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By Madison Dyment

The UK College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce that former English Ph.D. student, Deirdre Mikolajcik, has won the 2019 Trollope Prize graduate essay competition hosted by the University of Kansas.

Mikolajcik recently graduated from the English Ph.D. program in May of 2019. Some of her prominent research interests include Victorian literature, gender and women’s studies, romanticism and poetry.

Mikolajcik’s essay, “Abstract Wealth and Community in The Way We Live Now,” will be published online by The Fortnightly Review with Mikolajcik being awarded $2,000 in prize money.

Judges for the competition claimed Mikolajcik offered “an original discussion of Trollope’s treatment of the challenges posed to individuals and relationship by the investment economy of late 19th century Britain.” They applauded her argument and the insights

 

 

 

Hannah Pittard, nationally acclaimed author and director of the Creative Writing Program in the College of Arts & Sciences Department of English, was recently highlighted as a local luminary in the Chevy Chaser and Southsider. Read her Q&A here.

 

By Jillian Gibney

A new play by Anna Wright, winner of the fifth biennial Prize for Women Playwrights from the Kentucky Women Writers Conference, will make its world premiere in the Commonwealth with four performances this fall. The debut production of Wright's "Sapphire Heights," produced and directed by Eric Seale, will run Nov. 7-9, at Lexington's Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center.

Wright’s winning script follows Angela and Billy, who believe they can help the Palestinian children Billy met on a trip to the West

By Jenny Wells-Hosley

The University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences will induct six new members into its Hall of Fame this week. 

This year marks the Hall of Fame’s 20th anniversary and the induction ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, in the Gatton Student Center's Worsham Cinema.

This year's honorees include:

Alumni Inductees:

Anne C. Deaton, English, bachelor's degree (1967)

Deaton grew up in Brooklyn, New York, but her father’s employment with IBM brought her to Lexington at age 13. After attending Lexington Catholic High School, Deaton entered the College of Arts and Sciences and devoured her courses, especially those in her major (English) and minor (history). She enthusiastically joined extracurricular activities,

By Lindsey Piercy

From left to right: Regina Hamilton, Derrick White, Bertin Louis, Nikki Brown, Frances Henderson, Kamahra Ewing

In an effort to build institutional excellence, an inclusive curriculum and faculty diversity, the University of Kentucky is welcoming six new educators to the College of Arts and Sciences.

Cluster hiring — hiring multiple scholars into one or more departments based on shared research interest — is a way to advance the university's commitment to diversity and inclusion, while also fostering a learning environment dedicated to collaboration and engagement.

"Not only does hiring multiple faculty members signal our commitment to African American and Africana Studies within the college, but it also creates a

By Jillian Gibney

The Visiting Writers Series (VWS), hosted by the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program in the University of Kentucky Department of English, kicks off Sept. 17 with Whiting Award-winner Kayleb Rae Candrilli.

The VWS began in the spring of 2014 with a reading by poet Roger Reeves. Each year, the program continues to bring nationally renowned authors to the University of Kentucky campus. "This series is a source of inspiration and excitement for our students and continues to add to the overall vibrant literary culture of Lexington,” Crystal Wilkinson, associate professor of English, said.

You can find a full schedule of 2019 VWS events listed below.

Kayleb

By Madison Dyment

Congratulations to DaMaris Hill, associate professor of creative writing and English literature in the College of Arts & Sciences, on the success of her book of poetry, “A Bound Woman is a Dangerous Thing.” The book recently reached the #1 Best Seller spot on the Amazon African American Poetry list, also gracing the overall Amazon Best Seller list. 

The poetry serves as Hill’s response to the complex nature of our cultural times while also drawing inspiration from past generations. 

“As smart as I was, I don’t think I really had all the knowledge and stamina to really endure this cultural situation without becoming extremely depressed, but I knew that the people who lived before me lived through similar situations, so those are the people that I looked to for clarification and inspiration,” Hill said. 

With personal stories from her

By Lindsey Piercy

Although students are excited to start their journey in higher education, there is often a feeling of apprehension. One of the most anxiety-producing tasks? Registering for classes.

Choosing from a variety of professors, scheduling your courses and getting enough credit hours can be extremely stressful. That's why the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky has spent the last three years rethinking and restructuring the process.

Dean Mark Kornbluh takes great pride in offering innovative core classes — courses that were originally designed with freshmen in mind. “We want to make sure our incoming students start their college career on the right foot, with all of the

By Lori Adams

The University of Kentucky has released its Dean's List for the spring 2019 semester. A total of 6,562 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/.

By Whitney Hale

The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that seven recent UK graduates and four doctoral students have been offered Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships. The UK recipients are among approximately 2,000 U.S. students who will travel abroad for the 2019-20 academic year.

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 140 countries.

This year's UK students offered Fulbright grants, from a university record 37 applications, are:

Elizabeth Avery, an Earth and environmental sciences doctoral student, to do

Its first peoples called themselves “Wôpanâak”--people of the first light. It had been their homeland for thousands of years, before Europeans began to appear along its shores. English colonists who arrived to stay, in 1620, saw it as “Plymouth.”

 

The year 2020 will mark the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Plymouth colony, the first permanent English settlement in the American northeast. This anniversary is certain to inspire new scholarly discussion. While recent scholarship has often turned to other sites of encounter and colonialism, Plymouth retains a tight grip on the American imagination. Its founding has an indelible place in popular memory. And the histories of this place, and these peoples, remain relevant. As is evident in the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s ongoing struggle to protect its sovereignty and self-determination, the legacies of Plymouth’s

By Rebecca Longo

Top, l to r: Eli O’Neal, Chase Carleton, Melynda Price (director). Middle: Claire Hilbrecht, Josh Ehl, Carson Hardee. Front: Aileen Tierney, Hannah Thomas, Bria Northington, Daniela Gamez. Not pictured: Will Kueshner, Nicole Blackstone, Megan Yadav.

The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities has selected 12 undergraduate students as new scholars for the Gaines Fellowship Program.

The Gaines Fellowship is presented 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. Founded in 1984 by a generous gift

By Ryan Girves

Award winners are from left, front row: Jennifer Osterhage, Rachel Carr, Anna Voskresensky, Benjamin Braun, Suzanne Smith. Back row: Abraham Prades-Mengibar, Luc Dunoyer, Shane Clark and Sarah Wilson. Not pictured: Amy Taylor. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

The University of Kentucky recognized exceptional faculty and teaching assistants with the Outstanding Teaching Awards during the 2019 UK Faculty Awards Ceremony held Thursday, April 18.

The Outstanding Teaching Awards annually recognize faculty and graduate teaching assistants who go above and beyond what is expected and demonstrate outstanding performance in the classroom or laboratory. Selected via nomination, candidates were reviewed by a selection committee empaneled by the Office for Faculty Advancement 

By Lindsey Piercy

Frank X Walker with his son, Kumasi. The painting features Walker's mother and one of his sisters. Photo by Shauna M. Morgan.

If you were to walk into the dining room of Frank X Walker's Lexington home, it wouldn't look like your typical space for hosting dinner parties. Instead, it's been converted into a studio and a nursery, where Walker now spends the majority of his time. The room is often filled with the two things he is most passionate about — work and family.

For Walker, an English professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky, last summer marked the beginning of a new era — an era ignited by pain and fueled by passion.

"After my father

By Whitney Hale

The Kentucky Women Writers Conferencehas named three finalists in its Prize for Women Playwrights, which honors new theatrical work. Now in its fifth biennial cycle, the prize seeks to bring more plays by women to the stage, through a collaboration among the Kentucky Women Writers, partnering producer and director Eric Seale, and guest judge Ifa Bayeza. The winner receives a world premiere production for a paying audience in November 2019 at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, with royalties, plus a cash prize of $500.

Finalists are:

“Bite the Apple” by Linda Manning, of Bronx, New York. Cinderella, in a

By Mack McCormick and Whitney Hale

"The Birds of Opulence" was featured in Lexington's book benches exhibition in 2018. The book is by UK Associate Professor of English Crystal Wilkinson and was published by University Press of Kentucky. Mark Cornelison I UK Photo.   The University of Kentucky community is celebrating Women’s History Month. Throughout March, UKNow will feature the women — past and present — on whose shoulders we stand and whose hard work has made our achievements possible. With a combination of fierce resolve and deep compassion, UK women have left indelible marks on our university. Join us as we highlight these #WomenOfUK.   UK Associate Professor of English and author Crystal Wilkinson enjoyed a banner year in 2018 racking up critical acclaim and several honors for her novel, 

By Ryan Girves

Eighteen University of Kentucky students are making their way to the State Capitol Building in Frankfort, Kentucky, to present their research at the 2019 Posters-at-the-Capitol event. This one-day annual event is held to show Kentucky legislators the importance of undergraduate research and scholarly work in Kentucky. The governor proclaims this day to be Undergraduate Research Day across the Commonwealth.

"Posters-at-the-Capitol is a platform whereby undergraduates from across the Commonwealth’s eight public institutions proudly showcase their undergraduate research projects," said Evie Russell, assistant director at the Office of Undergraduate Research. "Each year, University of Kentucky students look forward to communicating their research achievements to Kentucky Legislators and their peers."

The work presented by students

By Whitney Hale

Nicole Chung, author of the award-winning memoir “All You Can Ever Know,” will give the keynote speech at the 2019 Kentucky Women Writers Conference, scheduled for Sept. 19-22. The free public talk, presented in conjunction with University of Kentucky Libraries, will begin 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center.

“Nicole Chung's memoir about her search for her biological roots is a compelling, beautifully written book that demonstrates the importance of reading underrepresented narratives,” said conference director Julie Kuzneski Wrinn. “We like to rotate among poetry, fiction and nonfiction in our keynote. This is

By Whitney Hale

University of Kentucky juniors Shania Goble, of Inez, Kentucky, and Katie Huffman, of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, have been awarded English-Speaking Union (ESU) Scholarships presented by the English-Speaking Union Kentucky Branch. The scholarships will cover Goble and Huffman's expenses for summer study at Oxford University.

The Kentucky Branch of the English-Speaking Union awards a limited number of scholarships to qualified Kentucky college students for courses offered at institutions in the United Kingdom. Scholarship awards include tuition, lodging and meals for three-week courses at the recipient's chosen institution. Scholarships also include one week of lodging in London and a cash allowance. 

ESU scholarships are awarded for

By Lindsey Piercy

Gurney Norman and Ed McClanahan. Photo by Guy Mendes.

Two prolific writers and educators, with ties to the University of Kentucky, will soon add another title to their impressive resumes. The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning has chosen Gurney Norman and Ed McClanahan as this year’s living inductees into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame. In addition, former UK Department of English professor Jane Gentry Vance will be inducted posthumously. 

Though accomplished in their own rights — Norman and McClanahan, who are longtime friends, both have literary careers focused on autobiographical fiction, and they both draw inspiration from their