by Gail Hairston

(March 11, 2014) — It’s tournament time in the world of collegiate basketball. For the athletes, coaches and fans of the sport, that means once again pulling on that unwashed-for-four-months T-shirt or making sure that lucky coin nestles in the front left pocket of your jeans or settling into that ancient easy chair gripping a certain brand of beer purchased only in March.

Sports superstitions and rituals are nothing new. Suspending belief for the moment, you might envision an ancient ancestor throwing a shiny rock into a rabbit hole and dinner popped out. The connection was made: Shiny rock equals rabbit stew. Now, the shiny rock may miss the next few targets, but inevitably the rock again brings meat to the campfire. By now, our ancient ancestor is convinced he possesses an exceptionally lucky rock, perhaps even a supernatural rock

by Whitney Hale, Whitney Harder

(March 11, 2014) — University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections is illuminating the rich culture of Appalachia and challenging stereotypes of the region with its "Immigrants in the Coalfields" exhibit on display now in UK's Margaret I. King Building. The free exhibition will be open to the public 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until April 4.

Images, maps, documents and oral histories from UK Special Collections tell the story of Appalachia unheard to many, a mix of cultural, ethnic, and racial identities and a cultural mosaic illustrated in the coal camps of Eastern Kentucky.

Visitors to the exhibit first experience a national perspective of

Recently Dr. Edward Morris was published in the online blog Gender & Society in which he discussed his lasest book titled Learning the Hard Way.  The book discusses the underperformance of boys in school by approaching actual students to view education from the boys' points of view.  It also investigates the gender gap that can be found in education.  The whole article can be found here.  

Video by UK Public Relations and Marketing. To view captions for this video, push play and click on the CC icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

by Jenny Wells

(March 10, 2014) — In just a few weeks, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) will take place at the University of Kentucky, bringing a host of events and opportunities to campus.

Nearly 4,000 students and faculty mentors from across the country will be on campus for the conference April 3-5. These students, which include nearly 300 from UK, will present their research and creative endeavors through poster and oral presentations, as well as visual and performing arts performances. 

In addition to the presentations, NCUR will also offer speaker events, a graduate and

by Whitney Harder

(March 7, 2014) – Two University of Kentucky women who profoundly contribute to issues that affect women at the university and across the Commonwealth received the Sarah Bennett Holmes Award yesterday during a luncehon ceremony at the UK Student Center. Meg Marquis, staff, and Elisia Cohen, faculty, received the 2014 Holmes Award.

The award recognizes one female faculty member and one female staff member who promote growth and well-being of women at the university and across Kentucky. Created by the UK Women’s Forum, the Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards have been among the most esteemed recognitions bestowed at UK and brings recognition for efforts that might otherwise go unnoticed.  

Meg Marquis, director of Student Services for the 

by Whitney Harder, Whitney Hale

(March 6, 2014) — The University of Kentucky’s King Library Press is sponsoring a lecture and workshop with Kathleen Walkup, director of the nation's first master's program for book art and creative writing, focusing on the work of mid-century women printers. The UK Special Collections Library will host, "Because Nobody Stopped Us: Women Printers at Mid-Century," for its 2014 Spring Book Arts Weekend beginning 7 p.m. Friday, March 7, in the Great Hall of the Margaret I. King Building. The lecture is free and open to the public.

4Walkup is a

by Mallory Powell

(March 6, 2014) -- Nearly 700 researchers, students, policymakers and community members will gather at the Lexington Convention Center March 27 to share research, mentor junior faculty, and enhance collaborations in clinical and translational science, with special focus on addressing health disparities in Appalachia. The 9th Annual Spring Conference and 4th Annual Appalachian Translational Research Network (ATRN) Summit will be hosted by the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS).

"This year’s theme will be health disparities, which fits well with CCTS efforts to boost research

Excerpt from Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame Oral History Project interview with Raoul Cunningham. Video courtesy of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History. A transcript of this video can be seen here.

by Whitney Hale

(March 5, 2014) — As Kentucky stops today to remember the 1964 Civil Rights March on Frankfort, University of Kentucky announces a new collection of oral histories with many of the state's most noted civil rights activists exploring major milestones in the civil rights movement in the Commonwealth.

The Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame Oral History Project is being

by Keith Hautala

(March 5, 2014) — The University of Kentucky Student Sustainability Council is seeking applications for up to 11 at-large members for the 2014-2015 school year. 

The council is a registered student organization, composed of representatives from other student organizations and at-large members, created in 2009 to oversee the distribution of the Environmental Stewardship Fee. Each full-time student pays a mandatory student fee of $3 per semester into the Environmental Stewardship Fund. In 2014-2015, this will increase to $3.25.

At-large members have voice and vote on the council, working with their peers to ensure that the Environmental Stewardship Fee supports programs that represent the will of the student

by Whitney Harder, Whitney Hale

(March 3, 2014) — "Reel to Real: Special Collections at the Movies," the University of Kentucky Special Collections Library's film series, will continue with "Coal Miner's Daughter," at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at Worsham Theater in the UK Student Center. The film series explores celebrated movies through a historically accurate perspective based on primary source materials found in Special Collections. The screening is free and open to the public.

"Coal Miner's Daughter," is based on the life of country singer and Kentucky native Loretta Lynn, who recorded

by Whitney Harder

(Feb. 28, 2014) – Nominations for the Sarah Bennett Holmes Award are in and a total of 26 women will be acknowledged at the Holmes Award Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 6, in the Frank Harris Grand Ballroom of the UK Student Center. Two of the 26 women who profoundly contribute to issues that affect women at the University of Kentucky and across the Commonwealth will be chosen as the 2014 award recipients.

Created by the UK Women’s Forum, the Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards have been among the most esteemed recognitions bestowed at UK. The award recognizes one female faculty member and one female staff member who promote

Krippner finds that state policies created the conditions conducive to “financialization” that solved some policy dilemmas of the 1970s and 1980s, but created major weaknesses that would ultimately fail in the new millennium.

Financialization of the economy was not a deliberate outcome sought by policymakers, but rather an inadvertent result of the state's attempts to solve other problems, especially the stagnation and deregulation in the 1970s and 1980s, the encouragement of foreign capital in the U.S. economy, and large trade imbalances caused by direct

Video by UK Public Relations and Marketing. To view captions for this video, push play and click on the CC icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

by Jenny Wells, Whitney Harder

(Feb. 27, 2014) — Twenty-four undergraduate researchers from the University of Kentucky, along with more than 200 other student representatives from across the state, are taking over the state capitol in Frankfort today to showcase their research to the state legislature.

Posters-at-the-Capitol is a one-day annual event held to educate the Kentucky state legislators of the importance of undergraduate research and scholarly work. The governor, members of the General Assembly and representatives from

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 27, 2014) – As part of "¡Viva Mexico!," University of Kentucky Libraries presents "Alebrijes of Oaxaca, Mexico: an Exhibition of Mexican Folk Art from the State of Oaxaca." Showcasing more than 30 Oaxaca alebrijes on loan from UK faculty members' personal collections, the free public exhibit is on display through April 25, in the atrium of the William T. Young Library.

Whimsical carvings depicting animals, people, objects and imaginary creatures, alebrijes are known for their paintings of intense colors and intricate patterns. Carved from the twisting branches of the copal wood, the figures are sanded and painted with a base coat of paint. The final painting is done meticulously with detailed designs and

Video by Vis Center media team.

by Kieth Hautala

(Feb. 27, 2014) — Designing energy efficient buildings that are both functional and attractive raises a question: How do people adjust to a building that is adapting to them?

Melody Carswell, an expert in engineering psychology and associate professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Psychology, investigated with her students how occupants, including themselves, were responding to the new, adaptable Davis Marksbury research building on the UK campus.

by Gail Hairston

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 26, 2014) — An innovative grant from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is funding a University of Kentucky program that will not only advance research of alcohol abuse, but also train tomorrow's problem solvers.

Professor Mark Prendergast of the Department of Psychology and Associate Professor Kim Nixon of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences turned their devotion to research and their commitment to

by Kathy Johnson, Gail Hairston

(Feb. 25, 2014) — Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker brought home the gold this past weekend, winning the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Poetry.

Walker, an associate professor of English at the University of Kentucky as well as founder of the Affrilachian Poets, was recognized for his most recent book of poetry, "Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers."

“I am thrilled for Frank, whose scholarship is deserving of national recognition,” said Mark Lawrence Kornbluh, dean of UK’s College of Arts

Originally posted on President Eli Capilouto's blog

It is with immeasurable sadness that we mourn the shared loss of a transformative figure in the life of the University of Kentucky. On February 18, 2014, Dr. Wimberly Royster, a professor emeritus of mathematics and former administrator at the University, passed away.

For those who knew him – and there were many – they know this Henderson County native believed that Kentucky could compete at any level; it just took vision and persistence to see it through.

That level of resolve was ever present in Dr. Royster’s work. During his tenure at UK, he was dean for both the Graduate School and the College of Arts & Sciences, as well the first vice president for Research and Graduate Studies and a special assistant to the president of the University.

Professor Royster helped propel UK to a new level

by Gail Bennett

(Feb. 25, 2014) ― WUKY 91.3 FM collaborates with the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame to broadcast readings of selections from the works of the new 2014 Hall of Fame authors on March 1.

The Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame announced the 2014 Hall of Fame class at an induction ceremony on Jan. 23 at the Carnegie Center. This is the second class to be inducted.

WUKY will air a program showcasing the introductions, readings and musical performances as recorded from that evening. The broadcast will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 1.

The seven new members of the 2014 Hall of Fame class include: children’s author Rebecca Caudill, best known for "A Pocketful of Cricket" and "Tree of Freedom"; University of Kentucky professor Thomas D. Clark, best known for "A History of

by Sarah Geegan

(Feb. 25, 2014) — The third speaker in the "see tomorrow Speaker Series," Kathi Kern, director of the UK Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), will engage with the UK community at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, in the William T. Young Library Auditorium.

Kern, an associate professor in the UK Department of History, is an innovator in her own classrooms and brings energy and enthusiasm to her teaching.  Her speech, "From the Ground Up: Faculty Innovation and the Future of Teaching and Learning at UK," will focus on pedagogy and innovation in teaching and learning.

Kern recently answered a series of questions about her experience and her upcoming presentation for UKNow:

On what topics will your presentation focus?

In this presentation, we will survey the national landscape of trends