The College of Arts & Sciences is the oldest and largest college at the University of Kentucky, at the heart of the university’s mission to educate students and create knowledge in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematical and natural sciences.

Home to 19 academic departments that offer major degrees in 29 disciplines and 37 minors, A&S provides education in fundamentals to every undergraduate student at UK and builds foundations for advanced study in every field. Central to undergraduate and graduate education at UK, the College of Arts & Sciences accounts for teaching 85% of general education credit hours and almost half of all undergraduate credit hours, and producing the most doctoral degrees at UK.

On July 1, 2022, Dr. Ana Franco-Watkins became the new dean of A&S, coming to the University of Kentucky from her post as interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University. A first-generation student originally from the Azores, Franco-Watkins holds a doctorate from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree from The College of William and Mary, and a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’, Franco-Watkins discusses adjusting to her new role as dean of the college, how being a first-generation student with a background in Psychology informs her approach to working with members of the university community, her hopes for the future of the college, and more.

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For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

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