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Extinction of steam locomotives derails assumptions about biological evolution
LAWRENCE — When the Kinks’ Ray Davies penned the tune “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains,” the vanishing locomotives stood as nostalgic symbols of a simpler English life. But for a paleontologist at the University of Kansas, the replacement of steam-powered trains with diesel and electric engines, as well as cars and trucks, might be a model of how some species in the fossil record died out.
Investment in information technology helps companies maximize innovation, study finds
LAWRENCE — A new study from a University of Kansas professor of business finds that firms with robust investments in IT produce more patents with greater value. Further, it finds such firms produce more patents that emphasize new knowledge. “Whether they’re managing the communication, the networking or the actual system in place, the knowledge of IT employees is very important in maximizing innovation output,” said Adi Masli, study co-author.
Four researchers named recipients of University Scholarly Achievement Award
LAWRENCE — Four midcareer faculty members at the University of Kansas — Erik Scott, Sandra Billinger, Timothy Jackson and Jeffrey Hall — will receive an award in recognition of their significant research or scholarly achievements in their field. The University Scholarly Achievement Award recipients will be honored, along with other university researchers, at the University Research Awards ceremony April 25.
KU pianist will perform world premiere of ‘Song of Spring Outing’
LAWRENCE — The Asian Classical Music Initiative and the University of Kansas Center for East Asian Studies will present the world premiere of “Song of Spring Outing,” a solo piano piece composed by Chen Yi, distinguished professor of composition at UMKC Conservatory. The performance, to take place at 7:30 p.m. March 30 at the Lied Center of Kansas Pavilion, will be performed by Yi-Yang Chen, assistant professor of piano at the KU School of Music.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Brendan Lynch, KU News Service, 785-864-8855, [email protected], @BrendanMLynch
Extinction of steam locomotives derails assumptions about biological evolution
LAWRENCE — When the Kinks’ Ray Davies penned the tune “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains,” the vanishing locomotives stood as nostalgic symbols of a simpler English life. But for a paleontologist at the University of Kansas, the replacement of steam-powered trains with diesel and electric engines, as well as cars and trucks, might be a model of how some species in the fossil record died out.
Bruce Lieberman, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and senior curator of invertebrate paleontology at the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum, sought to use steam-engine history to test the merits of “competitive exclusion,” a long-held idea in paleontology that species can drive other species to extinction through competition.
Working with former KU postdoctoral researcher Luke Strotz, now of Northwest University in Xi’an, China, Lieberman found the fossil record largely lacks the detailed data verifying competitive exclusion found in the history of steam engines: “It’s really hard to actually see any evidence that competition does play a big role in evolution,” Lieberman said.
Their findings have just been published in the paper “The end of the line: competitive exclusion and the extinction of historical entities” in the peer-reviewed journal Royal Society Open Science.
“There’s always been a bias to assume in the scientific community that competition is sort of the fundamental force that drives evolution and plays the biggest role on extinction,” Lieberman said. “That idea comes from a lot of different areas of research, including on the fossil record. But we, as paleontologists, have to dive down deeper into the data and analyze them.”
What would the ideal “fossil record” for steam trains look like? The researchers discovered a mother lode of data on steam engines, including their die-off, in Locobase, a steam locomotive database compiled and curated by Steve Llanso and accessible through steamlocomotive.com, a website run by Wes Barris.
“I’d always been fascinated by steam engines because they’re the technological equivalent of dinosaurs,” Lieberman said. “They’re gigantic. We infer dinosaurs made a lot of noise. We know that steam locomotives made a lot of noise, but they’re no longer with us.”
Lieberman and Strotz found the train database stood as an example of the sort of evidence necessary for paleontologists to conclude certain species died off due to competitive exclusion, or direct competition with other species.
“We’ve been thinking of trying to find a model from technology where we could say, ‘Aha! Here we have good evidence for competition playing the critical role,’” Lieberman said. “We’d know when certain new technologies appeared, like the mass production of the motor vehicle and the diesel locomotive. Maybe this is a case where we see what happened due to competition. Then, let’s look at the fossil record and try and use this technology as an example of what we need to see if we are going to, in fact, demonstrate competition played a role in extinction.”
The relevant train history for the KU researchers begins before steam-engine trains faced competition from emergent technologies that performed the same tasks. They focused on how much tractive effort was generated by steam engines versus the newer engines that would replace them.
“You start to see these new competitive challenges to the steam locomotive — first, the electrification of engines in the 1880s, and then the development of the automobile,” Lieberman said. “It was no longer efficient for railroads to use steam locomotives to pull things. Then they start to become more specialized and can only thrive in one or just a few areas pulling heavy things and maybe moving longer distances.”
Looking at the phase-out of steam locomotion, the researchers found evidence of “an immediate, directional response to the first appearance of a direct competitor, with subsequent competitors further reducing the realized niche of steam locomotives, until extinction was the inevitable outcome.”
But the study suggests extinction can be tied directly to competition between species only under specific circumstances “when niche overlap between an incumbent and its competitors is near absolute and where the incumbent is incapable of transitioning to a new adaptive zone.”
How might this work in the natural world? Lieberman cited three examples where paleontologists believed direct competition between species triggered extinction for some of the competitors. In some cases, the idea that competitive exclusion was at play has been debunked; in other examples, evidence of competitive exclusion falls far short compared with the meticulous data available on the demise of steam engines.
“One of the classic examples involved mammals and non-flying dinosaurs, where the traditional view was, ‘Hey, the mammals were smarter and quicker and they dropped these dinosaurs to extinction,’” he said. “Now we know that it was a giant rock that fell out of the sky that caused this tremendous environmental damage, and bigger things are more likely to be susceptible to that. The second famous example involves trilobites and crustaceans, and the last example is clams and brachiopods.”
The KU researcher said data on steam locomotives might cast doubt on the notion that adaptability in a species is a hallmark of evolutionary success. Rather, the study adds to evidence that species adapting to new roles and environments do so from desperation.
“For a time when there’s no competitors to steam-locomotive technology, we see them almost diversify and diffuse into no particular direction,” Lieberman said. “But when these new locomotives appear, we see a profound shift to really active natural selection and adaptation of the steam locomotive. Often, it’s thought that adaptation is a good sign for a group. But what we would argue is, in fact, when things start to adapt and shift directionally — traditionally in evolution that’s not a good time for a group. We’d argue it’s a sign the group may be experiencing duress or pressure from other things.”
By better understanding the causes, conditions and frequency of competitive exclusion, Lieberman said it might be possible to predict what species risk extinction in the years ahead, as human-driven climate change alters and reduces habitats for the world’s species.
“We wanted not just to look at the past, but to be able to predict competition,” Lieberman said. “Can we look at specific groups that are alive today that we might be able to project out into the future and say, ‘Hey, this thing is showing signs that it’s in this danger zone already.’ We can predict whether it’s going to go extinct.”
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Contact: Jon Niccum, KU News Service, 785-864-7633, [email protected]
Investment in information technology helps companies maximize innovation, study finds
LAWRENCE — Companies must innovate in order to sustain competitive advantage. But a new study reveals how integral information technology is to maintaining that advantage.
“What we find is investments in IT systems and in IT human resource is critical to maximize innovation across multiple categories,” said Adi Masli, a professor of business and Koch Foundation Fellow at the University of Kansas.
His article titled “Complementarity Between Investment in Information Technology (IT) and IT Human Resources: Implications for Different Types of Firm Innovation” finds that firms with robust investments in IT produce more patents with greater value. Further, it finds such firms produce more patents that emphasize new knowledge. It’s published in Information Systems Research.
Co-written by Feng Guo of Iowa State University and Yijun Li of Erasmus University Rotterdam (who both earned doctorates in accounting from KU) and Likoebe Maruping of Georgia State University, the study analyzes four types of innovation: incremental, radical, non-IT related and IT-related.
“There is a complementarity piece to investments in IT,” Masli said.
“Not only do you need to invest in tangible IT systems — software, hardware, networks and others — you also need to invest in the workplace environment for IT employees within the company. The complementarity of those two IT factors maximizes your innovation output.”
Masli’s impetus for the research began when he read an issue of Computerworld magazine that published an annual list of the “Best Places to Work in IT.”
He said, “It’s difficult to get that type of data about the workplace environment. There’s no mandatory requirement in financial reports suggesting companies have to determine and disclose how good or bad their workplace environment is. So when I came across this publication, it sparked that idea. Now we had a measure of how to assess the investments in workplace quality for IT employees in organizations.”
Using a sample involving 36,812 firm-year observations, Masli’s team analyzed various factors that play into a healthy workplace environment, including aspects such as work/life balance, opportunity for promotion and diversity.
Originally, he expected such investment would only help IT innovation output. However, the research team found it had a beneficial impact on non-IT innovation output as well. Similarly, the research looked at incremental innovation (the kind based on existing knowledge) versus radical innovation (the kind that creates new knowledge).
“We were expecting this complementarity to affect only one of these types, but we found it was pretty pervasive,” he said. “IT investment impacts all these different types of innovation.”
Innovation was traced through the amount of patents issued. But it wasn’t just the quantity which proved important; Masli was also interested in evaluating the quality. His team determined the “market value” of these innovations by gauging the change in total stock market capitalization in a three-day window in response to the issuing of a new patent.
Masli joined KU in 2011, where he continues his research in three key areas: the impact of IT in financial reporting quality and business performance; assurance and auditing of companies; and the labor market for executive teams. His past work concerning IT issues includes “Prioritizing IT Management Issues and Business Performance” for the Journal of Information Systems.
“Prior research has focused on how much money companies spent on tangible IT investments. What we’ve found is why companies shouldn’t overlook that the IT department itself serves as a critical support mechanism for innovation programs and departments,” Masli said.
“Whether they’re managing the communication, the networking or the actual system in place, the knowledge of IT employees is very important in maximizing innovation output. We can’t forget about the human element.”
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Four researchers named recipients of University Scholarly Achievement Award
LAWRENCE — Four midcareer faculty members at the University of Kansas will receive an award in recognition of their significant research or scholarly achievements in their field.
The University Scholarly Achievement Award recognizes truly outstanding scholarly or research contributions, with one award given each year in each of four categories: arts and humanities; medicine and clinical sciences; science, technology and mathematics; and social science and professional programs.
This year’s winners in each category are as follows:
1. Erik Scott, Department of History (arts & humanities)
2. Sandra Billinger, Department of Neurology (medicine and clinical science)
3. Timothy Jackson, Department of Chemistry (science, technology and mathematics)
4. Jeffrey Hall, Department of Communication Studies (social science and professional programs)
“These four scholars have all helped to elevate our university through their work, and I look forward to helping them celebrate their successes,” said Chancellor Douglas A. Girod. “Taken together, these faculty members and their inspiring achievements demonstrate the breadth and depth of the contributions to society that are possible through the work of one of America’s leading research universities.”
A panel chaired by Karrie Shogren, the Ross and Marianna Beach Distinguished Professor of Special Education in the KU School of Education & Human Sciences, reviewed the nominations from colleagues at KU and across the nation.
These four winners — along with the winners of other annual research awards — will be honored at the University Research Awards ceremony April 25. The event will be hosted by the chancellor, and all faculty and staff are invited to attend to help celebrate the university’s top researchers from both the Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses.
Additional information about each of this year’s recipients and their work from the nomination materials is below.
Erik Scott
Erik Scott, associate professor of history, is one of the most accomplished and original historians of Russia of his generation. His first book, titled “Familiar Strangers,” focused on the experience of Georgians living outside their homeland. Despite its narrow focus — or perhaps because of it — “Familiar Strangers” has become a key text for historians working to understand how people adapt to different ethno-territorial environments.
His second book, to be published by Oxford University Press in June 2023, is titled “World Without Exit: Soviet Cold War Defectors and the Borders of Globalization.” Telling the story of the Cold War through the personal stories of those who defected, it is both a brilliant rethinking of the Cold War and the first-ever history of defectors.
Sandra Billinger
Billinger is an internationally recognized pioneer and research leader in post-stroke clinical exercise testing and prescription. Her work has changed clinical practice paradigms at KU Medical Center and internationally, including substantial work in Singapore.
Billinger was recognized by the World Stroke Organization as one of 30 women globally as part of their Women in Stroke leadership recognition initiative. She is the only American physical therapist invited as a writing group member for the Canadian guidelines for exercise post-stroke in 2011 and updated in 2019. She was recently included in a newly formed physical activity workgroup within the International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance with a goal of codifying the first global, stroke-specific guidelines for physical activity and exercise after stroke, and she is working with colleagues in Singapore and their Ministry of Health to implement aerobic guidelines post-stroke nationally.
She has over 100 publications; two of these publications have over 1,000 citations each. Her letter writers describe her as “one of the five most accomplished PT-PhDs in the world” and a “force of nature.”
Timothy Jackson
Timothy Jackson is an outstanding, internationally recognized scholar who works in biomimetic transition metal chemistry. Jackson’s research has made a significant impact at the interface of chemical catalysis and chemical biology, utilizing metalloenzymes (nature’s highly refined catalysts) as biomimics for small molecule catalysts to harness environmentally taxing industrial chemical processes in an energy efficient and atom-economical fashion. His research synergistically uses synthetic, spectroscopic and computational approaches to advance biomimetic chemistry, ultimately addressing the critical challenges of finding new-generation catalysts for the synthesis of a variety of industrially and pharmaceutically important chemicals. In addition to his strong funding track record and significant scientific contributions, his continuous dedication to teaching and mentoring excellence is noteworthy.
Jeffrey Hall
Hall’s research focuses on interpersonal communication and human communication and technology, including the role of communication in creating, managing and enhancing relationships and the implications of technology-mediated communication on human society. One of his nominators described his scholarship as opening “an entirely new research trajectory for the field of communication.” Another noted that his work is prolific, impactful and is “shaping the way researchers and practitioners study interpersonal communication.”
He has written or co-written over 80 articles and book chapters and written two books. His work has been cited over 1,400 times and has been referenced by multiple media outlets. His most recent book, “Relating Through Technology,” has been described as one of the most important books in the area. His work has been funded through internal grants at KU, and he has received multiple awards for his publications from national and international professional organizations. He is also the founding editor-in-chief of the Human Communication & Technology journal.
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Contact: Elaine Huang, School of Music, [email protected]
KU pianist will perform world premiere of ‘Song of Spring Outing’
LAWRENCE — The Asian Classical Music Initiative (ACMI) and the University of Kansas Center for East Asian Studies will present the world premiere of “Song of Spring Outing,” a solo piano piece composed by Chen Yi, a distinguished professor of composition at UMKC Conservatory. The performance, to take place at 7:30 p.m. March 30 at the Lied Center of Kansas Pavilion, will be performed by Yi-Yang Chen, assistant professor of piano at the KU School of Music.
“Song of Spring Outing” is a part of the collaborative research project “Prelude,” funded by KU’s Racial Equity Research Grant. This project is a partnership between the KU Center for East Asian Studies and the KU School of Music. The performance will be preceded by the winners’ concert of the Orbifold Global Music Competition, starting at 5:30 p.m. This concert is also sponsored by the KU Student DEIB fund.
Yi is a highly acclaimed composer who blends Chinese and Western musical traditions, transcending cultural and stylistic boundaries. She was a 2006 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music and has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Since 1998, she has held a distinguished professorship at the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Founded by Zhengyingyue (Elaine) Huang, the KU Asian Classical Music Initiative aims to create a platform for the recognition and celebration of the contributions made by Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander classical music composers This organization is focused on presenting diverse musical styles and traditions, including both classical and contemporary genres, to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the rich and varied cultural heritage of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Since its founding in the summer of 2021, KU ACMI has already produced several concerts and hosted an international conference, which brought together scholars, composers, performers and music enthusiasts from around the world to share their insights and perspectives on AAAPI classical music. The initiative is also engaged in outreach efforts to raise awareness of AAAPI music and provide educational opportunities for musicians and students who are interested in exploring this genre. Through its various activities, the KU Asian Classical Music Initiative seeks to build bridges between cultures and communities and to foster greater understanding and appreciation of the unique artistic expressions of the AAAPI communities.
For more information, please visit kuacmi.com.
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