Dr. Sharon Austin, professor of political science at the University of Florida, will be giving a lecture on voting rights. Dr. Austin has also taught courses at the Universities of Louisville, Michigan, and Missouri-Columbia and received a doctorate in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1993. Her teaching interests are in American Government, Urban Politics, and African American Politics and her research interests are in African American mayoral elections, African American/Caribbean American political relationships, rural African American political activism, and African American political behavior.

This is the first lecture in a series on "Orthodox Judaism Today" organized by the UK Jewish Studies program.

Recording: https://uky.yuja.com/V/Video?v=7297895&node=31012841&a=7990788&autoplay=1

Join the Department of Philosophy for the Spring 2023 "Philosophy and Modern Life" series. This series is aimed at undergraduate students of any major interested in topics surrounding philosophy.

Whether we like it or not, boredom affects and permeates our social, practical, and even moral existence. It shapes our lives by demarcating the interesting and the meaningful from that which is not. And it sets us in motion insofar as its presence can give rise to a vast array of behaviors. We now know from years of studying boredom that the propensity to experience boredom (what is commonly called “boredom proneness” or “trait boredom”) is associated with a plethora of significant bodily, psychological, and social harms. But is boredom always bad? Is there a positive side to boredom? Could the experience of boredom ever be beneficial?

In this talk, I propose a theoretical account of boredom that underlines its significance and importance for our everyday lives. I argue that boredom is a useful self-regulatory mechanism that contributes to the maintenance of certain optimal levels of cognitive engagement. It signals the presence of cognitively unsatisfactory situations and motivates escape from them. As such, the experience of boredom reflects a dissatisfaction with our situation and can help us to restore the presence of satisfactory cognitive engagement

Join the Department of Philosophy for the Spring 2023 "Philosophy and Modern Life" series. This series is aimed at undergraduate students of any major interested in topics surrounding philosophy.

This talk will discuss the neglected and often misunderstood virtue of humility. We’ll explore its relevance for two different realms of modern society: sports and civil discourse.

Join the Department of Philosophy for the Spring 2023 "Philosophy and Modern Life" series. This series is aimed at undergraduate students of any major interested in topics surrounding philosophy.

"For many of us, our friendships are among the most important things in our lives. But have you ever thought about why humans seek out friendship? If your answer is “no,” then this talk will change that! We’ll introduce a few of the biggest questions in the philosophy of friendship: What sets friendship apart from other relationships? Are there certain kinds of people that we should (or should not) become friends with? And what kinds of moral obligations, if any, do we have to our friends?"