by Whitney Harder, Whitney Hale

(March 3, 2014) — "Reel to Real: Special Collections at the Movies," the University of Kentucky Special Collections Library's film series, will continue with "Coal Miner's Daughter," at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at Worsham Theater in the UK Student Center. The film series explores celebrated movies through a historically accurate perspective based on primary source materials found in Special Collections. The screening is free and open to the public.

"Coal Miner's Daughter," is based on the life of country singer and Kentucky native Loretta

by Whitney Hale, Lawrencia Dixon

(Feb. 6, 2014 ) — Catherine Opie, a documentary photographer known for stretching the boundaries, will continue the Robert C. May Photography Endowment Lecture Series with a lecture at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, in Worsham Theater at the University of Kentucky Student Center. In conjunction with her visit, an exhibition of Opie's work is on display Feb. 7 through March 9, at the Art Museum at UK. The lecture and the exhibition are free and open to the public.

Catherine Opie photographs complex bodies of work. She usually focuses on sexual, communal and cultural notions of the world. Her pictures are known for showcasing different ideas of masculinity and femininity of transgender, cross-

By Guy Spriggs

On January 27, 2014, the Department of Gender & Women’s Studies (GWS) will host “What You Can Do With a GWS Major,” a virtual panel of GWS degree-holders demonstrating the wide range of futures made possible by a degree in GWS. The event will be held from 2-4pm at Hardymon Theatre in the Marksbury Building (329 Rose Street).

The goal of the event is to show students the applicability of the interdisciplinary training that is the cornerstone of the GWS Department at UK.

“GWS is deeply interdisciplinary, and we have historically been that way as a field,” explained Karen Tice, chair of GWS at UK. “Students come from a lot of various backgrounds and have a lot of different career aspirations. Across fields – from English to biology – coursework

By Brian Connors Manke

(January 3, 2014) - Many of us have had big holiday meals over the last few weeks, often times bringing a dish to share to the host’s house, but if you are ever invited to Sydney Dobson’s table you should probably arrive empty-handed.

“Since I was around 14 I’ve cooked Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I don’t want anyone else to cook – if I’m hosting dinner, you’re getting my food,” the Hodgenville native and UK junior said.

And when people do ask what they can bring, her response is about as frank as you can get.

“You don’t cook as well as I do. Maybe you can bring the broccoli casserole, because I don’t like it.”

So, how did she become the master of the kitchen at such a young age?

“I was tired of having scrambled burgers and peas,” she began to explain.

“My mother was a nurse and worked in the evening

by Keith Hautala

(Nov. 20, 2013) — Sarah Lyon, University of Kentucky associate professor of anthropology, has been selected as the editor-designate of Human Organization, the flagship journal of the Society for Applied Anthropology. Lyon was congratulated by her colleagues at a reception on Monday. 

Lyon will assume the appointment at the start of 2015 for a term of three years. Previous incumbents have included several renowned scholars including Conrad Arensberg, Elliot D. Chapple and William Foote Whyte. Human Organization was based at UK on one previous occasion (1967-1970) when it was edited by anthropology Professor Marion Pearsall.

>>View the photo album

Lyon joined the faculty at UK in 2005, after completing her doctorate at

by Andrea Richard, Whitney Hale

(Nov. 18, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Special Collections Library will show the second film in its movie series “Reel to Real” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Worsham Theater. The film series explores celebrated movies through a historically accurate perspective based on primary source materials found in Special Collections. The screening is free and open to the public.

"In Country," featuring Bruce Willis, is about a Vietnam War veteran living in rural Kentucky, and his relationships with his daughter and others around him.

Based on the novel "In Country

video courtesy of UK Public Relations & Marketing

article by Jenny Wells

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 7, 2013) — In addition to research presentations, the 2014 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) will offer numerous volunteer opportunities for the entire campus community when the University of Kentucky hosts the conference April 3-5, 2014. From helping direct traffic, to managing technology, to just helping students find where they need to go, there will be a variety of positions available to students, faculty and staff.

Students will have even more flexibility to get involved, as the University Senate has given permission for faculty to redirect their classes April 3 and 4 so students can attend conference events and presentations. 

"This is a bit unusual; it's a new

by Grace Liddle & Whitney Hale

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2013) – University of Kentucky Libraries is adding another stamp to its passport in support of the UK College of Arts and Sciences Passport to the World program with exhibitions and programs in celebration of ¡Viva Mexico!

The exhibits and events at UK Libraries include:

by Nathan Owen

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2013) — The University of Kentucky’s Appalachian Center, in collaboration with the Appalachian Media Institute, will provide a glimpse into Appalachia through a showcase of young filmmakers’ documentaries.

The event takes place at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, in Room 106 of the Whitehall Classroom Building. Representatives from AMI’s Summer Documentary Institute will screen three self-produced documentaries, each around 10 minutes long.

by Kathy Johnson & Sarah Geegan

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 30, 2013) ― The University of Kentucky is one of the top producers of U.S. Fulbright Scholars in the country.  In a recently released ranking in the Chronicle of Higher Education, UK is ranked sixth among research institutions for its number of professors earning the prestigious Fulbright grants for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Sponsored by the United States Department of State and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program, which provides funding for professionals, teachers,

By Victoria Dekle

90 miles to the north of Lexington on the banks of the Ohio River is the “The Queen City.” The nickname itself could probably be the topic of a panel discussion when the 37th annual meeting of the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) rolls into town in early November. There will be presentations, roundtables and workshops about anything and everything relating to critical studies of gender, from the ways gender is taught, experienced, and promoted in society including higher education.

Most notably, GWS chair Karen Tice will be headlined in an innovative feature of this year’s conference, the Authors Meet Critics roundtable. It is an event in which authors of recently published books hear and respond to comments from experts in

by Nathan Owen

(Oct. 14, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center this month will host musician, scholar and activist Sue Massek as an artist in residence. 

During her residency, Oct. 23-25, Massek will visit with classes on campus, provide two free public performances in Lexington, and travel to Eastern Kentucky to perform her show “Precious Memories” at schools in Floyd and Pike Counties.

The one-woman musical traces the life of Sarah Ogan Gunning, an unsung hero of American folk music history. It was written by Si Kahn during his residency through the Appalachian Center in October 2012, using materials in UK’s Special Collections,

“It is wonderful that Sue Massek will be able to perform the work at the University of Kentucky during her residency this year," said Ann Kingsolver, director of the UK Appalachian Center. "She is a

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 introduces

by Whitney Hale

The Kentucky Women Writers Conference will feature best-selling novelist and National Book Award finalist Bonnie Jo Campbell at its keynote event, scheduled for 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, in Worsham Theatre, located in the University of Kentucky Student Center. Campbell will present a free public address titled "What I Learned from My Mother," followed by a Q-and-A and a book-signing. The writer will also lead two other sessions during the daytime on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20 and 21, for conference registrants only.

Bonnie Jo Campbell is the author of the best-selling novel 

by Sarah Geegan

Students of the 21st century are digital natives; they have never experienced the world without the Internet, they're fluent in social media and they navigate disparate streams of information to solve problems through advancing technology.

It is at this intersection of academic, social and technological networks that A&S Wired Residential College provides students with a 21st century educational experience.

A&S Wired is part of the University of Kentucky's Living Learning Program (LLP), a growing initiative that involves partnerships between the Office of Residence Life and various academic and non-academic units across campus. The Living Learning

by Sarah Geegan 

UK Confucius Institute Director Huajing Maske describes the UK Faculty China Short-Term Teaching Program as "groundbreaking" for several reasons.

First of all, the numbers are groundbreaking. The program, which provides teaching stints by embedding American professors in the departments of partner universities in China, involved faculty members from several non-China institutions. In the program's inaugural year, UK's 29 faculty at Shanghai University represented nearly half of the overall faculty cohort.

"It was quite impressive to see how strong the UK numbers were among the faculty participating in the short-term teaching program," Maske said. "UK was by far the largest group

by Whitney Hale

The non-workshop experience at the 2013 Kentucky Women Writers Conference, being held Sept. 20-22, will be anchored by two outstanding presenters, publishing consultant and author Peggy DeKay and award-winning poet Paisley Rekdal.

Peggy DeKay, author of "Self-Publishing for Virgins: The first-time author’s guide to self-publishing," will teach two seminars on self-publishing and e-book opportunities for emerging and established writers, delving into case studies of poets, novelists, and essayists who have reached

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 work,

By Sarah Geegan

Several University of Kentucky faculty members have been selected as recipients of prestigious Fulbright program scholarships.

Sponsored by the United States Department of State, and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program, which provides funding for professionals, teachers, students and scholars to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Operating in more than 155 countries worldwide, the program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as

By Whitney Hale

Critically acclaimed author Jennifer Haigh, a recipient of a PEN/Hemingway Award, will be among this year's workshop presenters at the Kentucky Women Writers Conference scheduled for Sept. 20-21. In conjunction with Haigh's upcoming appearance, the conference and Lexington's Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning will also host a discussion of the writer's first novel, "Mrs. Kimble," on July 11 and 18.

Haigh is the author of the short story collection "News From Heaven" and four novels:  "Faith," "The Condition," "Baker Towers" and "Mrs. Kimble." Haigh's first novel, "Mrs. Kimble,"