The College of Arts and Sciences is proud to recognize the exceptional faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, mentorship, service, and innovation during the 2024–2025 academic year. These annual awards celebrate the individuals whose work enriches our classrooms, research, and broader community.

Emily Shortslef – Department of English
Emily Shortslef is a faculty member in the Department of English, recognized for her outstanding teaching in the humanities. Her work focuses on English literature, and she is celebrated for her dedication to student learning and engagement.

Erin Peters – Department of Chemistry
Erin Peters serves in the Department of Chemistry, where she has been honored for her excellence in teaching within the natural and

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — First-generation University of Kentucky student Kennedy Fitzpatrick grew up knowing the value of education, thanks to her supportive mother.  

 “Education was always a big deal in my household,” said Fitzpatrick, who’s earning a dual degree in psychology and U.S. culture and business practices with a minor in business on the pre-law track in UK’s College of Arts and Sciences. “My mom made sure that we knew it was very important for my sister and I, so I’ve always had a deep desire and determination to learn.” 

Fitzpatrick is from Louisville; she went to Louisville Male High School for two years and finished at Ballard High School. Her interest in psychology developed when she took an AP class in the subject. She sees the major as a path to law school. 

By Melissa McCaughan 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 8, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Women’s Forum announced the four winners of the 2025 Sarah Bennett Holmes Award at a celebratory luncheon March 26. Award winners, nominees and other guests heard remarks from UK President Eli Capilouto and a keynote address titled "Standing Strong — Empowering Women to Define Their Path," presented by Tukea Talbert.

These awards recognize individuals and teams who promote the growth and well-being of women at the university and across Kentucky, individuals who reflect the accomplishments and legacy of Sarah Bennett Holmes, for whom the award is named. Holmes, a distinguished former dean of women at UK, championed the rights of women throughout

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Nick Lally, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Geography in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts and Sciences, is now vice president-elect of the North American Cartographic Information Society. He will rise to the vice presidency this November after the group’s meeting in Louisville and then to the presidency in November 2026. 

Lally's research examines the digital technologies and practices of police mostly in the United States. He also develops alternative geographic information systems to support more speculative cartographic visualization, thereby expanding these digital tools and their conceptual and aesthetic possibilities. He holds a doctorate in geography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

“NACIS is the envy of

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky – Coming out of Kentucky’s foster care system, Hannah Tackett faced a number of challenges in the way of her goal of attending the University of Kentucky. Yet here she is. 

“I wanted to give myself the best of the best, because I knew that I was willing to do whatever I needed to get what I needed to get the best life that I could have," said Tackett, a history major in UK’s College of Arts and Sciences. “I wanted to go to UK because, with my background, it was like a dream that I never thought I could achieve — to go to such a big university. But I did it.” 

Tackett, who’s from Pikeville, is getting assistance from the state, but she’s also benefitting from the College’s First Gen Trailblazer Fund, which helps undergrads who will be the first in their family to graduate from university

By Adrienne Clarke 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 28, 2025) — The University of Kentucky’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter inducted 52 members into the academic honor society March 25 and three members in December 2024. This year’s induction ceremony in the Lewis Honors College  Scholars Lounge featured a keynote address from Michelle Sizemore, Ph.D.

“I am encouraged by this new generation of scholars and the independent thinkers you’ve become at the University of Kentucky,” Sizemore said. “Freedom of thought and expression for our time isn’t freedom from but freedom with. Independent thinking takes shape with exposure to a vast range of ideas, perspectives, sources, and influences. More than that, it’s a skill that’s cultivated and practiced.”

By Makenna Deaton 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 27, 2025) —  Caroline Sumner, a University of Kentucky alumna, continues to draw inspiration from her love for the Lexington community, dedicating herself to making a difference through her ongoing contributions. 

Throughout her undergraduate studies, she served as DanceBlue’s overall chair while also studying in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Lewis Honors College.

Sumner led a 180-person committee and led the planning for the fund-raising campaign and the dance marathon. Under her leadership, the

By Ryan Girves 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 25, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities announced the selection of 12 undergraduates as the newest class of Gaines fellows.

The Gaines Fellowship is a two-year program that enriches the undergraduate experience by fostering an interdisciplinary approach to the humanities. Fellows are selected based on their academic performance, ability to conduct independent research, commitment to addressing public issues and passion for deepening the understanding of the human condition through the humanities.

The 12 newl Gaines fellows are:

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Keijuan Pryor spent a semester away from the University of Kentucky treading the halls of power in the U.S. Capitol as an intern for Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, then the Senate majority leader. Pryor’s experiences ranged from the nitty-gritty of constituent service to creating a vision for the future of technology.   

“I went to hearings and briefings,” said Pryor, a UK public policy political science major from Louisville. “I would walk around with constituents if they came down for a personalized tour of the Capitol with one of the senator’s staff members. Some days you would work on different policies. One day it would be education, the next it would be AI, another day would be national defense. You did whatever was thrown at you.” 

Pryor’s

By Hayden Gooding and Ben Branscum 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 24, 2025) – The deadline to apply for the Fall 2025 WilDCats at the Capitol internship program is Monday, March 31. Application details can be found here.

Since 2016, the WilDCats at the Capitol internship program at the University of Kentucky has provided students with hands-on career experiences in Washington, D.C.

Each semester, selected

By Zoey Schwartz 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 21, 2025) — Seventy-one University of Kentucky students will present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research on April 7-9 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

The conference is one of the largest events for undergraduate students to share their academic work with peers, faculty and professionals across the country.

Students will showcase their work and engage with scholars. The conference features oral presentations, poster sessions and discussions, providing opportunities for academic and professional growth while highlighting undergraduate accomplishments.

The UK students participating in NCUR this year include:

Sadie Aaron

By Francis Von Mann

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 19, 2025) – Palak Patel’s grandmother had tuberculosis in her ankle. It took 17 doctors to figure that out. Watching her family navigate a medical system that wasn’t built for them, Patel knew she had found her calling: becoming a Kentucky physician who serves the thousands of immigrant families who deserve better health care. 

Now a senior biology major in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College, Patel has spent four years building a foundation for her future. Through undergraduate research, academic mentorship and leadership experiences, she has built the confidence and skills necessary for medical school.

Patel grew up in Hopkinsville. Her parents and grandparents came to the United States from

By Lindsey Piercy 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 19, 2025) — Nestled in the rolling hills of central Kentucky, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill stands as a testament to a once-thriving utopian community.

With its impeccably preserved 19th-century buildings, rich cultural history and dedication to education, it functions as a dynamic learning environment for both students and historians.

This past semester, a group of University of Kentucky history graduate students embarked on an innovative practicum

By Charla Hamilton 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 19, 2025) — When Sara Khandani arrived in Kentucky at the age of 10, she faced an unfamiliar world. She had left behind her homeland of Iran, spoke limited English and was suddenly navigating a place that felt entirely foreign. Despite these challenges, she excelled academically, driven by a deep-seated determination and the values instilled in her by her family.

Khandani’s father was a physician in Iran, dedicated to treating patients of all ages. Sometimes patient care extended beyond

By Allison Jones 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 11, 2025) — The University of Kentucky’s Substance Use Priority Research Area (SUPRA) will host the Rising Stars Symposium to showcase innovative research and new findings on substance use disorders.

The symposium will be 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in room 150 of the Healthy Kentucky Research Building. Registration for the symposium is online.

The symposium also allows invited researchers to examine the various programs in the

By Robby Hardesty M

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 17, 2025) — Crystal Wilkinson, the Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor and director of the Division of Creative Writing in the University of Kentucky's College of Arts and Sciences, will present UK  Libraries’ 2025 Edward F. Prichard Lecture.

Wilkinson, who was Kentucky Poet Laureate for 2021-22, will read from her most recent book, “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts,” and participate in a moderated conversation with journalist and cookbook author Ronni Lundy. Published in 2024, “Praisesong” explores the legacy of Black Appalachians through storytelling alongside nearly 40 comforting recipes.

The Prichard Lecture is 5 p.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 14, 2025) — Two University of Kentucky students are playing major roles in the traditions leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

Maddie Duff, a Lewis Honors College senior majoring in neuroscience and Appalachian studies, and Elizabeth King, a senior Presidential Scholar majoring in finance and music performance, were selected as

By Erin Wickey 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 13, 2024) — Julie Pendergast, Ph.D., and a team of researchers are exploring how disruptions to our body’s natural circadian rhythms and sleep affect health.

“Overwhelming evidence suggests that irregular circadian and sleep patterns, such as inconsistent bedtimes, wake times and eating schedules, are linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, metabolic disorders, cancer and reduced longevity,” said Pendergast, associate professor in the University of Kentucky's Department of Biology

By Bailey Vandiver 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 7, 2025) — The Big Blue Book Club, hosted by Family and Consumer Sciences in the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, is entering a new chapter for the club’s 10th book.

For the first time, the club will host meetings across Kentucky, exploring the state while reading “My Old Kentucky Road Trip” by UK alumni Cameron M. Ludwick and Blair Thomas Hess.  

Because “My Old Kentucky Road Trip” includes landmarks and history across Kentucky, taking the book club to some of those places is the “perfect solution to highlighting all that

By Lindsay Travis 
 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 4, 2025) — The University of Kentucky has been selected to lead a project with $2.3 million in funding over four years from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to develop next-generation materials critical to commercializing fusion power.

The award is part of the Creating Hardened And Durable fusion first Wall Incorporating Centralized Knowledge (CHADWICK) program. The goal is to discover or develop a class of first wall materials — materials that form the inner wall of a fusion reactor and contact the plasma — that will maintain