By Gail Hairston

(Nov. 16, 2015) — Two films highlighting America’s racial conflicts will be shown on the University of Kentucky campus this week, with time scheduled for discussion afterward.

At 6 p.m. today, the documentary “Let the Fire Burn,” will be shown at the UK Athletics Auditorium in William T. Young Library, followed by a panel discussion hosted by the UK Martin Luther King Center and the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Gender and Women’s Studies and the African American and Africana Studies Program. 

“Let the Fire Burn” recounts the 1985 tragedy when Philadelphia police, with authorization from the mayor, responded to a stand-off with a black liberation group the city was trying to evict from its communal house in West Philadelphia by dropping a firebomb on the roof, burning the house to the ground and

By Whitney Hale 

(Nov. 13, 2015) — Now in its 34th year, the Kentucky Book Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Frankfort Convention Center. This year’s fair will feature more than 200 authors and editors showcasing their most recent books including several writers from University Press of Kentucky (UPK).

Sponsored by The State-Journal, and co-sponsored by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Joseph-Beth

By Tiera Carlock

(Nov. 12, 2015) — The University of Kentucky's Art Museum and MFA (Master of Fine Arts) Creative Writing Program in the Department of English welcomes to campus essayist, poet, artist and cultural critic Wayne Koestenbaum to discuss his paintings and writings with UK Art Museum Director Stuart Horodner at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, in 106 

By Weston Lyod

(Nov. 12, 2015) — The University of Kentucky's Confucius Institute will take audiences on "A Journey to Ancient Haungzhou" with the Huangmei Opera. The program will begin 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Singletary Center for the Arts. The performance is free and open to the public.

“A Journey to Ancient Haungzhou” will showcase the talents of China’s Huangmei Opera in traditional dance and music. The troupe was formed in the 18th century and is one of the most noted traditional opera theaters in China. The Huangmei Opera comprises 30 performers including musicians, singers, actors, dancers and martial artists.

"UK Confucius Institute brings to the UK campus and the Lexington community quality art forms directly from China so that the students, faculty and the citizens of the Commonwealth can

By Jenny Wells, Whitney Harder

(Nov. 9, 2015) — It's a partnership unlike any other, relying on each other to complete pivotal projects and daily deeds, constantly working together to find solutions. Yes, the city of Lexington and the University of Kentucky are intertwined, but a recent discovery proves it's much more than a partnership — it's a new species of community.

Lexington, often referred to as a college town, has evolved into a "university city," according to new research by Lexington's own Scott Shapiro, senior advisor to Mayor Jim Gray, which was confirmed in an analysis by UK Department of Statistics Professor and Chair Arnold Stromberg. As a university city, Lexington boasts

By Guy Spriggs

In order to prepare for the exam and for law school, the American Bar Association recommends students take courses that strengthen their writing skills and research skills, as well as pursue majors that develop skills in problem solving, analytical reading, editing and oral communication. It’s no surprise, then, that many pre-law students choose English as their major.

However, UK pre-law advisor Sarah Ballard says recent data presents another compelling motivation for majoring in English: for the fall 2014 entering class at the University of Kentucky College of Law, English majors had the highest LSAT scores of all students with an A&S major.

“The average score for English majors was a 162. This means the average score for English majors was very good – in fact, it was above the 75th percentile LSAT [score] for UK Law in 2014,” she explained

By Gail Hairston

(Nov. 6, 2015) — The publisher of the National Council on Family Relations’ scholarly journals, John Wiley & Sons, recently announced the winners of the 2015 Alexis Walker Award for the best paper in the field of family studies published in 2013 and 2014. University of Kentucky assistant professor of psychology Rachel H. Farr and University of Virginia professor of psychology Charlotte J. Patterson were recognized for their work, “Co-parenting Among Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Couples: Associations with Adopted Children’s Outcomes,” published in Child Development, July/August 2013, Volume 84. The award comes with a $

By Gaill Hairston

(Nov. 5, 2015) — Adrian Matejka, nationally renowned poet, will read at the University of Kentucky William T. Young Library at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Matejka’s most recent book, “The Big Smoke,” a collection of persona poems in the voice of the boxer Jack Johnson, was awarded the 2014 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was a finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, the 2013 National Book Award and the 2014 

By Tiera Carlock

(Nov. 5, 2015) — The University of Kentucky King Library Press will present a lecture on the physical structure of books of Tudor England at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6., in the Great Hall of Margaret I. King Library on UK’s campus. "The Books of Tudor England" talk will be presented by UK alumnus and fine press printer Alex Brooks, and is free and open to the public.

A first-generation college graduate, Brooks received his master's degree in creative writing from UK. During his time at the university, he was awarded a Fulbright to study book conservation at West Dean

By Dara Vance

The importance of meeting an international delegation can be exciting and intimidating.  Serving as the delegation’s language translator adds an additional level of excitement and importance.  Caroline Board, graduate student in French and Francophone Studies, was delighted to interpret for a delegation from Djibouti during their visit to the University of Kentucky in September.  

Caroline became interested in studying language after taking French to satisfy her undergraduate language requirement.

“After I had taken a few French classes I decided I really liked the language and wanted to continue learning it,” she said.

Caroline studied in France for a summer semester and a fall semester during her undergraduate studies.  Between her bachelor and master’s studies at UK she taught English in France for eight months.

By Gail Hairston

(Nov. 3, 2015) — Stephen Voss is a frequently quoted analyst of Kentucky politics. In recent years, the University of Kentucky associate professor of political science has been interviewed by some of the most prestigious newspapers and broadcast news organizations in the nation, as well as publishing in equally prominent professional journals.

In recent weeks, as the anticipation of today's election has grown, Voss has been a very busy man, even if you don’t count his hours in the classroom. He describes himself as a quantitative analyst specializing in elections and voting behavior, with a focus on the U.S. South and the politics of race, ethnicity and culture. In a recent interview with UKNow, he shared some of his insight into Election Day 2015 and the

By Tiera Carlock

(Nov 3, 2015) — Philipp Kraemer, Chellgren Endowed Chair for Undergraduate Excellence and professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Psychology, will be giving a lecture as part of the Chellgren Seminar Series. The lecture, "Teach as Ideacraft in the Changing University," will take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the William T. Young Library's UK Athletics Auditorium. A reception will follow in the W.T. Young Library Gallery.

About the Chellgren Seminar Series

The purpose of the Chellgren Seminar Series is to contribute to the intellectual aspects of the undergraduate experience by inviting eminent scholars to deliver brief, provocative presentations on issues

By Tiera Carlock

(Nov. 2, 2015) — Laura Roché Youngworth, University of Kentucky alumna, was named the 2015 Kentucky World Language Teacher of the Year by the Kentucky World Language Association (KWLA). The KWLA's Outstanding Teacher Award recognizes an achieving individual in the language teaching profession who engages students to learn inside and outside of the classroom, meets the goals of the National Standards for Foreign Language Learners, and advocates for his or her community.

In addition, Stayc Dubravac

By Whitney Harder

(Oct. 30, 2015) — Like the University of Kentucky itself, the UK College of Social Work was established to fulfill a need in Kentucky, one for the college that began in the 1930s with the Great Depression and continues to evolve today.

Emerging from the Great Depression, the nation was dealing with a number of social issues, including one-third of the workforce being unemployed. The widespread suffering helped catalyze the establishment of the Social Security Act of 1935, which brought immediate relief to many families with a system of retirement benefits, old age pensions and aid to dependent children.

Qualified personnel were needed to staff these programs and so the social work profession flourished, ideally situated to expand along with these

By Kathy Johnson

(Oct. 30, 2015) — WUKY's "UK Perspectives" focuses on the people and programs of the University of Kentucky and is hosted by WUKY General Manager Tom Godell.  This week guest host, UK News Director Alan Lytle interviews doctoral students Dara Vance and Cody Foster about the UK Department of History's new podcast series, "Long Story Short - A Brief History of History." 

To listen to the podcast interview from which "UK Perspectives" is produced, visit 

By Blair Hoover, Bailey Klutts

(Oct. 23, 2015) — The University of Kentucky Debate team competed in the 44th Run for the Roses. The Run for the Roses is a small round robin format tournament where eight of the top teams in the country were invited to compete against the top Kentucky team.

The field represented the best of the best including Harvard, Michigan, Georgetown and Emory. The Kentucky team of Donald Grasse and Theo Noparstak — both political science majors at UK — finished as the tournament’s first and third speaker. This was the first time a Kentucky debater had won the top speaker since 1993 (Paul Skiermont).

A day later the entire Kentucky squad and almost 100 more teams joined the field for the 45th Henry Clay Invitational. Donald Grasse would again take the top speaker (out of 186 competitors) and he and his

By Gail Hairston

(Oct. 29, 2015) — Tracy Campbell, professor of history and interim chair of the University of Kentucky Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences was interviewed by National Public Radio Wednesday morning about the African-American neighborhoods razed to build the museum and grounds surrounding St. Louis' Gateway Arch.

Campbell, an expert in 20th century American social and political history, wrote “The Gateway Arch: A Biography” (Yale, 2013), which was featured on NPR's "Weekend Edition" with Scott Simon, XM Radio's "The Bob Edwards Show," and was selected by the History Book Club. The book was

By Whitney Hale

(Oct. 29, 2015) — The University of Kentucky's Confucius Institute is teaming up with the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures to present a special lecture on machismo and China's Zuo tradition by scholar David Schaberg. The free public lecture, "Machismo in Early China," is from 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the Alumni Gallery at William T. Young Library, with a reception to follow.

In a presentation on China's first great historical work, the Zuo tradition (Zuozhuan), Schaberg will show how

By Whitney Harder, Kody Kiser, Amy Jones-Timoney

(Oct. 28, 2015) — Hannah Latta, a University of Kentucky junior from Mayfield, Kentucky, is a Chellgren Fellow, Gaines Fellow and member of the UK Honors Program. A biology major planning to attend medical school, Latta has a lot going on. But she is able to do it all and still graduate in four years, in May 2017, thanks to planning ahead and the perfect course load each semester.  

For Latta, graduating in four years has been an important goal since arriving at UK.

"I didn't want to

By Whitney Harder

(Oct. 28, 2015) — Home to laboratories, aviaries, research fields and ponds, the University of Kentucky Ecological Research and Education Center (EREC) is also now home to larger than life-size art that illustrates the beauty of the science studied there.

Painted by Italian muralist Hitnes and a group of community members and UK students, the mural merges art and science to reflect birds Hitnes observed while he retraced the journey of John James Audubon.

"Like all of the best public art, the EREC mural has both beautiful and challenging elements, here in the engaging style of Hitnes and his master class," said Philip Crowley, director of the EREC. "Because we study