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:

By Sarah Geegan

The University of Kentucky Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) will present a talk titled "The End of Wonder in the Age of Whatever" from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, in the W.T. Young Library auditorium.

Michael Wesch, a cultural anthropologist and media ecologist at Kansas State University, will deliver the talk, focusing on how to create a sense of "wonder" in the classroom by giving students the gift of "big questions." Wesch, dubbed "the explainer" by Wired magazine, was also the 2008 U.S. Professor of the Year for Doctoral and Research Universities selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

"It is rare for a faculty member at a research university to earn

By Sarah Geegan

Biology Professor Catherine Linnen recently helped paint a clearer picture of a big evolutionary question, using very small subjects.

Linnen was recently published in the prestigious journal Science for her work with deer mice. These critters provided key insight into understanding how underlying molecular and evolutionary mechanisms function as an organism adapts to new environments.

"In the more than 150 years since the publication of Charles Darwin’s 'Origin of Species,' in which the idea that small, incremental changes can over great distances of time evolve new forms, more modern thought and modern technologies have only reinforced and augmented  Darwin’s grand and dangerous idea,"

By Whitney Hale

With University of Kentucky Commencement just around the corner, tomorrow's #AskACat Twitter Chat will give graduating seniors at the University of Kentucky an opportunity to ask questions regarding Commencement ceremonies, membership in the UK Alumni Association, and tips on job searches.

This month's #AskACat experts are Kelly Allgeier, alumni career counselor at UK Alumni Association; Frieda Gebert, member of the UK Commencement Committee; and Leslie Hayes, membership specialist at UK Alumni Association. The trio will answer questions beginning at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, via the university's official Twitter account, @universityofky. Those

Video by UK Public Relations and Marketing

Article by Kelley Bozeman, Jay Blanton, Amy Jones, Kody Kiser

The best learning — and the most profound educational experiences — often take place outside the traditional classroom.

For Charles Black, such experiences have guided him as he has taken his education at the University of Kentucky to frequent appearances on New York stages and TV shows.

As a student, Black said, he traveled with theatre department professors and fellow students to New York.

“It was my very first trip to New York, where I learned that I really wanted to move here," Black said. "It all came from being at the University of Kentucky."

During the trip, Black and his fellow students got a behind-the-scenes look at life in the theater on the biggest of

by Sarah Geegan

Students in the University of Kentucky Honors Program had the opportunity to demonstrate their dexterity last month at the bi-annual Kentucky Honors Roundtable (KHR), hosted at UK.

A conference held each spring, KHR rotates among public universities in the Commonwealth and allows undergraduate students to present their research projects, serve on academic panels and interact with academically excelling students from other Kentucky institutions. This year the conference hosted approximately 60 presentations, spanning over a range of diverse topics.

The conference will serve as wonderful practice for UK honors students as many of them prepare for more large-scale conferences, such as National

By Kathy Johnson

Mark Kornbluh, dean of the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, was the guest on last night's "UK at the Half," which aired during the UK vs. Georgia game that was broadcast on radio.

"UK at the Half" airs during halftime of each UK football and basketball game broadcast on radio and is hosted by Carl Nathe of UK Public Relations and Marketing.

To hear the "UK at the Half" interview, click here. To view a transcript of the "UK at the Half" interview, click here.

By Kathy Johnson

Frank X Walker, associate professor of English at the University of Kentucky and recently announced Kentucky poet laureate, was the guest on the March 2 "UK at the Half," which aired during the UK vs. Arkansas game that was broadcast on radio.

"UK at the Half" airs during halftime of each UK football and basketball game broadcast on radio and is hosted by Carl Nathe of UK Public Relations and Marketing.

To hear the "UK at the Half" interview, click here. To view a transcript of the "UK at the Half" interview, click here.