Behind the Blue

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Mar. 7, 2017) – On February 28th, the University of Kentucky Alumni Association held a dinner to honor this year’s recipients of the Great Teacher Award. Six UK professors have been named winners of the award for 2017:

• Richard Andreatta, College of Health Sciences
• Gitanjali Pinto-Sinai, College of Dentistry
• Jeff Reese, College of Education
• Michelle Sizemore, College of Arts & Sciences
• Nathan Vanderford, College of Medicine
• Sherali Zeadally, College of Communication and Information

Since 1961, when the program was started, 283 faculty members have been honored as Great Teachers. The award holds special significance for the winners, because it is entirely student nominated. It is the oldest, continuously-given award for teachers at the University of Kentucky. Recipients are selected by a committee appointed by the UK Alumni Association’s Board of Directors and representatives of the student organization Omicron Delta Kappa. In addition to the awards dinner, the winners received a plaque, a cash stipend, and were recognized at center court on the floor of Rupp Arena during this season’s final home UK Men's Basketball game.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, each of the 2017 Great Teacher Award winners discuss what it was like to be presented with this honor, their teaching philosophies, their thoughts regarding their students here at UK, and more.

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If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 17, 2017) – Parkinson’s disease is a long-term, progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. An estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s. The symptoms for the disease usually develop slowly over time, and among the obvious are shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty in walking. Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s, though there are medications that can slow the progression of symptoms.

Dr. Craig van Horne is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery with UK HealthCare. He focuses his research on cellular and surgical therapies for Parkinson’s disease.

Deep Brain Stimulation, or DBS, is a surgical procedure that uses electrodes to stimulate areas of the brain, effectively overriding the damaged nerve’s electrical impulses to reduce many of the symptoms related to Parkinson’s disease. Dr. van Horne is testing an experimental procedure called DBS+, which uses peripheral nerve tissue to prompt nerve regeneration and slow the disease process. Early data shows that DBS+ has improved symptoms for some patients, and Dr. van Horne hopes it will become the new “standard of care” for the treatment of Parkinson’s symptoms, improving quality of life for patients who are diminished by their disease.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, we sat down with Dr. van Horne to discuss DBS+, what this treatment may mean for Parkinson’s patients, and how this research can impact many other areas across the spectrum of healthcare.

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” when they're released. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 10, 2017) – February is American Hearth Health Month, and this past February 3rd marked the 14th annual National Wear Red Day for Women. It’s a day designed to call our attention to recognizing heart disease as the #1 killer of women in this country, and to raise awareness of women’s overall heart health.

According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, and in 2013 was responsible for about 1 in 4 female deaths. It’s generally thought of as a “man’s disease”, but heart disease affects genders equally here in the US, and only 54% of women recognize that it is their #1 killer. Perhaps most alarming, 64% of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease experience no previous symptoms.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, we sit down with Dr. Gretchen Wells, Director of the Women’s Heart Program at the UK Gill Heart Institute, and Gail Cohen, a patient who experienced first-hand the dangers of undetected heart disease. We discuss the differences regarding heart health between men and women, the impact of heart disease here in Kentucky, and how collaboration across UK’s campus reaps benefits for new and advanced methods of detecting and treating heart disease, as well as preventative steps people can take to improve heart health.

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” when they're released. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

UK Libraries is integral to the University’s mission of teaching and learning, research, and outreach. Consisting of 10 major facilities, including the William T. Young Library, the John A. Morris Equine Library, the Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library, and more, UK Libraries collaborates with faculty across campus and the Commonwealth of Kentucky to prepare students for a future in the knowledge economy and a global society.

As the premier research library in the Commonwealth, UK Libraries provides ever-expanding access to information resources, teaching and learning programs and services, and helps develop new digital formats to reach users at their point of need.

On this week’s episode of Behind the Blue, we sit down for a conversation with Dr. Terry Birdwhistell, UK’s Dean of Libraries. Known as the University’s oral historian, Dr. Birdwhistell has been working in the University Libraries since 1973. He’s done over 900 oral history interviews during that time with a wide array of people who have influenced, impacted, and helped shape the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Dean Birdwhistell talks with us about the importance of listening, some of his favorite interviews, and his belief that while quantitative data is important, numbers can often fail to give us certain information about our history. In those moments, stories can shed light upon our history in rich and meaningful ways that transcend raw data. He also shares with us a surprising starting 5 for his “Dream UK Basketball” team…

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” when they're released. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 27, 2017) – Bias, conscious and unconscious, can have a much greater impact in our lives than we possibly give credit for. It can shape daily decisions, frame our outlook on the world, impact our relationships, and create divisions among us that can jeopardize our business and personal wellbeing.

 In an effort to assist faculty, staff and student, the University of Kentucky created the Bias Incident Response Team, to provide a reporting structure for encounters with bias, as well as a place for people to go for support. Carol Taylor-Shim is the Director of the team. Taylor-Shim came to UK as a social justice educator at the Violence Intervention Prevention Center in July 2013. She joins us on this episode of UK’s ‘Behind the Blue’ podcast to give more insight on bias.

 Taylor-Shim has spent nearly 20 years working with families in need, and says there are steps the University community is taking to address how victims of bias can find support. “When people belong, and know they belong and feel they belong, they engage more, and this place becomes theirs…but we have to work to make sure that is what’s happening.”

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” when they're released. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

On Friday, January 20th 2017, the United States of America will observe the “peaceful transfer of power” that for 220 years has marked the transition between one US President to the next. Just after noon on that day, Donald Trump will become the 45th President of the United States, as the 2nd term of President Barack Obama comes to an end.

On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue’ we’re joined once again by associate professors Dr. Emily Beaulieu, who specializes in comparative politics, and Dr. Stephen Voss, who specializes in voting behavior and political methodology.

As our country heads into the next four years of a new administration, we take a look back at the Presidential election of 2016, where the predictions were right, where they were wrong, and where we go from here, on a state, national, and global level.

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” when they're released. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

Storytelling is an art as old as human civilization. It can cross or establish boundaries, unite or divide cultures, and give context and meaning to our shared existence. Throughout its history, the University of Kentucky has fostered a rich culture of storytelling. Long considered a cradle of Kentucky authors, the University is making headway in supporting the work of authors more representative of the national scene.

On this episode of Behind the Blue, we welcome one of those authors..UK Assistant English Professor Hannah Pittard. Hannah has published three novels: 2011’s The Fates Will Find Their Way, which received a favorable review by The New York Times Book Review. Her second novel, Reunion (in 2014), was an editor’s choice by the Chicago Tribune. In 2016, she released Listen To Me, and is now completing work on her next book, Atlanta, 1962, which will be released in 2017.

During our conversation, Hannah discusses lessons in generosity learned from her students, how she’s never forgotten that success in published storytelling is based on luck, her pick of Madam Bovary as the best novel in existence, what she feels may be one of the best kept secrets in Lexington, and more…

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” when they're released. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

Since the early 1900s, the University of Kentucky Police Department has been a part of the campus community. Originally serving as a night watchman service, the UK department (along with all state universities) was given the power of a full police agency by a 1972 Kentucky legislative statute. Since then, it has grown into the 12th largest police department in the state of Kentucky.

UK Police Chief Joe Monroe has also seen his fair share of growth during his time with the department. A native of Cynthiana, Ky, Chief Monroe has been a part of UK Police since 1994, and has worked to strike a balance of learning from the past and adapting for future challenges, all while attempting to maintain transparency for his department..something which he feels is ever important in today’s tenuous times.

We sat down with Chief Monroe to discuss the history of UK Police, his thoughts on the future of campus safety, and how recent assaults on college campuses around the country can inform both his department and the campus community at-large on efforts to maintain safety…

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” when they're released. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

The end-of-year holidays are upon us, and for many, it’s a time made all the more meaningful by food.. Dishes that are traditions in some families can be powerful reminders of coming together with loved ones to celebrate and reflect.

But, what if the foods that elicit such strong memory and emotion in us no longer tasted the same? Certain foods hold so much sentiment in our lives, how would we react if we could no longer have that experience?

Our three guests this week have been exploring that very idea of taste, smell, and how our nerve receptors interpret that information. Dan Han is a UK Neuropsychologist, and the Director of Neurobahavioral Studies at the UK Sports Medicine Research Institute. Tim McClintock is a UK Physiology Professor working in Neural Regeneration. And Ouita Michel is a nationally acclaimed chef and owner of the Holly Hill Inn. Together, they are forging new paths in a field called Neurogastronomy: which examines how the brain creates taste perceptions. Their work is taking them into areas of learning how to change and enhance the mechanics of the flavors of foods, how we experience them, and how this may impact the world in areas of clinical and nutritional science, both on a personal and a global level.

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” when they're released. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

In the spring of 2016, the University of Kentucky hired Dr. Robert DiPaola as the new dean for the UK College of Medicine. Dr. DiPaola had previously been the director of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and vice chancellor for cancer programs at the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Center. 

At Rutgers, he was responsible for all research, clinical and administrative activities of a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and led the successful renewal of their NCI designation in 2011. During his tenure there, he oversaw an increase in external research funding to more than $100 million annually. He now takes over a College of Medicine that has long been nationally recognized for education innovation and leadership, preparing graduates for clinical practice and advanced academic and research opportunities. 

On this episode, Dr. DiPaola discusses his transition to UK, his vision for priorities in research and the College of Medicine, advances in technology and multi-disciplinary work, and more.

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” when they're released. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at [email protected], or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.