By Harper Propst 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 12, 2025) — Each year, the University of Kentucky Graduate School recognizes exceptional faculty for their achievements in graduate education and scholarly research. Ellen D.B. Riggle, Ph.D, receives the Albert D. and Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize, awarded for outstanding contributions to original research and scholarship.

Riggle is a professor of political science and gender and women’s studies in the UK College of Arts and Sciences. Riggle’s research explores topics including stress, health disparities and the effects of law and policy on the well-being of LGBTQ individuals and couples.

“I am honored to receive the Kirwan Prize in recognition of my scholarship and collaborations, and

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Two recently added bachelor’s degree programs in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts and Sciences have drawn students with passions for the law and statistics. 

UK’s Law and Justice major began taking students in 2024. The program, developed by the College’s Department of Political Science, explores the relationships among law, politics and society in the United States and abroad.  

“The new Law and Justice major gives students the opportunity to focus on topics relevant to law and justice in a way that is broad and engaging,” said Bridgett A. King, Ph.D., director of the program and associate professor. “Because the program is interdisciplinary, students are exposed to relevant topics from a variety of different perspectives. Although many of our students do want

By Ryan Girves 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 5, 2025) — The University of Kentucky recognized exceptional faculty and teaching assistants with the Outstanding Teaching Awards during the 2025 UK Faculty Awards Ceremony held Thursday, May 1.

The Graduate School also recognized the Albert D. and Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize winner and the William B. Sturgill award winners during the ceremony. Ellen D. Riggle, Ph.D., in the College of Arts and Sciences received the Kirwan Memorial Prize. 

The Kirwan Memorial Prize was established in 1995 and recognizes its namesake's collaborative research efforts, as well as Albert Kirwan's endeavors in creating an environment at UK that promotes high-quality research and

By Francis Von Mann

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 15, 2025) – For Kaleb Diaz, college was never a given. But with hard work, financial support, and ambition, he’s charting a path toward a bright future.

Diaz, political science major on a pre-law track, grew up just outside of the state’s capital in Lawrenceburg. He’s the son of an immigrant father who came to the United States chasing the promise of the American dream. 

Diaz learned early from his father that hard work and education were keys to unlocking opportunities.

“My dad made sure I kept all A’s,” Diaz said. “He made it clear that scholarships were my ticket to college.”

Thanks to scholarships and a supportive

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Keijuan Pryor spent a semester away from the University of Kentucky treading the halls of power in the U.S. Capitol as an intern for Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, then the Senate majority leader. Pryor’s experiences ranged from the nitty-gritty of constituent service to creating a vision for the future of technology.   

“I went to hearings and briefings,” said Pryor, a UK public policy political science major from Louisville. “I would walk around with constituents if they came down for a personalized tour of the Capitol with one of the senator’s staff members. Some days you would work on different policies. One day it would be education, the next it would be AI, another day would be national defense. You did whatever was thrown at you.” 

Pryor’s

By Hayden Gooding and Ben Branscum 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 24, 2025) – The deadline to apply for the Fall 2025 WilDCats at the Capitol internship program is Monday, March 31. Application details can be found here.

Since 2016, the WilDCats at the Capitol internship program at the University of Kentucky has provided students with hands-on career experiences in Washington, D.C.

Each semester, selected

By Zoey Schwartz 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research recently announced the 22 undergraduate winners of the 60th annual Oswald Research and Creativity Awards. Chad Risko, faculty director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, and research ambassadors celebrated the winners and presented the awards.

Established in 1964 by then-UK President John Oswald, the Oswald Research and Creativity Competition aims to promote undergraduate research and creative endeavors across all academic disciplines.

The competition spans categories, including biological sciences, design (architecture,

By Ann Blackford 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 22,  2024) — Laura Farnsworth, a 2006 graduate from the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has been planning events since she was a UK student living in Blanding Tower and serving on the Resident Student Government committee.

It was a hop, skip and a jump from pizza and ice cream night at UK to a college internship with the Lexington Chamber of Commerce to the job she holds as director of development and events for the Downtown Lexington Partnership. Her experience has been built on a foundation of development, fundraising administration and event production.

Farnsworth has been with the partnership for the past

By Lindsey Piercy and Kody Kiser

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 4, 2024) — In today’s political landscape, the power of a single post, tweet or video can shift public opinion, drive movements and even shape policies.

From trending hashtags to viral tweets, social media isn’t just an accessory in politics anymore — it’s a microphone, a platform and, at times, a battleground.

But how did we get here? And where is this headed?

In the social media arena, candidates and voters engage in real-time debates, raise awareness for causes and rally support. But as its role in politics continues to grow, so do questions about its influence.

On this edition of “Behind

By Erin Wickey 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 21, 2024) — In an era where American political discourse often unfolds online, a University of Kentucky researcher is examining  evolving communication strategies with a focus on social media.

Maggie Macdonald, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Political Science in the UK College of Arts and Sciences, studies elite political behavior in the United States. Most of her work has concentrated on congressional campaigns and how they use social media to achieve their electoral goals.

“I started graduate school in 2015 and decided to study Congress and Twitter,”

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 8, 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. Spanning generations, these Wildcats are making lasting impacts in the Commonwealth and beyond through their careers and service to their communities.

Today’s spotlight is on Laura Farnsworth, a 2006 graduate from the UK College of Arts and

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.

By Jennifer T. Allen

Megan Martin, a political science alum, stepped foot on the University of Kentucky campus in 2013 and knew it was the place for her. 

“I’m from Louisville and toured a few schools in the state,” she said. “I really liked Lexington and how the campus was walkable. I liked how it was easy to stay connected to campus life as a student.”

Martin was also drawn to the College of Arts and Sciences political science department.

“Political science gave me outlets for all my interests. I chose political science because it has elements of history, problem solving and current events,” she said. “It was applicable in ways that were happening currently and looked to the future. It’s an ever-evolving discipline, and I knew that I could take the

By Richard LeComte

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky’s College of Arts and Sciences is launching an undergraduate major and minor in fall 2024 — Law and Justice. 

The Law and Justice program will examine the relationships among law, politics and society in the United States and abroad in a program developed by UK’s Political Science Department, with insight from a wide variety of experts, including political science faculty, law school faculty and alumni.

In the program, students develop expertise in the topic of law and courts and acquire skills in analytics and logic, writing, composition and communication. They also learn to conduct original research. 

Law and Justice is aimed at undergraduate students who want to pursue law or obtain such law-adjacent positions as: legislators, lobbyists,

LEXINGTON Ky. -- Bethany Abebe, a political science and international studies major in the University of Kentucky's College of Arts and Sciences, participated in the Meridian-Cox Foreign Service Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Washington, D.C., in June. She was one of 20 students chosen for the program. 

The Meridian-Cox Foreign Service Fellowship for Emerging Leaders is a fully paid enrichment and training program seeking to expand awareness and access to U.S. Foreign Service careers to students from underrepresented communities. 

A partnership among Meridian International Center, the Una Chapman Cox Foundation and Community Colleges for International Development, the Foreign Service Fellowship provides undergraduate students with insight into American diplomacy while underscoring educational, internship and career paths within the U.S. Foreign

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 Emily Sallee 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 5, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards announced three students have been selected as award winners of a Critical Language Scholarship.

The program provides opportunities for American college and university students to study languages and cultures essential to America's engagement with the world. 

Each summer, undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities across the country spend eight to 10 weeks learning one of 13 languages at an intensive study-abroad institute.

More than 500 students were

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 2, 2024) — At the University of Kentucky, Laurel Riggs, from Bardstown, Kentucky, wears many hats. The pre-law senior and Lewis Honors College member is majoring in political science with a minor in writing, rhetoric and digital studies, while also serving as a coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences’ Ambassador program, member of Chi Omega sorority, vice president of membership Standards for UK Panhellenic, and assistant attorney general for the Student Government Association.

Riggs is also the recipient of

By Hayden Gooding and Eric King 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 24, 2024) — Since its inception in 2016, the WilDCats at the Capitol internship program at the University of Kentucky has allowed students to embark on transformative experiences in Washington, D.C.

Developed through a partnership between the Office of Federal Relations, the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Student Government Association, the program has become a cornerstone of

By Owen Chesemore 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 19, 2024) — Shria Holla, a Lewis Honors College member and senior mathematical economics major with minors in political science and statistics in the College of Arts and Sciences, has collected a variety of research experiences thanks to mentors and opportunities through the UK Office of Undergraduate Research.

In the summer of 2023, Holla was an economic