Weekly News and Events | March 10, 2025

Celebrating Women’s History Month: Moving Forward Together!

March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the incredible contributions women have made throughout history and continue to make today. This year’s theme, “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” highlights the power of education and collaboration in shaping the future.

From science to politics to the arts, women have always been at the forefront of change, often against great odds. Women’s History Month gives us a chance to celebrate these achievements, reflect on how far we’ve come, and think about how much further we still have to go. Together, we can keep pushing for a more inclusive world where women can continue to lead and inspire generations to come.

UK Academic Holiday - Spring Break: March 17 - 22, 2025

Fayette County Schools - Spring Break: April 7-11, 2025

BioBonanza 2025! - May 17th

Apply Now for the 2025-26 TEK Faculty Fellow Program!

The Transdisciplinary Educational approaches to advance Kentucky (TEK) program is now accepting applications for its third cohort of Faculty Fellows! This unique program supports faculty in developing innovative transdisciplinary courses and enhancing existing ones by focusing on essential employability skills.

The deadline to apply is 5 PM on Monday, March 24. If you have questions or need more information, please reach out to Jennifer Osterhage, TEK Director, at jennifer.osterhage@uky.edu.

Campus and Lexington Area Events

Spring Exam and Degree Application Reminders!

As we approach the spring semester, please remember the following important deadlines and procedures:

1. Qualifying and Final Exams: Be sure to submit your exam request at least two weeks prior to the scheduled exam date. Additionally, don’t forget to reserve a room for your exam. You can contact biology@uky.edu to arrange this.
2. Degree Application: If you're planning to graduate in May or August, please ensure that you submit your degree application through myUK by April 1, 2025.

Important Dates for Graduate Students spring 2025:

• April 1: Last day to apply for a May or August 2025 graduate degree in myUK
• April 10: Last day candidates for a May 2025 degree can submit a request to schedule a final examination through the GRADUATE SCHOOL.
• 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. Degree Forms 
• 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 9 Last day for May 2025 degree candidates to submit final revised/dissertation (ETD) to the Graduate School for students who first submitted May 2^nd.
• May 9-10: Commencement

Fellowship and Funding Opportunities: 

Graduate School Fellowship Competition for Spring 2025

The Graduate School’s fellowship competition is now open for funding opportunities for the Fall 2025 and/or Spring 2026 semesters.

• Matthews/Singletary/Wethington Fellowships (First-Year Students Only) 
• Application Deadline: March 30, 2025 
• Cralle Foundation/Joan Cralle Day Fellowship (First-Year Students Only) 
• Application Deadline: March 30, 2025

Application Links:

• Full fellowship descriptions: Fellowship Descriptions
• Application portal: Apply 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.

BGSA News

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

• March 28
• April 25

Resources for Students

Encourage Your Research Students to Apply for These Research Awards and Fellowships!

Please encourage your research students to apply for the following awards and fellowships, which offer fantastic opportunities for hands-on research experience and funding:

Ribble Research Award:

For Biology majors currently conducting research (BIO 395, 397, 398) in a Biology faculty lab. The award provides $1,000 per semester for two semesters of research. The application deadline is March 14, 2025. Please note, students who have previously received this award are not eligible to apply.

Summer Research Fellowships:

Give your students the chance to gain valuable research experience while getting paid for it!

• Biology Summer Research Fellowship:
• $5,000 for 10 weeks of research. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2025. This fellowship is available only for Biology majors.
• Funkhouser Summer Internship:
• $6,000 for 10 weeks of research. The deadline to apply is March 28, 2025. 30% of the research must be conducted at EREC.

These awards are great opportunities for students to enhance their research skills and contribute meaningfully to ongoing projects. Please encourage them to apply!

College of A&S Concur Open Lab Schedule:

• Tuesday, March 11th, CP 303, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
• Friday, March 14th, JSB 361 M, 10 AM - 11 AM
• Friday, March 21st, POT 245, 10 AM - 11 AM

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

Authentic Assessments Workshop

• Date: March 13, 2025
• Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

A workshop on designing effective authentic assessments that connect real-world applications with student learning.

Research Events: Spring 2025 Lunch and Learn Series

Collaborative Innovations in Pandemic Preparedness: The Role of Multidisciplinary Research in Center-Level Success

• March 12, 2025

Presenters: Scott Berry (Pigman College of Engineering) and Sahar Alameh (College of Education)

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

If there are conferences that would be of interest to members of our Biology Community, please forward them to Jacqueline Burke at jacqueline.burke@uky.edu for inclusion in this section of our weekly newsletter.

Job Opportunities Submission

If you come across an email regarding a job opportunity that could be of interest to members of the Biology Community, please forward it to Jacqueline Burke at Jacqueline.burke@uky.edu for inclusion in the job section of our weekly newsletter.

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 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.

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.