By Guy Spriggs

On Friday, December 7, UK’s Quantitative Initiative for Policy and Social Research (QISPR) will host a conference entitled “The Polarize Electorate” in the Young Library Auditorium.

The goal of the conference is to investigate the political and public division in contemporary America and to determine why this divisiveness is becoming a way of life for Americans.

“Everyone knows the political parties are more divided than ever,” said Mark Peffley, UK political science professor and director of QIPSR. “But why has the electorate become so polarized, and what, if anything, can we do about it?”

The conference is focused on understanding the psychology and policy implications of polarized communications. “One

by Sarah Geegan

Associate professor of geography, Matthew Zook, was featured in two articles in The Economist, providing insight into the geoweb—particularly the practices surrounding user-generated data, such as geocoded tweets or other commentary.

The Economist article titled "The new local," argues that the physical and digital worlds are becoming increasingly intertwined through the use of high-speed internet and innovative technology.

The article references Zook's forthcoming paper, in which he, along with Mark Graham, a graduate of UK currently at the Oxford Internet Institute (part of the university) and

Daniel Prior, Lecture "How a Horse Theft Becomes a Praise Poem" 

Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 4:30pm to 6:30pm

Location: Keeneland Library, Keeneland, 4201 Versailles Rd.



Equestrian art takes many forms, even poetic. In 1864 a band of Kirghiz nomads in Central Asia crossed into China and stole a herd of several hundred horses from their long-time Mongol enemies at the cost of many lives. This unprovoked act of violence, which was an episode in a major outbreak of unrest, soon became the subject of a Kirghiz epic-like narrative poem celebrating the heroism of the raiders. Literature traditions show us that stealing herds of horses and protecting them from theft has held worldwide fascination for millennia. Daniel Prior, in studying

by Sarah Geegan

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

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.

This work is licensed under a

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. 



You can also

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