By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

PASADENA, Calif. (June 17, 2026) — A University of Kentucky researcher is helping uncover how stars are born and evolve deep inside galaxies by revealing dozens of previously hidden star clusters buried in cosmic dust. 

Using a combination of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and radio observatories including the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, the study provides new insight into how galaxies build their stellar populations over time.

The findings from “Hidden Gems in

By Robby Hardesty 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 18, 2026) — One of the most painful chapters of Kentucky’s story — the history of racialized slavery — will be memorialized June 19 during the national observance Juneteenth and the centuries-long struggle that led to its abolition.

Researchers who want to explore Kentucky’s history of racialized slavery should begin with Researching African American Slavery in Kentucky, a research guide curated by Reinette Jones, librarian with UK’s Special Collections Research Center. 

The guide provides pointers on the types of information most readily available. It also offers guidance on

By Motunrayo Oladele

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 18, 2026) — Diffraction glasses, dry ice and red cabbage brought chemistry to life for eighth-grade students at Lexington Christian Academy during a University of Kentucky outreach visit.

On May 4, Anne-Frances Miller, Ph.D., Gill Eminent Professor of Chemistry, and doctoral candidates Motunrayo Oladele, Lateefat Jimoh and Hashini Navarathne from the UK Department of Chemistry visited the school to lead demonstrations on atomic emission spectra, states of matter and acid-base chemistry. The activities connected classroom science to environmephoto of three students and a professorntal issues and everyday experiences.

Miller opened the session with an introduction

By Ryan Girves 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 17, 2026) — Edgar Garcia-Velozo, a University of Kentucky Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography in the College of Arts and Sciences, is among 10 educators honored with UK’s 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards.

These awards identify and recognize UK faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate special

More than 2,000 students have been named to the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Science's Dean's List for spring 2026. To earn Dean's List honors, students must earn:

A list of Dean's List students may be found here.

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 10, 2026) — Alex Farone, Ph.D., a former University of Kentucky graduate teaching assistant, is among 10 educators honored with UK’s 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards.

These awards identify and recognize UK faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate special dedication to student achievement. Recipients were selected via nomination and reviewed by a selection committee based in the UK Provost’s Office for Faculty Advancement and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.

Farone earned his Ph.D. in political science from UK this

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 3, 2026) — Faith Hensley, Ph.D., a former University of Kentucky graduate teaching assistant, is among 10 educators honored with UK’s 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards.

These awards identify and recognize UK faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate special dedication to student achievement. Recipients were selected via nomination and reviewed by a selection committee based in the UK Provost’s Office for Faculty Advancement and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.

Hensley earned her Ph.D. in mathematics from UK this May, where she served as a graduate teaching assistant in the

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 2, 2026) — University of Kentucky physicists are among an international team recognized with one of the world’s most prestigious scientific honors: the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. 

Often referred to as the “Oscars of Science,” the award recognizes the global collaboration behind the muon g-2 experiment, a decades-long effort to better understand the fundamental properties of matter. 

UK Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty members Renee Fatemi, Ph.D.; Tim Gorringe, Ph.D.; and Brad Plaster, Ph.D.; along with five UK

by Francis Von Mann

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 20, 2026) – Camilo Rey Sabogal, a University of Kentucky Ph.D. alumnus in geography, has been appointed deputy minister of finance and public credit of Colombia. 

Rey Sabogal was sworn in April 20 before Finance Minister Germán Ávila after being appointed on April 17, 2026. He joins Colombia's national economic team during the final months of President Gustavo Petro's administration, where he will support the country's finance and fiscal policy work. 

Rey Sabogal earned his Ph.D. in geography in 2021 from the UK College of Arts and Sciences Department of Geography. His doctoral research examined the political economy of heritage space in Cartagena's historic center, with broader scholarly interests in inequality, uneven development and urban

By Haven L. Patrick 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 14, 2026) — The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research has announced the 11 students selected for the 2026 Commonwealth Undergraduate Research Experience Fellowship program.

Sponsored by  the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Office of the Vice President for Research, the CURE Fellowship provides students with the opportunity to engage in faculty-mentored research within four of UK’s eight Research Priority Areas (: cancer, cardiovascular health, neuroscience and

By Grace Whitworth 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2026) — The Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment at the University of Kentucky selected 12 students for the first cohort of Tracy Farmer Scholars conducting research in environment and sustainability. 

Among them are: 

By C. Lynn Hiler 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2026) — The University of Kentucky’s Nu Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa inducted 36 members and recognized student leaders and faculty advisers during its spring 2026 initiation ceremony last month. 

Founded in 1914 at Washington and Lee University, Omicron Delta Kappa is a national leadership honor society that recognizes excellence across five pillars of campus life: scholarship, athletics, service, communications and the arts. Established at UK in 1925, the Nu Circle has a long tradition of honoring and developing student leaders.

Named for longtime UK educator Maurice A. Clay, this award honors an outstanding graduating senior in each academic college for exceptional leadership, service and academic

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 6, 2026) — The University of Kentucky’s Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence recognized graduating students, introduced its 2026 student fellows — the program’s 20th class — and announced its 2026-29 endowed professors during an event April 16. 

Dedicated to advancing the University of Kentucky’s commitment to student, teaching and program excellence, the center works toward that mission through several programs. The Chellgren Student Fellows Program is open to all majors and begins during a student’s second year at UK. During this time, students receive support in understanding the research process within their discipline, identifying a

By Jenny Wells-Hosley and Kayla Coffee 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 6, 2026) — Four graduating students have been selected by University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto to represent the Class of 2026 as speakers at UK’s May Commencement Ceremonies Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9.

Together, they reflect the breadth of the UK experience — leaders, scholars and innovators whose paths have been shaped by discovery, service and a strong sense of community.

The students are Mostafa Mubarak, Carolina Burn, Siena Pilati and Fatimah Alomar.

By Adrienne Clarke 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 6, 2026) — Trenton Schroering, a junior majoring in political science, was one of 20 students selected from a highly competitive nationwide pool of nearly 800 applicants as a 2026 Key into Public Service Scholar by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Schroering is the first UK student to earn the award.

“I view the honor as proof that public service is still valued,” Schroering said. “I've never wanted anything more than to make the world a better place for my peers. I judge myself based on how many days I'm able to improve and how many smiles I'm able to bring to others, and hope that this award increases my capacity to do that. In the meantime, I'm glad I can represent my University of Kentucky community as the first Wildcat to ever achieve

By Tom Musgrave 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 5, 2026) — Twelve University of Kentucky students and recent graduates have been awarded U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the country’s oldest graduate fellowship program directly supporting graduate students, recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in foundation-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions.

The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution.

This program is one of several scholarship opportunities UK’s

By Alicia Gregory 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 27, 2026) — The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees recently approved 17 University Research Professors for the 2026-27 academic year. Established by the Board of Trustees in 1976, the professorships program recognizes excellence across the full spectrum of research at UK.

Among those selected are Ashley W. Seifert, professor of biology, and Nathaniel Stapleton, associate professor of mathematics, in UK's College of Arts and

By Allison Perry 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 4, 2026) — After growing up in rural Taylorsville, Kentucky, Jonathan Antonelli understands firsthand many of the challenges rural Kentuckians face: life lived paycheck to paycheck, long commutes for basic necessities and lack of access to healthcare.  

In fact, he said, his county was one of the several Kentucky counties without a local physician until last year.  These issues compounded his father’s poor health. 

“My dad was like so many dads, I’d say, who were just blue-collar working guys trying to provide for their family,” Antonelli said. “And I remember the last time he was hospitalized before he passed away: He was begging to see the

By Ryan Girves 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 1, 2026) — The University of Kentucky honored exceptional faculty and graduate teaching assistants with Outstanding Teaching Awards during the 2026 UK Faculty Awards Ceremony, April 30 on campus.

The Outstanding Teaching Awards annually honor faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate excellence as instructors across all learning environments. Selected through a nomination process, candidates and finalists are reviewed by faculty-driven committees empaneled by the Office for Faculty Advancement and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT).

The winners of the 2026 Outstanding

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Dr. Louis Hempel, M.D., exemplifies University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences alumni who are pitching in to guide and inspire current UK undergraduates toward the medical professions. Hempel graduated from UK in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in general studies in 1982 and an M.D. from the University of Louisville in 1987. He has been working for many years with the Children’s Medical Group in Atlanta and as associate clinical professor of pediatrics in the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership.  

How did you start mentoring pre-med UK students?’ 

After coming to Atlanta a couple of times and realizing that she could get me more involved, Dean Ana Franco-Watkins, Ph.D., had a private dinner with my wife and