By Francis Von Mann
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 9, 2026) — University of Kentucky professor Andy Doolen has published a new biography examining the life, ideas and assassination of early American figure John Dunn Hunter.
More than 2,100 students have been named to the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Science's Dean's List for Fall 2025<. To earn Dean's List honors, students must earn:
A list of Dean's List students may be found here.
Title: Alien oceans: hot springs, phosphorus, and the search for life in the solar system
Abstract: The discovery of liquid water oceans on Saturn’s moon Enceladus in 2006 and as many as a dozen other moons in the solar system (most notably Jupiter’s moon Europa) has greatly changed our understanding of our solar system’s "habitable zone." Rather than simply searching for liquid water, planetary scientists now need a framework to assess the relative likelihood of different planetary targets to host the physical and chemical ingredients required to support detectable biology.
In this talk, I will discuss the planetary (hydrothermal) and exogenous (meteoritic sedimentation) processes leading to nutrients and bioavailable energy on ocean moons. I show how even a relatively tectonically quiescent seafloor can lead to hydrothermal circulation. I will then focus on a specific bioessential nutrient produced by this circulation: phosphorus that was recently discovered on Enceladus. Our published results anticipated those observations to within analytical error of the satellite. I show how models integrating stellar stoichiometry and an understanding of thermodynamics and fluid dynamics can lead to testable predictions of icy moon ocean chemistry. Finally, I discuss the implications for exoplanet and future planetary science missions.
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Gallery of Photos from Fall Commencement 2025 - Photos by Nathan Parker
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Zoom Link (password 114038)
Title: Quasars in Cosmic Reionization: Environment and Impact
Abstract: The epoch of reionization (EoR) is when the first galaxies form and ionize the neutral gas in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Due to the vast distance, direct observations of EoR were limited until the past decade. Data from quasars, the brightest nontransient objects, have opened windows to study structure formation at the earliest stages.
The regions around the quasars, called quasar proximity zones, are particularly exciting because they offer insights into a wide range of interesting physics. In this talk, I will first demonstrate how to interpret the Lyα spectra corresponding to quasar proximity zones. Then, I will show how to use absorption features to recover the density and further constrain cosmological parameters and quasar properties.
I will also present my suite of quasar proximity zone simulations and show how galaxy formation is affected in this radiation-dominated environment. I will conclude with an outlook on synergizing JWST and ground-based observations of quasar proximity zones to advance our understanding of reionization.
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