News

The National Institutes of Health/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recently awarded a five-year $3.8 million grant to the University of Kentucky to begin a new study aimed at improving diet and activity among rural Appalachian Kentuckians. 

The RUHRC was established in 2016, with an initial HRSA funding award of $2.8 million. Since then, the Center has produced 22 research products, including policy briefs and peer-reviewed publications, as well as more than a dozen related publications.

To help producers and their families better deal with stressful events, researchers in the UK’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and College of Nursing have joined other scientists from across the South to develop resources to help producers combat stress.

Mudd-Martin is testing the effectiveness of two interventions aimed at encouraging healthy behaviors such as physical activity, healthy eating and smoking cessation for the populations of rural areas of Bourbon, Rowan, Nicholas and other nearby counties.

The Prichard Committee Student Voice Team, in consultation with UK faculty members, set out to gauge how disruptions caused by the pandemic were impacting students’ academic motivation and learning, as well as their physical, social and emotional health.

“It’s difficult for people who use drugs to be open about [their drug use] because of the stigma it carries and the potential of criminal justice involvement,” Young said. “We tried to create a welcoming environment in our field office, and we put ourselves out there.”

College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Dean Nancy Cox will take on the new position of vice president for land-grant engagement in addition to her role in academic leadership.

The award recognizes her work on the Jewish Kentucky Oral History Project and the building of Jewish Kentucky-related holdings within the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.

“CEDIK exemplifies the continuing relevance of our land-grant mission,” said Barry Barnett, chair of the UK Department of Agricultural Economics. “They connect with rural communities to address local challenges using research-based knowledge.”

The UK Appalachian Center has a new resource available for students, faculty and community members seeking information on populations in Eastern Kentucky’s 54 counties.