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LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky Alumni Association celebrated the six recipients of its annual Great Teacher Award  Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Central Bank Center in Lexington. The recipients are:

By Jenny Wells-Hosley

The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center is showcasing the work of student and faculty researchers through its Sharing Work on Appalachia in Progress (SWAP) series this spring.

The presenting researchers represent four colleges and seven departments from across UK’s campus, as well as a faculty guest presentation from Maynooth University in Ireland.

Many of the presenting students are supported through the center’s James S. Brown Graduate Student Awards for Research on Appalachia and the UK Appalachian Center Eller & Billings Student Research Awards.

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By C.E. Huffman

The University of Kentucky community and the public are invited to join Sharyn Mitchell for her presentation of “We, Too, Were Here!” The event will be held at the William T. Young Library’s UK Athletics Auditorium 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Mitchell is a former research services specialist at Berea College Special Collections and Archives.

"I got paid to play,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell's presentation will explore the often-hidden contributions that Black Americans have made to Kentucky history. During

By Ryan Girves 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Universities are where new discoveries are made, new understanding is reached and new ideas thrive. With that understanding, it is no surprise that Black History Month first began on a college campus. 

While the first monthlong commemoration began in 1969 at Kent State University, the origins of Black History Month date back to 1915 with the founding of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting

By Micha'la Hood

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Applications are now open for awards and funding opportunities offered by the University of Kentucky Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies program. These opportunities are open to any student participating in work and research in the Appalachian region. 

Graduate students are eligible to apply for the James S. Brown Graduate Student Award for Research on Appalachia and both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply for the Eller & Billings Student Research Award. These awards support student research in/relating to the Appalachian region. 

Applications for the 2023 James S. Brown Graduate Student Award for Research on Appalachia and the 2023 UK Appalachian Center Eller & Billings

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center, Appalachian Studies Program and the UK Appalachian Research Community (UK-ARC) will host the annual UK Appalachian Research Symposium and Arts Showcase Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023.

The symposium is open to undergraduate and graduate students of all disciplines from all colleges and universities doing work pertaining to Appalachia. Registration is free for both presenters and registered attendees. The purpose of the event is to promote interdisciplinary dialogue around issues in Appalachia.

Students are invited to submit proposals for the showcase. Students looking to improve presentation experience, as well as students seeking feedback on ongoing research, are strongly encouraged to participate.

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By Jenny Wells-Hosley

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 6, 2022) — Three alumni and one faculty member were inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame at a ceremony held on campus Friday, Sept. 30. 

The hall of fame recognizes UK Arts and Sciences alumni and faculty who have made meaningful contributions to the university, the Commonwealth and the nation in their respective fields. 

“We are honored to recognize and celebrate our stellar class of inductees; La Tasha Buckner, Dennis McCarty, Cythnia 'Didi' Rapp and Dwight Billings, who are some of our most distinguished alumni and faculty,” said Ana Franco-Watkins, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Our honorees’ life

By Tori Santiago 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 6, 2022) — The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center, in collaboration with the Housing Development Alliance, is seeking volunteers for a service trip to Perry County, Kentucky, on Saturday, Oct. 15, to aid in flood relief 

The trip will involve mucking and gutting homes so that the homeowners have a cleaner slate to start again, after the devastating floods. Participants can expect to be removing mud/debris from homes and crawl spaces, removing damaged materials and treating the homes with fungicide to reduce the risks of unwanted moisture and mold in the homes. 

This trip is open

By Lindsey Piercy

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 5, 2022) — Fruithurst is your quintessential small town. Located in Cleburne County, Alabama — just five miles on the other side of the Georgia state line — only a few hundred people call it home.

Christy Hiett is one of those people.

Born and raised in the tight-knit community, she now serves as principal of Fruithurst Elementary, the same school she attended as a young girl.

“Fruithurst is a very small community where the school is a large part of the community, and the community is a large part of the school.”

That’s why Hiett became concerned when a growing number of people, including her students, were diagnosed with cancer.

“When children started being diagnosed with leukemia, people in the community looked to me for answers

By Jenny Wells-Hosley

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 3, 2022) — The University of Kentucky will welcome author and distinguished alumnus William H. Turner back to campus for a presentation on his latest, awarding-winning book, “The Harlan Renaissance: Stories of Black Life in Appalachian Coal Towns.” The presentation, titled “The Blues on Black Mountain: Stories from The Harlan Renaissance,” will take place at 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, in the William T. Young Library’s UK Athletics Auditorium. A reception will follow at 6:30 p.m. at the Appalachian Center, 624 Maxwelton Court on campus.

The event is co-sponsored by the UK Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies Program, the Commonwealth Institute for Black

By Kent Ratajeski

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 15, 2022) — Dave Moecher, a professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, recently returned from Ireland, where he spent five months studying the erosion of the Appalachian Mountains and exploring the culture and history of the Emerald Isle.

While collaborating on research with two Irish geoscience professors, Moecher and his wife, Amy Luchsinger (recently retired from UK), lived in suburban Dublin during their stay, traveling widely throughout the country.

The experience was made possible by the Fulbright Scholar Program, which supports immersive experiences in other countries for researchers, teachers, artists and professionals with the aim of producing mutual understanding of other cultures. The Fulbright

By Jenny Wells-Hosley

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 14, 2022) — Next week will kick off the Many Mountains Fall Festival, a student-led, weekslong celebration of Appalachian and Latinx cultures. Including arts, music, food and dance, the festival celebrates Appalachian cultural diversity with a special emphasis on Latinx experiences and expressions in the region. The week will be anchored by a performance by Cornbread & Tortillas, a dynamic bilingual production that features stories, music and dancing.

The festival is a collaboration between the University of Kentucky Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies Program; the 

By Richard LeComte

Summer fun in Appalachia: hiking, climbing, camping, swimming—and holding somebody’s removed femur in a hospital.

UK student Logan Turner got to participate in that last activity while working a summer observation internship in Pikeville Medical Center in 2021. He participated in AppalachiaCorps, a new program run by the College’s Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies Program and funded with help from UK’s Women in Philanthropy.

AppalachiaCorps helped fund Turner’s work with the Eastern Kentucky hospital as a run-up to his applying to medical school. His goal is to be an ophthalmologist.

“I was doing physician shadowing, so a lot of surgeries,” said Turner, a biology major from Hueysville, Kentucky, in

By Jenny Wells-Hosley

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 26, 2022) — The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center is honoring seven students with its annual research awards.

Four graduate students received the James S. Brown Graduate Student Award for Research on Appalachia, and two graduate students and one undergraduate student received the center's Eller and Billings Student Research Award.

"Every year students from across the university conduct outstanding research projects in the Appalachian region," said Kathryn Engle, director of the Appalachian Center. "The Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies Program is thrilled to support these students and their summer work." 

The James S. Brown Graduate Student Award for

By Kate Maddox

“The Girl Singer,” by Marianne Worthington, published by University Press of Kentucky, won in the poetry category. "The Harlan Renaissance: Stories of Black Lives in Appalachian Coal Towns" (WVU Press), by UK alumnus William H. Turner, won in nonfiction.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky is celebrating two book winners of the Weatherford Awards that were announced at the 45th annual Appalachian Studies Association (ASA) conference that took place March 17-20 at West Virginia University.

“The Girl Singer,” by Marianne Worthington, was published by the University Press of Kentucky and won in the poetry category. "The

By Richard LeComte

Summer fun in Appalachia: hiking, climbing, camping, swimming—and holding somebody’s removed femur in a hospital.

UK student Logan Turner got to participate in that last activity while working a summer observation internship in Pikeville Medical Center in 2021. He participated in AppalachiaCorps, a new program run by the College’s Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies Program and funded with help from UK’s Women in Philanthropy.

AppalachiaCorps helped fund Turner’s work with the Eastern Kentucky hospital as a run-up to his applying to medical school. His goal is to be an ophthalmologist.

“I was doing physician shadowing, so a

By Kate Maddox

The Lend-A-Hand Center, in partnership with the University of Kentucky and the state of Kentucky, is hosting a creek cleanup and well water treatment demonstration from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, March 26. The free and public event offers participants an opportunity to learn about different organizations working on water issues in Kentucky. Both adults and kids are welcome to attend.

"We are thrilled to host this event made possible by UK-CARES," said Kathryn Engle, director of the UK Appalachian Center. "This project shows the possibilities for university-community partnerships relating to health and the environment in Eastern Kentucky. We are thrilled to partner with different water-related organizations working across the Commonwealth."

Participants will meet at the Lend-A-Hand Center,