By Jesi Jones-Bowman 

LEXINGTON, Ky (Oct. 10, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research has selected 15 undergraduates for the 2024-25 Undergraduate Research Ambassador program.

The program’s mission is to increase awareness and create opportunities for students to  engage in research. Ambassadors must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential and be involved in mentored research. This year’s ambassadors represent four colleges, nine disciplines and 10 research areas.

The student leaders’ goal is to make undergraduate research more accessible. Ambassadors promote undergraduate research involvement through

By Blair Hoover Conner and Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 7, 2024) — It’s University of Kentucky Homecoming week — a time when the UK community comes together to celebrate and honor its alumni. This week, UKNow is shining a spotlight on just a few of the thousands of alumni who embody the university’s mission to advance Kentucky. 

Colby Hall, a 2015 graduate of the UK

By Makenna Deaton 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 7, 2024) — Joseph Takahashi, Ph.D., the Loyd B. Sands Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience, investigator emeritus in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and chair of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, will deliver the annual Thomas Hunt Morgan Lectures at the University of Kentucky.

The first lecture, “Circadian Clocks and Their Impact on Metabolism, Aging, and Longevity,” will be 2 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Thomas Hunt Morgan Biological Science Building in room 116.

The second lecture, “The Time of Your Life: How Circadian Clocks Promote Healthy Aging and Longevity,” will be 1 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Thomas Hunt Morgan

Please go to our Biology Graduate Recruitment Website for more information about applying for Fall 2025

By Joe Bandy

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Alumni Association announced the selection of 32 students who will serve as Alumni Ambassadors for the 2024-25 academic year. As official student hosts of the UK, Alumni Ambassadors promote the university at numerous events in partnership between the Office of the President, Office of Philanthropy and the UK Alumni Association.

Alumni Ambassadors represent the best and brightest of UK students, demonstrating high achievement in their collegiate careers and a dedication to the advancement of the university. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and represent diverse backgrounds, cultures and areas of campus involvement.

Thank you for your interest in our 2024 Annual Biology Alumni Weekend.

Click here to view event details and RSVP! 

From left to right, Dr. Ashley Seifert (faculty), Dr. David Weisrock (faculty and current Chair), Dean Ana Franco-Watkins, and Dr. Michael Scott (Zoology, '83)

If you’re interested in giving to the Department of Biology, please click here.

By Jennifer T. Allen

When Ashley Cook graduated with a biology degree from the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, she thought her next step was medical school. Little did she know 16 years later she would receive a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series.  

“I thought I was going to be a doctor. I wanted to have a career that I was interested in and one that would do good in the world,” Cook said. “Med school is very competitive, and I was struggling to get in.”  

While Cook was waitlisted for medical school, she checked in with herself and thought about what it was she wanted to be doing and what would make her happy. “Since

By Jesi Jones-Bowman 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 21, 2024) — Undergraduate students at the University of Kentucky who participate in research under the guidance of faculty mentors have the opportunity to publish the outcomes of their work and collaborative experiences. The first edition of Aperture Journal of Undergraduate Research launched June 1, highlighting seven student-professor partnerships.

Published by the Office of Undergraduate Research, the open-access, peer- and expert-reviewed journal, which will be published annually, aims to showcase

By Lindsay Travis 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 4, 2024) — Rosana Zenil-Ferguson, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology at the University of Kentucky, is part of a wide-ranging group of experts to study a complex phenomenon with significant implications in plants, animals and humans called polyploidy.

Polyploidy means having more than two complete sets of chromosomes. Typically, when plants and animals undergo sexual reproduction, two sets of chromosomes — one from each parent —

By Jesi Jones-Bowman 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 24, 2024) — Two University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences students will participate in the Beckman Scholars Program, titled Scholars United by Chemistry: Cultivating Excellence through Science Stewardship. 

The Beckman Scholars are:

They will begin their independent, laboratory research this summer.

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation’s Beckman Scholars Program is a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional

Below you will find our Spring 2024 Newsletter Spotlights for our Alumni!
 

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
  a. What is your connection to the Department
of Biology? 

I’m a 1984 UK graduate with a BS in Biology. I went on to graduate from the UK College of Dentistry in 1988, completed a residency in 2000 at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland, and earned a masters in oral health science from The George Washington University, Washington DC, and later a masters in strategic studies from Air University in 2013.

  b. What was your overall experience with the department? UK? 

I had a highly positive experience at the University. I established lifelong friendships with fellow classmates and

Below you will find our Spring 2024 Newsletter Spotlight for our Faculty! 
 

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
  a. How long have you been with the department?

55 years

  b. What motivated you to come to our department?

Married Dr. Jerry Baskin who took a job in the Botany Dept (Botany Dept. became part of the
Biol. Dept.) in 1968

  c. Where did you live before starting at UK?

Nashville, TN, where I was a Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt University.

2. Describe your time with the department so far.

Ups and downs but overall very good.

   a. What are you most proud or excited about?

The book I wrote on Seeds and International

Below you will find our Spring 2024 Newsletter Spotlights for our Graduate Students! 
 

1.    Tell us a little about yourself.
  a.    When do you graduate? 
  b.    What motivated you to come to UK’s department of biology?
  c.    Where are you from?

I came to University of Kentucky the fall of 2021 and plan to graduate in 2026. I came to UK’s department of biology to pursue my passion for evolutionary biology research and for understanding the processes underlying the diversity of life. I am from Nanchang (南昌), China, a city with exciting histories and rich cultures.

2.    Do you have any

Below you will our Spring 2024 Newsletter Spotlights for our Undergraduate Students! 

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
  a. What is your major? 

I am a Biology major.
  
  b. Minors? 

I am a Psychology minor.

c. What year do you graduate? 

I plan to graduate in May of 2025.

d. Where are you from? 

I'm from St. Louis, MO.

2. What motivated you to come to UK?

Going into the college application process I knew I wanted to force myself to grow
by going to an out-of-state school. Once I visited UK, I just knew I could see myself
here, the resources, the size, the community, everything

By Emily Sallee 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 22, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that three UK students have been awarded Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships:

Kachroo, O’Neal and Yang are among 438 students selected nationwide to receive the 2024-25 scholarship. This year’s recipients were selected from a pool of 1,353

The University of Kentucky has announced recipients of the 2024 Faculty Awards. The College will have an awards program and reception in early fall to recognize the recipients. More information will follow soon.

2024 College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Awards recipients are: 

Outstanding Teaching Award

Excellence in Teaching Large Courses Award

Innovative Teaching Award

Outstanding Undergraduate

By Daily Bates

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 2, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities has selected 12 undergraduate students for its fellowship program. 

The Gaines Fellowship Program began in 1984 thanks to a gift from John and Joan Gaines. The program aims to recognize exceptional academic achievement, independent research capabilities, commitment to public issues and a passion for deepening the understanding of the human condition through the humanities.

“I want to acknowledge the hard work and difficult decisions made by our volunteer faculty selection committee led by Chelsea Brislin. This was a record year for Gaines applications and every one of them was stellar,” said Richard H. Schein, acting

By Lindsay Travis 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 1, 2024) — A study by a group of researchers at the University of Kentucky in collaboration with scientists in four other countries has been published in Nature.

Jeramiah Smith, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, collaborated with an international research group to parse the hagfish genome and better understand the early evolution of vertebrates.

Their study is “The hagfish genome and the evolution of vertebrates.” Hagfish are a type of jawless fish that live in deep ocean waters

By Haven L. Patrick

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The 22nd annual Posters-at-the-Capitol on March 7 featured 13 University of Kentucky undergraduate research projects that address such issues in Kentucky as public safety, energy conservation, homeownership and lung cancer prevention. 

Posters-at-the-Capitol is hosted by Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 6, 2024) – The University of Kentucky SPARK (Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky) Program has named its 2024 cohort.

The 2024 SPARK students in the College of Arts and Sciences are:

Eduardo Soria Chiroque
University of Kentucky sophomore
Major: Biology, Pre-med

In its fifth year, the SPARK program allows undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds and communities to get a jumpstart in health equity research early in