Behind the Blue

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 30, 2020) –

Tuesday will mark one of the most important – and certainly unusual – elections in decades.

Local, state and federal elections are being contested in the midst of a pandemic and in the wake of unrest across the country around issues of racism. The country is deeply polarized. Recovery from a deep recession is uneven and unsure. The Congress is in a stalemate over whether to provide more stimulus as part of relief from COVID-19.

Tuesday night – and the days afterward – will determine who controls both the House and the Senate as well as the Presidency. In Kentucky, major races for the U.S. Senate, Congress and local legislative offices have captured national attention and drawn tens of millions of dollars in contributions from individuals and groups across the country.

To help sort out all the questions and bring clarity to a confusing and anxious election season, Behind the Blue interviewed D. Stephen Voss, an associate professor of political science at UK, and resident expert in elections and voting behavior. (https://polisci.as.uky.edu/user/1620) In thisepisode, Voss discusses potential outcomes in a number of races, the vagaries of polling and how deeply divided politically our country is right now.

"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.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 27, 2020) – The University of Kentucky has recently announced plans to elevate and expand its commitment to diversity, student success, accountability and its historic land-grant mission of service as part of an expansion of UK President Eli Capilouto’s leadership team.

As part of that expansion, UK is creating the position of chief accountability officer and audit executive, which will serve as a direct report to Capilouto, who says that the major reorganization is focused on the strategic imperatives, critical to UK’s capacity to not only survive, but thrive as the institution confronts what he calls the “twin pandemics” of COVID-19 and systemic racism.

Currently chief auditor, Joe Reed will move along with the division he oversees from the Office of the Executive Vice President for Finance Administration, into this new role of Chief accountability officer and audit executive.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, Reed discusses this new role; how it differs from his previous position as chief auditor, why this organizational change was needed at UK, the meaning and impact it provides to the overall mission of the University 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.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky, (Oct. 22, 2020) – Nationwide protests in the U.S. have captivated humans around the globe, catapulting discussions of race, justice and policing to the forefront of national discourse. 

While police brutality has been prevalent in the United States for decades, high-profile incidents of police using deadly force against unarmed people of color has emphasized the need for intentional dialogue surrounding racial injustice and systemic racism.

“For people who are racially minoritized, the recent uprisings are part of a continued conversation that has never been optional to engage,” said Nicole Martin, director of Inclusive Excellence and Diversity Education (IEDE) at the University of Kentucky. “What we are witnessing in the uprisings is a response to a centuries long cry for recognition of Black humanity and Black life. For those whom society at large does not appear to apply the lens of race, there has been an increased desire for education around the history and theories of race in the United States.”

As protests continue around the world, it is evident that individuals are ready to engage in advocacy, revolution and, most often, conversation. 

Although conversation alone will not lead to the dismantling of the oppressive systems that have led to the political, economic and social suppression of Black people, Indigenous people and people of color, ongoing dialogue can serve as a catalyst in igniting the change necessary to create the equity that marginalized communities deserve.

On this week’s edition of “Behind the Blue,” Martin and her colleague Rae Loftis, IEDE associate, discuss navigating difficult conversations surrounding race and equity, why these conversations are important in moving the campus forward and the role IEDE plays at the university in creating a campus community invested in expanding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

IEDE serves the university as a centralized educational unit for expanding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Rooted in an organized effort to create a campus community invested in exposing, challenging and minimizing the effects of interpersonal and institutionalized discrimination, IEDE is committed to supporting the broader mission of UK’s strategic plan. 

To learn more about IEDE and its services, click here. 

"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.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 8, 2020) – Totaling more than $429 million, the University of Kentucky saw a record-breaking year of research funding for the 2019-20 academic year, a 3% increase from the previous year. UK also continues to climb in national research rankings, coming in at 63rd among 624 public and private universities.

Leading the way in this area is Dr. Lisa Cassis, UK’s Vice-President for Research. Cassis oversees the university’s vast research efforts on fighting cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, opioid addiction and more.

On this week’s episode of Behind the Blue, Cassis joins UKPR’s Carl Nathe to discuss the many areas research is prioritizing, including greater diversity and inclusion, the increasing commitment to opportunities for undergraduate research, returning research efforts to higher capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 24, 2020) – The University of Kentucky is six weeks into a fall 2020 semester built around a hybrid of in-person and online classes. Masks, distancing, hand-washing, daily screenings and campus wide COVID-19 testing have become the protocol for the campus population, an initiative determined to provide a safe environment to fulfill UK’s missions of education, research, service and care.

As the university begins its all-SEC football season, starting September 26th at Auburn, University President Eli Capilouto recently joined UKPR’s Carl Nathe in a conversation for ‘UK at the Half.’

On this edition of Behind the Blue, we present that interview in its entirety, as Capilouto discusses the University’s return to classes, how the planning process which started in the spring continues to inform decisions made in the midst of changing circumstances, ongoing efforts regarding diversity, equity and inclusion 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.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 22, 2020) – The University of Kentucky recently announced a major reorganization of senior administration that energizes three strategic imperatives: putting students and their success at the center of all we do; constructing a bigger table for decision-making with people and resources to get the job done; and creating more accountability around the plans we make and more transparency on how we measure our progress.

In doing so, the president has expanded budget authority and responsibility for the Office for Institutional Diversity (OID) and announced the launch of a national search in the coming weeks for a permanent vice president for institutional diversity (VPID).

Currently, George Wright fills the role of interim VPID. Wright will continue in this role through the national search and move to the permanent position of senior adviser to President Capilouto once the new VPID is selected.

On this week’s edition of “Behind the Blue,” Wright discusses his role in the reorganization, his vision for OID’s future and how this reorganization will guide the university to accelerate its progress, even in the midst of this uncertain moment.

"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.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 11, 2020) – University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Dean Nancy Cox has recently been named by President Eli Capilouto as the Vice President for Land-Grant Engagement.

Dean Cox will take on this additional role while continuing her academic leadership in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Cox became dean of the college in 2014, having previously served as Associate Dean for Research and Associate Director of the Experiment Station at UK.

This edition of “Behind the Blue” explores Cox’s vision for the newly-created position, the ever-evolving role of extension and the responsibility behind being a land-grant institution for the Commonwealth 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.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 27, 2020) – Rural and African American communities face a number of health challenges – diabetes, lung cancer and heart disease being among the most common.

Dr. Lovoria Williams in the UK College of Nursing is surveying the congregants in Appalachian and central Kentucky churches to develop interventions designed to help people in those communities adapt their behavior and adopt healthy lifestyle choices. Additionally, she’s examining the effect of COVID-19 on those communities and the impact it has had on the congregants’ mental, emotional and financial well-being.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, Dr. Williams discusses her research, how it’s being received in those rural communities, what insight they hope to gain from the data 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.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 20, 2020) – As the University of Kentucky prepares for the start of the fall 2020 semester, efforts are underway to provide COVID-19 testing for all students planning a physical return to campus. Between August 3rd and August 22nd, testing for all 30,000 students – undergraduate, graduate and professional will be available at no cost to students at five sites on campus. The idea is to create a baseline for university officials as plans are implemented for ongoing daily screening, contact tracing and other health measures.

In addition, students moving into residence halls on campus are being provided ‘health kits’, containing digital thermometers, sanitizers, masks and other items, in an effort to promote healthy behavior to reduce transmission of the virus and flatten the infection curve. This behavior includes washing hands, sanitizing common surfaces, and maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from others…otherwise known as the more familiar term “social distancing”.

It’s that concept of distancing that is the focus of this episode of Behind the Blue. While distancing from each other is part of the desired behavior our health officials have been urging in order to combat this pandemic, humans have basic needs for emotional and social connection, and members of our society are being asked to do what we aren’t always well-equipped to do in the face of a crisis – nothing. On this week’s podcast, Tony Love, an assistant professor of sociology in the UK College of Arts and Sciences, and we’ll be talking about the importance of staying socially connected – even during times when we cannot be physically together.

"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.

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 6, 2020) – The discussions over removal of Confederate memorials in the United States have been some of the more prominent ones in our current cultural landscape. Gaining momentum from other recent social movements that are happening concurrently, from Black Lives Matter to #MeToo and beyond, the focus of these discussions now seems to have widened to include memorials and statues that go well further back than the American Civil War, and beyond the borders of this country.

Amy Murrell Taylor, the T. Marshall Hahn Jr. Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, last appeared on Behind the Blue in September of 2017. On this newest episode, Taylor returns to discuss how this movement has progressed over the past three years, and how the University and Lexington are approaching these conversations. “I think Lexington has gotten past the most contentious part of the monument piece of all of this,” says Taylor. “But monuments are just one piece of a much bigger struggle for racial justice.”

Taylor also talks about her recent book, “Embattled Freedom: Journeys Through the Civil War’s Slave Refugee Camps”, and its themes of freedom not just coming to people despite the war and its resolution, but that it had to be sought after in the midst of it.

"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.

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