James “Jimmy” H. Glenn III became the first AfricanAmerican president of the UK Student Government Association in 1999. He was also a recipient of the
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Distinguished Citizen Award. Glenn earned a degree in engineering in 2004. He is shown here hugging some of his
supporters after winning the election.

Photo: Courtesy UK Solar Car Team

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who fought apartheid in
South Africa, spoke at UK Sept. 16, 1999, to celebrate
“50 Years of the African-American Legacy” and to acknowledge the university’s commitment to a diverse
future. Just over 30,000 students enrolled at UK in fall
2014. The student population was composed, in part,
of 6.6 percent black students, 3.4 percent Hispanic students and 6.3 percent international students. From fall
2009 to fall 2014, the number of African-American
freshmen who enrolled at UK increased by 6.5 percent,
while the Hispanic freshmen jumped by 215.4 percent.

The first UK Solar Car concept was designed by College
of Engineering students in 1999 and was named Firefly.
Over the next 4 years, the concept turned into a reality,
and the name was changed to Gato del Sol, Spanish for
“Cat of the Sun.” It used lead-acid batteries and weighed
almost 1,000 pounds, but students had proved they
could construct a vehicle that ran solely on solar power.
Today, the 20 person team is gearing up to race their
sixth-generation car, Gato del Sol V, in the Formula Sun
Grand Prix July 2015. It boasts a high-capacity lithium
battery pack, improved performance and efficiency
with reduced weight. Also collaborating on the project
were the Gatton College of Business & Economics; Agriculture, Food and Environment; Architecture; and Fine
Arts.

www.ukalumni.net

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