Behind the Blue

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 3, 2019) – Alzheimer's disease wreaks emotional havoc on patients, who are robbed of their memories, their dignity, and their lives.  It’s financially devastating as well: care for Alzheimer's patients is predicted to top $1 trillion by about the time children born today are having children of their own.

More than 70,000 Kentuckians are living with Alzheimer's disease, which likely means that you know someone whose life has been touched -- directly or indirectly -- by dementia. And since that number is expected to rise to more than 85,000 in the next five years or so, Alzheimer's will likely hit closer to home for many of us.

But the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is doggedly pursuing answers to unlock the "how" and "why" dementia occurs with the goal of a treatment by 2050. They are world leaders in dementia research, and research funding for Sanders-Brown has almost tripled in the past 5 years.

In this episode of "Behind the Blue," Sanders-Brown director Linda Van Eldik talks about Sanders-Brown's involvement in some of the most important discoveries in the history of Alzheimer's research and what they are doing now to advance the science. 

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.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 25, 2019) – The University of Kentucky campus in Lexington is a big place, nearly 800 acres in area. Add in hundreds of buildings, ranging in age from brand new to more than 100 years old, and it’s a lot to keep track of and take care of.

Overseeing this effort is the job of UK’s Vice President for Facilities Management and Chief Facilities Officer Mary Vosevich, who joined the UK family in 2014 after a long career at the University of New Mexico.

On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” UKPR’s Carl Nathe talks with Vosevich about her responsibilities, the work that her people do each and every day, and the future outlook for the campus.

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] (mail to: [email protected]) or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 19, 2019) – When hospitals close we can assume that those who live near them will presumably have less access to medical care because they will have to travel farther for healthcare services. Since 2009, five rural hospitals in Kentucky have closed, and many more are at risk of following suit. 

Alison Davis, a professor of agricultural economics in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and director of Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) and SuZanne Troske, a research associate at CEDIK, recently authored a policy paper, and are working on a research article, that discusses the impact rural hospital closures have on the length of time an individual spends being transported in an ambulance.

While the paper didn’t offer specific solutions to the problem, the two researchers plan to conduct further studies to examine air transportation as an alternative, how longer ambulance rides impact health outcomes and understand the importance of hospitals as an economic driver in a community.

In this week’s episode of Behind the Blue, we discuss all this as well as the role communities can play in keeping rural hospitals open, the important piece of healthcare services provided by ambulances and emergency medical services and how economic development can impact health outcomes.

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.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 11, 2019) – The University of Kentucky’s Department of Computer Science within the College of Engineering was formed in 1966, making it one of the oldest departments of its kind anywhere in the nation.

Now one of its younger faculty members, Corey Baker, is helping to lead the way for the department in bridging the diversity gap. Baker, who is in his second year as an assistant professor at UK, believes universities must do a better job recruiting, retaining, and graduating minority students in engineering. Thus far, his extensive efforts are proving to be very successful.

On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” UKPR’s Carl Nathe talks with Baker about student recruitment and about his teaching, research, and service.

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] (mail to: [email protected]) or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 28, 2019) – Anthropology is the study of human culture in the past and the present. University of Kentucky professor Richard ‘Dick’ Jefferies is now in his fourth decade as a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology, within UK’s College of Arts and Sciences.

In his work of teaching, research, and service, Jefferies, an archaeologist, uncovers objects which shed light on how people in Kentucky and elsewhere lived hundreds and even thousands of years ago. 

On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” UKPR’s Carl Nathe talks with Jefferies about his fascinating career which includes the mentorship of many outstanding students over the years.

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] (mail to: [email protected]) or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 20, 2019) – Just in case you’re thinking, ‘I have a really busy schedule,’ pause for a moment to consider just what University of Kentucky College of Medicine student Lee Kiefer has ‘on her plate. 

A graduate of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kiefer is trying to qualify for her third consecutive Summer Olympics appearance as a member of Team USA Fencing for 2020. She posted a Top-5 finish at the 2012 Summer Games in London, England and followed that up with a Top-10 finish at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Kiefer, who comes from a family of medical doctors, starred as a collegiate fencer at the University of Notre Dame before entering medical school at UK in the fall of 2017. She recently completed her second year of study ahead of schedule and will be taking a one-year leave of absence in order to compete in high-level meets around the world as she strives to earn a spot at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” UKPR’s Carl Nathe talks with Kiefer about what it’s like to be an aspiring doctor while chasing her goal of an Olympic medal.

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] (mail to: [email protected]) or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 13, 2019) – Thanks to work spearheaded by University of Kentucky College of Engineering faculty member W. Brent Seales, UK is poised to become the world-class leader in digitally ‘unwrapping’ and restoring one-of-a-kind cultural artifacts, such as ancient manuscripts.

Seales and his students have worked for more than two decades to non-invasively image and unfurl all types of fragile texts, such as Beowulf, the Dead Sea Scrolls and more. Seales, professor and chair of UK’s Department of Computer Science, has earned a reputation as “the man who can read the unreadable.”

On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” UKPR’s Carl Nathe talks with Seales about his fascinating work and how it energizes him and excites those he teaches.

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] (mail to: [email protected]) or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2019) – On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” Carl Nathe of University of Kentucky Public Relations talks with Agricultural Economics Professor Mike Reed, who also directs the Office of International Agriculture Programs for UK’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Reed is optimistic about the future of agriculture in this country and globally.

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] (mail to: [email protected]) or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 30, 2019) – Now in her eighth year on the faculty of the University of Kentucky, Alison Gustafson is very happy to be a Wildcat. Gustafson is  associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition within UK’s  College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. 

Along with her classroom teaching, Gustafson does extensive research and outreach focused on helping people make healthier food choices.

On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” UKPR’s Carl Nathe talks with Gustafson about her work to help Kentuckians make real strides in the battle against chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Through the efforts of Gustafson and her colleagues, hopeful signs are appearing on the horizon. 

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] (mail to: [email protected]) or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 23, 2019) – The University of Kentucky Alumni Association started the Great Teacher Award program in 1961 to honor excellent teaching at the university. There have been 296 awards given 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 17 members 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.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, UKPR’s Amy Jones-Timoney talks with two of the six Great Teacher Award winners for 2019.

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