Join historian Karen Petrone and Russian scholar Jeanmarie Rouhier-Willoughby, along with Gregory Hall, professor in the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, in conversation with Interim Dean Christian Brady as they discuss the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia and the historical, cultural, and political motivations for the conflict.

Registration is limited, RSVP here.

The second installment of the A&S Virtual Speaker Series will continue the theme of how the liberal arts, through seemingly disparate fields, address major issues of today.

Join A&S geologist Mike McGlue, political scientist Jillienne Haglund, and author Erik Reece in conversation with Interim Dean Christian Brady as they discuss the science, economics, policy, and activism of environmental change, restoration, and sustainability.

The A&S Virtual Speaker Series will spend this academic year exploring the importance of a liberal arts education as we dive into topics surrounding the overall theme of “Building a Better Society.”

Space is limited, please register here to attend. 

The A&S Virtual Speaker Series is kicking off this semester with a four-part series focusing on how the liberal arts, through seemingly disparate fields, addresses major issues of today. In our first event, join A&S biologist Vincent Cassone and political scientist Michael Zilis in conversation with Interim Dean Christian Brady as they discuss the ongoing Covid pandemic and how our society is coping, the physical and economic impacts, how we live long-term with Covid, and how we build a future and move forward.

The A&S Virtual Speaker Series will spend this academic year exploring the importance of a liberal arts education as we dive into topics surrounding the overall theme of  “Building a Better Society.”

Space is limited, so please register to attend. 

We cannot understand where humanity has been and where we are going without Black Studies.



The newly established Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies is a multidisciplinary institute that is a think tank for Black Studies research, including issues of race and racism. Housed in the College of Arts & Sciences' African American and Africana Studies (AAAS) program, the multidisciplinary institute will establish research clusters across campus and promote UK's growing research and scholarship on topics of importance to global and local histories, such as race in the Americas, African cultures and global impact of Black people from antiquity to the future. Many of the research clusters are concerned with conceptions of race in the future, contemporary conceptions of race, slavery and the quest for freedom, the long legacy of racial discrimination and violence including the struggle for civil rights.



Join Anastasia Curwood, history professor and director of the AAAS program, and DaMaris Hill, English professor and interim director of the AAAS program through spring 2021, in conversation with A&S Interim Dean Christian Brady as they discuss immediate and long-term plans for the Institute.

Register Here

Register Here

Join Kate Leger, professor in the A&S Department of Psychology, and Sharon Martin, staff psychologist at UK's Counseling Center, in conversation with A&S Interim Dean Christian Brady as they look at the impact of the pandemic on our emotions, especially during the upcoming holidays.

With COVID-19 continuing to affect our lives, this discussion will focus on why the pandemic has been so harmful to our emotional health and well-being and how many of our normal coping strategies are no longer possible. As many deal with multiple layers of grief this holiday season, we will look at strategies to reduce negative emotions and maintain happiness during these unusual times.  

Register Here

Join A&S political scientists Emily Bacchus, Stephen Voss, Michael Zilis, and Clayton Thyne, chair of the Political Science Department, as they discuss hot topics in the upcoming 2020 election, including: What are the electoral implications for the Supreme Court? Will the Senate flip? Will the question of a legitimate election cause unprecedented chaos? How are political protests playing a part? These questions and many more will be addressed as we look at the rise of contentious and sometimes violent street politics, a partisan battle over the judiciary, and a variety of longstanding legislative norms collapsing in the face of ideological polarization.

Register Here

Derrick White, professor in the UK History Department and African American and Africa Studies Program, and Amira Rose Davis, professor of History and African American Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, in conversation with A&S Interim Dean Christian Brady will examine how the intersection of Covid-19 and social justice made college and professional sports a site of activism and protest. The panelists will also discuss how it connects to a longer history of athletic activism. 

Register Here

Join A&S Interim Dean Christian Brady in conversation with Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs Anna Bosch (Linguistics) on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 12:30 p.m., as he discusses his background and research interests, impression of Lexington and the University, and hopes for the College of Arts & Sciences over the coming year. Dean Brady will also provide updates on the search for a new dean of the College.