on the needs for today’s PK-12 teachers, schools, districts and other education service providers. Each virtual session supports an overall topic that includes multiple presenters and a moderator.
This year’s featured speakers for each session:
1. June 15: “Re-entry & Supporting Socio-emotional Health for Teachers & Administrators” with Jenny Flinders, KU Center for Public Partnerships & Research; Arpita Ghosh, assistant professor in the KU Department of Educational Psychology; Jacqueline Rodriguez, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools; and M’Balia Thomas, assistant professor in the KU Department of Curriculum and Teaching.
2. June 17: “Re-entry & Supporting Socio-emotional Learning for Students” with Shanna Bigler-McKenzie, Kansas State Department of Education; Amy Gaumer Erickson, associate research professor in the KU Center for Research on Learning; and Marta Silva Serrano, Olathe North High School.
3. June 22: “Re-entry & Curriculum Challenges” with Julie Ewing, Kansas State Department of Education; Jarius Jones, Center Middle School; Nicholas Mitchell, assistant professor in the KU Department of Curriculum & Teaching; and Dyane Smokorowski, Wichita Public Schools.
4. June 24: “Countering Disinformation, Misinformation & Hate Speech in the Classroom” with Jessica Bassett, Lawrence High School; Shelly Cline, Midwest Center for Holocaust Education; and D.A. Graham, KU Office of the Provost
The virtual conference is free and open to the public, but online registration is required and capped at 500 individuals for each session. Individuals are also able to earn KU credit as part of their participation in the sessions. Learn more and access the online registration form for each session.
The 2021 Virtual Summer Conference is co-hosted by the KU School of Education & Human Sciences and the KU Global Education Academy, with support from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas Alliance for the Arts in Education (KSAAE).
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Contact: Margaret Hair, School of Law, 785-864-9205, [email protected], @kulawschool
Law graduate Bria Nelson wins public interest award
LAWRENCE – Bria Nelson, a recent graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law from Woodstock, Illinois, is a recipient of a 2021 Equal Justice Works Regional Public Interest Award. Nelson is one of eight students selected for the national award, which recognizes law students for their exemplary commitment to public interest law and pro bono work.
As a law student, Nelson’s passion for racial justice initiatives led them to serve at several legal services organizations, including the Disability Rights Center of Kansas and the ACLU of Kansas Clemency Project. This spring, they worked as a legal extern with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. in Washington, D.C.
After graduation, Nelson will join the ACLU of Kansas for a one-year fellowship working in partnership with the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project. Nelson worked as a legal intern with the Capital Punishment Project following their second year of law school.
“My experiences in various organizations both inside the law school and outside of the law school in the Lawrence community and greater legal institution have shaped my values, beliefs and who I am today,” Nelson said.
“While the fight for equality may never be won, I believe elevating the voices of those who are often not heard or misunderstood will push us further toward our goal. I plan to do just that throughout my public interest career,” they said.
Chosen from 75 applications, the award winners were selected by the Equal Justice Works National Advisory Committee for providing outstanding service through law clinics, volunteer work, internships, extracurricular projects and other initiatives.
“We are delighted and proud to recognize Bria for their exemplary service at KU Law and at legal aid organizations in the Lawrence community,” said Aoife Delargy Lowe, vice president of law school engagement and advocacy at Equal Justice Works. “Bria is an impressive law student whose unwavering commitment to helping others is truly inspiring.”
At KU Law, Nelson was president of the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council, treasurer of Black Law Students Association, a campus student representative for Equal Justice Works, a law student ambassador and class vice president for the Student Bar Association. They also participated in OUTLaws & Allies and the undergraduate ACLU of KU student organization.
Nelson recently received the law school’s inaugural Dru Mort Sampson Center for Diversity & Inclusion Award of Distinction. The award is given to the student who, in the opinion of the law faculty, has exhibited exemplary leadership and a commitment to promoting diversity and belonging – both in Green Hall and in the law school’s broader communities.
Nelson also received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the KU Office of Multicultural Affairs, which honors graduate students doing excellent work, both in and out of the classroom. Nelson earned Pro Bono Distinction at graduation for completing more than 50 hours of unpaid legal service during law school.
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