By Jenny Wells-Hosley

Erin Calipari, an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, recently visited the University of Kentucky to give a talk about her work in addiction research.

The neuroscientist (who also happens to be the daughter of UK Men's Basketball Coach John Calipari), met with students and faculty in the UK Department of Biology before presenting her lecture. UKNow caught up with Calipari to get her thoughts on UK's focus on fighting the opioid epidemic. She noted that UK is a leader in opioid addiction research.

"UK is one of the biggest places for this kind of drug addiction work," Calipari said. "And one of the things that's kind of nice is that UK has a name for itself in sports, which gives these researchers a platform to communicate with people they wouldn't be able to

By Aaron Porter and Jenny Wells

Next month, the University of Kentucky will bring people from around the world to campus to explore the global impact of the #MeToo movement.

The two-day, international symposium, "Comparative Perspectives on #MeToo," will be held April 8-9, in Room 330AB of the Gatton Student Center. The event will bring together scholars, students and activists from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America to discuss the impact, scope, connections and challenges associated with #MeToo and similar movements. 

"The issues behind #MeToo and similar movements have affected women and others in higher education and other settings for a long time, yet we rarely have the opportunity to discuss these issues across nations, languages and other differences," said

By Tibidabo Publishing Inc.

Carlos de la Torre, professor in the Department of Sociology, has penned "Populisms. A Quick Immersion," a brief yet informative introduction to the topic.

What exactly is populism, and how do populists rise to power? Carlos de la Torre, professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Kentucky, has penned "Populisms. A Quick Immersion," a brief yet informative introduction to the topic.

The short volume explores global populism from a Latin American perspective. More specifically, de la Torre explains how learning from the experiences of populism in the global south could allow the global north to avoid making similar mistakes. “I have been researching populism for more than two decades, and I believe

By Nate Harling

President Eli Capilouto and Dr. Mary Lynne Capilouto with members of the Rosenzweig family. The family says President Capilouto’s commitment to the cultivation of a strong, supportive Jewish community attracted them to UK.

Alex Rosenzweig grew up in Long Island, New York, some 750 miles away from Lexington, with no links to the Bluegrass State. Now, in his final year pursuing a degree in engineering and a minor in Jewish studies at the University of Kentucky, he says he is part of a “Big Blue family.”

While he began his first year alone in a new place, he is now in his senior year as part of a strong network of friends, including two siblings and two cousins. How five relatives from Long Island ended up going to UK together is a long and complicated story, but it starts and ends with community.

“We are a community driven

By Michael Lynch

Matt Crawford, a landslide researcher with the Kentucky Geological Survey, inspects landslide damage to a house in Boyd County, Kentucky.

A new, three-year project funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will allow the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), a research center within the University of Kentucky, to create landslide susceptibility models and risk assessments for communities in the Big Sandy Area Development District of Eastern Kentucky. Landslide researcher Matt Crawford, who will lead the project, will also use the funding to work with local officials in the five counties of the district, helping them adopt strategies for reducing landslide risks to buildings and infrastructure and improve response and recovery for landslide events.

“I was super excited

By Jenny Wells

The University of Kentucky Chemistry-Physics Building is getting a much-needed transformation.

The central campus staple is currently undergoing a two-phase construction project that will result in a renovation of the third floor, as well as a completely new exterior façade of the building, including a three-story entrance/atrium.

The first phase of the transformation — the third floor renovation — is already underway, and will produce 15 research labs, plus support spaces, equipment spaces and offices. The second phase will bring a new exterior façade, which will include a replacement of the building exterior and roof; construction of a new stair tower, a freight elevator, a new loading dock and entrance additions; and mechanical upgrades in the penthouse.

"When the renovation is complete, this building will be a more pleasant, open

When Quiyana Murphy arrived on UK's campus as a freshman she found a home at the CARES Center. Watch why she is now the one helping others to feel at home by tutoring fellow Wildcats. Murphy graduated from UK with degrees in math and psychology, and is currently a post-bac student in the Department of Mathematics.

By Rebecca Longo

Students at last year's symposium.

The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center, Appalachian Studies Program and the Graduate Appalachian Research Community (GARC) will host the 10th annual Appalachian Research Symposium and Arts Showcase 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the William T. Young Library UK Athletics Auditorium. The title of this year's event is "GARC at 10: Interdisciplinary Dialogues on Appalachian Research & Community."

"The Symposium and Arts Showcase is an important opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate students to share their work with peers who are also doing work in the

By Lindsey Piercy

There's something immensely intriguing about true crime stories. You've probably fallen victim to binge watching various docuseries that feature fascinating tales of tragedies. Your latest obsession may have you wondering — why would someone torment people, especially those they don't even know?

By definition, a sadist is, "A person who derives pleasure from inflicting pain or humiliation on others." Instinctively, when one thinks of sadists, they think of serial killers. However, we all know sadists. According to David Chester, they are everywhere to varying degrees. In fact, sadists are commonly considered bullies.

"Sadistic tendencies are impulses that people have to experience pleasure from inflicting harm on others," he said. "These impulses exist in many people, not just violent criminals."

A new 

By Ryan Girves

Eighteen University of Kentucky students are making their way to the State Capitol Building in Frankfort, Kentucky, to present their research at the 2019 Posters-at-the-Capitol event. This one-day annual event is held to show Kentucky legislators the importance of undergraduate research and scholarly work in Kentucky. The governor proclaims this day to be Undergraduate Research Day across the Commonwealth.

"Posters-at-the-Capitol is a platform whereby undergraduates from across the Commonwealth’s eight public institutions proudly showcase their undergraduate research projects," said Evie Russell, assistant director at the Office of Undergraduate Research. "Each year, University of Kentucky students look forward to communicating their research achievements to Kentucky Legislators and their peers."

The work presented by students

By Lindsey Piercy

Christia Spears Brown's professional roles as a researcher, teacher and advocate for public policy issues are integrated around her interests in issues of diversity and equality. Pete Comparoni | UK Photo.

Martin Luther King Jr. once famously said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Nearly 60 years later, his words are still a source of inspiration for those who seek justice — including Christia Spears Brown. As a professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kentucky, she strives to help society understand we are all connected, and spreading that message starts with educating the younger generation.

"I'm passionate about ensuring that all children, regardless of the social group they were

By Whitney Hale

Nicole Chung, author of the award-winning memoir “All You Can Ever Know,” will give the keynote speech at the 2019 Kentucky Women Writers Conference, scheduled for Sept. 19-22. The free public talk, presented in conjunction with University of Kentucky Libraries, will begin 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center.

“Nicole Chung's memoir about her search for her biological roots is a compelling, beautifully written book that demonstrates the importance of reading underrepresented narratives,” said conference director Julie Kuzneski Wrinn. “We like to rotate among poetry, fiction and nonfiction in our keynote.

By Adrian Ho

The Braceros Photo Exhibit at the University of Kentucky’s William T. Young Library depicts the experience of Mexican laborers’ emigration as rendered by photographers who were uprooted. Featuring 18 images about the Bracero Program, the exhibit is free and open to all until May 1, 2019. 

“Immigration is a significant social topic these days. The Braceros Photo Exhibit offers an opportunity for people to view this topic from the historical perspective,” said Scott Hutson, professor of anthropology and director of the Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies Program at UK. “I appreciate anthropology Ph.D. candidate

By Hannah Edelen

Charles Altendorf, a 2011 University of Kentucky alumnus, is using the skills he developed and honed as a geography student in the College of Arts & Sciences to help improve the mapping system at his current job with the Hardin County Water District No. 1. Working on a pilot project, Altendorf is attempting to convert the water district’s data analysis from traditional digital mapping to an open source method.

From a young age, Altendorf was drawn to maps and mapmaking. “When I was a kid, I would get a new Rand McNally Atlas every year,” he said. However, Altendorf began his time at UK as an engineering major, partly because he was never exposed to geography courses in high school and was not aware that it was possible to study geography professionally. “After struggling my first year at UK, I realized you could major in geography,” Altendorf said

By Rebecca Longo

Stanley Brunn, professor emeritus in the Department of Geography at the University of Kentucky, has been named a fellow in the American Association of Geographers (AAG) 2019 class.

Fellows of the AAG serve as a body to discuss and create initiatives, advise on challenges and mentor other faculty members. Obtaining this role is a great recognition to the leadership and devotion that Brunn has shown in the field.  

Brunn’s fellowship recognizes and honors the educator for pioneering “new areas of research, including the geographies of electronic communications, of mega-engineering projects and a reinvigorated geography of religions.”

“The AAG award is much appreciated as I have been

By Madison Rose

Black in Blue trailer from University of Kentucky on Vimeo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 11, 2019) — Student Activities Board, Gatton Student Center, and the College of Arts and Sciences invite students, faculty, staff and community members to the "Black in Blue" film premiere. The free, public event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in the Worsham Theatre in the Gatton Student Center to look back at how the University of Kentucky’s football team broke the color line in the Southeastern Conference.

"Black in Blue" explores the groundbreaking history that took place on UK’s football field in 1967 when

By Aaron Porter

Richard Jefferies, a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Kentucky, was honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference (SEAC).

SEAC gives this award to senior scholars who have made significant and sustained contributions to the field of archaeology. Throughout his 30-year career, Jefferies has conducted an extensive amount of research. His most significant work centers on the Middle to Late Holocene hunter-gatherers, who lived in the Ohio River Valley from 8,000 to 3,000 years ago. The results of Jefferies’ research are detailed in his book, "Holocene Hunter-Gatherers of the Lower Ohio River Valley," published in 2009.

Jefferies is currently investigating a 17th century Spanish mission period occupation on Sapelo Island, Georgia. For the past

By Ellie Wnek

(L to r) SPS students Kris Andrew, Joseph Feliciano, Alston Croley, Lillie Cole, Dany Waller, Tom Shelton and Alex Blose.

The University of Kentucky Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapter has won an Outstanding Chapter Award and a Chapter Research Award from the SPS National Office. The Chapter Research Award is a competitive financial grant for a yearlong research project.

With the Outstanding Chapter Award, SPS chapters are recognized for high levels of interaction with the campus community, the professional physics community, the public and with SPS national programs. The outstanding chapter designation is given to less than 10 percent of all SPS chapters in the United States and internationally. Although this is the second time the UK chapter has received this award, it has

By Ellie Wnek

The "Conversations with Gurney" speaker series will host Robert Gipe, author and illustrator of two critically acclaimed novels, "Trampoline" and "Weedeater," that focus on the people and hardships of the Appalachian region. Photo by Meaghan Evans.

The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center's "Conversations with Gurney" program will welcome esteemed author and Appalachian advocate Robert Gipe for a book reading and discussion this Thursday. The free, public event will be held 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, in the James F. Hardymon Theater in the Davis Marksbury Building. 

Gurney Norman, scholar-in-residence at the UK Appalachian Center, said, "It's so good for this community

By Whitney Hale

University of Kentucky juniors Shania Goble, of Inez, Kentucky, and Katie Huffman, of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, have been awarded English-Speaking Union (ESU) Scholarships presented by the English-Speaking Union Kentucky Branch. The scholarships will cover Goble and Huffman's expenses for summer study at Oxford University.

The Kentucky Branch of the English-Speaking Union awards a limited number of scholarships to qualified Kentucky college students for courses offered at institutions in the United Kingdom. Scholarship awards include tuition, lodging and meals for three-week courses at the recipient's chosen institution. Scholarships also include one week of lodging in London and a cash allowance.