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Patricia Hill Collins |
"Our hope with the Bryan Chair program is to attract senior level, nationally known faculty to campus to expand learning opportunities for our students and faculty," said Mike Nietzel, acting provost. "Adding Patricia Hill Collins to our faculty is an exciting fulfillment of that hope."
Collins comes to UK from the University of Cincinnati, where she is chairperson of and Charles Phelps Taft Professor of Sociology within the Department of African-American Studies. She will retain her appointments at Cincinnati while serving at UK.
She said she hopes her tenure as a visiting professor will serve as an opportunity to bring together UK scholars already working on race and gender issues and develop a new intellectual energy around those topics.
"My work looks at those kinds of issues in ways that encourage people to participate in framing solutions to those problems as opposed to feeling guilty about them or denying that they are there," she said. "Those solutions should say this is a country founded on issues of freedom and social justice. This is what we have to struggle and try to do."
Collins received her bachelor's and doctoral degrees in sociology from Brandeis Univer-sity and her master's degree from Harvard University. Much of her research and scholarship have dealt primarily with issues of race, gender, social class and nationality, especially relating to African-America women.
Collins has taught at several institutions, held editorial positions with professional journals, lectured widely in the United States and abroad, served professional organizations, and acted as consultant for a number of businesses and community organizations.
She has published articles in edited volumes and journals such as Ethnic and Racial Studies, Signs, Sociological Theory, Social Problems and Black Scholar. Her first book, "Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment," published in 1990 and revised in 2000, won the Jessie Bernard Award of the American Sociological Association for significant scholarship in gender and the C. Wright Mills Award from the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Her second book, "Race, Class and Gender: An Anthology," edited with Margaret Andersen, was first published in 1992 and continues to be widely used in undergraduate classes in more than 200 colleges and universities. Her third book, "Fighting Words: Black Women and the Search for Justice," was published in 1998, and she is working on her fourth book, "Black Sexual Politics," to be published by Routledge in 2003.
At UK, Collins will teach graduate classes looking at issues of race and gender, deliver four public lectures (one at Central Magnet High School in Louisville), conduct research, and visit with campus and community groups.
The Bryan Endowed Chair was established by a nearly $4 million gift from William T. Bryan, a 1936 College of Engineering graduate, bequeathed by his estate upon his death in 1997. For 32 years, Bryan served Duriron Co. of Dayton, Ohio, as a metallurgical engineer. The gift was matched by Kentucky's Research Challenge Trust Fund and used to create six endowed chairs in areas across the University. The chair foci and their occupants are:
- Fine arts/vocal music, Gail Robinson;
- History, Ron Formisano;
- Public finance, David Wildasin;
- Special education, Ted Hasselbring;
- Spanish, Enrico M. Santi; and
-Women'sstudies/African-American studies, Patricia Hill Collins.
Only six U.S. universities were selected to give awards.
The University of Kentucky has been selected as one of only five Research 1 universities in the nation entitled to award Beckman Foundation undergraduate research scholarships totaling $105,000 over the next three years to six students.
Two students in each year will receive scholarships of $17,600 to support undergraduate work for two summers and one year.
The Beckman Foundation awards will be awarded to students conducting undergraduate research work in chemistry, biochemistry, and biological and medical sciences. The students will be mentored in their work by top faculty members in each of those disciplines.
Beckman Foundation spokesperson Kathleen Murphy said UK competed against 61 other Research 1 universities in the Carnegie Institute designation of schools to receive the scholarships. Other Research 1 institutions authorized to grant undergraduate research awards to their students are Boston, Duke and Washington universities and the University of California at Los Angeles.
UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. announced the new research scholarships during his inauguration address at UK on Feb. 15.
The Beckman Foundation was founded by Arnold Beckman of Irvine, Calif., who made his fortune designing and manufacturing medical instruments.
Booth, exhibit reservations should be made soon.
Plans are under way for University of Kentucky Staff Appreciation Day 2002, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, in Memorial Coliseum. Chairpersons for this year's event are Kathy Stanwix-Hay and Judy Duncan.
The Staff Appreciation Day Committee is coordinating exhibit booths during the next several weeks. Any UK department or unit or any business having a service contract with UK can have an exhibit. To make booth reservations, contact Helen Holbrook at 257-5750 or hhh@uky.edu.
Adding to the event's festivities, the exhibits are judged on theme, creativity and presentation. Prizes awarded at past events include a color printer, a desktop stereo system and gift certificates to local restaurants.
Also this year's Staff Appreciation Day will have a special exhibit area called "Life Beyond UK." The committee invites UK employees to display their creative works, such as artwork, photography and crafts. For more information about displaying works, contact Diana Rast at 257-3024 or derast01@uky.edu.
Staff Appreciation Day is sponsored annually by UK Women's Forum and the administration. It is organized and produced by volunteers. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Angie Cerelli at acere2@uky.edu.
The Sarah Bennett Holmes Award Luncheon will be held Wednesday, April 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the University of Kentucky Student Center Grand Ballroom.
Sponsored by the UK Women's Forum, the luncheon will pay tribute to the outstanding women nominated for the award for 2002.
The award, named after former UK Dean of Women Sarah Bennett Holmes, is granted annually to a woman working at the University who promotes the growth and well-being of other women at UK and/or across the Commonwealth.
Cost of the luncheon is $10.50. Reservations are required. A reservation form, found at www.uky.edu/OtherOrgs/UKWoman, along with payment should be mailed to Judy Duncan, 106 Kinkead Hall, Campus 0057, no later than Tuesday, April 2. Brown baggers are welcome and encouraged to attend but must submit a reservation form to ensure adequate place settings are prepared.
For additional information, contact Judy Duncan at 257-8288.
Changes include health care, savings programs.
This year's open enrollment for University of Kentucky employee benefits runs from April 15 through May 3. Employees will have the choice of three additional health plans.
The Open Enrollment Benefits packet will begin arriving in employee and retiree homes during the second week of April. The packet includes the 2002-2003 Benefits Booklet, 2001 Total Compensation Statements for full-time regular employees, and enrollment forms for the flexible spending account program and health, dental, life, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
Along with UK HMO Regional and Lexington Service Areas, UK PPO and Indemnity plans, employees will be able to choose from two additional PPOs and an EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization), which will be administered by Humana. The UK EPO works in the same manner as an HMO, based on a network of providers you must use in order to receive benefits unless you have an out-of-area emergency. The indemnity plan is for those people who travel out of the country for more than four months each year, who live out of state or who live in one of 10 Kentucky counties that does not offer the UK PPO or EPO plans. If you are an employee who lives out of Kentucky or in a county where the indemnity plan is offered, you may choose between plans offered in the county where you live or work.
The CATSelect program is changing its name to the UK Flexible Spending Account Program. Flexible spending accounts allow employees to set aside tax-free dollars for healthcare and dependent-care expenses. The new administrator for the flexible spending account program is Chard, Snyder and Associates. Chard, Snyder and Associates offers a toll-free number for faxing claims and direct deposit for reimbursement of claims and promises a claims processing turnaround of no longer than five business days. All employees who enroll in the spending account program will receive a welcome kit. As a reminder, employees must re-enroll in their plan if they wish to continue to participate in either the health care or dependent care flexible spending account.
Benefits open houses will be held across campus to answer questions and assist employees in understanding the 2002-2003 benefit offerings. Representatives from Employee Benefits, UK HMO, Humana, UK Dental, Fortis Benefits Dental Care, the UK Wellness Program, UK Elder Care, MPM Financial Group (voluntary benefits), and Chard, Snyder and Associates (flexible spending account program) will be present to answer questions. An open house schedule is available at www.uky.edu/HR/benefits.
George Lewis
Gracie Cook,
who served as the cook for Sigma Chi fraternity for more than four decades,
was the center of attention as she received a gift from members of the
fraternity's Lambda Lambda Chapter at the dedication of the chapter's
new house on the University of Kentucky campus Feb. 16. Cook, now retired
from the University, received a framed picture of the former Sigma Chi
house. The fraternity also named UK First Lady Patsy Todd the "Sweetheart
of Sigma Chi." The house, located at 447 Columbia Ave., accommodates
32 students in eight four-man suites and is part of a plan to create a
Greek Park at UK.
Several spring projects planned by University of Kentucky Parking and Transportation will add more than 500 parking spaces across campus, while updating and adding services.
The biggest project will be the expansion of Parking Structure No. 5 on Limestone Street. The project will help compensate for the loss of spaces in the Virginia and Press avenue lots due to building construction. Two new levels will add approximately 460 spaces in that garage. Construction is expected to start this month and be finished in September. Parking and Transportation Director Don Thornton noted that the expansion will create some displacement of current spaces, in the same fashion as the just completed Parking Structure No. 2 expansion. That project added 388 spaces for employees.
"We realize that we won't make everyone happy with what we have to do," Thornton said. "But we will do the best we can to accommodate everyone, taking into account the different flexibilities of each parking permit type."
In March, about 300 spaces will be removed from service to facilitate construction. That number will increase to 600 in mid-April. Planned accommodations to ease employee parking include segmenting the Scott Street lot into employee and commuter areas. An attendant will be on hand during the first days of the changes to assist parkers. UK also will lease a community parking lot on Jersey Street behind McDonald's and designate it as employee and commuter parking to accommodate any overflow.
Earlier plans to change designations of the Taylor/Dickey and Scott Street lots and Parking Structure No. 5 were changed. The lots will keep their original designation
Thornton noted that some parkers who typically use the Scott Street lot may want to consider using the Virginia Avenue lot and the Parking and Transportation buses. Bus schedules can be found on the Web at www.uky.edu/parking, and information is available in the parking office at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Rose Street.
Other projects planned include widening Jerry Claiborne Way near the R3 lot to gain about 25 spaces for students, constructing a truck turnaround with eight parking spaces near the Complex Loading Dock, building a lot on the site formerly occupied by the Kappa Alpha fraternity house, and constructing a bus pull off and shelter on Commonwealth Drive near the entrance to the EG/K lot. In addition, deteriorating utility poles in the Martin Luther King lot will be replaced this spring. The office also is working on an evaluation and feasibility study of Parking Structure No. 1, which should be finished in the next few weeks.
Thornton said his office is trying to keep people informed about parking work and changes through letters, e-mail, a listserv and fliers on cars. He recommended that faculty and staff sign up for the Parking and Transportation listserv, which sends regular messages informing members of parking projects and issues. Employees can register for the listserv at www.uky.edu/parking. Employees also can use the Web page to send suggestions and comments to the office.
Women's Forum hosts look at domestic violence, stress
A free brown bag session focusing on the issues of domestic violence and traumatic stress will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 28 in 102 Mining and Minerals Resources Building on Rose Street.
The session, sponsored by the University of Kentucky Women's Forum, will feature Melissa O'Toole of the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center and Kate Chard, director of the Center of Traumatic Stress Research. O'Toole will present an overview of the extent of domestic violence in Kentucky, and Chard will discuss several different examples of traumatic stress and ways to help the survivors of these events.
Jazz Times highlights orchestra
The DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra's latest compact disc, "Off the Charts," has scored an enthusiastic review by Jazz Times magazine.
In evaluating DOJO's efforts, reviewer Harvey Siders said, "It's been a long time since I've heard such excitement and intensity. The whole band deserves all kinds of superlatives."
The group, which makes regular appearances at Lexington's Comedy Off Broadway, is co-led by Miles Osland, professor in the University of Kentucky School of Music.
UK College of Social Work honors social workers
The University of Kentucky College of Social Work will celebrate Professional Social Work Month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, March 22, in 211 UK Student Center.
The celebration will include award presentations for Student of the Year, Faculty of the Year and Staff of the Year. The winner of the poster contest also will be announced. All students, faculty and staff at UK are invited. Refreshments will be served.
Adelstein nominations sought
The University of Kentucky Disability Resource Center is seeking nominations for the Adelstein Award.
The award honors a UK student who has a physical, learning or medical disability and who has been an inspiration to others through academic achievement, leadership, extracurricular activities, or social and personal qualities. The award comes with a cash award.
To nominate a student, send a letter including the student's name and qualifications to the Disability Resource Center, 2 Alumni Gym, UK, Lexington, KY 40506-0029 or send the nomination by e-mail to jkarnes@uky.edu. The deadline for nominations is March 22.
Tax relief workshop hosted by UK Federal Credit Union
The University of Kentucky Federal Credit Union will present a tax relief workshop at 6 p.m. Monday, March 18, at the union, 1080 Export St.
The worshop will review changes in the tax code made by the Tax Relief Act of 2001. The act modified rules, including those for income tax rates, expanded tax credits, retirement and education savings incentives, and IRA contribution limits.
Call 254-1569 for information.
Dentistry's Seaver celebrated
The University of Kentucky celebrated the life of Dan Seaver, one of the its strongest advocates, on March 15 in Memorial Hall.
Seaver passed away after a battle with cancer Feb. 1. At its Feb. 5 meeting, the UK Board of Trustees bestowed on Seaver the posthumous title of Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs Emeritus. Since 1973, he held positions in admissions and student affairs with the Lexington Technical Institute, UK Admission, UK College of Allied Health Professions and College of Dentistry.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Dan Seaver Scholarship for Outstanding Achievement in Dental School Organizations and Activities. Contributions can be mailed to Administrative Affairs, College of Dentistry, D131 Chandler Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40536-0297, or made by contacting Paula Sandford at 323-5046 or prstak0@uky.edu to obtain a payroll deduction card. Make checks payable to the University of Kentucky.
At its March 5 meeting, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved the appointment of James Cibulka, associate dean of education at the University of Maryland, as the new dean of the UK College of Education.
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James Cibulka |
"Dr. Cibulka has strong aspirations for the college and a vision that I think will help it grow,'' UK Acting Provost Michael Nietzel told board members when he introduced the new dean.
Cibulka replaces Shirley C. Raines, who accepted the presidency at the University of Memphis last year. Cibulka will officially resume his new responsibilities as dean July 1. Until then, the college continues to operate under the leadership of its former dean, Edgar L. Sagan.
Cibulka, a native of Milwaukee, graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1966 with a bachelor's degree in government. In 1973, he earned a doctorate in educational administration with an emphasis on education policy and political science at the University of Chicago.
After college, Cibulka began his career as a teacher and administrator in the Model City Community Schools Program in Duluth, Minn. From 1972 through 1995, he was a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. During that time, he established the Department of Community Education at Wisconsin, which focused on urban and community development.
From 1992 to 1995, Cibulka was editor of Education Administration Quarterly, the premier journal in the educational field. He also has numerous publications to his credit, including eight books, three of which are in press, which cover topics ranging from school accountability to governance and public confidence.
At the University of Maryland, Cibulka served as chairperson of the Department of Educational Policy and Planning until his promotion to associate dean, where he has been instrumental in expanding the college's funded research and its outreach to school systems and the state.
"It is an honor to join the University of Kentucky," Cibulka said. "I am impressed with the college's talented faculty, its many fine programs, and its leadership in Kentucky education."
The new dean said he looks forward to the opportunity to work with the college faculty and campus administration.
"It is my hope that, working together, we will enhance UK's national prominence as a leading college of education and build on its excellent record of service to the state," he said. "This is an exciting time and place at which to become dean. Expectations and opportunities have never been higher."
The University of Kentucky College of Human Environmental Sciences inducted three people into its Hall of Fame on Feb. 26 as part of its Human Environmental Services (HES) Week celebration.
The inductees were:
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Peggy S. Meszaros
Dorotha S. Oatts
Barbara L. Rice |
- Peggy S. Meszaros, director of the Center for Information Technology Impacts on Children, Youth and Families at Virginia Tech and former dean of the UK College of Human Environmental Sciences. She earned her master's in education from UK in 1972, before moving to the University of Maryland for her doctorate.
- Dorotha S. Oatts, a retired home economics educator and current community volunteer and activist who served for 25 years as supervisor of home economics for the Kentucky Department of Education. Oatts earned her bachelor's degree in home economics education in 1946 and her master's of home economics in 1950 from UK.
- Barbara L. Rice, research dietitian for Enterprise Advisory Service at NASA Johnson Space Center and a consulting nutritionist in private practice. She earned her bachelor's degree in dietetics at UK in 1962, before earning her master's degree at California State University.
The three were recognized at the College of Human Environmental Sciences Hall of Fame recognition ceremony on Feb. 26 in the William T. Young Library.
Meszaros presented the 2002 Distinguished Lecture on Monday during HES Week. Meszaros, the William E. Lavery Professor of Human Development at Virginia Tech, presented "Information Technology and Human Development: What Do We Know and Where Are the Gaps?" From 1995 to 2000, Meszaros served as the highest-ranking female administrator in the history of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University when she served as senior vice president and provost. She has been the dean of the College of Human Resources and professor of family and child development at Virginia Tech and associate dean and director of academic affairs at Oklahoma State University. Her studies and research has focused on information technology and its impact on children, parents, women and families. She recently was awarded a $656,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study "Women in Information Technology: Pivotal Transitions from Schools to Careers." She was named to the UK College of Human Environmental Sciences Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 1995.
Other events during HES Week included the Sip and Chat with the Hall of Fame Inductees, a Student Appreciation Day and the Entrepreneurship Panel, featuring Julia Halman, owner of Incredipet based in Lexington, and Laura Edwards Pfeiffer, owner of Turtle Run Winery in Lanesville, Ind.
All currently enrolled University of Kentucky students who plan to attend the 2002 summer and/or fall semesters must register between March 25 and April 17. Students who do not register by April 17 must late register beginning the first day of classes and pay a non-refundable late fee. Students should priority register using the UK-VIP telephone registration system.
Before registering for classes, undergraduates must have their adviser hold released. Contact your college dean's office for advising instructions. Undeclared or non-degree undergraduates are advised in the Central Advising Service and Transfer Center located on the first floor of Miller Hall.
UK-VIP priority registration is based on three-day windows, which open and close at specific times based upon student classification, hours earned and the last digit of the social security or student identification number. Students also will have a secondary window during priority registration in case they were unable to register during their assigned priority window. Windows are listed in the 2002 fall semester Schedule of Classes and are available on UK-VIP by using the "Status Check" function. Students who do not register during their window may not register until the first day of classes.
For more information, visit the Registrar's Web site at www.uky.edu/Registrar/ help.html. Students who need more information about priority registration may contact the UK Registration Office at 257-7173.
An appearance by a lawyer who has dedicated his life to fighting discrimination and hate has been rescheduled. Morris Dees will speak at the University of Kentucky at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 28, in Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall.
Dees headed lawsuits against the Ku Klux Klan that led to the Klan's bankruptcy. Dees is the founder and chief trial counsel for The Southern Poverty Law Center, which focuses heavily on lawsuits involving civil rights violations.
The event is free and open to the public.
When University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. helped hand out the 2002 UK Alumni Association Great Teacher Awards recently, he was on familiar ground.
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Submitted Left to right: Susan Scollay, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Doug Damm, Clair Hicks, Bob Gillette and David Lee Miller have been named the 2002 UK Great Teachers by the UK Alumni Association. |
Todd received one of the awards in the mid-70s while he was a professor in the UK College of Engineering.
Each year, the Alumni Association recognizes six professors for outstanding teaching and honors them with a plaque and a $2,000 cash award at a recognition luncheon. It is the oldest, continuously given award for teachers at UK.
Since 1961, when the program was started, 180 faculty members have been honored. Recipients are selected by a committee appointed by the UK Alumni Association's Board of Directors and representatives of two student organizations, Mortar Board and Omicron Delta Kappa.
This year's winners are:
Douglas D. Damm, professor of oral pathology in the Department of Oral Health Science in the College of Dentistry. He is a professor in the Department of Pathology in the College of Medicine. He earned a bachelor's degree in zoology and a doctorate in dentistry from Louisiana State University. He also holds a certificate of oral pathology from Emory University. Damm has taught general and oral pathology at UK since 1979. His professional accomplishments are extensive, including publishing 143 articles and abstracts and authoring four pathology textbooks, one of which is the No. 1-selling pathology book in the United States and Brazil. He is the president-elect for the Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. On campus, he serves as vice chairperson of the Medical Center Institutional Review Board, the Markey Cancer Center Review Committee, and the Senate Advisory Hearing Committee on Privilege and Tenure and is on the Human Investigations and Studies Committee. Damm is a practicing clinical pathologist at the UK College of Dentistry, the second largest pathology specimen lab in the nation. His active role in the profession keeps him current on the latest pathology topics.
J. Robert Gillette, an associate professor of economics in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, co-director of the annual UK Economics Teaching Workshop since 1997, and director of undergraduate studies from 1995 to 1999. He earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Richmond and doctoral degree from Texas A&M University. In addition to presenting at professional seminars, authoring numerous published articles and textbook supplements, and chairing several college and university committees, Gillette was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1998 by Beta Gamma Sigma. Some of the other honors he has received include the Chancellor's Award in the Outstanding Teaching Non-tenured Faculty Category in 1996, the Outstanding Teaching Award in the Department of Economics in 1994-95, and the Distinguished Teaching Award in the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University in 1991.
Clair Hicks, professor of food science in the Department of Animal Sciences in the College of Agriculture. He earned his bachelor's degree in dairy manufacturing and his master's in food science and industry, both from Utah State University. He received his doctoral degree in food science and biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin. Hicks is an adviser for the Food Science Club and is instrumental in helping students pursue scholarship money. He wrote a textbook, now in its seventh printing, that is used at several universities. He also received the International Dairy Foods Association Research Award in 1999. He has served as the chairperson or a committee member of eight International Dairy Federation committees. He manages a research project co-sponsored by the University of Riau, Indonesia, and UK to develop phage blockers in fermented systems. In addition to all of the above, he has been involved with the Boy Scouts of America for the last 20 years.
David Lee Miller, professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences. He earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of California. Miller is a specialist in Renaissance literature and teaches courses ranging from sophomore British literature surveys to graduate seminars in Renaissance drama and poetry. He has received numerous fellowships and research grants, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1994. He has edited or contributed to a multitude of publications and is the author of a book published by Princeton University Press with another scheduled to be released in November by Cornell University Press.
Susan J. Scollay, associate professor in the departments of Administration and Supervision, and Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation in the College of Education. She earned a bachelor's and master's degree in history from the University of California and her doctoral degree in educational administration from Kansas State University. She was a pioneer in the use of distance learning programs, arriving at UK just as the first doctoral program that relied on distance learning technology was being offered. Without an on-campus model to follow, she helped to propel the program to excellence through her dedication and creativity. Scollay teaches a wide breadth of graduate courses, from school law and ethics to research methods. She also has taught at the undergraduate level.
Nikiforos Stamatiadis, associate professor of civil engineering in the College of Engineering, who is also a faculty associate member of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, a licensed professional engineer and a licensed surveyor and civil engineer in Europe. He earned a diploma of surveying engineering in 1983 in Greece and followed with his master's and doctoral degrees from Michigan State University. In 2000, the student chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers won the Southern District ITE competition largely due to his guidance and assistance as faculty adviser. In addition, Stamatiadis acts as academic coordinator for the Advanced Transportation Institute of the Kentucky Transportation Center. He also was president of the Kentucky Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers in 2000.
New center focuses on learning and instructional technology.
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell presented a ceremonial $1 million check to University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. on Feb. 21 for a new UK program that will support public teachers working with students who have learning challenges.
McConnell sponsored the proposal for earmarked federal funds to establish the new Commonwealth Center for Instructional Technology and Learning in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling in UK's College of Education.
Todd praised McConnell for his support of the new UK program and added a special thanks for a record-breaking total of more than $17 million in earmarked federal funds the senator and other members of Kentucky's congressional delegation, including Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), helped secure for UK this year.
"This is a banner year for earmarked federal funding for UK programs and that is precisely the kind of support we must have to continue our quest to be a top-20 public research university by the year 2020," Todd said in accepting the check.
"I was proud to secure these federal funds for UK because I know the University will use them to improve the quality of education for all of Kentucky's children, especially those with learning disabilities," said McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The Commonwealth Center for Instructional Technology and Learning has the goal of creating a Web-based model program that can be replicated across the country.
"We plan to give local education agencies a variety of learning preferences for students with learning challenges that fit their respective grade and school building responsibilities and schedules," said Bill Berdine, CCITL director.
Berdine said the project will draw on the research and knowledge of the UK National Assistive Technology Research Institute.
UK has developed an extensive capability to produce electronic instructional activities, Berdine said, including entire courses on compressed interactive video, satellite systems, performance support systems in education and content courses that combine face-to-face interaction with compressed video, the World Wide Web and the Internet.
"This technological capability gives us the systems for quick and easy delivery of the products we will be developing to help teachers working with students who have learning challenges," Berdine said.
On March 5, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved honorary doctorates for a Catholic nun who was involved in UK's famed "Nun Study," a UK mathematics icon and a popular former high school basketball coach. The degrees will be awarded at UK's commencement May 5.
Sister Rosemary Howarth, the general superior of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, will receive an honorary degree of doctor of letters. Sister Rosemary oversees the work of 4,000 sisters working in 33 countries. Sister Rosemary's work also included involvement in UK's famed "Nun Study" in which 678 sisters underwent extensive examination and review in the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging's research on Alzheimer's disease.
Wimberly C. Royster, whose association with UK began as a graduate student in 1946, served nearly his entire career in mathematics endeavors at UK, rising to professor in 1962 then director of the School of Mathematical Sciences. He became dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1969 and later served as dean of The Graduate School. He became UK's first vice president for Research and Graduate Studies in 1988. Under Royster's leadership, the UK mathematics program became internationally known and was awarded a major Basic Science National Science Foundation development grant in 1968. He will receive an honorary doctor of science.
Sanford T. Roach, who will receive an honorary doctor of humanities, amassed a record 512 wins and only 142 losses as basketball coach at Lexington's old Dunbar high school. He was the first African American appointed to UK's Athletic Association Board of Directors in 1974 and has served continuously on that board since.
