By Bryan O'Loughlin, Whitney Hale

Sam Beavin, a University of Kentucky junior majoring in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry, has been awarded a Udall Scholarship of up to $5,000 for his senior year. Beavin is one of 50 students selected to receive the scholarship from a pool of more than 450 applicants.

The Udall Scholarships provide up to $5,000 to sophomore and junior level college students who have shown commitment to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy, or Native American health care. Scholarships are funded by the Udall Foundation, an independent federal agency that was established by Congress in 1992.

Beavin is the son of Gary and Tina Beavin of Louisville, Ky., and a 2010 graduate of St. Xavier High School.

The UK

By Sarah Geegan

The UK Appalachian Center will sponsor an event honoring the contributions of Kate Black as an Appalachian Studies archivist and scholar who retired from the UK library faculty in January. The event will take place from 3:30-5 p.m. Monday, April 8, at the University of Kentucky Good Barn.

Several distinguished scholars will speak at the event, including Anne Shelby, an Appalachian writer; Dwight Billings a UK professor of sociology; Mary Anglin a UK associate professor of anthropology; and Gurney Norman a UK associate professor of English, will read from his work, and Nyoka Hawkins.

UK Libraries Dean Terry Birdwhistell and

By Victoria Dekle

Have you ever been on a cruise ship and wondered more about the crew living and working on the ship than your Caribbean destination?

Have you ever been to a community festival and observed how people use that opportunity to meet others and to reconnect with friends and family?

Have you ever been on a mission trip and considered why people in other parts of the world have different traditions than you?

Have you ever visited an archaeological mound site and asked why people would build such a large earthen monument – and then leave?

If you’ve ever had these experiences or asked similar questions about the world around you, then anthropology might be a fantastic major for you!

Anthropology is the comparative, holistic study of human culture in all times and places. In

By Breanna Shelton, Whitney Hale

Origami  (ȯr-ə-ˈgä-mē ) is the Japanese art or process of folding squares of paper into representational shapes. The art of origami takes over campus this month as the university celebrates the 10th anniversary of the University of Kentucky Asia Center. On April 8, UK Libraries will host "Extreme Makeover: Paper Edition," a workshop on basic origami techniques. In conjunction with the anniversary, an exhibition of the art form, "Extreme Origami," is on display through May 24 at William T. Young Library and the Science Library.

"Extreme Makeover: Paper Edition" is designed for

On Valentine’s Day 2013, seven University of Kentucky students and proud cadets of Air Force ROTC Detachment 290 received a huge surprise and gifts to go along with it!  These seven cadets have given it their all and worked diligently in their studies and training and can attest their efforts are starting to pay off.  Each year, cadets are selected to become potential “Rated officers” in the Air Force.  Becoming a rated officer identifies that once a commission is earned as a Second Lieutenant these cadets will attend training to become a pilot, a Combat Systems Officer (CSO), Remotely-Piloted Aircraft operator (RPA), or an Air Battle Manager (ABM).  On February 14, 2013 HQ AFROTC at Maxwell AFB, AL released information identifying those cadets who had been selected to become a rated officer upon commissioning.  Detachment 290’s selection rate was one for the

By Whitney Hale, Breanna Shelton

The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities has chosen 12 outstanding undergraduates as new scholars for the university's Gaines Fellowship Program for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. Gaines Fellowships are given in recognition of outstanding academic performance, demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, an interest in public issues and a desire to enhance understanding of the human condition through the humanities.

Gaines Fellowships are awarded for the tenure of a student's junior and senior years, or for the last two years of a five-year program; students in all disciplines and with any intended profession are given equal consideration.

UK's

By Guy Spriggs

Anthropology junior Chi Woodrich will be the first to admit that he took an unusual path to studying at the University of Kentucky. After graduating from high school, Woodrich spent 20 years working as an auctioneer and auto auction manager.

But when his father passed away, Woodrich – who is the only person in his family without a college degree – decided to go back to school. “My father valued education. This is a chance to do something I want to do, but it’s also a tribute to him, to honor his memory by going back to school,” Woodrich said.

“I worked for 20 years, saved all my money, scraped together, had gifts from my grandparents, and had enough to come back for schooling instead of taking out student loans and repaying them,” he said. “I’m a bit backwards in that way

By Gail Hairston

For more than 30 years, Take Back the Night has united campus and community members to recognize their collective power to end violence.

This year’s event includes a march and rally featuring special speakers, live music, a candlelight vigil, a speak-out, tabling, free stuff and more. The march begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, with groups beginning from the University of Kentucky Patterson Office Tower Plaza, Thoroughbred Park and Third Street Stuff and Coffee (257 N. Limestone) and meeting at the Courthouse Plaza in downtown Lexington for the rally at 7:30 p.m. The after-party will be at Third Street Stuff and Coffee after the rally.

In case of inclement weather, the rally will be held inside Central Christian Church at 205 E. Short Street (behind the courthouse).

“For four decades, the bedrock of the nation’s fight to end

By Sarah Geegan

Do you need expedite your track to graduation with summer courses? The College of Arts and Sciences is offering a multitude of summer course options, and has a simple website to help you choose which class will be best for you.

The A&S Summer Course Kick-off Event aims to promote these courses and the new website. The event will take place at noon Wednesday, March 27, at four locations: Student Center, White Hall Classroom Building, the Thomas Hunt Morgan Biological Sciences Building, and next to the Mining and Minerals Resources Building by the main walkway to William T. Young Library. Representatives from the college will provide information on summer courses.

By Sarah Geegan

Matt Wray, a sociologist from Temple University, has been researching suicide across the United States. He will visit UK to give a talk called "Early Mortality, Stigma, & Social Suffering in Appalachia" from noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, in the UK Student Center Small Ballroom.

The lecture is free and open to the public. There will be a lunch reception afterward, at 1:45 p.m. in the University of Kentucky Appalachian Center at 624 Maxwelton Court, for a continued discussion with the speaker.

Wray was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar at Harvard University from 2006-

By Ellyce Loveless

Claire Bishop, a University of Kentucky graduate student in Classics who is also working towards her Masters in Teaching a World Language, was named as a winner for the 2013 Manson A. Stewart Teacher Training Award. This award is designed by the Classical Association of the Middle West and South to give financial aid to those hoping to teach Latin at the primary through the secondary level. The award is a great honor for Bishop, the Classics department, and the university.

Originally from Louisville, Bishop graduated with an undergraduate degree in Classics from UK. She continued her education here in order to participate in the Institute for Latin Studies developed by Drs.

By Katy Bennet, Student Activities Board

The University of Kentucky's Student Activities Board and Student Government Association are teaming up for the second annual Social Media Week, which will occur April 1-5, on campus.

Gabrielle Dudgeon, SAB vice president of promotions, said that Social Media Week is a great opportunity for students to get involved and show their engagement through social media platforms.

“We’re excited to provide a platform for students to learn how to better use their social media,” Dudgeon said.  

Events will encompass both personal and professional applications of social media, including “Crowdsourcing, Ethics and Post-Privacy,” “Smart Social Media: Building and Marketing a Strong Personal Brand Online” and “Get in

By Gail Hairston

It always helps to talk to others who have survived and subsequently thrived after a daunting experience. “Dine. Discover. Decide.” is a new event created for University of Kentucky students to do just that — to discuss career options with a gathering of alumni professionals.

The UK Alumni Association hosts “Dine. Discover. Decide.” from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 9, at the King Alumni House. The students will dine with alumni volunteers in a career field of their interest and discover potential career path options to help them decide their future goals.

“We are excited for our students to have the opportunity to tap into the wealth of knowledge that our alumni have in many different fields,”

By Whitney Hale

The upcoming University of Kentucky Libraries Annual Dinner will feature and recognize this year's Award for Intellectual Achievement recipient, journalist  and author John W. Egerton. The dinner, which is open to the public, will be presented 7 p.m. Friday, April 19, at the Griffin Gate Marriott, located at 1800 Newtown Pike.

John W. Egerton is one of the nation’s most successful independent journalists and nonfiction authors. He lives in Nashville, Tenn., and writes broadly about social and cultural issues in his native South. More than 300 of his articles and columns have

by Victoria Dekle

For some people, waking up early for physical training might be the hardest part of joining the University of Kentucky ROTC. But not for sophomore cadet, Dahlia d’Arge.

“Waking up is easy,” she said. “With farming you have to wake up early.”

Over the past two years, Dahlia has made the physical transition from cleaning stalls on her family horse farm in Paris, Kentucky to running before class with her fellow cadets and perfecting her pull-up at the Johnson Fitness Center.

She is a very busy student, juggling ROTC responsibilities, a full load of classes, the physical fitness demands of military training, and helping her mother on the family farm on weekends. All of this work, however, is worth the late nights and blistered

By Sarah Geegan, Derrick Meads

Education Abroad at the University of Kentucky recently awarded grants to five faculty members to develop innovative programs abroad. In addition, a graduate student was awarded a grant to support her research into education abroad experiences and possibilities for the future.

Faculty-Sponsored Program Development Grants recipients include:

·         The Nile River: A History of Water Politics in Africa. Awet T. Weldemichael, assistant professor, Department of History, UK College of Arts and Sciences — will establish a program in

By Sarah Geegan

The University of Kentucky's annual Naff Symposium will host three leading chemistry experts from around the world, including a Nobel prize winner, Friday, April 12, at UK's William T. Young Library auditorium.

Presented by the Department of Chemistry in the UK College of Arts and Sciences, the Naff Symposium brings to UK's campus well-renowned chemistry experts, including Nobel prize-winning scientists, to share their knowledge with students and faculty from UK and nearby institutions. The symposium was established in honor of Anna S. Naff, a University of Kentucky graduate,

By Keith Hautala

The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees today approved University Research Professorships for 2013-14 for four faculty members. The professorships carry a $40,000 award to support research. Funds for these annual awards are provided by the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Now in its 37th year, the University Research Professors program's purpose is to enhance and encourage scholarly research productivity, to provide an opportunity for concentrated research effort for selected faculty members, and to recognize outstanding research achievement by members of the faculty.

The 2013-14 University Research Professors are: