UK offering free high school workshop, new biomedical hub coming, plus other higher ed news
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It’s mid-term season, which means the autumn leaves are falling down like pieces into place. (Yes, that is a Taylor Swift reference.)
Take a break from studying or grading mid-terms and catch up on the higher education news from the last few weeks, starting with a few things you may have missed:
The University of Cincinnati is now offering its metro tuition rate (essentially its in-state tuition cost) for all Kentucky students
A University of Kentucky professor’s AI program led to the decoding of the first readable word in scrolls that were preserved in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
UK is starting a new research center to study tobacco usage in Appalachia, funded by a $19 million grant
Have something that should be considered for the next round-up? Contact higher education reporter Monica Kast at mkast@herald-leader.com.
UK, UofL awarded $12M biomedical grant
The University of Kentucky, along with several partner universities, received a $12 million grant to start a new hub focused on biomedical innovations.
The Mid-South Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (REACH) will be led by Vanderbilt University, and work with universities in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Virginia, including UK and the University of Louisville. The grant comes from the National Institutes of Health, with the hub focused on “accelerating real-world impact of biomedical innovations through education, mentorship and financial support for entrepreneurs,” according to UK.
Other partners for the hub are Jackson State University and George Mason University.
“We are excited about the potential this collaboration brings to the spirit of innovation across our partners in the Mid-South Hub and look forward to transforming lifesaving and life-changing ideas into concrete solutions,” said Taunya Phillips, director of the UK Office of Technology Commercialization and UK’s principal investigator on the project.
Teaching center at Transylvania
Transylvania University has launched the Bingham Center for Teaching Excellence, focused on faculty development and funded by the $25 million grant the university received earlier this year.
The center will be a place for faculty mentoring and advancement, as well as implementing innovative teaching methods for professors.
Rebecca Thomas, vice president for academic affairs and dean of Transylvania, said the center will “leverage instructional expertise and increase high-quality professional development opportunities for faculty to shape a campus culture of teaching excellence.”
“This level of top-tier professional development is good not only for individual faculty and their morale, creativity, knowledge and growth, but also for students and their success,” Thomas said.
Registration open for UK, high school conference
High school students are now able to register for the Young Women LEAD conference at UK. The event is free and focuses on leadership, education and development for high school girls.
It will include speakers and interactive breakout sessions, with keynote speaker Ava Johnson leading an interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) session. Other speakers will share about their careers, with sessions focusing on skills needed for the workforce.
“This conference features speakers who will inspire participants to feel empowered to pursue their goals and be leaders in their schools,” said Jonathan Thomas, Ph.D., chair of the STEM Education Department in the UK College of Education. “Young Women LEAD has a particular focus on empowering high school girls to consider futures in STEM careers and we are excited to be part of that mission.”
The conference will be on Oct. 25, and registration is first-come, first-serve for the first 700 students who register.
