OT: KUMEDCEN gets NCI cert & $$$$

KSHB.com: KU Cancer Center receives national Comprehensive Cancer Center designation

Great news for KU and the region!

What the article does not discuss is that this bolsters KU’s AAU status that was being examined a few years back, especially after NU — and apparently this year ISU? — lost theirs. Some lesser informed competitor voices think it is still in jeopardy (my assessment based on Twitter comments I’ve seen). IIRC KU’s status has not been at issue for several years now, but I will bow to someone with more knowledge on this topic than I.

Illhawk wrote: I am glad to see anything that bolsters KUs academic standing. But, I have to admit that I am starting to doubt whether anything beyond football success/attendance and size of television market is considered in the conference shuffle.

I hear ya, Illhawk, but it's a great thing regardless of its impact on conference realignment.
If it can help in any way shape or form with where KU ends up, great.

We can definitely say that it does not hurt to have AAU status -- and I do hope it helps eventually -- but it really is so much more important to KU than just that.

Sometimes we need to take a step back and focus on what really matters, and the academic status of KU has always been a point of pride for me. When that status has the potential to help the athletics side of the house, so much the better!

I know I'm preaching to the choir...

Interesting article on why ISU withdrew from AAU. Also discusses what happened with Nebraska.
Iowa State University is no longer a member of the prestigious, invitation-only "Association of American Universities." Why?

Interesting tidbit re: Comprehensive Cancer Centers at B1G schools.

Jolebo, JayhawkSlant poster:
“USC and UCLA have CCCs, along with 10 other Big 10 schools. Purdue has a basic lab CC and Nebraska has a CC. This makes the conversation about Oregon and Washington more interesting to watch because they also have CCCs.”

Link to original post

hoshi wrote: Will also help with continued AAU membership.

Exactly right! Huge impact, in fact.

The previously linked article on why ISU left the AAU last May discusses the AAU membership shifting their focus to place more value on universities with medical centers and related research and devaluing universities that are focusing more on agricultural research. Both ISU and NU have that complaint.

Much better article with deeper details in today’s paper.
Relay team of Hemingway/Gray-Little/Girod leading the way over the 18 years since the goal was set in 2004.
LJW article

$14M + $16M = $30M in new grants.
Program normally garners $80M per year in funding.

Cool chunks of change to help improve patient care in the region.

Article also notes the positive impact on KU standing in the Association of American Universities — “generally regarded as the group of North America’s most accomplished research universities” — and mentions ISU dropping out last May due to difficulties in maintaining its AAU status.