By Allison Elliot-Shannon 



(Oct. 2, 2013) — The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has launched the Juvenile Justice Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS). Seven research centers, including the University of Kentucky Center on Drug and Alcohol Research (CDAR), will work together to determine how juvenile justice programs can effectively adopt science-based prevention and treatment services for drug abuse and HIV.

According to recent estimates, approximately half of all teens who enter the juvenile justice system need treatment for substance use disorders. The remaining half would benefit from a drug abuse prevention intervention.

Many evidence-based interventions targeting adolescent substance abuse and HIV

by Allison Elliot-Shannon, Mallory Powell, Allison Perry



(Sept. 27, 2013) -- The "Triple Crown" is a term reserved for the greatest accomplishment in thoroughbred racing -- winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. It's a feat that has been achieved only 11 times in history.

The University of Kentucky recently accomplished the equivalent of “triple crown” in the academic medical world, becoming only the 22nd medical center in the country to have a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation (at the Markey Cancer Center), a federally funded Alzheimer's Disease Center (ADC, at the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging), and a Clinical and Translational Science Awards grant (at the Center for Clinical and Translational Science ).

With the new NCI designation and the existing ADC and CCTS federally-funded programs, UK joins

by Sarah Geegan & Grace Liddle

 The College of Arts and Sciences is offering 13 courses that begin in the middle of the fall 2013 semester. For students who may have recently dropped a class or hope to pick up some extra credit hours, these courses provide flexibility after the regular registration period.

Course topics range from the science of what we eat, archaeology and history of ancient Mexico, an introductory course on the city of Lexington, and a study on the culture and economics of local and global food systems.

The "Global Food & Local Agriculture" course explores questions associated with why people eat what they do and what that implies about society. To answer these questions, the class

by Jenny Wells

Last week, the University of Kentucky Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence honored its newest class of Chellgren Fellows.  Benefactor Paul Chellgren and his wife Deborah, along with Chellgren Endowed Chair Philipp Kraemer, UK Provost Christine Riordan, and UK President Eli Capilouto, recognized and congratulated the students on being named Fellows.

The Chellgren Fellows Program is for students with exceptional academic potential and aspirations, who are eager to participate in a special learning community designed to cultivate extraordinary achievement. Outstanding faculty members from across campus serve as individual mentors for the Fellows.

The

video courtesy of UK Public Relations and Marketing

article by Jenny Wells

Planning and hosting a national conference is no easy task, but for the UK community, collaboration makes it all possible. The University of Kentucky will host the 2014 National Conference on Undergraduate Research, or NCUR, next semester, which will bring nearly 4,000 additional students from across the country to the UK campus. And as students, faculty and staff can attest -- it is something worth bragging about.

NCUR will take place April 3-5, 2014, all throughout UK's campus. The conference will give undergraduates a unique opportunity to present their research and creative endeavors, while meeting other like-minded students from all across the country. They not only promote their individual

by Derrick Meads and Sarah Geegan

Five UK graduate students recently attended the 2013 International Graduate Student Conference at Shanghai University. The UK American Studies Center at Shanghai University selected the students to represent the University of Kentucky.

The conference aimed to promote an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural dialogue about Asia’s past and present. The UK graduate students presented papers that explored specific interrelationships between Asia and the United States.  

The five students who attended were:

·         Hui Chu, a doctoral candidate in social and developmental psychology

·         Melinda Lio, a master’s student in ethnomusicology

by Carl Nathe

A passion for science, which she discovered while in high school, led University of Kentucky senior Devin Henry to her current path of a major in agricultural biotechnology and a minor in psychology. And this summer, thanks to gaining firsthand research experience early in her academic career, the Lexington native spent two months in the Finger Lakes region of New York after being selected as a Cornell University Summer Research Scholar.

Henry, a graduate of Henry Clay High School, knew at a young age that UK was going to be the school for her.

"Being from Lexington, I have always bled blue, and attending UK was always on my mind," Henry said. "I did visit other universities, but decided UK was where I belonged. The major factors that went into my decision were the quality of academics, the school spirit, and the Greek life."

A

By Jacob Most

University of Kentucky Wildcats from all eight of UK’s spring sports teams combined to earn a total of 71 spots on the Southeastern Conference Spring Sports Academic Honor Roll, Commissioner Mike Slive announced this week.

UK’s honorees included 16 women’s track and field team members, 14 from baseball, nine from softball, seven women’s tennis players, eight men’s track and field team members, six each from men’s golf and men’s tennis and five women’s golfers.

A total of 1,247 student-athletes from around the league earned spots on the honor roll, which is based on grades from the 2012 summer, 2012 fall and 2013 spring terms.  In order to make the SEC Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have a 3.0 grade-point average for the preceding academic year or his/her entire collegiate career, be at least a sophomore in academic

by Whitney Hale

Fifteen graduates of the University of Kentucky will head back to the classroom this fall as part of a new class of corps members in Teach for America. The UK group is among thousands of new teachers chosen this year for the national program, which is known for selecting outstanding college graduates to commit to teach for two years in disadvantaged urban and rural public schools.

Teach for America places its recruits in the nation's highest-need elementary and secondary schools in many of the country's lowest income communities, both rural and urban, in an effort to close the achievement gap between economically advantaged and disadvantaged children.

Currently, around 10,400 first- and second-year corps members instruct more than 750,000

By Sarah Geegan

The University of Kentucky, in an effort to enhance  student readiness and performance, has launched a partnership with the country's leading massive open online course (MOOC) platform, Coursera.

UK is one of 10 flagship state universities or systems that make up this first wave of large public universities to announce a partnership with Coursera. And, as importantly, this partnership -- unlike a number of providers for massive open online courses -- is targeting high school students to ensure that they are prepared for college.

"This partnership is one more example of our innovative approach to fulfilling our university's commitment, as the Commonwealth's flagship institution, to provide high-quality education and create a brighter future for Kentuckians," said

By President Eli Capilouto

On Thursday morning, one of the nation’s leading online learning companies, Coursera, is announcing that UK is among a handful of public, flagship universities it is partnering with to further expand learning opportunities for more students across our country.

Specifically, as our news release about this initiative describes, the University of Kentucky is one of 10 flagship universities or state systems teaming with Coursera in the emerging, but dramatically growing, platform called Massive Open Online Courses.

UK’s role in this partnership will be offering students the opportunities to take free, introductory Chemistry courses

By Whitney Hale

In celebration of the University of Kentucky's upcoming sesquicentennial in 2015, the 55th of 150 weekly installments remembers Neville Hall, the fifth building constructed at the institution.

The New Dormitory, the second building added to the institution's original three buildings, was constructed in 1890 at a cost of $14,500. It was remodeled for classes in 1918 due to a report in June of 1917 that described the New Dormitory and the Old Dormitory as "public nuisances."

On Dec. 18, 1919, the Board of Trustees, following the recommendation of President Frank L. McVey, renamed the building known as the New Dormitory Neville Hall in honor of

By Sarah Geegan, Seth Riker

UK students Anil Erol, Holly Poore and Heidi Vollrath will conduct research that takes them across the globe this summer.

Education Abroad at UK (EA) and the Office of Undergraduate Research (UGR) awarded the three UK students with an Undergraduate Research Abroad Scholarship (UGRAS) to support their international independent research projects during the summer session. The scholarships are the result of a new collaboration between EA and UGR to support experienced undergraduate researchers as they explore their academic interests abroad ­– with the support of their UK faculty mentors. 

“

By Whitney Hale, Breanna Shelton

The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities has chosen 12 outstanding undergraduates as new scholars for the university's Gaines Fellowship Program for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. Gaines Fellowships are given 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.

Gaines Fellowships are awarded for the tenure of a student's junior and senior years, or for the last two years of a five-year program; students in all disciplines and with any intended profession are given equal consideration.

UK's

Video by UK Public Relations and Marketing

Article by Kelley Bozeman, Jay Blanton, Amy Jones, Kody Kiser

The best learning — and the most profound educational experiences — often take place outside the traditional classroom.

For Charles Black, such experiences have guided him as he has taken his education at the University of Kentucky to frequent appearances on New York stages and TV shows.

As a student, Black said, he traveled with theatre department professors and fellow students to New York.

“It was my very first trip to New York, where I learned that I really wanted to move here," Black said. "It all came from being at the University of Kentucky."

During the trip, Black and his fellow students got a behind-the-scenes look at life in the theater on the biggest of

by Sarah Geegan

Students in the University of Kentucky Honors Program had the opportunity to demonstrate their dexterity last month at the bi-annual Kentucky Honors Roundtable (KHR), hosted at UK.

A conference held each spring, KHR rotates among public universities in the Commonwealth and allows undergraduate students to present their research projects, serve on academic panels and interact with academically excelling students from other Kentucky institutions. This year the conference hosted approximately 60 presentations, spanning over a range of diverse topics.

The conference will serve as wonderful practice for UK honors students as many of them prepare for more large-scale conferences, such as National

By Sarah Geegan

The science may be new, but the program itself is in its second year, after tremendous success in 2011-2012. The College of Arts and Sciences' "What's New in Science" series, an outreach program aimed to strengthen UK's relationships with high school science programs, will once again engage teachers and youth in various scientific areas.

A succession of UK scientists will discuss emerging discoveries and exciting developments occurring now in the realm of science. Held in a casual round table format, professors from various disciplines and science teachers from Kentucky schools talk among themselves at these events, asking questions and discussing answers about new and emerging scientific knowledge.

Each session focuses on a new topic in one of

By Kathy Johnson

Michael Bardo, University of Kentucky Psychology professor and director of the Center on Drug Abuse Research Translation, was the guest on Saturday's "UK at the Half," which aired during the UK vs. Auburn game that was broadcast on radio.

"UK at the Half" airs during halftime of each UK football and basketball game broadcast on radio and is hosted by Carl Nathe of UK Public Relations and Marketing.

To hear the "UK at the Half" interview, click here. View a transcript of the interview,

The following column appeared in the Lexington Herald-Leader on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013.

by Dr. Leslie Crofford

Everyday aches and pains are a part of life, but sometimes they can get so severe that it is almost unbearable and interferes with the ability to function normally. In that case, fibromyalgia may be to blame.

Fibromyalgia causes pain that can be felt in muscles, joint and even skin. Although it is the most common musculoskeletal condition after osteoarthritis, it is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. It is characterized by all-over body ache that persists for at least three months, specific tender points on the body and severe fatigue. 

The muscles may feel like they are tired and overworked and may twitch, burn or have a deep stabbing pain. The condition can be accompanied by unrefreshing sleep, problems with clear