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The College of Medicine LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee was established to build a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, and trainees. Under direction of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the committee hosts social events, creates mentorship and networking opportunities, and more.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 7, 2022) — At the University of Kentucky, we often talk about the importance of meeting the moment: rising to answer the most pressing questions and finding solutions for the most significant challenges facing Kentuckians. Our researchers, with their spirit of collaboration and endless drive for innovation, are making that bright future possible.
Keisa Fallin-Bennett, MD, MPH, knew that family medicine was her ideal specialty when she found herself interested in every clinical rotation during medical school.
“I knew it was top choice – nothing convinced me otherwise,” she said. “I thought, ‘These are the people who think about medicine like I do.’”
The STEM Through Authentic Research and Training (START) program at the University of Kentucky is creating a unique pipeline to increase science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) literacy and promote STEM careers for traditionally underrepresented populations — people of color, individuals with disabilities, students from free or reduce
In 2020, high-profile murders of Black civilians by police garnered national attention, shining a light on the growing need for social change. Learners at the UK College of Medicine collaborated to compose a letter to their leadership, advocating for solutions to combat systemic racism. The College of Medicine administration engaged with learners to implement strategies and initiatives that would address their concerns.
LEXINGTON, KY. (April 28, 2022) — It started as an idea during the 2021 spring semester. The goal behind the idea being discussed by the student group, Minority Students in Neuroscience (MSN), was to bring together all neuroscience majors, faculty and staff for an event celebrating the study they all love and enjoy.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 8, 2022) — Every year, the University of Kentucky’s Center for Health Equity Transformation (CHET) recognizes the efforts and voices of UK students, trainees and faculty members who are addressing health inequities.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 9, 2022) — Throughout March for Women’s History Month, the University of Kentucky is spotlighting Women Making History. These women are leading their fields of research, crossing traditional academic boundaries and impacting Kentucky’s most pressing challenges, including opioid use disorder treatment, aging and Alzheimer’s, water and air filtration, environmental impacts on health and suicide prevention.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 23, 2022) — University of Kentucky College of Medicinestudents Rashmi Bharadwaj, Maya Cleveland, Lillian Maxwell, Darayon Moore and Maggie Stull have been awarded Department of Behavioral Science White Coats for Black Lives Fellowships.
We want these young men to believe in themselves and say, ‘I can be a doctor.’”
Lexington, Ky., native Roszalyn Akins is passionate about helping students reach their potential. With 40-plus years as an educator and civic leader, she has found tremendous success when she encourages students to believe in themselves.
Jordon Burdette, a senior neuroscience and psychology major, was minutes away from presenting to a crowd of University of Kentucky scientists when the nerves set in. Her presentation, focused on cellular regeneration and spinal cord injury, was a culmination of a year of research she had worked on with her mentor, Warren Alilain, PhD, associate professor of neuroscience.
Burdette pushed through those nerves, and Dr. Alilain said she “crushed” it. She left feeling proud of her accomplishment and thankful for the opportunity to study a topic she didn’t expect to ever pursue.
Urim Geleta is only into her senior year of her undergraduate degree, yet she has already played a key role in neuroscience research at UK.
Since he was a graduate student, Patrick Hannon, PhD, has had his eyes set on a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant that he knew, if he received it, would enable him to make a tremendous impact in his career goal of advancing reproductive care for women.
Dr. Hannon, now an assistant professor in the UK College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was elated to find out that this winter, he achieved his longtime goal.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing helped mitigate spread of the virus. But a consequence was that it eliminated opportunities for in-person team building. In a year of trials and tribulations, the restrictions made coping with distressing events more difficult.
To build community during the challenging year, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosted Moments of Reflection, virtual events that allowed faculty, staff, and learners to connect over Zoom and openly discuss national events that might have caused grief, sadness, anger, and fear.
Ten years ago, when Amrita Iyengar was pursuing an undergraduate engineering degree, she sought a program that would take her far from her hometown of Maysville, Ky. She landed on the University of California at Berkeley, which, of the schools to which she applied, was the furthest possible distance from home.
Engineering was an exciting career path. It eventually led Iyengar to building cars at Tesla and General Motors, followed by a brief stint in nanomanufacturing research at the University of Texas-Austin.
Tania Padilla Conde, MD, wants to make a global impact in medicine, and she’s off to a good start.
Though early in her career as a second-year ophthalmology resident at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, she already has served in health care trips in Montana, on South Dakota Indian reservations, and in Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras.)
Mara Chambers, MD, is an associate professor of medicine in the division of medical oncology with an interest in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. She also serves as chair of the Markey Cancer Center’s Clinical Care and Research Team (CCART) for breast cancer and is on the UK College of Medicine Admissions Committee.
Courtney Kloske, a fifth-year doctoral candidate, became involved in Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) thanks to Monica Chau, PhD, research assistant professor in the department of neurosurgery and then-chair of the WIMS student and trainee subcommittee.
"She was so welcoming and asked if anyone wanted to become involved with the subcommittee, so I went up to her and talked about joining," Kloske said.
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine has received the 2021 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed Sept. 15 – Oct. 15. In the following Q&A, Alexandra Kejner, MD, assistant professor of head and neck surgical oncology and microvascular reconstruction, discusses what the month means to her and what she wants others to know about being Hispanic.
Q: How do you identify? What is your national/cultural background?