xt7ksn011f9d https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7ksn011f9d/data/mets.xml Lexington, Kentucky University of Kentucky Alumni Association. 2014 journals  English University of Kentucky Alumni Association Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky alumnus Kentucky Alumni, vol. 85, no. 3, Fall 2014 text Kentucky Alumni, vol. 85, no. 3, Fall 2014 2014 2014 true xt7ksn011f9d section xt7ksn011f9d * We are the visionaries, the risk-takers,
the entrepreneurs and business leaders.
We are the poets, the artists, the engineers, the ones
who see promise and progress where others do not.
We find cures and transform communities and
believe we can change the world.

* Fall 2014 • Volume 85 • Number 3

campus
in a golden
Halcomb III:
Features e UKfall 1963.was decked outKentuckian hue 12 Dr. F. Josephand making a difference
during
Photo: 1964
seeing blue
ON THE COVER
A pioneer in biomedical engineering, Dr. F.

2014 UK Homecoming:

16 Football, reunions, music, tours and more!

Homecoming week provides alumni and students an
opportunity to come together on campus and celebrate
everything that embodies the true spirit of the UK
experience and its traditions.

Joseph Halcomb III ’74 EN, ’78 MED helps students at his alma mater to follow in his footsteps.

20 Q&A with Thomas Uram

Money means more to numismatist omas Uram ’82
BE than what it can buy at the grocery — its beauty, art and
history are paramount.

By Linda Perry

A grateful ‘thank you’ to our

24 Wildcat Society donors

e UK Alumni Association is appreciative of all UK
alumni and friends of the university who have generously
given to the Wildcat Society.

28 A symbolic groundbreaking
Photo: ExploreUK, Homecoming queen candidates, 1968

e UK College of Education held a
ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the
renovation of its Early Childhood Lab.

30 Leading by example

Meet the 10 newly-elected members on the UK Alumni
Association Board of Directors.
By Linda Perry

33 Sports

Mark Stoops expects progress in his second
season as Wildcat football head coach.
By Kelli Elam

Departments
4 Pride In Blue
7 Presidential Conversation
8 UK News
11 Blue Horizons
34 Association News
36 Alumni Clubs

37
40
52
54
55
56

College View
Class Notes
In Memoriam
Creative Juices
Retrospect
Quick Take

www.ukalumni.net

1

* * How To Reach Us

University of Kentucky
Alumni Magazine
Vol.85 No. 3
Kentucky Alumni (ISSN 732-6297) is
published quarterly by the University of
Kentucky Alumni Association, Lexington,
Kentucky for its dues-paying members.
© 2014 University of Kentucky Alumni
Association, except where noted. Views and
opinions expressed in Kentucky Alumni do
not necessarily represent the opinions of its
editors, the UK Alumni Association nor the
University of Kentucky.

Association Staff

Kentucky Alumni
UK Alumni Association
King Alumni House
Lexington, KY 40506-0119
Telephone: 859-257-8905
1-800-269-ALUM
Fax: 859-323-1063
E-mail: ukalumni@uky.edu

Publisher/Executive Director: Stan Key ’72
Editor/Associate Director: Kelli Elam ’11
Managing Editor: Linda Perry ’84
Senior Graphic Designer: Jeff Hounshell
Publications Production Assistant: Aon Fairchild Spencer

Update Your Record
UK Alumni Association
King Alumni House
Lexington, KY 40506-0119
Telephone: 859-257-8800
Fax: 859-323-1063
E-mail: ukalumni@uky.edu
Web: www.ukalumni.net
For duplicate mailings, please send both
mailing labels to the address above.
Member of the Council for Advancement
and Support of Education

Kelly R. Allgeier ’08: Alumni Career Counselor
Brenda Bain: Records Data Entry Operator
Gretchen Bower ’03: Program Coordinator
Linda Brumfield: Account Clerk III
Nancy Culp: Administrative Services Assistant
Caroline Francis ’88, ’93, ’02: Alumni Career Counselor
Leslie Hayes: Membership and Marketing Specialist
Kelly V. Hinkel ’11: Staff Support Associate I
John Hoagland ’89: Associate Director
Diana Horn ’70, ’71: Principal Accountant
Albert Kalim ’03: Webmaster
Randall Morgan: IS Tech Support
Katie Murphy: Membership Specialist
Meg Phillips ’09: Program Coordinator
Brenda Riddle: Membership Specialist
Darlene Simpson: Senior Data Entry Operator
Jill Smith ’05, ’11: Associate Director
Alyssa ornton ’11: Program Coordinator
Loraine Verrette: Staff Support Associate I
Frances White: Data Entry Operator

Board of Directors
Officers
Elaine A. Wilson ’68 SW - President
David B. Ratterman ’68 EN - President-elect
Peggy F. Meszaros ’72 ED - Treasurer
Stan R. Key ’72 ED - Secretary
District
Michelle Leigh Allen ’06 ’10 BE
Jeffrey L. Ashley ’89 CI
Lisa G. Atkinson ’92 CI
William G. Bacon Jr. ’82 MED
Trudy Webb Banta ’63 ’65 ED
Brian R. Bergman ’85 ’ 86 EN
Heath F. Bowling ’95 BE
Jeffrey J. Brock ’83 SCC, ’84 BE
Michael L. Brown ’72 BE
Mark W. Browning ’80 AS, ’84 LAW
Emmett “Buzz” Burnam ’74 ED
John S. Cain, ’86 BE
Shane T. Carlin, ’95 AFE
Rebecca F. Caudill ’72 ’76 ED
Dr. Michael A. Christian ’76 AS, ’80 DE
Judith G. Clabes ’67 AS
Elizabeth Cox ’69 AS
D. Michael Coyle ’62 BE, ’65 LAW
Bruce E. Danhauer ’77 AFE
Ruth C. Day ’85 BE
Eugene L. DuBow, ’53 AS
Philip D. Elder, ’86 AFE
Abra Endsley ’98 ’01 CI
Linda L. Frye ’60 AS
Robert Michael Gray, ’80 ’81 BE
Wallace E. Herndon Jr. ’67 BE
Derrick C. Hord ’83 CI
Ann Nelson Hurst ’80 BE
Lee A. Jackson ’70 SCC, ’73 AS
Patricia Wykstra Johnson ’68 AS, ’70 ED
Jim Keenan ’90 BE, ’93 LAW
Shelia M. Key ’91 PHA
Turner LaMaster ’73 BE
omas K. Mathews, ’93 AS
James D. McCain ’81 BE
Herbert A. Miller Jr. ’72 AS, ’76 LAW
Ashley S. “Tip” Mixson III, ’80 BE
Sherry R. Moak ’81 BE
Susan P. Mountjoy ’72 ED
Susan V. Mustian ’84 BE

Hannah M. Myers ’93 ED
Kimberly Parks ’01 BE
Quintissa S. Peake ’04 CI
Nicholas C. Phelps, ’08 BE
Chad D. Polk ’94 DES
James A. Richardson ’70 AS, ’72 ED
David A. Rodgers ’80 EN
Charlene K. Rouse ’77 DES
Philip Schardein, ’02 BE
Mary L. Shelman ’81 EN
Marian Moore Sims ’72 ’76 ED
J. Fritz Skeen ’72 ’73 BE
Mary Kekee Szorcsik ’72 BE
Reese S. Terry Jr. ’64 ’66 EN
Craig M. Wallace ’79 EN
Rachel L. Webb ’05 CI
Lori E. Wells ’96 BE
Crystal M. Williams ’97 BE
Amelia B. Wilson ’03 AFE, ’06 ’11 ED

Alumni Trustees
Cammie DeShields Grant ’77 LCC, ’79 ED
Kelly Sullivan Holland ’93 AS, ’98 ED
Terry B. Mobley ’65 ED
Appointed
Katie Eiserman ’01 ED - Athletics
omas W. Harris ’85 AS - University Relations
D. Michael Richey ’74 ’79 AFE - Development
Bobby C. Whitaker ’58 CI - Honorary
Mariel Bridges Jackson - Student Government Association
Vacant - University Senate

Past Presidents
George L. Atkins Jr. ’63 BE
eodore B. Bates ’52 AFE
Richard A. Bean ’69 BE
Michael A. Burleson ’74 PHA
Bruce K. Davis ’71 LAW
Scott E. Davis ’73 BE
Marianne Smith Edge ’77 AFE
At Large
Franklin H. Farris Jr. ’72 BE
R. Price Atkinson ’97 CI
Dr. Paul E. Fenwick ’52 AFE
Jo Hern Curris ’63 AS, ’75 LAW
William G. Francis ’68 AS, ’73 LAW
Antoine Huffman ’05 CI
W. P. Friedrich ’71 EN
Matt Minner ’93 AS
Dan Gipson ’69 EN
Will Nash ’06 AS
Cammie D. Grant ’79 ED
Jane C. Pickering, ’74 ED
Brenda B. Gosney ’70 HS, ’75 ED
Candace L. Sellars ’95 ’03 ED
John R. Guthrie ’63 CI
Ann B. Haney ’71 AS
College
Diane M. Massie ’79 CI
Michelle McDonald ’84 AFE, ’92 ED - Agriculture
Robert E. Miller
P. J. Williams ’91 AS - Arts & Sciences
John C. Nichols II ’53 BE
James B. Bryant ’67 BE - Business & Economics
Dr. George A. Ochs IV ’74 DE
Jeremy L. Jarvi ’02 CI - Communication & Information Sandra B. Patterson ’68 AS
Dr. Clifford J. Lowdenback ’99 AS, ’03 DE - Dentistry
Robert F. Pickard ’57 ’61 EN
Lu Ann Holmes ’79 DES - Design
Paula L. Pope ’73 ’75 ED
Martha Elizabeth Randolph ’83 BE, ’87 ’92 ED - Education G. David Ravencra ’59 BE
Taunya Phillips-Walker ’87 EN, ’04 BE - Engineering
William Schuetze ’72 LAW
Tony R. Rollins ’97 FA - Fine Arts
David L. Shelton ’66 BE
Barbara R. Sanders ’72 AS, ’76 ED - Health Sciences
J. Tim Skinner ’80 DES
Christy Trout ’02 LAW - Law
James W. Stuckert ’60 EN, ’61 BE
Dr. William H. Mitchell ’70 MED - Medicine
Julia K. Tackett ’68 AS, ’71 LAW
Patricia K. Howard ’83 ’90 ’04 NUR - Nursing
Hank B. ompson Jr. ’71 CI
Lynn Harrelson ’73 PHA - Pharmacy
Myra L. Tobin ’62 AFE
Jennifer L. Redmond ’03 ’10 PH - Public Health
J. omas Tucker ’56 BE
Willis K. Bright Jr. ’66 SW - Social Work
Henry Wilhoit Jr. ’60 LAW
Richard M. Womack ’53 AFE

www.ukalumni.net

3

* Pride In Blue

Happy fall, y’all!
It’s with great pride
that we bring you the
fall 2014 issue of Kentucky Alumni magazine.
Fall. It’s the time of
year when focus turns to
football, boots, warm
comfort food and, of
course, Homecoming!
The University of Kentucky will welcome alumni and
friends back to campus Oct. 24-26. It’s the perfect opportunity to reminisce with treasured friends and maybe make
some new ones.
One of the most special events during Homecoming each
year is recognizing our Golden Wildcats. This year, we celebrate the Class of 1964. These Wildcats prove that 50(th)
really is fabulous. This is one of my favorite things about
Homecoming. I love spending time with these seasoned
alumni and listening to stories of campus experiences from
days gone by. It’s funny, no matter how much things change,
some things remain the same. Dorm life, dances, pep rallies
and lifelong friendships are constants with every class of
Wildcats.
“The Great Catspy” is this year’s Homecoming theme.
Get all the information beginning on page 16. You can also
visit www.ukhomecoming.com for up-to-date information.
There will be tons of fun things to do, but I would like to
point out a few events. On Friday evening, we will host a
Roaring ’20s Homecoming Party. In keeping with the
theme, here’s your opportunity to sport 1920s attire. It’s not
required, but doesn’t it sound fun? (I know I can find the
perfect shoes.) You must take a campus tour. It’s amazing to
see the transformation happening here on campus. And, of
course, we will get you ready for Wildcat football at our
Homecoming Tailgate Tent Party at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday prior to the Mississippi State – UK football game. If you are planning to return to campus, please

4

Fall 2014

join us for these or any of the events. Be sure to visit the
Wildcat Alumni Plaza, find you paver (or pick out where
you would like to place your very own paver) and take a
photo with Bowman. Oh, and be sure to stop by the King
Alumni House to say hello. We would love to see you!
In this issue, we recognize our 2014 Distinguish Service
Award and Joseph T. Burch Young Alumni Award recipients. We are so fortunate to have many wonderful volunteers. This year’s recipients are examples of some of the best.
John Cain, Brooke Asbell, Chris Hopgood, Mary “KeKee”
Szorcsik and Rachel Watts Webb — thank you for everything you do in support of the alumni association and the
University of Kentucky. It’s a pleasure to know each of you.
Get to know the new officers on our board of directors and
the 10 new board members. Be sure to check out our Quick
Take photo featuring some board members whose terms just
ended. I would like to personally say a huge “Thank you!”
to these folks.
Wait, there’s more. We all think about money sometimes.
It’s unavoidable. But what if you studied money? That
would make you a numismatist. We do a Q&A with
Thomas Uram. He’s a numismatist. It’s pretty interesting
stuff. We also introduce you to Will Renshaw. He’s a dentist. And a luthier. How’s that for variety? Read about how
it makes perfect sense.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Kentucky Alumni magazine
as much I enjoy sharing it with you. As always, your feedback is welcome and appreciated.
Now, let’s celebrate fall!
With Pride in Blue,

Kelli Elam ’11
Editor

* Make your quote count!
Support your future alumni! Simply get a free quote on Liberty Mutual Auto, Home, or Renters
Insurance between September 1, 2014 - November 30, 2014, and we will donate $10 to the UK Alumni
Association Scholarship Fund1. What’s more, we’ll donate up to $10,000 to the top two alumni
associations with the most quotes!2
#S

#S

#B

#S

## BS

You, too, can benefit! Liberty Mutual has partnered with your alumni association to provide you
exclusive savings up to $427.96 on quality insurance coverage3 , which could include Better
Car Replacement™, a 12-Month Rate Guarantee, a Multi-Policy Discount, and Accident and Loss
Forgiveness, if you qualify.
#B

#S

#B

GET A
FREE
QUOTE
TODAY

855-323-2150

#S

Client #7296

libertymutual.com/qfs-ukaa
Visit your local office.

#S

1

No purchase of a policy is required. Limit one quote per policy type per person. Not available to residents in in CT, FL, IA, MA, ME, MO, ND, NM, or PA; or to existing Liberty Mutual Insurance customers.2Top
alumni associations determined by the ratio of the number of quotes to number of alumni association eligibles. First prize is $10,000 and second prize is $8,000.
3
Discounts and savings are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. Certain discounts apply to specific coverages only. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are
individually underwritten; not all applicants may qualify. Figure reflects average national savings for customers who switched to Liberty Mutual’s group auto and home program. Based on data collected
between 1/1/2012 and 6/30/2012. Individual premiums and savings will vary.
This organization receives financial support for allowing Liberty Mutual to offer this auto and home insurance program. Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its
affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA. © 2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance
#S

#S

#S

#S

#S

* Page

WILDCATS ON THE MOVE
Another member benefit from the
University of Kentucky Alumni Association

“Preferential Wildcat Treatment”
•
•
•
•
•

Minimum of 55% discount on all interstate moves
Free full value coverage up to $50,000 on relocations
Guaranteed on-time pick-up and delivery available
Personalized attention from start to finish
Sanitized Air-ride Vans

Contact Tom Larkins (The Wildcat Relocator)
for details on this program

1.800.899.2527
or email him at tom.larkins@atlanticrelocation.com

6

Fall 2014

U.S. DOT No. 125550

Atlantic Relocation Systems
Interstate Agent for

ATLAS VAN LINES
6314 31st Street East
Sarasota, FL 34243
A portion of the proceeds collected
from the transportation costs will be
paid to the UK Alumni Association.

* Presidential Conversation
Our research and the communities we touch
roughout our modern history, the U.S. economy — built on
entrepreneurship, innovation and resolve — has anchored the
global market. Undergirding that anchor is our people’s ability to
be at the forefront of discovery and ingenuity.
Significant economic milestones in our nation’s history were
the result of technological advancements that stemmed from scientific research and discovery. e creation of GPS, touchscreens, MRIs, vaccines, the Internet, and technology developed
by companies like Google, Apple and Intel were made possible
by advancements reached as a result of pioneering scientists and
talented industry leaders.
At UK we strive to be at the intersection of innovation and
impact.
Unlike any other institution, our campus is the Commonwealth. We educate students, conduct groundbreaking research
and heal communities in need of our care. ough the work we
do looks different today than in 1865, the heritage of our land
grant and flagship mission — as well as our responsibility to
communities on our campus and throughout the Commonwealth — is resolute.
As a $3 billion academic, research and health enterprise, discovery is at the core of our institution. Many UK faculty and
staff researchers are called upon to answer still lingering questions while daring to pioneer the questions yet asked. ey
helped attract UK’s external research grants and contracts that
resulted in a $367.1 million contribution to Kentucky’s economy last year.
Across campus we are creating multidisciplinary communities
of top talent that address the relevant challenges of our day. Critical to our success is that we do not simply conduct research for
communities across our state, but with those communities.
Kentucky has among the highest incidences and cancer-related
death rates in the nation. Several years ago, UK identified cancer
research and treatment as a critical priority, and — in partnership with the state, generous donors and by prioritizing institutional resources — we built modern research space and recruited
exceptional talent to central Kentucky. Last year, the UK Markey
Cancer Center earned National Cancer Institute-designation,
the only NCI-designated center in the state.
At the same time, we recognized that we must move those discoveries from our campus to the communities we serve. In 2011,
UK was awarded the Clinical Translational Sciences Award
(CTSA) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for our expertise in moving laboratory discoveries into applicable treatments in the field. Our capacity to carry out this “bench to
bedside” process is critical in attracting funding for sophisticated
clinical trials at the forefront of medicine.
ese distinctions place UK among 22 institutions in the
country with the trifecta of top federal research grants: e
CTSA, NCI-designation and an Alzheimer’s Disease Center,
which means we are uniquely positioned to discover new treatments and transform the quality of care.

Dr. Nancy Schoenberg
saw a need in eastern Kentucky and wanted to make
a positive intervention in
Appalachia to improve
health outcomes. At the
root of her strategy — and
success — was garnering
the support of the community. Chief among the assets of the region is the
shared cultural identity
and sense of community.
Without understanding that, alleviating some of the region’s
chronic health problems presents an even greater challenge.
Since 2004, Schoenberg’s “Faith Moves Mountains” has been
engaged in community-based participatory research to improve
cervical cancer treatments and intervention, cancer screenings,
smoking cessation, and diet and exercise programs. is is the
type of translational science that illustrates our promise to the
state we serve.
Our success in research and discovery is not limited to
health care. Kentucky’s economy is inextricably linked to the
global energy economy, and the UK Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) is at the leading edge of important discoveries that enhance our position. Scientists are partnering
with companies from Harrodsburg to China on new solutions
for carbon sequestration that will set an efficient, cost-effective
and cleaner future for coal as an energy solution. Today, new
carbon-capture technologies are being implemented at working
power stations in Kentucky. We are also exploring new fields in
energy science, the Argonne National Battery Laboratory is located at CAER, and our faculty and staff continue to work on
alternative energy solutions.
However, we face constraints in our research enterprise. Our
advanced research facilities are at capacity, and we lack the necessary space to recruit and retain world-class talent. Federal investment in research is not growing. We look forward to working
with state and federal policy makers to build the infrastructure
and funding streams necessary to continue to make discoveries
that change lives. We are committed to securing new space for
21st-century science education and research, including the selffinancing of a new Academic Science Building.
Colleges and universities are economic engines for our communities, and UK is a proud partner and leader as Kentucky’s indispensable institution. By choosing the investments that once
catapulted our country to the forefront of the global economy,
we can continue to be a bright beacon for Kentucky.

Eli Capilouto
www.ukalumni.net

7

* UK News

Dining partnership will transform
vital service to UK campus
Saying it will “transform overnight
the way we provide a vital service to
our campus,” UK President Eli Capilouto said the university is moving forward with a 15-year, nearly $250
million contract with Aramark to provide dining services for UK.
Key provisions of the partnership
with Aramark will include:
• Prices for UK’s six current student
meal plans will be reduced, with the
most expensive plan falling in price
by 26 percent or about $740 per semester.
• $70 million in facilities investments,
including $40 million in new facilities, subject to board approval,
would be made by 2017-2018, including the new K-Lair at Haggin
Hall and substantial upgrades to the
Student Center Food Court, both
to be ready for this fall and a newly
constructed Commons for Fall
2015 that will feature Kentucky
Proud products and sustainable design elements.
• Several new food brands will be locating on campus starting this fall
and next year. This fall, a new locally-owned Common Grounds,
Rising Roll Gourmet, Einstein Bros.

•

•

•

•

Bagels and Greens to Go will open
on campus.
In fall 2015, the first on-campus
Panera in the nation will open as
part of a new, $32 million Commons that Aramark is building near
the W.T. Young Library.
More emphasis will be placed on
nutrition and wellness with a fulltime dietician hired by Aramark,
digital menu boards, a nutrition
website and mobile apps for nutrition and fitness that will be instituted, among other innovations.
Aramark is providing guarantees to
increase Kentucky Proud and local
food purchasing, including an 11
percent increase in the first year of
the contract with $2 million in
guaranteed purchases. Over the life
of the contract, local food and Kentucky Proud purchases are projected
to grow each year and represent approximately 25 percent of total food
purchases by the end of the term.
Significant sustainability initiatives
will include LEED certification
being sought on new construction,
hiring of a full-time sustainability
coordinator and implementation of
Green Thread business practices, in-

•

•

•
•

cluding waste stream management
practices, minimizing food waste
and supporting composting, energy
audits and other energy and conservation initiatives.
The creation of a Food Hub in partnership with the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment,
including a $5 million guaranteed
investment in an unprecedented academic partnership. More details
about the food initiative will soon
be announced.
Current UK employees with dining
— about 110 people — will have
the opportunity to remain university employees with the same salary
and benefits — a guarantee made by
the university more than a year ago.
Aramark is committed to growing
the number of full-time and student
employees.
Key performance indicators on all
major facets of the contract between
UK and Aramark will be tracked
and will include financial penalties
if measures are not met in areas such
as local food sourcing, customer satisfaction, nutrition and wellness,
and employee numbers. n

A new alumni plaza has been created near the W.P. Garrigus Building, with a dedication ceremony held in June. The
College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Alumni
Plaza celebrates UK college alumni, students and the college’s threefold land-grant mission of teaching, research and
extension.
The diversity, beauty and seasonality of Kentucky’s agriculture inspired the plaza’s design. Along with agricultural
plantings, a “demo forest” was planted, using 13 potentially
blight-resistant sapling American chestnut trees and 50 pure
American chestnuts, which have started to sprout from
planted nuts. The trees were donated by The American
Chestnut Foundation, which has a breeding program that
strives to restore the American chestnut to the Appalachian
Mountains.
UK President Eli Capilouto, Dean Nancy Cox and former
Dean Scott Smith were on hand to cut the ribbon. Also included in the dedication ceremony were Kevin Kreide, Physi-

8

Fall 2014

cal Plant Division director; Boyd Sewe,
landscape architecture student; and
Ramona Fry, principal at element design
and project manager
for the plaza renovation. Fry and design
team members Liz Piper and Mark Arnold are alumni of the
college’s Department of Landscape Architecture.
Fry said that the plaza is now “a place that provides for outdoor classrooms, learning, socialization and research, with a
meaningful investment in stewardship and greening our
campus. It’s a place for large gatherings and for small, everyday conversations, a place to meet colleagues and make lifelong friends. It’s a place that celebrates the environment of
education.” n

Photo: College of AFE

College of Agriculture, Food and Environment opens new plaza

* UK News

UK has accepted a $1 million commitment from Forcht Bank, a pledge as
part of the $65 million capital campaign for the renovation and expansion of the Gatton College of Business
& Economics building.
The Forcht Bank gift will fund the
grand staircase in the newly renovated
Gatton College facility. Located at the
main entrance of the expanded facility,
“the staircase will be a focal point of
the building,” described UK Gatton
College Dean David W. Blackwell.
“The grand staircase is the primary access to the atrium, which we refer to as
the ‘living room’ of the building. It also
provides ‘stadium seating’ where students can relax and study between
classes.
“Forcht Bank’s $1 million pledge will
help us build a technologically advanced business education complex,
which will benefit students for decades
to come,” Blackwell said.
The expansion and renovation of the
Gatton College facility will allow for
enrollment growth of more than 40
percent and faculty/staff growth to

Photo: Courtesy of Gatton College of Business and Economics

Gatton College receives $1 million gift from Forcht Bank

From left are David W. Blackwell, dean of the UK Gatton College of Business &
Economics; Debbie Reynolds, president of Forcht Group; Terry Forcht, chairman
of Forcht Bank and Forcht Group of Kentucky; Dr. Eli Capilouto, UK president; and
Tucker Ballinger, president of Forcht Bank.

support the additional students, as well
as incorporating state-of-the-art technology throughout the building. Con-

struction of the facility is underway
with completion of the project slated
for spring 2016. n

Gov. Steve Beshear appoints three to UK Board of Trustees
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear appointed three individuals to
the UK Board of Trustees. ey are Dr. Edward Britt Brockman ’81 PHA of Louisville, Cammie DeShields Grant ’77
LCC, ’79 ED of Winchester and Robert D. Vance ’65 BE, ’68
LAW of Maysville. Trustees serve six-year terms.
Brockman, an ophthalmologist, was reappointed to the
board, having begun his previous term in 2008. Grant had a
31-year career in education in Kentucky and Georgia. She was
named Alumni Trustee aer being selected by Gov. Beshear
from a list of three candidates elected by UK graduates. Vance
is a banker and retired secretary of the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet. n

Brockman

Grant

Vance

UK participating in Multi-State Collaborative on how to best assess student learning
e University of Kentucky is one of 68 institutions of
higher learning in nine states to join the Multi-State Collaborative (MSC) to Advance Learning Outcomes Assessment, an
initiative to develop and test a new system-level approach to assessing student learning.
Northern Kentucky University and Hazard Community and
Technical College also are participating in the project. All

three institutions will work collaboratively with the Kentucky
Council on Postsecondary Education to meet the requirements
of MSC.
e schools will document how well students are achieving
key learning outcomes, such as quantitative reasoning, written
communication and critical thinking. n
www.ukalumni.net

9

* * Blue Horizons

UK Superfund Research Center receives
$12.2 million federal grant
e University of Kentucky has received a $12.2 million grant from the
National Institutes of Health to continue
its work to better understand and minimize negative health and environmental
impacts from hazardous waste sites.
e Nutrition and Superfund Chemical Toxicity grant funded through the
NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is administered
through the UK College of Agriculture,

Food and Environment. It supports the
efforts of more than 50 scientists and
students from 15 departments within
the colleges of Agriculture, Food and
Environment; Arts and Sciences; Engineering; Medicine; and Public Health.
UK is one of only four programs
funded in 2014, placing it in a very elite
group of just 19 centers nationwide.
UK has received funding for its Superfund work since 1997, with this being

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging selected for
clinical trial of drug to prevent Alzheimer’s disease
An experimental drug that has the
potential to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) will be in a landmark multicenter clinical trial that the UK
Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is participating in. The A4 Study will recruit
1,000 participants ages 65-85 to test an
amyloid antibody that may prevent
memory loss caused by AD. Amyloid is
a protein normally produced in the
brain that can build up in older people,
forming plaque deposits in the brain.
Scientists believe this buildup of deposits may play a key role in the eventual development of AD.
Sanders-Brown is the only center in
Kentucky and the only center within 200
miles of Lexington participating in the
study. “As of today, there is no cure for
Alzheimer’s disease, so any opportunity to
slow the progression of symptoms by intervening early in the disease process is im-

portant,” says Dr. Gregory Jicha of the
Sanders-Brown Center on Aging.
A4 participant candidates will undergo
a series of tests to determine their eligibility, including an imaging test called a
PET scan to determine whether they do
in fact have evidence of amyloid plaque
buildup. “Amyloid plaques don’t guarantee that a person will develop
Alzheimer’s, but there seems to be a
strong link between the two,” says Jicha.
“So using PET imaging to determine the
buildup of amyloid plaques is similar to
being tested for the BRCA1 gene for
breast cancer: they help us determine
who is at a higher risk for developing the
disease in question.”
Patients who are identified by PET
scan as at risk for AD but aren’t yet experiencing memory problems will now be
able to explore their options for prevention and/or treatment. n

one of the largest NIH grants ever received by UK.
UK Superfund Research Center’s biomedical research focuses on the idea
that nutrition can help reduce negative
health effects from exposure to hazardous chemicals. Environmental science researchers at the center are
working to develop new methods to detect hazardous chemicals and clean up
contaminated sites. n

UK gets $3.75 million
for community-based rural
cancer prevention
e UK Rural Cancer Prevention Center (RCPC) has received a $3.75 million,
five-year grant renewal from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention to
promote screening and prevent death
from colorectal cancer in Central Appalachia and other rural areas.
e UK RCPC, at the UK College of
Public Health, is a collaboration of community members, public health professionals and researchers that conduct applied
prevention research to reduce health disparities associated with cervical cancer,
breast cancer and colorectal cancer among
residents of the Kentucky River Area Development District. n
Compiled from news reports
about research at UK.
For more information about
research taking place at UK,
visit www.research.uky.edu

Behavioral characteristics of Appalachian community contribute to epidemic of hepatitis C
High rates of injection drug use, little access to intervention services and tight-knit
social circles have created a perfect storm
for the spread of the hepatitis C virus in
Appalachia. UK researchers have tracked
cases of this highly infective virus in Appalachian drug users, with evidence that
most new cases are affecting people under
the age of 25. Since 2008, a research team
led by Jennifer Havens, an epidemiologist

in the UK Center for Drug and Alcohol
Research, has conducted routine testing
and interviews with 500 drug users in
Perry County. e goal of the study is to
gain a better understanding of the social
and behavioral risk factors that contribute
to the area’s prevalence of hepatitis C, and
ultimately use the knowledge to develop
interventions aimed at curbing the spread
of the disease.

e study has retained 95 percent of
participants through five years, allowing
the researchers to map support networks,
drug use networks and sexual networks, as
well as identify systemic changes in the
drug use community.
Researchers are equipped with information to develop the most effective intervention programs to reduce cases of
hepatitis C. n
www.ukalumni.net

11

* New Developments

* www.ukalumni.net

13

* New Developments