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KUEC Partnerships Further Mission, Innovation and Local Business

Every day, the KU Edwards Campus (KUEC) strives to further its partnerships with Kansas City’s academic and business communities, as well as provide valuable services to the Kansas City community at large. This spring has provided rich opportunities for connection and growth for the campus, as well as its relationships with local businesses and educational institutions.

AstrumU College & Career Pathways Summit
In February, the campus hosted two events discussing the future of Kansas City’s professional talent pool, and how higher education institutions can rise to meet local needs. The AstrumU College & Career Pathways Summit brought together technology innovators, Kansas City business leaders and educators to discuss the cultivation of local talent, including the practical and interpersonal skills that companies look for in new employees.

Leaders from KC Rising, the DeBruce Companies, Cerner and Black & Veatch joined KUEC Vice Chancellor David Cook, Ph.D., for a panel discussion on innovative ways to strengthen the partnership between industry and higher education.

JCERT Partnership Day
On Feb. 28, campus leaders, faculty and staff from KUEC, Kansas State University and the KU Clinical Research Center met for JCERT Partnership Day. This afternoon of events and discussions focused on the successes of and continuing collaboration between universities in the Johnson County Education Research Triangle (JCERT) and the Kansas City business community to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals.

Cook said these events provided exciting possibilities for Kansas City’s education landscape.

“Partnering with local businesses and K-State is important for us,” Cook said. “We’re pioneering a lot of different things, and with that come some fun, exciting challenges that we’re looking forward to meeting.”

Education and business leaders gathered at KUEC on Feb. 26
for the College & Career Pathways Summit. (From left) KUEC Vice Chancellor David Cook, Ph.D., Sandy Price, KC Rising co-chair; Leo Morton, COO of Debruce Companies and former UMKC chancellor;
Laura Evans, senior director of human capital and talent development
at Cerner; and Chris Gould, AVP and director of global talent
acquisition at Black & Veatch.

Gen. Richard B. Myers (left), president of Kansas State University,
greets KU Chancellor Douglas A. Girod, M.D., to kick off the day.

JCERT's Suze Parker (far left) moderated the Fireside Chat during JCERT Partnership Day on Feb. 28 at KUEC, with
KUEC Vice Chancellor David Cook, Ph.D.; Richard Barohn, M.D.,
vice chancellor for research, KU Medical Center; Ralph Richardson, DVM, dean and CEO, K-State Olathe; and Roy Jensen, M.D.,
director, The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

KU Coding Boot Camp Graduation
On March 17, 45 participants graduated from the second cohort of the KU Coding Boot Camp. This 24-week program is a collaboration with Trilogy Education Services that teaches students coding skills they can apply towards a career. The graduation event brought in employers from several local companies, including Cerner, Children’s Mercy Hospital and Lockton Affinity to network with students and discuss their professional goals. The third Coding Boot Camp cohort begins this month.

Upcoming Events
KUEC also has events planned throughout coming months to further the campus’ relationships with Kansas City businesses and academic institutions. On April 10, the campus will host “Beyond Generational Stereotypes: How to Boost Employee Engagement and Innovation by Addressing Hidden Forms of Age-Related Exclusion and Conflict in Your Organization,” an event for HR professionals to help address and improve age diversity in the workplace. The presentation will also be given as a free webinar May 17.

On April 23, KUEC will announce a new partnership with Metropolitan Community College (MCC) that will ease the transition for MCC transfer students completing their degree at KUEC. The partnership will allow an MCC Associate of Arts to fulfill KU Core 1-3 requirements for students entering KUEC programs.

Finally, on April 27, KUEC students earning their Bachelor of Applied Science in Biotechnology will partner with local high school, community college and KU freshman and sophomore students to present their capstone projects. Students in the program recruited research apprentices from area schools to assist with their projects and promote awareness of biotechnology education and career options.

Carolyn McKnight, director of community relations and business development, said innovative partnerships with local businesses provide valuable opportunities for everyone involved. “We’re excited to offer programs and networking events that directly meet the needs of Kansas City businesses and open professional doors for our students,” McKnight said.

Mark Your Calendar: Chancellor's Inaugural Research Symposium

Join KU Chancellor Douglas Girod, M.D., and Kansas City business leaders from 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, April 19, in the Regnier Hall Auditorium for TED Talk-style presentations from four of KU's top translational scientists and a KU alumnus who worked as an administrator for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Learn more, and RSVP for this free event.