Join Dr. Vincent Cassone, chair of the Biology Department, and Dr. Mark Prendergast, director of the Neuroscience Program, in conversation with A&S Dean Mark Kornbluh about the most recent COVID-19 research. The discussion will include what we know about the spread of the virus, protective measures to limit its spread, and strategies for vaccines. Hear the latest information on testing and masks.

In conversation with A&S Dean Mark Kornbluh, Karen Petrone, professor of history and director of the newly launched College of Arts & Science’s Cooperative for the Humanities and Social Sciences, along with Kristin Monroe, associate professor of anthropology, will discuss the state and value of the humanities and social sciences in a time of crisis and social change.  

Dean Mark Kornbluh will talk with Sociology Professor Carrie Oser about generating social science research to promote health equity during COVID-19. They will explore the underlying needs for health equity research broadly, which have been recently highlighted due to the dual public health crises of racism and COVID-19. In addition, they will discuss practical issues associated with conducting human subjects research during a pandemic, managing and motivating diverse research teams, and deploying strategies to overcome barriers in order to promote health and well-being.

Psychology professors and clinical psychologists Greg Smith and Michelle Martel will talk with Dean Mark Kornbluh about “Keeping Sane during the Pandemic.” They will discuss the impact of the pandemic on every stage of life, from raising children to the special needs of older adults, and offer practical coping strategies. They will also explore lasting shifts in social life as more and more of human life is mediated through technology. Even after the pandemic subsides, we will likely find the ways we intact with others changed and social life transformed. In the end, our strategies of coping with the pandemic can point us to new ways to think about living productive and fulfilling lives in the future.

This session will examine Lexington's racial past, present and future from the perspective of a native son. Professor Gerald Smith grew up in the East End neighborhood, graduated from Henry Clay High School, and attended the University of Kentucky from 1977-1988. He joined the UK faculty in the Department of History in 1993. As co-chair of Mayor Linda Gorton's recently formed Commission for Racial Justice and Equality in Fayette County, he will discuss the challenges and opportunities in his hometown, in conversation with A&S Interim Dean Christian Brady.

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Arts & Sciences Dean Mark Kornbluh speaks with Dr. Anastasia Curwood, Director of African American  & Africana Studies, and Dr. Cristina Alcalde, Associate Dean of Inclusion and Internationalization,  about the steps the College has taken and is planning to take as a result of its commitment to ensure anti-racist, inclusive, and equitable working, learning, and teaching environments. 

Sue Roberts, associate provost for internationalization and professor of geography, will outline some of the ways COVID-19 has up-ended universities' global engagements. In conversation with Dean Mark Kornbluh, she will explore UK's exciting initiatives to reimagine internationalization and to connect UK students and faculty to the world outside the U.S. even though in person travel is on hold. 

IntlEdVSS from UK College of Arts & Sciences on Vimeo.

As a prelude to the Fall Semester, Associate Provost Kathi Kern and Dean Mark Kornbluh will discuss the challenges posed by teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty and students alike worry about the logistics. How will we maintain a safe and healthy learning environment? How much of instruction will need to be moved online or “flipped”? How does technology enable or restrict us? How do we continue to foster strong student-teacher bonds at a distance? How do we build community in our current environment?

And while these questions are urgent for the particular moment, they also point to a lasting shift in how we go about our work as educators. Even after the pandemic subsides, we will likely find ourselves reflecting on the unexamined, yet sacred elements of what makes a college education. As disruptive as the pandemic has been, it has also ignited a climate of innovation. We are led to think anew about the journeys that our students take, how our research and disciplines best serve a diverse community of learners, how the wicked problems of the world defy institutional silos, and how we can best support individuals while also strengthening communities. Our lessons learned and enduring challenges from the past few months afford us a unique opportunity to anticipate these emergent paradigms for teaching and learning.

Pandemic and the Professor from UK College of Arts & Sciences on Vimeo.

Enjoy new work from three creative writing and African American & Africana Studies faculty, followed by a conversation with A&S Dean Mark Kornbluh about how writing helps them process, protest and uplift during challenging times.

Stephen Voss and Michael Zilis, professors in the Department of Political Science, in conversation with A&S Dean Mark Kornbluh will discuss how the coronavirus pandemic and recent protests are impacting state elections, the presidential election, voting access and voter turnout, changes in campaign strategies, and legal actions surrounding voting rights.