News

Remembering and Honoring Jane Gentry

10/23/2017

By Mack McCormick and Whitney Hale

Poet Jane Gentry was a beloved and influential University of Kentucky educator, mentor to generations of young writers, former poet laureate for the Commonwealth, and a unique Kentucky voice. A retrospective of the celebrated poet’s work, “The New and Collected Poems of Jane Gentry,” edited by UK Professor of English Julia Johnson and published by University Press of Kentucky (UPK), was named this year's Thomas D. Clark Medallion recipient and will be recognized at an award ceremony Oct. 26, at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Kentucky.
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UK Hosts Evening With MacArthur 'Genius' and Author Viet Thanh Nguyen

10/20/2017

By Whitney Hale

Viet Thanh Nguyen. Photo by Matt Meindl.

The University of Kentucky’s Gaines Center for the Humanities and Department of English’s MFA in Creative Writing will welcome to campus 2017 MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant recipient and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen. “An Evening with Viet Thanh Nguyen,” this year’s Bale Boone Symposium in the Humanities, will begin 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the Singletary Center for the Arts Recital Hall. This program is free and open to the public.  

“We are thrilled to host
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College of Arts and Sciences Honors Alumni, Professors

10/9/2017

By Gail Hairston

(Left to right) Dan Reedy, Karl Raitz, Dean Mark Kornbluh, Martha Rolingson, Charles Grizzle and Tom Spalding.

The University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences celebrated its Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, Oct. 6, at the Don & Cathy Jacobs Science Building.

This year's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Reception honored alumni Charlie Grizzle, Martha Rolingson and Tom Spalding, and College of Arts and Sciences faculty members Karl B. Raitz and Daniel R. Reedy. For more about each honoree, see their brief biographies below.

Alumni Inductees

Charlie Grizzle, English, bachelor’s degree, 1973 

Charles "Charlie" L. Grizzle, a native of Argillite, Kentucky, in Greenup County, earned his bachelor
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NYT Columnist, Pulitzer Prize Winner Challenges UK Students to 'Change the World'

10/5/2017

By Tiffany Molina and Gail Hairston

On Oct. 26, the University of Kentucky International Center will welcome Nicholas Kristof, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and well-known columnist with The New York Times. Kristof’s talk, “A Path Appears: How Students Can Change the World,” is sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Gatton College of Business and Economics, and the School of Journalism and Media.

Kristof’s talk will touch on themes that animate the book he co-authored with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn: “A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunities.” Kristof and WuDunn say that the purpose of the book is to “provide a unique and essential narrative about making a difference in the world … and a roadmap to becoming a conscientious global citizen.” Kristof will discuss how global problems can seem
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A&S Faculty Members Among Those Awarded SEC Travel Grants

9/18/2017

By Bryant Welbourne and Kathy Johnson

Eight University of Kentucky faculty members are among more than 100 faculty members from all 14 Southeastern Conference universities taking part in the 2017-18 SEC Faculty Travel Program. Now in its sixth year, the program provides support for selected individuals to collaborate with colleagues at other SEC member institutions.

The UK faculty and their departments are: Babak Bazrgari, Biomedical Engineering; Kenneth Campbell, Physiology; Tom Clayton, English; Kenneth Graham, Chemistry; Ji Youn Kim, 
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Wendell Berry Documentary Screening Coming to UK

9/6/2017

By Whitney Hale

 

University of Kentucky's SSTOP Hunger: Sustainable Solutions to Overcome Poverty organization will host the university’s first screening of the documentary “Look and See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry.”  The screening, to be followed by a panel discussion, will begin 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, in Kincaid Auditorium at Gatton College of Business and Economics.

“Look and See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” is a cinematic account of the changing landscapes and shifting values of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture, as seen through the mind’s eye of writer, farmer and activist Wendell Berry, an alumnus and former faculty member of the UK Department of English.

The first documentary about Berry
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Research Enhances Traditional Undergraduate Education

8/25/2017

By Abby Schroering and Sara Shehata

As a land grant university, the University of Kentucky is committed to the advancement of knowledge through research. Even undergraduate students contribute significantly to that mission.

Students of any major, background and skill level have the opportunity to work with professors from all over UK, whether in labs, on faculty projects or even on independent projects that they design themselves.

“For those undergraduates who are interested in building faculty mentorships, gaining critical thinking and presentation skills and deepening their understanding of the subjects that interest them, the UK Office of Undergraduate Research (UGR) is there to help them along the way,” said Evie Russell, assistant director of the UK Office of Undergraduate Research.
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A&S Students Recognized by Fulbright Program

7/13/2017
By Whitney Hale
University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that four UK graduates have been offered Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships and three have accepted the award. The UK recipients are among approximately 1,700 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2017-18 academic year through the prestigious program. In addition, two other UK students were selected as alternates for the program.

Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected based on academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.

The UK graduates awarded Fulbright grants are:

Yvonne
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Celebrated Essayist, Actor Elena Passarello to Present at Kentucky Women Writers Conference

7/11/2017

By Whitney Hale

Actor, writer and recipient of the 2016 Whiting Award Elena Passarello will be one of the featured presenters at the 2017 Kentucky Women Writers Conference running Sept. 15-16, in Lexington. In celebration of her upcoming appearance, the conference will also present a Pre-Conference Essay Workshop on Passarello’s work July 15, at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Earlier this year, Elena Passarello’s second essay collection, “Animals Strike Curious Poses,” was reviewed in The New York Times by Helen
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University of Kentucky Announces Spring 2017 Dean's List

6/29/2017

By Lori Minter

The University of Kentucky has released its Dean's List for the spring 2017 semester.  A total of 6,412 students were recognized for their outstanding academic performance. 

To make a Dean’s List in one of the UK colleges, a student must earn a grade point average of 3.6 or higher and must have earned 12 credits or more in that semester, excluding credits earned in pass-fail classes.  Some UK colleges require a 3.5 GPA to make the Dean’s List.

The full Dean's List can be accessed by visiting: www.uky.edu/PR/News/DeansList/.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how
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'Look and See' Wendell Berry’s Agrarian Teachings on the Big Screen

6/23/2017

By Whitney Hale

 

Trailer for the documentary "Look and See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry."

Next Friday (June 30) a film featuring the work of Kentucky’s own Wendell Berry will enjoy its U.S. theatrical premiere at the IFC Center in New York City. “Look and See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” is a cinematic account of the changing landscapes and shifting values of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture, as seen through the mind’s eye of writer, farmer and activist Wendell Berry, an alumnus and former faculty member of the University of Kentucky Department of English.

The first documentary about Berry, one of America’s most significant living writers, “
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A&S International Senior Plans to Make a Global Impact

5/11/2017

By Jennifer T. Allen

Tiwaladeoluwa Adekunle plans to change the world. Specifically, she plans to help eradicate poverty and fight injustice.

“It’s important to me that I’m doing meaningful work that is making a difference in this world,” Adekunle said.

Adekunle came to the University of Kentucky from Ghana as a 15-year-old freshman the fall of 2013. This past Sunday she walked across the stage at Rupp Arena and received her degree in international studies and English.

“UK and A&S have been great for me personally because of the support I’ve experienced here,” Adekunle said. “Coming here when I was only 15 could have been really hard, but the faculty I worked with were all so caring. They helped me grow my strengths and empowered me to work on my weak areas.”

When Adekunle came to Lexington, the only person she knew in town was her sister. To
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Two A&S Students Chosen to Speak at May 2017 Commencement Ceremonies

5/4/2017

By Jenny Wells

Per UK tradition, a student representative will speak at each of the four University of Kentucky Commencement Ceremonies this week.

The four student speakers are:

Savanah Sellars Sellars, from Yorkville, Illinois, will speak at the 10 a.m. May 5 ceremony. She is graduating with a baccalaureate degree in integrated strategic communication from the UK College of Communication and Information. May 5 is an extra special day for Sellars, because she will commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force shortly after the Commencement ceremony ends.  In June, she will begin her military career at Joint Base Langley-Eustis as a public affairs officer. During her time at UK, Sellars was involved in Air
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A&S Celebrates Poetry Month for 24 Hours

4/24/2017

By Gail Hairston

The University of Kentucky Department of English celebrates National Poetry Month with a 24-hour poetry reading.

Everyone in the campus community is invited to volunteer to read poetry for a single 10-minute shift, beginning noon Tuesday, April 25, through noon Wednesday, April 26. Readers will recite poetry at the Memorial Hall amphitheater, rain or shine, day and night.

Volunteers can either read their own poetry or a selection from a favorite poet.

Volunteers can sign up at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1u5Y_qpKLSmbaIj-_q_uViJ2ncXM0QFXS6u3oHsDlkEU/edit#gid=0.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and
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DaMaris Hill Shares W.E.B. DuBois' Work With World

4/21/2017

By Megan Foltz

 

University of Kentucky Assistant Professor of Creative Writing and African American and Africana Studies DaMaris B. Hill will participate in the European Association for American Studies (EAAS) meeting next September at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu, Finland. EAAS meets once a year to study a marginalized text or author.

This year’s workshop will focus on America’s early 20th century magazine The Brownies’ Book, published by NAACP founder William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, better known as W.E.B. Du Bois. With most of the children’s literature of the day produced by white authors for white children, Du Bois wanted to offer an alternative. The magazine contextualizes writing of the 19th century and counters negative stereotypes about African Americans in the early 20th century. The Brownies’ Book contains stories and poems by writers
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UK, Women Writers Conference Celebrate Debut Novel by Up-and-Coming Kentucky Author

4/14/2017

By Whitney Hale and Gail Hairston

 

Watch as contestants at the Brooklyn Book Festival try to figure out what "The Animators," by UK alumna Kayla Rae Whitaker, is all about based only on its cover.

Very few authors find themselves publishing their debut novel with a name as big as Random House, much less earning acclaim from critics such as The New York Times. But for University of Kentucky alumna Kayla Rae Whitaker, these are natural next steps for someone who showed tremendous promise during her college career. Whitaker’s novel, "The Animators," was released earlier this year.

Aspiring writers from the university and across the nation will get to hear Whitaker's own take on her early success and hear a reading from "
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Kalliney Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship

4/12/2017

By Gail Hairston

 

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation announced Friday that University of Kentucky’s Peter Joseph Kalliney and 172 other scholars, artists and scientists in the United States and Canada have received a coveted Guggenheim Fellowship.

According to the foundation’s announcement, successful candidates were appointed on the basis of “prior achievement and exceptional promise.”

“It’s exciting to name 173 new Guggenheim Fellows,” said the President of the Guggenheim Foundation Edward Hirsch in a media release. “These artists and writers, scholars and scientists, represent the best of the best. Each year since (its establishment in) 1925, the Guggenheim Foundation has bet
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2017 Gaines Fellowship Awarded to 12 UK Scholars

4/6/2017
By Connie Sapienza   Front row (l to r): Alyssa Mertka, Meg Coppala, Hadeel Abdallah and Susie Smith. Middle row (l to r): Meghana Kudrimoti and Michael Regard. Back row (l to r); Beau Revlett, Ben Jones, Eric Poore and Nate Cortas. Not pictured: Sophia Decker and Amaris Wade   The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities has selected 12 exceptional undergraduates as new scholars for the university's Gaines Fellowship Program for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 academic years. Gaines Fellowships are given in recognition of outstanding academic performance, demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, an interest in public issues, and a desire to enhance understanding of the human condition through the humanities.   Gaines Fellowships are awarded for the tenure of a student's junior and senior years, or for the last two years of a five-year
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English Professor's Positivity Inspires International Student to Persevere

4/6/2017
  Video produced by UK Public Relations and Marketing. To view captions for this video, push play and click on the CC icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. If using a mobile device, click on the "thought bubble" in the same area.    By Amy Jones-Timoney, Gail Hairston, and Kody Kiser   Noor Alattar, an English doctoral student from Iraq, will never forget the words of encouragement her professor, Michelle Sizemore, shared with her when she first arrived at the University of Kentucky.    "Everything was new to me," Alattar said. "She would never just encourage you with empty words. She was more than welcoming."   In fact, that encouragement is why Alattar nominated Sizemore to win a 2017 Great Teacher Award. Watch why this English professor's words were so meaningful to Alattar by clicking on the video above
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Undergraduate Researchers Pack for NCUR at Memphis

3/31/2017

By Gail Hairston

The University of Kentucky will send 59 undergraduate student-researchers to the 31st annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) at the University of Memphis April 6-8.

The UK group joins young researchers from around the world to showcase their research findings through poster and oral presentations. Each student will be given the opportunity to discuss their display and share their research results, illuminating how their work will have an impact on future research development. UK has been an active NCUR participant since the mid ’90s.

One of the first things these young researchers learn is that most research is not conducted in the traditional laboratory with bubbling beakers and flaming Bunsen burners. But modern research spans all disciplines and majors, and includes a wide variety of activities.

“
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