By Gail Hairston
University of Kentucky Professor of History Jeremy Popkin was recently awarded a prestigious Public Scholar program award of $50,400 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The grant will fund Popkin’s research and writing, leading to the publication of his manuscript on the French Revolution, “Free and Equal: The Story of the French Revolution.” The NEH Public Scholar program is meant to support scholars in the humanities who are writing books that will bring the best of current research to a broad general audience. This book will "give readers new perspectives about the French Revolution by incorporating, among other things, my own research on the role of the media during the revolution and the importance of the revolutionaries' struggles about slavery in the French colonies," Popkin said. "The project is anNews
Dr. Robert Olson, professor (emeritus) of Middle East History and Politics at the University of Kentucky, has been the recipient of a Festschift Kurdish Issues: Essays in Honor of Robert W. Olson on his 75th birthday. Fifteen of the top scholars from the Middle East, Europe and the United States specializing in Kurdish Studies contributed 13 essays in his honor. Professor Olson was awarded a “Lifetime Achievement Award in Recognition of Exceptional Contributions to the Field of Kurdish Studies” by the Kurdish Studies Association at the annual meeting of the Middle East Studies Association, an international organization of 3,000 members, held in Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 22, 2015. Olson is one of the few scholars of his generation to make a fundamental contribution to a new area of study in his major fields of research.
Olson, along with his colleague Michael Gunter of
By Gail Hairston
Robert Olson’s “The Kurdish Nationalist Movement in the 1990s: Its Impact on Turkey and the Middle East” (University Press of Kentucky, 1996) was reissued recently by Mazda Publishers.
A University of Kentucky distinguished emeritus professor of history, Olson wrote a new five-page introduction about the current status of the Kurdish question in Middle East politics for the new volume. He also published “Turkish Air Force’s Role in the Development of Turkish and Kurdish Nationalism” (Kürt Tarih) in March 2016.
Olson gave the plenary talk “Fifth Years with the Kurds” at the Kurdish Studies Association meeting in Denver in November 2015. For his career-spanning interest in the peoples of the Middle East, Olson was awarded a “Lifetime Achievement Award in Recognition
By Whitney Hale, Mack McCormick
As the eyes of horse racing enthusiasts worldwide turn to New York and the Belmont Stakes this week, another storied racetrack prepares for its summer meet less than 200 miles north. The Saratoga Race Course owes much of its history to its sometimes forgotten founder, a brawler turned congressman, John Morrissey.
From gang member, political muscle and prizefighter to New York state senator, United States congressman and industry leader of the sport of kings — John Morrissey (1831–1878) was all of these and more. When the Morrissey family arrived in America in 1831, there were not many doors open for Irish immigrants, but he did not let his bloodline stop him. He was the kind of man who would challenge the infamous William Poole, better known as “Bill the Butcher,” just to make a name for
By Whitney Hale
In 1941, Kentucky was still in the grips of the Great Depression. Unemployment was high, and wages were hardly enough to support families, leaving many Kentuckians frustrated with the economic state of the Commonwealth. Kentucky had also fallen behind much of the nation in societal transitions, as women were still expected to be wives and mothers, while African Americans remained segregated. By the end of World War II, Kentucky had been transformed both economically and culturally, and those most affected were the citizens who remained on the homefront.
In "Committed to Victory: The Kentucky Home Front during World War II," published by University Press of Kentucky (UPK), historian and University of Kentucky alumnus Richard E. Holl details Kentucky’s fundamental economic, political and social changes from 1941 to 1945.
Kentuckians were
The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that history junior Abigail King, of Lexington, has been selected for a place at a Fulbright Summer Institute to study at England's Durham University in one of the most prestigious and selective summer scholarship programs operating worldwide.
The U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission is the only bilateral, transatlantic scholarship program offering awards and summer programs for study or research in any field, at any accredited United States or United Kingdom university. The commission is part of the Fulbright program conceived by Senator J. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange. Award recipients and summer program participants are expected to be future leaders for tomorrow and support the "
By Gail Hairston
(April 25, 2016) — University of Kentucky Associate Professor of History Kathi Kern has been appointed one of the 78 new speakers to the Organization of American Historians’ prestigious Distinguished Lectureship Program for 2016-17.
These scholars, who are affiliated with some of the nation’s top universities, join more than 400 other OAH Distinguished Lecturers who speak to audiences across the country each year and are widely sought for appearances at museums, libraries, universities, community centers, churches and synagogues, and other venues. OAH Distinguished Lecturers strive to promote understanding and appreciation of all facets of U.S. history from the 1600s through the present, which is
By Weston Loyd
(April 25, 2016) — The University of Kentucky's Gaines Center for the Humanities, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Working Group on War and Gender, an interdisciplinary group of scholars at UK, are teaming up to present a new program as part of the Gaines Center’s series on violence and the human condition. The series’ fifth event is the "Symposium on War and Gender." This two-day event, running April 28-29, is comprised of four different sessions and is free and open to the public.
"The symposium is for undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty to explore how wartime violence
By Rebecca Stratton
(March 16, 2016) — Want to get to know the people behind some of the biggest student leadership positions on campus? We did, too! That's why we're excited to introduce "see blue." #selfie - a brand new series on UKNow that lets student leaders from across campus tell us a little bit more about themselves and their organizations. This week, the 2015-16 Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow and TEAM WILDCAT co-chairs!
Kyle Richardson and Nick Ramos are this year's co-chairs of STAT and TEAM WILDCAT! As chair of Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow (STAT), Kyle, a senior from Williamsburg, Kentucky, works first hand with the University of
Watch why Amy Murrell Taylor is so honored to be named a 2016 Great Teacher and why she hopes her students leave her classroom with more than just a grade.
By Gail Hairston
(Feb. 26, 2016) – University of Kentucky history Professor Gerald Smith will take part in panel discussions associated with a CBS Sports Network’s special about the 1966 Texas Western University versus University of Kentucky national basketball championship game. The television special, “Championship of Change,” will explore the impact the game had on the sports and cultural landscape of America.
The one-hour special airs at noon Sunday, Feb. 28, on CBS. The special will be aired again Feb. 29 at 8:30 p.m.; March 1 at 10 a.m.; March 6 at 2 a.m.; March 8 at 7 p.m.; and March 9 at 11 p.m.
Against the backdrop of the civil rights movement in 1966, and for the first time in NCAA Championship history, an all-black starting lineup took the floor for Texas Western and defeated top-ranked and all-white Kentucky on March 19,
By Ashley Cox
(Feb. 19, 2016) — Editors Gerald Smith, Karen Cotton McDaniel and John A. Hardin of The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia, published by University Press of Kentucky (UPK), were named recipients of the 2016 Living Legacy Award during the 13th annual Black History Month Celebration, held Feb. 10, at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort.
"The work by Dr. Smith, Dr. McDaniel and Dr. Hardin is a major step in preserving the accomplishments of African-American leaders," said Sen. Gerald A. Neal, of Louisville. "We were honored to have acknowledged them by bestowing our
By Deb Weis
(Feb. 19, 2016) – Creative and innovative University of Kentucky students from across campus will pitch their business concepts at the UK Venture Challenge Saturday, Feb. 20, at the UK Athletics Auditorium in William T. Young Library. The student teams are competing for $3,000 in scholarship prizes and the right to represent UK at the state competition, Idea State U.
The public is invited to attend the presentations, which will begin at 9 a.m. Feb. 20. Winners will be announced at 12:30 p.m.
There is even a way the public can be involved in the Venture Challenge. The most popular student venture, as decided by online voting, will receive a $50 prize. Voting closes at midnight Feb. 19, the night before the challenge begins.
“The annual
By Whitney Hale
(Feb. 15, 2016) — As part of yearlong examination of violence and the human condition, University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities will bring together a group of international scholars to explore historic episodes of violence and their impacts on Europe at the 2016 Bale Boone Symposium, "Europe Today and the Memory of Violence," running Feb. 17-19, at the UK Athletics Auditorium in William T. Young Library. The symposium is free and open to the public.
Today, Europe has come to symbolize the possibility of peace and
On Tuesday, February 16, 2016 from noon-1 p.m. at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana, Jay Stottman, Staff Archaeologist with the Kentucky Archaeological Survey, will present the program "Underground History: The Archaeology of African Americans", as part of the Carnegie Center’s Lunch & Learn series. During this “tour of historical archaeological sites in Kentucky within an African-American context”, Stottman will describe how archaeology has helped us learn about the African-American experience in Kentucky, from slavery to the development of urban neighborhoods. He will use his experiences at various archaeological sites to illustrate the nuances of life for African Americans during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Stottman’s talk will focus on research conducted at plantations in Louisville, such as Locust Grove, Farmington, and
By Amy Jones-Timoney and Kody Kiser
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(Feb. 10, 2016) — Fans cheered for more than three pointers, dunks and steals last night as UK honored this year’s Great Teachers on the court at Rupp Arena.
On Tuesday evening, the University of Kentucky Alumni Association presented its 2016 Great Teacher Awards to six recipients at a recognition dinner. The award-winners were then recognized on the court of Rupp Arena during the Kentucky vs. Georgia men’s basketball game.
The recipients are:
• Matt Dawson,
By Dara Vance
Kenneth Adams is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Kentucky, he will spend 27 months as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia. He is not sure what his living situation will be, he has no set daily routine, and his access to electricity and the internet will be intermittent at best – but Kenny says he is prepared for the experience.
Kenny will be working in the Peace Corps organization, Rural Aquaculture Promotion (RAP) that focuses on tilapia farming. Adams grew up on a dairy farm in Grayson County, Kentucky, but is unfamiliar with aquaculture. He will most likely be working as a representative of the Zambian government to assist farmers with everything from applying for funding to maintaining existing tilapia farms. “I will get three
By Sara-Elizabeth Bush
(Jan. 13, 2016) — Six University of Kentucky educators were recently named recipients of the UK Alumni Association 2016 Great Teacher Award. Of those six, two are from the College of Arts & Sciences.
The recipients are:
Matt Dawson, College of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine Wallis Miller, College of Design, School of Architecture Gurney Norman, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of English/Creative Writing Brett Spear, College of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics TammyBy Gail Hairston
(Dec. 8, 2015) — A digital research team in the Collaboratory for Research in Computing for Humanities of the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences was instrumental in the recent opening of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library’s (HMML) public “virtual” presence.
Now, one of the world’s leading libraries for manuscript studies has a virtual library, http://vHMML.org, that the curious and studious alike can share, with images presented using the newest technology for zooming and panning high-resolution photographs.
Under the direction of Abigail
One of the best things about being a member of the UK family is the opportunity to engage with gifted, dedicated people, who are tirelessly committed to moving our institution forward. One of those individuals was recently highlighted on the "UK at the Half" radio broadcast.
Dr. Kathi Kern, an associate professor in the Department of History, is the Director of Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT).
She is an innovator in her own classrooms and brings energy and enthusiasm to the teaching enterprise at UK. Recently, she was featured on "UK at the Half” for her exceptional work as a professor and CELT director. In the broadcast, she talked about her passion for teaching and developing students.
“I have always