By Kendra Sanders

The relationship has never been made official, but everyone knows that Languages and the Arts are an item. As the story goes, the two got together sometime around the fall of Babel, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.

For Jan-Piet Knijff, Agata Grzelczak, and Gonzalo Hernández Baptista, three A&S graduate students that share a common thread of knowing multiple languages and a passion for the arts, this relationship is an enduring one.

Jan-Piet Knijff was prepared to study Classics in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, almost 30 years ago. A last minute switch to study music at the Conservatorium of Amsterdam, a specialized music university, led him to an international career as an organ and harpsichord player.

Knijff moved to New York in 1999, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts

By Victoria Dekle

Piecing together the developments of Mesoamerican civilization is not easy… or comfortable. University of Kentucky archaeologists Christopher Pool and Michael Loughlin have spent many summers in southern Veracruz working among snakes, spiders and sharp sugar cane fields in dense humidity so they can learn more about ancient Mesoamericans.

Pool and Loughlin are both scholars of the Olmec culture -- considered by most archaeologists to be one of the earliest complex societies in Mesoamerica and the creators of giant stone heads that weigh over six tons -- and the succeeding Epi-Olmec culture that produced some of the oldest writing in the Americas.

One of the top scholars in Olmec archaeology, Professor Pool published one of the

Have you ever wondered what Dia de los Muertos is all about? As part of the Viva Mexico events and activities, all are invited to participate in several opportunities to experience Mexican culture and celebrations.

Learn more about the cultural significance of this day by making plans to attend a slide show that explains the Day of the Dead on Wednesday, October 23, at 5:00 p.m. in the Student Center Theater.

Build a Day of the Dead altar with local artists Jacobo and Janice Aragon on Thursday, October 24 from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Anyone interested is invited to meet in Room 122 of the Whitehall Classroom Building to learn more and help create an altar.

On Friday, November 1, The Living Arts and Science Center will be hosting a Day of the Dead Festival. Join the Lexington and UK community at 362 Martin Luther King Boulevard from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. for this celebration

by Claudia Hopenhayn

(Oct. 15, 2013) — Shoulder to Shoulder Global recently led 49 University of Kentucky students, faculty, staff and community members in a multidisciplinary health brigade experience to Santo Domingo, Ecuador.

STSG is a UK-based organization that strives to improve the health and well-being of impoverished communities while offering learners the opportunity to work in a multicultural and interdisciplinary setting.

The brigade, which took place Aug. 2-11, was the culmination of months of preparation that included the credit-bearing course, "Interprofessional Teamwork in Global Health." Throughout

by Sarah Geegan & Grace Liddle

 The College of Arts and Sciences is offering 13 courses that begin in the middle of the fall 2013 semester. For students who may have recently dropped a class or hope to pick up some extra credit hours, these courses provide flexibility after the regular registration period.

Course topics range from the science of what we eat, archaeology and history of ancient Mexico, an introductory course on the city of Lexington, and a study on the culture and economics of local and global food systems.

The "Global Food & Local Agriculture" course explores questions associated with why people eat what they do and what that implies about society. To answer these questions, the class

by Sarah Geegan & Breanna Shelton

The College of Arts and Sciences is kicking off its fourth year in its Passport to the World Initiative: "¡Viva México!" will be a year-long celebration of art, culture and history of Mexico and what makes it unique. Join in the kickoff from noon-2 p.m.today, Tuesday, Sept. 17, on the Student Center patio for free food, free T-shirts, music and games. 

History Professor Francie Chassen-Lopez, and anthropology Professor 

video courtesy of UK Public Relations and Marketing

article by Jenny Wells

Planning and hosting a national conference is no easy task, but for the UK community, collaboration makes it all possible. The University of Kentucky will host the 2014 National Conference on Undergraduate Research, or NCUR, next semester, which will bring nearly 4,000 additional students from across the country to the UK campus. And as students, faculty and staff can attest -- it is something worth bragging about.

NCUR will take place April 3-5, 2014, all throughout UK's campus. The conference will give undergraduates a unique opportunity to present their research and creative endeavors, while meeting other like-minded students from all across the country. They not only promote their individual

By Jacob Most

University of Kentucky Wildcats from all eight of UK’s spring sports teams combined to earn a total of 71 spots on the Southeastern Conference Spring Sports Academic Honor Roll, Commissioner Mike Slive announced this week.

UK’s honorees included 16 women’s track and field team members, 14 from baseball, nine from softball, seven women’s tennis players, eight men’s track and field team members, six each from men’s golf and men’s tennis and five women’s golfers.

A total of 1,247 student-athletes from around the league earned spots on the honor roll, which is based on grades from the 2012 summer, 2012 fall and 2013 spring terms.  In order to make the SEC Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have a 3.0 grade-point average for the preceding academic year or his/her entire collegiate career, be at least a sophomore in academic

by Whitney Hale

Fifteen graduates of the University of Kentucky will head back to the classroom this fall as part of a new class of corps members in Teach for America. The UK group is among thousands of new teachers chosen this year for the national program, which is known for selecting outstanding college graduates to commit to teach for two years in disadvantaged urban and rural public schools.

Teach for America places its recruits in the nation's highest-need elementary and secondary schools in many of the country's lowest income communities, both rural and urban, in an effort to close the achievement gap between economically advantaged and disadvantaged children.

Currently, around 10,400 first- and second-year corps members instruct more than 750,000

By Sarah Geegan

Per University of Kentucky tradition, a student speaker will represent his or her class at both undergraduate Commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 5. The speakers for the 146th UK Commencement Ceremonies are Mercedes Rosado and Luke Glaser.

Mercedes Rosado, from Marquette, Mich., is graduating with a degree in kinesiology from the College of Education. A pilot candidate in Air Force ROTC, she will be commissioned after graduation and begin pilot training in February at Columbus Air Force base in Mississippi. She will deliver the Commencement address at the 1 p.m. ceremony.

Rosado joined the Air Force ROTC program at UK partly because of her father'

Dr. Susan Larson will offer a new course to satisfy the UKCore requirement "Community Culture and Citizenship in the USA."

The new course, called US Latino Culture and Politics, will touch on the history, cultures and impact of the growing Latino communites in the United States, with a particular focus on the Latino populations here in Kentucky.  No knowledge of Spanish is required for this course.

By Guy Spriggs

According to Spanish and topical studies major Sammi Meador, it can be hard to use words like environmentalism and sustainability when talking about her personal and academic interests.

“These are hot topics right now,” Meador said, “and a lot of people think these are just wishy-washy terms.”

As she explains, however, sustainability is about far more than buzz words and empty gestures. Environmental studies is also about people.

“People think it’s a liberal white kid thing, that the goal is to be a hippie and to save the animals and all that. But there’s a human side to it. Sustainability really includes every aspect of human society,” she said.

“I’m coming from a place of privilege that affords me the time and resources to ponder these ethical questions,” Meador continued. “I don’t

In this A&S podcast, Luke Glaser, a double major in Spanish and English at UK, talks about why he chose to pursue a position with Teach for America and what he hopes to accomplish with his service. 

https://www.as.uky.edu/podcasts/teach-america-luke-glaser

By Sarah Geegan

UK alumna Lauren Cook did it in Switzerland; UK  junior Hannah Simms did it in China; they studied abroad. Widely seen as a life-changing experience, education abroad has been perceived as one with added financial burden. However, Education Abroad at UK is seeking to dispel the myth that money is necessarily an obstacle; rather, they want students to know money does not have to be a barrier.

Education Abroad at UK strives to make education abroad programs more affordable and accessible for all UK students. In 2011-2012, Education Abroad at UK awarded $231,750 in total scholarships. The 2011-2012 year also represented a 42 percent increase from the number of students who received scholarships in 2010-2011 and a 41 percent increase in total funding.

"One of the

Dr. Alice Driver, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma México and a recent graduate of UK's Hispanic Studies department, has added to her impressive list of accomplishments a photo credit in the November issue of National Geographic's Spanish Language edition.  The photo was taken at La Lagunilla Market in Mexico City and appears in the section "Your Shot"  of the issue "¿Cuba libre?" 

Dr. Driver will also exibit 5 of her photographs taken in Ciudad Juárez as part of the Photography Exhibit on Feminicide for the International Day for the Eliminatiion of Violence Against Women on November 26, 2012 in Vienna, Austria. The exhibit was organized by the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS).

Dr. Drive completed her PhD at the University of Kentucky in 2011.  Her dissertation was entitled “Cultural Production and

By Sarah Geegan

UK student Katelyn McNamara is extending her hard work, compassion and activeness across the country and globe. The topical studies in neuroscience and Hispanic studies double major and UK Honors Program student recently received the 2012 National Alternative Breaks Active Citizen of the Year Award, recognizing her as the exemplification of serving and valuing the community.

Break Away: Alternative Break Connection, Inc., is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to "train, assist and connect campuses and communities in promoting quality alternative break programs that inspire lifelong active

To see a little of what Dr. Francisco Salgado-Robles' students were doing in Seville this summer, take a look at some of the adventures of sophomore Spanish major Nicole Sands, who blogged from Spain about her experiences with the the May session service learning course created by Dr. Salgado-Robles. 

By Sarah Geegan

"Every time I take a trip, I find myself missing home. The people. The culture. The weather," says JR Leach, a triple-major in political science, history and Hispanic studies, who is currently studying in Granada, Spain.

But he is not referring to Lexington.

"I've travelled internationally before and for extended periods of time, and I've always remembered and missed what most people would consider my home in America," Leach said. "But Granada is where all cards are off. Granada has become my home."

Studying through the International Study Abroad program (ISA) throughout the spring 2012 semester, Leach, a student in the

The College of Arts & Sciences is pleased to announce that the recipients of the 2012-13 A&S Outstanding Teaching Awards are Drs. Christia Brown (psychology), Brenna Byrd (MCLLC), Yanira Paz (Hispanic Studies), and Bradley Plaster (physics & astronomy).

Dr. Christia Brown has been in the psychology department since 2007 and is affiliated with the Children at Risk Research Cluster, Gender and Women’s Studies, and the UK Center for Poverty Research.  She exemplifies teaching excellence.  She creates an innovative learning environment in every classroom she enters, whether through engagement activities in her large lecture courses or debates in her smaller seminars. One of her students stated, “This is the best class and professor I have ever had at UK.”  Outside the classroom she

Ignacio Martínez de Pisón, a guest writer at this year's Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, won the prestigious Premio de la Crítica for his novel El día de mañana. He received the good news while attending the 65th annual KFLC conference in Lexington. Read the full article on ABC.es here (note: the article is in Spanish).

photo by José Antonio Melendo