Behind the Blue

LEXINGTON, Ky. (November 5, 2026) – For patients facing a cancer diagnosis, access to high-quality care can make a life-changing difference. But for many Kentuckians, particularly those living in rural communities, traveling long distances for appointments and treatment can create additional challenges. For 20 years, the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network has worked to a...

On this episode of Behind the Blue , another installment of The Business of UK takes a closer look at the University of Kentucky's new enterprise services partnership with Compass Group. Host Eric Monday, UK's executive vice president for finance and administration and co-executive vice president for health affairs, is joined by Gina Dugas, senior vice president for finance and administration, and...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 22, 2026) – From his days as a University of Kentucky student to his current role as speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, David Osborne has gained a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing the Commonwealth. On this episode of 'Behind the Blue,' Osborne reflects on his journey from growing up in Oldham County to attending UK, building a car...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 15, 2026) – The University of Kentucky Alumni Association started the Great Teacher Award program in 1961 to honor excellent teaching at the university. There have been more than 300 teachers honored since that first year. Nominations may only be submitted by current students. To receive the award, a candidate must:   Hold the rank of full-time lecturer or above and have be...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 8, 2026) – THIS IS AN ENCORE EPISODE PRESENTATION.  Each spring, the University of Kentucky celebrates a new class of graduates stepping into the next chapter of their lives. But at UK, learning doesn't end at commencement. On this episode of Behind the Blue, host Kody Kiser talks with Joey Conrad, director of the University of Kentucky's Office of Lifelong Learning, and Su...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 1, 2026) – Homecoming Week is just days away at the University of Kentucky, bringing alumni back to campus while giving current students an opportunity to take part in traditions that have connected generations of Wildcats. On this episode of 'Behind the Blue,' Kelly Holland, incoming president of the UK Alumni Association, and Jill Smith, Vice President for Stakeholder Eng...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 24, 2026) – The University of Kentucky Alumni Association started the Great Teacher Award program in 1961 to honor excellent teaching at the university. There have been more than 300 teachers honored since that first year. Nominations may only be submitted by current students. To receive the award, a candidate must: Hold the rank of full-time lecturer or above and have be...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 17, 2026) – When a child is diagnosed with cancer, families understandably want to know why. For some patients, part of the answer may be found in their genes. Researchers and clinicians know that about one in every 10 patients diagnosed with cancer may have a genetic finding that helps explain why they developed the disease. But identifying those patients based solely on...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 10, 2026) – Taking steps toward better health doesn't always have to begin in a doctor's office. Sometimes it can start with a blood pressure check, a conversation about nutrition or a simple screening that identifies a potential health concern before it becomes something more serious. On Saturday, Sept. 19, UK HealthCare and University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension w...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 3, 2026) – University of Kentucky researchers are working to better understand how ticks move through Kentucky landscapes — and how wildlife, livestock, people and land use all connect in the spread of tick-borne disease. On this episode of Behind the Blue , Kody Kiser talks with Hannah Tiffin, Ashley Russo and Matt Springer from the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture,...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 28, 2026) – THIS IS AN ENCORE EPISODE. A new partnership at Golisano Children's at UK will help put books directly into the hands of Kentucky children and families. On this episode of Behind the Blue, host Kody Kiser talks with Kelsey Rahenkamp of Golisano Children's at UK, Lindsey Westerfield of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Kentucky and Dr. Anna Thamann, a neonatal...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 20, 2026) – A UK HealthCare patient who has lived with severe lupus for more than 20 years recently became the second patient in the United States to receive an experimental CAR-T cell therapy through a Phase 2 clinical trial. On this episode of 'Behind the Blue,' Dr. Paramarajan Piranavan , chief of the Division of Rheumatology at UK HealthCare, and Dr. Izabela Antic , the...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 14, 2026) – The University of Kentucky Alumni Association started the Great Teacher Award program in 1961 to honor excellent teaching at the university. There have been more than 300 teachers honored since that first year. Nominations may only be submitted by current students.   To receive the award, a candidate must: Hold the rank of full-time lecturer or above and have bee...

The University of Kentucky Alumni Association established the Great Teacher Awards in 1961 to recognize outstanding teaching at UK. More than 300 faculty members have received the honor, and nominations may only be submitted by current students. Honorees must demonstrate exceptional knowledge of their subject, innovative teaching, and a strong commitment to students inside and outside the classroo...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 9, 2026) – THIS IS AN ENCORE EPISODE. Schyler Simpson, PhD, is no stranger to the University of Kentucky. A three-degree UK alum, she has spent years serving students in a variety of roles across campus, including teaching, advising, recruiting, and retention and engagement work in the College of Communication and Information. In her new role as director of Nationally Competit...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 2, 2026) – As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, the University of Kentucky Department of History is helping the campus and broader community think more deeply about 1776 — not only as a moment of celebration, but as a moment for reflection. Through its 'Celebrating 1776' lecture series, public events, film screenings and courses, the department is...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 26, 2026) – Summer is often thought of as the easy season — school is out, the days are longer and families are heading to pools, parks, camps, museums, beaches, mountains and airports. But summer also comes with questions, especially for parents, caregivers and travelers: Do we need vaccines before a trip? Are prescriptions refilled? What should we do about ticks, sunburns or...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 18, 2026) – When Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers first came to the University of Kentucky as a student, Lexington felt like "the big city." Growing up in southeastern Kentucky, between London and Manchester, Stivers saw UK as a place that opened his eyes to the diversity of the Commonwealth — its people, geography, industries and needs. Decades later, as one of Kentuc...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 11, 2026) – [THIS IS AN ENCORE EPISODE.] Artificial intelligence is moving fast — and Kentucky lawmakers are working to make sure the state can take advantage of new tools without sacrificing transparency, privacy or public trust. On this episode of 'Behind the Blue', Kentucky State Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe — a Lexington native and University of Kentucky alum — joins host K...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 4, 2026) – A new partnership at Golisano Children's at UK will help put books directly into the hands of Kentucky children and families. On this episode of Behind the Blue, host Kody Kiser talks with Kelsey Rahenkamp of Golisano Children's at UK, Lindsey Westerfield of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Kentucky and Dr. Anna Thamann, a neonatal neurologist at UK HealthCare,...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 28, 2026) – When someone we care about is going through something painful, many of us struggle with the same question: What do I say? On this episode of Behind the Blue, Dr. Abbie Latimer, an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, talks about hospice and palliative care, serious illness communication and how people can better support one anoth...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May  26 , 2026)  —  When NASA's Artemis II mission sent four astronauts on a path around the moon — farther from Earth than any humans have traveled in decades — the world watched in awe.   Yet ,  one of the most critical parts of the journey remained invisible.   For a team of faculty,  staff  and students  in the  Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering   at   University...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 14, 2026)  – [THIS IS AN ENCORE PRESENTATION.] What does it mean to "reckon" with the past — not as a distant record, but as a living force that still shapes our communities, our classrooms and our shared civic life? Kristine Yohe, a professor of English at Northern Kentucky University, explores that question in her new book, " Reckoning with the Past: The Historical Poetry of...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2026) —   Growing up on a farm in Paris, Kentucky, Jinger Ballinger's future seemed mapped o ut long before she had the chance to imagine anything different. Days were spent working alongside her family raising tobacco — a life rooted in hard work, but far removed from classrooms, cap-and-gown ceremonies or college dreams.  In high school, Ballinger made a decision that woul...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 30, 2026) – Each spring, the University of Kentucky celebrates a new class of graduates stepping into the next chapter of their lives. But at UK, learning doesn't end at commencement. On this episode of Behind the Blue, host Kody Kiser talks with Joey Conrad, director of the University of Kentucky's Office of Lifelong Learning, and Sue Oatey, an OLLI class participant, about...