By Lindsey Piercy

Overwhelming excitement with a tinge of apprehension will fill Rupp Arena as emotions will be riding high May 5 — one of the University of Kentucky's Commencement Days. One by one, thousands of graduates will walk across the stage with an outstretched hand to receive their coveted diploma.

Megan McCormick will be among the sea of blue caps and gowns. In many ways, she's just like her fellow graduates. But McCormick's journey is incomparable and inspiring. She is also part of a much smaller, but growing, college population — students with Down syndrome. 

"I'm proud of me. This was my idea of going back to college, and I'm officially graduating this year. It's a special moment, and I'm excited," she exclaimed. 

Having a genetic disorder hasn't made life simple for McCormick. Doctors said

By Jenny Wells

Award recipients, left to right: Madeline Dunfee, Katherine Love, Anna Branduzzi and Carson Benn. Photo courtesy of the UK Appalachian Center

The University of Kentucky Appalachian Centerhonored nine students last week with its annual research awards. Four graduate students received the James S. Brown Graduate Student Award for Research on Appalachia, and four graduate students and one undergraduate student received the center's Eller and Billings Student Research Award. 

"This summer, the James S. Brown and Eller/Billings Awards will sponsor students from seven different departments across four colleges," said Kathryn Engle, associate director of the Appalachian Center. "Innovative research across disciplines is thriving in the region, and the Appalachian Center is

By Lindsey PIercy

It was fall of 1994. In many ways, Sharon Mofield-Boswell was your typical college freshman. She was eager — eager to embark on a new chapter as a student at the University of Kentucky. But college came with its own set of challenges. On top of that, Mofield-Boswell ​had a unique set of responsibilities — as a single mom.

"I left school with only one semester to go, and I just focused on raising my daughter."

Years went by — 25 years, to be exact. She got married. Her household continued to grow, and life continued to get more hectic. "After a little while, it became mostly about my children, and I'm happy with that decision."

Mofield-Boswell doesn't regret her decision to put family first. She has a comfortable life, filled with love. A dedicated mother — she has always

By Whitney Hale, Ellie Wnek and Hannah Edelen

Senior Dealla Samadi discovered a missing piece of the book "La Reine Albemarle," which was published posthumously without the segment. Her discovery has led to an article published in a French philosophy journal.

Seven interns in the University of Kentucky Libraries' Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) Learning Lab will represent UK at the second World Conference of Undergraduate Research (World CUR).

These students will travel to Oldenburg, Germany, May 23-25, to present their research, discuss global issues and create an international research partnership. Funding for their travel is provided through the 

By Julie Wrinn

Trust in political institutions is waning in many parts of the world, including in the United States, and Political Science doctoral student Gregory Saxton wants to figure out why. He received an extremely competitive $15,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) dissertation research grant to study perceptions of fairness, political support, and representation in conditions of economic inequality in Argentina. His research portrays how high levels of inequality challenge a fundamental principle of democracy and also erode citizens’ support for democracy.

For any graduate student, receiving an NSF dissertation grant is a very big deal: in terms of prestige and resume-boosting, it’s on par with publication in a leading research journal. It is likely to position that student in the top tier of consideration for a tenure track position. So how did Saxton win

By Aaron Porter

Writing, rhetoric and digital studies student Kenny Trotter came to UK from Chicago. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

Kenny Trotter's college career ended abruptly, and his dream of becoming a lawyer was on the verge of never happening (multiple times). But due to his perseverance and "never give up" mentality, he's not only back at UK, he is excelling.

Trotter grew up in Chicago with his parents and two siblings. In 2004, Trotter's mother had just given birth to his little brother, but things quickly took a turn for the worse. One of the most exciting times in his family's life became one of the most life changing as well.

"My mom was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer when I was about 7 or 8 years old. She struggled with that for four years, it came after my brother was born while she was already in the hospital, and

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 from John and

By Jenny Wells

Suzanne C. Segerstrom, a professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Psychology, is serving as the 2018-19 UK College of Arts and Sciences' Distinguished Professor and will present the annual Distinguished Professor Lecture this week.

Her talk, "Well-being, Immunological Aging, and the Brain," will explore how psychological well-being influences the immune system. The lecture will begin 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in the UK Athletics Auditorium in the William T. Young Library.

In 2017, Segerstrom and her team of researchers received a $3.3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to continue the “Thought, Stress, and Immunity” study, which has been investigating the interactions between psychological and immunological

Major: Economics and International Studies

Senior Engagement Associate at 270 Strategies *

It was a fairly standard childhood. I grew up in Lexington and went through the public school system there. My parents always pushed the value of education and taking care of the most marginalized people which are values I have to this day.

After reading Freakonomics when I was younger, I always knew that I wanted to study economics when I went to college. This wasn’t really to gain any particular technical skillset, but I wanted to learn how to think like an economist. I decided to study

By Aaron Porter

The University of Kentucky chapter of Phi Beta Kappa recently inducted 32 new members, as well as a special honorary member, into the nation's oldest and widely recognized academic honor society.

Celebrating excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, Phi Beta Kappa elects more than 15,000 new members a year from 270 chapters across the United States. There are also more than 50 associations that create friendship and learning in members' communities providing a means for members to continue active affiliation with the society after graduation. 

"This cohort will be recognized as having been inducted into the oldest and most prestigious of honoraries in the United States," said Ernie Yanarella, chapter president and

By Rebecca Longo and Lindsey Piercy

The Department of Geography in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky will host the 47th annual Ellen Churchill Semple Day from 2-4 p.m. Friday, April 26. The event, which is open to the public, will be held at the UK Athletics Auditorium in William T. Young Library.

Guests will experience an afternoon open colloquium by distinguished Professor Emeritus Karl Raitz. He will discuss “An Archipelago of Risk: Making Bourbon, Landscape and Heritage in Nineteenth-Century Kentucky.” For the past 35

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 and the 

By Ryan Girves

The University of Kentucky Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence honored the 2018 class of Chellgren Fellows and announced five Chellgren Endowed Professorships at an event that took place Saturday, April 20. 

The Chellgren Center works to advance UK's commitment to student, teaching and program excellence. Created in 2005 with a gift from Paul Chellgren, a UK graduate, and his family, the Chellgren Center creates unique educational opportunities for outstanding undergraduate students and professors at the university. Chellgren's commitment to undergraduate education at UK has created a countless number of opportunities for UK students, staff and faculty, impacting thousands.  

The opioid epidemic has taken hundreds of thousands of lives and devastated millions more. This problem has engaged the passion, knowledge and persistence of researchers and health care providers who work on a daily basis to help people with opioid use disorder. 

In the largest grant ever awarded to the University of Kentucky, researchers from UK's Center on Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR) and across campus — in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet (JPSC) — will lead a

By Lindsey Piercy

(Left to right) Suzanne Segerstrom and Brett Spear

Two University of Kentucky faculty members were honored for their outstanding contributions to research, mentoring and scholarship at the 2019 University of Kentucky Awards ceremony held April 18.

Suzanne Segerstrom, professor in the Department of Psychology, was presented the 2019 Albert D. and Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize, given each year to a faculty member in recognition of outstanding contributions to original research or scholarship, with an emphasis on work produced four years prior to the award.

Brett Spear, professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular

By Ryan Girves

Back row L to R: Ellen Riggle, Cristina Alcalde, Brandon Colbert, Corey Baker, Janice Kuperstein, Kai Zhang. Front row L to R: Melissa Stein, Michelle, Del Toro, Carol Mason. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

Note: This article contains a reference to UK's Bias Incident Response Team, which no longer exists. To report discrimination, harassment or sexual misconduct, visit https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofKentucky&layout_id=30.

The University of Kentucky Office for Institutional Diversity recognized students, faculty and a department with the Inclusive Excellence Awards yesterday at the 2019 University of Kentucky Awards Ceremony. 

"Creating

By Kristi Willett

In the largest grant ever awarded to the University of Kentucky, researchers from UK's Center on Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR) and across campus — in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet (JPSC) — will lead a project as part of the HEALing Communities study.

The four-year, more than $87 million study has an ambitious but profoundly important goal: reducing opioid overdose deaths by 40 percent in 16 counties that represent more than a

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

Major: Psychology

Senior Leadership Recruiter at Tesla *

I grew up in the Louisville area and went to Sacred Heart Academy. Go Valkyries!

I loved to play volleyball, tennis and swim. I’ve always loved interior design and art projects.

Growing up, we took a lot of trips in the conversion van, so I’ve actually been to 45 states! Today, my partner Anand and I try to travel as much as we can, but we usually choose a plane over the van :).

I was the kid wearing tie dye and reminding everyone to recycle, which is probably why I ended up at Tesla!

Catherine Seidelman (class of 2010), Will Seidelman (class of 2009), and Dexter

Major: Psychology

Minor: Philosophy

Manager, User Research AmazonTransportation and Recipient Experience at Amazon *

We moved several times before ending up in the bluegrass state. I was interested in technology early in life and my parents fostered that desire. In high school, I played a KY state tournament basketball game in Rupp Arena, I do not think Coach Cal would have been particularly impressed with my performance