Behind the Blue

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 25, 2024) – This year marked Kentucky Gymnastics 50th season. Fans were able to watch some incredible talent during the historic season, including the incredibly decorated Raena Worley.

The 2024 SEC Floor Co-Champion graduated in May with a dual degree in Communications and Kinesiology. She is now an assistant coach for Kentucky Gymnastics.

Worley is the second-most decorated gymnast in the history of U-K's program with a long list of accolades. Some highlights include earning five perfect tens this past season of competition — four on floor exercise and one coming on the uneven bars.

Worley also qualified as a national championship individual competitor this year and finished as runner-up on the floor exercise.

Now, the world turns its attention to the Paris Olympics and once again gymnastics will be a must-watch event.

On this episode of "Behind the Blue" we pick Worley's brain about competing at such a high level and see who she's eyeing in the competition.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 18, 2024) – The University of Kentucky Alumni Association started the Great Teacher Award program in 1961 to honor excellent teaching at the university. There have been more than 300 teachers honored since that first year. Nominations may only be submitted by current students.

To receive the award, a candidate must:

• Hold the rank of full-time lecturer or above and have been a member of the faculty for the past three years at UK.
• Have superior knowledge of the subject matter.
• Have original and innovative classroom presentations.
• Demonstrate concern for students, both inside and outside the classroom setting.
• Not have been a recipient of the award for the past 10 years.

A committee of the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors and a representative from the student organization Omicron Delta Kappa select the recipients based on objective rating and ranking of the eligible nominations submitted.

This episode of Behind the Blue spotlights one of the six Great Teacher Award winners for 2024. Jordan Brower is an assistant professor of English where he primarily teaches film and media studies. He earned his bachelor's degree in English at Amherst College and his Ph.D. in English and film and media studies from Yale University.

Before coming to UK in 2019, he was a lecturer in the interdisciplinary history and literature program at Harvard University and, as a graduate student and then adjunct, at Yale University.

In his research, Brower studies the ways artists — writers of fiction and screenplays, directors, stars — understand their positions within the increasingly complex and chaotic media industries in which they work. His first book, "Classical Hollywood, American Modernism: A Literary History of the Studio System" (Cambridge University Press, 2024), charts the entwined trajectories of the Hollywood studio system and literary modernism in the United States.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email [email protected] or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 11, 2024) – [THIS IS AN ENCORE EPISODE.] Dr. Kenneth Campbell is the director of translational research in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in the UK College of Medicine. His work, to help map out an important part of the heart on a molecular level was part of a study published online in the prestigious journal Nature in 2023.

Campbell says the study is important for discovering new drug therapies for heart disease, the leading cause of death in Kentucky. According to the CDC, Kentucky is among the top 10 states with the highest death rate from the disease.

On this episode of 'Behind the Blue', Dr. Campbell talks about this important research and how the development of the Gill Cardiovascular Biorepository has helped drive heart muscle research around the world.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 4, 2024) – [THIS IS AN ENCORE EPISODE.] The Kentucky Appalachian Rural Rehabilitation Network (KARRN) is a collaborative team that advocates to empower communities impacted by disability. Their focus is improving the quality of life for all. The organization is directed under the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences and led by Patrick Kitzman, PT, Ph.D.

Each year Kitzman and his team take on multiple projects to help those who need it most. Projects include refurbishing equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers, providing adapted toys to children and fundraising for the Grace Jones Fund.

KARRN also has an undergraduate student club on UK's campus led by Clara Bond, a junior in the College of Health Sciences. Their purpose is to assess campus for accessibility and suggest changes where needed. They have also provided education to children in various schools across the Fayette County school district.

This year during One Day for UK, the University's annual giving day, all donations to the College of Health Sciences will go directly toward the Grace Jones Fund.

This fund is used to help people with physical disabilities, caused by conditions such as strokes, as well as their families. Funds can be used to pay for adult day care, medical equipment, therapy services (such as PT, OT, or Speech), transportation costs related to attending disability support services, short-term respite care, program development, education, assistive technology and marketing.

On this episode of 'Behind the Blue', Kitzman and Bond talk about the important work of KARRN, the collaboration the network has helped inspire, the culture shift they see happening both on and off campus, and more.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 27, 2024) – In February of this year, we published an episode of Behind the Blue that previewed the UK College of Pharmacy's 'Everything is Science' event. 'Everything is Science' is a speaker-series festival that unfolds across various venues throughout Lexington. The idea behind it is to take a large and intimidating topic and make it relatable and accessible in a fun and interactive way. One of the goals of the series is to help people feel more connected to the world they live in.

The theme of this year's 'Everything is Science' festival was 'Make it Make Sense!', where attendees would embark on a sensory journey, with the focus on the five remarkable human senses: touch, vision, taste, hearing, and smell.

On this episode of 'Behind the Blue', we're featuring one of the presentations from this year's festival. Lou Hirsch, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment gave a talk entitled "Fungal Feasts: Fungi are all around us — and tasty!".

This presentation has been slightly edited for time and clarity.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 20, 2024) – For Keith Wynn, UK's assistant director of Transfer Recruitment, the journey to higher education wasn't a traditional one. From dropping out of high school and working various jobs to earning his GED and eventually taking the ACT, his perseverance led him through multiple schools and changes in majors before earning his degree in 2007.

Wynn's experiences have shaped his passion for helping others, especially transfer students, find their own paths in higher education. Those qualities of resilience and dedication are now ones he instills in the students he supports. As an admissions counselor, he discovered a deep-seated passion for guiding students through their educational journeys, emphasizing that non-traditional paths are just as valuable and impactful.

On this episode of 'Behind the Blue', Wynn talks about how he encourages students to break through self-imposed limitations and seize opportunities available at UK, including understanding their own potential and the breadth of possibilities awaiting them.

You can find more information about transfer admission here.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 13, 2024) – [THIS IS AN ENCORE EPISODE.] This week marks the beginning of Campus Pride Week here at the University of Kentucky. Celebrated nationally in June, Campus Pride Week, hosted by the Office of LGBTQ* Resources (housed in the Office for Student Success) allows students, faculty and staff an opportunity to honor pride on campus while the spring semester is still in session.

Throughout the week, the campus acknowledges the diversity of identities, experiences and histories in the LGBTQ+ community and recognizes all who have and continue to advocate for LGBTQ+ lives, rights and visibility.

While this is an annual event at the university, this year will look a bit different, as the Office of LGBTQ* Resources has hired both a new director and assistant director.

Glenn Means, new director, believes the week will provide the campus community with an opportunity to learn about the office's resources and build community.

Prior to his new role, Means served in the UK College of Public Health as the admissions and recruitment coordinator, and before that, Means worked for the Legislative Research Commission, where he handled constituent service matters for the Commonwealth. Means also served as the development director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass and the donor stewardship manager for Lexington Habitat for Humanity. Outside of his work experience, Means has volunteered with various LGBTQ* organizations.

"Through all of this work, I have had the opportunity to educate, advocate and inform people on many issues that are important to our community, including mentorship, housing, healthcare, human rights and LGBTQ+ issues," Means said. "It is a privilege to serve in this role to allow our students to have a safe space on campus and more importantly, a place for them to be themselves."

As new director, Means hopes to create a more inclusive, supportive and affirming campus environment for LGBTQ+ individuals. He is committed to championing diversity, equity and inclusion, and to creating a space where all individuals are respected, valued and celebrated for who they are.

Atticus White, who will serve as the new assistant director, began their journey with the Office of LGBTQ* Resources back in 2018 during their sophomore year at UK where they were an intern in the office. After graduating in 2020, they held various retail and administrative jobs, but says nothing really stuck or felt fulfilling.

"I kept thinking back to the office and how wonderful it was to work in an environment that did so much work to support a community I love," White said. "I sent an email to the director at the time and described my work with the office previously. I made my way into an administrative assistant position. About six months into my position, I became the only full-time staff in the office. I was suddenly in charge of managing everything. While it was extremely overwhelming, I knew that I had to stay to keep our doors open and continue to support our students. After all that hard work and strife, I had the opportunity to apply for and accept the assistant director position."

As the new assistant director, White wants to continue the great work the office has been doing since starting with the office but push for more visibility.

"Glenn and I have talked a lot about our visions for the office in the future. One of the biggest things we've discussed is how to make our office more visible. Many students might not even know our office exists on campus. We want to change that," White said. "Students of any marginalized identity have specific needs that their peers might not understand or relate to. We must continue our work so that students know that they are welcome not just in our office, but on campus, in Lexington, in Kentucky, in the United States and in the world."

Through collaborative initiatives and outreach programs, starting with Campus Pride Week, Means and White plan on making an impact the campus community can see and feel.

Throughout Campus Pride Week, the office will host a series of events, including educational workshops, guest speakers and social gatherings, designed to promote LGBTQ+ visibility and acceptance. These activities are open to all members of the university community and serve as opportunities for dialogue, learning and celebration.

"Our office has three core pillars that we strive to follow with all our work: education, advocacy and community building. Pride Week is a culmination of all these things," White said. "I hope the campus community finds new ways to celebrate their queer and trans peers, to be better allies to them and to feel open to having discussions about identity that they may never have thought about before! Most cisgender and straight individuals may not have spent a lot of time thinking about those elements of their identity; events like these give the chance to challenge that and create the opportunity for more conversation. More than anything, I hope our campus community feels inspired by Pride Week. Pride is a beautiful time to spark new conversations, new creative endeavors and new opportunities for growth and change in our world."

UKNow recently caught up with Means and White to discuss Campus Pride Week, their new roles and their visions for the future of the Office of LGBTQ* Resources.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 6, 2024) –For over three decades, Everett McCorvey, D.M.A., has been the driving force as director of UK Opera Theatre, which is part of the School of Music at the UK College of Fine Arts. The school has earned a national reputation for excellence in opera, choral and instrumental music performance, as well as in music education, music therapy, composition, theory, and music history.

As the first African American to earn a doctoral degree in music from the University of Alabama, McCorvey is personally committed to creating opportunities for UK students from diverse backgrounds to thrive.

One of McCorvey's most renowned projects is 'It's A Grand Night for Singing!', a vibrant, high-energy musical showcase featuring hits from Broadway and beyond. Since its inception in 1992, 'Grand Night' has captivated audiences with its Emmy Award-winning performances, highlighting the best of Broadway both past and present.

On this episode of 'Behind the Blue', McCorvey shares insights into his upbringing in Montgomery, Alabama, the experiences that motivated him to pursue both performance and teaching and offers a preview of this year's 'Grand Night' lineup.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 30, 2024) – After finding great satisfaction in writing his first popular press book, "Vote for US: How to Take Back Our Elections and Change the Future of Voting," Joshua Douglas was motivated to pursue a similar endeavor for his second book.

Douglas, a professor at the UK J. David Rosenberg College of Law, sought advice from a trusted advisor about his new idea, which focused on using bipartisan solutions to improve our elections and potentially circumventing the need for Supreme Court involvement. His advisor suggested that this concept should be the conclusion of his book, proposing instead that Douglas explore why he views the Supreme Court as problematic and why a comprehensive election reform is necessary.

The outcome is Douglas' second book, released on May 14th, titled "The Supreme Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights." In this book, Douglas delves into significant voting rights cases—some lesser-known and others more familiar—to examine the pivotal moments that have profoundly affected our elections and the nation. Through clear and approachable writing, Douglas recounts each case, sheds light on the enduring electoral challenges we face, and underscores the significant influence the Supreme Court has had in creating a compromised electoral system.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, Douglas shares what attracted him to the cases discussed in his book, highlights unexpected details readers may learn about the Constitution's treatment of voting rights, and offers ideas for reforms that could lead to meaningful improvements.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 23, 2024) – In October 2016, the UK College of Social Work (CoSW) established a partnership with the Department of Defense to offer the one-of-a-kind Army-UK Master of Social Work degree.

A satellite site was established within the Army Medical Department Center and School at Fort Sam Houston. The satellite implements the full-time, 60-hour CoSW program. The curriculum is delivered in a condensed format over 14 continuous months of study, and all classes are administered face-to-face on the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston campus. The goal is to develop well-qualified clinical social workers to fill positions across military service branches.

Colonel Teresa Murray, a graduate of the MSW program, is now the director of the very same program she graduated from.

Murray was promoted to the rank of colonel in April of this year. There are currently fewer than 10 active-duty social workers who have earned that title in the army.

With more than 21 years of active federal service, Col. Murray says the role of social workers in the military continues to evolve.

On this episode of 'Behind the Blue', Col. Murray discusses her career path, the importance and value of social workers serving the members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the continuing importance of observing Memorial Day, as communities across the United States prepare to honor the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page.

To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.