By Whitney Harder

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 22, 2015) — University of Kentucky Army ROTC's Ross Kok reached two milestones last Friday as he earned his degree and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army.

Before commencement, 2nd Lt. Kok's family, friends, superiors and fellow cadets gathered at Buell Armory for his Commissioning Ceremony. Maj. Gen. Peggy C. Combs, commanding general, U.S. Army Cadet Command, was also in attendance.  

Kok's father, Brig. Gen. Troy Kok, officiated the ceremony.

"Thirty-one years ago, yes I sat in that seat… And my father, who looked a little younger at that time, was in about the same seat where he is, and he got up and he pinned my 2nd Lt. bars," Brig. Gen. Kok said as he would soon do the same with his own son.

2nd Lt.

By Jenny Wells, Sue Scheff

(Dec. 17, 2015) — The University of Kentucky Honors Program recognized 10 first-year students as recipients of the T.W. Lewis Scholarship beginning fall 2015. These scholars, representing Fayette County and a select number of Appalachian counties in Kentucky, joined the current cohort, who were admitted to the program in 2014. The Lewis Scholars in the new cohort are off to a great start as they begin their spring semester.

The new 2015-16 Lewis Scholars are:

By Jenny Wells

(Dec. 16, 2015) — The University of Kentucky bestowed its greatest honor — the awarding of an honorary degree — to UK alumnus Matt Cutts.  The 1995 graduate was recognized with an honorary doctorate of engineering during the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on Friday, Dec. 18.

Cutts has become well known as one of Google’s first 100 employees and has headed the company’s Webspam group since 2004. Cutts’ leadership has resulted in safer web searching for families and children, improved ranking schemes, and "search encryption."

A native of Morehead, Kentucky, Cutts was awarded a Singletary Scholarship to attend UK in 1990. He graduated with a double major in 1995, earning Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science and mathematics.

While at UK, Cutts achieved a sparkling academic

By Whitney Hale

(Dec. 16, 2015) – The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees accepted a contribution of $1.7 million from Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) to establish a Model Confucius Institute. The funding, which will be matched by the university, will pay for the renovation of an area at Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center dedicated to the institute.  

"We have been so proud to see UK recognized on the international stage, in China, and this latest investment in our partnership will cement the UK Confucius Institute’s standing as one of the world’s leading

By Whitney Hale

(Dec. 10, 2015) — Two University of Kentucky seniors have been awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships to study abroad this spring. The scholarship will fund studies in the Czech Republic for human nutrition major Rebecca Blair and in Germany for biology major Austin E. Eirk.  

The Gilman Scholarship is a congressionally funded scholarship sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and administered by the 

By Gail Hairston

(Dec. 8, 2015) — A digital research team in the Collaboratory for Research in Computing for Humanities of the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences was instrumental in the recent opening of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library’s (HMML) public “virtual” presence.

Now, one of the world’s leading libraries for manuscript studies has a virtual library, http://vHMML.org, that the curious and studious alike can share, with images presented using the newest technology for zooming and panning high-resolution photographs.

Under the direction of Abigail

One of the best things about being a member of the UK family is the opportunity to engage with gifted, dedicated people, who are tirelessly committed to moving our institution forward. One of those individuals was recently highlighted on the "UK at the Half" radio broadcast. 

Dr. Kathi Kern, an associate professor in the Department of History, is the Director of Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT).

She is an innovator in her own classrooms and brings energy and enthusiasm to the teaching enterprise at UK. Recently, she was featured on "UK at the Half” for her exceptional work as a professor and CELT director. In the broadcast, she talked about her passion for teaching and developing students. 

“I have always

By Weston Loyd

(Dec. 4, 2015) — The University Press of Kentucky (UPK) is now offering a myriad of titles, many of which would be perfect for that hard-to-buy-for person on your holiday shopping list.

Friends and family who enjoy learning about the Commonwealth’s history may enjoy several publications from UPK, including recent releases The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia, "Committed to Victory," "Venerable Trees," "Lincoln’s Final Hours" or "Kentucky by Design."

The history of African Americans in Kentucky is long and vast. The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia, edited by 

By Whitney Harder

(Nov. 23, 2015) — Seven faculty members from the University of Kentucky have been selected to participate in the 2015-16 SEC Faculty Travel Program. The program, in its fourth year, provides support for faculty to collaborate with colleagues at other SEC member institutions. 

UK faculty participants include:

By Mark C. Whitt

(Nov. 20, 2015) — The University of Kentucky Office of Philanthropyhas recognized a UK College of Law emeritus professor and three members of its staff for their demonstrated excellence in philanthropy at the 2015 Terry B. Mobley Development Awards, announced by D. Michael Richey, vice president for development and chief development officer. The ceremony was conducted Nov. 12 in the Helen G. King Alumni House.

Robert G. Lawson, emeritus professor in the UK College of Law, received the Development Service Award. Presented to a UK senior professional, administrator or faculty member who has demonstrated extraordinary support for the philanthropy effort at the university.

Lawson has been associated with the

By Whitney Harder

(Nov. 18, 2015) — The 5th Annual Sustainability Forum, sponsored by the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment and the UK Appalachian Center, will take place from 4:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the Hilary J. Boone Center.

The forum will showcase interdisciplinary research in environmental and sustainability science and policy. UK faculty, staff and students conducting research in the areas of environmental science, public and environmental health, economic and social policy, political ecology, and manufacturing and materials science

By Whitney Harder

(Nov. 18, 2015) — A new collaboration between the University of Kentucky College of Law and College of Arts and Sciences will allow students seeking a law degree to save time and money by graduating in six years instead of seven.

The UK BLUE (Bachelor-to-Law Undergraduate Education) program is open to incoming freshmen who know early on they plan to pursue a law degree. The program reduces total tuition costs by one year and exposes students to the practice and study of law early on in their undergraduate career.

"For highly motivated, exceptional students, this is a targeted pathway to help them reach their career goals," said

By Whitney Hale, Alexis Simms

(Nov. 18, 2015) — The next Distinguished Scholar Lecture presented by University of Kentucky Confucius Institute will examine the spiritual state of wu-wei (effortless action). "Trying Not to Try: Cooperation, Trust and the Paradox of Spontaneity," to be delivered by Canadian researcher and scholar Edward Slingerland, will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Niles Gallery located in the Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center. The lecture/discussion, and a reception scheduled for 11:30

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 $