KU's Confucius Institute, cited as one of the best in the world, enhances understanding of Chinese language and culture by offering courses on the Mandarin language, Chinese customs, history and more.

Jennifer Bertrand, who earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from KU, won HGTV's "Design Star" competition. Bertrand receives a contract for her own show on HGTV, which will premiere in January.

Chancellor Robert Hemenway (above foreground) and Engineering Dean Stuart Bell recently joined government and academic officials from many nations at the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling site. They represented KU's Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets.

KU is a great place to earn a degree, and a recent study says it's a top spot to have a career, too. The university is featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education's "2008 Great Colleges to Work For." A KU professor even made the cover of the issue.

This year's Hawk Week takes place Aug. 17-23. From carnival games at the Kansas Union to a rock concert by Ben Kweller, take advantage of all the free fun as you meet new friends, learn about university offices and get involved before the start of the fall semester.

Valentino Stella (center), distinguished professor of pharmaceutical chemistry, holds 32 patents for drugs that treat cancer, AIDS, epilepsy and other diseases. At the KU Cancer Center, Stella is helping make KU a leader in the development of drugs to combat cancer.

The 1950s were marked with extreme change in American living. KU grad Tim Miller researched the era for his dissertation, specifically looking at the the kinds of foods people ate and how they reflected the cultural shifts taking place in that time period.

Five KU students, two spring graduates and two faculty members are working this summer in Switzerland with more than 1,000 scientists who are preparing to launch a supercollider project that could change fundamental knowledge of the universe.

KU is doing its part to ensure that stateside technology has an impact on lives in faraway lands. A team of physicians and nurses recently removed a tumor from the face of a 7-year-old boy from Mali. The daylong surgery removed the tumor completely.