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by Keith Hautala, Shane Barton

(March 31, 2014) — The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center has launched a brand-new interactive website for the Coal Camp Documentary Project, allowing users to learn about and document historic company coal mining towns in Eastern Kentucky.

The site was formally launched at the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, held March 28-30 at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va.

The new website, part of the UK Appalachian Center's facilitation of ongoing collaboration between the University and community members, allows users to contribute memories or images related to their experiences in coal camp communities in Eastern Kentucky.

This interactive website is

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 27, 2014) — Tearing down the walls of diversity is a task that requires one to think outside of the box. 'Boxes and Walls' is hosted by CATalyst, which has teamed up with six other organizations to build a multicultural museum for students to explore.

The exhibits are designed to personalize the struggle of tearing down these walls of oppression and to educate attendees on the impact of this persecution over time.

Keeping with this year's theme, "Oppression through Time," participating organizations are building their exhibits to reflect the impact of oppression on historically oppressed groups.

Alexis Asamoah, president of the African Student Association, says that she hopes their exhibit will take attendees back in time.

“We would like students to understand the effects of colonization through an interactive

by Gail Hairston

(March 25, 2014) — An appearance by Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, author, speaker and commentator, on March 27 kicks off the two-day Conference on Political and Economic Inequality, hosted by the University of Kentucky Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Ron Formisano, UK’s William T. Bryan Professor of History and organizer of the conference, said he was inspired to create the conference because “inequality is a major issue in the world today.

“But (inequality) is of particular importance in the U.S. because

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 24, 2014) ­― As part of the year-long Viva Mexico program, University of Kentucky Libraries and the UK College of Arts and Sciences will host a speaker on “Mexico on the Digital Frontier: Creating Access in Archives and Libraries.” Linda Arnold, professor emerita of history at Virginia Tech University, will speak on the topic at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, in the Niles Gallery of the Lucille Little Fine Arts Library on UK’s campus. A reception will follow in the Little Library foyer.

Arnold spent 29 years at Virginia Tech, where she developed and taught more than a dozen undergraduate writing-intensive courses, and directed nearly 30 undergraduate independent studies.  She was a pioneer in digital history who, along

by Whitney Hale, Whitney Harder

(March 18, 2014) — Bernard LaFayette Jr., an associate of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, will speak on his leadership experience in the voting rights movement in Selma, Ala., and participate in a book signing beginning 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, at the University of Kentucky's Martin Luther King Center.

LaFayette, a prominent leader in the civil rights movement, was a cofounder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a leader in the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins, a Freedom Rider, and the national coordinator of the Poor People’s Campaign.

At 22 years old LaFayette became director of the Alabama Voter Registration Project in Selma, the basis for his memoir

by Whitney Harder, Whitney Hale

(March 11, 2014) — Eugene Richards, a photographer, writer and filmmaker known for capturing moments of political activism and social issues in his work, will give the final presentation in the 2013-14 Robert C. May Endowment Photography Lecture Series with a lecture at 4 p.m. Friday, March 14, in Worsham Theater at the University of Kentucky Student Center. In conjunction with the talk, an exhibition of Richards' work will be on display March 14 through April 27, in the Art Museum at UK. The lecture and exhibition are free and open to the public.

Richards launched

by Whitney Hale, Whitney Harder

(March 11, 2014) — University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections is illuminating the rich culture of Appalachia and challenging stereotypes of the region with its "Immigrants in the Coalfields" exhibit on display now in UK's Margaret I. King Building. The free exhibition will be open to the public 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until April 4.

Images, maps, documents and oral histories from UK Special Collections tell the story of Appalachia unheard to many, a mix of cultural, ethnic, and racial identities and a cultural mosaic illustrated in the coal camps of Eastern Kentucky.

Visitors to the exhibit first experience a national perspective of Appalachia, often

by Whitney Harder, Whitney Hale

(March 6, 2014) — The University of Kentucky’s King Library Press is sponsoring a lecture and workshop with Kathleen Walkup, director of the nation's first master's program for book art and creative writing, focusing on the work of mid-century women printers. The UK Special Collections Library will host, "Because Nobody Stopped Us: Women Printers at Mid-Century," for its 2014 Spring Book Arts Weekend beginning 7 p.m. Friday, March 7, in the Great Hall of the Margaret I. King Building. The lecture is free and open to the public.

4Walkup is a professor of

Excerpt from Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame Oral History Project interview with Raoul Cunningham. Video courtesy of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History. A transcript of this video can be seen here.

by Whitney Hale

(March 5, 2014) — As Kentucky stops today to remember the 1964 Civil Rights March on Frankfort, University of Kentucky announces a new collection of oral histories with many of the state's most noted civil rights activists exploring major milestones in the civil rights movement in the Commonwealth.

The Kentucky Civil Rights

by Whitney Harder, Whitney Hale

(March 3, 2014) — "Reel to Real: Special Collections at the Movies," the University of Kentucky Special Collections Library's film series, will continue with "Coal Miner's Daughter," at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at Worsham Theater in the UK Student Center. The film series explores celebrated movies through a historically accurate perspective based on primary source materials found in Special Collections. The screening is free and open to the public.

"Coal Miner's Daughter," is based on the life of country singer and Kentucky native Loretta

by Gail Hairston   LEXINGTON, KY (Feb. 28, 2014) — The Committee on Social Theory Spring Lecture Series continues its review of global financial markets as Greta Krippner is set to discuss “The Crisis in Market Regulation” at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, on the 18th floor of the Patterson Office Tower.  

Krippner finds that state policies created the conditions conducive to “financialization” that solved some policy dilemmas of the 1970s and 1980s, but created major weaknesses that would ultimately fail in the new millennium.

Financialization of the economy was not a deliberate outcome sought by policymakers, but rather an inadvertent result of the state's attempts to solve other problems, especially the stagnation and deregulation in the 1970s and 1980s, the encouragement of foreign capital in the U.S. economy, and large trade imbalances caused by direct foreign

by Gail Bennett

(Feb. 25, 2014) ― WUKY 91.3 FM collaborates with the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame to broadcast readings of selections from the works of the new 2014 Hall of Fame authors on March 1.

The Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame announced the 2014 Hall of Fame class at an induction ceremony on Jan. 23 at the Carnegie Center. This is the second class to be inducted.

WUKY will air a program showcasing the introductions, readings and musical performances as recorded from that evening. The broadcast will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 1.

The seven new members of the 2014 Hall of Fame class include: children’s author Rebecca Caudill, best known for "A Pocketful of Cricket" and "Tree of Freedom"; University of Kentucky professor Thomas D. Clark, best known for "A History of Kentucky"; novelist Janice Holt

by Sarah Geegan

(Feb. 25, 2014) — The third speaker in the "see tomorrow Speaker Series," Kathi Kern, director of the UK Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), will engage with the UK community at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, in the William T. Young Library Auditorium.

Kern, an associate professor in the UK Department of History, is an innovator in her own classrooms and brings energy and enthusiasm to her teaching.  Her speech, "From the Ground Up: Faculty Innovation and the Future of Teaching and Learning at UK," will focus on pedagogy and innovation in teaching and learning.

Kern recently answered a series of questions about her experience and her upcoming presentation for UKNow:

On what topics will your presentation focus?

In this presentation, we will survey the national landscape of trends and

by Whitney Hale

(Feb. 14, 2014) — In celebration of the University of Kentucky's upcoming sesquicentennial in 2015, the 71st of 150 weekly installments explores the university's connection to the adoption of evolutionary theory.

Kentucky students were introduced to evolutionary theory as early as 1900. A photograph from campus of an early zoology class has written on the chalkboard, "The Evolution of Evolution Theories." This was long before the controversy regarding teaching evolutionary theory in the 1920s would erupt.

William Jennings Bryan, who had visited with campus leaders in 1912, would become the leading antievolutionist of the time.  In 1922, Bryan returned to Kentucky to further his beliefs speaking to large audiences in Lexington, Paris, Danville, as well as the legislature in Frankfort in favor of the antievolution bill.

An

by Gail Hairston

(Jan. 17, 2014) — Students, faculty and staff affiliated with the University of Kentucky’s Martin Luther King Center wanted to highlight Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy this January.  Their brainstorming brought them around full circle to an old favorite — the campus vigil.

“The vigil stands as a way to remember Dr. King’s message and convey how important it is to keep his message alive,” said interim center director Kahlil Baker. “Dr. King strived to eradicate social injustice, violence and racism, and we want to celebrate that.”

For this year’s commemoration, on Jan. 19, the Sunday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the students, faculty and staff affiliated with the King Center have organized a vigil and march that will take participants on a journey through time. Along the path

by Derrick Meads

(Jan. 15, 2014) — Although it is Viva México in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts and Sciences’ Passport to the World initiative, very few students choose to study there.

To open opportunities for international study in Mexico, a delegation of faculty from UK, Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) and Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) visited Oaxaca, Mexico to review Sol Education Abroad (an affiliate education abroad partner of UK). Led by UK Education Abroad, the faculty members

by Jenny Wells

(Dec. 16, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research has honored 18 students with the Oswald Research and Creativity Program awards.  Representatives from the Office of Undergraduate Research, along with director  Diane Snow, presented the winners with certificates at a reception on campus Dec. 5.

Established in 1964 by then-UK President John Oswald, the Oswald Research and Creativity Program encourages research and creative activities by undergraduate students at UK. The objectives of the program are to stimulate creative work by undergraduate students and to recognize individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement.

Categories include Biological Sciences; Design, including

By Wayne Rogers   (Dec. 13, 2013) -- On Wednesday, Dec. 11, the University of Kentucky recognized faculty and staff from across campus for excellence in furthering UK’s philanthropic efforts at the annual Terry B. Mobley Development Awards ceremony.   This year’s award winners are: -James C. Albisetti, professor, Department of History, College of Arts & Sciences; -Randy Pratt, director of development, Gatton College of Business and Economics; -G. Wayne Rogers, director of development communications, UK Office of Development; -Sharise Harrison, prospect manager, UK HealthCare; -Cortney Decker, account clerk, Office of Student Involvement; and -Michael Mayfield, computer support specialist, UK Office of Development.   Mike Richey, UK’s vice president for

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 21, 2013) — As the nation stops to remember President John F. Kennedy on the 50th anniversary of his death Friday, Dean of University of Kentucky Libraries Terry Birdwhistell recalls his interview with former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis on her husband's relationship with popular Kentucky Senator John Sherman Cooper.

The oral history interview, taken by Birdwhistell on May 13, 1981, at Onassis' home on Fifth Avenue across from Central Park in New York City, was a bit of a dream come true for the oral historian.

"My colleagues thought I was crazy to even write to Ms. Onassis and ask for an interview about her friend, Kentucky Senator

                                                       

by Andrea Richard, Whitney Hale

(Nov. 18, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Special Collections Library will show the second film in its movie series “Reel to Real” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Worsham Theater. The film series explores celebrated movies through a historically accurate perspective based on primary source materials found in Special Collections. The screening is free and open to the public.

"In Country," featuring Bruce Willis, is about a Vietnam War veteran living in rural Kentucky, and his relationships with his daughter and others around him.

Based on the novel "In Country