By Carol Jordan

Ashley Judd (left) and Carol Jordan (right), executive director of the University of Kentucky Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women.

The Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women (OPSVAW) in the College of Arts and Sciences has selected four graduate students to receive awards and support during the 2018 academic year.

The students were selected following a competitive proposal process the OPSVAW holds each year. Student support is among the top priorities of the OPSVAW, and the 2018 academic year will see the office fund one research assistantship and three graduate fellowships through three funding mechanisms. 

The Ashley T. Judd Distinguished Graduate Fellowship

The Ashley T. Judd Distinguished Graduate Fellowship is being awarded to Helen Kras in the

By Andrea Gils Monzon

The University of Kentucky has offered a full-ride scholarship to Ojaswi Piya, one of the 61 talented students from Nepal whose scholarships at University of Texas at Tyler were recently canceled.

The University of Kentucky has offered a full-ride scholarship to Ojaswi Piya, one of the 61 talented students from Nepal whose scholarships at University of Texas at Tyler were recently canceled.

“This full-ride made my dreams and educational goals and aspirations seem possible again,” Piya said. “I was beyond happy — words can’t convey how grateful I am to have this amazing opportunity come to me.”

Piya, from Karthmandu, Nepal, has accepted the offer and will join the Wildcat family this fall. She plans to major in biology but is also interested in other areas such as sustainability, the environment and waste management

By Whitney Hale

University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that four recent UK graduates and one doctoral student have been offered Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships. The UK recipients are among approximately 1,900 U.S. students who will travel abroad for the 2018-19 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 160 countries.

The UK students awarded Fulbright grants are:

By Lindsey Piercy

From Facebook and Twitter, to Instagram and Snapchat, it's no secret social media has become a common form of communication, but have you ever left your feeds feeling bad about yourself? If so, you’re not alone, according to a new study conducted by Ilyssa Salomon, doctoral student, and Christia Spears Brown, professor of psychology, at the University of Kentucky in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Social media presents a unique set of challenges for those who are feeling vulnerable. Teenagers are the first generation that cannot imagine life without the internet. Some of that interaction can be positive, allowing teens to find a sense of belonging, but less known is the negative impact of social media on body image.

"If you walk by any group of teenagers, you will notice that most of

By Lindsey PIercy

Rachel Farr, assistant professor of developmental psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky, has been selected as a recipient of the 2018 William T. Grant Scholars Award.

Launched in 1982, the scholars program supports the professional development of promising researchers in the social, behavioral and health sciences. To date, the program has sponsored more than 180 talented researchers.

Scholars receive $350,000 to execute rigorous five-year research plans that stretch their skills and knowledge into new disciplines. As they commence their projects, they build mentoring relationships with experts in areas pertinent

By Jennifer T. Allen

Former Marine and currently active in the Air National Guard, Eric Rannenberg just received his master’s degree as part of the first cohort of UK's new Master of Applied Statistics online professional graduate program.

Eric Rannenberg was coming out of a math course on the University of Kentucky campus when he saw a flier that completely changed his academic plan. The flier, promoting the UK College of Arts and Sciences’ online Master of Applied Statistics, led Rannenberg to apply to the program and begin his studies that semester.

“I dropped all of my other classes except one, joined the statistics program three weeks late and worked hard to get caught up,” he said.

This May, two years later, he walked across the stage at Rupp

By Jenny Wells

Evander Harris, who is now a physics teacher at Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington, mixes compounds together with Henry Clay High School teacher and FCPS teacher partner Craig Schroeder at a 2016 Noyce STEM Summer Workshop.

The University of Kentucky wants to not only recruit more students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors, but also train those students to become STEM educators.

Through a collaborative effort led by the UK College of Education, the UK College of Arts and Sciences and the UK College of Engineering, the "UK Noyce STEM PLUS: Producing Leaders for Urban/rUral Schools" project aims to attract UK students, especially students from

By Whitney Hale

Recent University of Kentucky Chinese studiesand international studies graduate Bridget Nicholas has been selected for a fellowship from the Princeton in Asia program. As part of the program, Nicholas will serve in Dunhuang, China.

Princeton in Asia (PiA) sponsors more than 150 fellowships and internships in 21 countries and is the oldest and largest organization of its kind, unique in its scope, size, century-long expertise and emphasis on service. PiA’s goal is to provide transformative, service-oriented experiences for bright, talented graduates and to serve the needs of Asia as determined by host institutions and Asian partners. PiA arranges fellowships and internships in the fields

By Mallory Powell

High school students can get an expert introduction to statistics and related careers at a free three-day workshop June 4 through June 6. The "Statistics Facts and Snacks" program, hosted by the University of Kentucky Applied Statistics Lab and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, will discuss what a statistician does, explore requirements to pursue higher education in statistics, and teach introductory statistical programming techniques. The workshop is geared towards any high school grade level and no statistics or computer science experience is required. 

Sessions will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the UK Multidisciplinary Sciences Building, room 333. 

Parents/guardians can register their students at https://stat.as.uky.edu/asl-events.

By Vice President for Research Lisa Cassis

This spring the Office of the Vice President for Research sponsored Kaylynne Glover, a Ph.D. candidate in biology, and Alexa Johnson, a Ph.D. student and graduate research assistant in the UK Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI), to go to Washington D.C. for “CASE: Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering.” This three-and-a-half-day program through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) offered these young researchers a firsthand view of Congress, the federal budget process and effective science communication.

“I love the intersection between science and society. That's where I want to spend my life,” said Glover, “I want to be able to work with the public, but what else can I do other than write blogs or create a Facebook page that advocates for science? In my limited

By Jenny Wells

Catherine Linnen, an assistant professor of biology in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. The program will provide Linnen with $950,000 over five years to conduct research in evolutionary genetics and develop a teaching program to promote scientific research to students and the community. The two projects will be integrated to support the core goals of the grant. 

"Being chosen for a CAREER award is perhaps the biggest honor of my academic career," Linnen said. "The funds provided by this award will enable my lab to pursue cutting-edge research on the origins of

By Olivia Ramirez

Photo Courtesy of UK Athletics | Dr. Robert Hosey with a student athlete.

When an athlete takes a hard hit or fall, one of the first things that comes to the minds of coaches, athletic trainers, team physicians and spectators is the risk of concussion. Protocols are in place to assess if an athlete has sustained a concussion or if they can be cleared to go back into the game. However, there is some ambiguity between physicians as to what constitutes a concussion.

That's why over the next three years and with a nearly $1 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, researchers at the University of Kentucky are studying whether a rapid blood test could serve as another means of support in diagnosing concussion.

Mark Lovell, the Jack and

By Nick Harling

The University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences has named the 2018 recipients of the Trunzo Scholarship for Education Abroad and Internships in Politics, Government, Law, or Public Policy. Since its inaugural year of 2017, this competitive scholarship, sponsored by Robert ’78 and Anne Trunzo, awards funding to students planning to study abroad and to students for participation in internships.

The 2018 Recipients of the Trunzo Scholarship for Education Abroad are:

By Nick Harling

Theodore Schatzki, geography and philosophy professor in the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences,  recently received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Humanities at Aalborg University (AAU), located in Aalborg, Denmark. The award comes out of recognition on Schatzki’s work on practice theory, a research field delving into how humans create and transform the world in which they live.

This honor is yet another chapter of Schatzki’s relationship with AAU. Since being appointed in 2016 as the Obel Professor in the AAU Department of Learning and Philosophy, Schatzki “has inspired colleagues” at AAU “to engage in practice theory in relation to several fields of research,” according to his nomination.

AAU, founded in 1974, chiefly practices problem based and project organised learning (PBL) -

By Lindsey PIercy

UK College of Arts & Sciences graduate Claire Bishop pictured with "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek.

Here's today's "Daily Double" question: This Lexington teacher will compete in the "Jeopardy!" Teachers Tournament tonight. Answer: Who is Claire Bishop? That's correct!

Bishop, a graduate of the University of Kentucky, is one of 15 upcoming competitors on the long-running TV quiz show. The "Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament" starts airing tonight (May 7) on CBS.

"I was shocked when I looked down at my phone after the bell rang on a Friday afternoon to see a voicemail from a California area code. It had been several months since I had gone to the in-person audition in Nashville," she said. "After a while you forget and/or give up

Bryan Ingoglia is currently (May 2018) a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Brian grew up in Northern Kentucky, came to UK with the intention to obtain a degree in biology and attend medical school.  Like many undergraduate students, Brian’s interests changed as he took more advanced courses and became involved in undergraduate research. He decided to pursue graduate studies in chemistry and, near the completion of his graduate degree, he provided answers to a few questions.

This interview is part of a series conducted by the department called, “UK Chemistry Alumni: Where Are They Now?” This interview was coordinated by Dr. Susan Odom.

What made you decide to apply to UK? To accept the offer for admission?  

In high school, I received an award from UK for

By Vice President for Research Lisa Cassis

Left to right: Herman Daniel Farrell III, David Van Sanford, Mark Williams, Rick Honaker, Brian Noehren, Heide Gluesing-Luerssen, Heather Bush, Matthew Zook, Jennifer Wilhelm, Sharon Walsh, Nancy Grant Harrington, Richard Ausness.

This week, it was my distinct pleasure to present the University Research Professorship Awards to 14 members of our faculty who have demonstrated excellence in research and creative work that addresses scientific, social, cultural, economic and health challenges in our region and around the world.

At a reception hosted by President Eli Capilouto at Maxwell Place, with their families, deans, associate deans for research and nominators on hand to celebrate with them, we had the opportunity to recognize and publicize the accomplishments of these scholars.

The University

By Whitney Hale and Jenny Wells

 

The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that 2017 philosophy graduate Benjamin Troupe, of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, will receive one of only 30 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships. Troupe is the first UK student to be awarded the prestigious honor.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, the Pickering Fellowship Program provides graduate students with up to $37,500

By Jenny Wells

Elizabeth Dempsey, of Cedar City, Utah, will speak at the 10 a.m. UK Commencement ceremony on May 6. She is graduating with a bachelor's degree in political science from UK College or Arts and Sciences with minors in communication and military leadership.

Per University of Kentucky tradition, UK President Eli Capilouto has selected student representatives to speak at each of the four UK Commencement Ceremonies. The ceremonies will be held Friday, May 4, and Sunday, May 6, in Rupp Arena.

The four student speakers are:

Esias Bedingar

Bedingar, from N’Djamena, Chad, will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony on May 4. He is graduating with a bachelor's degree in public health from the UK