By Whitney Hale

(April 15, 2015) — University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center will host an opening reception for an exhibit highlighting four undergraduates' Learning Lab internship projects from 3-4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in the Great Hall of the Margaret I. King Library Building. The event will feature presentations from the four Learning Lab interns, including commentary on their scholarly projects.

The Learning Lab internship, now in its third year, is an experiential learning program that introduces undergraduate students to archival processing and theory using rare and

By Provost blog

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."
 

These words by Albert Einstein ring especially true today as our community honors seven faculty members and three teaching assistants who have dedicated themselves to preparing, advising and inspiring our students.

I will have the honor of recognizing these 10 individuals at the 2015 University of Kentucky Provost's Outstanding Teaching Awards ceremony this afternoon. 

The Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award recognizes regular and special title series faculty for outstanding teaching performance. The 2015 winners are:

•  Matthew J. Beck, College of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

•  Daniel S. Morey,

By Gail Hairston

(April 14, 2015) — As history-shattering events have a tendency to do, a quiet little revolution has been developing on the horizon. It has dodged in and out of the headlines for a couple of decades without a great deal of notice in the mainstream. And yet, it could be the biggest news in human creativity since Gutenberg invented the printing press.

Experts haven’t quite settled on a name just yet — digital writing, network publishing — but both the New York Times bestselling wanna-be and the frustrated young graduate student, pounding on their keyboards in the dark hours before dawn, have a name for it — freedom. No longer must a new writer seek out attorneys and publicists and agents. All they must do now to reach the masses is press “enter.”

Of course, doing something well is never that easy

By Katy Bennett

(April 14, 2015) — Join the University of Kentucky Student Activities Board's Multicultural Affairs Committee in enjoying poetry readings by the Affrilachian Poets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesay, April 15, in the auditorium of William T. Young Library.

Students, faculty and staff can enjoy exciting and culturally captivating poetry by a group of talented poets brought together by Danville native and UK faculty member, Frank X Walker, who has also served as Kentucky's poet laureate. Five of the poets will share their personal history of being a minority in the Appalachian area and how their identity has been shaped because of their ethnicity. Light refreshments will be served.

“This poetry gives a voice to the Appalachian area,” Lee Mengistu, associate director of

By Mike Farrell, Blair Hoover

(April 14, 2015) — James C. Duff, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and a one-time walk-on for the University of Kentucky freshman basketball team, will deliver the annual State of the First Amendment Address Tuesday, April 14, on UK's campus.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. appointed Duff to a second term as director of the courts effective in January. He also served from 2006 to 2011. Between terms he served as president and CEO of the Freedom Forum and CEO of the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation, champions the First Amendment as a cornerstone of democracy.

The First Amendment Celebration is sponsored annually by the Scripps

By Whitney Harder

(April 13, 2015) — How can Kentucky tackle its chronic health disparities — cancer, heart and pulmonary disease, stroke and other preventable illnesses — and create long-lasting solutions?

Targeting adults who deal with these diseases most often is necessary, but so too is engaging teenagers, the next generation of Kentuckians, in the conversation.

One outreach program at the University of Kentucky is doing just that by delivering new STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education experiences to Kentucky middle and high schools, illuminating the science behind diseases. The "Muscle Health Project" integrates new teaching methods, technology in the classroom, and access to researchers and students at UK in hopes of educating students early on to prevent problems later.

By Gail Hairston

(April 13, 2015) — On April 3, the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences recognized about 1,400 current students who earned a place on the Dean’s List for their academic achievements. The honor is reserved for the highest achieving students in the college who have obtained a 3.6 or higher grade point average the previous semester.

Many family and friends were on hand to celebrate the hard work of these exceptional students.

Mark Lawrence Kornbluh, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, spoke about the value of a liberal arts education, and was joined by Connor Appleman, a biology senior and A&S Ambassador co-coordinator. Appleman spoke about his experiences in the college and the wealth of knowledge it has provided as he prepares for

The College of Arts & Sciences is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s College teaching awards, They are Renee Fatemi, physics and astronomy (Outstanding Teaching Award), Moisés Castillo, Hispanic Studies (Outstanding Teaching Award), Charley Carlson, psychology (Outstanding Teaching Award), Anna Voskresensky,

By Kathy Johnson

(April 10, 2015) — WUKY's "UK Perspectives" focuses on the people and programs of the University of Kentucky and is hosted by WUKY General Manager Tom Godell.  On today's program, UK sustainability coordinator Shane Tedder talks about Earth Days in the Bluegrass, a compilation of events during April celebrating sustainability and responsible global citizenship. 

To listen to the podcast interview from which "UK Perspectives" is produced, visit http://wuky.org/post/earth-days-bluegrass-0.

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

By Gail Hairston

University colleges typically only celebrate the writing of their students.

The University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies (WRD), however, presented its Excellence in Writing Awards to UK undergraduates as well as faculty and community writers.

Two UK faculty members and two writers who are well known to Lexingtonians were honored April 13, in the Colombia Room of the Boone Center (view the full program).   

Typically, faculty are honored only in their disciplines for achievements and contributions and not for their writing. WRD is proud to step out of that box to honor Shannon Bell

By Gail Hairston

(April 10, 2015) — The University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences hosts its annual Alumni Speaker Series to coincide with one of the speaker’s induction into the UK Alumni Association’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni, April 17.

The college’s honored guests will be the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in France from 1997-2001, Amy L. Bondurant, and her husband David E. Dunn, an international advisor to the sultan of Oman and a partner at Patton Boggs LLP since 1980.

Addressing a range of topics about their careers, Bondurant and Dunn will speak at 10 a.m. Friday, April 17, in the UK Athletics Association Auditorium in the William T. Young Library. A reception will follow in the gallery, next to the auditorium.

The UK Alumni Association will induct

By Gail Hairston

(April 8, 2015) ‒ Anna Secor, professor of geography, social theory, and gender and women’s studies at the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has been named the university’s first Hajja Razia Sharif Sheikh Islamic Studies Professor.

The endowed professorship was created by Dr. Hamid Hussain Sheikh Sr. (a Lexington obstetrics and gynecology specialist) and his wife Amy Lee Sheikh, in memory of his mother Hajja Razia Sharif Sheikh. A native of Lahore, Pakistan, Hajja Sheikh was active in her community and a leader in her faith. Although she did not receive a formal education, she held a strong belief in education and encouraged all eight of her children to pursue a college education.

“One of

By Clark Bellar

(April 8, 2015) — Claudia Roden is said to have revolutionized Western attitudes about Middle Eastern and North African cuisines with "A Book of Middle Eastern Food," published in 1968. Since then, she has written many more internationally acclaimed books on Middle Eastern cooking and the stories behind the global dishes.

Roden will speak at the University of Kentucky at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in the William T. Young Library auditorium as part of the College of Arts and Sciences' Passport to the World: "Year of the Middle East" series. The series presents a multicultural perspective of the region, focusing on interconnections and

By Rebecca Stratton, Yan Wang

(April 2, 2015) — Education Abroad at the University of Kentucky awarded Program Development Grants to four UK faculty members to support their international travels for the purpose of establishing faculty-directed education abroad programs.

“This grant provides program directors with the opportunity to gain on site familiarity with their program details,” said Miko McFarland, assistant director of Education Abroad.

Program Development Grants are reviewed by the Education Abroad Committee (EAC) of the International Advisory Council, who makes the recommendation to the associate provost of international programs for final approval.

“The committee looks to see how the intended program will promote global

By Whitney Harder

(April 1, 2015) — The Southeast Enzyme Conference, also referred to as the SEC, provides a unique opportunity for scientific exchange among faculty, students and researchers working at the forefront of enzymology. This year, the conference is being led by Anne-Frances Miller, professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Chemistry and director of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility.

A one-day event, the SEC will be held Saturday, April 11, at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference will feature eight talks by junior faculty, post-doctoral scholars, and graduate and undergraduate students selected

By Gail Hairston, Guy Spriggs

(March 31, 2015) — The University of Kentucky Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MCLLC) in the College of Arts and Sciences is changing how we think of language studies. Since the college’s recent merger of separate language units into a single entity, the 44-member department has set its sights on becoming a more cohesive intellectual community with a unified teaching and research mission. A brand new core curriculum, for all students regardless of their specific language focus, is the cornerstone of the project. 

A major component of this new curriculum is

By Katy Bennett, Micaha Dean

(March 31, 2015) — The Summer/Fall 2015 priority registration period is now open and continues through Tuesday, April 21.

This year, students may not register for classes until they have completed UK’s two most recent initiatives, the CATS. Survey and Haven training. These initiatives were implemented in early 2015 as support for the university’s ongoing campus safety efforts.

"Campus safety is our top priority at UK," said UK President Eli Capilouto. "But safety means many things. In addition to lights, security cameras, safety officers and technology, we need students, faculty and staff who place safety and inclusion first. All of these things speak to the kind of environment we all want as part of the UK community."

Undergraduate students must have their advisor hold lifted before registering for

By Whitney Harder

(March 30, 2015) — A beautiful campus and a litter-free campus go hand-in-hand, and groups at the University of Kentucky will be able to care for their own piece of Wildcat country during the month of April. A new element of the Pick It Up campaign, the Adopt-a-Spot program encourages registered UK student organizations, UK offices and other groups to participate in weekly clean-ups to eliminate litter at UK.

During the month of April, groups that adopt a spot are responsible for making their defined zone litter-free once a week and documenting their efforts. A photo of the litter collected each week with the front page of that day's Kentucky Kernel newspaper must be sent to

By Jenny Wells

(March 30, 2015) — Pearl James, associate professor in the University of Kentucky Department of English, will deliver the first lecture of this semester's Chellgren Seminar Series. Her talk, "Hollywood's Great War," will take place at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 31 in the William T. Young Library Auditorium.

"As the recent success of 'American Sniper' reminds us, the war film genre has been a staple in Hollywood for a long time," James said. "This talk will use the current 100-year anniversary of World War I to discuss Hollywood portrayals of World War I. Hollywood brought glamour to the war but also, occasionally, showed its costs. This talk will focus particularly on King Vidor’s wildly popular