August EDC Newsletter - Building AI Partnerships in KY | Launch Blue opens applications for Fall 2026

UK EDC News | August 2026

Talent Update

A softer place to land: UK interiors students envision new possibilities for The Nest’s childcare space

For a child seeking safety and stability during a difficult time, the right room can do more than provide care. It can offer calm, comfort and a softer place to land. That idea guided students in the University of Kentucky College of Design’s School of Interiors as they partnered with The Nest to imagine trauma-informed changes for its childcare space.

The Nest is a Lexington-based nonprofit that supports women, children and families facing crisis. Through counseling, education, legal advocacy, childcare and essential resources, the organization works to prevent abuse and neglect and help families build safer, more stable futures. For families navigating crisis, the spaces where care happens can shape how safe, supported and welcome they feel.

Innovation Update

Launch Blue opens applications for Fall 2026 UAccel + UAccel Healthcare I-Corps cohort

Applications are now open for the Fall 2026 UAccel I-Corps program, a six-week experiential program that helps University of Kentucky researchers, innovators and early-stage startup founders explore the commercial potential of their ideas through customer discovery and evidence-based entrepreneurship.

Hosted by Launch Blue, UAccel helps participants evaluate market opportunities, connect directly with potential customers, and choose the best commercialization path for their innovations. Whether the goal is launching a startup, licensing a technology or strengthening future grant proposals, participants gain practical experience applying entrepreneurial methods to research-driven innovation.

Place Update

UK’s Community Innovation Lab unveils new home

At the University of Kentucky, a unique lab is helping students find purpose beyond the classroom and giving community members a place to build meaningful partnerships.

With the opening of a new, dedicated space, the Community Innovation Lab, housed in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) and UK College of Education, has found a long-awaited “front door".

At its core, the lab operates on a simple but powerful idea: Learning should not be confined to a classroom. Instead, students engage directly with real-world challenges, working alongside communities.

Meet the EDC Steering Committee

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

Dr. Jana Jasinski joined the University of Kentucky in August 2024 and serves as the vice provost and acting dean of the Graduate School. As the vice provost she partners with colleges and their leaders along with other senior leadership on campus, to continue the university’s mission of advancing Kentucky. She is a three-time graduate of the University of New Hampshire where she earned her doctoral degree in sociology. Her research primarily focuses on the areas of lethal and non-lethal interpersonal violence with an emphasis on intimate partner violence, substance use, and institutional responses to violence. Prior to joining UK, she held multiple faculty and administrative roles at the University of Central Florida, including vice provost for faculty excellence, associate dean in the College of Graduate Studies, and associate dean in the College of Sciences. In those roles, she helped foster interdisciplinary collaboration, faculty recognition, peer mentoring communities, leadership development, and academic leadership programming for future university leaders.

See the full committee here

Central Kentucky Job Club:

Finding Your Competitive Advantage through Your Strengths

September 8, 2026 - 9:00 AM

Job seekers often focus on what they're missing. This session shifts the focus to what's already working. Learn how to identify your unique strengths and use them to build confidence, communicate your value, and differentiate yourself in today's job market.

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.