The best learning — and the most profound educational experiences — often take place outside the traditional classroom. For Charles Black, such experiences have guided him as he has taken his education at the University of Kentucky to frequent appearances on New York stages and TV shows. (More)

The Joseph T. Burch Young Alumni Award is to honor a young alum who has spent life in service to UK students. (2012 Recipient)

The University of Kentucky Alumni Association recently announced its 2012-2013 board of directors officers. (More)

Capilouto's first blog is about dramatic changes and challenges for higher education. Visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eli-capilouto/ to read the blog.

A UK graduate is being honored for her accomplishments, both local and abroad. “Her story is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading,” said UK President Eli Capilouto while preparing to present a prestigious award to UK geography graduate Elizabeth Rebmann. Rebmann was the recipient of the 2012 Algernon Sidney Sullivan Medallion. (More)

For the video message, visit http://youtu.be/tLR88OybIGY

For a transcript of the video message, click here.

There are times when what you are looking for is closer than you think.

And being open to that possibility can make all the difference.

That was Brian Johnson’s experience in deciding to attend the University of Kentucky. A native of Lexington, Johnson never visited the UK campus and was sure he would go out-of-state for school as he applied several different schools all over the country. (More)

Sharon Johnson, CIS ’87, is an entertainment producer for CBS News in New York City. In a special feature for UKNow, she shares her memories from Sept. 11, 2001, and reflects the lasting impact of that tragic and historic day. (More)

Click here for the full story and to watch the special video from President Todd.

World-renowned leaders Ahmed Kathrada and Barbara Hogan, both of whom served in post-apartheid South Africa as senior officials in President Nelson Mandela's administration, have changed the lives of their country and the world through their tireless work for freedom and democracy. (More)

A few weeks ago, UKNow first told you about a special program which allows UK Diplomacy students to use iPads both inside and outside of the classroom. (More)

The article was in response to a new update Google announced last week that addressed the growing complaint of low-quality content sites that were ranking higher than higher-quality sites that seemed to be more important to users. (More)

Get ready for the Kentucky Wildcats’ Sweet Sixteen match-up with Cornell at the UK Alumni Association Pregame Party on Thursday, March 25, at P.J.’s Pub & Grill, located at 116 Walton Street, Armory Square, Syracuse, N.Y.  The party starts at 7 p.m.

P.J.’s Pub & Grill is located approximately two miles from the Carrier Dome. Downtown parking is available and bus shuttles run from Armory Square to the Carrier Dome and back during game sessions.

Enjoy music, food and lots of Big Blue fun with fellow Wildcat fans. The UK Pep Band and Cheerleaders will stop in for a special appearance.  The cost is $20 for UK Alumni Association members and $25 for nonmembers. Admission cost includes buffet. A cash bar will be available. Please note that reservations must be made by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, to ensure food purchase.   

If Kentucky advances to the Elite Eight, fans are welcome to join the UK Alumni Association for a pregame party on Saturday, March 27 at P.J.’s Pub and Grill, two hours before tip-off.

For more information or to register, contact the UK Alumni Association at 1-800-269-2586 or 859-257-7161 or visit www.ukalumni.net/2010ncaatournament.

A Double-Double For Father and Son

During this season of counting blessings, Patsy and I want to thank you – the members of our UK family – who mean so much to so many across the state, nation, and the world.

Please enjoy the enclosed video message.

The fierce rivalry on the hardwood between the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville isn't just for hoops. The ninth annual 'Gift of Life Challenge' between the Cats and the Cards is off and running as each school competes for the most number of newly registered Kentucky residents on the Kentucky Organ Donor Registry. The winning school will receive a trophy at the men's basketball game on Jan. 2nd at Rupp Arena.
 
This life saving competition will hopefully affect more than 740 Kentucky residents on the waiting list for an organ or tissue transplant. Currently, there are over 104,000 people on the national waiting list and every day approximately 18 people die while waiting because an organ did not become available in time to save their life.
 
Register online, go to www.donatelifeky.org to complete the form. Then, click on the drop-down box and credit UK by selecting challenge - UK FAN as your vote to win the challenge.

Frank X Walker - co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets, widely published writer, founder of a journal of Affrilachian culture, and recipient of numerous writing and teaching awards - will join the faculty of the University of Kentucky in January 2010. Walker has accepted a position in the UK College of Arts and Sciences Department of English, where he will teach in the Creative Writing Program as an associate professor. As he returns to his alma mater, Walker will also bring with him Pluck! The Journal of Affrilachian Arts and Culture, which he founded in 2007.

“The college is thrilled Frank will be joining the English department and bringing with him expertise in Affrilachia,” said Mark Lawrence Kornbluh, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Frank’s multidisciplinary approach, focused in an area often unexplored, is one that will benefit our students, the college and the university greatly.”

Walker, who originated the word “Affrilachia” to describe the culture of African Americans living in the Appalachian region, is a UK alumnus. He graduated in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in English and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Spalding University in Louisville. Walker has held academic positions at the University of Louisville, Eastern Kentucky University and Transylvania University. He comes to the UK faculty following an appointment as Writer-In-Residence at Northern Kentucky University.

Walker is the author of five books, including “When Winter Come: The Ascension of York” (2008), “Black Box” (2006), “Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York” (2004), “Affrilachia” (2000) and “Eclipsing a Nappy New Millenium” (1997). He edited the 2007 anthology “America! What’s My Name,” and has published four chapbooks, entries in five additional books of poetry, and numerous journal and magazine entries and essays.

Walker has served as founder and executive director of the Bluegrass Black Arts Consortium, the program coordinator of the University of Kentucky's Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Center and the assistant director of Purdue University's Black Cultural Center.  He was awarded an honorary doctorate by UK in 2000, and by Transylvania University in 2002.

He was the recipient of the 2006 Thomas D. Clark Literary Award for Excellence, the 2005 Lannan Literary Fellowship in Poetry and the Actors Theatre Keeper of the Chronicle Award. (more) 

By Allison Elliott, College of Arts and Sciences

University of Kentucky alumni have great pride in their university and in their local communities. Cats for a Cause National Service Week is an opportunity for alumni to showcase that pride. This year’s event is set for Oct. 2-11. (more)

The University of Kentucky Police Department is going green and doing its part to promote UK's sustainability efforts with the acquisition of two new electric motorcycles. (more)

The University of Kentucky Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence has announced its third cohort of 21 Chellows (short for Chellgren Fellows). (more)

Some of the nation's and the world's most creative thinkers will gather this week at the international IdeaFestival (IF) Sept. 23-26 at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Louisville. The University of Kentucky will continue to be a leading sponsor of the festival, with two faculty and two UK alumni presenting over the course of the four-day event. (more)

A leading voice for freedom of the press, a panel on freedom of the press issues for high school students and a musical concert about censorship will highlight the Scripps Howard First Amendment Center's annual First Amendment Celebration Sept. 15-17. The celebration is in conjunction with UK's observance of Constitution Day which is hosted by the UK Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence. The three-day span of activities will center around the national commemoration of the signing of the United States Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. (more)

More startup companies were formed by University of Kentucky faculty and staff entrepreneurs than at any of UK’s 19 benchmark institutions per $10 million in annual research expenditures according to a recently released report by the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) for 2007. UK’s benchmark institutions include the universities of Wisconsin, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois and Florida. (more)

Give blood through Fri., Sept. 18, to ensure another win for UK in this off-the-field annual blood donor competition leading up to the UK vs. UofL football game. The Blood Challenge will be at all KBC blood drives and fixed site donation centers throughout Central and Eastern Kentucky. At every drive and donor center, donors will cast a vote for their favorite team and get a commemorative T-shirt (while supplies last). In addition, there will be daily drawings for tailgating goodies! (more)

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $6 million grant to Kentucky and Montana to support an advanced “cyberinfrastructure” project that includes a combination of hardware, software, networking, data storage, computational modeling and human resources. (more)

The University of Kentucky's new associate provost for Undergraduate Education is Mike Mullen of the UK College of Agriculture. Mullen joined UK in 2002 as a professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and two years later assumed the role of the College of Agriculture's associate dean for academic programs. He oversaw the growth of enrollment and the development of new undergraduate degree programs in the college. Mullen also reorganized academic and advising services in the College of Agriculture, which has been instrumental in significantly improving freshman success and retention. (more)

University of Kentucky art alumna Laura Marie O'Neal Segre-Lewis is the recipient of one of the first four Emerging Artist Awards presented in conjunction with the Kentucky Arts Council's Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship awards. The new category, which carries a monetary award of $1,000, recognizes artistic excellence for new and emerging artists. (more)

After hosting President Barack Obama and his family this summer, the West African nation of Ghana welcomed students and faculty from the University of Kentucky. (more)

The University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy welcomed 125 new students in the Class of 2013 during a white coat ceremony held Aug. 21 at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts. (more)

The University of Kentucky's new associate provost for Undergraduate Education is Mike Mullen of the UK College of Agriculture. Mullen joined UK in 2002 as a professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and two years later assumed the role of the College of Agriculture's associate dean for academic programs. He oversaw the growth of enrollment and the development of new undergraduate degree programs in the college. Mullen also reorganized academic and advising services in the College of Agriculture, which has been instrumental in significantly improving freshman success and retention. (more)

UK Alumni Association Announces Young Alumni Resources

Published 09/01/09

The University of Kentucky Alumni Association has a network of resources available to young alumni. A wide range of programs are available, from social gatherings in person or online to assistance with making future plans. There are programs for singles and young marrieds, with and without families, and for kids from cradle to campus. Log In to update your profile to build and manage your contacts.

• Online Directory to locate college friends and classmates
• UK Alumni Events for you, your friends and family
• Young Alumni and Alumni Clubs to network and enjoy the company of other UK alumni in your area
• UK Alumni Facebook fan page single-sign on where you can sign on one time to move between the alumni Web sites
• Alumni Career Services for networking events and career services
• Alumni Athletics Guide for information about alumni travel and activities at athletic events and limited ticket opportunities
• Kentucky Alumni the membership magazine of the UK Alumni Association
• eAlumWise monthly electronic newsletter
• www.ukalumni.net news, alumni profiles, member benefits information and more

Staying connected with UK is also a part of the Young Alumni package. Here are some quick links to the university, too.

• Registrar to order a transcript
• UK Graduate School if you are thinking about getting another degree
• UK Athletics Association to follow the Wildcats
• Business Resources to help you start or grow a business
• UK Alumni Expert Network to offer one-on-one advice about your business questions
• UKnow the University of Kentucky Web site with current campus and university news and events

Social network connections to UK alumni:

  Facebook    LinkedIn     Twitter    YouTube

When we made the decision to re-create UK News in a newer, 21st-century manner, we promised to bring our campus community and UK friends around the globe a first-class product. I think we have delivered on that promise with UKNow. (more)

Post Your Class Note
By Chelsea Kirk
Posted 090824

In late May 2009, Hazel Ledford shared her 90th birthday with students from the University of Kentucky Honors Program. Ledford, who is a UK graduate from the class of 1940, enjoyed sharing stories of her time at the university with the students, many of whom will graduate in 2011. The students spent three weeks in the Somerset area for a class entitled “Living Mindfully in the Natural World,” an Honors Program pro-seminar centered on self-discipline, gardening, and healthy living.

First United Methodist Church, Somerset, Ky., was the site of the first birthday celebration given by Ledford’s four daughters, two of whom attended UK. It was followed by a celebration at Slate Branch Retreat House where the students stayed for the duration of their class. Emily Pellegrini, one of the UK students present at the party, said “I enjoyed talking with Hazel Ledford and learning from her experiences and wisdom.” Dr. Sonya Jones, the instructor of the class, arranged the event.

Students seated with Ledford are, from left, Chelsea Kirk and Emily Pellegrini; standing, Lura Cash, Lauren Vanhook, Daniel Honeycutt, Marie Atwood and Courtney Cripe.

A significant and meaningful tradition continued for the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as they welcomed a class of 115 first-year medical students during the annual White Coat Ceremony, held Friday, Aug. 7, at UK's Singletary Center for the Arts. (more)

Reuters, along with Canada's Globe and Mail and other international news media outlets, cited the research of Dan Halgin, a visiting faculty member in the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics this week. Halgin, in a study presented in Chicago to the Academy of Management, found that working for an organization with a strong identity is more effective for getting ahead as an executive or coach than is individual performance. (more)

Surrounded by the beauty of the Kentucky Horse Park, First Lady Jane Beshear today presented a proclamation declaring Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009, as the Fifth Annual Hats Off To Kentucky’s Horse Industry Day. “I cannot think of a better way to celebrate our signature horse industry than to invite everyone to attend a day of festivities at the Kentucky Horse Park,” said Beshear. “I encourage all Kentuckians to join in the fun on Saturday for the Hats Off to Kentucky’s Horse Industry Day.” (more)

Recent graduate Rebekah Schaberg from the University of Kentucky College of Design took first place honors for her furniture project, "Swell," in the production/contract category of the Association of Woodworking Furnishings and Suppliers’ (AWFS) national Fresh Wood competition for students considering a career in woodworking. (more)

Twenty-seven high school seniors were recently named Otis A. Singletary Scholars for Fall 2009 at the University of Kentucky. The Singletary Scholarship is the most prestigious four-year scholarship awarded by the University of Kentucky. The scholarship, which is named for former UK President Otis A. Singletary, began in 1985 and covers the full cost of tuition, room and board, and a personal stipend for four years of undergraduate study. The scholarship is valued at approximately $63,000. (more)

University of Kentucky chemical engineering professor Dibakar Bhattacharyya has been named the 2009 winner of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Clarence "Larry" G. Gerhold Award. (more)

The University of Kentucky welcomed the newest members of its "Class of Kentucky" program to campus on Thursday, July 23. The program, now in its sixth year, recognizes academically talented and community-oriented high school sophomores from throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky and is facilitated through UK's Office of Undergraduate Admission and University Registrar. (more)

By adding a splash of color, one of Lexington’s East End bus stops will be transformed into a work of art, making public transportation a little brighter. Artstop, a new bus shelter showcasing the work of two area artists, celebrates Lexington’s rich musical history and African-American culture on the east side of Lexington. LexTran’s second art bus shelter for the Art in Motion (AIM) project, Artstop will be located at the corner of Third Street and Elm Tree Lane across from the historic landmark, the Lyric Theatre, which is scheduled for renovation in the coming year. The shelter is composed of a free-standing sculpture and five two-dimensional murals. (more)

Currently, three UK alumni are leading their states as governor – Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, North Carolina Gov. Beverly Eaves Perdue and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.

Beshear was elected to the Kentucky Legislature in 1974 and served until 1979. He was elected attorney general in 1979 and lieutenant governor in 1983. Beshear graduated from UK with a pre-law degree in 1966 and a Law degree in 1968. While a student, he was Student Government president and president of his law school class. He participated in many activities including the Lafferty Law Society, Moot Court Team and Phi Beta Kappa. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

Perdue was sworn in as the first female governor of North Carolina in 2009. Before running for election, she served two terms in the state house of representatives, five terms in the state senate and two terms as the first female lieutenant governor of the state. While a student, Perdue was rush chairman of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, a 1969 Homecoming attendant and a member of UK Student Government. The College of Arts and Sciences inducted Perdue into its Hall of Fame in 2006.

Strickland was elected governor in 2006. Before being elected governor, he served five terms of office in the U.S. Congress. During his career, he has served as a minister, a psychologist and a college professor. He earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling in 1966 and a doctoral degree in education and counseling psychology from the UK College of Education in 1980. The college recognized him with induction into the College of Education Hall of Fame in 2000.

The UK Alumni Expert Network has been selected as one of three finalists in the University Economic Development Association’s Excellence in Partnership Development Award. Launched in April as a partnership between the UK Alumni Association and the UK Office for Commercialization and Economic Development, the network is the first expert network partnership for economic development offered by a university and its alumni association. Kentucky small business employers and entrepreneurs who have a business or technical question are encouraged to connect with this free service provided by alumni who have expertise in hundreds of areas from business operations to new product development.

"The UK Alumni Expert Network is an innovative initiative designed to be a tremendous resource for Kentucky’s small businesses which are the backbone of our local communities," said UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. "This is another great example of how UK alumni are dedicated to giving back to the Commonwealth."

More than 100 alumni, each with at least 10 years of business experience, have completed an online profile and been approved to participate in the network. Each expert has agreed to provide up to 10 hours of free consulting each year with a maximum of two hours of free telephone and e-mail consulting per business. After the initial two hours, the expert and the business may enter into an extended agreement. Any of Kentucky’s small business employers and owners or any Kentucky-based entrepreneur can find an alumni expert by searching the more than 2,100 expert topic areas at www.ukyexperts.net and filling out an online request. "It is critical to the economic prosperity of Kentucky, especially in our current economic climate, that entrepreneurs who are starting new businesses and existing small businesses succeed," said Len Heller, UK’s vice president for Commercialization and Economic Development. "We believe the UK Alumni Expert Network will be a major component of making small businesses across the Bluegrass State successful."

According to the latest Kentucky small business profile published by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, Kentucky had 70,785 small business employers in 2006, representing 97 percent of the state’s employers. Small businesses in Kentucky created 60 percent of the state’s new net jobs from 2004 to 2005.

The UK Alumni Expert Network is a partnership between the UK Office for Commercialization and Economic Development and the UK Alumni Association.

Stan Key, UK Alumni Association executive director, said, "It is the role of the alumni association to involve alumni in support of their university in a variety of ways. We think this is an excellent way for alumni to be engaged with the university and help other UK alumni as well."

For Kentucky’s Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses
The UK Alumni Expert Network makes it easy to connect with a volunteer alumni expert for free business and technical consulting.
Visit www.ukyexperts.net:
Select an expert topic area
Fill out a request
Connect with the alumni expert

For UK Alumni
Any qualified alumni can volunteer as an alumni expert by logging on to www.ukyexperts.net and filling out an expert’s profile. Volunteers must have graduated from the University of Kentucky at least 10 years ago and be willing to provide up to 10 hours of free telephone or e-mail consulting each year.

Spread The Word:
2008-09 When UK Experienced A “Record” Year…

• Record high number of freshman applicants: 11,120
• Record high number of Governor’s Scholars/School for the Arts Students:  389
• Record high retention rate:  81 percent
• Record high number of African-American first-year students:  347
• Record high number of African-American undergraduate students: 1,234
• Record high doctoral student enrollment:  2,391
• Record high first-professional (dentistry, law, medicine, and pharmacy) enrollment:  1,558
• Record high number of full-time faculty:  2,096
• Record high number of African-American faculty:  84, including a record 11 new African-American faculty
• Record high number and percent of women in executive/administrative/managerial positions:  234, or 48.4 percent
• Record high research support of expenditures of $337 million

      July 2009

      (Record Statistics)

Alumni who came to UK from India to earn a degree got together for a reunion July 18 to mark the 50 year anniversary of their time here as students.

“I feel the emotion of this event,” remarked Provost Kumble R. Subbaswamy. “In the American system of higher education, the university is an extended family. These kinds of affirmations are very important. It is extraordinary when a university has this degree of affection and appreciation as I have heard today.“

Each of the alumni shared memories, and some offered advice to current students. Also attending were faculty, staff and friends from Lexington they have known throughout the years.

A recurring theme in the stories shared was that the people of Kentucky “made us feel quite at home and showed us generosity.”

One alumnus recalls his annual stipend of $1,500 that left $129 a month for expenses. Grocery stores did not have many of the ingredients called for in the recipes from home so lentils became a mainstay in adapting to the situation. A professor introduced his student to the waiters of a restaurant near campus, “This is my student from India. He and his friends will be eating here so I want you to meet him.” All recalled Wednesday night gatherings of international students at the home of alumna Harriet Van Meter who founded the International Book Project.

Advice to students included, “Don’t make a little India here. Kentuckians are very nice people. Find ways to give back. You contribute and you become what? You become inter-American.”

Donna Kelly who was on the international affairs staff helped students get acclimated to the ways of this country, set up speakers and picnics and helped in every way needed. She commented, “I thank you for how you all enriched the lives of me and my family. We had the world in our hearts.”

One of the students who spoke to the group about the activities of today’s international students on campus, said “Fifty years from now, I will come back and I will definitely start my story from this date.”

Myra Tobin, a member of the Cosmopolitan Club as a student, invited three of her friends from India home for Thanksgiving dinner. “My mom was fascinated with cooking the food they brought. It was so good.”

Many of the students were befriended by Warren Sawyer and his family. “The doll that was given to me when we moved away from Lexington has set on our fireplace mantel or piano since we left. It reminds me constantly of our dear friends around the world.”

The event was organized by professors Paul Karan and Avinash Sathya, and Tobin, a former board member of the UK Board of Trustees and the UK Alumni Association where she also served as president. The group enjoyed a campus tour, and then dinner as the guests of the provost.

From less than a dozen students in 1959, there are currently 312 students enrolled from India.

Links of Interest
Event Photo Gallery
Office of International Affairs
The Asia Center
Speech at UK by India's Former President Abdul Kalam:
- Evolution of Competitive Knowledge Society
- Q & A with President Kalam

President Obama has awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers to two University of Kentucky professors: chemical and materials engineering associate professor Bruce Hinds and plant and soil science assistant professor David McNear Jr. (more)

University of Kentucky alumnus Donald J. Leopold will receive the highest horticulture honor awarded by the New York State Nursery and Landscape Association (NYSNLA) next month at the annual New York State Fair in Syracuse. (more)

The University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital is ranked among the nation's top hospitals for 2009-10 by U.S.News and World Report. UK Chandler Hospital's ear, nose and throat (33) and gynecology (40) programs are recognized in the study of almost 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UK is one of only 174 hospitals to receive specialty rankings after evaluation. (more)

WUKY will air and stream the Aspen Ideas Festival at 8 p.m. July 27 – 31 and repeat it again the week of August 3 at 6 p.m. on WUKY HD3. The Aspen Ideas Festival brings some of the most inspired and provocative thinkers, writers, artists, businesspeople, teachers and other leaders from across the country and around the world to a single place – Aspen, Colo. – for deep and inquisitive discussion of the ideas and issues that shape our lives and challenge our times. (more)

It was difficult to look away from the image on the monitor. The human heart was pristine, so vivid it seemed that Dr. Mushabbar Syed could almost hold it in his hands. He could, virtually. With a click of the mouse, the heart rotated on the screen so that Dr. Syed could see the vessels on the sides, bottom and top of the 3-D image of the heart of a patient, a nearly 40-year-old man with a history of heart disease and recent chest pains. He had passed a stress test but because of the possibility of a “false negative,” when a stress test does not reveal the presence of heart disease, his cardiologist had ordered a cardiovascular imaging study. (more)

The assignment was simple: create the computer chip that would power the most exciting video game console on the market. The second assignment complicated things: create another computer chip that would power a competing video game console, and make it as exciting. (more)

Dr. Jacqueline A. Noonan, a pediatric cardiologist at Kentucky Children's Hospital, was honored recently by her alma mater. Noonan, a 1954 graduate of the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Medicine, received the A. Bradley Soule Award during a reunion awards ceremony. The A. Bradley Soule Award is the highest award conferred by the UVM College of Medicine’s Medical Alumni Association and is given to an alumnus whose dedication to the college emulates that of the award’s first recipient, Dr. Bradley Soule, a radiologist who became a mentor to many medical students. (more)

Gov. Steve Beshear today appointed three new members to the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees. Carol Martin "Bill" Gatton, banking, automobile dealership and real estate entrepreneur with holdings in west and central Kentucky and east Tennessee, will replace Phillip R. Patton, whose term has expired. James W. Stuckert, an executive with Hilliard Lyons in Louisville, will replace James F. Hardymon, whose term has expired. Stuckert is an alumnus of UK, earning his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1960 and his Master of Business Administration degree in 1961. Barbara Young, who is self-employed and lives in Lexington, is returning to the UK Board of Trustees. She served on the board from July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2007. (more)

An article in Sunday's (July 5) New York Times quoted a University of Kentucky economist on the outlook for jobs as the U.S. tries to pull out of the severe economic slowdown. Ken Troske, Sturgill Endowed Professor of Economics and director of UK's Center for Business and Economic Research in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, was contacted by reporter Michael Luo for his story on job retraining for people who have lost their jobs in automotive manufacturing and other industries. Troske also worked on a study done for the U.S. Labor Department which Luo references in his article. (more)

A University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics graduate has been named as the new president of the Kroger Company, the nation's largest traditional supermarket chain. Rodney McMullen earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from UK and is a member of the Gatton College Alumni Hall of Fame. (more)

Kayla Rae Whitaker has been writing for nearly a decade and is continuously awed by how the written word not only captures the story of the character being told, but also gives the reader insight into the culture of the time. It is this enduring passion for writing that led Whitaker to a major in English at the University of Kentucky. Now the 2007 UK graduate will further pursue her dedication to the art of writing at the next level as UK's third recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship. (more)

2009 UK Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award Recipients Announced

The UK Alumni Association Distinguished Service Awards are presented annually to honor and recognize alumni of the University of Kentucky who have provided extraordinary service to the university and the association. The 2009 recipients were honored during the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors Summer Workshop in Lexington.

The 2009 recipients are: Ted Arlinghaus, Susan Mountjoy, Dr. John Clements, Tonya Bumm Parsons, and W. Cleland White III. Marsha Wallis, a 2008 recipient, was also honored.

Arlinghaus of Edgewood has been an active member of the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati UK Alumni Club for several years. He is always willing to lend a hand or financially support the club’s activities. He has served on the club’s board of directors, as well as serving as club president and on several committees including Scholarship, Diversity and Golf. He has worked to secure corporate sponsorship for the club’s golf outing. Arlinghaus is a 1972 graduate with a degree in accounting and a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association. He and his wife, Janet, have 10 children, and several attend UK.  He loves the Wildcats. He even built a gym onto his house and called it ‘Rupp Arena North!”

Mountjoy of Louisville has been a leader with the Greater Louisville UK Alumni Club for over 25 years. She has served on its board of directors and as chairwoman of many events and activities, including the High School Counselors’ Receptions and the UK Book Award. She has served in all four officer positions for the club, including club president. As president, she expanded the club’s scope of service with participation in DanceBlue and “Cats for a Cause,” and has led the club with its partnership with UK on Main. Mountjoy is a 1972 graduate with a degree in education and a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association. She has four children, three of whom are UK grads.

Clements of Lexington is known for his “can do” attitude and giving spirit. He has been an integral part of the Fayette County UK Alumni Club for many years. He has given generously of his time and resources. Clements has actively participated in club activities, including its golf tournament and other efforts to raise money for scholarships. He and his wife, Lynn, have opened their home and hearts to students and “adopted” international students. Serving others is just his nature — upon retiring in 2007 after 40 years of private practice, he followed a life-long passion that led him to volunteer his dental expertise to the U.S. Army. He is a 1967 graduate with a degree in dentistry. He served on the College of Dentistry Alumni Board for many years. He and his wife, Lynn, who is also a UK grad, are Life Members of the UK Alumni Association and Fellows. They also made sure their three sons were Fellows, too.

Parsons of Lexington has served the Fayette County UK Alumni Club in many different capacities, such as serving on several committees and helping to coordinate events. While serving as president, she made significant contributions to the club, enhancing its vision and purpose. She challenged the club to improve programming, which led to increased fund-raising efforts. The club’s scholarship endowment grew under her leadership. Parsons was instrumental in establishing the Fayette County Young Alumni Group, which contributed to the resurgence of the Fayette County UK Alumni Club. She also serves as a member of the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors. She is a 1991 graduate with a degree in math. She and her husband, Rick, love UK and are both Life Members of the UK Alumni Association.

White has been involved with the UK Alumni Association and his local club for over 43 years. He was instrumental in organizing the Trigg County UK Alumni Club, serving as president and member of its board of directors.  Later, when he moved to Frankfort, he became an active member in the Franklin County UK Alumni Club. He has served as the club’s vice-president, president, and on its board of directors. White has been a catalyst in bringing several initiatives to the club, including recognizing outstanding high school juniors with UK Book Awards,  students send-offs, participation in “Cats for a Cause” service project and assisted in revising the club’s bylaws. He has served on the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors, representing two different districts. He has served on the Budget, Finance & Investment, Club Development, Scholarship/Great Teacher Awards committees. An avid supporter of the university, he has served in many capacities, including as a member of the fund-raising committee for the William T. Young Library and as a member of UKAN since its inception. He earned bachelors and masters degrees in agriculture in 1958 and 1960, respectively. He and his wife, Joan, are Life Members of the UK Alumni Association. He is also a UK Fellow. 

Wallis of Indianapolis, Ind., co-founded the Central Indiana UK Alumni Club in 1978. She served as its president for two terms and currently serves on its board of directors.  Wallis has made great contributions to student recruitment by volunteering at college fairs, UK Office of Admission presentations and Senior Send-off events.  She has served on the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors, as well as serving on numerous committees, including Alumni Service Award, Club Development, Scholarship/Great Teacher Awards, Communications and Membership. Wallis is a 1969 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She is a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association. She and her husband, Robert, have three children, two of whom are also UK graduates and members of the UK Alumni Association.

The 2009 UK Alumni Association Distinguished Service Awards recipients are, front, l-r, Susan Mountjoy, Marsha Wallis, a 2008 recipient, and Dr. John Clements; back, l-r, W. Cleland White III, Ted Arlinghaus and Tonya Bumm Parsons.

UK Alumni Association Announces New Officers

The University of Kentucky Alumni Association announced a new slate of officers at its annual Board of Directors Summer Workshop in Lexington. At the helm for 2009-10 are: Scott Davis, president; Diane Massie, president-elect; Cammie DeShields Grant, treasurer, and Stan Key, secretary.

Davis of Fort Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Kentucky in 1973 and an MBA in finance from Xavier University in 1978. He is a member of the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving as treasurer in 2007-08, as president-elect in 2008-09, and now as president in 2009-10. He also chaired the 2009-14 Strategic Plan Committee this year. He has served as chairman of the Club Development, the Great Teacher/Scholarship and the Finance and Budget Committees. He has been an active member of the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati UK Alumni Club Board of Directors, serving as president and treasurer. He received the UK Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 2008. Davis is a partner with Tatum LLC, one of the largest financial executive services and consulting firms in the country. He has been a member of the Lions Club of Fort Thomas for 20 years, serving several terms on the board of directors, as well as president and treasurer. He also has been active in various activities supporting Highlands High School. He and his wife, Sheila, a 1975 UK graduate, are Life Members of the UK Alumni Association. They have two children, Nathan and Ethan. 

Massie of Chicago, Ill., earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky in 1979. She also earned an MBA from the University of Louisville in 1983. She has served as a member of the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors, as treasurer in 2006-07 and again in 2008-09, and now as president-elect in 2009-10.  Massie has chaired the Membership and Communications Committees, and was vice chair of the Group Development Committee. She was chairwoman of the 2008-09 Long Range Financial Planning Committee and served on the committee to develop the 2009-2014 Strategic Plan. Massie also served on the 2005 and 2010 UK Alumni Association Hall of Distinguished Alumni Committee. She has been president of the Greater Chicago UK Alumni Club and has served on its board of directors. She has assisted the UK Office of Admission with student recruiting in the Chicago area and provided leadership in the funding of a scholarship for Chicago area students attending UK.  Massie was a recipient of the UK Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 2005. She is currently a senior marketing manager with Cars.com. She is a Life Member of the UK Alumni Association and is a UK Fellow. She serves on the Advisory Committee for the Integrated Strategic Communications program in the UK College of Communications and Information Studies.

Grant of Winchester earned an associate degree in human services from Lexington Community College in 1977 and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Kentucky in 1979. She is a member of the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors. She has served as chairwoman of the Great Teacher/Scholarship, Club Development and the Nominating for Board of Directors Committees. Grant has served the Clark County UK Alumni Club in various capacities, including as a member of its board of directors, vice president and president. She was a recipient of the UK Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 2006. She is employed by the Clark County Board of Education as a speech/language pathologist. She and her husband, William, are Life Members of the UK Alumni Association.

Key of Lexington earned a degree in education from the University of Kentucky in 1972. He also earned a master’s degree in education from Murray State University in 1977. He is the director of UK alumni affairs and serves as executive director and secretary of the UK Alumni Association.  He has been employed with the association for 20 years and was named the director in 1998. He received the UK Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 2004. Key played basketball at UK from 1968-1972 and was co-captain of Coach Adolph Rupp’s final team. Key and his wife, Mary Jane, a 1972 UK graduate, are Life Members of the UK Alumni Association and UK Fellows. They have two sons, Ryan, a 2000 UK grad, and Neil, a 2004 UK grad.

The UK Alumni Association officers for 2009-10 are, l-r, Stan Key, secretary and executive director of the UK Alumni Association; Cammie D. Grant, treasurer; Diane Massie, president-elect; and Scott Davis, president.

Kentuckian Wes Cowan delivers the dirt on a new season of History Detectives. The archaeologist, anthropologist, and appraiser joins the rest of America's top gumshoes who are back this week for a seventh season to prove once again that an object found in an attic or backyard might be anything but ordinary. (more) (Read Kentucky Alumni Feature)

If you are interested in being involved in the equine world, what better place on earth to be than Lexington, Ky., 'The Horse Capital of the World'? And if you are a college student interested in learning more about horses, working with horses, or earning a stand-alone equine degree, what better place than the University of Kentucky? (more)

Following three days of trials featuring 17 of the nation's top 19-and-unders competing at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., 12 players were announced today by USA Basketball as members of the 2009 USA Men's U19 World Championship Team. The 12 players will remain in Colorado Springs through June 25 to continue training for the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship, which will be held July 2-12 in Auckland, New Zealand. The player selections were made by the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee, chaired by Syracuse University head coach Jim Boeheim. (more)

University of Kentucky alumnus Rudy Vaughn Brannon, who goes by the stage name Rudy Vaughn, and his band of the same name, have won the Hard Rock Cafe's Ambassadors of Rock Battle of the Bands. (more)

The University of Kentucky's College of Public Health will host its 26th annual Summer Series on Aging, June 22-24, at the Griffin Gate Marriott. Professionals from 22 states and three countries will attend more than 30 educational sessions that focus on our aging population. (more)

University of Kentucky alumnus Jim Rogers will be appearing on the national cable television hit comedy show "The Colbert Report" tonight. For Rogers, a graduate of the Gatton College of Business and Economics and CEO of Duke Energy, this is just the latest in a series of high-profile media appearances in recent months. (more)

University of Kentucky alumna Anne Peabody is one of a select group of artists chosen to show work in the “Glass Stress” exhibition at the 53rd Venice Biennale. (more)

Most Wildcat fans enter Rupp Arena and immediately look up, in awe of the eight NCAA National Championship banners hanging from the rafters honoring the accomplishments of the men’s basketball program. But, if you look closely, you’ll notice another championship banner hanging in Rupp Arena honoring 17-time national champions, the University of Kentucky cheerleading squad. (more)

Graduating from college summa cum laude is a noteworthy accomplishment for anybody. To do it while still a teenager is nothing short of remarkable. (more)

The Office of International Affairs (OIA) at the University of Kentucky presented three UK students with the Viji Jeganathan Award for Cross-Cultural Understanding. Students Suzanne Anandappa, Mehmet Saracoglu and Yumi Yokoi are recipients of the $1,000 scholarship applicable toward tuition for the fall 2009 semester. (more)

Cliff Jackson, associate professor of voice and vocal coach in the University of Kentucky School of Music, has been named 2009 Coach of the Year by the magazine Classical Singer. (more)

The Association of Japanese Geographers (AJG) presented Pradyumna P. Karan, a professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Geography and a University Press of Kentucky (UPK) author, its Special Award at its annual meeting in March. The award honored Karan for his research in development and environmental geography of Japan and the Himalayas. (more)

Mark Kornbluh, a scholar who unites the arts and sciences through his dual expertise in history and technology, has been tapped as the new dean of the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences. Currently professor and chair of the Department of History at Michigan State University, he also holds an appointment in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Kornbluh will take the reins of the UK College of Arts and Sciences at the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year, pending approval by the UK Board of Trustees at their meeting June 9. (more)

Mary John O'Hair has been named dean of the University of Kentucky College of Education, pending approval by the UK Board of Trustees June 9. O'Hair comes to UK from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., where she has served as vice provost for school and community partnerships since 2006. She has been with OU since 1994, and has held the positions of professor of educational leadership and policy; director of educational administration, curriculum and supervision; and associate dean of research and graduate studies in the OU College of Education. (more)

This year's "It's a Grand Night for Singing" rocks and rolls, croons and sways, belts and harmonizes, serenades and swings. The much-loved start to the summer arts season, presented by University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, will celebrate its 17th year with a concert stage full of new faces as well as long-time audience favorites. Showtimes for "Grand Night" are 7:30 p.m., June 12-13 and 19 -20, and 2 p.m., June 14 and 21, at the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall. (more)

This month's installment of the Kentucky SkyTalk series welcomes members of the general public to the University of Kentucky MacAdam Student Observatory for a night of learning and stargazing with Mike Cavagnero, chair of the UK College of Arts and Sciences Department of Physics and Astronomy. Cavagnero will speak on "Star Power: Einstein's Solar Engine." His approximately half-hour talk will take place at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 11, in 155 Chemistry-Physics Building. Afterward, everyone is invited to cross the street to the MacAdam Student Observatory, located atop UK Parking Structure #2, to view the stars and planets through a high-powered telescope. Those who cannot make the lecture are still welcome to join in stargazing. (more)

University of Kentucky Opera Theatre alumna Reshma Shetty has been cast as Divya Katdare, physician assistant to a somewhat reluctant Hamptons "concierge doctor" in the new USA Network television series "Royal Pains." Shetty is among the cast of four featured on the new program premiering tonight at 10 p.m. on USA (Insight Cable Channel 26). (more)

The University of Kentucky Solar Car Team finished in second place Friday, June 5, in the Formula Sun Grand Prix at Motorsport Ranch in Cresson, Texas. The UK car, Gato Del Sol III, completed 393 laps over three days, with its fastest lap timed at two minutes, 33 seconds. Thirteen members of the UK Solar Car Team made the trip; all are students in the UK College of Engineering. (more)

Most Wildcat fans enter Rupp Arena and immediately look up, in awe of the eight NCAA National Championship banners hanging from the rafters honoring the accomplishments of the men’s basketball program. But, if you look closely, you’ll notice another championship banner hanging in Rupp Arena honoring 17-time national champions, the University of Kentucky cheerleading squad. (more)

For the first time in school history, a member of the University of Kentucky softball team has been named an All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Junior shortstop and team captain Molly Johnson, who helped lead UK to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, was selected to the second team by the NFCA. (more)

This is Capstone Week for students in the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics One-Year MBA Program. "Managing Transition" is the theme of a three-day program opening tomorrow morning and running through Thursday, June 4. This year's class of nearly 80 students then will be recognized in ceremonies to be held at 10 a.m. Friday, June 5, in Memorial Hall. (more)

A design by University of Kentucky 2007 interior design graduate, Amberlee Isabella (formally Kempf), has been selected as one of six national finalists for a carpet design competition presented by Mannington Commercial. The winning designer will be chosen via online voting and the winning design will be added to the Mannington line of products in a full carpet collection. (more)

The leader of the state’s primary human services agency has been honored by the University of Kentucky College of Social Work. Patricia R. Wilson, commissioner of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ (CHFS) Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), was nominated and selected for the UK College of Social Work’s Hall of Fame Award by her peers. The award is presented annually to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the field of social work. (more)

With a new director and a professional staff ready to serve the campus, the University of Kentucky James W. Stuckert Career Center goes above and beyond what most people would expect. Not only does the center provide large career fairs and job-searching databases to students, but the staff actually trains UK students and alumni on how to land that first real job, and how to turn their skills and interests into satisfying careers. (more)

The University of Kentucky men's basketball program received a National Letter of Intent from John Wall, Coach John Calipari announced on Wednesday, giving the Wildcats what many recruiting experts claim is the number one class in the country. (more)

Her body was smaller than his forearm, her head about the size of his palm. Her tiny chest, covered in sterile gauze, rose and fell in a steady rhythm. (more)

Come out and join Coach John Calipari and his staff in this year's UK basketball camp circuit beginning with the Father-Son Camp on June 19-20. This year's camps include not only the Father-Son camp, but an overnight camp as well as a Serious Skills camp. (more)

Audiences are immersing themselves in Shaker culture this May as the University of Kentucky Department of Theatre and Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill come together to present a play set in the religion's "era of manifestations" in the early 19th century. "As It Is In Heaven," a play written by Arlene Hutton, offers its audiences a unique opportunity to travel back in time and get a glimpse of Shaker heritage and Kentucky history in the actual setting of the play. (more)

Want to see videos and photos of what the UK Alumni Association is doing and planning and what other alumni are up to? Then jump onto the UK Alumni fan page on Facebook.

Want to make career connections, hire UK alumni for your business, share information about you and your business? Then join the UK Alumni group on LinkedIn.

Want to “tweet” with the best of them and follow the UK Alumni, coaches and celebrities found there? Then follow the UK Alumni Association as kentuckyalumni on Twitter.

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The University of Kentucky Alumni Association welcomed its youngest graduate recently, giving new meaning to the phrase "young alum." Kelsey Curd Ladt, who turned 14 just three months ago, is one of the youngest females to graduate from the University of Kentucky. (more)

University of Kentucky alumni experts are now only a click away for Kentucky small business employers and entrepreneurs who have a business or technical question. The UK Alumni Expert Network – www.ukyexperts.net – connects tens of thousands of Kentucky small businesses with alumni who have expertise in hundreds of areas from business operations to new product development. (more)

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine Class of 2012 is hosting the annual Hispanic Health Fair from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at the E.S. Good Barn across from Commonwealth Stadium. (more)

The Education Abroad at UK section of the University of Kentucky Office of International Affairs announces the winners of the 2008-2009 Education Abroad Photo Contest. (more)

John Littleton, a UK pharmacy professor and chief scientific officer of Naprogenix Inc., will present his new plant-based technology at the BIO International Convention, “Heat, Fuel, Feed the World,” in Atlanta, May 18-21. The invitation to present was one of only two dozen invitations extended from the editors at Genetic Engineering. (more)

The Ronald McDonald Family Room® at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital is in immediate need of volunteers to help provide a “place to go when you can’t go home” for patient families and friends who need a break from the stress of their child’s medical care but are unable to leave the hospital. (more)

Zachary Monk, a freshman at Tates Creek High School in Lexington, was awarded the 2009 Jamal Mashburn Scholarship in ceremonies held recently at the King Alumni House on the University of Kentucky campus. (more)

More than 5,900 graduates were recognized at the University of Kentucky's 142nd Commencement ceremony today in Lexington's Rupp Arena. Those included the spring 2009 graduates as well as those who received their degrees in August and December 2008. Various recognition ceremonies for individual colleges and programs were scheduled as well. (more)

When you talk about success stories coming out of the University of Kentucky, there are literally thousands. Then again, there is an old adage that says good things often come in threes. (more)

It sounds like something out of Star Trek. A doctor treats a brain tumor with precisely targeted invisible beams of energy, guided by a high-definition, three-dimensional digital image of the patient's head. The treatment plan is administered by skilled physicians and medical physicists and coordinated by a supercomputer silently blinking in a corner. (more)

The University of Kentucky Martin School of Public Policy and Administration has named Dr. Hatim A. Omar the recipient of the 2009 William E. Lyons Award. Omar is professor of pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and chief of Adolescent Medicine and the Young Parents Program of UK HealthCare. The Lyons Award, named in honor of the late William (Bill) E. Lyons, professor of political science and public administration, is presented annually to a member of the university community who epitomizes the academic leadership and public service demonstrated by Lyons during his many years as a faculty member at UK. Omar will be honored at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 5th, on the 18th floor of the Patterson Office Tower. (more)

UK HealthCare is teaming up with the Lexington Legends for a second year to provide baby changing stations at Applebee's Park for the 2009 baseball season. The UK HealthCare-Lexington Legends matchup also includes a promotion known as "Lexington's Little Legend." This year's participant is Jack Andrew Turner, born at UK Chandler Hospital on the Legends' opening day, April 13, 2009. (more)

The current economic situation across the nation and state means many people are looking for jobs.The University of Kentucky Office of Adult Student Services wants to help adults who may wish to earn their college degrees in hopes of helping to expand their job opportunities. (more)

One student selected from Fayette County public high schools will be honored with the 2009 Jamal Mashburn Scholarship award on Thursday, May 7. The recipient, along with the scholarship finalists, will be recognized in a ceremony at 8:30 a.m. at the King Alumni House on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Rose Street in the Hall of Distinguished Alumni. (more)

Sallie Bingham, author, playwright, poet, philanthropist and noted feminist, will make a special guest appearance at this year’s 30th anniversary Kentucky Women Writers Conference, the event that brings internationally renowned writers to Lexington. Registration for the conference begins Friday, May 1, and may be done online or by calling (859) 257-2987. (more)

Thanks to many partners, including the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, a Lexington neighborhood will have a community garden to provide residents with access to fresh fruits and vegetables. (more)

An advocate for health insurance coverage for deaf persons, an organizer for campus philanthropic events and an ambassador for AmeriCorps will receive the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion during the 2009 University of Kentucky Commencement at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at Rupp Arena. (more)

If passion, heart, and perseverance are necessary elements for succeeding in a given endeavor, University of Kentucky graduating senior Drew Trimble has what it takes, and in great quantity. Selected to be the Class of 2009's representative to speak to the thousands in attendance at UK's Main Commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9, in Rupp Arena, this Johnson County, Ky. native relishes a challenge. (more)

The University of Kentucky School of Library and Information Science in the College of Communications and Information Studies will honor alumna Renee Register (formerly Renee Stamper, while a student) with the School’s 2009 Outstanding Alumna/us Award. Renee will be honored among other students and alumni of the school at its annual Alumni and Awards Banquet tonight. (more)

Information on the university's many arts offerings featuring the outstanding faculty and student artists, actors, vocalists and musicians at the University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts is now available through Twitter. (more)

University of Kentucky alumna Dana Canedy is a New York Times senior editor and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose book "A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor" sparked an outpouring of love and sympathy from her readers and from the UK community. (more)

More than 5,900 graduates will be recognized at the University of Kentucky's 142nd Commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9, in Rupp Arena. Those include the spring 2009 graduates as well as those who received their degrees in August and December 2008. Various recognition ceremonies for individual colleges and programs are scheduled as well. (more)

University of Kentucky Provost Kumble Subbaswamy has appointed six UK professors as Provost's Distinguished Service Professors, effective Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2012. The award recognizes and honors professors for their consistently high level of achievement in their contributions to their disciplines and the university. (more)

Four professors and three teaching assistants at the University of Kentucky have been selected to receive the 2009 Provost's Outstanding Teaching Awards. Each year these awards honor one tenured faculty member employed for at least 10 years at UK; one tenured faculty member employed at the university for fewer than 10 years; two non-tenured faculty members; and up to three teaching assistants. The award recognizes faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate special dedication and success in their teaching; and to encourage awareness of the importance of excellence in teaching. Recipients are selected via nomination and review by a selection committee based in the Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education. Winners receive cash prizes of $5,000 for tenured faculty, $3,500 for non-tenured faculty and $1,000 for teaching assistants. (more)

Once again, University of Kentucky student- athletes are proving they can excel in their studies as well as on the playing field or court. The Southeastern Conference Winter Academic Honor Roll was released this week by the conference office. (more)

This weekend, more than 200 teachers from across the Commonwealth and the country will be recognized by the University of Kentucky College of Education “Teachers Who Made a Difference” program. The recognition begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 25, in the Center Theater at the Student Center on the UK campus. (more)

Best Seller By Kim Edwards Still Popular After Two Years

     Kim Edwards, assistant professor of English at UK, has said that one of the pleasures of writing “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” was uncovering the resilience that develops in the novel’s characters as they found themselves in situations they did not understand. Her expertise at crafting this story – about a doctor delivering his twins during a snowstorm, discovering that one had Down’s syndrome and sending the child to an institution, all the while telling his wife that the child died at birth – was what propelled the book to a huge success, reaching the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and Book Sense best seller lists. The novel also is being published in 40 other countries.

     Edwards has been interested in telling stories all of her life, so writing a successful novel is like the ultimate culmination of a natural inclination. Story telling is simply part of her.

     “I have a clear memory of my very first story. I told it to my mother and she wrote it down because I was too young to write. It was a very moralistic tale about an eagle and a worm,” she says. “But it had a happy ending.”

     Edwards is a native of Texas and grew up in Skaneateles, N.Y. She was graduated from Colgate University and the University of Iowa, where she received her master’s degree in fiction and linguistics. Traveling to Asia with her husband (Thomas Clayton, now head of the English department at UK), she enjoyed five years of teaching in Malyasia, Japan and Cambodia and began publishing short stories while overseas. One f these, "Sky Juice,” won the Nelson Algren Award, while others appeared in notable periodicals and also won honors, including a National Magazine Award for Excellence in Fiction and a Pushcart Prize, as well as inclusion in The Best American Short Stories. Her book, “The Secret of a Fire King,” also was recently issued in the United States.

     Before coming to UK in 2002, she taught in the MFA program at Warren Wilson College and at Washington University. She usually teaches creative writing classes, but currently on a one year sabbatical from UK.

     “I’m working on another novel, and even though I know more now about writing, it is still a process of starting over,” she says. “Some writers have a formula they follow, but for me, it is more about the process of discovery.”

© Kentucky Alumni, Winter 2008.

Fayette County UK Alumni Club Honors Tom Hammond

The Fayette County UK Alumni Club and Keeneland honored internationally known sportscaster Tom Hammond, with the club’s first Hometown Hero Award.  A Lexington native, Hammond will tell you he is a “lucky guy” to do what he loves without ever having to move away from Lexington.

An alumnus of Lexington’s Lafayette High School, Hammond grew up with a passion for the University of Kentucky. His grandfather, Thomas Poe Cooper, served as dean of the College of Agriculture and an acting president of UK, and he spent a lot of time as a child growing up on UK’s campus. Hammond graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1967 with a degree in animal science. He thought the horse business was his future, but opportunity took him into a varied career from reading race results on the air and being the announcer at horse sales to calling the Kentucky Derby, National Football League and Southestern Conference basketball games, to 8 Olympics and another on his schedule. He is also the voice of the University of Kentucky’s “seeblue.” signature campaign.

He began his career in broadcasting with WVLK Radio, where he was news and sports director. Hammond was next sports director for WLEX-TV. In 1980, he was named a play-by-play announcer for Southeastern Conference basketball games which he called with Rupp’s Runt Larry Conley through the 2008-2009 season. Hammond joined NBC Sports in 1984, and continues to be one of NBC's most widely used and popular commentators.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he served as a sales announcer at the Keeneland Thoroughbred Sales and at thoroughbred horse sales in 16 other states. He is recognized as a specialist and national expert on thoroughbred pedigrees. Along with his famous call of the Kentucky Derby, Hammond can be heard on NBC’s coverage of the winter and summer Olympics, the National Football League and Notre Dame Football.

He was the first recipient of the annual Outstanding Kentuckian Award given by the A.B. Chandler Foundation, is a charter member of the Lafayette High School Hall of Fame, has been inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame at UK and is a member of the UK Alumni Association’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

By Liz Demoran
August 21, 2009

The Associated Press reporter who was held hostage for nearly 7 years in Lebanon was in Louisville Thursday night. 61-year-old Terry Anderson talked to about 100 people at the Muhammad Ali Center. He was a guest of the UK Alumni Association and the Louisville Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. (more)

On Wednesday, April 1, 2009 the University of Kentucky named John Calipari the 22nd head coach in UK basketball history, pending approval of the UK Board of Trustees. (more)

The College of Arts and Sciences is in the final countdown to an out-of-this-world Geek Week, as all of UK is invited to "See Blue and Beyond with the College of Arts and Sciences." The annual celebration of A&S students, faculty, research and learning will blast off at noon Monday, April 6, with a celebration on the Main Building Plaza. The entire campus community is welcome to enjoy picnic foods, freeTt-shirts, a visit from the UK Wildcat mascot, live music and corn hole games. (more)

The 30th anniversary Kentucky Women Writers Conference has announced its headliner and dates for the event that brings internationally renowned writers to Lexington. Scheduled for Sept. 10-12, 2009, the event will feature the poet Elizabeth Alexander, who delivered her poem "Praise Song for the Day” at President Barack Obama's inauguration in January. (more)

The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky presents the first major exhibition of Egyptian antiquities in the Bluegrass March 22-June 14. "Excavating Egypt: Great Discoveries from the Petrie Museum, University College London" features more than 200 of the most significant finds — some never seen by the public until now — from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London, England. (more)

The University of Kentucky 2009 Cultural Diversity Festival committee has joined hands with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to host the first "Party in the Park" from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 28 in Woodland Park (on High Street in Lexington). (more)

UK on Main, the University of Kentucky's regional office in Louisville, recently hosted a "Main Street Salute" awards reception to recognize students, faculty, and staff for their contributions to diversity. (more)

The Kentucky Arts Council announced today that Gov. Steve Beshear has appointed Gurney Norman, director of the University of Kentucky Creative Writing Program, as Kentucky Poet Laureate for a two-year honorary term. Norman will be formally inducted on Kentucky Writers' Day at 11 a.m. Friday, April 24, 2009, in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. Norman succeeds 2007 - 2009 Kentucky Poet Laureate Jane Gentry Vance, who is a professor in the UK Department of English and the Honors Program. (more)

University of Kentucky sociology professor Doris Wilkinson was recently honored as one of the state's most outstanding women by the Kentucky Commission on Women. Her portrait will join the paintings of other women who have been recognized for their lifetime achievements in the Kentucky Women Remembered exhibit at the state Capitol. (more)

In celebration of March Madness, the University of Kentucky Archives and The Hub are teaming up to present "March Madness: A History of UK Basketball in Images," an exhibit running through the month of March, displayed on the video screens in The Hub, located in the basement of William T. Young Library. The exhibit is free and open to the public. (more)

Everett McCorvey, director of University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and the American Spiritual Ensemble, will be featured on "The Bob Edwards Show" airing 8 to 9 a.m. Friday, March 13, on XM Channel 133 and Sirius Channel 196. McCorvey, founder and director of the ensemble, and the 25-member vocal group will discuss and perform examples of the American Negro spiritual -- music created by slaves with African roots and biblical text. (more)

The University of Kentucky Center for Manufacturing is featured for its assistance to companies in an article on Manufacturing & Technology eJournal. (more)

The Big Robot Ensemble brings to campus a live interactive media concert experience at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in the Recital Hall at the Singletary Center for the Arts. This telematic art production is free and open to the public. (more)

The University of Kentucky Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce has been ranked among the world’s best 25 master's degree programs in international affairs. The rankings were the result of an extensive survey of international relations faculty in 10 countries conducted by the Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations at the College of William and Mary. Scholars were asked to list the best programs in the world for a student wishing to pursue a career in international relations and policy. Among U.S. programs, the Patterson School ranked 16th. (more)

The University of Kentucky’s “see blue.” campaign continues to have folks across the country seeing blue in everything they do. (more)

The 15th annual University of Kentucky Black Women’s Conference, hosted by the UK African American Studies and Research Program, will take place March 21 and March 25-26. The theme for this year's conference is: "Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Black Women in Correctional Settings." (more)

When J.B. Holmes left the University of Kentucky, he left as the most decorated golfer in UK history and helped put UK on the intercollegiate golf map. But that’s not the only impression he’s left on the University. As a member of the 2008 Ryder Cup Team, he had the unique opportunity to help bring golf instruction to the Bluegrass. (more)

Five journalists will be named to the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame Tuesday, April 14, at the Lexington Downtown Hotel and Conference Center. The five will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a luncheon ceremony sponsored by the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications Alumni Association. (more)

After 24 hours of non-stop dancing, approximately 600 University of Kentucky students and dozens of young cancer patients and their families discovered that they have once again broke last year's total by raising an astonishing $600,888.82 for pediatric oncology care at the university. (more)

The University of Kentucky Alumni Association and the UK James Stuckert Career Center announce a series of free job search workshops. The workshops are for UK alumni and friends who are out of work, thinking about a career change, or simply preparing for the unexpected in their industry or profession. (more)

Branch Out Kentucky-African Americans and Alzheimer's Disease: It Takes a Partnership conference will be held from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at the Four Points Sheraton, 1938 Stanton Way in Lexington. The conference is sponsored by the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging's African American Dementia Partnership and is co-sponsored by the Council of Ministers, Kentucky Department of Aging and Independent Living, Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Alzheimer's Association, and Ohio Valley Appalachia Regional Geriatric Education Center. (more)

The University of Kentucky Center for Community Outreach will host the fourth annual DanceBlue dance marathon from 7 p.m. Friday, March 6, through 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7. Approximately 600 dancers will pack UK's Memorial Coliseum and stay on their feet for 24 hours straight to benefit the Golden Matrix Fund and the UK Pediatric Oncology Clinic. (more)

With Spring Break just around the corner, many UK students’ minds are on their upcoming vacations – relaxing by a pool, visiting the parents or hitting the links. A new partnership will allow the golf enthusiast or curious amateur to continue playing golf through graduation. The University of Kentucky College of Education announces a new course, KHP 105, section 001 – Golf, as part of the curriculum. (more)

Vandana Shiva, internationally renowned environmental leader, academician and author, will be the guest lecturer for the spring semester's Sustainability Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, in Memorial Hall. (more)

The University of Kentucky Gender and Women's Studies Program, together with Transylvania University Women's Studies, presents the Gender and War Series, March 2-5. Four presentations will draw attention to how war affects women -- whether they are combatants, on the home front or caught in the crossfire. (more)

Jennifer Swanberg, executive director of the University of Kentucky Institute for Workplace Innovation and associate professor in the UK College of Social Work, was quoted in a Feb. 24 article of The Wall Street Journal on workplace flexibility in relation to maternity and paternity leave. (more)

New events and returning favorites highlight the 20th Cultural Diversity Festival at the University of Kentucky throughout the month of March. The festival aims to promote cultural awareness to the UK campus and Lexington community through a month of activities and events. This year the festival offers approximately 30 events throughout the month to UK students, faculty, and staff, and is also hoping to reach out to the Lexington community more than ever before. (more)

Several upcoming events emphasize the University of Kentucky's commitment to sustainability. They include: Vandana Shiva, internationally renowned environmental leader, academician and author, will be the guest lecturer for the spring semester's Sustainability Lecture Series. Her presentation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, in Memorial Hall. Shiva will address higher education's role in sustainability. The event is free and open to the public. (more)

The University of Kentucky African American Studies and Research Program presents the latest installment in the Carter G. Woodson Lecture Series today. From 4:30 to 6 p.m., 201 Student Center, Nicole Lewis will speak on "Promoting Underrepresented Students' Interest in Doctoral Study: Contributions of Undergraduate Research Involvement." (more)

Adults who are "50 or better" in the Somerset area can take courses this spring offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Kentucky. The OLLI at UK in Somerset, now offering its third semester of classes, will begin registration at the Open House on Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 1:30–3:30 p.m. at the Pulaski County Public Library. (more)

The University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research (UKCPR), based in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, is hosting seminars on a variety of important research topics over the coming days and weeks. (more)

Most will be wearing Kentucky blue, some will don Tennessee orange, but everyone will be going green when the Wildcats take on the Volunteers at Rupp Arena Feb. 21. The University of Kentucky (UK) vs. the University of Tennessee (UT) basketball game is going green. Big Blue Sports Marketing, which is managed by IMG College, and AT&T Real Yellow Pages are partnering to sponsor their first phone book recycling program at the Feb 21 game. (more)

Graduating seniors can finalize all their Commencement needs in one stop at the University of Kentucky Alumni Association's annual Senior Salute at the King Alumni House. Students graduating in May 2009 and graduates of August 2008 or December 2008 are invited to attend. Parents are welcome. (more)

For the first time in history, the University of Kentucky Department of Theatre will come together with Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) to perform John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." The UK/BCTC production of this award-winning adaptation by Frank Galati, originally produced by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, will hit the Guignol Theater stage 7:30 p.m., Feb. 19-21 and Feb. 26-28. A Sunday matinee showing is scheduled for 2 p.m., March 1. (more)

Chi Omega sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the University of Kentucky will hold their annual Greek Sing charity event benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Kentucky Saturday, Feb. 21, at Memorial Coliseum. (more)

Francene Gilmer has been named the new director of the University of Kentucky James W. Stuckert Career Center and officially started this February. An open house will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Stuckert Career Center to formally welcome Gilmer to campus. The Career Center is inviting all students, faculty and staff to come and meet the new director. Light refreshments will be provided. (more)

Ron Eller, associate professor, history department, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, will discuss Appalachian issues on ABC's "20/20" at 10 p.m. EST (9 p.m. CST) Friday, Feb. 13,. Eller was interviewed for Diane Sawyer's special report addressing children and poverty. (more)

Civil engineer and author Patricia Galloway will discuss her proposals to reform engineering education during a reading and luncheon in the Lexmark Public Room of the University of Kentucky’s Main Building at noon Friday, Feb. 20. (more)

Six University of Kentucky professors have been recognized for their excellence in the classroom as recipients of the UK Alumni Association's 2009 Great Teacher Awards. The recipients will be honored at the Great Teacher Award banquet at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Lexington.The 2009 recipients are Margaret Bausch, Allison Connelly, Lorraine Garkovich, Robert Schwemm, William Silvia and Mark Summers. (more)

The prestigious SCIENCE journal tomorrow will publish an extensive article on social network analysis co-authored by four management professors in the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics. (more)

The nomination period for the 2009 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallions, which will be presented at the University of Kentucky’s 2009 Commencement, has opened. (more)

A group of University of Kentucky College of Law students is preparing for income tax season, but not just because they need to submit their own returns. They are volunteering in a program to assist low-income individuals with their taxes. (more)

Adults who are "50 or better" in the Morehead area can take courses this spring offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Kentucky. The OLLI at UK in Morehead, now offering its fourth semester of classes, will begin registration on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 1–3 p.m. at the Rowan County Public Library. (more)

It’s not only awards season for those in the entertainment industry, in the field of higher education, it is awards season, too. The University of Kentucky is continuing in its winning ways, winning several awards this week at the 2009 Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District Three Conference in Atlanta. (more)

The causes and consequences of the financial crisis, the outlook for Kentucky's economy this year, and the results of a statewide survey of business confidence – these topics and several others are addressed in the recently-released 2009 Kentucky Annual Economic Report, published by the University of Kentucky's Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER), which is headquartered in the Gatton College of Business and Economics. (more)

While many people are giving flowers or candies for Valentine’s Day, students involved in the University of Kentucky’s Jumpstart Lexington program will be celebrating the love of reading by giving out books. Jumpstart Lexington, which seeks to promote early literacy and school preparedness, has teamed up with community partners to prepare “for the love of reading” goody bags for patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and nursery of UK Chandler Hospital. (more)

University of Kentucky researchers have found that an enzyme that breaks down the peptides believed to be a causative agent in Alzheimer’s disease, when present in blood, offers a promising approach for preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease. (more)

For University of Kentucky graduate students, a supportive group of peers may be as close as the Internet. The UK Graduate School is one of the first members of GradShare, a social networking community for graduate students. GradShare allows graduate students across the country to interact with each other - asking questions, crowdsourcing advice and seeking support from their peers. Participants share tips about everything from research to teaching to how to live on a graduate student stipend (one answer: "Never pass up free food!"). The Web site also features articles by veteran academics and administrators, who offer advice on academic work as well as on maintaining a healthy approach to work-life stress while in graduate school. (more)

The UK Student Activities Board (SAB) will host popular singer-songwriter Jason Mraz in concert at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 26, 2009, at Memorial Coliseum. Tickets will be on a first-come, first-served basis and will be available to UK students and Mraz fan club members only from Feb. 9 to Feb. 13. Starting Saturday, Feb. 14, tickets will be available to the general public. (more)

Paws and Kats After Dark, the University of Kentucky's annual Valentine's Day concert, features two a cappella singing groups made up of UK School of Music students, the acoUstiKats and Paws and Listen. (more)

Nothing sounds sweeter than spending Valentine’s Day listening to the sounds of Stravinsky, Mendelssohn and Elgar. Local audiences can do just that as premier violinist Gil Shaham takes the stage with the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Nardolillo, at 7:30pm Saturday, Feb. 14, at Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall. (more)

University of Kentucky's Student Activities Board (SAB) presents "Relationship Week," Feb. 9-12.The SAB will host at least one event each day to encourage students to interact and meet other UK students across campus. (more)

For future members of the Wildcat family, figuring out how to pay for college can be a stressful situation. Staff members at the University Of Kentucky Office Of Student Financial Aid want incoming, transfer, and returning students to know there are resources out there to help make the dream of earning a college degree become a reality. (more)

High school seniors and college students interested in pursuing careers as physicians or dentists are eligible to participate in summer programs at the University of Kentucky offered through its Professional Education Preparation Program. (more)

The University of Kentucky announced today that the UK Tobacco-Free Campus Initiative will take effect on Nov. 19, 2009, coinciding with the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout®, held annually on the third Thursday in November. (more)

The first book in the 97th volume of the Kentucky Law Journal is now available for purchase. Since 1913, the Kentucky Law Journal has published scholarly works of general interest to the legal community and is the 10th oldest law school journal in the country. It is produced by students of the University of Kentucky College of Law under the direction of an 11-person editorial board and with the advice of a faculty member. The Kentucky Law Journal is published quarterly by the College of Law. (more)

The University of Kentucky College of Engineering’s annual Engineers Day Open House, featuring contests, displays and project demonstrations, will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, in the Engineering Complex on the Lexington campus. (more)

The University of Kentucky Police Department will offer its fifth Citizen Police Academy to members of the UK and Lexington community in an effort to provide more insight into how police officers perform their duties and how university police serve their community. (more)

Last year more than 100 teachers were recognized by the University of Kentucky College of Education Teachers Who Made a Difference program. The UK College of Education and UK basketball great and his wife, Dan and Cheri Issel, are teaming up to offer the program again in 2009 and are currently accepting nominations. (more)

Jabari Asim, accomplished journalist, playwright, and author, will be the centerpiece of the University of Kentucky Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center's recognition of Black History Month. (more)

The University of Kentucky Athletics program aims to compete for championships on the field, while also maintaining a strong focus on the academic success of its student athletes. Based on the latest Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll, UK is succeeding. (more)

Kentucky Educational Television (KET) will air a documentary at 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, on a University of Kentucky researcher’s use of technology to “unscroll” an ancient manuscript of Homer’s “Iliad.” (more)

At the 2008 The Kentucky Citizen Media Project (KCMP) officially launched its Web site, Lexington Commons, Jan. 23 and will be hosting free introductory citizen journalism workshops each month for the rest of the spring 2009 semester. The workshops will train members of the community in the basics of journalism and give them a chance to publish their work on the Lexington Commons site. (more)

Dystopian novelists like Anthony Burgess and George Orwell predicted an ominous new world ripe with societal chaos and human misery within their works; allowing each image to be vividly encountered by every reader. While some continue to lead us into their vision through writing, others are allowing us to enter such worlds virtually. Bryn Oh, a virtual artist well known for her work in the virtual world Second Life, is bringing her vision "Condos in Heaven" to the University of Kentucky island on Jan. 31. (more)

Tomorrow, Governor Beshear will join forces with God’s Pantry Food Bank and the University of Kentucky to collect much-needed food items for families and individuals in both Central and Western Kentucky impacted by this week’s winter storm. (more)

March 1, 2009 is the deadline for University of Kentucky students to apply for a new scholarship program designed to assist students wishing to study in Asia. The UK Asia Center will provide scholarships of $4,000 (for semester- or year-long programs) or $2,000 (for short-term programs) to at least seven and as many as 14 undergraduates during 2009. As courses and programs about Asia grow across the UK campus, the Asia Center is beginning a new scholarship program this year to encourage more UK undergraduates to include time in an Asian country in their studies. (more)

Twenty-one UK HealthCare physicians are named in the latest list of America's Top Doctors. Published by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., America's Top Doctors recognizes specialists who are considered among the best in both patient care and research. The publication is now in its eighth edition. (more)

A week of special events marks the grand opening celebration of the newly renovated University of Kentucky Bookstore from Jan. 26 through Jan. 30. (more)

Students at the University of Kentucky often start their day bending over the well known bins in White Hall Classroom Building to pick up a copy of the popular student newspaper the Kentucky Kernel before barreling into class. Whether it's to get their daily fix of Sudoku or to glaze over the opinion pages, students rely on this daily publication to stay connected. Yet one student, English major Eric Schlich, was not satisfied by the news alone, thus was born The Cat's Figment, a publication focused entirely on the creative endeavors of the academic and local Lexington community. (more)

The World Games 2010 Foundation today announced a partnership with the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. (more)

A sports dynasty usually refers to a team which has won multiple championships over a period of several years. But when you've won 13 of the last 15 national titles and 17 overall, that's not just a dynasty, that's pure dominance -- exactly what the University of Kentucky Cheerleaders represent. (more)

As a youngster in small-town Kansas, Braden Lusk developed a fascination with firecrackers and fireworks, unleashing their power on unfortunate inanimate objects. Today, the University of Kentucky mining engineering assistant professor is one of the hosts of “The Detonators,” a weekly Discovery Channel program that explains how demolition experts use precision explosions to implode buildings. (more)

Catch Ireland's premier orchestra as the Singletary Center for the Arts welcomes the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra to the Bluegrass during the group's inaugural tour of the U.S. The orchestra will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, in the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall. (more)

The Kentucky Research Consortium for Energy and the Environment (KRCEE) will receive $2.4 million in federal funding to extend its role in restoring the environment of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, the Western Kentucky Wildlife Management Area and surrounding areas. (more)

As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, the University of Kentucky's Annual Economic Outlook Conference is perhaps more relevant than it has ever been. The global economic crisis has many people asking the question, 'where do we go from here?' (more)

WUKY, the University of Kentucky's public radio station, will pre-empt regular programming to carry National Public Radio's special coverage of Barack Obama's inauguration as the first African-American president of the United States. The Inauguration Day coverage will air from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20. WUKY airs at 91.3 on the FM frequency. (more)

University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. has become a blogger. His blog, President’s Perspective, debuts today on the UK Alumni Association’s new Web site. The blog will be updated “at least every Tuesday (and hopefully more often),” President Todd said in his first post. (more)

An exercise plan doesn't have to be complicated or involve expensive gym memberships. In a column in Sunday's Herald-Leader, Dr. Tarvez Tucker, associate professor of neurology and UK HealthCare headache expert, lays out a plan to help busy women stay fit during the new year. (more)

The Tuska Center for Contemporary Art (TCCA) welcomes art enthusiasts to peruse the work of the university's own celebrated artists at "Here & Now: Recent Works by the UK Faculty." (more)

Signaling a new era for the University of Kentucky, the Division of Student Affairs has established its first fundraising society in honor of Joseph T. Burch, a former dean of students at UK from 1975 to 1987.(more)

Ever since the University of Kentucky first started playing its men's basketball home games in Rupp Arena 33 years ago, the Wildcats have been the nation's dominant home attendance leader. That outstanding fan support continues to spread to other UK sports, as evidenced by new figures released by the NCAA.(more)

The University of Kentucky graduate for whom UK's Gatton College of Business and Economics is named, Carol Martin "Bill" Gatton, has been honored by the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. for his generous philanthropic efforts. (more)

Ventrell Jenkins barreled his 285-pound frame 56 yards with the ball in his arm, but it would take some improvisation to reach the end zone and help Kentucky achieve history. (more)

At the 2008 Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Kentucky conference, the University of Kentucky took “see blue.” to a new level as the institution won 11 Grand Awards in the annual awards program. UK received a total of 24 awards at “The Greatest” Awards Celebration at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville. (more)

A world-class musical tribute to the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. will mark the 2009 observance of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday set for 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19, in Heritage Hall of Lexington Center in downtown Lexington. (more)

As we prepare to celebrate the season, Patsy and I want to take a moment to express our wishes for a wonderful holiday to all UK students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

This time of year, let us focus our hearts and minds on our collective hope for a peaceful world where everyone - regardless of their geographic location or economic condition - can live in hope and not in fear. And that we can all enjoy the ability to speak and to worship as we choose.

Patsy and I hope your holidays bring joy and celebration to you and yours.

Please click here for a video message from me and Patsy. (more)

A new University of Kentucky study found that Kentuckians, like other Americans, face economic uncertainty this holiday season. Nearly 70 percent reported a change in lifestyle due to the economy with over half of Kentucky's households having trouble buying things they want for themselves or their children during this holiday season. (more)

UK FUSION (UK For Unity and Service in Our Neighborhoods) has been awarded the regional NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) Outstanding Service Award for the 2007 FUSION event.  The award recognizes innovative and exemplary programs by individuals and organizations that make extraordinary contributions to service learning and community service. (more)