June EDC Newsletter - Land Grant Western KY Bus Tour | Save the Date, Industry Partnership Week

UK EDC News | June 2026

Save the Date: UK Innovate R&D Partnerships Week

Talent Update

How one UK student built a career with OneUK

partner, Bullard

Most internships last a summer. Elliott Kraus’ lasted two years and ended with a full-time offer before he ever walked across the Commencement stage.

Kraus, a double major in finance and marketing in the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, found an internship listing on Handshake during his time at UK and applied to a marketing intern role at Bullard.

He was offered the role, and what was supposed to be a month-and-a-half engagement stretched into something much bigger. That internship — first in marketing, then in finance — ultimately led to a full-time offer as a business analyst at the company.

Innovation Update

UK HealthCare performs Kentucky’s 1st robot-assisted kidney transplant

UK HealthCare’s Transplant Center recently performed the first kidney transplant using a surgical robot. Not only was this the first transplant performed robotically in Kentucky, but also in the surrounding region, including Tennessee, West Virginia and southern Ohio. Of the 250 transplant centers in the nation, 25 are actively performing robotic transplant procedures.

Led by transplant surgeon Matthew W. Black, M.D., and using the Da Vinci Xi Surgical System, the surgical team transplanted a donor kidney using smaller incisions while keeping the patient’s core muscles intact.With no major disruptions to large muscle groups and surrounding nerves, patients who opt for the robotic procedure report less pain and easier recoveries.

Place Update

UK Land-grant Engagement Bus Tour highlights partnerships, opportunities across Western Kentucky

Listening to communities and building meaningful partnerships were central themes of the University of Kentucky Land-grant Engagement Bus Tour, which brought faculty, staff and university leaders to Western Kentucky for a firsthand look at the opportunities and challenges shaping communities across the Commonwealth.

The inaugural tour highlighted the breadth of engagement happening across Western Kentucky, including community health partnerships in Grayson County; agricultural research and producer engagement at the UK Research and Education Center at Princeton; workforce development initiatives at the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering Paducah Campus; arts and culture programs in Paducah; regional partnerships and healthcare workforce initiatives in Fulton and Christian counties; and community and educational programs in Muhlenberg County.

Meet the EDC Steering Committee

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

Dorian Herceg is the Associate Vice President, Strategy & Growth for UK HealthCare. He works in collaboration with the executive leadership team to ensure alignment of strategic initiatives, focusing on health system goals as well as the short- and long-term vision. He has led efforts developing the ambulatory strategy for UKHC, expanding partnerships, and growing service lines across the state. He provides leadership for system strategic planning efforts, business development, service-line growth, strategic facility planning and execution, and ambulatory and community hospital strategy.

Prior to starting at UK in 2016, Dorian served in various strategy and business development roles in Indiana serving an academic health center and the communities of downtown and greater Indianapolis. He has had prior speaking engagements related to strategy, financial planning, and healthcare project strategy. He was named a 40 under 40 award recipient by Healthcare Innovation and has served as adjunct faculty in the UK College of Public health, teaching in the UK MHA program. Dorian holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in health administration from Indiana University.

See the full committee here

KY Small Business Development Center Training:

Start Smart: Starting a Business in Kentucky

June 29, 2026 - 12:00 PM

To ensure success when starting a business, there are many considerations that you need to address from the beginning. In this workshop with JC Phelps, you will have the opportunity to explore the ins and outs of entrepreneurship. It will 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.