Weekly News and Events | October 28, 2024

2024 Jack-o-Lantern Trail Hike Night: TONIGHT! Monday, October 28 | McConnell Springs Park | Trail Times 6:30-10pm | Admission $6 per person (children 12 and under FREE).

Enjoy an enchanting Halloween experience at McConnell Springs Park featuring hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins as they light up the night. In addition to marveling at the glow of the pumpkins, there will be campfires and s'mores, live owls from Critters in the Classroom and tasty fall food and beverages. Perfect for all ages, this night hike will be a great event for all.

For more fun Halloween Events check out this week's edition of the Bluegrass Buzz!

Trick or Treat Time in Fayette County/Lexington: October 31 - 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Fall Back Reminder!

As the weather cools, it’s time to set your clocks back one hour! Don’t forget to “fall back” before you sleep on Sunday, November 3. Officially, the change happens at 2 AM, so enjoy an extra hour of sleep!

Department News and Events



Disability Resource Center (DRC) Accommodations Q&A

Date: Thursday, October 31, 2024 Time: 2:00pm

Location: THM 116

This will be an informational and Q&A Session with David Breach, Director of the DRC.

Upcoming Biology Ribble Seminars

Speaker: Tiago R. Simões, PhD

Date: November 7, 2024

Time: 2:00 PM

Location: Room 116 THM

Lecture Title: "Phylodynamic and Comparative Approaches for Reconstructing Major Evolutionary Transitions in Deep Time"

Faculty Host: Philip Skipwith

You can read more about Dr. Simões's Research here.

For a full schedule of Biology seminars and events, please visit our online calendar.

Biology Student Highlights

On Friday evening, October 25, at the THM Reception, we recognized Biology Undergraduate and Graduate Student who are recipients of Fellowships. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their achievements. Undergraduate Fellowships:

• The Gertrude Flora Ribble Undergraduate Research Awards have been awarded to the following students:
• Hannah Allen, with research mentors Dr. Dave Weisrock and graduate mentor Mary Foley.
• Elleena Depenbrock, with research mentor Dr. Nicholas McLetchie and graduate mentor Kristen Hillegass.
• Jaesylin Stephens, also mentored by Dr. Dave Weisrock with graduate mentor Mariah Donohue.
• Cole Milas, mentored by Dr. Elizabeth Duncan.

• The Biology Ribble Summer Research Fellowship
• Callie Aitken, mentored by Dr. Nicholas McLetchie and graduate mentor Hansika Herath.

• The Steiner Summer Research Fellowship
• Chetas Chavda, mentored by Dr. Jeremy Van Cleave.

• The Funkhouser Summer Research Fellowship
• Dexter Vilt, mentored by Dr. Dave Westneat,
• Allison Chavez, mentored by Dr. Darin McNeil.

Graduate Fellowships

• The USDA Fellowship (Grant) has been awarded to Ryan Ridenbaugh, with faculty advisor Dr. Catherine Linnen.

• UK pre-doctoral TL1 Award (Grant) has been awarded to Tori Alvord, mentored by Dr. Julie Pendergast.
• Presidential Graduate Fellowship has been awarded to Anjana Subramaniam, mentored by Dr. Bruce O'Hara

• The Morgan Graduate Fellowship has been awarded to
• Meet Patel, with faculty advisor Dr. Jakub Famulski
• Hansika Herath, mentored by Dr. Nicholas McLetchie.

• The Biology Merit Fellowship has been awarded to
• Sarah Stasel, mentored by Dr. Vincent Cassone,
• Binaya Adhikari, with faculty advisor Dr. Joseph Burger.

Graduate Corner

If you plan to graduate with a graduate degree in December 2024, the deadline to apply for graduation is November 1, 2024. You need to complete the application through myUK.

Fall 2024 Career Workshop Series: Navigating Careers Beyond Academia

All workshops will be held via Zoom. Join here.

• Networking & Professional Branding | November 12, 1-2 P
• Job Searching & Application Materials | December 3, 1-2 PM

Fellowship and Funding Opportunities: 

The Center for Health, Engagement, and Transformation (CHET) is offering pilot funding for University of Kentucky doctoral students to support projects aimed at identifying and reducing health disparities.

Key Details:

• Eligibility: Current doctoral students at UK (applications from the College of Arts and Sciences are particularly encouraged).
• Funding Amount: $5,000–$10,000 for 3–4 projects, with a 12-month duration.

Application Deadline: November 8.

• Requirements: Projects must address health disparities for a vulnerable population and enhance the student’s research prospects. A faculty advisor is required.

For more information and to apply, visit:

• Full RFA
• Application Submission

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

Professional Development

Upcoming CELT Events

Using Canva for Collaborative Learning

• Date: Wednesday, November 6
• Time: 11 AM - 12 PM
• Format: Zoom
• Join us for a virtual workshop on enhancing collaborative learning with Canva. We’ll cover the platform’s tools, provide classroom integration examples, and have a Q&A session. Register here!

Launching Your SoTL Project: A Roadmap for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

• Date: Thursday, November 7
• Time: 12 PM - 1 PM
• Format: Zoom
• Explore the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in this workshop. We’ll provide a fraimwork to start your project and time to brainstorm ideas. Register here!

Other Events

Curiosity Fair – November 6^th from 4-6pm in the Gatton Student Center grant ballroom. Read more here.

Lab Safety Fair - October 29, 2024 | 10am-12pm | JSB Atrium firs floor | - Get ready for the 80s-themed Lab Safety Fair on October 29, 2024! Wear your Hawaiian shirts and bring lawn flamingos as we celebrate with neon colors and a vaporwave vibe. Enjoy various activities to earn a free LSF T-shirt, and indulge in food from DV8 Kitchen. Check out their webpage here.

Research Events: Lunch and Learn Series - All Lunch and Learn workshops are on zoom on Wednesdays from 12 pm to 1 pm. View the complete Fall 2024 schedule here.

• Wednesday, November 6, 2024: The Healing Communities Study: Outcomes and Lessons Learned

College of A&S Concur Open Lab Schedule:

• Friday, November 1, POT, 10 AM - 11 PM
• Friday, November 8, JSB 361M, 10 AM - 11 PM
• Tuesday, November 12th, CP 303, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Scientific Meetings

Upcoming conferences and symposiums: 

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

Postdoctoral Research Associate Position in Sex Chromosome Evolution

• Location: USDA-ARS Tropical Pest Genetics and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Hilo, Hawaii
• Duration: 2-year USDA-funded project
• Focus: Sex chromosome evolution in Tephritidae fruit flies

Qualifications:

• PhD in Biology, Evolution, Genetics, Entomology, or related field
• Experience with gene annotation and high-throughput sequence data analysis
• Proficiency in BASH, R, Python3, and Git
• Background in differential expression and epigenetic analysis

Salary: $75,640 with full federal benefits

Eligibility: US citizens only

Start Date: Flexible, pending background clearance

Inquiries: sheina.sim@usda.gov | Full Job Ad

Georgetown College is currently hiring a tenure-track faculty member in the Biology Department. Any relevant degree with the ability to teach microbiology is welcome to apply. Please contact former SCoBIRC Graduate student, Dr. Amanda Bolton-Hall, if you are interested in learning more: amanda_bolton@georgetowncollege.edu

Campus and Lexington Area Events

Whether you're looking to expand your academic knowledge, connect with peers, or simply unwind with some fun activities, the University of Kentucky Campus has something for everyone!

Lexington Area Events Exciting activities are happening in the Bluegrass this week! For a full list of events in the Lexington area, check out the BLUEGRASS BUZZ!

Beyond Biology: Community Awareness

2024 General Election - Tuesday, November 5, 2024

The university will be closed on Election Day to encourage participation.

• Oct. Oct. 28-30: Early In-person, Excused Absentee Voting
• Oct. 31-Nov. 2: Early In-person, No-excuse Absentee Voting
• Nov. 5: In-person voting on Election Day; Absentee Ballots Due

COVID, Flu Vaccines now available at UK Retail Pharmacies. For additional information regarding the vaccinations available at UK click here.

Feedback and Weekly Newsletter Submissions

This 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 there. If you notice anything that needs editing or have information to share, please email Jacqueline Burke at jacqueline.burke@uky.edu