LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 2, 2022) — A team of researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (SBCoA) has been
News
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 31, 2022) — The Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of Kentucky is honored to announce that 22 students have been selected for the 2022-23 Undergraduate Research Ambassador program.
The program’s mission is to increase awareness and create opportunities for students to actively engage in research and creative scholarship. Ambassadors must demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential and be involved in mentored research. This year’s ambassadors represent six colleges, 15 disciplines and 18 research areas.
The student leaders’ goal is to make undergraduate research more accessible. Ambassadors promote undergraduate research involvement and opportunities through student
By Lindsey Piercy, Allison Perry and Danielle Donham
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 19, 2022) — In a myth-busting WVLK segment, “That’s Not How Any of This Works,” experts from various disciplines at the University of Kentucky discuss how their career paths and fields of study aren’t as they always appear on screen.
Stephen Voss, associate professor in the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, guest hosted the show
Psychology and Neuroscience major Abigail Wilcox has worked in the laboratory of Dr. Mark Prendergast, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Neuroscience B.S. Program, since the 1st year of her studies at UK. Working closely with graduate student Caleb Bailey, Abby and Caleb received a pilot grant from the UK Substance Use Priority Research Area (SUPRA) to investigate a new possible biochemical mechanism involved in the development of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
This worked confirmed that exposure of newborn brain to high doses of alcohol causes abnormalities in brain "tau" activity, much like that seen in Alzheimer's Disease. Congratulations to Abby ! Abby graduated in May of 2022 and is off to a career in applying her Psychology training in the Marketing field.
The University of Kentucky Department of Psychology is home to
Minute Taker: Emily Lapidus
Leadership Update: Shannon
Jake from HIVE sent the video!
Subcommittee Updates:
Leadership Committee: Office of Institutional Research and they are responding shortly. As Gender & Womens’ Department has 6 faculty, it may be beneficial to reach out to Department of Sociology
Transparency Committee: Some sections are outlined (Shannon). Some time this summer will be to flesh out some missing information. Google sheets may be updated to describe what classes are offered & when.
Admissions Committee: Jessica Burris put together the exit interview survey, but it will be tabled for February 2023 for the next application
Diversify the Pipeline: Jake from the HIVE has finished the video! The goal is
Minute Taker: Baylee Jenkins
Leadership Update: Shannon
Departmental transparency handbook
Adding links to grad school
Including go-to people/ resources for questions (e.g., ombud for advisor-mentee challenge questions)
Designing for less-frequent updates
Having point-people for particular resources/ questions
Chain of command for particular issues
Annual/ bi-annual lookovers to make sure the handbook is up-to-date
DEI Events
Including a possible link on the website to an updating document, accessible by everyone, of events that are happening
Possibly having a 399 student involved in doing this
Hannah has great resources
Stop doomscrolling and get ready for bed. Here's how to reclaim a good night's sleep.
LISTEN· 19:3119-Minute Listen Download
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 23, 2022) — The Office of Undergraduate Research has selected 16 undergraduates for the 2022 Commonwealth Undergraduate Research Experience Fellowship program.
The new CURE Fellowships, sponsored by UK Office of Undergraduate Research and the Office of the Vice President for Research, empowers undergraduates to become leaders for their communities by providing opportunities to develop new knowledge and skills through research within UK’s seven research priority areas: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes & obesity, diversity and inclusion, energy, neuroscience and substance use disorder.
“Conducting summer research will provide me with
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 9, 2022) — Poor sleep is linked to a wide range of medical issues, including hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity and cancer. With more than a third of U.S. adults reporting insufficient sleep, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describe sleep deprivation as a public health epidemic.
The public health burden of sleep deprivation is especially high in Kentucky: Residents are some of the nation’s most sleep-deprived, particularly in rural Appalachia. In that area, 25-58% of adults report insufficient sleep, defined as less than six hours a day.
Two College of Arts and Sciences professors at the University of Kentucky have received a $3.7 million grant from the
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 29, 2022) — University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto has selected four student representatives to speak at the UK Commencement Ceremonies May 6-7, at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Each speaker will address her or his respective ceremony in person. The speakers are:
Amy Luu Ngo
Ngo, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, will address her classmates as the student speaker for the 9 a.m. Saturday, May 7 ceremony. Ngo is earning a bachelor's degree in biology from the UK College of Arts and Sciences and a minor in health advocacy and a
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 27, 2022) — On this Wildcat Wednesday, the University of Kentucky is celebrating Supriya Challa, who will graduate next week with a degree in psychology from the UK College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis Honors College.
Challa, who is from Okemos, Michigan didn’t follow a typical path to the commencement stage. She had experienced a traumatic childhood and was looking forward to leaving Michigan to make a fresh start at UK. But during her first semester in college, Challa discovered that the source of her childhood trauma had not released its grip on her life. The challenges she was
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 6, 2022) — The ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The persistent problem of inflation. The efforts to continue reducing the spread of COVID-19.
2022 has already brought an element of uncertainty into our daily lives. The “new normal” still doesn’t feel quite normal, and it’s not necessarily “new.” But we are all trying to find ways to survive and thrive during unprecedented times.
What can you do when uncertainty comes knocking, threatening to disrupt your mental health and wellness?
Matt Southward, a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences
A&S grants to undergraduate researchers stimulate collaborations with faculty, finding new stories to tell and helping humanity in many ways
By Richard LeComte
Lily Vossekuil, Elizabeth Lorch and children working to improve their comprehension came together in the summer of 2021 to show how undergraduates and faculty can collaborate on research that benefits the Kentucky community.
Vossekuil, a psychology major, did her research under the direction of Lorch, associate dean for research and professor of psychology, and her colleague Angela Hayden. They worked together in a first-year program organized by the Office of Undergraduate Research and the College of Arts & Sciences, funded by the University’s Office of the Vice President for Research and by donors to provide intense research experiences in the summer and throughout the academic year for
Minute Taker: Emily Lapidus
Leadership update: Presenter- Shannon
Updates that can be done in 2022—website update
Collect baseline data this year to utilize in future years
Racial/ethnic identity data (DEW, enrollment into 395 etc.) regarding undergraduates
Qualitative data about who is “thriving”
Possibly find a collaborative department as to not have identifying information
What departments should we reach out to and what information do we ask?
Include rationale as to why data is being collected. This can be done in faculty committees & possibly BB for graduate students
Pros and cons of splitting data into graduate students/faculty
Should we collect data as to
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 23, 2022) — Everything can change in a moment.
It sounds like a cliché. But experiences, good and bad, have the power to fundamentally alter us — challenge our beliefs and influence our behaviors.
Can you pinpoint a “life-defining moment” — an experience that changed your life trajectory?
For Marissa Massey, recalling that moment is easy. But 12 years later, reliving that experience remains emotionally painful.
“I replay it in my head often,” she said.
It was February 2010, and Massey's brother — a seemingly healthy 16-year-old — woke up unable to move. After being rushed to the hospital, he received an incomprehensible diagnosis.
“Kevin went from a three-sport athlete to dying from a rare, inoperable brain cancer — specifically
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 4, 2022) — Research from University of Kentucky faculty and students working to reduce the burden of substance use disorders in Kentucky and beyond was showcased at UK's Substance Use Research Event (SURE) on March 1.
The annual event, supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research, gives substance use researchers at UK the opportunity to present their work, network and build collaborations.
More than 200 attendees from 13 colleges across UK participated in SURE, which included 70 presentations and poster sessions on the latest basic science, pre-clinical, clinical and community research addressing substance use.
“We are excited to be back in-person and host this unique forum
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 14, 2021) — Per University of Kentucky tradition, UK President Eli Capilouto has selected two student representatives to speak at the UK Commencement Ceremonies Friday, Dec. 17, at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center.
Two speakers in total were selected. Each speaker will address their respective ceremony. Given limitations on the number of people allowed on the stage, the speeches will be pre-recorded.
The two student speakers are:
Peyton Schroeder
The Germantown Hills, Illinois, native is finishing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a certificate in automotive production engineering from the UK College of Engineering and is a
By Jenny Wells-Hosley and Steve Shaffer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 13, 2021) — At just 5 years old, Bisimwa “Jack” Nzerhumana saw things no human being, let alone a child, should ever have to see.
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country plagued for decades by civil war, political instability and exploitation, young Nzerhumana was exposed to horrific violence daily. At times, he and his family had to literally run for their lives.
“Witnessing the brutal maltreatment of women, sitting in rooms surrounded by bodies and hearing the never-ending cries of death unfortunately became a part of my daily routine,” Nzerhumana said. “(We were) running from bullets. It was pretty tough.”
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 10, 2021) — Christia Spears Brown, a professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky, believes we need only to read the latest news headlines to understand the harm caused by discrimination.
As a developmental psychologist, she knows these prejudices don’t just develop as we become adults. Instead, they are formed at a young age, and they shape children who are exposed to bias in their classrooms, after-school activities and yes, even in their own homes — no matter how
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 7, 2021) – The University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science has awarded pilot funding to ten projects that address human health issues across the lifespan.
Justin Karr, assistant professor of psychology in the College of Arts & Sciences, received an Early Career Award for “The Chronic Sequelae of Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Women.” Mentors are TK Logan, Michelle Martel and Suzanne Segerstrom.
The center provides multiple types of pilot funding to catalyze collaborative, translational research. In partnership with disease-specific centers at UK and with academic medical centers around the country, the center has provided more than 250 awards totaling $4 million, which have garnered $84.6 million in