James Keppeler and Michelle Roberts

In late spring, James Keppeler and Michelle Roberts were awarded grants from the Wenner Gren Foundation. The foundation plays a leadership role in anthropology by publishing the Sapiens anthropology magazine and the journal Current Anthropology while also sponsoring workshops as well as pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships. 

Roberts’ fieldwork project is  "Webs of Care: Understanding Acquired Disability in Rural Appalachia through Culture, Politics, and Biomedicine." Keppeler’s fieldwork is  “Unearthing Mindanao: Archaeological

By A Fish 

 Patricia Ehrkamp

LEXINGTON, Ky, --  Patricia Ehrkamp, Ph.D., professor of geography in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been elected president of the American Association of Geographers.  

The scientific and educational organization serves around 10,000 international educators, practitioners, researchers and students in  geography. Ehrkamp has been serving as vice president of the organization since 2022. She will assume the presidency July 1.

“I've been involved in different roles with this professional organization since I first presented my research at annual meetings as a Ph.D. student,” Ehrkamp said. “Over the last 20 years, I've served on the boards of various research specialty groups in the organization, across different subfields such as European,

By Jennifer T. Allen 

Students in Heather Campbell-Speltz's SPA 423 translation course with the nonprofit partners they worked with during the Spring 2024 semester.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- When Reagan Sutton, an English and Spanish double major, registered for an advanced Spanish translation course, she didn’t realize how much the work would impact the community.  

“It’s really easy to feel disconnected in your schoolwork, but this is something that touches real lives,” Sutton said. “I’m passionate about language and connecting with different populations. This course made me feel like my major serves a purpose outside of only getting me into law school. Through this class, we got out there and talked with people and are helping with projects that have impacts on people’s lives.” 

Sutton, along with 12 classmates, spent the spring semester

By Emily Sallee 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 5, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards announced three students have been selected as award winners of a Critical Language Scholarship.

The program provides opportunities for American college and university students to study languages and cultures essential to America's engagement with the world. 

Each summer, undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities across the country spend eight to 10 weeks learning one of 13 languages at an intensive study-abroad institute.

More than 500 students were

By Lindsay Travis 

Rosana Zenil-Ferguson, Ph.D., uses mathematical models to understand how plant traits evolve. Her field work has taken her to Colombia to study plants. Photo provided.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 4, 2024) — Rosana Zenil-Ferguson, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology at the University of Kentucky, is part of a wide-ranging group of experts to study a complex phenomenon with significant implications in plants, animals and humans called polyploidy.

Polyploidy means having more than two complete sets of chromosomes. Typically, when plants and animals undergo sexual reproduction, two sets of chromosomes — one from each parent —

By Erin Wickey 

Michelle Martel

UKNow is highlighting the University of Kentucky’s 2024-25 University Research Professors. Established by the Board of Trustees in 1976, the professorship program recognizes excellence across the full spectrum of research at UK and is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research.  

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 4, 2024) — Michelle Martel, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Psychology in the UK College of Arts and Sciences, has been named a 2024-25 University Research Professor.

Her research examines hormonal effects on such disorders related to impulse control as ADHD and binge drinking in women. Martel’s research

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

Edward Lo, left, Eleng Kazangiljan, Shelbie Larmour, Ambassador James K. J. Lee, Venus Evans, Emerald Skye Byrd, Stephanie Van Hoose and Anagali Duncan on stage at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York. Photo provided by Van Hoose.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 3, 2024) —  Last month, the University of Kentucky had significant involvement in this year’s Seminar on Indigenous Issues, held April 24 in New York City, as part of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

The seminar, organized by Edward Lo, Ph.D. (羅力明), a

By Susan Cantrell and Camille Harmon 

Christopher Huggins, left, and Troy Cooper presented at the 2024 Pedagogicon on their experiences in TEK. Photo provided by Camille Harmon.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 31, 2024) — Faculty fellows in the Transdisciplinary Educational approaches to advance Kentucky participated in the 11th annual Pedagogicon, hosted by Eastern Kentucky University and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education Graduate Profile Academy on May 16. 

This year’s theme of Student Engagement & Experiential Learning

 By Lindsey Piercy and Steve Shaffer

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 30, 2024) — In March, the University of Kentucky Alumni Association honored six recipients of this year’s Great Teacher Awards.

Launched in 1961, they are the

By Jesi Jones-Bowman 

Elizabeth Elliott, left, and Shasanka Lamichhane

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 24, 2024) — Two University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences students will participate in the Beckman Scholars Program, titled Scholars United by Chemistry: Cultivating Excellence through Science Stewardship. 

The Beckman Scholars are:

They will begin their independent, laboratory research this summer.

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation’s Beckman Scholars Program is a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional

By Haven L. Patrick 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 23, 2024) — Five students from the University of Kentucky have been selected for the Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship program.

As a learning institution, UK engages in sustainable practices by collaborating with faculty, staff and students across all colleges and departments. The Sustainability Research Fellowship is a collaborative program coordinated by the Office of Undergraduate Research and sponsored by the UK Student Sustainability Council (SSC) and

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 23, 2024) — In March, the University of Kentucky Alumni Association honored six recipients with this year's Great Teacher Awards. 

Launched in 1961, they are the longest-running UK award recognizing accomplished and passionate educators.

To receive the honor, teachers must be nominated by a student. The UK Alumni Association Great Teacher Award Committee, in cooperation with the student organization Omicron Delta Kappa, then

By Haven L. Patrick 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 21, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research has selected 14 students for the 2024 Commonwealth Undergraduate Research Experience Fellowship program.

Sponsored by OUR and the Office of the Vice President for Research, the CURE Fellowship program provides opportunities to develop knowledge and skills through research within eight of UK’s Research Priority Areas: cancer, cardiovascular health, diabetes and obesity, energy, equity, materials

By Avery Schanbacher 

Last fall, students in UK’s Exploratory Studies program participated in a new course, A&S 141, designed to connect them with a variety of academic fields and on-campus resources while developing study skills to aid them as they navigate their first semester of college. Throughout the class, students heard professors from across campus speak about their fields, research, and career paths.  

The course, taught by Christia Brown, associate dean for inclusive excellence and psychology professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, and two teaching assistants, was divided into two sections: a class and a recitation. Brown cites the small group recitation meeting as a valuable time for students to develop relationships and practice good study habits. As a final assignment, students were asked to choose

 By Lindsey Piercy and Steve Shaffer 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 16, 2024) — In March, the University of Kentucky Alumni Association honored six recipients of this year’s Great Teacher Awards.

By Lindsey Piercy 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 15, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced a total of eight students and recent graduates have been selected as award winners of the National Science Foundation’s  Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The fellowship supports outstanding graduate research across the country. 

As part of the five-year program, NSF Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, along with a $16,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees, for a research-

By Richard LeComte 

The China delegation.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Several University of Kentucky students recently participated in and received awards at the Southern Regional Model United Nations in Charlotte, N.C. UK’s Model United Nations Club represented China, Austria and Burkino Faso at the event.  

The China delegation won best overall delegation for the conference, said Alex Rahbany, the club’s president. Also, Tyler Rossi, a political science major from Lexington, won best delegate. Jaclyn Johnson, lecturer in the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the club’s faculty sponsor.  

Rossi said four out of the five resolutions he sponsored passed, including one he spearheaded on the trade of illicit artifacts.  

"There's a general consensus among the body

By Jennifer T. Allen

When Carrie Gilmour graduated high school in 1991, she thought her path was clear: attend Lexington Community College and transfer to the University of Kentucky to earn her degree. But in the spring of 1996, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Gilmour had to withdraw from UK during her junior year to get a job and help at home.  

“My mom had to have back surgery as well and she was really down and out, so I had to leave UK,” Gilmour said. “I’m happy to say my mom is a breast cancer survivor, but after going home, I continued to work, got married, and raised a family. I just never made it back to school.” 

She eventually did make it back to school and enrolled for the spring 2023 semester through Project Graduate, a statewide initiative to assist adult learners who have accumulated

By Richard LeComte

LEXINGTON, KY – Two professors in the College of Arts and Sciences will represent the University of Kentucky at the Summer Institute on Modern Southeast Asia at the East-West Center in Hawaii from July 29 to Aug. 9.  

Liang Luo, professor of Chinese studies in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and Charlie Yi Zhang, associate professor in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, will participate in the institute at the University of Hawaii.  

“Dr. Sue Roberts, associate provost for internationalization, offered immense support crucial securing our spots in the institute,” Lou said. “Dr. Yujia He, assistant professor at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, also played a crucial role in developing the proposal as a member of the applicant team. Additionally

By Dave Melanson

CLIMBS: Climate Resilience through Multidisciplinary Big Data Learning, Prediction and Building Response Systems

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 9, 2024) — Two University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences professors are co-leading a climate research project in the state. 

A five-year Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII Track-1) award from the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research has established the “Climate Resilience through Multidisciplinary Big Data Learning, Prediction & Building Response Systems.” The foundation is investing $20 million in advancing Kentucky’s climate resiliency, using a collaborative, statewide approach.

The leadership team includes Mike McGlue and Edward W. Woolery in the College'