by Sarah Geegan

University of Kentucky students come from all over the map — from as nearby as Fayette county, to as far away as Vietnam. Though their hometowns vary, they all share one thing in common; they're part of a Big Blue community that comes together during one of the most exciting times on UK's campus: K Week.

For international students at UK, K Week starts a week earlier, with K Week International Orientation, a series of events designed especially to support students coming to UK from abroad. More than 400 international undergraduate, graduate and CESL (Center for English as a Second Language) students will arrive during K Week International Orientation; UK currently hosts approximately 1,900 international students from 114 different countries

By Alicia Gregory

In 2009, the Virtual Observatory And Ecological Informatics System (VOEIS) project was launched. Funded by an NSF EPSCoR grant, VOEIS united researchers at five universities in Kentucky and two universities in Montana to develop a cyber infrastructure system to monitor, analyze, model, and forecast the consequences of environmental changes in freshwater ecosystems.

Real-time sensor readings from lakes and streams are sent to laboratories at Flathead Lake Biological Station in Montana and Hancock Biological Station in Kentucky and go into a database management system.

Barbara Kucera, principal

By Sarah Geegan

When UK chemistry professor Susan Odom was asked about one of her students at the 244th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia, her answer rendered her colleagues speechless.

Her colleague's question: "How many years of graduate school has she completed?" Odom's response: "She's still in high school."

Her student, Corrine “Nina” Elliott, works to synthesize and study new compounds for overcharge protection in lithium-ion batteries — essentially creating chemicals which can be added to batteries to make them safer and more efficient. Elliott won first place in chemistry at her regional and state science fair competitions, and presented this research at the Intel International Science Fair,

By Jenny Wells, Kristen Stauffer

Research contributions by faculty from the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences and College of Education are featured in the 2013 release of "Common Core Mathematics Standards and Implementing Digital Technologies," published by IGI Global.

Carl Lee, UK professor of mathematics, Margaret Mohr-Schroeder, associate professor of STEM education, and College of Education doctoral graudate Robin Magruder (now a professor at Campbellsville University) were primary contributors.

Standards in the American education system are traditionally handled on a state-by-

By Whitney Hale

Four students from the University of Kentucky have been selected as recipients of Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships. The UK recipients are among 1,900 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2013-2014 academic year through the prestigious program. In addition, one of UK's four winners, medical student Juliana Odetunde, received one of only five prestigious Fulbright-Fogarty awards, which promote the expansion of research in public health and clinical research in resource-limited settings.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding

By Jenny Wells

The Kentucky Girls STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Collaborative, in partnership with the STEM-H Institute at Eastern Kentucky University, will hold its fifth annual conference "Reaching for the Stars!" Friday, June 7, at the Eastern Kentucky University campus.

Educators, counselors, business and community leaders, parents and girls are invited to come meet others with a strong desire to see girls discover opportunities available to them within the STEM fields. Conference attendees will explore up-and-coming career opportunities in the STEM disciplines and learn proactive steps to help girls overcome

By Whitney Hale

Five University of Kentucky students and one recent graduate have been selected to receive government-funded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships. The fellowships will present the students with more than $100,000 to use toward research-based master's or doctoral degrees.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in the U.S. and abroad. NSF fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $30,000 along with a $12,000 cost of education

By Whitney Hale, Kayla Powell

In conjunction with the Art Museum at the University of Kentucky exhibition Curves in Math, Waves in Glass, Origami and Glass Works, father-son team, Martin Demaine and Erik Demaine, will discuss the relationship of art and mathematics in a lecture scheduled April 24. The exhibition, which opened April 21, runs through May 26. 

Martin Demaine and Erik Demaine will present Algorithms Meet Art, Puzzles and Magic at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at the Worsham Theater in the

By Bryan O'Loughlin, Whitney Hale

Sam Beavin, a University of Kentucky junior majoring in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry, has been awarded a Udall Scholarship of up to $5,000 for his senior year. Beavin is one of 50 students selected to receive the scholarship from a pool of more than 450 applicants.

The Udall Scholarships provide up to $5,000 to sophomore and junior level college students who have shown commitment to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy, or Native American health care. Scholarships are funded by the Udall Foundation, an independent federal agency that was established by Congress in 1992.

Beavin is the son of Gary and Tina Beavin of Louisville, Ky., and a 2010 graduate of St. Xavier High School.

The UK

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 Jay Blanton

video by UK Public Relations and Marketing.

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto Thursday praised the partnership of Gov. Steve Beshear and legislative leaders who are strongly supporting UK's self-financing of a dramatic $275 million transformation of the campus.

"We are here this morning because of your leadership and your willingness to partner with us, as educational institutions, united to provide Kentucky with the best education, research and service," Capilouto said at a Frankfort news conference with the governor and legislative leaders who are supporting UK's proposal. "In offering your support for us to self-finance facilities that will help dramatically improve and transform our campuses, you are voicing your faith in Kentucky's future as well

by Jenny Wells & Danica Kubly

The University of Kentucky Office for Undergraduate Research recognized and awarded 19 students this week with the Oswald Research and Creativity Program awards.  Diane Snow, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, and Ben Withers, interim associate provost for Undergraduate Education, were on hand to congratulate the winners and distribute the awards. 

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

by Sarah Geegan

Two University of Kentucky professors were recently recognized for outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication and utilization of mathematics. Serge Ochanine and  Zhongwei Shen were named Fellows of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) for 2013, the program's initial year.

The AMS strives to create an enlarged class of mathematicians recognized by their peers as distinguished for their contributions to the profession and to honor excellence. This inaugural class of 1,119 Fellows represents more than 600 institutions.

"The AMS is the world's largest and most influential society dedicated to mathematical

by Sarah Geegan

The UK College of Arts and Sciences inducted four new members to the A&S Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 19.

The "Celebrate A&S: Alumni and Faculty Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony" took place at the Singletary Center for the Arts. Two faculty members and two alumni joined the ranks of the current 30 alumni and 6 emeritus faculty A&S Hall of Fame members.

The ceremony followed an academic theme; the inductees wore formal academic regalia and received medallions with the UK A&S seal. 

The 2012 Hall of Fame inductees:

Matthew Cutts, current leader of Google’s webspam

by Sarah Geegan

The College of Arts and Sciences created a new program this fall designed to help incoming freshmen get on the right track for calculus — the FastTrack. 

FastTrack for Calculus is a two-week, on-campus residential academic preparation program for highly qualified incoming freshman students at UK. The program is designed as a refresher course to prepare students for Calculus I.

"All over the country it’s a challenge for students to come out of high school and do well in very demanding  STEM majors: science, technology, engineering and mathematics," Mark Kornbluh, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said.  "So our goal is to help the transition to some of our most rigorous science and mathematical majors."

by Whitney Hale

Last spring, Teach for America selected 27 recent graduates of the University of Kentucky to serve in America's inner cities and rural communities. The UK group, the largest in school history, is among 5,800 new corps members selected for Teach for America, a national program in which outstanding college graduates commit to teach for two years in disadvantaged urban and rural public schools.

Teach for America places its recruits in the nation's highest-need elementary and secondary schools in many of the country's lowest income communities, both rural and urban, in an effort to close the achievement gap between economically advantaged and disadvantaged children.

This year’s corps is the largest in Teach for America’s history.

by Keith Hautala

David C. Royster, associate professor of mathematics at the University of Kentucky, has been appointed interim director of the Partnership Institute for Math and Science Education Reform (PIMSER).

Royster has been on the faculty at UK since fall 2009. He also serves PIMSER on its advisory board and as its outreach professor in mathematics. Prior to coming to UK, Royster served as the director of the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

Royster succeeds John H. Yopp, who retired from UK in July and who continues to be active in international education and math and science education.

PIMSER was established in fulfillment of a commitment

When Robert Schneider isn't touring around the world with band, Apples In Stereo, he's often working on one of his other great passions - math! The recent UK mathematics alum has just released a new math strategy game. Check out the video to see how the game looks and works:

You can also read the full article from the A.V. Club here

By Sarah Geegan, Lea Mann

University of Kentucky math professor Carl Lee recently received the Kentucky Mathematical Association of America award at the annual KYMAA meeting at Bellarmine University. The award is given annually to one mathematician from across the state.

The Mathematical Association of America, (MAA), is a national professional mathematics society, which focuses on collegiate teaching. The Kentucky section draws from all colleges and universities across the state and recognizes one member each year for distinguished college or university instruction.

Lee said he was surprised but honored to receive the award.

"This was very unexpected," Lee said of his award. "I was attending the annual meeting of the