July Meeting Minutes Summary
Dr. Christia Brown (in her role as Associate Chair) joined us to discuss Departmental support for the DEI commitee (e.g., a protected meeting time, web edit access, financial support, effort support). She also suggested several ideas to add to our list of potential initatives (support related to immigration status issues amongst our students, affinity groups for students, reading lists/syllabi edits to help faculty decolonize their syllabi, teaching workshops for grad students/faculty, self study [do we have acheviement gaps based on student backgroud - # of students in research labs, placement of our students after graduation rates, retention rates in the major, acceptance rates of grad students.
Adoption of Department-wide Diversity Statement on Sylllubi/Canvas (an update): Dr. Jessica Burris is the
News
UK Psychology Department Clinic Reaches Out to People to Treat Specific Conditions and Improve Lives
By Richard LeComte
LEXINGTON, Ky, -- Three University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences professors are combining their research with outreach to the community in a quest to understand mental health and bring their findings to bear on treatment.
Founded in the fall of 2019, the Clinic for Emotional Health, part of UK’s Department of Psychology, unites faculty members and graduate students to execute three goals: 1) to conduct research on the nature of emotional disorders and their treatment; 2) to provide the highest quality care to community members who
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 30, 2021) — The University of Kentucky’s Neuroscience Research Priority Area supports a "collaborative matrix," bringing together diverse groups of investigators, trainees and research groups from nine different colleges across the University of Kentucky campus.
“The key underlying strategy of the NRPA is to provide broad-based support for basic, translational and clinical neuroscience-related research across campus,” said NRPA Co-Director Dr. Larry Goldstein, Ruth Louise Works Endowed professor and chairman of UK College of Medicine’s Department
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 29, 2021) — Pandemic restrictions are beginning to ease as the state, and country, returns to “normal.”
For nearly a year, we relied on masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now, many are removing the facial coverings, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy to shed the anxiety that accompanies a global pandemic.
If you’re having difficulty coping with this added stress, psychology experts at the University of Kentucky say you’re not alone.
Shannon Sauer-Zavala is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and
By Lindsey Piercy May 24, 2021
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 24, 2021) — It's a question that is critical to families and communities across the Commonwealth — how do we tackle the opioid epidemic?
The University of Kentucky is helping to organize and host the second annual Edward Kremers Seminar in the History of Pharmacy & Drugs in hopes of continuing the conversation surrounding addiction and recovery.
The 2021 “Kreminar” will feature virtual seminars about the history and contemporary status of opiates, opioids and addiction.
“The Cooperative for the Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) is pleased to co-sponsor these events because it is important to understand that drug use and
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 26, 2021) — Two University of Kentucky faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences are recipients of The Graduate School’s distinguished annual awards for exemplary research in the last four years and outstanding contributions to graduate student mentoring and graduate education.
Mark T. Fillmore, Director of Graduate Studies and professor of cognitive science in the Department of Psychology, is the 2021 recipient of the William B. Sturgill Award, an honor given each year to a graduate faculty member who has provided outstanding contributions to graduate education at UK.
In addition,
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 17, 2021) — The University of Kentucky honored two winners for the Otis A. Singletary Outstanding Senior Award, Auburn Mattingly and Ngoc Phan, and two finalists, Lily Hurt and Courtney Wheeler, along with many other students and staff members during the hybrid Lead Blue: Student Organizations Celebration and Award Ceremony on April 28.
The Otis A. Singletary Outstanding Senior Award was established in 1978 as the first award recognizing overall student leadership at UK. The award is named after former University of Kentucky President Otis A. Singletary.
Students nominated for this award have displayed outstanding leadership while attending the University of Kentucky, made significant contributions to academics and are dedicated to service through campus
UK Neuroscientist and Psychology Professor Dr. Michael Bardo Studies a New Medication to Treat Opioid Use Disorder
Dr. Michael Bardo and his laboratory have recently completed studies demonstrating that the stress-hormone receptor blocker “PT150”, a gift of Palisades Therapeutics in New Jersey, reduces fentanyl seeking in addicted laboratory rats following a stressful event. This research, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, suggests that targeting stress systems may be an effective way to treat opioid relapse among those seeking treatment. A new grant application, with collaborator Dr. Craig Rush from the College of Medicine, is being prepared to test the potential efficacy of PT150 in humans.
By Richard LeComte
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Usually one part of a semester is sure to bring happiness to students: the end. But in one University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences class, students are learning tools – backed by real science -- that will help them cultivate happiness throughout their academic year and even beyond. In fact, the class’s professor, Shannon Sauer-Zavala, wants her students to use the course material to find their own happy places.
“I feel like every single thing that we learned about in my class, I have been trying to attempt in my own life,” said Sohayla Elhusseini, a senior psychology major from Lexington who’s taking the class this spring. “That’s definitely encouraged by Shannon as well.”
The class where Elhusseini and her peers find all that encouragement is PSY 375:
UK professors Dr. John Littleton and Dr. Mark Prendergast are investigating the effects of COVID-19 “spike proteins” on the brain. COVID-19 spike proteins may be toxic in the brain, particularly in an alcohol-dependent brain. Many patients with COVID-19 are reporting losses of smell and taste, indicating that the virus or proteins associated with it are entering the brain (as HIV-1 does). Because of the unique molecular structure of the virus spike proteins, they are likely to target neurochemical receptors that are "upregulated" by chronic alcohol intake. This suggests that alcohol-abusing individuals may be particularly susceptible to COVID-19- related CNS symptoms. Prendergast and Littleton have received a grant to the National Institutes of Health to extend their studies on viral proteins in the brain. Better understanding how viral proteins interact with the brain is the first
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 26, 2021) — Since 2018, the Disparities Researchers Equalizing Access for Minorities (DREAM) Scholars Program has supported the training of exceptional, underrepresented pre-docs, post-docs and assistant professors at the University of Kentucky who are committed to health equity research.
The program began in 2015 as mentoring program in the UK College of Nursing for “people who needed to belong—racial, sexual, and gender minorities”, said Lovoria Williams, Ph.D., who currently co-directs DREAM. Now led by the Center for Clinial and Translational Science (CCTS) and the Center
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 27, 2021) – Each year, the University of Kentucky’s Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK) gives a select group of undergraduates from diverse backgrounds a unique, hands-on research opportunity to prepare them for graduate study in health-related fields. Student recipients include two in the College of Arts & Sciences.
While the COVID-19 pandemic provided new obstacles for SPARK’s 2020 cohort, the three students – Alexis James, Hope Makumbi and Roberto Obregon Garcia – say the challenges brought opportunities to focus on their research, particularly with communication.
SPARK, which was launched last year by UK’s Center for Health Equity Transformation (
Neuroscience/Psychology Major Abigail Wilcox Featured on the Times Square Jumbotron in New York City
Neuroscience and Psychology major Abigail (Abby) Wilcox is an Ambassador for Bumble's marketing campaign. Initially launched as a dating app, Bumble has become a powerful player in creating healthy relationships, friendships and business connections! Abby is a Bumble Brand ambassador and Campus Director at UK and works hand in hand with their marketing team sharing her knowledge! Her photo was recently posted on the NASDAQ Jumbotron in Times Square New York City recognizing their success and Bumble becoming a publicly-traded company.
The intersection of neuroscience and marketing has created a growing career path for students with training in neuroscience, with capitol investment, direct sales, and giant social media firms recruiting recent neuroscience graduates with an interest in the coporate side of human behavior.
By Richard LeComte
LEXINGTON, KY. -- One member of the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts & Sciences is contributing to the cultural life in Lexington during the COVID-19 pandemic with a colorful painting at a local gallery.
“Change is in the Air,” an artwork by Jennifer Hunt, associate professor of gender and women’s studies, is on display at the Living Arts & Science Center, 362 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Lexington. The work is part of “Black Lives Matter: The Call for Positive Change,” which is on display through March 26. The exhibit, including Hunt’s painting, can be viewed
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 16, 2020) — Ten University of Kentucky undergraduate student finalists recently competed in the final round of the third 5-Minute Fast Track Research Oral Competition.
The competition included two virtual preliminary rounds, with the top 10 students advancing to the final championship competition. This year’s final round was hosted in the UK's Worsham Cinema and livestreamed to a virtual audience.
Cultivating students’ presentation and research communication skills, competitors were challenged to present their research in five minutes, using only one static slide, in front of a panel of three judges and a virtual audience.
The top three winners are:
First place: OscarLEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 16, 2020) — 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 during the winter months?
If so, you're not alone.
Each year, about 5% of adults in the United States experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD). But will symptoms worsen due to the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, flu season and darker, shorter days?
Matt Southward, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of
Are you wondering what to get a 1-year-old this holiday season? Go with "big chunky blocks, like the kind featured in LEGO’s DUPLO sets," according to Christia Spears Brown, a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky's College of Arts & Sciences. She recommended
By Whitney Hale
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 7, 2020) — University of Kentucky graduate Chimene Ntakarutimana of Lexington has received a 2021 Marshall Scholarship to study at University College London. Ntakarutimana is a 2020 graduate of psychology and sociology in UK's College of Arts & Sciences as wel as the Lewis Honors College.
The scholarship finances two years of graduate study in the United Kingdom. Ntakarutimana is the sixth UK student to receive the honor from the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission.
"Chimene continues a strong and proud tradition of UK
'Behind the Blue': Addressing Underrepresented Minorities in Research Programs With Mark Prendergast
By Kody Kiser and Carl Nathe
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 30, 2020) — Coming from a large family in Nebraska, Mark Prendergast grew up with a desire to help others.
Prendergast, the director of the Neuroscience Bachelor of Science degree program in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has used that desire to find demonstrative ways to increase the number of students of color in the neuroscience field.
“We have a longstanding commitment to addressing issues of diversity, inclusivity and equity,” Prendergast said. “And one of our most important missions as faculty and scientists is to train the next generation of scientists and professors. And we have to, absolutely must do that, with diversity, inclusivity
Dr. Richard Milich, Emeritus Professor and Provost’s Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of Kentucky
Richard (Rich) Milich, 71, died on November 7, 2020, at home in Lexington, KY. He was born, along with his twin brother Henry, on June 26, 1949, to Helen and Lester Milich in New York City and grew up in New Jersey. He is survived by his brother Henry and proceeded in death by his brother Robert. His sister-in-law Katherine, nephews Stephen and Matthew, and grand-nephew William and grand-niece Sophia also survive.
Rich received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1971. He went on to Washington University in St. Louis for graduate training, where he earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1976. After a one-year clinical internship in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, he moved to the