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by Sarah Geegan

  The UK College of Arts and Sciences inducted four new members to the A&S Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 19.   The "Celebrate A&S: Alumni and Faculty Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony" took place at the Singletary Center for the Arts. Two faculty members and two alumni joined the ranks of the current 30 alumni and 6 emeritus faculty A&S Hall of Fame members.   "The College of Arts and Sciences is honored to recognize these distinguished and accomplished faculty and alumni," said Mark Lawrence Kornbluh, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "They exemplify the academic and professional excellence for which the college strives, and showcase the success so many of our

 

Story by Erin Holaday Ziegler

Photo by Dana Rogers

It's 11:30 a.m. on a Thursday, and we're about to have a scientific throwdown.

University of Kentucky freshmen pull out their iPads, gather in small groups around 21st century tables and begin to discuss physics problems in a way that's as far from conventional as the touch screens they are intently gazing upon.

This is just a typical afternoon for physics and astronomy professor and chair Mike Cavagnero's experimental A&S Wired research course: the Science of Measurement.

"Measurement and observation are the foundations of science," said Cavagnero. "Measurement is the first step in all of science, actually, and it's a step that's often left out of K-12 science education."

The 26 A&S

By Sarah Geegan

This semester, students within the College of Arts and Sciences are learning about American democracy as it unfolds.

An interactive course, "UKC 180: America Through the Lens of the 2012 Election," utilizes an innovative classroom design and extensive multi-media resources to focus on the upcoming presidential election. Through lectures, guest speakers, in-class polls, group work in "caucuses" and interaction with real congressional staffers, students are gaining a deeper understanding of American politics, and addressing relevant issues in real time.

College of Arts and Sciences Dean, Mark Lawrence Kornbluh and History professor

 

By Victoria Dekle

Why do some students seek a tiara as well as a diploma? What is it like to live in the Bible Belt as part of a same-sex relationship? What are the advantages of living with a LBGTQ identity in today’s world?

If you find these questions intriguing, you are in luck because they are the basis of three recently published books by faculty members and an alumna of the UK Gender and Women’s Studies Department.

The first volume is “A Positive View of LGBTQ: Embracing Identity and Cultivating Well-Being” by Ellen Riggle, Professor of Political Science and Gender and Women’s Studies and

 

By Guy Spriggs   “I think people are going to be surprised. They will have to keep an eye on linguistics at Kentucky.”   This comment – made by first year master’s student Darin Arrick – reflects the attitude of excitement and opportunity running through UK’s Linguistics Program.   The cause of this renewed energy is a brand new degree: the Master of Arts in Linguistic Theory & Typology (MALTT). The first participants in this program – Arrick among them – began their work at UK this fall.   For Linguistics Program director Andrew Hippisley, the creation of this master’s degree program was the

 

PHI 300-001 – Philosophy of Pornography Prof. Natalie Nenadic  TR 3:00-5:30 (8 week course 1/24/13 – 3/28/13)   This course will situate the issue of pornography within philosophical debates surrounding slavery, political liberty, and freedom. Through a close examination of the lived reality of pornography, we will question conventional views that cast pornography as sexual liberation. Among the authors we will read are Catharine MacKinnon, Andrea Dworkin, Gail Dines, Aristotle, Rousseau, and Wollstonecraft.   PHI 300-002 – Philosophy of Sport Prof. Clare Batty TR 9:30-10:45 a.m.   What is a sport? What is the nature of sportsmanship? Does playing a sport involve a special kind of knowledge? Is cheating ever morally permissible? Does using performance-enhancing drugs count as cheating? Are sports beautiful? These and

The UK Political Science department chose someone with experience and a solid educational background to present a topical seminar on local government: former Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry. This semester, he's showing students how local governments work by bringing in guest speakers each week from various local governments around the region. Students facilitate the discussions, and experts impart their knowledge and experience to the course. In this podcast, Newberry shares his experiences as a professor and some of the aspects of local government discussed in the course. 

This podcast was produced by Cheyenne Hohman.

 



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From being a walk-on with the undefeated 1971-72 freshman basketball team, to working with the Supreme Court, and now as the President and CEO of the Freedom Forum, which oversees the Newseum and First Amendment Center is Washington D.C. - Jim Duff's resume is as diverse as and A&S education. No wonder he is being inducted into the A&S Hall of Fame this week!



The Herald-Leader recently covered Duff's career - read more.

 

 

Owsley County is the first site for Homegrown Kentucky, a farm-to-school project developed by University of Kentucky students Ben Smith, Adam Meredith, Luke McAnally, Patrick Johnson and Ben Norton. Ideally, this model will be applied to other schools across Kentucky, making Kentucky schools more self-sufficient while offering students and community members an opportunity to learn and practice agricultural skills. This podcast chronicles a visit to Owsley County High School for a board meeting and tour of the farm, which consists of a few acres adjacent to the school. Agricultural Science teacher Dustin Estridge and some of his students share their experiences with the project. 



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by Sarah Geegan

The University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences' creative and technical services "Hive" recently completed a project, fusing the eighth and 15th centuries with the 21st century.

The Hive, a student team directed by A&S staff, provides creative and technical support to college faculty, students and staff to promote their work and ideas. Recently, it partnered with William Endres, professor in the Division of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Media, to make two rare manuscripts available online: eighth century St Chad Gospels and a 15th century Wycliffe New Testament.

The team's work, made possible through

By Guy Spriggs

After earning her bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee University in 2000, UK sociology professor Shannon Bell took a job in public health and community organizing at a non-profit health center in Cabin Creek, West Virginia. Although Bell left moved west in 2005 to pursue her doctorate at the University of Oregon, her experiences in Cabin Creek stuck with her.

“While I was in Cabin Creek, I learned a great deal about the impact the coal industry was having on people’s lives,” she explained. “I decided to make those social problems the subject of my doctoral research.”

After her experiences, Bell knew she would have to devote a lot of energy to understanding the complex ways coal mining affects places like Cabin Creek. She

 

  By Sarah Geegan   A large university setting like the University of Kentucky can often present difficulties in facilitating one-on-one interaction between international students and local students; however this exchange is very important. It allows international students to enhance their cultural experiences and English proficiency, and it provides domestic students with global perspectives. The University of Kentucky Center for English as a Second Language Department (CESL) works to facilitate these interactions, most recently through a joint-viewing of the first presidential debate.   CESL, in collaboration with the UK Department of Political Science and the UK Honors Program, arranged for

A faculty panel will discuss relevant election issues on the night of the debate. The following night, various faculty, lecturers and graduate students will lead group discussions for students, using video clips from the previous night's debate.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 10, 2012) — In the 2008 election, young Americans voted in their largest numbers since the 1970's. With the 2012 election around the corner, the UK College of Arts and Sciences, with the support of the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Media (WRD) will present several events for UK students to become more informed about the election, specifically surrounding the second presidential debate.

A faculty panel, consisting of 

At the end of May 2012, a delegation of faculty from the University of Kentucky went to Shanghai University to promote the American Studies Center, a partnership between UK and SHU. Michelle Sizemore facilitated a group discussion between UK and SHU students about cultural difference, identity, and storytelling across cultures. Four faculty members, Mary Anglin, Frank X Walker, Ron Pen, and Arturo Sandoval presented lectures on Appalachian culture, identity, history, and art. At the

 

A faculty panel will discuss relevant election issues on the night of the debate. The following night, various faculty, lecturers and graduate students will lead group discussions for students, using video clips from the previous night's debate.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 10, 2012) — In the 2008 election, young Americans voted in their largest numbers since the 1970's. With the 2012 election around the corner, the UK College of Arts and Sciences, with the support of the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Media (WRD) will present several events for UK students to become more informed about the election, specifically surrounding the second presidential debate.

A faculty panel, consisting of political science

John Brown served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for more than two decades. He served in many capacities, including as a serology examiner, special agent, investigator, and was program manager for the development of the National DNA Indexing System. In this podcast, Brown describes some of his work with the Bureau and how taking chemistry courses at UK gave a solid foundation for the career path he chose. 

This podcast was produced by Stephen Gordinier. 

 



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

For many University of Kentucky students, the right undergraduate degree is an important stepping stone towards a life-long goal of pursuing medicine, dentistry, or law. The College of Arts and Sciences works hard to develop programs and majors that help cater to the pre-professional goals of its many students.

Ariel Blythe Reske is a Biology major and a member of the A&S Student Ambassador program; for her, the desire to become a doctor is one of the primary motivating forces in her education. As an undergraduate in the college of A&S studying Biology, Reske found both classes and professors that challenged, inspired, and changed the way she thought about the world. On top of that, she is better prepared for whatever the future may throw her way.  

This podcast was produced

by Sarah Geegan


In a year that University of Kentucky teams have captured national titles, two UK alumni were part of another team that gained a world-record title — one that has the potential to impact everyone.     UK alumni Joe Bullock and Kathy Woody are synthetic chemists at Phillips 66, a Houston-based company that manufactures energy products. Their team recently attained the world record for the most efficient polymer-based solar cells.   Increasing the efficiency of these organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells could have enormous implications for the energy industry. Currently, solar panels consist of photo cells based on the element silicon, which convert light energy to electrical energy. These silicon panels are costly, fragile and expensive in large amounts.

by Sarah Geegan   In a year that University of Kentucky teams have captured national titles, two UK alumni were part of another team that gained a world-record title — one that has the potential to impact everyone.     UK alumni Joe Bullock and Kathy Woody are synthetic chemists at Phillips 66, a Houston-based company that manufactures energy products. Their team recently attained the world record for the most efficient polymer-based solar cells.   Increasing the efficiency of these organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells could have enormous implications for the energy industry. Currently, solar panels consist of photo cells based on the element silicon, which convert light energy to electrical energy. These silicon panels are costly, fragile and expensive in large amounts. However, organic