Norina Samuels

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 26, 2023) — Growing up in Winder, Georgia, a historic suburb northeast of Atlanta, Norina Samuels discovered that the quality time she spent with her family differed from that of her peers. While others reveled in exhilarating amusement parks and lavish beach getaways, Samuels' single mother, Karen, defied convention as she loaded Samuels and her brother into the family car and visited cemeteries.

“All my classmates asked, ‘Where did you go for Spring Break?’” Samuels said. “They all went to Myrtle Beach, and I answered, ‘I was looking up dead people.’ That’s what my mom enjoyed — she was really interested in genealogy. We spent a lot of our off-school time just traipsing along to the graveyards, so I got into looking at the headstones and all that stuff.”

By visiting cemeteries

By Richard LeComte 

Christopher Crawford

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Big Blue Nation is getting a foothold in Japan for University of Kentucky Department of Physics and Astronomy students and others.  

Through an initiative led by Christopher Crawford, professor of physics in UK’s College of Arts and Sciences, the National Science Foundation has approved a grant of nearly $300,000 to arrange for three cohorts of six U.S. undergraduates and one U.S. graduate student to go Nagoya University in Japan for research and development. They will work in a program titled “Neutron Optics Parity and Time Reversal Experiment” (NOPTREX). 

“The goal of these experiments is to investigate the physical mechanism responsible for the conversion of antimatter into matter in the early universe,” Crawford said. “This is one of the outstanding questions in

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

The 42nd annual Kentucky Book Festival will return to Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 21.

More than 150 authors — including many University of Kentucky faculty, staff and alumni — will be in attendance, meeting readers and signing books. Patrons can enjoy a full slate of main stage events alongside educational workshops and craft talks, as well as a children’s schedule of events.

This year’s program will include special appearances by New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward, nonfiction writer Stephen Bright (a UK alumnus), as well as a highlight of the book “A is for Affrilichia,” where UK Professor Frank X Walker and illustrator upfromsundirt

By Lindsey Piercy 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 9, 2023) — How important is word of mouth when understanding climate change?

A new project, led by the Kentucky Climate Consortium research team at the University of Kentucky, is proving that oral histories can provide an intimate view of our shifting world.

The consoritium acts as a catalyst for climate research and education across the Commonwealth by providing networking opportunities for Kentucky-based climate scholars.

Through her work with the consortium, Lauren Cagle, associate professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies

By Lindsay Travis 

AppalTRuST brings together a team of researchers across the UK colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Education and Arts and Sciences as well as the UK Markey Cancer Center and BREATHE. Jeremy Blackburn | Research Communications.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 6, 2023) — The University of Kentucky will be home to a new research center focused on tobacco regulations in the Commonwealth named the Appalachian Tobacco Regulatory Science Team. Ann Kingsolver, professor of anthropology in the College of Arts & Sciences and director of the Appalachian Studies Program, is a member of the team. 

AppalTRuST is funded over five years with a $19 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse  

By Whitney Hale

Isha Chauhan

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 4, 2023) — Isha Chauhan, a biology major in the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences and Lewis Honors College student from La Grange, Kentucky, will receive one of 68 Astronaut Scholarships this year and has and completed a DAAD RISE research internship in Germany.

“These awards have given me the opportunity to connect with diverse groups of people and develop cross-cultural relationships,” Chauhan said. “I am so thankful to have received the chance to explore my future career through these unique experiences.”

As an Astronaut Scholar, Chauhan will receive up to $15,000 from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.. The scholarship is presented annually to outstanding college students

By Richard LeComte 

Karrieann Soto Vega

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The portmanteau “DiaspoRicans” describes a demographic to which Karrieann Soto Vega belongs: people who come from or who trace their roots to Puerto Rico and don’t reside there. As part of her scholarship at the University of Kentucky, Soto Vega explores what it means to be part of Puerto Rico, especially in how artists and activists express their views on their relationship to the rest of the United States. 

 "I'm interested in part in popular culture and how activist rhetoric seeps into the work of reggaetón artists like Bad Bunny,” said Soto Vega, assistant professor of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies in

By Tatum Armstrong Monday

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 2, 2023) — The University of Kentucky Martin Luther King (MLK) Center, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Lewis Honors College, College of Arts and Sciences, and Department of Hispanic Studies are hosting “Cafecito con Chavez: An Evening with Eduardo Chavez.” 

The event will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5., in the Gatton Student Center’s Harris Ballroom. 

Chavez, the grandson of activist Cesar Chavez, is notable for his work as a

By Dave Melanson 

Adobe Stock

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A multi-institutional collaboration led by University of Kentucky researchers Chad Risko and John Anthony was one of 37 teams to receive National Science Foundation funding as part of that organization’s Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future  program.

The program is a $72.5 million investment from NSF to drive the design, discovery and development of advanced materials needed to address major societal challenges. The program brings together a wide range of disciplines, including materials research, engineering, mathematics, computer science, chemistry and physics, to achieve

By Meredith Weber 

College of Arts and Science Lyman T. Johnson award winners with Dean Ana Franco-Watkins.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2023) — Nearly 40 University of Kentucky alumni and students will be honored during the 32nd annual Lyman T. Johnson Awards Luncheon 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 13, in the Gatton Student Center Grand Ballroom on UK’s campus.   

UK’s academic colleges and units select at least one Black alumnus whose faith, hard work and determination has positively affected the lives of people on the UK campus, the city, state or nation. These individuals receive the Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence award. At least one Black student who displays outstanding academic achievement and the ability to impact the lives of others is

Dr. Arnold Stromberg

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Katherine Thompson remembers Dr. Arnold Stromberg, former chair of the University of Kentucky’s Dr. Bing Zhang Department of Statistics and David M. Allen-Richard L. Anderson Endowed Professor, as a leader who was always ready to help students and faculty with a quick analysis.  

“I knew people he had touched, but I didn't realize how many people he had impacted in his career,” said Thompson, associate professor of statistics in UK’s College of Arts & Sciences. “It wasn’t just the students. He helped assistant professors from other colleges working toward tenure by providing statistical support on manuscripts so they could be published. If he got that e-mail, he was up at midnight doing their analysis, no problem. He helped people who didn't have another source; not because he

By Lindsey Piercy

Ted Schatzki’s research interests lie in theorizing social life. He is widely associated with a theoretical approach called practice theory that is active today in many social disciplines. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 22, 2023) — Theodore Schatzki, professor of geography, philosophy and sociology at the University of Kentucky, is serving as the 2023-24 College of Arts and Sciences’ Distinguished Professor and will

By A Fish  

Carlos Verea Zacarias

LEXINGTON, Ky – Carlos Verea Zacarias sees his position as president of the University of Kentucky Latino Student Union as one that facilitates recovery — he’s making sure his home on campus continues to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic and is set to help its members in their college careers and beyond. 

“The last couple of presidents were focused on making sure our organization stayed active during COVID,” Verea Zacarias said. “My job is making sure that my students find a home at UK and that they connect with one another and rely upon each other. My job is to regrow that community and make sure that everything stays in check both with administrative work and with the well-being of the students.” 

Healing is part of Verea Zacarias’ future. The pre-med biology major was named

By A Fish

Participants and judges in the 2023 competition.

LEXINGTON; Ky. — Each spring, the Dr. Bing Zhang Department of Statistics in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts & Sciences holds a data science competition. This event is a great way for first-year graduate students to get experience analyzing real datasets.

Tori Stanton is a statistics Ph.D. student and senior research assistant in the Predictive Analytics and Data Science Hub, where she collaborates with researchers from the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Stanton has been involved with the competition since her first year at University of Kentucky. She has risen from participant to organizer.

“For many students this is one of the first experiences they have with a real dataset,” Stanton said. “Many datasets used in class are picked to demonstrate

By Richard LeComte 

Sarah Tishkoff

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Sarah Tishkoff, the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor in Genetics and Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver the annual Thomas Hunt Morgan Lectures at the University of Kentucky. 

The first lecture, “African Integrative Genomics: Implications for Health and Disease,” will be at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, in room 116 at the Thomas Hunt Morgan Biological Sciences Building on the UK campus. The second, “Human Evolution and Adaptation in Africa,” will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 6, in the W.T. Young Library Auditorium. The events are free and open to the public.  

In addition, a reception for alumni will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at the Thomas Hunt Morgan House, 210 N. Broadway in

By Ja'Mahl McDaniel 

For more than 30 years, the United States has recognized Sept. 15 as the start of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month. 

Enacted in 1988 by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, allows the country to come together to celebrate the long and diverse history of Latin American identity, cultures, languages and vast contributions.   

At the University of Kentucky, we have seen a significant increase in the number of Latinx and Hispanic-identifying students, faculty and staff. On campus, we have departments, clubs and organizations that foster opportunities for community building, educational awareness 

By Stacey Gish 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 14, 2023) — The UK Alumni Association announced the selection of 33 students who will serve as Alumni Ambassadors for the 2023-2024 academic year. As official student hosts of the University of Kentucky, Alumni Ambassadors promote the university at numerous events in partnership between the Office of the President, Office of Philanthropy and the UK Alumni Association.  

Alumni Ambassadors represent the best and brightest of UK students, demonstrating high achievement in their collegiate careers and a dedication to the advancement of the university. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and represent diverse backgrounds, cultures and areas of campus involvement.  

Alumni Ambassadors for 2023-2024, including class,

By Tatum Armstrong

The Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative (KBWC) and the University of Kentucky's 91.3 WUKY will host "SAY IT LOUD: STAND UP," featuring prominent and emerging Black writers. The event will take place 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, located at 251 West 2nd St.

Readings by Jude “JC” McPherson, Frank X Walker, Dwayne Parker and Shawn Pryor will take place throughout the event, and recordings of the presentations will be published here. Admission is free to the public and set to encourage attendees to nurture their development while removing financial obstacles for as long as needed.

"SAY IT LOUD: STAND UP" is sponsored by

By Jesi Jones-Bowman 

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) at the University of Kentucky has selected 26 outstanding undergraduates for the 2023-24 Undergraduate Research Ambassador program.

The program’s mission is to increase awareness and create opportunities for students to actively engage in research. Ambassadors must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential and be involved in mentored research. This year's ambassadors represent six colleges, 21 disciplines and 18 research areas.

The student leaders’ goal is to make undergraduate research more accessible. Ambassadors will promote undergraduate research involvement and opportunities through student outreach and program

LEXINGTON, KY -- Two University of Kentucky Department of Chemistry professors in the College of Arts & Sciences. several current UK graduate students and a former grad student  contributed to an article reporting a major advance in increasing the stability of perovskite solar cells, which was published recently in the journal Science.

Co-authors at UK are Kenneth Graham, associate professor of chemistry; Chad Risko, John C. Hubbard Professor of Chemistry; and graduate students Harindi R. Atapattu, Keerthan R. Rao, and Zhuoyun Cai. An article on the discovery issued by the University of Toronto can be found here.

Currently, perovskite solar cells show power conversion efficiencies that are on par with commercially available