By Carl Nathe

Anthropology is the study of human culture in the past and the present. University of Kentucky Professor Richard "Dick" Jefferies is now in his fourth decade as a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology, within UK’s College of Arts and Sciences.

In his work of teaching, research and service, Jefferies, an archaeologist, uncovers objects that shed light on how people in Kentucky and elsewhere lived hundreds and even thousands of years ago.

On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” UK Public Relations and Strategic Communications' Carl Nathe talks with Jefferies about his fascinating career which includes the mentorship of many outstanding students over the years.

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be

By Lindsey Piercy

​Sharrah Lane, a doctoral student in Hispanic Studies and president of the University of Kentucky's chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, has received the prestigious Gabriela Mistral Award for her academic achievements and noteworthy leadership in the chapter.

Sigma Delta Pi is a national collegiate Hispanic honor society, and the award is presented each year to an outstanding undergraduate or graduate student who is an active member.

Lane, who is also a Spanish instructor and a graduate assistant for the International Studies program, said receiving this award is a great achievement. "I feel very honored to receive this prestigious award, and I'm grateful to my colleagues, Kacie Gastanaga and Marlee McCloud, for

By Loretta Stafford

Childhood friends Zach Major, Kayne Finley, Keagan Finley, and Austin Major

On the heels of graduation, many new alumni look forward to spending the summer traveling, learning about the world and themselves in the process. However, this summer’s travels hold special significance for two spring 2019 UK grads.

Zach Major, a physical therapy student in the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences who recently graduated with his B.A. in environmental and sustainability studies from the College of Arts and Sciences, and Robby Larson, who earned his degree in neuroscience from the college as well, will join former UK swim team member Keagan Finley on a cross-country bike ride. The team will make “Cannonballs Across America”

By Jennifer T. Allen

Oliver Voecking, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biology in the College of Arts & Sciences, recently received a Knights Templar Eye Foundation Career-Starter Grant for his retinal research with zebrafish. The Knights Templar presented Voecking with a check on the University of Kentucky campus in April 2019. 

The Knights Templar Eye Foundation is committed to support research that can help launch the careers of clinical or basic researchers committed to the understanding, prevention and cure of vision threatening diseases in infants and children. With the grant, Voecking will focus his research on analyzing the development of POM cells in zebrafish hoping to drastically increase the understanding of POM development, ultimately developing screening for anterior segment associated diseases, such as corneal dystrophy,

By Ryan Girves

Suzanne Segerstrom (left) and Marilyn Campbell (right) both received the Excellent Undergraduate Research Mentor Award.

The University of Kentucky recently honored Marilyn Campbell and Suzanne Segerstrom for their dedication to mentoring with the Excellent Undergraduate Research Mentor Award during the 13th annual Showcase of Undergraduate Scholars.

The most successful people in the world all seem to have one thing in common — a mentor, whether it be a coach pushing them to succeed, a boss taking them under their wing or a professor guiding them in the right direction. Judging by the success of those mentored and research conducted on the impacts of mentoring, one conclusion is certain, mentoring matters. 

The student-nominated award recognizes UK faculty members who have demonstrated an

By Jenny Wells

While most final assignments in science courses involve lab reports or essays, a human anatomy class at the University of Kentucky decided to switch things up this semester by having an art showcase instead.

Nearly a hundred unique works of art, created by students majoring in subjects like neuroscience and biology, adorned the UK College of Nursing Building's auditorium on April 25. Among the art were poems about the blood flow through the human heart, photographs of trees representing the respiratory system, abstract pieces reflecting the processes of neurodegenerative diseases, collages of the digestive system (including one made from print UK advertisements), and depictions of the human kidney created from a variety of materials including foods, plastics and plants.

April Hatcher, an associate professor of neuroscience, describes herself as