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

By Carl Nathe

If you need an example of how a broad-based college education can open up your mind to new challenges and opportunities, look no farther than University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences Professor of PsychologySuzanne Segerstrom.

Segerstrom majored in music as an undergraduate and initially thought she would make a career in the field. She took an elective course in psychology and enjoyed it so much she took another, then another. Her curiosity developed into a passion and she decided to go to graduate school and focus on psychology. The rest, as they say, is history.

On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” UK Marketing and Strategic Communications' Carl Nathe talks with Segerstrom about

By Lindsey Piercy

'Tis the season to be merry and bright! But you may be feeling less than joyful during the "most wonderful time of the year." Do you experience stress, anxiety or even depression from November to January? If so, you're not alone.

"It's pretty common. In my clinical and personal experience, I would say most, but not all, people report increased stress around the holidays. However, only a subset of vulnerable people experiences clinical problems, such as depression and anxiety, around these times," Michelle Martel, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, said. 

From impeccable wreaths to the tree surrounded by a mountain of gifts — creating the "perfect" holiday can add to existing stressors. "Including financial strain (from

Neuroscientists from the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine have received an award from the National Institutes of Health to study cocaine use disorder from a new perspective.

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is marked by the repeated decision to pursue and use cocaine over other available activities and goods. However, lab-based studies to date have not systematically investigated the decision-making processes that underlie the choice to use cocaine. The present translational, multidisciplinary project melds modern mathematical modeling techniques with state-of-the-art neuroscience methods to investigate the neurobehavioral processes that underlie cocaine-associated decision-making in real time. This innovative approach enables the simultaneous quantitative characterization of cocaine-

By Whitney Hale and Jenny Wells

More than 45 of the University of Kentucky's students and recent graduates had the world's most prestigious scholarship, fellowship and internship organizations take note this year. The newest class of highly regarded scholars include UK’s 14th Truman Scholar and first Pickering Fellow.

Helping prepare these UK students and recent alumni to compete for and win such honors is the mission of the UK Office of Nationally Competitive Awards. Under the guidance and leadership of Pat Whitlow, the office identifies and works with young scholars on the application process for large scholastic prizes awarded by regional, national and international sources.

This year UK students and alumni were recognized with the following awards:

By Lindsey Piercy

From Facebook and Twitter, to Instagram and Snapchat, it's no secret social media has become a common form of communication, but have you ever left your feeds feeling bad about yourself? If so, you’re not alone, according to a new study conducted by Ilyssa Salomon, doctoral student, and Christia Spears Brown, professor of psychology, at the University of Kentucky in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Social media presents a unique set of challenges for those who are feeling vulnerable. Teenagers are the first generation that cannot imagine life without the internet. Some of that interaction can be positive, allowing teens to find a sense of belonging, but less known is the negative impact of social media on body image.

"If you walk by any group of teenagers, you will notice that most of

By Lindsey PIercy

Rachel Farr, assistant professor of developmental psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky, has been selected as a recipient of the 2018 William T. Grant Scholars Award.

Launched in 1982, the scholars program supports the professional development of promising researchers in the social, behavioral and health sciences. To date, the program has sponsored more than 180 talented researchers.

Scholars receive $350,000 to execute rigorous five-year research plans that stretch their skills and knowledge into new disciplines. As they commence their projects, they build mentoring relationships with experts in areas pertinent to their development.

By Hiyabel Ghirmay

Suzanne Segerstrom, psychology professor in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, is known for her clinical research on optimism and other personality traits in relation to health. Recognized as one of the prominent scientists in the discipline, Segerstrom recently joined an elite group in her field as a newly elected fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS).

“This is a significant honor, and one that is well earned,” said Mark Kornbluh, dean of the college. “I am proud to have Suzanne as part of our faculty. The Department of Psychology, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the University of Kentucky all benefit from her excellent work.”

From the four temperament

By Lindsey Piercy

The American Council on Education has announced that Chana Akins, professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky, has been named an ACE Fellow for the 2018-19 academic year.

Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model. Following nomination by the senior administration of their institutions and a rigorous application process, 45 fellows were selected this year.

More than 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades, with more than 80 percent of fellows having gone on to serve as senior leaders of

By Blair Hoover Conner

The University of Kentucky recognized exceptional faculty and teaching assistants at the Outstanding Teaching Awards at the 2018 University of Kentucky Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 19, in the Lexmark Room at the Main Building. Recipients of Inclusive Excellence Awards, in partnership with the Office for Institutional Diversity, were also recognized.

UK Provost David Blackwell presented the William B. Sturgill Award, the Albert D. and Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize, the Outstanding Teaching Faculty and Teaching Assistant Awards.

"The diversity of disciplines reflected in the Outstanding Teaching Award winners speaks to the breadth and depth that distinguishes the University of Kentucky," Blackwell said. "But, of course, no matter the discipline, each recipient shares something of lasting importance: the art of great teaching

Science is all around us, from the design of the buildings we drive by on our way to work, to the brewing of our favorite beverages, to the development of pharmaceuticals to help us live longer and healthier lives. But how much do you know about how these everyday commodities actually work?

A group of professors and students at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, along with community partners like Keeneland and AllTech are working together to introduce the Lexington community to the science around us. Everything is Science is a science festival that will be held at different locations all throughout the city, with concurrent events happening Thursday, April 26th through Saturday, April 28th.

Everything is Science aims to bridge the gap between scientists and the general public while making science accessible. Their mission is to demonstrate how

By Gail Hairston

UK geology senior Adam Nolte explains his research on sinkholes in Woodford County to President Capilouto.

The University of Kentucky was represented by 16 undergraduate students and their 14 research projects at the 17th annual Posters-at-the-Capitol event last week at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort.

Posters-at-the-Capitol is an annual event that showcases undergraduate researchers representing colleges and universities throughout Kentucky. The annual collaborative event was created to educate Kentucky state legislators of the importance of undergraduate research and scholarly work.

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, members of the General Assembly, representatives from students' hometowns and other guests toured the exhibitions and engaged directly with some of the state’s best young scholars.

The mission of

by Susan Odom

Kentucky’s middle school girls and their parents/guardians are invited to join us for the second annual Expanding Your Horizons Conference at the University of Kentucky campus on Saturday, April 21, 2018.  This day of hands-on workshops will give middle school girls the chance to meet STEM role models and get exposure to opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math. This is the second iteration of the conference, which is organized by members of the Colleges of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, the College of Arts & Sciences, and the College of Engineering.

Co-organizers, including Ellen Crocker (Forestry and Natural Resources) and Carmen Agouridis (Biosystems & Ag Engineering), joined forces to bring Expanding Your Horizons back to UK for a second time. The EYH team is back with more person – in particular, woman! – power than

By Linda Perry

Having authored or edited more than 10 scholarly books and many articles, Gregory S. Parks ’01 ’04 (College of Arts and Sciences) often focuses on issues dealing with diversity on university campuses in the United States.

Parks is the associate dean for research, public engagement and faculty development and professor of law at Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in clinical psychology from UK. Parks also holds a bachelor’s degree from Howard University (1996) and earned a law degree from Cornell University (2008).

His books include “The Obamas and a (Post) Racial America?” (Oxford University Press) and “Twelve Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America” (The New Press), which was turned into an off-Broadway production in 2016. He is co-authoring a book

By Blair Hoover Conner

Over the past two weeks, millions of people worldwide have gathered around televisions to watch athletes across the world compete for their respective countries in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. For University of Kentucky students Beeson Shin and Wonjin Kim, watching the games is getting a glimpse of home.

Shin – a psychology senior – was born in Anyang, South Korea, two and a half hours from PyeongChang. Shin moved to the United States in 2012 and attended high school in Western Kentucky. In her college search, Shin was looking for schools with prominent science programs. She applied to UK, was accepted and shortly after began her journey as a Wildcat.

Beeson Shin on the bridge that connects Yeosu, Korea and Odongdo Island.

Kim – a junior chemistry major from Suwon, South

By Tony Neely

Student-athletes at the University of Kentuckycombined to earn a total of 80 spots on the 2017 Southeastern Conference Fall Sports Academic Honor Roll, the league announced earlier this week. 

The 2017 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll includes the sports of cross country, football, soccer and volleyball. It is based on grades from the 2017 spring, summer and fall terms. Among other qualifications, student-athletes must have a 3.0 grade-point average to be on the honor roll.   

Fittingly, UK’s SEC co-champion volleyball team also tied for the most student-athletes on the SEC Honor Roll with 13. UK placed seven student-athletes in the sport of men’s cross country, six in women’s cross country, 27 in football, 13 in men’s soccer and 14 in women’s soccer. 

By Vice President for Research Lisa Cassis

In January, the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published findings that show a 700 percent increase in the number women in their late 20s who filled a prescription for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication between 2003 and 2015.

It’s a finding of particular interest to Michelle Martel, an associate professor in psychology in the UK College of Arts & Sciences. She is studying how hormones impact the expression of ADHD symptoms in young women.

She gathered data through a pilot project on ADHD in 30 women thanks to funding from the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) program. BIRCWH not only supports researchers in their work, but also jump-starts careers, aids in the publication of research and helps forge partnerships and mentorships across

By Jenny Wells

Martha Tillson (left) and Sarah Gossett will deliver speeches at the December 2017 Commencement Ceremonies Friday, Dec. 15.

In what has become a University of Kentucky Commencement tradition, two students have been selected to serve as speakers for the UK December Commencement ceremonies this Friday, Dec. 15. Because doctoral, master's and baccalaureate degree recipients are now recognized together based on their colleges, the selection committee accepted applications from students with all degree types, not just undergraduate students as in past years.

Martha Tillson will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony and Sarah Gossett will speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony. Tillson and Gossett were selected among several candidates by UK President Eli Capilouto to represent the

By Whitney Harder

School is tough for a lot of children, but the classroom can be especially stressful for kids struggling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As a matter of fact, nearly 15 percent of Kentucky children are currently diagnosed with ADHD, the highest rate in the nation. Many struggle to pay attention, sit still or finish school work, overwhelmed with distraction and hyperactivity. Is medication the answer? 

Although medication may help to manage some symptoms of ADHD in the classroom, mounting research indicates that medicine alone doesn't necessarily lead to improved academic performance in the long run.

University of Kentucky researchers Elizabeth Lorch and Janice Almasi believe an answer may lie in a new after school program they've

By Kristie Colon

The University of Kentucky’s Igniting Research Collaborations (IRC) grant program has awarded nearly $300,000 in pilot grants to support cross-college interdisciplinary research and scholarship.

IRC seeks to increase interdisciplinary scientific engagement and leverage the breadth of expertise across campus to tackle important health problems in the Commonwealth. UK is one of eight universities in the nation with the full range of undergraduate, graduate, professional, medical and agricultural programs on one campus, which creates distinct opportunities for collaborative research. 

"Programs like the IRC give us the opportunity to drive discovery and find creative solutions to complex problems in Kentucky," said Linda Dwoskin, associate dean of research at the UK College of Pharmacy. "Ultimately, we’re transforming patient-centered care by