News

The crowd of nearly 400 gathered in front of Memorial Hall March 24, many carrying signs, and all supporting a call for change

The book series gives voice to Black, Native, Latinx, Asian, queer, and other nonwhite or ignored identities within the Appalachian region. It will be edited by University of Kentucky faculty member and recently named Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson, alongside Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle and Davis Shoulders.

Established to honor an eminent Kentuckian and an outstanding UK alumnus whose interest in higher education and the humanities was exceptional, this lectureship is awarded to an undergraduate whose qualities of mind and spirit have been expressed eloquently the basic concerns of the humanities.

The award-winning author and professor in the College of Arts and Sciences was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear, and is the first Black woman to be appointed as the state’s poet laureate. Wilkinson will be inducted as part of the Kentucky Writers’ Day celebration, hosted virtually this year on the Kentucky Arts Council’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

The program has supported the training of underrepresented pre-docs, post-docs and assistant professors at the University of Kentucky committed to health equity research.

The University of Kentucky will host the 5th annual Sister Circle Forum, which will feature two special presentations by Louisville Urban League President and CEO Sadiqa Reynolds and social justice advocate Tamika D. Mallory.

The conversation with the noted civil rights activist, minister, attorney and author Dr. Bernice King will deliver a presentation and talk to the public and then participate in a private question and answer session exclusively for University of Kentucky students.

The Center for Health Equity Transformation is now accepting applications for its health equity-focused pilot grants through April 1. The awards are open to health equity studies affecting vulnerable groups or populations affected by health disparities.

“We are so delighted to bring ‘Breaking the Silence: Lillian Smith’ to the UK community,” said Kathryn Engle. “Her life and works crosscut the fields of Appalachian studies, gender and women's studies, queer studies, education, Southern studies, literature, civil rights history, and African American studies.

As the first person in her family to pursue a bachelor’s degree and study engineering, Savannah Lewis describes the feeling as daunting yet rewarding. “Knowing that I’m helping this profession become more diverse, by increasing representation, makes me extremely proud.”