By Guy Spriggs

After earning her bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee University in 2000, UK sociology professor Shannon Bell took a job in public health and community organizing at a non-profit health center in Cabin Creek, West Virginia. Although Bell left moved west in 2005 to pursue her doctorate at the University of Oregon, her experiences in Cabin Creek stuck with her.

“While I was in Cabin Creek, I learned a great deal about the impact the coal industry was having on people’s lives,” she explained. “I decided to make those social problems the subject of my doctoral research.”

After her experiences, Bell knew she would have to devote a lot of energy to understanding the complex ways coal mining affects places like Cabin Creek. She

A faculty panel will discuss relevant election issues on the night of the debate. The following night, various faculty, lecturers and graduate students will lead group discussions for students, using video clips from the previous night's debate.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 10, 2012) — In the 2008 election, young Americans voted in their largest numbers since the 1970's. With the 2012 election around the corner, the UK College of Arts and Sciences, with the support of the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Media (WRD) will present several events for UK students to become more informed about the election, specifically surrounding the second presidential debate.

A faculty panel, consisting of 

At the end of May 2012, a delegation of faculty from the University of Kentucky went to Shanghai University to promote the American Studies Center, a partnership between UK and SHU. Michelle Sizemore facilitated a group discussion between UK and SHU students about cultural difference, identity, and storytelling across cultures. Four faculty members, Mary Anglin, Frank X Walker, Ron Pen, and Arturo Sandoval presented lectures on Appalachian culture, identity, history, and art. At the

A faculty panel will discuss relevant election issues on the night of the debate. The following night, various faculty, lecturers and graduate students will lead group discussions for students, using video clips from the previous night's debate.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 10, 2012) — In the 2008 election, young Americans voted in their largest numbers since the 1970's. With the 2012 election around the corner, the UK College of Arts and Sciences, with the support of the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Media (WRD) will present several events for UK students to become more informed about the election, specifically surrounding the second presidential debate.

A faculty panel, consisting of political science

John Brown served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for more than two decades. He served in many capacities, including as a serology examiner, special agent, investigator, and was program manager for the development of the National DNA Indexing System. In this podcast, Brown describes some of his work with the Bureau and how taking chemistry courses at UK gave a solid foundation for the career path he chose. 

This podcast was produced by Stephen Gordinier. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

For many University of Kentucky students, the right undergraduate degree is an important stepping stone towards a life-long goal of pursuing medicine, dentistry, or law. The College of Arts and Sciences works hard to develop programs and majors that help cater to the pre-professional goals of its many students.

This podcast was produced

by Sarah Geegan

by Sarah Geegan

Adjunct Anthropology Professor Kim McBride's 22 years of archaeological work at Pleasant Hill, a former Shaker community approximately 30 miles southwest of Lexington, was recently featured in the national publication, American Archaeology magazine.

The magazine's seven-page feature highlights McBride's extensive work at Pleasant Hill, which includes directing a series of field schools in which more than 100 students have located former building sites throughout the village. Throughout these excavations, McBride, co-director of Kentucky Archaeological Survey

By Sarah Geegan

Biology professor James Krupa recently received his second major accolade from the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) in the past two years. After taking home the NABT University Teaching Award last year, Krupa received the Evolution Education Award for 2012 — crediting famous UK alumnus John T. Scopes for much of his inspiration.

The award recognizes innovative classroom teaching and community education efforts to promote the accurate understanding of biological evolution. Sponsored by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) and National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), the honor will be officially presented to

The fluids we drink can hold cultural and historical significance -- but what about the way they affect our physiology? A new course, A&S 100-024, The Science Behind What We Drink, is professor Rita Basuray’s fusion of the two. By examining the role of water, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola in terms of historical significance and the ways in which they interact with the human body, the class will connect science and the humanities. Basuray’s class is also bridging the gap between campus and community by bringing in local businesses such as Mon Tea and campus organizations like the UK office of Substance Education & Responsibility to the course. 

For more information about the course, contact Rita Basuray: 

WRD is offering a unique course in October. A&S 100-006, Composing with Visuals, focuses on the visual aspect of digital communication skills. Rachel Elliott, who is the instructor for the course, talks about the ways students will create visuals to explore identities, tell stories, and interpret information, and present findings via photography, film, and infographics. The course begins in mid-October 2012.

For more information about the course, or to enroll, please contact your advisor.

This podcast was produced by Cheyenne Hohman.

This work is licensed under a

Matt Wilson's GIS Workshop at the University of Kentucky builds connections to the community through partnerships with non-profit organizations such as Seedleaf and the Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Justice.

International Studies senior Cassie Hardin is spending the next five months is Beijing, China. Luckily for us, she has a video camera and is not afraid to use it! Follow her adventures as she blogs from abroad, and helps A&S celebrate our Year of China initiative.

This podcast was produced by Cheyenne Hohman.

The Department of Mathematics is excited to welcome professor Bert Guillou to its faculty!

Professor Guillou joins us this fall researching topology, the mathematical study of surfaces. He is interested in homotopy theory, the study of "transforming" one surface or shape into another, a field with applications in quantum physics, robotics, and even molecular biology.

This podcast is part of a series highlighting the new faculty members who joined the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall 2012 semester.

Produced by Stephen Gordinier.

Philosophy and Modern Life

Lecture Series

View the poster for the Series

Massimo Pigliucci, CUNY-Lehman College

“Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead to

A More Meaningful Life”

Thursday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m.  W.T.Y. Library Auditorium

Co-sponsored with the Department of Entomology

Jeffrey Bishop, St. Louis University

“The Challenge of Transhumanism”

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 4:00 p.m.  Student Center 230

Co-sponsored with

This podcast was produced by Cheyenne Hohman.

The Department of Psychology is excited to welcome professor Michelle Martel to its faculty!

Professor Martel joins us this fall studying preschool and childhood Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Her research looks to find developmental pathways to DBD and ADHD by studying not only early markers and traits, but also biological and environmental factors.

This podcast is part of a series highlighting the new faculty members who joined the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall 2012 semester.

Produced by Stephen Gordinier.

This podcast was produced by Cheyenne Hohman.

The Department of Chemistry is excited to welcome professor Chris Richards to its faculty!

Professor Richards joins us this fall to research cell membrane receptors. His research group integrates nanotechnology, neuroscience, and biophysical chemistry, and is developing imaging techniques to investigate how these receptors are involved in the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and addiction.

This podcast is part of a series highlighting the new faculty members who joined the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall 2012 semester.

Produced by Stephen Gordinier.