Jim Shields graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1974 and currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a company that develops and markets prescription medications. In this podcast, Shields talks about his academic choices at the University of Kentucky and how they prepared him for his career. 

Shields was interviewed by Lauren Kidd. 

This podcast was produced by Cheyenne Hohman.

At the end of May 2012, the American Studies Center at Shanghai University hosted a three-day symposium and student summit.

Mary Anglin, associate professor in UK's Department of Anthropology, discussed the effects of globalization on gender in reference to Appalachian women and Appalachian communities. In order to better understand the region's past and present, studies of women and gender in Appalachia should not be ignored.

Frank Walker, associate professor in the Department of English, discusses the origin of the word "Affrilachia" and how the use of the word forces the redefinition of a region traditionally described as all-white. Walker noted several key artists and intellectuals from Appalachia to illustrate the region's cultural diversity.

Ron Pen, a professor in the UK School of Music, discussed how Appalachian music unities people and place, and how the styles brought to the region by its immigrant residents combined and generated several new musical genres, such as swing, bluegrass, rockabilly, and contry. Music creates a bond that binds individuals as shared community and creates a society based on values rooted to identiy and place.