LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 18, 2014) — Three University of Kentucky authors will present recent books about mountaintop removal mining, and the treasured landscapes and Appalachian communities that lie in its midst, at a book talk and signing Thursday, Feb. 27.  

Erik Reece, of the Department of English, and Jim Krupa, of the Department of Biology, will discuss their book, "The Embattled Wilderness: The Natural and Human History of Robinson Forest and the Fight for its Future" (University of Georgia Press, 2013). Shannon Elizabeth Bell, of the Department of Sociology, will discuss her book, "

by Whitney Hale

(Feb. 14, 2014) — In celebration of the University of Kentucky's upcoming sesquicentennial in 2015, the 71st of 150 weekly installments explores the university's connection to the adoption of evolutionary theory.

Kentucky students were introduced to evolutionary theory as early as 1900. A photograph from campus of an early zoology class has written on the chalkboard, "The Evolution of Evolution Theories." This was long before the controversy regarding teaching evolutionary theory in the 1920s would erupt.

William Jennings Bryan, who had visited with campus leaders in 1912, would become the leading antievolutionist of the time.  In 1922, Bryan returned to Kentucky to further his beliefs speaking to large audiences in Lexington, Paris, Danville, as well as the legislature in Frankfort in favor of the antievolution bill.

by Elizabeth Adams

(Feb. 14, 2014) - Former University of Kentucky museum director Mary Lucas Powell was recently cited in The Scientist for her research tracing the prehistoric origins of treponematosis, a complex of diseases that includes syphilis.

The article, "Syphilis: Then and Now," references Powell's work, "The Myth of Syphilis: The Natural History of Treponematosis in North America," published in collaboration with Dr. Della Collins Cook, professor of anthropology at Indiana University in 2005. During her time at UK, Dr. Powell served as the director and curator of the W.S. Webb Museum of Anthropology and as an adjunct assistant professor in the department of anthropology.

In "The Myth of Syphilis," Powell and Cook charged experts to write chapters reviewing archaeological and paleopathological evidence for

by Keith Hautala

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 17, 2014) — The University of Kentucky's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) formally opened the Pioneer Natural Resources Stratigraphy and Paleo-environments Laboratory at a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday, Feb. 14.

The laboratory is situated on the completely renovated ground floor of the Slone Building. The project was undertaken with $900,000 in support from Pioneer Natural Resources, a large, independent oil and natural gas company based in Irving, Texas. The company provided an initial grant of $600,000 and an additional $300,000 in operating funds.

Additional support for the project came from the UK College of Arts and Sciences, UK Facilities Management, and the Herman Lee and Nell Stuart Donovan Endowment. Lexmark

by Katy Bennett, Student Activities Board

LEXINGTON, Ky (Feb. 17, 2014) — Genocide Awareness Week at the University of Kentucky will begin with Derreck Kayongo, a refugee of the Ugandan civil war. Kayongo will share his experiences as a refugee and how he turned his struggles into an opportunity. He will point out how small contributions can save thousand of lives. Kayongo will speak at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, in the Student Center's Center Theater. This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Student Activities Board's Multicultural Affairs Committee.

After many years of witnessing devastation in his homeland, Kayongo is now a philanthropist and the founder of the Global Soap Project. Used hotel soaps are

by Allison Elliott-Shannon



(Feb. 13, 2014) — Open access to information is the goal of higher education, and several members of the University of Kentucky Department of Psychology faculty are participants in an innovative project designed to bring free, up-to-date texts to students. Headed by University of Illinois professors Ed and Carol Diener, the website Nobaproject.com gives instructors and their students access to customized psychology content written by top experts in the field.

120 authors, including seven members of the UK faculty, put together more than 80 chapters in 11 psychology topic areas. All content is completely free, and allows instructors to customize texts by

by Whitney Harder, Whitney Hale

(Feb. 13, 2014) — University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections is celebrating Black History Month with a display of images featuring prominent African-American figures at the University of Kentucky and various communities, along with Kentucky African-American publications. The free public exhibition will be on display in UK's Margaret I. King Buidling until the end of February.

Photographs on display as part of the Black History Month exhibition include UK Libraries' first African-American employee, Cecil R. Madison Sr., and "Dean Pierre," one of UK's first African-American employees. There

by Keith Hautala

(Feb. 10, 2014) — A Harvard professor will deliver a special lecture at the University of Kentucky about the earliest forms of life on Earth.  

"The Deep History of Life: What Kinds of Life Characterized Earth During the Precambrian?" will be presented by Andrew H. Knoll, of the Harvard University Departments of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Earth and Planetary Sciences. Knoll's talk is free and open to the public and will take place starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at Memorial Hall. Free parking will be available at Parking Structure No. 2, on Hilltop Avenue. 

The Precambrian period refers to the time when only primitive life forms existed on Earth, before about 545 million years ago.

"Fossils of shells, bones, tracks, and trails record a history of animal evolution more than 600 million years in

by Whitney Hale

Feb. 10, 2014 — Celebrated chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi comes to the Bluegrass this week. Known for his work in organic chemistry and as a father of insect and human birth control, Djerassi will take part in several events being held Feb. 13-15, at the University of Kentucky.

During his visit to the Bluegrass, Djerassi will participate in three events. He will first serve as the featured speaker at a luncheon for business and academic leaders. The talk, "Academic Entrepreneurship: Facts through Fiction," will feature his perspective on academic-business relationships in science and technology and will be followed by a question and answer session. The luncheon is Feb. 13, at the Hilary J. Boone

by Whitney Hale, Lawrencia Dixon

(Feb. 6, 2014 ) — Catherine Opie, a documentary photographer known for stretching the boundaries, will continue the Robert C. May Photography Endowment Lecture Series with a lecture at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, in Worsham Theater at the University of Kentucky Student Center. In conjunction with her visit, an exhibition of Opie's work is on display Feb. 7 through March 9, at the Art Museum at UK. The lecture and the exhibition are free and open to the public.

Catherine Opie photographs complex bodies of work. She usually focuses on sexual, communal and cultural notions of the world. Her pictures are known for showcasing different ideas of masculinity and femininity of

by Katy Bennett, Student Activities Board

(Feb. 6, 2014) — In honor of Black History Month, the University of Kentucky's Student Activities Board Multicultural Committee is hosting "Pluck! Featuring the Affrilachian Poets," at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Feb. 6, in the William T. Young Library auditorium.

The Affrilachian Poets will share tales of colorful personal history and political statements in their work. Hear from and meet Affrilachian poets, including Makalani Bandele, Joy Priest, Bianca Spriggs and Ricardo Nazario Colon.

The Affrilachian Poets is a group of writers that formed at the University of Kentucky's Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center in the early 1990s, led by then program coordinator and

By Mary Venuto

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists with over 62,000 members from 144 countries. At their most recent meeting last December, 24,000 people presented and discussed the newest interdisciplinary and international research in geophysics, which makes Liz Pillar’s accomplishments all the more impressive.

Pillar, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at UK, received the “Outstanding Student Paper Award” (OSPA) at AGU’s fall 2013 meeting. Only the top 3% of presenters are awarded an OSPA. This award recognizes the quality research that Pillar has conducted in atmospheric chemistry.

“I was shocked to win,” said Pillar “I had no

by Kieth Hautala, Mike Lynch

(Jan. 31, 2014) — The New Madrid Seismic Zone is in the news again, following the Jan. 23 publication of a paper by the journal Science, titled "The New Madrid Seismic Zone: Not Dead Yet."

The study has been widely reported, drawing attention to the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), a fault system which extends into five states, including the western part of Kentucky. The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) and the University of Kentucky Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences have studied the NMSZ for decades.

KGS operates a network of seismographs in this zone, including the Central U.S. Seismic Observatory, just a few miles from the town of New Madrid, Mo. UK has been monitoring seismic activity on the NMSZ for more than 30 years. Dozens of small earthquakes are recorded by the Kentucky Seismic and

Poet Tracy K. Smith reads from "Life of Mars" on PBS' "NewsHour." 

by Whitney Hale

(Jan. 30, 2014) — The Kentucky Women Writers Conference will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith as its keynote speaker at the 2014 conference, scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13. Smith’s appearance is being supported in part by University of Kentucky Libraries.

Tracy K. Smith is the author of three award-winning books of poetry, including her most recent collection, "Life on Mars" (Graywolf, 2011), the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times Notable Book. The collection draws on science fiction film, literature and

by Whitney Hale

(Jan. 30, 2014) — As the Chinese Lunar New Year approaches, University of Kentucky Libraries presents an exhibition featuring two slide shows and a display of "Celestial Horses" in honor of the Year of the Horse. All three displays can be seen in William T. Young Library.

A reproduction of "Celestial Horses," a silk painting presented by the artist, General Yeh Tsui Pai, to the university, is on display in the atrium of Young Library. The inscription on the banner commemorates the 100th anniversary of the institution. The original silk banner, housed in the UK Special Collections, is in fragile condition and not suitable for display. The banner was

by Whitney Hale

(Jan. 28, 2014) — Renowned chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for his work in organic chemistry and as a father of insect and human birth control, will take part in several events being held Feb. 13-15, at the University of Kentucky.

During his visit to the Bluegrass, Djerassi will participate in three events. He will first serve as the featured speaker at a luncheon for business and academic leaders. The talk, "Academic Entrepreneurship: Facts through Fiction," will feature his perspective on academic-business relationships in science and technology and will be followed by a question and answer session. The luncheon will begin at noon Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Hilary J. Boone Center. Cost for the

by Derrick Meads

(Jan. 29, 2014) — The University of Kentucky ranked in the top 10 for Fulbright Scholar Awards received by its faculty in 2013-14.  Many of the applicants were advised by David Adams, the former director of the East Asia/Pacific region for the Fulbright Program, whom the UK International Center (UKIC) brought to campus in 2012. 

To continue this success, UKIC will bring two Fulbright consultants to UK this spring.

On Monday, Feb. 10, Dom Caristi, professor of telecommunications at Ball State University, will lead two workshops and meet privately with interested faculty to select an award and prepare an effective application.  The workshop will take place in Study Room 1 of the Fine Arts

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 29, 2014) — College & Research Libraries News, published by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), currently is featuring a familiar image as its January 2014 issue cover photo — an Aztec tribute poster from "A Glimpse into Ancient Mexico: Writings of the Aztecs, Mixtec and Maya" exhibit at the University of Kentucky's William T. Young Library.

The exhibit at Young Library is one of many events presented by UK Libraries as part of UK College of Arts & Sciences "Passport to the World: ¡Viva México!,"

by Whitney Hale



(Jan. 28, 2014) — Evan Sweet, a University of Kentucky geography senior from Brooklyn, N.Y., has been selected to present the 20th annual Edward T. Breathitt Undergraduate Lectureship in the Humanities at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, in the UK Athletics Auditorium at William T. Young Library. Sweet's free public lecture focuses on how "slums" are depicted in society and in particular in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The Breathitt Lectureship was named for an outstanding UK alumnus who