By Gail Hairston, Weston Loyd

(March 18, 2016) — University of Kentucky’s Manuel Gonzales, Hannah Pittard and 2016 writer-in-residence Helen Oyeyemi have been named to Buzz Book’s list of must-read books in 2016. All three are members of the College of Arts and Sciences Department of English.

“These high-profile young authors raise the visibility of our department’s new MFA Program in Creative Writing and act as a magnet for attracting other terrific writers and scholars to the department,” Jeffory Clymer, English department chair, said. “The excitement about their novels is infectious and also really highlights the vibrancy of creative writing at UK.”

Gonzales’ highly anticipated “

By Gail Hairston

(March 18, 2016) — Shaunna L. Scott, associate professor of sociology and director of the Appalachian Studies program at the University of Kentucky, is co-editor of a book chosen as the 2015 Weatherford Award winner for nonfiction.

"Studying Appalachian Studies: Making the Path By Walking," edited by Chad Berry, Phillip J. Obermiller and Shaunna L. Scott (University of Illinois Press), is a collection of essays reflecting on the scholarly, artistic, activist, educational and practical endeavor known as Appalachian Studies. Following an introduction to the field, the writers discuss how Appalachian Studies illustrates the ways interdisciplinary studies emerge, organize and institutionalize themselves, and how they engage with intellectual, political and economic forces both locally and around the world.

Weatherford Award judges in

By Whitney Hale

(March 10, 2016) — What is the role of public art in an educational environment? How should we engage with our institutional past, in terms of art already at the University of Kentucky, and any proposed future projects? Who decides about public art on campus and how is the university community involved in the process?

Those questions and more will be explored by experts in the fields of art, education and arts administration at the campus forum "Art in Public Places." The free public event will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, March 21, at the UK Athletics Auditorium in the William T. Young Library.

"Visual art on a university campus can be stimulating or baffling or boring, or combinations of all three at different times. You never know

By Ashley Cox

Frank R. Ettensohn, Jefferson Science Fellow, College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor, and professor of geology in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Kentucky, was one of the eight geologists and nine geographers recently elected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. The prestigious honor recognizes Ettensohn for his extraordinary achievements, dedication and commitment to science.

AAAS was founded in 1848, with the mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, career development, international programs, science

By Gail Hairston

(March 8, 2016) — Five years ago this Friday, the world watched in horrified disbelief as one disaster after another pummeled Japan to submission … earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear meltdown.

Some say northeast Japan may never completely recover from its own private apocalypse; yet the island nation’s authors, artists and philosophers are determined to help their country and the world understand and convalesce.  

“Horses, Horses, in the End the Light Remains Pure,” the most recent work by Hideo Furukawa, as translated by University of Kentucky Professor of Japan Studies Doug Slaymaker, is gathering global acclaim for its ability to capture the shock and disorientation of the

By Kathryn Macon

(March 8, 2016) — The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for Humanities has selected 12 exceptional undergraduates as new scholars for the university's Gaines Fellowship Program for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years. Gaines Fellowships are given in recognition of outstanding academic performance, demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, an interest in public issues and a desire to enhance understanding of the human condition through the humanities.

Gaines Fellowships are awarded for the tenure of a student's junior and senior years, or for the last two years of a five-year program; students in all disciplines and with any intended profession are given equal

By Lauren Henrickson

(March 4, 2016) — Throughout the year University of Kentucky Confucius Institute (UKCI) brings Chinese cultural showcases to schools and communities around the Commonwealth, but this winter the UKCI team did a special weeklong trip to eastern Kentucky as part of a proposal by the Kentucky Department of Education.

During the December visit, a UKCI team of six specialists worked with more than 900 K-12 students, teaching classes and presenting varied performances, including acts of martial arts, Chinese painting, folk music using such Chinese instruments as the erhu and guzheng, paper cutting and calligraphy.

"From a young age, these students are given access to Chinese

Watch why Amy Murrell Taylor is so honored to be named a 2016 Great Teacher and why she hopes her students leave her classroom with more than just a grade.

By Gail Hairston, Austin Hughes

(March 1, 2016) — University of Kentucky Education Abroad (UK EA) summer program application deadlines are approaching, with the majority of the applications closing March 1. Students can make the most of their summer break by earning credit abroad through UK-sponsored programs led by UK faculty members.

UK EA is offering many sponsored — or faculty-directed — programs in summer 2016. Faculty-led programs are unique because students will study alongside their peers from the university and earn UK credit directly without the need to fill out an academic approval form. These programs typically run for about four weeks and are a good option if students are lacking any UK core or major requirements.

There are few programs highlighted below,

By Whitney Hale

(Feb. 26, 2016) — In order to strengthen collaborative teaching and research between the University of Kentucky and China's universities, the UK Confucius Institute is offering three summer teaching programs at Jilin, Shanghai and Qingdao Technological universities. UK faculty wishing to apply to any of these summer programs, should submit their application by Friday, March 4.

UK Faculty China Short-Term Teaching Program in Jilin University

The UK Confucius Institute is working with Jilin University Academic Affairs Office and Office of International Affairs to present the 2016 UK Faculty China Short-Term Teaching Program at Jilin University, in Changchun, China, as part of the

By Whitney Harder

View the video above to hear more about the new material discovered by Menon that could upstage graphene. Video by REVEAL Research Media.

(Feb. 29, 2016) — A new one atom-thick flat material that could upstage the wonder material graphene and advance digital technology has been discovered by a physicist at the University of Kentucky working in collaboration with scientists from Daimler in Germany and the Institute for Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL) in Greece.

Reported in Physical Review B, Rapid Communications, the new material is made up of silicon, boron and nitrogen — all light, inexpensive and earth abundant elements — and is extremely stable, a property many other graphene alternatives lack.

"We used

By Gail Hairston

(Feb. 26, 2016) – University of Kentucky history Professor Gerald Smith will take part in panel discussions associated with a CBS Sports Network’s special about the 1966 Texas Western University versus University of Kentucky national basketball championship game. The television special, “Championship of Change,” will explore the impact the game had on the sports and cultural landscape of America.

The one-hour special airs at noon Sunday, Feb. 28, on CBS. The special will be aired again Feb. 29 at 8:30 p.m.; March 1 at 10 a.m.; March 6 at 2 a.m.; March 8 at 7 p.m.; and March 9 at 11 p.m.

Against the backdrop of the civil rights movement in 1966, and for the first time in NCAA Championship history, an all-black starting lineup took the floor for Texas Western and defeated top-ranked and all-white Kentucky on March 19, 1966.

By Gail Hairston

(Feb. 25, 2016) – Cha Winja warhamas!

Translation: “We speak Wenja here!"

Wenja?

It isn’t surprising that only a very few people — so far, at least — recognize “Wenja” as a language. Even fewer can speak Wenja. But after a teaching session next week, the University of Kentucky campus could harbor the single largest concentration of Wenja speakers in the world.

Two UK assistant professors of linguistics — Andrew and Brenna Byrd — are intimately familiar with Wenja. They imagined and brought to life Wenja and other prehistoric-sounding languages for the new video game “everybody” is talking about, "Far Cry Primal©" by Ubisoft, released earlier this week. People are talking because "Far Cry Primal" is a rarity in the gaming world. The 10,000-year-old world focuses on survival violence, without guns, without cars.

Lisa Lockman, Kristie Law

(Feb. 24, 2016) — Twenty-three women at the University of Kentucky have been nominated for the 2016 Sarah Bennett Holmes Award, and registration is underway now to attend the award ceremony and luncheon 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 10, at the Hilary J. Boone Center. Visit www.uky.edu/womensforum/sbhal.html for more information. The registration deadline is Monday, Feb. 29. Due to the change of venue and the limited space, registrations will be taken on a first come, first served basis.

Coordinated by UK Women's Forum, the Sarah Bennett Holmes Award is granted annually to women working at UK who promote the growth and

By Lauren Henrickson

(Feb. 24, 2016) — The University of Kentucky Confucius Institute (UKCI), Explorium of Lexington and Lexington’s Children’s Theatre (LCT) have partnered to provide an experiential event for Lexington’s kids on Saturday, Feb. 27, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Guests will have the rare opportunity to explore Chinese culture by participating in a variety of activities from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. From calligraphy, paper cutting and martial arts to learning how to play elegant Chinese instruments like the erhu and guzheng, attendees will be able to enjoy and explore Chinese culture and traditions.

“Besides UK’s campus and the K-12 schools we

By Tasha Ramsey

When given the option, some students would jump at the chance to graduate early. But for Mason King, a senior double majoring in Spanish and political science at the University of Kentucky, the decision to forego an early graduation date in order to take part in an internship with the U.S. Department of State is one he doesn't regret.

In the spring of 2015, King learned that he could choose to participate in the December commencement rather than take another semester of classes to stay on his four-year track. Seeing this as an opportunity to extend his education rather than starting his career search an entire semester early, King set out in search of internships instead.

“I really didn’t care to rush my undergraduate experience and

By Alicia Gregory

Video by REVEAL Research Media

(Feb. 22, 2016) — Recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty is an integral part of the mission of the University of Kentucky’s Research Challenge Trust Fund, and each year the university highlights four outstanding endowed chairs and professors. This year’s annual report, approved by the UK Board of Trustees Feb. 19, featured Dave Moecher, Earth and Environmental Sciences Alumni Professor.

Moecher is chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the UK College of Arts and Sciences. “I work on the history and evolution of the earth’s crust:

By Mike Lynch

(Feb. 22, 2016) — On a sunny February afternoon, landslide researcher Matt Crawford brushes snow off the solar panels that charge batteries for a landslide monitoring site in the Daniel Boone National Forest. He connects his laptop to a data-logger below the solar panel to download information gathered by instruments since his last visit a month ago. This site on a wooded slope in Pulaski County has turned out to be a good one for the research by Crawford, who works at the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) on the University of Kentucky campus. 

“It’s adjacent to a known landslide that has caused damage to several homes,” he said. “It’s accessible from the Forest Service road, and it’s not too steep. We can walk around the site and get work done.”

The monitoring site, on a slope above Lake Cumberland, is representative of the area’s

By Ashley Cox

(Feb. 19, 2016) — Editors Gerald Smith, Karen Cotton McDaniel and John A. Hardin of The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia, published by University Press of Kentucky (UPK), were named recipients of the 2016 Living Legacy Award during the 13th annual Black History Month Celebration, held Feb. 10, at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort.

"The work by Dr. Smith, Dr. McDaniel and Dr. Hardin is a major step in preserving the accomplishments of African-American leaders," said Sen. Gerald A. Neal, of Louisville. "We were honored to have acknowledged them by bestowing our highest recognition, the