by Whitney Harder

(Dec. 1, 2014) – William Rayens, University of Kentucky statistics professor, was recently honored for his work in undergraduate education with a nomination in the 2014 U.S. Professors of the Year awards program.

“Teaching may well be the most important enterprise we engage in as professors, and I was thrilled to be asked to compete for one of the 2014 awards," said Rayens.

Rayens, director of undergraduate education in the Department of Statistics, developed the general education course "STA 210: Intro to Statistical Reasoning," implemented in the fall of 2011. Serving as assistant provost for general education

by Whitney Hale

The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards announced that history senior and Army ROTC cadet Dahlia d'Arge, of Paris, Kentucky, has been named a Marshall Scholar. The scholarship will finance two years of graduate study for her at an institution of her choice in the United Kingdom. D'Arge is the third UK student to receive the honor from the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission. 

"University of Kentucky students compete and succeed at a national level in academic competition, research and for national awards," said 

by Whitney Harder

(Nov. 25, 2014) — The University of Kentucky President’s Sustainability Advisory Committee recently announced seven sustainability projects receiving grants, a total of $100,000 in funding, from the UK Sustainability Challenge Grant Program. A wide range of sustainability projects were chosen, from North Limestone neighborhood initiatives to "microcomputers" that monitor individual sustainability impact on campus.  

The grant program issued a campus-wide call for proposals Aug. 15 seeking interdisciplinary, sustainability-driven proposals. By the deadline of Oct. 15, the program received 22 proposals requesting more than $450,000. Through an extensive review process, seven

By Guy Spriggs

Drew Myers is a psychology major and award-winning Army ROTC cadet whose hobbies range from hunting and fishing to playing the ukulele. His primary academic and professional interest is in the field of human factors – a combination of human psychology and product design.

Myers clearly has no problem reconciling such differences; he doesn’t just want to learn to fly helicopters, he wants to design a better cockpit.

After graduating from Oldham County High School, Myers considered pursuing his interests through the Air Force Academy, but eventually decided to go the civilian route at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. While Myers says he loved his time at Riddle, he left

(Nov. 24, 2014) — With Thanksgiving around the corner, cooks across the Commonwealth may still be deciding what traditional Kentucky dishes must be served at the annual holiday feast. A new book by retired faculty member of the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology, John van Willigen, might just have the answer.

While many home chefs and foodies enjoy reading and collecting cookbooks, few scholars have examined them with an eye toward what they can tell us about the culture that produced them. In "Kentucky’s Cookbook Heritage: Two Hundred Years of Southern Cuisine and Culture," anthropologist and food scholar van Willigen examines cookbooks from the Commonwealth that have been

By Sarah Schuetze

Sean Bemis put his hands together side by side to demonstrate two plates of the earth’s crust with a smooth boundary running between them. But that boundary is not always smooth and those plates do not always sit together neatly, which makes the earth’s crust a dynamic and complex surface.  

As a structural geologist and paleoseismologist, Bemis often uses visual and three dimensional (3D) models to explain his studies of the earth’s crust; sometimes that entails sophisticated 3D digital imagery, maps and diagrams of fault lines, the rocks he processes in his lab, or, as in this case, his own hands.

These techniques not only help Bemis demonstrate his research, they also represent the multidimensional nature of his work.

Bemis, an assistant professor in

(Nov. 20, 2014) — As University of Kentucky freshmen settle into life as college students, a new resource on campus has been helping them adjust to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs, known for difficult coursework. Undergraduate instructional assistants (UIAs) within one of the university's newest Living Learning Programs, STEMCats, use their past experiences to mentor incoming UK students.

The College of Arts and Sciences recently produced a podcast about the STEMCats community, featuring many STEMCats UIAs explaining what they enjoy about the program and their connections with younger STEM students.

"You get to

by Gail Hairston

(Nov. 20, 2014) — The reason a female student might not return to her university after her freshman year:

   A) Finances

   B) Grades

   C) Rape

Too many times ‒ more frequently than we have truly understood ‒ the answer is “C.”

The results of a study done among female freshmen at the University of Kentucky in 2011 linking sexual assault and poor academic performance are “direct and compelling,” wrote its authors, Carol Jordan, director of the UK Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women; Jessica Combs, a graduate student in clinical psychology; and Gregory Smith, a professor, university research professor, and director of the doctoral program in clinical psychology.

It wasn’t particularly surprising – for UK results mirror numerous national studies -- that the rate

Video by UK Public Relations and Marketing

by Sibel Solagan

(Nov. 19, 2014) — As UK celebrates its sesquicentennial this year, one faculty member in particular has plenty to remember about his history with the university.

 Out of 150 years, I’ve experienced 58 years of UK’s history. Technically, I’m in my 116th semester,” said Pradyumna (Paul) Karan, who is originally from India.    

In August of 1956, Martin M. White, dean of the UK College of Arts and Sciences, hired Karan to teach geography – making Karan one of the first international faculty members in UK's history.

“[Dr. White] couldn’t say

By Rosanna Willhite

The Center for English as a Second Language is pleased to welcome 53 students from Mexico. The students arrived over the weekend of November 9th and will be visiting scholars for one month. The scholars represent not only promising undergraduate students, but also teachers of English and other disciplines in universities in Mexico. They are part of an initiative by the Mexican government called Proyecta 100,000, which aims to send 100,000 students to the United States by 2018.

Please join us as we welcome these visiting scholars by introducing yourself to them at CESL events and partnerships. We hope this will be the beginning of a thriving partnership with Mexico and Proyecta 100,000.

Click the link: Consul of Mexico, Mr. Jorge Sanchez Catano (Vimeo) to view the

by Whitney Harder

(Nov. 17, 2014) — The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center will continue its Appalachian Forum with a screening of "Up the Ridge" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18. A discussion will follow with the film's co-producer Amelia Kirby, development director of the Appalachian Citizens Law Center and Melynda Price, director of the African American and Africana Studies Program and College of Law faculty member.

The event will be held in Room 213 of Kastle Hall and is

by Kathy Johnson

(Nov. 14, 2014) — WUKY's "UK Perspectives" focuses on the people and programs of the University of Kentucky and is hosted by WUKY General Manager Tom Godell.  Guest host today is WUKY News Director Alan Lytle who welcomes UK alumna and history instructor Maryjean Wall, author of a new book on one of Lexington's most colorful historical characters — Belle Brezing.

To listen to the podcast interview from which "UK Perspectives" is produced, click here.

"UK Perspectives" airs at 8:35 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. each Friday on WUKY 91.3, UK's NPR station.

by Mallory Powell

(Nov. 13, 2014) — Jasmine Newman admits that it was a TV show that sparked her interest in cultural anthropology. Growing up in Pikeville, Kentucky, Newman loved watching Bones, a TV series about solving crimes using forensic anthropology. In one episode, the main character mentioned cultural anthropology, a term that Newman didn't know.

"I started researching, and just fell in love with the idea of studying people, studying culture, and using that knowledge to help people relate to each other," she says.

Her passion is evident: Not only is Newman is graduating early with a bachelor's degree in cultural and applied anthropology, she's spent the past two summers interning with community empowerment organizations in South Africa and Appalachia. Both of Newman's internships were facilitated through UK.

"UK has a real drive

by Whitney Hale, Mack McCormick

(Nov. 12, 2014) — Now in its 33rd year, the Kentucky Book Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Frankfort Convention Center. This year’s fair will feature around 200 authors showcasing their most recent books including several authors from the University of Kentucky and University Press of Kentucky (UPK).

Sponsored by The State Journal, and co-sponsored by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, 

(Nov. 10, 2014) - The Lexington Herald-Leader took a look at a creative new undertaking that is becoming available at the University of Kentucky - an undergraduate certificate in distillation, wine and brewing studies.



>>Read the full Herald-Leader article

The Department of Chemistry's Bert Lynn is directly involved, as his class on spirit chemistry is one of the four courses needed for the certificate.

Students aren't the only ones who will benefit from the courses. Distillers, brewers and winemakers have been encouraging the university to establish a connection of skilled talent for a burgeoning business. Kentucky's bourbon industry

(Nov. 7, 2014) – Wake up! What if you never had to hear those two words again? A recent online article for Live Science contemplated what life might look like if there were a cure for sleep, and the possible sociological impacts that would follow.

Would you be more productive, healthier, or smarter? Mairead Eastin Moloney, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Kentucky, warned against the idea that a world without sleep would be an improvement, and stressed the importance that sleep has in structuring people’s lives.

>>Read the full Live Science article here

Moloney has done additional research tied

(Nov. 6, 2014) - Professor of Sociology Dwight Billings recently appeared as a guest on BBC World Service Radio to talk about hillbilly stereotypes. Billings says there has always been an interest in the American “other” – an interest that seems to have contrasting parts of fascination and fear.



He also went on to discuss how the stereotypes of people in Appalachia have led to making the area “a sacrifice zone” when it comes to progress in the region.

Listen to the broadcast here: https://soundcloud.com/bbc-world-service/hillbilly-stereotypes

In a career that has spanned over 40 years, Billings has written groundbreaking works on Appalachia, including the book "The Road to Poverty: the Making of Wealth and Hardship in Appalachia," for which he and co-

by Kathy Johnson

(Nov. 5, 2014) —