By Whitney Hale 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 6, 2023) — Two University of Kentucky seniors — Kayli Bolton and Kayla Horne — interviewed this year for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and Bolton was awarded one of only 23 Gates Cambridge Scholarships presented nationally to students hoping to pursue postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge in England.

Bolton, a University of Kentucky biology and Lewis Honors College senior, is the third Wildcat to receive the honor. She also received the Astronaut

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 3, 2023) — Next week, the University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities and UK College of Arts and Sciences will host a workshop on narrative pedagogy, featuring Derek McCracken, a lecturer in Narrative Medicine program at Columbia University

“Telescope, Stethoscope, Kaleidoscope: The Multivalent Art of Pedagogy” will be held 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13, on Zoom. Register here.

In this

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A chance meeting in Poland brought two University of Kentucky alumni together to assist refugees from the war in Ukraine. 

Lauren Metelski

Lauren Metelski ‘06, a nurse living in Washington, D.C., and Joe Bradley  ‘01, who was working remotely for a company in Ukraine, have partnered to form Go Help Now, a nonprofit that provides cash assistance, housing and basic needs to displaced Ukrainians and maintains a volunteer directory. They both graduated from UK with degrees in Russian studies in the Department of Modern & Classical Languages, Literatures & Cultures.  

“In February 2022, I began helping friends out and then friends of friends,” Bradley said. “I had lived in Kyiv for two and a half years. I was actually back in Kentucky for the holidays and stuck around, so

By Ryan Girves 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 30, 2023) — The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for Humanities has selected 12  undergraduates as scholars for the university's Gaines Fellowship Program for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years.

The Gaines Fellowship is presented in recognition of outstanding academic performance, demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, an interest in public issues and a desire to enhance understanding of the human condition through the humanities. Founded in 1984 by a gift from John and Joan Gaines, the Gaines Center for the Humanities is designed to enrich the study of the humanities at UK and functions as a laboratory for imaginative and innovative education on

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 29, 2023) —  Solomon Harrar, a professor in the Dr. Bing Zhang Department of Statistics in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded a fellowship by the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program to travel to Ethiopia to work with Addis Ababa University on teaching, mentoring and research collaboration for doctoral training in statistics.

Harrar will be in Ethiopia from May 15 to July 14. He will work with his host, Eshetu Wencheko, in re-evaluating and revising the Ph.D. curriculum, offering workshops and seminars, initiating mentoring relationships with junior faculty members and

By Lindsay Travis 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 29, 2023) — One University of Kentucky researcher is studying what some scholars call a “Twilight Zone of History,” a moment between what’s passed down through family memory and what’s accessible through historical texts.

Pearl James is an associate dean in the Lewis Honors College and an associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focus is on war studies, war literature and war film with an emphasis on World War I.

“WWI is a well-documented, well-studied, huge cultural event,' she said. "One might ask, ‘What else can be said about it?’ It turns out, if you bring an interdisciplinary perspective to bear, asking questions about gender and

By A Fish 

LEXINGTON; Ky. — Leni Ribeiro Leite is bringing to light South American works written in Latin, which brings together an ancient language modern nation-building. In the past, Latin had the power that English has today despite being a “dead language,” and many of these texts have not been translated due to their location and content. Ribeiro Leite, associate professor in the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences' Department of  Modern & Classical Languages, Literatures & Cultures.

“I'm a classicist by formation I did my whole formation in Brazil,” she said. “I wasn't exactly the normal classicist in the sense that I double majored in classics, but also, in modern languages. I majored in Portuguese, and while I was doing my M.A. and my doctorate, I taught modern languages, and I think that gave me a

By Allison Rogers

The perfect storm brought on by the influx of illicit fentanyl combined with the COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020 resulted in a 49% spike in the number of drug overdose deaths in Kentucky compared to the same period in 2019. Kentucky’s spike in overdose deaths is one of the greatest increases nationwide.

To understand how this happened and help prepare should similar conditions happen again, University of Kentucky researchers are studying the changes in the illicit fentanyl market that occurred around the time of the COVID shutdown in Eastern Kentucky by going to the source: collecting data from and interviewing law enforcement, harm reduction specialists, and people who sell and/or use illicit drugs. 

Principal investigator Rachel Vickers-Smith, assistant professor in the College of

By Jesi Jones-Bowman 

Kaitlyn Brock, left, a neuroscience and psychology major, and Hena Kachroo, a chemistry major, are the recipients of UK's Beckman Scholars Program.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 23, 2023) — Two undergraduates have been selected as recipients of the University of Kentucky’s Beckman Scholars Program, titled Scholars United by Chemistry: Cultivating Excellence through Science Stewardship.

The Beckman Scholars — Kaitlyn Brock, a neuroscience and psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Lewis Honors College, and Hena Kachroo, a chemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Lewis Honors College — will begin their

By A Fish 

LEXINGTON; Ky. — When one hears about archaeology, one thinks of Indiana Jones, Egypt, anything — but rarely does one hear about archaeological sites in the rolling hills of Kentucky. Elena Sesma has started two research projects at the University of Kentucky so that anthropology students can get hands-on experience while in undergraduate and graduate programs. 

The first project is a reanalysis of a site in Nicholas County, Kentucky, that was excavated in the mid ’90s by the Kentucky Archaeology Survey. 

“The site today is on the property of the North Central 4H camp” said Sesma, an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky. “It was a home site for an African American family in the last 20 years of the 19th century, and what I have been doing in this research is reanalyzing the artifact assemblage to get a better understanding of the family's

By A Fish 

Kristin Monroe

LEXINGTON; Ky. — Internet is available nearly everywhere in the United States, but people in other countries often go to great lengths to obtain this modern necessity. Solar panels are often needed to help people power their phones and connect to the Internet.  

Kristin Monroe, an associate professor in anthropology and director of graduate studies, has been traveling to Lebanon regularly since the early 2000s in the pursuit of her research, but due to global events, namely the COVID-19 pandemic, she had not been able to go to Lebanon for a couple of years. She returned last summer and published an article on sapiens.org about the recent solar panel boom that rich and poor alike have embraced so they can have WiFi, lights, working refrigerators and so on. The article, titled “In Lebanon, Solar Power Is Booming, Why?,” is in the January

By A Fish  

LEXINGTON; Ky. — Moiré electronics are hot topics for theoretical physics. Ganpathy Murthy, professor of physics and astronomy in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts & Sciences, spoke about the upcoming van Winter Lecture and about guest lecturer Ashvin Vishwanath, a theoretical physicist specializing in the study of condensed matter at Harvard University. 

Vishwanath is a condensed matter theorist who studies collective phenomena in quantum systems. His previous research has explored the central role of "hedgehog" defects in phase transitions, the occurrence of distinctive surface states in Weyl semimetals, Dirac fermion dualities and the notion of surface topological order.  

His attention is focused on unraveling the mysteries of moiré materials and exploring ways to create

In the United States, World War II is often regarded as a time of unrivaled national unity and optimism. In reality, however, this traumatic period tested the American resolve in the most significant way since the Civil War. How did the nation rise to the occasion? Author and historian Tracy Campbell examines the critical year of 1942. Campbell is the E. Vernon Smith and Eloise C. Smith professor of American history in the University of Kentucky's College of Arts & Sciences. The program is "History With David Rubenstein."

By Richard LeComte 

Nevaeh Eggleston

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans may look like the best running back in the NFL as he barrels down the field, but sports statistics may say otherwise, according to University of Kentucky student Nevaeh Eggleston. By analyzing statistics for NFL running backs, she can discern how Henry, while great, may not be the best in certain circumstances.  

“For football in particular, people look at rushing yards, and for a while Derrick Henry was rated as the No. 1 rusher until his numbers fell,” said Eggleston, a UK College of Arts & Sciences senior math major from Huntsville, Alabama. “But if you look at someone like (Cleveland Browns running back) Nick Chubb and everyone else, their yards after hits are higher than Derrick Henry’s as of right now.”  

Eggleston aims to bring her statistical skills to

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Maine Alumni Association will honor D. Allan Butterfield, the University of Kentucky Alumni Association Endowed Professor of Biological Chemistry, with its 2023 Alumni Career Award. 

The award is given to a University of Maine graduate whose life’s work is marked by outstanding achievements in professional, business, civic or other public service areas. 

“Butterfield has been credited with numerous breakthroughs regarding the study of Alzheimer’s disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment, the precursor to Alzheimer’s,” the alumni association’s website states. 

Butterfield has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, which President Bill Clinton gave to him in 1998, and an honorary doctorate

By Whitney Hale 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 7, 2023) — Taylor Hamilton, a 2016 international studies graduate, is one of only 18 to be named a 2023-24 Luce Scholar. The Henry Luce Foundation hopes to enhance understanding of Asia by offering work opportunities across Asia. Hamilton’s field of interest will be in community development and urban resilience.

“I am very much looking forward to becoming a part of the Luce Scholar community as I further develop leadership skills to aid in my career,” Hamilton said. “My goals for my Luce year are furthering my international network of colleagues and developing a social proficiency in a language other than English. I anticipate that

​By Lindsey Piercy 

​LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 3, 2023) — When’s the last time you asked yourself, what’s next?

As children, we’re encouraged to ask questions — to think, explore and be curious. But as we become adults, sometimes, that curiosity diminishes.

Not for Mario Maitland. From the time he could walk, Maitland remembers being on a court.

“We’re a basketball rich family,” he said. “I grew up watching and playing basketball.”

When Maitland wasn’t dribbling a ball, he was still watching, learning and appreciating the game. Originally from Long Island, New York, and growing up in Daytona Beach, Florida, Maitland had a surprising love for the University of Kentucky.

“All the stars go to UK, so I watched them on TV,” he said. “No matter

By Richard LeComte 

Priscilla McCutcheon

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Priscilla McCutcheon, assistant professor of geography in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kentucky, has been named a 2023 Fellow in the American Association of Geographers.  

The association recognized 16 geographers in a variety of practice areas for their contributions to geographic research, advancement of practice and careers devoted to strengthening the field of geography, including teaching and mentoring. The title of AAG Fellow is conferred for life. 

"AAG Fellows light the way for the pursuit and advancement of geography," said Gary Langham, executive director of AAG. "Their work and experience offer insights into the interaction of space and place with the key issues human societies must understand and help solve. We are grateful for their leadership and advice in

By C.E. Huffman 

Frank X Walker pictured with his new book "A Is For Affilachia." Mark Cornelison | UK Photo

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 21, 2023) — Appalachia has a rich history and culture. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, the region spans north from New York, down the expansive mountain range as far south and west to Mississippi with Kentucky in the middle. Many times, lost in the overall conversation of Appalachia are Black Americans contributions to the region.

Frank X Walker, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences English professor, wanted to make sure the region’s Black

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Rainbow, a Round Table of the American Library Association, has recognized author-illustrator Rachel Elliott, lecturer in the Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies Department of the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts & Sciences, for her debut graphic novel, “The Real Riley Mayes.” 

The novel, published in May 2022 by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins, was named a Stonewall Honor Book for 2023. The Stonewall Book Awards recognize English-language books that relate to the LGBTQIA+ experience.  

“I’m very grateful to all the librarians supporting books for LGBTQ youth," said Elliott, who received an MFA from the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College.  

In addition, the New York Public Library named “Riley Mayes” as a Best Book of 2022, and the Junior