By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Abbey Loar, a University of Kentucky junior psychology major, wants to help people in rural communities, and her major offers her the chance to do just that: She’s going to be working on a project to study why people in Appalachia don’t get enough sleep. 

"I want to do research to help improve the mental health of communities, especially like those in Eastern Kentucky,” said Loar, who’s from Hebron, Maryland. "Rural communities don't necessarily have that help available, and I’d like to help communities like that in the future.” 

Loar, is a psychology major, is joining  Mairead Moloney and Christal Badour, associate professors in UK’s Departments of Sociology and Psychology in the College of Arts & Sciences, in “Researching Equitable Sleep Time in Kentucky Communities (REST-KY)." The effort, funded

The Students Participating to Advance Research in Kentucky (SPARK) Program trains undergraduate students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to conduct impactful research related to health disparities.



Undergraduate students at the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University are eligible to apply. Applications due October 31, 2022. 



SPARK participants are introduced to community-engaged research focused on health disparities/health equity and receive extensive mentorship from faculty. They identify a research topic and work with their mentors to develop a project. Students then conduct research projects in their home communities over the summer, receiving funds to support this research. After implementing the project, participants meet with their

Minute Taker: Emily

Welcome (back): Review of committee nuts & bolts, time commitment

Subcommittees: (Brief overview of last year’s activity + what committees will continue + assignment of group members to committees)

Transparency Committee: Developed a departmental manual that makes explicit departmental roles and responsibilities and how-tos for both faculty and students. This is a work in progress still. (Christal in charge: could use some more sub-committee members here?)

Admissions Committee:

Last year: Web updates to simplify the process for applicants, development of an exit survey, collection of data on applicant demographics as a baseline

This year: need to update the site with who is taking a student; administer exit survey. Anything else?

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Nolia Williams spent her summer mixing her psychology and journalism majors in western Kentucky, where she got to talk to people affected by the ravages of environmental disasters. 

Working for the news network of the Edge Media Group, Williams wrote and recorded stories about tornado relief near Princeton and Hopkinsville, Kentucky, as well as some good-news stories, including a program for Trigg County homemakers and free medical care for veterans.  

“I am mostly doing human interest stories,” said Williams, a junior who grew up in Owensboro and now calls Hopkinsville home. “I’ve interviewed one of the tornado survivors, and I've covered some nonprofit organizations that are doing things in the community. For example, some

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 2, 2022) — A team of researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (SBCoA) has been

By Jesi Jones-Bowman

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.

June 16, 202212:10 AM ET

MARIA GODOY

AUDREY NGUYEN

19-Minute Listen Download

By Jesi Jones-Bowman

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

By Elizabeth Chapin

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 

By Danielle Donham

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 

By Meghan Arrell

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

By Lindsey Piercy

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 

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

By Lindsey Piercy

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

By Elizabeth Chapin

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