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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, 1966.

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 highest recognition, the

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 UK Venture

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 cooperation among peoples, but the collective

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

 

Video produced by UK Public Relations & Marketing. To view captions for this video, push play and click on the CC icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. If using a mobile device, click on the "thought bubble" in the same area. 

(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, College of

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 months of training when I first

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 Tammy Stephenson, 

By 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 Firey, UK professor of history,

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 been interested in teaching, particularly because when students approach a history class they often think it’s going to be boring, it’

By Weston Loyd

(Dec. 4, 2015) — The University Press of Kentucky (UPK) is now offering a myriad of titles, many of which would be perfect for that hard-to-buy-for person on your holiday shopping list.

Friends and family who enjoy learning about the Commonwealth’s history may enjoy several publications from UPK, including recent releases The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia, "Committed to Victory," "Venerable Trees," "Lincoln’s Final Hours" or "Kentucky by Design."

The history of African Americans in Kentucky is long and vast. The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia, edited by Gerald L. Smith,

By Whitney Harder

(Nov. 18, 2015) — A new collaboration between the University of Kentucky College of Law and College of Arts and Sciences will allow students seeking a law degree to save time and money by graduating in six years instead of seven.

The UK BLUE (Bachelor-to-Law Undergraduate Education) program is open to incoming freshmen who know early on they plan to pursue a law degree. The program reduces total tuition costs by one year and exposes students to the practice and study of law early on in their undergraduate career.

"For highly motivated, exceptional students, this is a targeted pathway to help them reach their career goals," said Sarah Ballard, an academic advisor in

By Whitney Hale 

(Nov. 13, 2015) — Now in its 34th year, the Kentucky Book Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Frankfort Convention Center. This year’s fair will feature more than 200 authors and editors showcasing their most recent books including several writers from University Press of Kentucky (UPK).

Sponsored by The State-Journal, and co-sponsored by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and ArchivesJoseph-Beth Booksellers, UPK and the 

By Kathy Johnson

(Oct. 30, 2015) — WUKY's "UK Perspectives" focuses on the people and programs of the University of Kentucky and is hosted by WUKY General Manager Tom Godell.  This week guest host, UK News Director Alan Lytle interviews doctoral students Dara Vance and Cody Foster about the UK Department of History's new podcast series, "Long Story Short - A Brief History of History.

To listen to the podcast interview from which "UK Perspectives" is produced, visit 

By Gail Hairston

(Oct. 29, 2015) — Tracy Campbell, professor of history and interim chair of the University of Kentucky Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences was interviewed by National Public Radio Wednesday morning about the African-American neighborhoods razed to build the museum and grounds surrounding St. Louis' Gateway Arch.

Campbell, an expert in 20th century American social and political history, wrote “The Gateway Arch: A Biography” (Yale, 2013), which was featured on NPR's "Weekend Edition" with Scott Simon, XM Radio's "The Bob Edwards Show," and was selected by the History Book Club. The book was also chosen as one of the Best Books of 2013 by

By Whitney Hale, Mack McCormick

(Oct. 26, 2015) — University Press of Kentucky (UPK) co-editors Gerald Smith, Karen Cotton McDaniel and John Hardin have been selected to receive the 2015 Kentucky Archives Month Certificate for Merit for Writing/Publication for their editorship of The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia.

This Kentucky Archives Month Certificate for Merit for Writing/Publication is presented by the Kentucky State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) in order to recognize individuals who made a significant contribution to the

By Gail Hairston

(Oct. 26, 2015) — Roy Foster, Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford, was recently awarded a President’s Medal from the British Academy for “transforming the understanding of a period or subject of study” for his book “Vivid Faces: the Irish revolutionary generation 1890-1923.”

Focusing on the central event of the Easter Rising of 1916 and the motivations which drove the people behind it, Foster will lecture on the history of the Irish Revolution of 1912-1922, “Making a Revolution in Ireland: Some Centenary Thoughts” at 4 p.m. today at the William T. Young Library Auditorium.

His lecture will also consider the agendas, elisions and implications of commemorating events in history that are at once inspirational and divisive. He will raise issues such as the changing historical interpretations of

By Gail Hairston

(Oct. 20, 2015) — Gerald Smith, University of Kentucky professor of history, the UK Martin Luther King Center scholar-in residence and the Theodore A. Hallam Professor (2015-2017) received the Campbellsville University Racial Reconciliation Award on Oct. 14.

The Campbellsville University Racial Reconciliation Award is given to those who have shown outstanding characteristics of servant leadership in bringing people together past racial matters and across lines of ethnicity, and who have been significant bridge builders for the community, according to John Chowning, vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant to the president at Campbellsville University.

Smith, pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church in Lexington, was the kickoff speaker

By Whitney Hale

(Sept. 14, 2015) — Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship Day, commemorates the ratification of the United States Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. Each year on Sept. 17th, federally funded educational institutions are required to hold educational programming in honor of this historic event. 

The University of Kentucky is honored to celebrate Constitution Day 2015 with a full day of exciting and informative events. Under the direction of the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost, the UK Division of Undergraduate Education (UGE) has led the charge in organizing UK Constitution

By Gail Hairston, Dara Vance

(Sept. 14, 2015) — The University of Kentucky Department of History needs to build an extra book shelf. 

Five department faculty members — Ronald Formisano, Erik Myrup, Gerald Smith, Jeremy Popkin and Akiko Takenaka — published their own books between July and August of 2015.  The publication of five books in a year is a significant achievement for many academic units, but the publication of five books in one month is unprecedented at UK. 

The simultaneous publication of five books by faculty at varying stages of their careers indicates the diversity and depth of talent in the UK history department, said the department’s interim chair, Tracy Campbell.

“Five books in one month is a really big deal, and we want to celebrate with Lexington,” Campbell said.

In order to directly connect Lexington with the