April EDC Newsletter - EDC to host 'Economic Development Across KY' convening | Walsh Pre-Apprenticeship program 2nd cohort

UK EDC News | April 2026

EDC to host first quarterly convening, 'Economic Development Across Kentucky: Perspectives from the Field'

Talent Update

Econ Games draw record participation, expand national reach and industry impact

More than 240 students from 29 universities arrived in Lexington in late March with a shared goal: solve a real-world problem using data, and do it in less than 24 hours.

By the end of the Bank of America 2026 Econ Games, teams had built and presented solutions that ranged from new data-driven tools to innovative applications within the horse racing industry, demonstrating the kind of fast, applied thinking that defines the competition.

At its core, the Econ Games are designed to give students something traditional coursework cannot fully replicate: a chance to apply economics in real time using real data.

Innovation Update

UK tool gives Kentucky’s opioid response a data-driven edge

A new analytical system created by UK researchers is helping to predict and prevent opioid overdoses in Kentucky.

The surveillance system, called Rapid Actionable Data for Opioid Response in Kentucky (RADOR-KY), is used to inform overdose prevention and response efforts throughout the state by giving health departments, community organizations and policymakers access to near-real-time opioid overdose data for every county in Kentucky.

Developed by a UK research team led by Svetla Slavova, Ph.D., and Jeffery Talbert, Ph.D., work on the RADOR-KY dashboard began in 2023 with a three-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Place Update

Walsh Construction, University of Kentucky launch second Pre-Apprenticeship cohort

Walsh Construction and the University of Kentucky officially kicked off the second cohort of the Pre-Apprenticeship Program April 14, continuing a workforce development partnership aimed at creating sustainable pathways into the construction trades for Lexington-area residents.

The program, tied directly to the construction of the UK Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building, enrolled seven participants from seven trade partner companies and will run through June 9, 2026. The full-time, eight-week commitment requires approximately 40 hours per week of hands-on training and professional development.

Meet the EDC Steering Committee

Part of a monthly series to introduce the Economic Development Collaborative Leaders

Ned Crankshaw was appointed Dean of the College of Design in July 2024, after serving as Acting Dean for two years. He joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky Department of Landscape Architecture in 1990. As a faculty member in Landscape Architecture, he has collaborated extensively in teaching and research with faculty members in Architecture, Interior Design, and Historic Preservation. The organizing philosophy for his studios and his cultural landscapes course is that thoughtful landscape architectural practice relies on understanding and empathy for the intrinsic values of regional and local landscape character. Crankshaw has a record of research activity in cultural landscape management, and especially in ways to incorporate thoughtful contemporary design into historic landscapes. His more recent work is in two areas. One involves the wellness benefits of human contact with nature in urban landscapes and the other involves strategies to increase urban tree canopy to mitigate higher temperatures driven by climate-change.

Ned Crankshaw is a registered Landscape Architect and a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. He holds a BLA degree from Ball State University and an MLA from Iowa State University, and has professional practice background in Portland, Maine, Des Moines, Iowa, and Syracuse, New York. Along with teaching at UK, he has also been a visiting faculty member in the Landscape Architecture programs at Iowa State University and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He was chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at UK from 2010-2022. He is a former member and chair of the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board, which oversees the accreditation of 100 landscape architecture degree programs in the United States, and he continues to participate in LAAB site visits.

See the full committee here

KY Small Business Development Center Training:

Starting a Business in KY

May 5, 2026 - 7:00 PM

In this workshop with Kentucky SBDC Training Coordinator JC Phelps, you will have the opportunity to explore the ins and outs of entrepreneurship. Start Smart is designed to teach you how to start a business, conduct a feasibility analysis, choose the correct legal structure, analyze financial considerations, and more.

EDC Communication

The news featured here does not exclusively represent the work of the EDC, but rather highlights the contributions of various collaborators. We are honored to showcase the remarkable achievements taking place across the University of Kentucky.

The EDC Mission:

The EDC seeks to bring the university together by connecting people, sharing knowledge and leading efforts that advance economic impact in alignment with UK’s Advancing Kentucky Together initiative and regional and state goals.