Professors Anne-Frances Miller, Susan Odom, and Dong-Sheng Yang have received four new grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF).  These highly-competitive awards will fund research projects on electron transfer in flavoproteins (Miller), high potential redox couples (Odom), high concentration electrolytes (Odom), and spectroscopy of transient organometallic complexes (Yang).

Prof. Miller has a strong history of studying enzymatic redox catalysis, including the enzymes superoxide dismutase and nitroreductase. A major portion of Miller’s research involves enzyme engineering, focusing on rational design of flavoenzymes to modify their electronic characteristics. Miller explains, “Just as electrical wires carry power to every room in our houses, cells have dedicated proteins carrying a current of electrons from

By Ellie Wnek

For the most up-to-date schedule, visit https://pa.as.uky.edu/skytalk

You're invited to learn about celestial objects and experience stargazing through a powerful telescope with Kentucky SkyTalks this fall semester.

The University of Kentucky Department of Physics and Astronomy and the MacAdam Student Observatory presents Kentucky SkyTalks as part of an

By Torrie Johnson

The SEC (Southeastern Conference) Faculty Travel Program will support more than 100 SEC faculty members during the 2018-2019 academic year, the league office announced Monday. Nine University of Kentucky faculty members will participate. Established in 2012 by the SEC provosts, the program is designed to provide financial assistance from the SEC office that bolsters intra-SEC collaboration.

Identified participants will travel to other SEC universities to exchange ideas, develop grant proposals, conduct research and deliver lectures or performances. Areas of interest for this year’s class include music, engineering, anthropology, law, medicine and African-American studies, among others.

“The SEC Faculty Travel Program has been a tremendous resource for faculty at universities across the SEC,” said Ellen Reames, associate professor at

At the 2018 North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS) annual meeting, New Maps Plus student Kerry Gathers was awarded first prize in the student Dynamic Map competition.  Kerry's beautifully stylized and interactive map (https://www.kgmaps.com/oil-and-bone/) highlights the rise and fall of the whaling industry of the 1800's, and includes fascinating narratives at key points.  Well done Kerry!

By Whtiney Hale

University of Kentucky biology and neuroscience senior Esther Putman, of Lexington, is having an out of this world year. This summer, Putman was named one of 2018’s 50 recipients of a $10,000 scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). In addition, Putman was one of 40 recipients of a Brooke Owens Fellowship, which matches its fellows with paid summer internships in the aviation and space industry.

The ASF Scholarship is presented annually to outstanding college students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). A nonprofit

By Lindsey Piercy

You are probably familiar with the story of David and Goliath. The biblical account is one of the most popular scriptures, perhaps because of its literary meaning — anything is possible.

Nick Wilson can relate to the young, resilient shepherd. The University of Kentucky alum is no stranger to overcoming obstacles and exceeding expectations, making him the perfect competitor for the 37th season of "Survivor," themed "David vs. Goliath." Wilson, a self-

The partnership between the University of Kentucky and the Beijing Institute of Technology Zhuhai opens opportunities for Chinese and American students.

By Jennifer T. Allen

The University of Kentucky and the Beijing Institute of Technology Zhuhai (BITZH) began a partnership last year to build a cultural bridge between the two countries and create opportunities for Chinese and American students. With 19 BITZH students currently studying in Lexington and a new dean at the helm of the Sino-US College in Zhuhai, the benefits of the partnership are already becoming apparent.

“The Beijing Institute of Technology Zhuhai is a really exciting new type of university in China,” said Mark Kornbluh, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kentucky. “The Chinese government has made land available to the top universities in

By Jennifer T. Allen

Two years ago, the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences began a partnership with the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) hoping to create global opportunities for American and Chinese students. With 32 BFSU students currently studying in Lexington, that goal has become a reality.

BFSU brings students from across China to Beijing, the cultural capital of China, to prepare them to study in the United States and in other partner universities around the world. As a pathway program, students spend one or two years at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and then choose a program for a study abroad experience with the goal of obtaining a

By Jennifer T. Allen

The University of Kentucky and the Beijing Institute of Technology Zhuhai (BITZH) began a partnership last year to build a cultural bridge between the two countries and create opportunities for Chinese and American students. With 19 BITZH students currently studying in Lexington and a new dean at the helm of the Sino-US College in Zhuhai, the benefits of the partnership are already becoming apparent.

“The Beijing Institute of Technology Zhuhai is a really exciting new type of university in China,” said Mark Kornbluh, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kentucky. “The Chinese government has made land available to the top universities in China, but they

By Sarah Jayne Johnson

In the summer of 1816, a group of friends gathered on Lake Geneva to see who could tell the most terrifying tale. An 18-year-old Mary Shelley was among the group. She told the frightening story of a young scientist who creates a grotesque monster in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Victor Frankenstein and The Creature were born that night — the rest is history.

On Oct. 24, the University of Kentucky’s Department of English and the English Honors Society Sigma Tau Delta invite the public to join in a celebration of this monumental narrative for the 200th anniversary of "Frankenstein."

"Frankenstein" is simultaneously the first science-fiction novel, a gothic horror and a tragic romance all sewn into one

Professors Anne-Frances Miller, Susan Odom, and Dong-Sheng Yang have received four new grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF).  These highly-competitive awards will fund research projects on electron transfer in flavoproteins (Miller), high potential redox couples (Odom), high concentration electrolytes (Odom), and spectroscopy of transient organometallic complexes (Yang).

Prof. Miller has a strong history of studying enzymatic redox catalysis, including the enzymes superoxide dismutase and nitroreductase. A major portion of Miller’s research involves enzyme engineering, focusing on rational design of flavoenzymes to modify their electronic characteristics. Miller explains, “Just as electrical wires carry power to every room in our houses, cells have dedicated proteins carrying a current of electrons from

By Lindsey Piercy

The University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences will induct six new members into the A&S Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 19. 

For more about each honoree, see their brief biographies below.

Alumni inductees:

Jennifer L. Garr, topical studies, bachelor's degree, 1986

Garr is a native of Louisville, Kentucky. Early in her sophomore year at UK, she chose the path of topical studies with an emphasis in art therapy. Garr’s activities ranged from a semester as staff artist for the Kentucky Kernel to public relations director for the UK Student Center Board. Garr has worked at some of the top advertising companies and management agencies, including Brown & Williamson International, Leo Burnett, J. Walter Thompson, Publicis,

By Sarah Jayne Johnson

Lang's popular lectures on origami explore its connections to mathematics, science and technology. His workshops cover both artistic techniques and application in industrial design.

Robert Lang, one of the world's leading origami artists, will visit the University of Kentucky Oct. 22-23 to present a public lecture and hold workshops. The free events are sponsored by UK Student and Academic Life and hosted by the UK Department of Mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Lang's popular lectures on origami explore its connections to mathematics, science and technology. His workshops cover both artistic techniques and application in industrial design.

"It is

By Madison Dyment

A national scholarship can go a long way, even when the recipient is a senior. Just ask UK senior, Claire Barrera, the latest recipient of the Trjitzinsky Scholarship, one of the American Mathematical Society’s (AMS) coveted awards.

Rounding out her final year as a math major and economics minor, Barrera pins her scholarly path on her upbringing.

“Math, for me, is actually a family thing,” she said. “My mom is an accountant and my grandpa is an engineer, so I think it just ran in my family. I picked up on math very easily from a young age.”

This natural knack for her field went a long way in helping her achieve this scholarship. Barrera’s skill and hard work carried her through to recognition, first from UK faculty, and then from the American Mathematical Society.

The American Mathematical Society provides $3,000 at an AMS-member

By Meg Mills

UK Has been recognized as a Tree Campus USA each year since 2012.

"This is a very exciting time to be involved with sustainability at the University of Kentucky, and I am inspired by the work being done and opportunities being made possible by students, staff and faculty across our campus." Shane Tedder, UK’s sustainability coordinator, said. 

Nationwide, October is designated as Campus Sustainability Month by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. UK is participating with events and opportunities throughout the month. These remain:

October 6-14 is Tree Week 2018, presented by the Urban Forest Initiative and collaborators on campus and in the community, including the TFISE. This week of events is a celebration of Lexington

By Sarah Jayne Johnson

The University of Kentucky John Jacob Niles Center for American Music’s "Appalachia in the Bluegrass" will welcome Sparky and Rhonda Rucker and Stray Local to campus this October to continue the concert series. Storyteller and multi-instrumentalist Sparky Rucker and his wife, musician Rhonda Rucker, will perform Oct. 5. The following week, indie band Stray Local will play Oct. 12. The free public concerts, which begin at noon, will be presented at the Niles Gallery in the Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center.

Old-Time ‘Ruck’us

By Jenny Wells

Ann Morris, an associate professor of biology in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has received $1.87 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue her cutting-edge research in retinal development and regeneration.

The Research Project Grant (R01), titled "Vertebrate Photoreceptor Development and Regeneration," will be funded over five years and supports Morris and her team's efforts to improve the understanding of cell differentiation in the retina, the photosensitive lining in the back of the eye. The project has the potential to lead to developments for treating human retinal degenerative diseases that can cause blindness, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration and retinal detachment.

“I am 

By Eliana Shapere

“People have been searching for an EDM (Electric Dipole Moment) of the neutron since 1950. We are trying harder and harder to find the needle in the haystack. If it were discovered at the anticipated level of sensitivity and accuracy that experiments can obtain now, it would be completely revolutionary. It would be evidence for physics that we can’t currently describe theoretically.”

Brad Plaster, associate chair and professor of physics in the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences, lit up as he described his research.

“Protons and neutrons compose the nucleus of atoms. Neutrons have no electric charge. However, they are composed of quarks, subatomic, fractionally charged particles,” he explained. “What the EDM would postulate is that there might be some slight imbalance of positive

By Dave Melanson

Yang Song, a doctoral student in the UK Department of Chemistry and researcher in at the UK Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), helped lead the research effort on this project.

When Mark Crocker and the biofuels research team at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) began their work to convert lignin into biofuels and chemicals, some called it a biofuels gold rush.

Little did anyone know how important gold would become to the actual research.

Utilizing a gold-based catalytic system developed in CAER’s Biofuels and Environmental Catalysis Laboratory, the center’s researchers have discovered a method to turn lignin into valuable aromatic compounds. The process is