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Making every opportunity count: Keanu Kawata’s UK Invests story

By Lindsey Piercy

Sep 11, 2026

Throughout the fall semester, UKNow will spotlight University of Kentucky students who are putting UK Invests lessons into practice and building the knowledge and habits they need for a successful financial future. This story features Keanu Kawata, a sophomore from Louisville majoring in accounting and finance in the Gatton College of Business and Economics and the Lewis Honors College.

TEK announces 2026-27 Faculty Fellows cohort

By Jennifer Osterhage

Sep 4, 2026

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 4, 2026) — The University of Kentucky Office of Transdisciplinary Educational approaches to advance Kentucky (TEK) has announced the TEK Faculty Fellows for the 2026-27 academic year, which includes Adrian Magendzo, Ruth Jones Lewis Faculty Scholar in Entrepreneurship. A critical mission of TEK is the development of new transdisciplinary courses and the reimagining of existing courses to emphasize one or more essential career skills.

VR practice for public speaking: Brandi Frisby’s CURATE research

By Christian Honce

Sep 2, 2026

Brandi Frisby, Ph.D., associate provost for academic affairs and former acting dean of the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information (CI) in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky, and her team (including Honors faculty member Joe Martin, Ph.D.) examined how 360-degree video and virtual reality (VR) headsets can evolve public speaking pedagogy to better serve students and prepare them for the workforce.

Boost the blood supply: DOUGH-nate at upcoming campus drives

By Eric Lindsey

Aug 28, 2026

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 28. 2026) — The great thing about donating blood is that just about anyone can do it. No “dough” is needed to make a difference in your community — all it takes is a little bit of time and a pint of blood. Stop by the Lewis Honors College (Scholars Student Lounge) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3 or Friday, Sept. 4.

Beam Institute students gain global spirits experience in Scotland

By Grace Sowards

Aug 25, 2026

Bourbon is one of the Commonwealth’s signature industries, but Kentuckians aren’t the only group to pride themselves on their whisky. Students from the University of Kentucky James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits (JBBI) and the Lewis Honors College traveled to Scotland this summer to learn more about how spirits are made and marketed around the world.

UK researcher shines light on maintenance work in ‘The Keeping Space’ documentary

By Erin Wickey

Aug 5, 2026

Thousands of people move across the campus of the University of Kentucky every day. They enter buildings that are already clean, walk through hallways already mopped and settle into classrooms prepared for the day. That work became a topic of research for Jena Seiler, Ph.D., lecturer in the UK Lewis Honors College, filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist whose creative practice focuses on helping audiences see the extraordinary in everyday life.

4 UK faculty members named 2026-27 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program fellows

By Ryan Girves

Aug 3, 2026

Four University of Kentucky faculty members, including Pearl James, Ph.D., associate dean of academic affairs in the Lewis Honors College, have been selected as 2026-27 fellows in the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program (SEC-ALDP), a prestigious initiative that prepares emerging academic leaders for leadership roles across higher education.

Record participation reflects growing demand for honors education abroad programs

By Adrienne Clarke

Jul 15, 2026

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 15, 2026) — A record 60 Lewis Honors College students participated in four honors faculty-directed education abroad programs this summer, a 54% increase over last year. Overall, a record 250 honors students studied abroad through a variety of programs during the past academic year. In the four honors faculty-directed programs, students traveled to Ecuador, England, Greece, Italy and Scotland to study sustainability, leadership, writing and distilling.

The 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards: Ryan Voogt

By Tom Musgrave

Jul 15, 2026

Ryan Voogt, Ph.D., the director of undergraduate studies and a senior lecturer in the University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College, was among 10 educators honored with the UK’s 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards.

Public Health Student Hollie Hagan found her calling in rural Kentucky

By Jonathan Greene

Jul 10, 2026

Growing up in Grayson County, Honors student Hollie Hagan always knew she wanted to help people. She just wasn’t sure what that looked like. Like many students entering college, Hagan originally envisioned a career in healthcare. She planned to study nutrition and dietetics, inspired by time spent volunteering at her local food pantry. But an internship with the Grayson County Health Department during her senior year of high school introduced her to a field she hadn’t even realized existed — public health.

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