The University
A Message From President Lee T. Todd Jr.
These are exciting times at your University of Kentucky -- with excellent faculty, staff, students and facilities we continue our journey to become one of the nation's top-20 public research universities. Already many of our programs rank among the nation's best, including the 3rd ranked College of Pharmacy, the 20th ranked Rural Medicine program in the College of Medicine, the 29th ranked College of Nursing, and the 50th ranked College of Law.
An important step on our path to greatness was the announcement of a $600 million fund-raising campaign, the state's largest of its kind. Just recently we announced the success of this endeavor, raising over $618 million and extending the goal to $1 billion. A partnership with the Research Challenge Trust Fund, making available $134 million in matching funds, has enabled the University to triple the number of available endowed faculty chair positions and more than double the number of endowed professorships.
As these faculty positions continue to be filled with the world's brightest and most creative minds, the University is building top-rate facilities in which to teach and learn. The William T. Young Library redefines "state-of-the-art" with its information technology. The James W. Stuckert Career Center offers one of the nation's largest and most advanced technological career resource centers, providing video conferencing, interview rooms, and high-tech classrooms and labs, to help students determine their career path and find the right job. The Coldstream Research Campus continues to grow, adding more opportunities for students to work alongside researchers in real-world industrial settings and start-up companies.
A meaningful college experience is not only about classroom knowledge -- it also is about personal growth. At UK, students can find growth opportunities in more than 300 campus organizations and activities ranging from basketball games to debate teams to singing and dancing groups. Our students hail from 117 foreign countries, all 50 states and every county in Kentucky. Through this diverse and enriching environment, students gain another dimension to their education and become more equipped to excel in our rapidly changing world.
With its tradition of excellence and promise of continued growth, the University of Kentucky is a great place to be a student. Just ask the 215,000-plus alumni. Among them are Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, a U.S. ambassador, an astronaut, a Hollywood actress, a screenwriter, numerous governors, legislators, university presidents, business leaders, and best-selling authors. Today we stand at a critical point as UK strives to even greater heights. With vigilance and vigor, the University of Kentucky is poised to take its place among the nation's elite.
Sincerely,
Lee T. Todd Jr.
University of Kentucky -- A Place to Dream and Succeed
The innovation, creativity, quality teaching, and service under way at the University of Kentucky touch the lives of people throughout the state, the nation, and the world.
UK accomplishes this achievement through ground-breaking research, community outreach, and technological advances that contribute to the betterment of the Commonwealth while also fostering a cultural quality of life through our museums, libraries and special events.
Founded in 1865 as a land-grant institution, and adjacent to downtown Lexington, UK is nestled in the very heart of the beautiful Kentucky Bluegrass region. From its early beginnings, with only 190 students and 10 professors, UK's campus now covers more than 687 acres and is home to over 35,000 students and nearly 12,000 employees.
UK is one of only a few universities in the country with a teaching and research campus, a medical center, and a community college all in one central location. The state's flagship university consists of 16 academic and professional colleges where students can choose from some 200 majors and degree programs. The colleges are Agriculture, Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Communications and Information Studies, Dentistry, Design, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Social Work.
Our student body is diverse, representing 117 countries, every state in the nation, and every Kentucky county. The university attracts excellent students. The average ACT score for first-year students is four points above the national average. In 2003, UK earned a spot among the top 15 public universities in enrolling new freshman National Merit(R) Scholars, placing the university 35th among both public and private institutions. Meanwhile, students compete successfully for prestigious scholarships and awards, such as the Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater and Marshall. In 2002, UK was selected as one of only 13 universities nationwide to participate in the Beckman Foundation Scholarship program. This program allows UK to award grants of $17,600 to students to support their own research projects.
Since the mid-1990s, the university has pursued an ambitious goal of becoming a top-20 public research university by the year 2020. UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. has embraced this goal in a way that promises an impact on every Kentucky resident.
"As the state's flagship institution, the university is mindful of its responsibility to help all Kentuckians," Todd says. "UK has an obligation to be inclusive and accessible to all segments of our society by providing scholarships and financial assistance to ease the tuition burden. Through education, Kentucky will move forward."
The university is working aggressively to achieve its top-20 goal. During the last fiscal year, UK faculty received a total of $222.7 million in extramural grants and contracts. This is the second year UK has exceeded $200 million in sponsored project awards. These numbers place the university 52nd on the National Science Foundation's list of all institutions and 36th among public universities. UK boasts over 80 national rankings for academic excellence. The College of Pharmacy, Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, College of Nursing, College of Law, and College of Medicine are highly ranked in U.S. News & World Report's rankings of the best graduate schools. The College of Pharmacy is ranked third in the nation, and the Martin School is ranked fifth in the category of public finance and budgeting. The College of Medicine's Rural Medicine program is ranked ninth, the College of Law is ranked among the top 25 public institutions, and the College of Nursing is ranked 29th.
In 2000, officials launched The Campaign for the University of Kentucky, a $600 million fund-raising effort to enhance faculty, students, facilities, academic programs, and public service. The Campaign raised over $618 million in just over five years -- surpassing its original goal of $600 million. In the fall of 2003 university officials announced plans to expand its fund-raising goal by an additional $400 million over the next four years, bringing the new total goal to $1 billion.
With its well-manicured landscape and landmark buildings, UK's campus also offers great facilities that advance the scholarship of its students and the research endeavors of its faculty. The William T. Young Library, only five years old, is among the world's leading research libraries; its book endowment is the largest among public universities and ranks second only to Harvard University among all universities. Its broad scope of technology offers students, faculty and Kentucky residents special access to the most up-to-date information from online journals, government publications, and private studies, as well as more traditional materials.
Research at the University of Kentucky is a dynamic enterprise encompassing both traditional scholarship and emerging technologies. In over 50 research centers and institutes, UK researchers are discovering new knowledge, providing a rich training ground for the next generation of researchers, and advancing the economic growth of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Several centers excel in the services offered to the public. The Center for Manufacturing has assisted more than 500 small and mid-sized industrial firms throughout the state. The Gluck Equine Research Center is one of only three facilities of its kind in the world, conducting research into diseases of the horse.
Because UK is one of the few universities in the country with a research and teaching campus and a medical center in one central location, multidisciplinary research is particularly strong. The ASTeCC (Advanced Science and Technology Commercialization Center) building in the center of campus provides lab space for faculty affiliates who represent a variety of colleges and departments and is a hub for multidisciplinary research collaboration and commercialization. UK researchers engage in projects with professors at the University of Louisville, Murray State University, Eastern Kentucky University, and other public and private institutions across Kentucky, in other states and abroad.
The University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center was established in 1957 and is one of the nation's finest academic medical centers. The faculty, students and staff of our young, dynamic Medical Center take pride in achieving excellence in education, patient care, research, and community service. The 473-bed UK Hospital and UK Children's Hospital are supported by more than 500 faculty physicians and dentists, 400 resident physicians, and a staff of 3,200 health professionals committed to high-quality patient care. As the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Central and Eastern Kentucky, UK Hospital and UK Children's Hospital care for the most critically injured and ill patients in this half of Kentucky.
UK has demonstrated its commitment to partnerships with business and other institutions of higher learning. In Lexington, UK is shaping a better relationship with the community by becoming more active in life throughout the city, especially downtown.
But UK contributes far beyond the borders of Fayette County. The university is reaching out to communities across the Commonwealth, sharing knowledge and making a difference in the towns, cities and lives of all Kentuckians. An example is Health Education through Extension Leadership (HEEL), a new partnership between the College of Medicine, the College of Public Health, the College of Agriculture, and the Cooperative Extension Service. HEEL was created to enhance the Cooperative Extension agents' capacity to deliver valuable health and wellness information throughout the state. UK also received a $22 million grant from the National Science Foundation to strengthen and reform education in math and science in pre-K through grade 12 in Kentucky. The grant is the largest single grant in the school's history.
UK's agenda is simple. It is to accelerate the movement toward academic excellence and to become known worldwide for the quality of its academic programs, its commitment to undergraduates, its success in building a diverse community, and its engagement with the larger society. That is what the University of Kentucky is all about.
UK is forging ahead to meet the changing demands of global citizens. While touching countless lives, UK's greatest impact is felt at home. Indeed, the campus of the University of Kentucky is the Commonwealth of Kentucky.