by Whitney Hale

(Sept. 25, 2014) — From Affrilachia to fiddles, the next two performances in the "Appalachia in the Bluegrass" concert series are sure to entertain. On Friday, Sept. 26, celebrated folk duo Sparky and Rhonda Rucker will perform. The next Friday, Oct. 2, Letcher County's only female fiddle duo, the SkiPdiPPerS, will appear. Both free public concerts will take place at noon at the Niles Gallery, located in the University of Kentucky Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center.

A Folk Concert with Some Spark

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker perform "Which

by Keith Hautala

(Sept. 24, 2014) — Students from across the University of Kentucky have a new opportunity to work for the well-being of children in the 54 Appalachian counties of Kentucky, in the "UK Tomorrow Corps," a service initiative being launched by the UK Appalachian Center.  

The UK Tomorrow Corps program will provide summer employment and professional support for UK students tutoring K-12 students in math and literacy skills, in partnership with local libraries, public schools, and community organizations. The initiative is intended to help young residents of Appalachia gain and retain skills through the summer and work toward their long-term educational goals.

Participants can be from any major and will receive training throughout

by Keith Hautala

(Sept. 24, 2014) — The first English translation of the entire Suda lexicon, a massive 10th century Byzantine encyclopedia, is complete after more than 16 years of collaborative, volunteer-driven work by a diverse group of scholars, including key contributors from the University of Kentucky. 

The translation, as well as the first continuous commentary on the Suda's contents in any language, is now searchable and browsable through the Suda On Line (SOL) database. Conceived in 1998, the project grew to comprise more than 31,000 entries, through the contributions of more than 200 volunteers. 

The project was groundbreaking in more ways than one, providing a new model of open, participatory scholarship. The project organizers state:

"From the beginning, the idea

by Abigall Shipp

(Sept. 23, 2014) — Chinese involvement in Africa and female drug dealers in Chinese prisons are the topics of this fall’s Distinguished Scholar Series, sponsored by the University of Kentucky Confucius Institute (UKCI).

Ching Kwan Lee, a sociology professor at University of California, Los Angeles, launches the series with “The Specter of Global China: Contesting the Power and Peril of Chinese State Capital in Zambia,” which explores China’s role in copper and construction in Zambia.

Sheldon Zhang, a sociology professor at San Diego State University follows

by Sarah Schuetze

Subway cards. Receipts from a West End theater. A pamphlet from Mary Arden’s farm in Stratford-upon-Avon. Artifacts of summer travel that University of Kentucky’s Kelsey Potter, a junior majoring in English and integrated strategic communication, found in her raincoat pockets the first rainy week of the semester.

She hadn’t used the jacket since her three-week stay in London where she participated in the prestigious American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)

by Whitney Hale

(Sept. 19, 2014) — This weekend, Huajing Maske, executive director of the Office of China Initiatives and director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Kentucky, will receive the Amici Linguarum (Friend of Languages) Award given by the Kentucky World Language Association (KWLA). The honor recognizes an individual or organization not directly involved in teaching world languages that has made a significant contribution to the profession.

Maske will be presented with the Amici Linguarum Award at the annual KWLA Awards Luncheon scheduled for

by Mallory Powell

(Sept. 19, 2014) —In recent years there has been growing concern that terrorist threats could involve "agents of opportunity," or materials that are readily available in most communities around the country. An upcoming course, "REAC/TS Training: Radiation Emergency Response - Are You Prepared?" will train public health personnel, emergency management folks, physicians, nurses, and other workers involved with radiological hazards in how to respond to such incidents. The course will be held 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10, at the UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion A Auditorium. It is provided by the Central Appalachian Regional Education and Research Center (CARERC) in the UK College of Public Health and has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit.

by Kathy Johnson

(Sept. 19, 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.  Today's program features UK senior Nathan Moore who spent the past summer in New York as a fellow for the Schomburg-Mellon Humanities Summer Institute. He discusses his experience there and his research into slave narratives and their coded references.

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 Diane Comer

(Sept. 17, 2014) – Gov. Steve Beshear has proclaimed September as Kentucky Archaeology Month to commemorate the contributions made through the professional practice of archaeology toward the public’s understanding of – and appreciation for – the Commonwealth’s rich cultural heritage.

The designation also recognizes the success of Living Archaeology Weekend (LAW), Kentucky’s oldest and largest public archaeology event, which has taken place since 1989 in Red River Gorge. The 26th annual free event will be Sept. 19-20 at Gladie Visitor Center.

During Living Archaeology Weekend, hundreds of preregistered school students will take part in demonstrations Friday, Sept. 19, including how to tan

by Keith Hautala

(Sept. 17, 2014) — A new program at the University of Kentucky will provide up to $100,000 in internal funding for sustainability projects on campus. 

The UK Sustainability Challenge Grant Program, announced by the President’s Sustainability Committee, is designed to engage multidisciplinary teams from the university community in the creation and implementation of ideas that will simultaneously advance economic vitality, ecological integrity and social equity, now and into the future.  

All members of the university community are encouraged to develop project ideas. Project teams must be led by a faculty or staff member whose home unit/department agrees to manage the dispersal of funds. Student involvement is strongly encouraged. Teams must include representatives from at least two distinct organizational units.

by Jenny Wells

(Sept. 17, 2014) — University of Kentucky Education Abroad (EA) will hold its annual fall fair today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.

From A to Z, the Education Abroad Fair showcases every international education opportunity available at the University of Kentucky.  Students will find a range of options, including study, intern, research, teach, and service abroad programs.  In addition, campus offices involved in the education abroad planning process, such as Financial Aid, the Stuckert Career Center and others, will be available to answer questions. 

"To meet the diverse academic needs of UK's study body, we

Video produced by Hive, College of Arts & Sciences Creative and Technical Services

by Keith Hautala

(Sept. 15, 2014) — The University of Kentucky is launching the “Pick it Up” campaign this week, urging participation from the entire UK community to help make our campus litter-free. The program was developed by a group of campus partners and is funded by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration.

"The University of Kentucky has one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in the nation," said Eric N. Monday, executive vice president for Finance and Administration. "We hope that Pick it Up will not only help us to preserve the natural beauty of our campus, but also encourage

Lucy Combs and the University of Kentucky were intertwined like few others have ever been -- or will ever be. Lucy was an alum of UK, and she worked for the university for 45 dedicated years. Lucy was a constant in the Department of English for most of that time, a true rock for all those that needed to lean on her for every conceivable form of information and knowledge, and she shared that wisdom graciously. Below are some thoughts and memories from those who knew her. 

I walked into Patterson Office Tower for the first time in 1989 and Lucy instantly became my compass for the next 22 years. Her smile lit the way but her extraordinary generosity and tireless devotion to my random neophyte questions always made my day better. Her work ethic informed me. Her kindness was never compromised. She taught me so much about being at UK, essential things that

by Gail Hairston

(Sept. 5, 2014) — Two University of Kentucky English faculty members have been honored with named professorships in the UK College of Arts and Sciences.

Peter Kalliney was named the William J. Tuggle Professor in English. The appointment is for five years and will be renewable at the discretion of the college dean on June 30, 2019. The professorship carries annual additional salary of $15,000 and an additional $10,000 research allowance.

Michael Trask has been named the Guy M. Davenport Professor in English. The appointment is for five years and will be renewable at the discretion of the college dean on June 30, 2019. The professorship

By Guy Spriggs

In the fall of 2013, graduate students from the English Department approached their director of graduate studies, Andy Doolen, to solicit his help in building a more robust community of writers.

“They wanted to bring together people at different levels of the program, different cohorts that might not cross paths so easily,” Doolen explained. “I told them I would look into it and immediately started doing some research.”

Doolen found was that some of the country’s finest graduate schools invest in shared writing programs similar to what UK’s grad students desired. And once he realized the English Department could offer more to its students than writing boot camps, the Let’s Write! program was born.

Listen to a podcast

by Gail Hairston

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 29, 2014) — The University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences’ Passport to the World program has already whisked students on four virtual globetrotting tours, yearlong explorations into the culture and history of a country or region. For the program’s fifth academic year, the college will delve into the turbulent, headline-grabbing region of the Middle East.

Once again the UK College of Arts and Sciences has chosen a region that impacts all of us. The eyes of the world have focused on the area for months, years. And yet, for many Americans, the Middle East is still mysterious and threatening, a culture and people churning with unfamiliar beliefs, traditions, expectations and dreams.

Like past programs

By Sarah Schuetze

There are many parallels between the kickoff of a program and starting a novel/story. The creative possibilities seem to inspire creative writing faculty members who are energized by new projects. For Andrew Ewell, a new assistant professor in UK’s Department of English, “beginning projects is exciting because you can go anywhere with it but it’s also daunting because you haven’t yet gone, but I like being in the middle of things when it’s always tugging at the back of my mind.”

But no one involved in establishing the Department of English’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing Program seems daunted by the newness of the program—their collective