Weekly News and Events | January 20, 2025

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, January 20, 2025



ACADEMIC HOLIDAY - University Closed.

The 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration will take place on Monday, Jan. 20, at the Central Bank Center. It will begin with the annual Freedom March at 1 p.m. and conclude with the commemorative program at 2 p.m. https://www.facebook.com/LexingtonMLKHoliday

The MLK Holiday Observance in Lexington offers a meaningful opportunity for our community to come together in honoring Dr. King’s legacy of freedom, justice, peace, and equal opportunity for all Americans. The annual march and program attract thousands of participants from across Central Kentucky and beyond. This free public event is designed to inspire the best in us, as we unite to elevate Dr. King’s vision and continue his legacy.

Department News

Welcome Dr. Alexandra Long to Our Biology Community!

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our newest faculty member, Dr. Alexandra (Alex) Long! Despite the snowy and icy weather, Dr. Long has hit the ground running. We are excited to have her join our Biology Community and Department and look forward to the contributions she will make. Welcome aboard, Dr. Long!

We will be providing two RCR training sessions this month. If you haven’t signed up for a session, please go ahead and do so soon. RCR Training Sessions Spreadsheet

Dates-Locations-Times of Sessions:

• Thursday, January 23 from 2pm-3pm in THM 116 (No seminar this day)
• 8 spots available 
• Friday, January 24 from 3pm-4pm in JSB 361M
• 25 spots available 

TA Evaluations due no later than January 23, 2025

• All TAs must receive an End-of-Semester Evaluation (even graders).
• Send to Jacqueline Burke at jjburk3@uky.edu

Campus and Lexington Area Events

Staff News

Nominations for 2024 Outstanding Staff Awards are open at this link. Nominations are due by Friday, February 11. The winners will be announced during the Outstanding Staff Awards ceremony on May 16.

Staff Performance Evaluations for calendar year 2024 are due by Monday, February 17 to allow second-level approvals and PEs to be finalized to meet the university deadline of March 3.

Deadline to complete the self-evaluation is January 22, 2025. The self-evaluation is required for all A&S staff. This video provides step-by-step instructions for completing your self-evaluation.

Things to remember when completing staff PEs:

• The evaluation period is for calendar year 01/01/2024 through 12/31/2024. 
• Job standards from last year will not roll into this year’s PE. 
• Job standards should be determined by the supervisor before the employee completes their self-evaluation.
• Self-evaluations are required for each A&S Staff (staff need to self-rate themselves and provide comments).
• Keep in mind that half-point and quarter-point ratings on MJRs are not available.
• If an employee receives a rating of “1” on a specific MJR, then a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) must be completed. At this time, the PIP has not been integrated into the online PE system. Please reach out to Spencer Krenke or Jen White on creating a PIP before meeting with the employee. The PE should not be finalized until after the PIP conversation with Spencer Krenke or Jen White.
• PE website: https://www.uky.edu/pe/university. This website has useful information for both employees and supervisors.
• Accessing and completing the PE works best using the Chrome web browser.

For new staff who started on or after October 1, 2024, PEs are not required, however, supervisors may complete PEs for new staff if they wish to do so. This refers to new hires to the university. If you have new staff in your unit who started on or after October 1, but they transferred to A&S from another unit on campus, a PE must be completed. In this situation, it is the supervisor’s responsibility to complete the employee’s PE depending on where the employee worked for the majority of the calendar year.

Graduate Corner

Important Dates for Graduate Students spring 2025:

February

• Last day doctoral candidates for a May 2025 degree can submit a Notification of Intent to schedule a final examination in the Graduate School

April

• April 1: Degree application deadline
• April 24: Last day candidates for a May 2025 degree can sit for a final examination. All scheduling requests must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the proposed examination date.
• April 30: Last day of classes

May

• May 2: Last day candidates for a May 2025 degree can submit their thesis/dissertation for format review to the Graduate School via UKnowledge.
• May 5-8: Final exams
• May 9: Last day for May 2025 degree candidates to submit final revised thesis/dissertation (ETD) to the Graduate School for students who first submitted May 2^nd.
• May 9-10: Commencement for May 2025 graduates

BGSA News

This spring the BGSA will meet 3;30-4:30pm in THM 108

• January 31
• February 28
• March 28
• April 25

Fellowship and Funding Opportunities: 

Graduate School Fellowships Information

The following fellowship applications will be open from January 2 to March 30:

• Presidential Graduate Fellowship
• Matthews/Singletary/Wethington Fellowships
• James Still Fellowship
• Cralle Foundation/Joan Cralle Day Fellowship
• Northern KY/Greater Cincinnati UK Alumni Fellowship
• McNair Fellowship

Graduate School Fellowships: Discover and apply for current fellowship openings here.

External Funding: Explore and apply for current external funding Opportunities here..

Kuehne Fellowship: The main purpose of the Biology Department's Kuehne Fund is to provide support for the field work of a graduate student in biology.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for awards up to $1,000.

Please contact Dr. Jessica Santollo, Biology DGS, if you have any questions.

Resources for Students

Undergraduate Opportunity

Applications for the Summer Undergraduate Research Award (SURA) opened on December 9. Please pass along this great opportunity for any students wanting to participate in research this summer. Twenty-five awards will be funded with $5000 per student.

Students can follow this link https://www.as.uky.edu/undergraduate-research to acquire more information on the award and to apply.

The application deadline is February 14.

Any questions can be sent to Janice Geurin-Leslie Janice.geurin-leslie@uky.edu.

Professional Development

Center for the Enhancement of Leaning and Teaching (CELT) Events

The Student Outside the Classroom: Teaching in Unusual Contexts

• Jan 22, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
• 502 King Science Library
• Click here to register

View schedule of upcoming CELT Events here.

Research Events: Lunch and Learn Series

All Lunch and Learn workshops are held via Zoom on Wednesdays from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

UK HealthCare Innovation: New Dedicated Resources to Advance Innovation for a Healthier Kentucky

• January 22, 2025
• Presenters: Ian McClure (AVP Research Innovation/VP Healthcare Innovation, UK HealthCare)

View the complete Lunch and Learn spring 2025 schedule here.

College of A&S Concur Open Lab Schedule:

• Friday, January 24, JSB 361 M, 10 AM - 11 AM
• Friday, January 31st, JSB 361 M, 10 AM - 11 AM 

Scientific Meetings



Upcoming conferences and symposiums: 

Cold Spring Harbor - Single Cell & Spatial Transcriptomics Analysis

Dates: June 26 - July 14, 2025

• Application Deadline: March 15, 2025
• Arrival: June 26th by 6pm EST
• Departure: July 14th around 12pm EST

Course Details:

The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) course is an intensive, full-day program that often includes evening and weekend sessions. Students are expected to attend all sessions and reside on campus for the duration of the course.

Application Link: CSHL Course Application

The Ninth Cold Spring Harbor: Brain Barriers Conference:

April 8-12, 2025 | 7:30 pm on Tuesday, April 8th | concluding on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Abstract Deadline: January 24, 2025

For more details and to register, please visit the Brain Barriers meeting website.

Job Opportunities

Harvard Medical School is hiring a Biomedical Informatics Curriculum Fellow to support the Master of Medical Sciences in Biomedical Informatics (MMSc-BMI) program. The Fellow will help ensure the program offers opportunities for students to develop data science skills in the context of medicine and biological science to improve human health. This position is ideal for early-career scientist-educators focused on curriculum development, teaching, and educational programming.

Qualifications:

• Doctorate-level degree in a Biomedical Informatics-related field (e.g., computational biology, computer science, biostatistics)
• Experience teaching at the graduate or undergraduate level (candidates near completion of doctoral work are encouraged to apply)

Application Deadline: February 1st, 2025 APPLY HERE

Tufts IRACDA (Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards Program)

• Application Deadline: February 1, 2025 (for fall 2024 start)
• Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents with no more than 2 years of postdoctoral experience
• Inquiries: Tufts IRACDA website

Beyond Biology: Community Awareness 

Big Blue Pantry The Food Pantry is an emergency relief program that is designed to meet the short-term food security needs of all current UK students. Email: bigbluepantry@uky.edu

LGBTQ+ Resources

LGBTQ* Resources is the University of Kentucky's central hub for accessing information, groups, and services related to diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Housed in the Office for Student Success, they are a campus-wide office that works to make sure that our community is a welcoming, safe, and supportive place for all students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Email: LGBTQ@uky.edu

The CaTS team is providing free Professional Headshots for all Arts and Sciences faculty and Staff. Walk-in sessions on the first Wednesday of each month from 11 AM - 1 PM in POT 918 (student work room). You can also book a 15-minute appointment on select Thursday's with Sophie Morgan for as-needed headshots.



Outreach Opportunities

The BioBonanza Planning Committee is seeking presenters for BioBonanza 2025.

If you're interested in presenting, please complete the form BioBonanza Interest Form.

Feedback and Weekly Newsletter Submissions 

The weekly newsletter, along with future updates, will be posted on the Biology website under the Departmental Newsletter and Weekly News tab. Any edits or updates will be reflected on this page.

If you notice anything that needs editing or if you have information to share in the next newsletter, please email Jacqueline Burke at jacqueline.burke@uky.edu.