Behind the Blue

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 22, 2021) – In her work as chair of UK’s Department of Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry, Dr. Rebecca Dutch partners with researchers and faculty from multiple disciplines across the University of Kentucky.

Now, Dutch is taking on even more research responsibilities, as she was recently appointed Vice Dean of Research for the UK College of Medicine. In her new role, she will oversee and encourage research, from basic areas to clinical applications and more for the College.

Dr. Dutch returns to the ‘Behind the Blue’ podcast this week to discuss UK’s current state of play in handling the coronavirus pandemic. She joins UKPR’s Kody Kiser and UK Chief Communications Officer Jay Blanton to share her thoughts on a wide range of pandemic topics, including:

• Delta and other variants of the coronavirus, who it’s most affecting and the likelihood of becoming infected with or without use of vaccines
• Understanding the differences in the messaging coming from the CDC vs. the World Health Organization
• What efforts can be taken to get vaccination rates up among the population
• The continuing search for the origins of the virus and the possible connection to laboratories in China

"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 15, 2021) – THIS EPISODE IS AN ENCORE EDITION. Medical trauma, the emotional and physiological reactions that many children with medical conditions and their family members experience, happens to millions of people and can cause a variety of adverse reactions, regardless of the severity of the medical condition being treated.

On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’, Dr. Meghan Marsac and Melissa Hogan discuss their new book that addresses medical trauma, how to understand it and tips to overcome it. ‘Afraid of the Doctor: Every Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Managing Medical Trauma’ is the first book written for parents with the primary goal of equipping them with the knowledge and skills to support their children through medical challenges. The book will be available beginning July 16, 2021, and you can find more information here.

Marsac is a pediatric psychologist and tenured Associate Professor here at the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Children’s Hospital, with expertise in promoting adjustment and preventing post-traumatic stress in parents and their children with medical conditions. Clinically, she implements evidence-based practices to facilitate families' management of medical treatment and emotional adjustment to challenging diagnoses and medical procedures. In addition, Dr. Marsac specializes in training medical teams in the implementation of trauma-informed medical care.

Hogan earned a Juris Doctor with a focus on health law from the University of Pittsburgh School of law, where she served as executive editor of the Law Review. She has worked as an attorney, a consultant on law firm strategy, and an adjunct professor of legal writing and health care regulatory law.

Hogan is the mother of three boys, the youngest of whom was diagnosed with the rare disease Hunter syndrome as a toddler. Soon after her son’s diagnosis, she began to blog about what she was learning and her family’s experience with her son’s condition. That blog connected her to a community of parents around the world whose children had Hunter syndrome or other chronic conditions.

"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 8, 2021) – THIS EPISODE IS AN ENCORE EDITION. On March 1, UK HealthCare opened its expanded Interventional Services facility at Chandler Hospital. Offering less invasive alternatives to traditional surgery, Interventional Services have seen tremendous growth in recent years.

Dr. Driss Raissi is the Medical Director for Interventional Services and the Vascular & Interventional Radiology Division Chief at UK HealthCare, and has overseen the expansion of this newly renovated, 50,000 square foot facility designed to accommodate the growing number of patients who qualify for less invasive surgery and procedures.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, Dr. Raissi talks about what interventional radiology covers, the life-changing impact it offers patients who cannot be served by other means of treatment, the benefits this new facility will provide the Commonwealth, and more.

"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 1, 2021) – If, in recent memory, you’ve attended a University of Kentucky football game at Kroger Field you will, no doubt, be familiar with the guest on this episode of ‘Behind the Blue.’ In fact, if you’ve listened to ‘Behind the Blue’ over the past several years, you’ve heard the voice of Carl Nathe, as he’s interviewed many people who have put their hard work and effort into making the university work.

A native of Pleasantville, New York, Nathe is a graduate of the University of Maryland – College Park. He’s been at UK for over 30 years, since 1989, and has been the voice of Kroger Field since 1997. A former sports reporter and anchor at WLEX-TV in Lexington, Nathe also served as sideline reporter for selected statewide and regional live telecasts of UK Women’s basketball games.

On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’, the spotlight is turned around for a rare interview with Nathe about the end of his UK career, the inspirations that guided him along the way, and the moments and memories he’ll take with him.

"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. (June 24, 2021) – Jen Smith is an instructor in the School of Journalism and a self-described recovering sportswriter who worked for the Lexington Herald-Leader in various positions for more than 20 years, including writer, copy editor and designer.

While working in the sports department, she covered everything from high school sports to racing — both the horse and horsepower kinds — before settling into the University of Kentucky football beat in 2011.  She also covered UK women’s basketball for more than 15 seasons. 

Smith has a passion for sports, but also for good storytelling across multiple platforms, editing and journalism history.  In addition to her teaching duties, Smith is now focused as well on creating a sports journalism program and academic path at UK.

In 2016 and 2017, she was named Kentucky Sports Writer of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Smith also was a Top 10 sports beat writer in the country in 2017, according to the Association of Professional Sports Editors. During her two decades in the journalism industry, she won multiple sports feature and story competitions.

In this episode of Behind the Blue, Smith discusses taking on her new role as a teacher, the state of journalism and what’s next for the profession in a time of economic challenge. (This interview was recorded in February of 2021.)

"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. (June 17, 2021) – Members of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees today are considering a proposed $5.1 billion UK budget for 2021-2022. The budget describes how the university funds the salaries of some 20,000 employees, sets tuition for 30,000 students and details the operations of a hospital system that now comprises roughly half of UK’s budget.

But at its core, according to UK’s Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, Eric Monday, a budget is about values and priorities. Monday believes a budget provides a roadmap to better understand what the institution really values.

In this episode of Behind the Blue, Monday discusses those values and priorities in detail as he breaks down a record budget for the University of Kentucky.

"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. (June 10, 2021) – Medical trauma, the emotional and physiological reactions that many children with medical conditions and their family members experience, happens to millions of people and can cause a variety of adverse reactions, regardless of the severity of the medical condition being treated.

On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’, Dr. Meghan Marsac and Melissa Hogan discuss their new book that addresses medical trauma, how to understand it and tips to overcome it. ‘Afraid of the Doctor: Every Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Managing Medical Trauma’ is the first book written for parents with the primary goal of equipping them with the knowledge and skills to support their children through medical challenges. The book will be available beginning July 16, 2021, and you can find more information here.

Marsac is a pediatric psychologist and tenured Associate Professor here at the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Children’s Hospital, with expertise in promoting adjustment and preventing post-traumatic stress in parents and their children with medical conditions. Clinically, she implements evidence-based practices to facilitate families' management of medical treatment and emotional adjustment to challenging diagnoses and medical procedures. In addition, Dr. Marsac specializes in training medical teams in the implementation of trauma-informed medical care.

Hogan earned a Juris Doctor with a focus on health law from the University of Pittsburgh School of law, where she served as executive editor of the Law Review. She has worked as an attorney, a consultant on law firm strategy, and an adjunct professor of legal writing and health care regulatory law.

Hogan is the mother of three boys, the youngest of whom was diagnosed with the rare disease Hunter syndrome as a toddler. Soon after her son’s diagnosis, she began to blog about what she was learning and her family’s experience with her son’s condition. That blog connected her to a community of parents around the world whose children had Hunter syndrome or other chronic conditions.

"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. (June 3, 2021) – Crystal Wilkinson is an associate professor of English at the University of Kentucky and an award-winning author. Her novel, The Birds of Opulence was the winner of the 2016 Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. She is also the author of Water Street and Blackberries, Blackberries. She also has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and her short stories, poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including most recently in the Oxford American and Southern Cultures. 

Most recently, she was named the state’s poet laureate for 2021-2022, the first time a black woman has been appointed to the prestigious post.

In this episode of Behind the Blue, Wilkinson discusses growing up in Appalachian Kentucky, her love of writing and teaching and what she is focused on now in her creative work.

"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. (May 27, 2021) – Jennifer Greer joined the University of Kentucky in 2019 as Dean of the College of Communication and Information.

She came to UK after several years as an academic administrator at both the University of Alabama and the University of Nevada. She served as associate provost at the University of Alabama, handling faculty personnel issues, faculty orientation and leadership programs, and providing oversight for several academic support and compliance units in Academic Affairs.

She also has been recognized for her excellence in teaching, winning collegewide teaching awards at Nevada and Alabama and was honored with a university award for excellence in academic advising at Alabama.

This academic year, she returned to the classroom to teach – in the midst of a pandemic.

In this episode of Behind the Blue, Greer discusses the challenges of running a growing college, returning to the classroom and the future of communication and media.

"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. (May 20, 2021) – A 1972 graduate of the UK Dental School, Dr. Jeff Okeson returned in 1974 to begin a now 46-year career as a faculty member of the UK College of Dentistry. Inducted into the 2015 class of the UK Hall of Distinguished Alumni, Dr. Okeson has touched the lives of a vast number of students as well as members of the surrounding community.

Having worked as a teacher, a researcher, a lecturer and a representative of the University on a national and even international level, Dr. Okeson now serves as Dean of the College of Dentistry, a role he views as a privilege that enables him to give back to the school that gave him so much.

In an interview recorded in January of 2021, Dr. Okeson talks with UKPR’s Carl Nathe about how the pandemic pushed the College to find new ways of keeping students immersed in their work, the innovations in dentistry that UK Dentistry students are being trained in, the importance of getting dental care back into underserved areas of Kentucky, and more.

"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.