LAWRENCE — Community and industry leaders, policymakers and scholars will gather at the University of Kansas this month to discuss how to share and protect one of Kansas’ most important resources: water.
State water policy will be the topic of the 2025 Kansas Economic Policy Conference, which will take place Oct. 23 at the Burge Union on the Lawrence campus. The annual KEPC gathering will also feature a livestream option.
This year’s conference, Ripple Effect: Water and the Kansas Economy, is hosted by KU’s Institute for Policy & Social Research. Subject matter experts from a range of disciplines and locations across the state will discuss Kansas’ water from various perspectives.
The conference will begin with a keynote presentation from Donna Ginther, the Roy A. Roberts and Regents Distinguished Professor of Economics and IPSR director.
“Kansas leads the nation in establishing water rights for beneficial purposes,” Ginther said. “Water is a precious resource that contributes to economic growth and stability. This year’s Kansas Economic Policy Conference will address how water affects the Kansas economy in both urban and rural settings. It will feature in-depth research from KU and Kansas State as well as a robust discussion by leading lawmakers on the Kansas Water Task Force.”
Four scholars from KU and Kansas State University, including a Kansas Geological Survey scientist and an agricultural economics professor, will present their research. The first morning panel discussion will center on urban water and feature public service officials from Dodge City, Garden City, Hays and Wichita. Next, a conversation on rural water will feature speakers from the KU School of Engineering, Kansas Rural Center, Kansas Water Institute and Western Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 1.
After lunch, the conference will conclude a discussion of water policy in Kansas with Lindsay Vaughn, Kansas state representative from District 22 and ranking member of the Kansas House Committee on Water; Kenny Titus, Kansas state senator for District 18; and Josh Svaty of Gencur Svaty Public Affairs. Deb Miller, former secretary of transportation for the state of Kansas and current chair of the Kansas Turnpike Authority, and Jim McLean, senior reporter for Kansas News Service, will moderate the conversations.
The KEPC is offered at no cost to attendees. Registration is required, whether attending in person or virtually. Sign up using this registration link.
To learn more, visit the KEPC web page.
Contact the Institute for Policy & Social Research with questions by emailing ipsr@ku.edu or calling 785-864-3701.